Chapter 24 Monster

Eric's POV

In two days time, the Crescent Moon Pack house was filled with the arrival of all the Alphas- new and old. There were too many of them that Siam had asked one of the Alphas who own a hotel in a nearby town to have it prepared rooms for each of them. The elders were asked to stay in my house, meetings were to be held in the war room as Siam doesn’t trust to do it anywhere near humans.

I felt bad for the Alpha and his hotel, but it was a call of duty, and surprisingly he was happy to do it. Saying how King Silver had once helped him to have the empire that he has now, a few nights of free lodging for all the alphas would be but a small payment for his gratitude.

Over all there were 57 alphas (including me), 56 beta and almost thousand of shifters as guards. Fifty of us are the head Alpha of each state, seven is the head Alpha for each continent (including Siam).

I stood beside Siam, Jake and Aaron beside us.

“These are a lot of Alphas.” Jakes says with a whistle.

“If hunters comes and blow the place up it’ll be a job well done.” Aaron added.

We gave him a look and Jake gave him a light tap on the head.

“What? I’m just stating the facts.” He whined as we moved to the front.

The pack meeting was only for Alphas and Betas. Jake and Aaron were an exception as they refuse to have Siam out of their sight. Yeah, they were protective like that, whether the people we were with are shifters or not, they are still possible danger.

As we stood in front, the alphas and betas stood up and bowed in respect, probably to Siam.

“You know they are also bowing to you.” Jake whispered to me, “As of now you are the second in command over all these people here.”

“This is still Liam’s place.” I reminded him.

“And it always will be.” Jake eased up, “But right now, it’s you who’s here and not to mention the fact that you are Serenity’s mate.”

I stared at him as he gave me a knowing smile.

“Everyone, please sit down.” Siam says.

I sighed and sat down with Aaron and Jake behind Siam who has took the floor.

“As you all know, the attack of the hunters a couple of nights ago had caused us to lose my parents, King Silver and Queen Claire. We also have lost one of the wisest alphas we have, Alpha Johansen-“

“He was always weak.” One alpha says.

“He was unable to protect the Royal family, its no surprise that his adopted son can’t protect the princess!” another says.

“Please, calm down…” Siam called them to order, I looked down my hand. Not wanting to lose my patience. “That is not the reason we are here-“

“The abduction of the Daughter of the Moon, Princess Serenity, that’s why we are here, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Siam says calmly.

“Then it is just right to point out the possible reason why she was taken!” one said, “It is the weakness of the Crescent moon.”

“We are not here to judge who is weak or not!” Siam says, his voice filled with authority, he hasn’t pulled out his alpha tone yet.

They all fell into silence. I looked around seeing how they have bowed their heads.

“My sister went with them in her own free will, holding us down with her command to not fight or follow them.” Siam explained. “She left to save all of us, for the hunters to leave our kind alone.”

“Then what is the purpose of this meeting?” the room broke into more buzzing.

“We are here cause we want her home.” Siam says.

“You said she went freely, what makes you think she will do the same in coming home?”

“Cause as our princess she should be here, and not with our enemies.” Siam says.

“It is her duty as the Daughter of the Moon to protect us, and that is what she is doing.”

Siam stifled a sarcastic laugh, “I doubt that the mother moon sent her daughter to be fed to the hunters while we live our lives in leisure.” They all fell quiet. “The purpose of her living is not to just save us by giving up her own life. She is the representation of our deity, she is our connection to our creator, she is a gift sent to us to bless us and protect us.”

“If you are asking us to give up our lives to fight with the hunters-“

“That is not what I am asking of you.” Siam says, “What I ask is your help to find her. She is the light of our kind, without her, we might as well tell mother moon to leave us be.”

“Why should we support this foolishness?” an alpha snap. “Your reign is just beginning and you ask us to go to war with you?”

“A war that is inevitable.” Siam says. “Another reason of this meeting is to inform you of what the hunters had been doing to our kind for a couple of decades a century even.” There was tension in the room, “They had been treating all of us like dogs, to them ranks is not important. They treat alphas and rogues the same way, to them we are nothing but a waste of space, our lives are trash and our death is pass time.”

No one said anything, so Siam continued.

“My sister had discovered the death of Alphas in the hands of the hunters.” He starts, “And they do not just kill them, they take become one of us.”

“One of us?” one asked.

Siam gave a nod. “The hunters had somehow come into a conclusion that when they drink our blood it will give them the same power as we do.”

“And do they?”

“Somehow, yes.” Siam says, I sighed remembering how I told him of everything I know about this through the help of Josephine. “They acquire only certain abilities, like healing or inhuman strength which is still nowhere near the strength of a real shifter, same goes for speed, and…” he glanced away, “their aging process slows down as well.”

The room burst into baffled noise, men throwing their arms in the air, angry and bewildered.

“Where is your proof?” one demanded.

“I have none.” Siam says, “The last one we had captured was put to death under the orders of my sister.”

