Despondency

Chapter 6

Luna Tracey was crazy. Ai found herself sprinting the perimeter for the 24th time. She had to circle the rock 25 times for being found on the boys side that morning. Ai didn't realize other packs had morals like hers did. Everything was almost as traditional. Ai missed her brothers. Most of her brothers had chosen to stay home and protect the pack. Except Bradley, he was simply too young to go.
Ai pretended she was racing Roland instead of sprinting as a punishment. That it was the stretch between the barn and her house. Mom was inside humming while she made dinner. Riley was behind the house training. Bradley and Connor would be playing chess or up to no good. Hopefully they were in an intense game of chess. Ai smiled like a mad woman. The tall grains whipped against her thighs. The air pushed against her, telling her to slow. She glanced behind herself and there was Roland gaining speed. He always won, even when he gave her a head start. Ai watched helplessly as he out ran her. Roland was just about to tap the house post. Ai pushed faster. Determined to at least be right there before he could pause and catch his breath. Desperation made her move her lead legs even more. Just 5 feet.
"Aiyana." Luna Tracey yelled. Ai's crazed smile dropped from her face. She wasn't on her lush farmland. No, she was in a forest on a rock. Her family wasn't there. Her mom not humming away and her brothers weren't laughing and teasing. She was surrounded by strangers who stared. Her face was hot. She could tell her entire face had lit up into a deep red color. Sweat poured down her shirt. The other girls looked fresh and ready for the day, while she-she looked like a hot mess.
"I said you could stop at 25 sweetie." Luna Tracey crinkled her brows in concern. Ai didn't bother to ask how many laps she had done. Based on the mocking stares of the other girls, it was a lot.
"Oh, I must've misheard you. I will listen more carefully next time, Luna Tracey."
Heat continued to rise as she found one stare in particular. It was Vit, her mate. She expected him to look away but he held her gaze firmly.
Vit watched Ai as she walked toward the group of she wolves on the other side of the rock. Alpha Thames stood next to him.
"She looked like she was in another world." Vit said indifferently.
"Vitally." Vit brought his gaze up to his Alpha. "When you joined my pack, why didn't you work up your rank?"
Was this why Alpha always stared long and hard at him? Attempting to solve the puzzle that was Vit? No, this had simply bothered the alpha.
Vit didn't reply.
"You have strong blood in you, leadership skills, wisdom and courage. All these characteristics ideal for an alpha, and yet you claim the position of omega. You work as hard as the other wolves and you are twice as strong, why not take your rightful place in my pack that I had designed you to be in?" The young Spanish man looked up at the Alpha.
"You might have designed that position for me, but then I would not be here. This is what I want to be."
"Weak?" A normal wolf, a weak one, would have flinched or been offended by the word.
"Patient." Replied Vitally. Alpha Thames looked down at the young wolf. He was wise beyond his years, but his actions made less and less sense. The Alpha left the secretive wolf and followed his cryptic gaze to a young exhausted she wolf. Vitally's stare meant that the girl was his mate. How did that fit the young master-mind's plan of eventually taking his place as Alpha? Alpha Thames once again shook his head at the man and sought out his mate, Luna Tracey.
By twelve everyone, except Ai, was rested enough for the second part of the Challenge of the Mates. Ai glanced around, getting a feel of her competition. Most werewolves chose their mates, how is it that she and Vit are chosen for one another? Was it her job to prove herself? To her other half and the moon goddess?
There were plenty of stronger wolves here. Many of the female wolves could out distance and out lift her. She looked to the mid day sky for strength. The sun never provided her with energy, it's heat always drained her. How did one pray to the sun god? He was their father and the moon their mother, so how could she ask for strength from her other ancient parent? Thinking of the prayer she reserved for the moon she changed it slightly.
God of the sun, shine on the hour
Of the trial I face that seems too great
Flood my weakness with the sun's power
That I may receive strength from the gate.
Even when she prayed to the moon the prayer sounded strange and difficult. Still she could feel the exhausting rays of the sun slowly making her tired, as it did with all werewolves. She sighed as Alice bounded to her side.
"I heard that the trials are the same each year, but no one goes to the challenge of the mates twice. But then I heard that they're different each year, what do you think?"
"Are you done?" Ai snapped and immediately regretted it.
