His Mate, His Enemy.

{THE RIVER PACK}

It was not unusual for Alpha Zephyr to cut off his mind link and stay locked up in the comfort of his room. Sometimes the darkness of his world and the whispers of the souls consumed him so much that he preferred to drown in it.

What was unusual was the ability to feel emotions.

Since this morning, his usual bland and empty soul seemed to be awake and his inner wolf was stirring in excitement.

Zephyr noticed that as night fell, the attraction he felt for the stranger that lay in his bed was getting more intense.

There was some sort of warmth encroaching him along with a persistent, flavorful and strong scent.

A loud knock on the door startled the Alpha and he sensed Channe's presence at the door.

"Enter." He growled and Channe hurriedly but carefully let herself in to the room.

Her eyes settled on the Alpha seated on the chair in the exact position he was since she last saw him, which was at midday.

"My Alpha." She greeted with a bow. "I am very sorry for coming late. I was searching for some herbs."

Her voice was shaky and apologetic.

Zephyr had not noticed Channe's lateness because of how submerged he was in his feelings but he said nothing to her.

She took it as a cue to hurry to the bedside where she started her observations and treatment.

Zephyr watched her carefully and after a few minutes, his impatience got the better of him.

"What do you have to say?" His voice startled Channe.

She stood up immediately. "She is getting better, My Alpha. Her breathing is more balanced." She announced.

"You said she was near death." Zephyr stated his deep voice echoing throughout the room.

"She was, My Alpha." Channe agreed.

That had been the case when she came during midday. The strange She-wolf had gotten worse and was struggling weakly for life. Channe had even felt her soul departing which was why she tried to get some herbs.

She could tell that whoever this strange she wolf was, she was important to her Alpha.

But now, it seemed that the strange She wolf did not even need the herbs.

"How sure are you that she's getting better?" Zephyr asked.

Channe knew how much the Alpha hated uncertainty and she did not like that she was stuck there at the moment .

"My Alpha, this she-wolf is very strange." She protested. "At this point, I am unsure of what to expect."

Zephyr's eyes bore in to the healer's and she bowed her head unable to hold the gravity of his dark stare.

"What exactly makes her strange? Is it because she is bald." He asked.

Channe lifted her head up.

"That is indeed strange My Alpha but there are some other observations." The healer started. "Her body and bones are very weak. Her neck bone in particular seems to have suffered, she may have gone through some sort of torture but there are no broken bones or signs to show that she was greatly injured."

"Why would there be signs if she's a She-wolf? She's expected to heal, isn't she? ." Zephyr stated in a 'matter of fact' manner.

"That's the thing, My Alpha." Channe stated. "She has no scent. None at all. It's either her wolf is dead or she has no wolf. She is a rogue and yet she has healed to perfection."

Zephyr did not expect to hear that.

Besides, it was the stranger's scent that led him to her in the first place and he could smell her all over the damned place.

So what did Channe mean by 'she has no scent?'

Channe had no idea that her words had led Zephyr into thinking, so she took his silence as a sign to continue speaking.

"She was so pale earlier on but now there's some color in her cheeks. In fact, one would think she's only fast asleep. She's also very weak and fragile, too weak for a she-wolf. I also noticed a mark on her."

That caught Zephyr's ears sharply.

"What mark?" He asked immediately.

Channe stopped talking at once.

"A strange scar on her arm, My Alpha." Channe said and she shifted aside wondering if the Alpha would finally stand up from where he was seated.

Zephyr had been glued to that chair since morning and he didn't know what to expect when he went close to the strange she-wolf.

But now, he was curious to see the strange scar that Channe spoke about and so he stood up and made his way over to the bed.

The healer moved aside quickly while Zephyr bent over examining the stranger closer than he had done at Silveren bank.

And then he saw it.

The dark caricature of a crown on her arm.

Zephyr remained frozen for a moment, another unusual moment of surprise for the Alpha.

Then as if her arm burned, he dropped it immediately.

Channe could sense Alpha's Zephyr mood darken and she took a step back wondering what was happening.

"Leave now!" He ordered her at once and without waiting for an explanation, she took her basket and hurried out of the room bowing her head as she did.

Zephyr stood with his huge figure towering over the bed. Hatred filled his heart and darkness consumed him.

Flashes of the past replayed in his head and he struggled not to roar out in anger. After one last glance at the resting figure, he turned around and headed straight out the window in to the night.

The whispers welcomed him as he transformed in to his wolf and made his way in to the woods.

———————————————————————

"I'm thinking blood red! You know, to catch the eyes of everyone there!" Dorianna said with an excited and wistful tone.

"But- But- Zeph- Zephyr…won't…like…that." Blaize said gently looking up from her plate of food.

"Zephyr doesn't like anything." Dorianna said with a scoff after drinking some water and dropping the glass down. "I think red will suit me perfectly and so does Raula. What do you think mother?"

Luna Vilka was drawn back in to the dining room where she was having breakfast with her daughters even though her mind was a little distant.

"The Solistice Party is two moons away, Dorianna. It's too early to start all this talk." Vilka said tiredly.

Dorianna gasped in disbelief. "How can you say that mother? It's our first social appearance in decades!" She protested.

Vilka ignored that immediately. "Your brother isn't here this morning. We haven't seen him since the night before last." She said instead.

"Oh! He's probably off growling and being a blue wolf as usual!" Dorianna said with a Shrug of her shoulders.

Vilka was about to say something else when Alma, her older companion stepped forward.

"Permit me to say, Luna Vilka but the Alpha has had frequent visits from the pack's healer." She said leaning in and lowering her voice so that only Vilka heard her.

Panic seized the Luna's chest as she thought of her son being sick.

Zephyr was never ill.

"Please excuse me." Vilka said and she stood up.

Blaize, her younger daughter smiled at her while Dorianna nodded.

Vilka left the dining room and started to make her way to the Alpha's chambers.

But she didn't know that Alpha Zephyr wasn't in his chambers and he hadn't been there since last night. He had spent it deep in the woods away from everyone and he had planned on staying longer until he felt a sudden Jolt of life.

An unfamiliar yet powerful feeling that stirred emotions he never knew he was capable of. He howled deeply shifting in to his wolf as he began to race out of the woods.

He knew that his Mate was now awake!