I sat up, as surprised as the others, this was new to my knowledge.

“The Daughter of the Moon had sentenced a human to his death?”

Siam shook his head, “After drinking the blood of a shifter they automatically go under our laws and beliefs.” He explained. “Serenity was able to gather information from one of the hunter’s last kill.”

“And who was it?”

Siam shifted on his feet and caught him glance at me, “Alpha Marx of Crystal Falls.”

I sat up and stared at him, while the other Alphas exchange whispers. And start to glance at a man.

“What the young king says is true.” one man stood in the middle. “I don’t know how you know these but I would not deny that it is true.” I stared at the man who was standing in the middle of the room, as if situated there for this very purpose. “My brother was indeed killed in the manner you have just said, young king, but I do not remember telling anyone this. Unless your healer had told you?”

“My sister had seen it.” Siam says, “She and her mate.” He turns to me this time. Everyone’s eyes were on me now.

“Eric?” the man asked.

“Do I know you?” I slowly asked him.

He chuckled, “With that stand and authority, you are a Marx.” He says, “I am George, George Marx, I am- or rather- was your father’s brother.”

I frowned, remembering Mama Ellena mentioning about me having an uncle.

“He’s a Marx?” one alpha asked.

“Alpha Johansen and I had made a promise that he will take care of our young Alpha until he had mated.” Uncle George says. “He was taken by the hunters and left to die when he was just four years old. Alpha Johansen made up a story of finding him lost and unconscious in the woods, due to hunger and dehydration. But yes, he is a Marx and a pure blood, a descendant of one of the Daughter of the Moon and our Alpha.”

I frowned as I glanced around. It has never been heard of, an alpha with two packs, and head packs of states even.

“Eric, you can think about this.”

“No, I can’t… I have Crescent Moon…”

“Both are rightfully yours for the taking, Eric.” Siam says, “You need not decide now.”

I gave a weak nod and sat back down.

2 packs… I thought, and a beta position. I frowned, no, Serenity is my priority.

I turned back and listened to the meeting.

“Now, as all of you know, Alpha Johansen had just been taken by the hunters himself and we have just retrieved him two days ago.”

“Did they reveal any plans?” one man asked.

“No,” Siam says, “but basing on what has been going on, they now had changed their plans.”

“How is that?”

“Serenity had somehow made them think that by killing her we will form an alliance so great that not even with their newest gadgets can put us down. She had gone with them in exchange that they will not kill us.”

“And how sure are you that they will keep the end of the bargain?”

“None of use believed it, naturally.” Siam says, “But Serenity had just brought us enough time to think of what their plans could be.”

“So if they will not kill Serenity, what will they do with her?”

“They have been taking shifters left and right asking for information of our weakness, one had obviously said that it was Serenity, which is true.” Siam says, “But with the looks of things last night, their plans of killing her had changed.”

“Why not ask her mate to seek for her?”

I frowned and looked away again. Worthless.

“Unfortunately he can’t.” Siam says, “An attack a couple of weeks ago lead us to the truth of the death of the last Daughter of the Moon, Josephine.”

Me? Josephine wondered what her relevance is.

“What is her relevance?” one spoke her thoughts.

“She was killed like Alpha Marx, but just a bit more worse.” Siam says with a light cringe, “Along with her blood, he had taken her wolf with him.”

“Taken her wolf?”

“That’s absurd!”

“We’re werewolves and you speak like we are part of fairytales with all this crap!”

“Silence!” Siam calls over the noise, they all settled down again, “The wolf, Josephine, is in this room with us, so I advise you to hold your tongue if you want to speak of profanities of her and the situation.

That’s right. Josephine snaps, making me grin.

“Now, as I was saying, the hunter had taken the wolf of the moon goddess by drinking the blood directly from her heart.” I caught them cringe and some ran their hands over their faces and stomach. “She had stayed with him for years, until I killed him a couple of weeks ago, freeing the wolf and moving unto me.”

“The same day Alpha Johansen had risked his life protecting my sister by fighting the hunter, who was protected by the wolf of the moon goddess. He had come against the power of our deity and had almost died, to be able to save him I had pass unto him Josephine, who healed his wolf and saved him. This was all under the request of Serenity, seeing that he is her mate.”

“You said that Josephine is here now?” Siam nodded, “Is he still with Johansen?”

“Yes she is.” Siam says, “She can only move to Serenity after the mating. Unfortunately the truth about Alpha Johansen’s past came to us a bit too late, my late father, doubting Young Johansen had banned him from seeing Serenity, there for causing them not to mate, only when the need of getting them together arise did father allowed the union. Thus the reason of our journey to the Crescent Moon Pack started. We were to have them together if certain problems didn’t arise.”

“And these are?”

“We were attacked, almost killing my father’s beta.” Siam says, “And when we arrived, Alpha Johansen was abducted by hunters, knowing that he was Serenity’s mate. This had given us the impression that the hunters had made time to study us, our history and culture.”

