The First Female Alpha

The full moon had arrived when I least expected it. Everyone around me was sitting, holding hands, and talking to each other as they waited for the Moon Goddess to show herself.

But she never appeared.

I watched as people left one by one, disappointment evident on their faces. Today was the day when a new alpha of our pack was supposed to be chosen. Despite the excitement that had filled everyone as they left their homes, they all returned downhearted.

“Zoe!”

I turned to see my mother holding my little brother close to her side.

“Yes, Mom?”

“It’s time to go home, Zoe! The Moon Goddess isn’t coming tonight,” she said with sadness. “We’re leaving now.”

My father had already left earlier, being called away to work, so he didn’t have the chance to witness what transpired today. He would have been deeply disappointed to learn that there wouldn’t be a new leader for our pack. It felt like we were slowly falling apart, piece by piece until nothing remained.

“Okay, Mom,” I replied as I stood up from my seat and followed them.

I needed to stay strong. My parents relied on my strength, especially during times like this when the search for a new alpha was underway. They couldn’t manage without me. They needed me.

“When will the Moon Goddess finally show herself?” I asked my mother once we arrived home.

“I don’t know,” my mother replied as she prepared dinner for me and my little brother. My father was yet to return from work.

“I’ve never seen the Moon Goddess before,” I said.

She paused from her cooking and looked at me with a sense of shock on her face. “Never?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No, I’ve never seen her,” I replied.

My mother sighed and continued with her cooking, but her demeanor had changed. Worry was etched across her face, and I sensed that something was bothering her.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” I asked, and she turned to me.

“Zoe, there’s something I need to tell you,” she began, and I knew that whatever she was about to say was important. “You are different from everyone else in this pack. You are special.”

I looked at my mother with confusion on my face. “What do you mean, Mom?”

“I mean that you have a gift, Zoe,” my mother replied. “A gift that not everyone possesses. You have the ability to see things that others cannot. You can see the Moon Goddess when she appears, and you can perceive things hidden from others.”

I stared at my mother in disbelief. “What are you talking about, Mom? That’s not possible.”

“It is possible, Zoe,” my mother insisted. “You just need to believe in yourself and your gift.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of what my mother was telling me. It all sounded unbelievable, and I couldn’t help but think that she was trying to comfort me about not seeing the Moon Goddess tonight.

But deep down, I knew that my mother wasn’t lying to me. She had always been honest with me, and I could see the sincerity in her eyes.

“Okay, Mom,” I said finally. “I will try to believe in my gift.”

“You have to, Zoe,” my mother said, adjusting the heat on the gas cooker. “What most people don’t know is that when the Moon Goddess appears, only special individuals like you can see her.”

I was briefly confused as I tried to process my mother’s words. “If only a few special people like me can see the Moon Goddess, why do people gather around to see her?”

“Because they believe,” my mother replied, smiling at me. “They believe in the power of the Moon Goddess and the significance of her presence. It’s a tradition passed down through generations, and people find comfort in it, even if they can’t see her.”

I nodded slowly, trying to grasp what my mother was telling me. It was a lot to take in, but at the same time, it felt like everything was starting to make sense.

“But why me?” I asked. “Why was I chosen to have this gift?”

My mother shrugged. “I don’t know, Zoe. Maybe it’s because you’re meant to do something great with it. Perhaps you’re meant to lead our pack into a new era. Or maybe it’s simply because you’re special, and the Moon Goddess chose you for a reason.”

I contemplated my mother’s words as we shared dinner that night. The idea that I possessed a gift was both exciting and terrifying. I didn’t know what it entailed or what I was supposed to do with it. However, I knew that I had to explore it further and discover where it would lead me.

My father returned around midnight, visibly tired and exhausted. After eating the meal my mother had prepared for him, he entered the room I shared with my little brother.

“How was your day?” my father asked, a weary smile on his face.

“My day was fine,” I replied. “How was yours?”

Before my father could respond, a knock echoed from the front door.

Quickly, my father stood up and retrieved his gun. It was late for someone to be knocking on the door, and I felt a twinge of fear.

“Who is it?” my father asked as he approached the door.

But no one answered.