You Intrigue Me, Luna
Furious eyes bound Deimos beneath their sharp claws ready to plunge deep into flesh and draw blood, unhesitant mouths fling words of daggers towards him. Each strike of theirs he takes calmly with strength as a true warrior.
His spine straight head tilted up he meets the eyes of each present wolf. The chaos has merely begun yet it spreads unmercifully like wildfire. The pack erupts in flames, a tradition held with deep respect and honour broken down by their Alpha. What they had known as right and prideful stomped on by whom they are led by.
The elders are calm among the shrieking voices, their eyes never taken away from Deimos. They watch him as vultures watch dead prey circling, waiting to feast. I see the respect they held for him die with time, disgust seeping forward taking control.
Deimos sees this, he understands this so he allows this. He has the power to cage them, to control them, to bind them to his decision leaving them with no escape but to follow. But that is not the kind of Alpha he is, this I know. He leads with righteousness and truth therefore he allows the fire to spread.
The wolves from my pack peer up at Deimos with fresh new empowering emotions. They regard him with respect for his decision, they see him in a new light. They stride slowly towards me gathering around, a sign that they shall stand by to defend him and me. Their warmth comforts me for I know I am protected. I peek up at him who stands upon the stage by himself, is he protected? A question with a determined answer. An answer that depends on me.
More wolves who uphold his decision move towards me crowding around one and other, low growls booming from their chests to the ones who are against this. A free path lays between two groups, a division within the pack has been born.
"Your father would be disappointed. I hope you are aware of that." An older female whispers from the back and the crowd quietens instantly, a void opens up swallowing the chaos leaving the spotlight upon her. She can barely walk her back hunched as she clutches the walking stick tightly within her trembling hand. There is no emotion she portrays on display watching Deimos with her eerie black eyes that seem to capture him and force him to be anchored.
She is such a tiny female so frail and weak yet her words hold immense power for what she had uttered broke his shield as soon as she struck. He looks away eyes sinking to his feet, there is a tremble of his clenched fists that he quickly hides behind his back. Memories rush him, memories of his training, of his father. The one thing he had always sought was his father's pride towards him and acknowledgement of his leadership.
The chatter stops and the flames halt, they gaze up at him preying on his sudden weakness. These wolves, they disgust me. He has done everything, everything including putting our bond second to them. Yet here they are throwing their arrows to make him bleed all because of their closed minds.
There is a sag to his shoulder he had help up high, there is a hunch to his back he had held up straight and strong. That female knew exactly what would bring him to his knees. This they find his biggest betrayal to them, he should banish them all. Leave them to the rogues to feast on their flesh.
He needs support, a voice that shall speak for him. I straighten my back eyes glower at the wolves standing opposite to me. I will do my duty as Luna. I take the first strong step towards him determination pounding in my veins, I shall instil fear within these overbearing wolves. I shall ruin their preying eyes.
Deimos's eyes quickly snap to me as they widen slightly, he gives me a curt shake of his head. "No." His mouth whispers. Frowning paying no heed to his words I take another step forward Deimos nods to a wolf behind me and a warm hand captures me swiftly clutching my bicep pulling me back.
"Luna." Ragon whispers his eyes serious whilst he gazes at me. "You must not go. This is his fight, not yours."
As I open my mouth to protest against his words, Deimos trudges down the stairs of the stage. He stands in front of the two groups, his heart sinks deep knowing that he has caused a division one he expected yet one that is painful to him for after all he grew up with them, they held him when he was alone.
"I understand your upsetness with me and my decision. I shall not force you all to abide by it." He says voice booming through the land, tone strong and dominant. He carries his authority with humbleness. This is why your wolves dare to go against you, Deimos. "I allowed you all to lead me, after my parents died and Phobos left you gave me warmth. A warmth that comforted me, a warmth that saved me. I was grateful so I allowed the pack to lead me I thought it was the only way for I owed you all but from here onwards I shall be the one to lead."
Heat. The heat of caged fury is unleashed his words hold his truth. As an Alpha, the pack comes first but he has chosen otherwise. A new path he has started upon. A new era.
"This tradition holds who we are as a pack, if you end it our ancestors shall seek retribution from you." Another female speaks up her voice raised so every wolf present can hear. Many nod in acknowledgement of her words, their beliefs standing strong above all thoughts. They are blinded by this, they see no wrong in this.
Deimos pays no heed to her words as he begins to strip himself off his shirt, no fear oozes from him but a gut-wrenching sadness one kept from others in the depth of his mind and heart bare only for me to witness.
I do not understand what is happening wishing to know further I take a step forward to get closer to him, to possess a better understanding of the entirety of the situation only for Ragon to pull me back once more. I bare my teeth at him with a snarl my wolf not liking his antics. She will not let him overpower us just because he is a male whom we like.
