C2 Chapter 2: Discovery

Elliot’s Point of view

" … And that’s how we are in a kind of, well, peace. And I’m sure Elliot can repeat what I just said." I hear Miss Gibson say.

I wake up from my nap with a jolt. Rogues have been trying to enter our territory for a week now. Every night my pack and I hunt them and we even killed a few.

Unfortunately, they often manage to escape to the Blue Moon pack where my father is watching the border, and others to the Silver Moon pack, right under my nose.

We decided to split up so that there is one Alpha per border. I believe that the Silver Moon and the Blue Moon packs did the same thing. But just like us, they can't follow the rogues.

"I’m sorry Miss Gibson." I apologize.

"Pay attention please. It concerns you."

Like every teacher I've ever had, Miss Gibson is from the Silver Moon pack. She teaches history and even though it is the most boring subject ever, we are required to take her classes. Even though this is my second year in college and I’m the future Alpha of the Red Moon pack, I couldn't escape it.

"I was saying that originally, it was thanks to King Harry, the grandfather of our current King, that peace was maintained. He decided that the center of our three packs would be a neutral zone, belonging to no one so we can meet on neutral ground where no one has authority. That’s why the airport and the schools are located there."

"Why do we have to live with them when we have always been separated until now?" Asks a guy from the Blue Moon pack, looking at us hatefully, making everyone in my pack growl.

"Everybody calm down! That's a great question. You were only with your pack members until high school because there were so many of you. But you all took different paths and there aren't enough of you in each field to stay only with the people from your pack."

"That's a good thing." Interjects a girl from the Silver Moon pack. "Maybe you'll finally makeup and stop ruining our lives with your problems!"

This is followed by nameless chaos where my pack and the Blue Moon pack scream insults and threats at each other, to the great displeasure of the Silver Moon pack students.

"Silence everyone!"

It's only after five minutes that peace returns. Because even if we are mixed, we are on each side of the amphitheater, with the Silver Moon pack between us.

"Five more minutes and I'll set you free. So even if it is King Harry who created this area, it’s his son, King Sebastian, who created the corridors between the packs. There were still too many battles at the borders, so he created a 500 meters wide corridor between each pack, which goes from the city to the end of the territories. These corridors are named according to the packs it separates, so there is the Blue Silver corridor, the Red Silver corridor and finally the Blue Red corridor, which is still causing problems today." She says in a harsh tone. But I don't listen anymore, too busy staring at the map she projected.

It is when I hear the mention of the corridors that it becomes clear to me. That's where the rogues come from! As these corridors don't belong to anyone, they are undetectable! They know that we can feel them right away when they cross our borders and enter our territory.

That's why we are always under attack. They just have to stay in the city where they cannot be reached and attack us whenever they want.

When I leave the classroom, I immediately inform my best friends, my Beta Owen and my Gamma Simon.

"Okay, so what?" Asks Simon.

"Well, if we kicked them out of the city, they would stop attacking us. And if we stopped them from entering the corridors, they could only attack us from the outside, not from all sides as they do. How could no one understand this before? I have to tell my father."

"Whoa, calm down." Says Owen. "Even if you're right, there's nothing we can do. Invading the corridors would clearly be seen as an act of war and the King himself would take away our land and we would be driven out."

I sigh. He’s right. At that moment, I see Derek, the future Alpha of the Silver Moon pack with whom I have a good relationship. I wave my hand for him to join us.

"Hey, Derek! How are you doing? I haven't seen you all week in the Red Silver corridor."

"That's because my dad is watching over it. I take care of the Blue Silver corridor with Alice." He replies with a big smile.

It's not good for me. He has long had a crush on Alice, the daughter of Alpha John, the Alpha of the Blue Moon pack. And if he takes over from his father who is a buffer between my father and Alpha John, it's very bad for me if he is more on Alice's side than mine.

I've heard she's a great fighter and a beautiful girl and I'm sure she's doing everything she can to seduce Derek. She'll be entering first grade next week, so I'm making the most of these last days of peace.

I tell him about my discovery and he tells me the same thing as Owen and Simon. After having discussed it a little, he promises to speak about it to his father, Alpha Jack.

*****

I’m in my bedroom when Owen mind links me.

"Alpha Mark and Luna Lily are coming to see you and they look pissed."

In the following second, my father enters my room like a fury, followed closely by my mother.

"What's this about? Alpha Jack called me to tell me that you had figured out the rogues' game. I sounded like an idiot, not knowing what he was talking about. Thanks son! Next time, come see me first. Is that clear?" He says angrily.

"I'm sorry dad. It's just that Derek was around when I figured it out and I told him my thoughts, that's all. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable? UNCOMFORTABLE?!" He shouts.

"Calm down my love." Says my mother, touching his arm. "He did very well to share his theories with Derek. They are very good friends and after all this rogues situation concerns us all."

Indeed, Derek and I are the same age, so we went to the King's Castle at the same time last summer to train with the young Alphas. It brought us very close.

"Good friends?! It won't do any good at all when he will mate with Alpha John's pup!"

We're both speechless. My mom is the first to come to her senses.

"Alice? Alice and Derek are mates?"

"Not by the will of the Goddess, we'd already know about that. But he has always liked Alice a lot and apparently she's not indifferent to him."

It's only then that I start to understand. "Are you saying that they are going to mark each other?"

Even if the Moon Goddess destines us a person, we can choose someone else. You don't feel the same as you do with your destined mate and this bond is broken when the chosen person marks you. So if you meet later the person who was destined for you, you don't feel the pull.

As for me, I am looking forward to it. I know that many males especially Alphas, date other girls for fun. But after talking to the ones I met at the castle who are lucky enough to have found their mate, many regret it.

They say that they feel like they cheated on their mates and that they are always very angry with them and the girls. Others say it gave them experience but they admit that they would be angry if they found out that their mate had been with another male before them.

All of them, however, agree on the same point: being with their mate is nothing like being with another girl.

Being romantic, I decided to wait for her but I'm careful not to tell anyone about this.

"But why? Won't it make them weaker not to be with their destined half? Our destined mate finally makes us complete and only then we are at our strongest. Why give that up?" My mother asks. But I already understood.

"For Derek I'm not sure, but for Alice, it's beyond hope. If they put their pack together, they can crush us with no problem." I say.

"And Blue Moon will have won and they will also take our territory" My father finishes explaining.

But my mother doesn't believe it. "No. He will never do that. Silver Moon has always been neutral in our war. Jack would never do that and I don't think his son Derek has a different opinion. They swore to King Harry to always be impartial and every Alpha has renewed that promise to every King. No, they can't do that. I'm sure of it."

"Oh yeah? Then explain to me why Alpha Jack and Alpha John are discussing the terms of this arrangement?"

"You're not serious?" I ask.

"Yes I am. So we need a plan. You too need to find a female that will make you strong. We don't have time to wait for your mate anymore."

A sudden fury comes over me. "What are you trying to say?" I ask through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry son. You have to give up your destined mate."