The Twelfth Moon || ✔️

8. The Ascension pt. 1

As I stepped into the room, I could feel the gaze of every Alpha upon me, piercing me through and through. I felt naked, vulnerable, and laid bare open in front of a group of strangers that were carefully watching my every move, holding my fate in their hands and assessing my worthiness to a better life.

When I looked up at the table where the Alphas sat, most of them had already lost interest in me. Their eyes were scanning the other wolflings who came in with me, not trailing a moment too long on the creature Beckett had dragged along. I suddenly found myself missing that vulnerability I experienced moments ago because their lack of interest was sure not to be promising for me.

The Alphas sat in order of the Moons, the Wise Moon's Alpha on the left and the Death Moon's Alpha finishing the row on the far right. The two Alphas on either side of Beckett could not fool anyone about the pack they belonged to.

Strong Moon's Alpha, Mika, sat with such force and intensity, the power radiating off his muscular physique was undeniably the power of strength. He bulged over the other Alphas, and the confidence he emanated filled the room with a thick tension, one that could not be cut with a sharp blade, but only be smashed down by brute force.

On Beckett's right sat Cailean, whose name father had mentioned many times, with a carefree and relaxing attitude. I heard stories about him, stories of his age that went way back beyond my lifetime. But now he sat before me, he looked about as old as me. I wondered if his opponents ever underestimated him because of it, and paid the steep price. If the stories were true, Cailean was a deadly werewolf. But tonight, he looked unbothered. Bored, even. I wondered how many Ascensions he had already experienced, to find this life-altering moment so dull.

The fourth Alpha to the left, a female wolf who looked to be of middle age, had to be Life Moon's Alpha, Lucienda. Female Alphas were fewer, but by no means less capable. Life Moon's Alpha had a shorter haircut of a dark blonde color, where hints of grey started to appear. Her face showed a few lines, indicating her age, and she looked kind, wise, and gentle, and everything I longed for in an Alpha.

There were three other female Alphas in the room. Wise Moon was graced with one, as were Scent Moon and Swift Moon. All four of them looked stunning and powerful, and worthy opponents of their male counters. A knot rose in my chest at the realization that next to them, I looked even more weak than I was.

We were ushered to move along and pass all the Alphas one by one so they could smell our scent, to open the path to perhaps join their pack if it convinced them we'd be a good asset. Like we were cattle on a farmer's market, waiting to be bought and sold to another farmer who'd decide our worth based on their value of us.

Nervous, I stumbled forward. I hoped they couldn't smell my nerves, as I was sure that would not leave a good impression, but in a room full of the most powerful wolves, my hopes were in vain. But most of the Alphas seemed not to care about me as I passed them. Could I blame them? An orphaned wolf from the Fire Moon Pack, without any powers setting in. Beckett had clearly shown his interest in keeping me in his Fire Moon Pack, which meant taking me in equaled pissing off Beckett. I was a liability at best. Still, it stung and my heart lurched and broke and shattered into oblivion at the thought of having to return to Spitta, of having to keep playing Beckett's twisted games.

The fifth Alpha from the left, Scent Moon, sniffed as I passed but did not bother to even look at me. I could've sworn I saw her nose wrench as I passed her, but we had to move along so quickly, I wasn't sure if I had seen it correctly. I'd never felt so raw. 

Beckett seemed to notice the predicament I found myself in too, as he leaned back and smirked at me as I passed him. Knowing he'd likely be able to torture me for the infinite years to come, his arrogance made me sick to my stomach. I prayed another Alpha would show interest in me, and get me out of his claws.