Chapter 2

The next morning, Alex walked down the stairs and headed to the dining table for breakfast, but he noticed his parents were not in their usual seats. Perhaps they were still in bed, he thought, and shrugged it off. He was seated over a breakfast of marinated tenderloins and a glass of wine.

Hendrix approached the dining table and grinned. “Good morning, Alpha,” he teased.

“Drop the formalities,” Alex replied, not in the mood for one of Hendrix’s taunts.

Hendrix dropped lazily on one of the seats and smirked. “You’re now officially the alpha. It is right that I address you properly now,” he said as he chewed on a tenderloin.

“You’re now officially my beta. Do you see me addressing you as that or rubbing it in your face?” Alex demanded, anger laced with his tone, as he tried to keep his temper under control.

“Now, now, you know you shouldn’t be getting angry,” Hendrix reminded him of what he already knew.

He struggled to keep his anger in check as his red eyes flashed against his green ones.

“Alex? Control it,” Hendrix said to him calmly.

“I’m fucking trying, Hendrix. “You should not have come in here to get me all riled up,” he replied in a cold tone, as he clenched his hands into a fist on the table.

“I’ll get it,” Hendrix began to say as he attempted to stand up.

“No,” Alex responded, stopping him from leaving. “I’m fine,” he added as he leaned back in his seat, shut his eyes tight, and unclenched his tightened fists.

“Are you sure?” Hendrix asked, looking at him worriedly.

He gave a slight nod and exhaled as he opened his eyes. He leaned back to his food. “Have you seen my parents?” He inquired.

Hendrix nodded. “I saw them leaving very early this morning,” he replied, and he could not tell if Alex was bothered about his parents leaving the pack house without informing him because he kept a straight face and his expression was blank. He were unable to tell what was going on in the young alpha’s mind.

Without finishing his breakfast, Alex stood up, a cold countenance on his face. “Where are you going?” Hendrix asked him.

“A thorough check of the pack members. The last red moon took ten wolves, remember?” Alex reminded him as he pushed back his seat and walked away from the dining table, and Hendrix hurriedly stood up, falling right beside him.

“Yes, I remember,” Hendrix answered. On every red moon, which occurs three times a year, ten red wolves were usually found dead under the light of the red moon. This year, it had happened once, and with the second red moon approaching, Alex feared for his people’s lives and was thinking of ways to end the killings of his people. “What do you intend to do?” he asked.

They got out of the pack house. “I have no idea yet,” he replied, but he was definitely coming up with ways that he hoped would work to put a stop to the deaths of wolves during the red moon night. “Assemble the people,” Alex commanded in an authoritative voice that made him the leader of the pack.

Hendrix nodded and left to do what Alex had commanded of him. Alex raked his fingers through his blond hair as he waited for Hendrix.

A few minutes later, the whole pack gathered, and Alex led them to the carriage he had set up. “The red moon will appear any day from now, and we all know what happens on a red moon,” he said, and they nodded.

They lived in fear because they were all red wolves, except for Alex, who was different from the rest. He was a black wolf—the only black wolf, to be precise—and no one knew about this except Hendrix. Alex would never transform into his wolf in front of his pack. He was the odd one, and it somewhat bothered him to be the only black wolf in their world.

“Here, every pack member will be checked into these carriages before me,” Alex announced to them as he gestured to the carriages. “This is to be on the safe side.” I want every member of the pack to be together to find out how these deaths occur. “With everyone in the carriage, there’s no way it won’t be noted when something happens,” Alex said. His main reason for doing this is to find out how the wolves get to be directly under the Red Moon.

“If this will protect us, then we’ll do as you have said,” one of the pack members said, trusting in Alex’s abilities. Alex swallowed; he was not so sure about this plan of his, but he was hopeful.

His eyes caught a strange movement in the woods, and he turned to his horsemen. “There’s someone in the woods; go after him,” Alex ordered, and they immediately left.

Alex narrowed his brows as he fixed his gaze in the direction of the unlikely movement he had noticed.

***

Mia walked down the stairs in a bubbly manner. Her long, curly chestnut hair bounced with each step she took. She found her father and mother seated in the living room.

“Good morning, family,” she said in a cheerful manner.

Her mother looked in her direction with a smile. “Morning, my dearest daughter,” she answered, and Mia went over to her, engulfing her in a hug. "I’m fine, mother,” Mia replied.

Then she went over to her father, Jayden.

“Good morning, father,” she greeted with a smile, hugged him, and kissed his cheek.

He chuckled. “Morning, princess. Slept well?” He asked.

She nodded, her curls bouncing with the movement. “I’m heading out,” she announced, and Jayden gave his consent, but Lauren disagreed.

“It’s too early to leave the house, Mia,” she said, narrowing her eyes at her.

“Mother, do not be this way,” Mia said with a groan, throwing her head backwards.

“Mia, what did we discuss yesterday?” She inquired, staring at her daughter.

“I can’t recall,” Mia said, feigning not to remember what she was told every single day.

“I’m serious, Mia,” Lauren said sternly.

“Let the child be. She’s a vibrant young woman. Allow her to enjoy her prime, dear,” Jayden said, and Mia grinned.

“Thank you so much, father,” she said with glee and rushed out of their presence.

“Mia!” Lauren called after her.

“I love you, mother!” She yelled back in a singing tone.

Lauren sighed and leaned back in the seat. “You worry too much; she’s no longer a child,” Jayden said to her as he placed his hand on hers to calm her down.

“She’s just eighteen, Jayden,” Lauren reminded him.

“An exuberant eighteen years old, Lauren. Let her live her life. Do not try to slow her down if you can’t match her energy,” Jayden advised her.

She placed her head on his shoulder. She thought to herself, “That wasn’t what she was doing.” Her daughter was the light in this packed house. The moon goddess had given her a child who ensured that everyone around her was as happy as she was and free from any pain. No, she was not trying to bring down her energy. She was only worried about her. That’s what every mother does, right?

***

The horsemen returned to the pack house, and the people were already in the carriage. “Alpha, we found no one.” Zeke, the leader of the horsemen, broke the news of their futile search to him.

Alex nodded and dismissed them as he pondered what he saw. He felt uneasy about it and wondered if he had been hallucinating, but he shrugged off the thoughts. He knew what he saw, and the eerie feeling he felt disturbed him.