“That makes no difference.” One alpha says, “They have always known of our ways.”

“But they don’t know about the Daughter of the Moon’s real power.” Siam pointed out. “Remember that with just a word we can fall under her command.”

We all frowned, realizing this. I stared at Siam, not knowing how he could be calm and keeping all this to himself all this time.

“I am not trying to scare you, but I am warning you that they can use Serenity to lure our kind to them.” He continues, “That is why I want her home before they know that she has this ability.”

Siam had cut the meeting short for today, he didn’t want to over whelm them with information and he needed to talk with the elders of what the possibility if a war between the hunter and wolves could cause.

I stood outside the library, a sound proofed room, waiting for Siam as he spoke to the elders.

“Eric.” I looked up and saw Alpha Marx walking toward us.

“Alpha Marx.” I said, glancing at Jake and Aaron, asking for some back up if needed. Jake gave a weak nod.

I hear the older alpha a laugh, “That’s you son.”

I chuckled nervously, “I guess it is…”

“You look a lot like your father.” He said, “But you have your mother’s eyes and hair.”

I frowned, “I’m sorry, but I never knew or seen them…”

He smiled and nodded, “Your mother was a very beautiful woman, smart and opinionated. Very stubborn.”

“Sounds like an alpha female we know.” Jake says under his breath.

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to my uncle who was staring at me.

“Eric, I had promise your parents to keep the position until you have become of age, there is no one else who deserves the position-“

“Grandma said I have a cousin…”

He snorted, “No, even if it’s the end of the world, I will rather kill the whole pack than leave it to him.”

I frowned, “Isn’t he your son?”

“He is, but…” he sighed, “he isn’t alpha material, not even beta, he’d probably have to outgrow his toddlers years before he can have that position.”

“Oh, he’s still a child?”

“Acts like one, but he’s older than you are too a year and a half.” He said. “When I took in the role as alpha, he had to learn the ways of being beta as early as eight years old, in case something happens, someone will lead the pack.” He shrugged, “Unfortunately, the more responsibility he learned, the childish he become. I could barely take him anywhere without him wanting to screw every single female he sees.”

“Excuse me?” I said along with Jake and Aaron.

My uncle laughed, “I know this isn’t new to you boys.”

“Only to your nephew.” The two said, my uncle raised a brow.

“I have a sister.” I said, “I don’t want to be a hypocrite to her suitors.”

“So what’s Siam supposed to be?” Aaron asks.

I grinned, “Curious?”

We shared a laugh. I sighed and felt calm for the first time since Serenity left. I guess having a family member near helped.

“But Siam is right, Eric.” my uncle said, “You don’t have to worry of taking over Crystal Falls, I know you’d like to concentrate on finding your mate first.”

And he just had to burst that bubble of calm.

“I do…” I said, “Siam promised to help me with the business side of being an alpha, I would have to think this through.”

“And with you being his beta too.”

I shook my head, “Its only until his beta wakes up.”

“Wakes up?”

The boys and I frowned, and I felt a lump on my throat remembering the event of that night. “Liam, the King’s beta and Serenity’s best friend, is in coma right now after the attack on us. He’s strong and we know he’ll pull out of it, but we can’t wait for him to wake up. So until then, I will be his beta so I can also shadow him when doing his alpha responsibility.”

“I see…” then he smiled and tapped me on the shoulder, one hand stretched out for a handshake, “You have our pack’s full support, Eric, you can trust me on that.”

I smiled and took his hand, “Thank you…” I said, “uncle.”

By the end of the day, we were all tired and more frustrated than the day before. After checking on Liam who would be moved to my house in a couple of days, we went home and prepared to get some good night’s rest.

I sat at the side of my bed, I glanced at the bedside table and picked up the jewelry box that held Serenity’s ring. Yes, its hers no matter what, no matter how long. I am used to the cold by now, though it was still painful and all, it was still a sign that she was alive. I can just imagine what it would feel like if she died.

According to the others who had lost their mates, it just feels hollow inside, as if there was something missing inside you. I feel that too, but I guess I was getting ahead of myself.

She’s alright, I told myself. Josephine is still here, isn’t she?

I sighed at the thought, even my wolf and Josephine are dead tired that they have gone quiet and is probably resting now.

I ran the events of today through my mind. Remembering Siam’s assumption if the hunters using Serenity as part of their plan. I frowned remembering the deaths and number of missing shifters that we have found out while going through King Silver’s files.

Then, as if a switch turned on in my head, a realization formed in my head. The hunters’ goal was to eliminate each and everyone of us. And in order to do that, they needed to find us. But with Serenity with them… I frowned.

No, I thought, she would not allow it. She will not betray us like that.

I closed the box with a snap and held it close to me, “I won’t let them be part of their plans…” I told myself, “you will not be tainted of innocent blood…”

Not while I can stop it.