“How are you feeling, child?” Alpha Joffrey asked his only child almost an hour to the handing over ceremony. He had summoned her into his personal chambers for a chat, an act that he had not done in a very, very long time. As a matter of fact, Aiyisha could practically count the number of times that had happened all through her life on just one hand, and she was pretty sure a few fingers would have even been left if she did.
The last thing she had expected him to ask when she had come before his presence was how she was feeling... not once in a million years had that thought even crossed her mind.
Perhaps, if he had said he had changed his mind on handing her the position and decided to give it to someone else instead, then sure... that was something she would not put past him, but this? This father seeming genuinely interested in his daughter’s wellbeing and feelings?
This was definitely going to take some getting used to for sure.
“I—I’m fine, father... I should be the one asking how you are doing.” She tried to deflect the question back to him, standing uprightly still even though her fingers itched to adjust his covers around him. Her brain kept her rooted where she was though. But that was just the thing between them, there was no connection, no affection... nothing. Or maybe there was... maybe there used to be, and now it had been snuffed out by fate's happenings and all of that distance.
Don’t get me wrong, she did know she loved her father, but that was just a general statement, like, ‘the sky is blue’ or some other generalised fact, because if you asked her why she loved the bitter old man, she would not for the love of her be able to give you a concrete reason.
“There would be no need for that, child,” The old wolf brushed her off with a tired grunt, the words rousing her from her musings just in time to see his blue eyes close shut to battle a wave of dizziness.
He was becoming weaker as the days went by.
“You sent for me?” Aiyisha asked, a tinge of impatience and irritation lacing her tone, and who could blame her, really? If he wanted to break her heart, he might as well get to the point already and stop beating about the fucking bush!
“Indeed, I did, Aiyisha... I—I just wanted to know how prepared you are for your er —coronation.” The old Alpha found that he did not quite know how to address the ceremony after all, hence his slight fumbling.
“And you want to know that now because?” Aiyisha’s blue eyes were blazing as she stared at the man who had only birthed her and pretty much done nothing else. “You had my whole life to train me, to guide me towards taking over from you, so please... spare yourself and me all the small talk and just tell me why I am here already.”
Alpha Joffrey sighed deeply. He deserved this. And if he was being true to himself, he would tell you that he even deserved more than that... but it still did not change the fact that he was truly repentant and only wanted to make amends.
The thing was, the just ended battle had shaken him up more than he cared to admit, its somewhat devastating consequences making him see what he had otherwise been blind to for so long.
He was an idiot.
Plain and simple.
He had wasted all the chances he had of fixing his relationship with his daughter, and he could understand how now that he wanted to make amends, she was not exactly open to the idea, but he wasn’t going to stop trying.
“I am sorry for everything I have done to you, Aiyisha... for distancing myself from you, to not believing that you could successfully take over from me. I am truly an idiot for ignoring you all these years, but I’m willing to try—”
“It is a little too late for that, father...” She cut him off, finding that she did not quite want to hear what he had to say. “Let us just keep things as they are,” She shrugged nonchalantly taking pride in the fact that her eyes were not even glistening with tears. She had really come a long way from the weak prone to tears girl she used to be. “It is not as though we have not been doing this for five and twenty years, after all.” She turned to leave, but then stopped all of a sudden, “If it is the fight that you are worried about, I assure you that I will not fail you and tarnish the reputation of our family,” She assured him, “I have been training for this moment all my life.”
*****
The courtyard, which had been sombre and gloomy just a few hours ago had transformed into an arena alight with excitement and anticipation. White and golden decorations embellished the large yard, and the pack members matched the accessories , with their flowy white and golden gowns and matching cravats and breeches.
Kendra and Killian, though not members of the pack, had been invited as special guest to witness the crowning of the new Alpha, and as they sat at the high table along with the old Alpha who was soon going to relinquish his claim as leader of the Dnakle Pack, Kendra could not help but notice that he seemed even more sad than usual. She told Killian her observations, but her mate was only quick to brush it off. “I do not want to sound insensitive, Ken...” He had said, “But this man does not deserve our sympathies in any way.”
She did not want to tell him that she felt the exact same way too, but she really did. In the small time she had been here, the old man had been nothing but vicious to his only child. Who knew? Maybe the reason for his sadness was because his beloved pack was going to a woman after all his many protests.
Just like that, her little sympathy quickly disappeared.
Loud cheering broke out on the arena-like courtyard as Aiyisha made her way to the middle, looking every bit like a warrior dressed to kill in her tight bra-like gold and white ensemble with a matching flowy skirt that had so many slits that her movement would not be impeded in any way. Her blond hair was tied in a severe bun atop her head and from the serious look on her face, it was very much obvious that she was not going to spare any one who dared cross her path.
The healer, who Kendra had learnt was named Ursula started some incantations in the ancient language, and then smeared soot under Aiyisha’s eyes and from her forehead all the way to her chin.
And then they got to the part where everyone had been waiting for.