"I'm sorry..." Alice apologized and walked stiffly away.
Luna Tracey suddenly stood firm in the middle of the rock with her mate by her side.
"Weres. Gather round." Suddenly both male and female werewolves walk toward the center like moths hypnotized to the light. Even Ai found her self in a trance. She was suddenly calm and her feet moved of their own accord. It wasn't uncomfortable, it felt natural.
"The first trial is seeing the truth." Some wolves glanced around nervously. Having a few dark secrets was part of being alive. Even humans had things they dare not say.
"It is always more painful for your mate to find the truth from any mouth but your own." What was this? Church? Ai rolled her eyes silently.
"The first wolf is washing in the river. He hears a single scream. When he runs toward the scene he sees two children from the neighboring pack dead on the ground. Darting away through the trees is his pack mate. Now tell me after the trial, why is the first wolf scared?" Ai began analyzing the facts in her mind. What would he be frightened of? A war? His pack mate? For his life?
After a moment she understood. The wolf washing in the river had murdered the children.
It was a boring question.
"Now, the first pair of wolves to reach the peak of the mountain and speak the truth of the riddle will be the smartest. They will be known as whit of their pack." Many wolves grew hungry for the title. If they came home with a title from the challenge of the mates, they could climb ranks within their pack. Riley had been the bravest and received one of the warrior positions in her own pack. Ai didn't hunger for power though, just approval and the chance to be with her mate. She watched as Alice's brother had approached her.
"Hello Ai," he purred. He was not her mate, the very sound of his voice was unpleasant compared to the richness of Vit. She glared.
"I already have a partner. I have three actually."
Caleb looked around bewildered as Ai spun and walked away.
He looked back at her. "Who?!"
"Me. Myself. And I"
Pink tinged his cheeks as he stomped off. Caleb paused as gut churning goosebumps flashed across his skin like a flood. It was the same sensation as drinking a gallon of straight apple juice. Caleb cast his eyes around the group of werewolves. He watched as about 16 others had their hair raised and a queasy look on their faces. The Luna and Alpha glanced at each other uneasily. One by one Caleb noticed the werewolves relax. That is except for a few, including Ai, Vit, Alpha, Luna, Butch, Kim, and himself. For so many werewolves to have a reaction meant something was amiss. Quietly, Caleb mind linked Vit.
'Vit, follow Ai.'
'Why should I? I'm not your chew toy's babysitter.'
'Because I out rank you. You can't tell me you didn't just feel that.'
Vit made direct eye contact, his eyes reflecting silver; such a cold gray compared to his tanned complexion.
'Why me?'
'Because you won't touch her.' Caleb smirked. Vit wanted nothing to do with favor or rank. Trusting him with the highest ranked and most favored female would repulse him, he would never try to catch her eye romantically.
Vit, on the other hand, was scalding lava hot on his insides. Caleb was so arrogant that he questioned Vit's instincts, bossed him around, and assumed he knew him. Vit bit back his growl.
'Command me again, and I will break your leg.'
Caleb looked away and walked in the direction of the Luna and Alpha to report his suspicions. Vit glowered at him before walking through the trees to track down Ai, his mate. His mate? No, Vit wouldn't call her that just yet.
Vit followed her easy trail. Either she was bad at being a were wolf or she didn't bother hiding herself. He growled at the fact that danger could get to her in her vulnerable state. Not that she was vulnerable, but she was FEMALE. It didn't matter what any one said, he'd state the facts. Men where built to be muscles and whits, while woman where very intelligent they where genetically wired to be softer, nurturing. Something males couldn't be. Vit wasn't sexist. In fact, he thought woman had the advantage. They could do everything a male could do, but there's a list of things a male can't do that a woman can. Besides, woman held more self respect for themselves than the men did. And many male wolves he knew didn't contain a half percent of what their female counterparts had acquired.
Vit shook his head. She left obvious clues of where she was. She would be less than 5 minutes ahead. It scared him how easily she left a foot print, her scent on a tree, or even disturbance of leaves. If he could find her and follow a constant trail, then who else could? Again the thought of the uneasy feeling from the rock came to mind. Some enemy had passed by, a strong one. He hated just the thought. He couldn't see her anywhere up ahead.