"The challenge to my title is open, but know this. You will meet the moon if you choose to go against me." Deimos whispers, an early warning he gives. If he had spoken aloud it may seem normal but he whispered. This itself is a sign that he shall give no mercy.
"Challenge? What challenge?" I question into the crowd, whilst Deimos rotates his neck relaxing his limbs. Closing his eyes shut he prepares himself, for what I have no idea that comes to light within me.
The situation seemed so unclear until it happened, elders pushing potential warriors forward, strong male wolves to fight him. To strip him of his title for what he has done is unredeemable and unworthy in their eyes. Understanding swells within me, he is being challenged for his title.
He opens his eyes only to find a line of wolves merely waiting for their turn. He meets the eyes of each one of them and nods as an acceptance of their challenge. Memories flood him with no hesitation, memories he had with some of them. These were his warriors after all but this...this is their biggest betrayal to him as a pack.
Deimos is swift his wolf not giving him any time for emotional thoughts to consume him surging forward breaking barriers of control, scorching red eyes awaken from within. Body moulds itself to birth his wolf whilst his bones snap plunging upward through flesh and skin.
His wolf stands tall onyx fur dancing to the music of the summer breeze, he slouches low on his front legs lips pulled back fangs on display, his title has been threatened and he shall not allow it whatsoever. This male unlike Deimos has no issue with feasting upon the flesh of his pack.
They are weaklings in his eyes, weaklings taking the seats he offered them upon his table for granted. Before the first warrior in line could shift, Deimos's wolf lunges for the male's throat giving him the gift of surprise.
The warrior tries to fend him off with his claws that sink into my king's flesh with ease but he is relentless his teeth bite into the tenderness of the male's shoulder tearing a piece of flesh spitting it upon the ground as if he found the taste vile as the warrior groans and grunts in agony to what is inflicted upon his body.
Deimos's wolf is unmerciful with the warrior fighting only with teeth that shred his flesh into pieces littering the ground with meat and blood. It is a quick death he gives him a deep hole he punctures into the skull of the wolf crushing the skull between his jaw holding him under his heavy paws until life drains from the male's eyes.
Once he is satisfied with his masterpiece that he has created he meets the eyes of the next wolf already shifted and waiting, a lesson learned from the first one. Understanding overflows within me, the more I witness the more I understand. Everything he has ever said to me for the past months. His gut-wrenching sadness, his worries and his deep-rooted fear.
This is what it all meant. That he as an Alpha would take the lives of the members of his pack. Something I could not imagine myself doing, I cannot kill my females, my males even if it meant my title was threatened. I saw the memories, that he had with these warriors that seek his death.
The laughter, the meals they shared as one, Deimos had trained them personally they looked up to him. This was his punishment for his past sins.
Deimos and the warrior circle each other head low vicious growls booming from within the pit of their chests, there is a rumble to the ground beneath us of the pheromones and power Deimos shows on display. He is not afraid of showing who he is, the true essence of him. Alpha.
Ragon's hold on me loosens, I could have brought this male down for blocking my path but I possess the ability to understand situations quite well and my interference at this point is unnecessary for it is the Alpha's fight.
The elders watch the brawl with an eerie calmness as if it were a spectacle worth not missing. My wolf claws my insides snarling wanting control so she can kill them all. They are all unworthy in her eyes. Unworthy to be in this pack, of having Deimos as their Alpha.
The warrior is the first to lunge for Deimos, this is a sign of weakness for he rushed unpreparedly in fear and anxiety. Deimos's wolf's lips curl back as though he was smiling already for the victory that shall come forth. Teeth meet teeth, claws sink deep into the flesh. Deimos draws the first blood a sign of overpowering, a sign of strength.
The warrior's grey wolf is strong and fierce for after all he was trained by Deimos. Dread rises from within me each wolf Deimos needs to kill is for purely one need. Rather a basic instinct. Survival.
There is no easy battle with this warrior compared to the first one, he has watched and analyzed Deimos's movements so he is able to dodge and slide past the attacks. This does not hinder Deimos's fight but helps him change strategy and tactics.
He does not go for the throat anymore but the hind legs, jaws try to clamp around and break them but with this came the difficulty. The warrior is quick with his legs disallowing it to happen. He is trying to tire out Deimos.
The loud wail of my male from the middle of the crowd causes immediate silence, his shriek shattering through the core of his fight.
Kal has consumed the tension that divided the pack and couldn't hold furthermore. Deimos's ears perk up immediately attention taken quickly wavering red eyes try to find his male among the crowd. The warrior takes this as his chance and sinks his teeth into the side of his neck.
A scream threatens to leave my mouth whilst my heart pounds with every strike Deimos receives. His wolf whines loudly to the warrior's teeth plunged into his body, he needs to get away before his bones are crushed for it shall happen it can render him helpless.
