Eclipse Child

Be gentle my little thunderstorm.

The world is just not ready.

-a.j. lawless

“Then we are in agreement?”

The Alpha folds his hands, a blank look coming over his face as he stares down at the table. His Luna looks at him in worry, unable to hide what he has masked. From the corner of my sight, I see his warriors exchange concerned looks.

I almost want to break my own blank expression when I see Orion’s dark face of the wilderness leaking through his exterior to choke out any confidence in the room.

Each trip to each Alpha only made his confidence grow. He played the role of Luna well. In my actions, he backed me up. In my decisions, he stood beside me, adding his own layer of self-assurance to fold into mine.

I had been right that day in the woods when he father asked what his son would be.

I had been right in saying Orion would be my equal.

But Orion was always surprising me. And fitting himself into the role of a Luna was no exception.

The Alpha before us leans back, his eyes traveling to the ceiling now.

He has already given away his wavering doubt to his decision.

“Alpha Clark.”

A deep sigh issues from him. He looks to his Luna. Her shoulders give the weakest of shrugs as if she too is at a loss for what to do.

“Yes. We are in agreement. Restate your terms.”

“Ten of my best warriors to be sent to your pack for protection and to train the warriors that you already have.”

“And if these warriors should find their mates in my pack?”

“That is their choice, but you have my word I will not lay claim to them.”

“And you want the herbs to be sent to your pack?”

“Yes- you do not need to go to the trouble of packaging- sending them still in the root is fine.”

He eyes me warily, maybe already seeing through my plan. But his shoulders, like his Luna, only shrug in indifference.

The Sana Pack had a vast knowledge of the medicinal herbs that laid within the mountains. Their small pack rarely had a need for such things though. They harvested some, used very little, and for the most part preserved the wildlife to its nature- leaving it to be untouched by skin.

Their treasure, however, often caused many rouges and other desperate packs to venture deep into the mountains. They were not warriors. They had never been.

Two healers stayed within their pack system to be near the herbs of the mountains, but two healers were considered greedy for such a small pack.

“When can I expect them?”

“I will send them immediately. Five will break off to go back with the load and ensure its delivery before reinstating back here.”

We stand then.

Orion knows what to do. The Sana pack is one of the last packs on our list to visit. He is aware by now of what I expect.

Continuing with the routine, he steps out, making eye contact with the Luna and smiling. She stands up taller, trying and failing to make herself out to be tougher than she is.

Orion is good at coaxing the Luna’s to step aside and talk to him. His hidden nature reveals to them in these moments, coming out to show the sweet odd creature that he truly is.

Alpha Clark eyes him suspiciously before I pull his attention back to me.

“You have my word.”

I hold out my hand, feeling a sense of unknown pride course through me when he takes it.

We both pull back at the same time, mistrust still hiding underneath our eyes.

He clears his throat, eyes darting away before setting on the side of my face. Not really looking at me.

“Can I be truthful with you Alpha Soraya?”

“Of course.”

“You do not handle pack business like most Alphas.”

I hold back my grimace. I had been told this to many times from the other Alphas in my visits.

“Yes. I’m aware.”

He continues to look anywhere but at my face. His eyes do not settle fully on them. Instead, they land in odd places that reside somewhat outside the area.

My shoulder, the side of my neck or on the surface of my hair.

“As a new Alpha, I feel it is my duty to tell you that most visits involve a challenge of strength. If not then they end with-,”

“I am not most Alphas,” I cut him off earning a wide-eyed gasp of appalment from him as I break yet another tradition, “I have earned my place in my pack. That is all the fighting I wish to do.”

“Most will think it is because you are weak. That you cannot fight your own battles. I know I am the last pack you see- It’s made your trip to me delayed but it’s also allowed for word of how you won your title to be heard.”

My muscles stiffen. I take a step closer, earning a similar threatening one from him. Orion’s stance slowly turns towards me. I notice the Luna is lost to the tension that is growing around us. But Orion is aware of how to read the posture of a body. He knows when an attack is coming.

“Alpha Clark,” I let my words be only whispers, not wanting Orion or the other Luna to hear, “Unlike you- I do not rely on just the strength of my body.”

I push my face to be eye level with his, forcing him to look into my eyes. He uncomfortably shifts away, his hands shaking with the effort of controlling his emotions.

Mine are steady.

“If you want to fight me, then do not whisper such words to me. If you want to challenge me then challenge me.”

There is not a breath taken between us as we stand only inches apart. His hands are trembling, rocketing, and jumping in response to the tension.

