Master Alpha

Lincoln walked through the village with Nathan and observed his people. Nathan had daily patrols and had invited Lincoln to accompany him after training. Lincoln’s tainted mood from his nightmares had diminished after training with Rhea and Nathan. His electric blue eyes were now bright as he studied the people around him.

Nantas and Decants walked freely amongst each other. Some children were playing tag and bumped past him. The parents apologized profusely for their children, but just Lincoln just smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. Part of the reason that he did not like going on patrols was that his people were always cautious around him. He knew that their caution was more out of respect for him being royalty, but he still did not like it. Rhea and Nathan reminded him that he was not just the hybrid prince, and he was thankful for them for that. His parents had explained to him repeatedly that people were simply expressing respect to their Master Alpha, and he knew that his parents were right. He was beginning to accept that such conduct would not simply end because he wished it, and he was learning to embrace the title of his heritage.

Lincoln marveled at the blend of people in the village. He had heard stories of life before his conception, how the two races were kept separate. Mother and Father made all of this possible, with Bella’s assistance, he thought. He had heard how the previous Mistress had greatly supported his conception and permitted the relocation of the Decants that chose to follow Mother over Alpha Xavier. Lincoln smiled softly as he watched a few interracial couples walk through the village.

Mother and Father had highly encouraged interracial relationships, not only to help solidify unity, but for the potential of finding their mates. Lincoln had heard the stories of how his parents had attempted to establish their mates out of obligation, someone to rule beside them rather than finding a mate for love. His parents had given up on the possibility of finding a mate for love util they had realized that they were each other’s true mate. While conception between the races was extremely rare (deemed impossible until he was conceived), his parents had forbidden interracial conception until Lincoln was older. Mother and Father had expressed that they needed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their own interracial child before being able to assist with someone else’s.

Lincoln grinned at the thought. His parents had known the risks and had chosen the risk due to their love for each other. Love will find a way, he thought. However, he was still the only interracial member of the village. He was not sure if his people had obeyed their Master and Luna, and ensured protection while co-mingling, or if his people just had not been able to conceive an interracial child yet.

Whenever the day arrives for a new interracial child to enter the world, Mother and Father had requested for Lincoln to help train the child. They did not even need to ask, he thought as he rolled his shoulders. He would make damn sure that no child endured the childhood that he did. Acceptance was much stronger today than it was one hundred years ago, but he did still worry about rejection for the next child. He hoped that his parents would be alive to see the next child, but he knew that he would be able to assist the child either way. He and his parents were very thankful that he was the first of his kind; it was a reassurance that any future children like him would be raised and treated properly.

“Earth to Linc,” Nathan said.

“What?” Lincoln asked, shaking his head clear.

“I was informing you that one of the children are sick.”

“What?” Lincoln repeated, his eyes alert.

“Yeah,” Nathan nodded. “One of the kids that ran by was talking about it.”

“That isn’t possible,” Lincoln said. Neither race got sick, their immune systems were too strong. The common cold could not penetrate them, which left more serious illnesses to consider. He had heard stories of a Nanta or Decant being infected with cancer, but that was before his parents’ time. “What happened?”

“Not sure,” Nathan murmured as he ran a hand through his hair. “But she is paler than usual and she has not been herself for the last two days.”

“A Nanta?” Lincoln asked. The worry in his gut increased further. Nantas healed much faster than Decants did naturally. Nathan nodded again and led Lincoln to a clearing in the woods away from the village. “One of the children said that Rhea was going over to check on her,” Nathan said, his voice low. Rhea was the one Nanta that had been able to take nursing classing in the human world and applied her knowledge to the Nanta world. Mother and Father had encouraged both of the races to proceed with their education in the human world to better their own world, but to Lincoln’s knowledge only Rhea had done so.

“That was what else was on her agenda today,” Lincoln replied.

“Why wouldn’t she just tell you?”

“Probably wanted to see if she could fix it before coming to me and my parents,” Lincoln said as he rubbed a hand over his face. “She did not want to worry us if it was something simple.”

“Kid’s been like this for two days, Linc. I don’t think it’s simple anymore,” Nathan sighed.

“I agree, but you know how it is, Nate. People don’t like reporting concerns to my family until they have tried everything that they could do first.”

“You’re her best friend, Linc.”

“I’m her Master Alpha first,” Lincoln said. “Her duty to me, like yours to me, is to try to resolve an issue before reporting it to me. If she thinks that she can make the kid well, then she does not see the need reporting it early and creating unnecessary worry.”

“Right, but this is a necessary worry,” Nathan said sharply.

“I agree,” Lincoln nodded. He truly did agree that she should have reported it sooner, he just understood why she did not. She must still have some hope, he thought. “I think that I’m going to pay Rhea a visit.”

“You don’t know where she is.”

“I don’t need to. Some of the children must know the name of the sick child, and my parents know the names of all of the children.”

“They’ll know the parents.”

“Exactly,” Lincoln said.

“Sounds good, Linc, but how are you going to convince your parents to not get involved?” Nathan asked.

“Tell them part of the truth,” Lincoln shrugged. “Kid in town said Rhea was visiting the kid and I needed to find Rhea to talk to her about something. I’m not involving my parents in this until I receive Rhea’s assessment.” Lincoln did not like telling half-truths to his parents, but he preferred half-truths over blatantly lying to them. His parents almost always saw through them, but they never fought him about it. Like Rhea’s responsibility to him, his responsibility to his parents was to try to resolve any serious issue before involving his parents. The older that he got, the more hands off his parents had become. Someday, it will all be my responsibility, he thought. “Let’s go talk to some kids.”