It is a game for catch for them both, eyes prying looking for visible weakness to take advantage of. Claws scrape the open underbelly of the warrior with a surprising swiftness drawing blood Deimos extracts it only to plunge it deeply once more, the male howls with misery falling to the grass floor for his underbelly is cut open the insides in sight.
Whilst the warrior struggles to get back on his paws, my king shows him his path to the moon. Canines sink into the male's carpus crushing the bone leaving him immobile. But I see the peace in the male's eyes for now he knows his fight is finally over. Now he can rest, for he has fought according to the wishes of the pack. An honourable death.
The male looks up at Deimos and with a low whimper offers his neck to him a sign of submission. A roaring thunderous howl of victory booms through Deimos's chest as teeth wreck the tender flesh of the warrior's neck a second kill for the Alpha.
Barbaric and monstrous is what Deimos did with the rest of the warriors who stood in line. It was a cold-blooded fight for survival but his wolf was bloodthirsty and beastly in his ways as he tore apart the wolves one by one. With the slow death of the warriors, the determination held in the eyes of the elders started to fade replaced with trepidation. They had underestimated him, of his power. They would pay if they continued with their antics, this understanding to them came forth into light.
Deimos pulls apart the head from the body of the last wolf he sent to the moon grabbing it by the fur he tugs on it as the torn head slides upon the ground behind him. He pulls it until he is near the elders.
Meeting each one of their eyes lips curled back canines itching to kill further with sonorous growls rumbling surging from his chest he drops it at their feet. The elders take a step back eyes widening to his action. His throne is reclaimed. It is his.
Confusion piles in within wolves, many thinking wondering if they should come to our side. Perhaps the pack shall be one again with time not voluntarily but from angst and respect of their Alpha.
His steps are heavy and prideful as he paces in circles in the middle around the corpses. He is waiting. Waiting for the next wolf who wishes to fight to him. But no male comes forward they have seen his war, his fight. They all know it now, he has instilled it within their minds. If one wishes to take his title they shall be sent to the moon.
He sits on his hind legs sweeping his eyes through the crowd, silence consumes us as we watch him. No one daring to even make a single sound, pups are taken to the back of the crowd as to not cause a disturbance. It is done.
The wolves bow deeply to him many kneeling their heads placed upon the grass floor. The elders watch on as the pack makes a path for him to have his walk of victory. My eyes burn through the elders, I sneer at them a flash of fang shown to strike them from my side. They kneel.
The king walks through the path looking from side to side paws heavy as they pound the ground, his pheromones saturate the air we breathe and his pack tremble and whine to his unleashed power. He shows them his authority, his place that is at the top of the hierarchy.
He strides forward as a true warrior, he has fought well and now he shall rest. The pack begins to rise after his disappearance chattering among themselves, news of this shall spread across every pack out there. How the Alpha of Alphas was challenged for his rightful place and how he reclaimed it.
As I turn around I see the elders retreating, their fight dying. They are powerless against him, he has shown them this.
"I believe this shall be a turning point for the pack." I whisper to myself glaring at their backs. Shameless. All bark and no bite, sending their wolves against the Alpha all because they believe filthy ways is what the moon wishes.
Whilst the pack scurries away, my eyes land on that female. She stands still among the moving crowd. The one who looks like the female of sin. She watches me as I watch her. I wonder how I look in her eyes? A weak wolf or a strong wolf?
She is a peculiar female I noticed this, the way she never spoke or interacted much. The way she kept to herself reading books. She reminded me of a wolf. She reminded me of myself. And this scared me. Despite the male attention, she received that made females envy she never paid heed to it ignoring them until they got tired and went away. She preferred to be alone, unlike other females.
Her eyes linger on my flesh never taking it away from me. What is it with this female? Why do her eyes always lay upon me? Why does she seek me even amid a crisis? What does she want from me? These questions pool in my mind as she visibly gulps, the entirety of my attention that is directed at her makes her nervous. She did not expect it.
Wishing to stop running merely of her resemblance to whom destroyed my bond I stride towards her with confidence that uplifts me. Her doe eyes widen as soon as she notices this. She takes a shaky stumbled step backwards as I tilt my head to her movements. She reminds me of a lamb before the slaughter.
As I stand in front of her she fidgets around thinking what to do but comes to her senses as she quickly bows in respect. "L-Luna." She greets with a stutter.
"Why do you keep looking at me?" I question getting straight to the point my voice strong tone high as I assert my dominance. No introduction, no greeting from my side. Her eyes broaden further knowing that she has been caught.
"B-Because I-I just wanted t-to-" She stutters a lot her anxiety shown clearly to me.
"Speak up, female." I say once more urging her to finish her answer.
"Because I like you!" She shrieks clenching her eyes shut as she speaks her truth. A few seconds pass and she looks up at me quickly shaking her head non-stop. Her antics are that of a pup, she confuses me. "I meant I look up to you. You intrigue me, Luna."