I have no doubt that both our eyes are flashing gold, our wolves coming out and glaring at the predator before them.

“No. It’s not worth it.”

He takes a step back, pushing space between us. His Luna breaks off from Orion. She grabs her mate’s arm, putting pressure to make him look down at her.

Her head shakes only a fraction, but I see the message behind her eyes.

Don’t hurt them.

Orion had done his job then.

He won the hearts of the Luna’s; therefore, he won the hearts of the Alphas.

Alpha Clark seems to see this also as he looks down at his mate, her naivety almost laughable in the fact that there is no need for her intervention.

“It was a pleasure to meet you Alpha Clark, Luna Eve.”

“Thank you for coming,” The Luna smiles but her warmth is shown only to Orion. Alpha Clark glares at me while her gaze is elsewhere.

I hold out my arm, letting Orion know we needed to leave. He follows behind. It is almost a smooth exit.

Almost.

Orion stops any thought of that as he turns back around in the last second and yells, “I hope I see you again soon, Eve!”

I hear the unmistakable sound of a glass cup shattering.

No doubt it was the same one Alpha Clark had been holding as we departed from his pack house.

Orion changes out of his clothes the moment we reach the truck. I hear low grumbling from him as he unbuttons the shirt, loosening the collar so that he can ‘finally breathe.’

I lean against the side of the truck, waiting for him to be done.

We had parked a distance from the main pack house- near the edge of the border.

No pack we had entered wanted us to drive deeper into their territory.

The phone in my pocket rings while I wait.

“Alpha Soraya.”

“Alpha….a problem’s come up.”

In the background, I hear Orion shifting into fur. I hear another noise in the distance though, this sound not coming from my surroundings, but the phone in hand.

Leo’s voice, faint yet insistent can be heard, “let me talk to her. Let me speak.”

Henry’s voice becomes muffled as he whispers something before he says, “Vincent’s gone.”

My heart stutters, it’s rhythm skipping a beat from the unexpected shock of the news.

“When?”

“Leo informed me ten minutes ago when he was making rounds.”

“Did you do a search of the-,”

“Done. So far nothing. They lost the scent outside the border. Do you want to pursue?”

My grip upon the phone tightens. Darkness comes over my senses as I close my eyes to the surrounding area. I feel warmth upon my hand. Looking down, I take in the penetrating gaze of Orion as his tongue darts out to my fingers.

Absentmindedly I reach out to feel his fur.

“No. Don’t pursue. I-,”

I hear curses on the other line, small noises of scruffling and growls before Leo’s voice comes into my ear.

“Soraya, we have to find him. There’s something wrong with him, he’s sic-,”

“Leo.”

Silence meets me as he stops talking. I wait several seconds, making sure the silence stayed before angrily whispering, “Vincent can do what he wants. If he wants to leave then let him.”

“I’ll go-,”

“No. You have a responsibility as a pack doctor to stay and attend to the pack. Vincent is not of this pack- therefore his health is not your concern.”

“How can you say that.”

His voice is spoken in a broken whisper. I find my eyes closing once again as I ignore the pain that is laced in those five small words.

“Give the phone to Henry. Now.”

He says nothing else. It is a few seconds of silence before I hear Henry’s voice.

“Soraya?”

“Send word to the surrounding pack that he’s a threat and is out. And…”

I open my eyes, pulling away from Orion as I turn my back to him and whisper, “watch Leo. If he leaves to follow…stop him.”

“Yes Alpha.”

The phone disconnects. It only hits me then that I should have told Henry of the negotiations we had made with the Sana pack. I should have distracted Leo by telling him medical supplies and herbs he had only read of would be coming to him.

Vincent instead took attention over everything else.

My shoulders feel heavy. It does not seem like I have accomplished much- even though I have silver-tongued my way through each pack since the start.

I watch as Orion climbs into the passenger seat, his wolf-face showing eager excitement. I can read clearly why.

“We’re not going home just yet.”

His head turns to the side, grey eyes watching me as I drag my tired body into the truck.

I felt sick. The stress of each visit had played its toll on my body.

“No…we’re not going home…one more stop…I promise.”

I have much practice with those eyes. They could speak words of their own when used in the correct way.

Where. Why. Who.

“A relative. You don’t know him. But you may have heard his name.”

I pull the truck into the road, watching the fading line of the Sana pack grow more distant.

“You’ll see why when we get there. His name is Uncle Lewis. He’s Grandjay’s brother.”