“Aiyisha von Sterling, first daughter of the second Alpha of the Dnakle, do you accept this position the moon Goddess has decided to grace you with? To lead the people of Dnakle through happy time and through sad times, through famine, through drought, doing everything possible to ensure the continuity of the pack even at the the peril of your life?” The old wolf asked,
“Yes, I do.”
“Nkuko wabivuze, niko bizagenda. Reka umuyaga uhuha wa QYEPOE n'ukwezi kwababyeyi bikomeje kumurika bitagaragara no kumanywa nta buhamya bwibone kugeza magingo aya, kandi bakuyobore mu nzira zawe zose.” The healer shouted out loud, her hands raised to the skies as she invoked blessings upon the blonde haired she wolf’s head in a language none of them knew.
And then she switched back to English. “Let anyone who is against making Aiyisha the third Alpha of the Dnakle Pack speak now, or forever hold their peace.” She finished ominously.
Everyone’s eyes flitted about in excitement, wanting to see who would rise up and challenge the new Alpha as custom demanded.
Two men rose to the occasion, tall, grand, burly... each powerful in their own right. “We object.” They said, proudly as they eyed the object of their interest in what Kendra identified to be lust and hatred all mixed in one.
Wow.
“You do know what your objection means, do you not?” Ursula asked them, her eyes shining with some unidentifiable light.
“Indeed we do.” They replied.
“Very well. You two shall spar in a hand to hand combat with the new Alpha, all at once. Whoever emerges the winner claims the pack as the New Alpha.”
The two men bowed in understanding and stepped forward, closer to Aiyisha who had all the while been eyeing them... a crazed gleam in her eyes. Oh, she knew those two alright, Cassius and Mobius, two fools who had tried to court her some years ago on two separate occasions. They had turned very vicious after her very public rejection, having been unable to take no for an answer on the many other times she had said no on secret and now... it was very much obvious that they were eager to extract their pound of flesh.
Oh but she was ready for them.
She could already feel it. The power of the moon goddess coursing through her veins. She could feel her own Alpha power rise, and her own determination to prove to everyone gathered that she, a mere woman, was going to emerge victorious increase as well. And so large confident grin made its way onto her face.
She had already won.
When the healer announced the beginning of the fight... like true chauvinists, the men circled each other eyeing themselves with disgust.
Aiyisha knew what they wanted to do.
They wanted to take each other out first, and then come face her. Very well. As much as she was starving for a fight, even she could be practical about things. Facing them last would be advantageous.
And so, Aiyisha watched, blue eyes ready... body poised, just in case they changed their minds and turned on her. She watched them throw punch after punch, deflect a few and throw in some kicks here and there... and then, almost as though they had both simultaneously realised just how much of a bad idea fighting each other first would be for their strength and endurance and chance of beating the blonde haired she wolf, they quickly turned on her, hoping to take her by surprise.
But that was just the thing.
She had been expecting it.
Aiyisha threw herself in a backward lunge to escape their attack, and then she had readied herself, punching, kicking, throwing jabs here and there, but mostly evading... which she knew was her most key advantage, seeing as they had their burliness going for them. And true, soon enough, she cold see their punches slow down, their kicks and jabs become sloppy.
They were getting tired.
Good.
Turning a cartwheel in the air, she landed on Mobius’ back and snapped his neck in a flash, before anyone could see, or make sense of what had happened. The burly, hairy man fell to his knees and then clambered to the ground with a loud thud.
Loud gasps of shock filled the air as some people stood up, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Apparently, Cassius had been struck by the shock too. If anyone had told him that the She wolf had a chance against the both of them combined, he would have laughed in that person’s face.
But she had bested them.
One of them was now fallen. If she had handled her own just fine in a hand combat with two people fighting her all at once, who was he, but a mere mortal? She was tired, that much he could see, but her eyes were alight with something... something had he could not quite identify, but whatever it was, it had him dropping to his knees in a surrender, falling face flat as he hollered the words, “I yield!” over and over again.
The pack rose to their feat in a loud cheer, applauding their new Alpha...
But she was not quite Alpha yet.
There was just one last thing she had to do.
She had to teach the bastard a lesson for daring to challenge her. It was an unchangeable part of werewolf lore, he had crossed her... he had to pay the price.
Apparently, Cassius knew that he had fucked up as well, for no one told him, he quickly shifted into his wolf form, tail between his legs to express his remorse and his shame. Ursula handed Aiyisha a silver bladed dagger, and without another word and a viciousness the she wolf did not know she possessed, she stabbed the weapon in his left eye and just as viciously yanked it out, taking the entire eyeball along with it. The silver bladed dagger clattered to the ground and then Aiyisha broke out in a loud yell that quickly turned into a howl as she and her wolf became one.
And then she broke out in a run, urging her pack members who were one by one feeling the full force of her Alpha power to join her. They did so whole heartedly.
As Aiyisha ran, only one thought ran through her head...
She had done it.
She was finally Alpha.
Kendra and Killian did not have to join in the run, but they wanted to... their wolves were used to the new pack anyway, and so they joined their second family, so proud of the girl who had truly become their friend.