Silently he caught up to her fresh marks that seemingly disappeared and faded into the camo. He followed her like the invisible man, unseen in the surrounding nature. Vit still couldn't hear or see her.
Ai, on the other hand was, in her own way, cursing.
"Where the Dino chicken nugget spaghetti Mc Fri am I going? For the love of mint chocolate chip! How close are the trees?" The crowdedness of the forest unhinged her well balanced calm as frustration reared it's head. She froze.
"You can come out." Her voice was cold. A rustling on the other side of Ai produced a tall man.
"Your not supposed to be here." Her tone void of softness.
"I have a successor. He will do you well." The man's older voice reassured Ai that she had a slight advantage should he prove a true enemy, but she knew this man.
"I won't. I will die before you label me as daughter." She snarled.
If one watched her carefully they would see her knees seemed weak and, there, a slight tremor in her left hand.
"No, you refuse me because you think you found your mate." He let out a low threatening chuckle. "He is here. My son." Ai's slender hand moved to her shoulder. Where a black scar poked up the neck of her shirt. She had already been marked. That was the strange scent that clung to her, very faintly. The strange man's gaze shifted to his surroundings and he smiled insincerely.
"You don't even remember very well when you were marked and yet it haunts you, every day." He frowned. "But the first girl on the top of the Mountian, the first female to win the challenge will be forced to take your place." Ai clenched her fists. Would she let someone be placed under her torture? The night terrors, the pain of finding their true mate, the pain at any given moment when the mark twisted like evil black ink, could she place that on another's shoulders? She thought of Vit, the mark heated slightly, he was strong and beautiful. Could she let him fall into another wolf's arms? Yes, if that could make him happy, what she couldn't do is selfishly place this pain on another wolf. He had already rejected her...
"I won't allow you to control and hurt more people." Ai raised her chin defiantly. The strange wolf smiled. Vit neared and heard two muffled voices. There wasn't supposed to be any other wolves out besides the participants of the challenges, the residing Alpha, and Luna. Vit's bones chilled as he recognized the voice. The voice that had once guided him.
Ai spoke again.
"I'll do it."
"He will find you tonight." Then he blended into the shadows again. Tears fell down Ai's face. But she turned and ran toward the Mountian. Vit followed in hot pursuit and after 20 minutes placed himself beside her. New anger filled his bones. She had been protecting other wolves, wolves that had been stalking them. How stupid was this girl? To converse and agree with an enemy?
"Ai, are you alright?" Anger flared in her gaze. She halted in her steps.
"Yes. Is that all?" She snapped expectantly.
"Well," Vit thought for a moment. "I guess. But I don't have a partner," a wry smile slipped on his lips and he took a step closer. She could physically feel the distance between her and Vit. Vit wanted to glare but refrained from showing anything.
"Too bad. Should've gotten one sooner."Ai snapped. Vit smiled.
"Is it too late?" Vit asked.
"Yes." She lied. She lied with every bone in her body. She kept her eye contact with Vit until her ever present mark burned with jealousy. A piece of ebony hair slipped onto his honey gold forehead. He was so tan and welcoming. Forest green and grey peered at her. He was handsome, strikingly so. But the reminder on her shoulder kept her from taking his offer. He angled his head slightly to left, Ai memorized the movement. Vit noticed the creeping black on her neck that slipped just barely out of her white tee.
"Don't lie to me." He whispered. "Don't pretend."
A's eyebrows drew together. "What...?"
"I know, I know everything." Vit concealed his hurt. He didn't know when he realized it, but it wrenched his heart in two pieces.
He reached out and pulled her collar gently to the side. He caressed the mark lightly. It burned like hot coals on a muggy summer night, wherever he brushed his fingers by the mark.
"Dammit" Vit muttered. "Let's get you to the top of the mountian."
Ai froze in shock. "What do you mean?" She stupidly asked.
"I mean, let's get you to the top. It's what you want, no?" She nodded her head and followed behind. The man in front of her could be all hers, he could over ride the mark on her shoulder with his own bite, they could complete the mating process and be bond to each other forever. Alas, they silently followed the trail up to the peak of the mountian. Vit fumed silently. He wouldn't reach the top with her if the devil himself forced Vit to. Vit would disappear when they were close and figure out the strange group as well as their intentions. And why his old master was there.