By The Full Moon ( A Hunter Novel #1)

One: The War

One: The War

Ava

It had been three generations, and nothing had changed. The Lupis Pack had been settled in this forest for over 300 years and then the Ash Pack settled on the other side of the state border. At first, they tried to talk their way into taking our land. Smooth words that made it seem like it would be a mutual gain, rather than what it really was. They would take over our land and suck our resources dry as they had done to many other packs throughout the country.

When that didn't work they resorted to more aggressive measures, making small threats, leaving dead animals along our border, trying to make a point. It never did, our pack was strong, and it did not faze our ancestors. Instead, they would bury the animals, as though they were human, and grow a flower bed. The Lupis Pack, though strong, understood and had a large amount of respect for what was known as the Circle of Life, that when we take, we must also give back. It was what made us one of the strongest but less known packs. We did not take more than what was necessary, and we did not rule with fear.

The Ash Pack, did not like that they could not instill their fear into Lupis, and slowly progressed with their desire to forcefully take our land. They tried to poison our food supply with wolfsbane, but we had many allies, those who, even though we refused their offer to help fight the battles and come with ways to get back at them, gave us food until our animals would pass the wolfsbane out of their systems.

The Council, a group of the oldest and most powerful wolves, had learned of their actions through another pack, more allies to Lupis, threatening to disband their pack seal, leaving them all Rogues, something that only happened to the worst of wolf blood. It was not something to be taken lightly. That made them die down, for a couple of decades. Until the new Alpha came to power, the son of the previous leader, who was still angry at the pack being threatened and scolded like the belligerent children they wanted to act like.

That was when the physical attacks began. Lupis did not advise the Council of their continuous attacks, they were not interested in making an entire pack of wolves Rogues, merely because their Alpha was an angry savage of an animal. Instead, they merely fought back, leaving both packs at a mutual stand still. Though the Ash Pack beat them in numbers, the Lupis pack was stronger, with a bigger reason to stand their ground than the Ash Pack had to take it.

Throughout the years the attacks became larger, the amount of time between getting smaller. Lupis wondered when the day would come that Ash sent in their entire army, creating a battle that would reach the Council's ears. That was more than likely the reason they didn't send them in.

That is, until 90 years after the physical attacks began. It had only happened two other times in our history, where a Luna will have twin boys. It was said that when twin boys are born into the Alpha lineage, the combined power is so strong that no she-wolf is able be mated to either one, because the male's powers would slowly wear on the she-wolf until she was suffocated by that power, and slowly withers away until she passes. Due to being unable to be mated to what is meant to be their soulmate, the twins will slowly become more aggressive, angry, as their wolves cry out for their other half, until they turn savage, and ruthless.

The last set of twins to be born was over a thousand years ago, and they were said to have wreaked havoc throughout the country, taking whatever and whoever they wanted for as long as they wanted, until the Council was able to put them down.

When the news of the twins spread, the Council nearly had them put to death as soon as they had entered this world, but wolf law dictated fair trial just like the humans, so they were left alone until the day they inevitably became the beasts they were damned to be.

It didn't help that, unfortunately, their mother and Luna passed away during childbirth due to complications that only twins could bring. Losing his mate, the current Alpha and the twins father became an empty and vicious shell of a man. Word was that he was training his sons to be the same way, ruthless, hateful, and bitter. All of us were half animal, half human, giving us all the ability to become feral beasts, it was just about how much control you wanted to have.

Mates were sacred for our kind. Your Mate was your other half and there had never been a story where, other than twins, a wolf did not find their other half some way or another. Losing your Mate can cause an enormous, crippling amount of grief. It takes nearly everything out of a wolf to get back on their feet, and even afterwards, they're never the same. If you let grief and anger consume you, you're bound to lash out, and the Ash Pack seemed to welcome that way of life with no regrets.

As the daughter of the Alpha of the Lupis Pack, I, Ava Blaine, was more than prepared for the incoming battle. We could all feel the threat looming over our heads, it was just a matter of time for when it happened. We trained daily but did not let the imminent danger ruin our light spirits. This was our home, and we planned to keep it, or take our last breaths defending it.

Unfortunately, when that day came, I was not as prepared as I thought. Though in retrospect, I don't think anyone was, Alpha, Luna, Omega, or Council alike. No one could have been ready for it. All I could do was what was best for my pack, even if it meant damning myself for the rest of my life.

It's a funny thing, that Mate business.

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Okay, it's a little short, buuuut I think it's a good start, what do you think?

J. Vas