Kenzie Hope
When my hair lied like a second skin over my cheeks and I looked as if I were just caught in a sudden storm, I let myself drop to the ground. My legs were empty and there was a rising feeling of nausea from my stomach. It never ceased to amaze me that the muscles that were working so hard only seconds ago now struggled to hold my weight. Salty droplets flowed down my face like soft summer rain, dripping onto the grass as I sat to regain my breath. Down my back was a dark stripe amid the green color of my sleeveless top, a spreading map of perspiration. In the haze of the afternoon, I could feel the loose shirt start to cling to my back in places and there was a slight sting to my eyes - old mascara. I never seemed to learn to throw it out before it goes rancid.
Looking up to the sky, as blue as a perfect summer's day. It was the color of a typical noon sky, without a cloud in sight. It was the same shade of my mother's eyes when she looked at my father; the same color that he looked at Brady with. It was the blue of forget-me-nots, that bright and bold yet ever so delicate burst of optimism that tiny flowers are. For me, blue was a cheery color, one of honesty and life - for it is the color of skies and my parent's eyes. The sky shone bright like their eyes, and I knew they were watching over me. I smiled at the thought.
I hoped Dad would be proud of me, proud of what I'm doing. Mom would probably cry over the thought of me even training to fight, let alone fight, but I would think that dad would enjoy that I was trying to save our blood.
"Hey, I won't let you get worked that hard again, don't cry, love," Kaden said, wiping a tear that had fallen and placing me in his lap. I snuggled my head on his chest, enjoying the comfort he brought me.
Dylan sat next to me and when he saw the rogue tear that slipped from my eye, he yelled, "I told you guys too go easier on her! Look you made Z cry!"
"It's not that." I laughed as I wiped the tear off my face, "I was just thinking about my parents."
Jordan and Kaden looked sympathetically at me, knowing the loss of a parent. The pain comes in waves, waves of sadness and waves of memories.
Brady slung his arm around my shoulder, "Dad would think this was badass." I laughed before scolding him for swearing. I dusted my pants off after I jumped up, ready to go again.
I had spared Harrison for the last half an hour. Kaden and Jordan, as the Alpha and basically Alpha, were intently watching as they tried to train me while Carter, who was the best fighter, was giving me tips. Dylan watched with fearful eyes as we spared, fulfilling his duty as mama bear.
"Go," Jordan shouted like a buzzer.
Harrison smiled at me, sweat dripping down his face as I gave him a run for his money. I thought that I would get tired out first, considering he had tried since he was little, but I think my Alpha blood made me a strong competitor. I had only been training for almost two weeks and we were basically at the same level. This gave me hope that I could defeat Maxwell.
We circled each other for a moment, scanning the other's weaknesses. I decided to take the first move and sent a jab towards his face. I expected him to block it, but he didn't expect me to kick at the same time. The kick landed itself into his gut, sending him back a few steps.
Then we circled each other again before he tried to trip me, which he did successfully. I landed on my back with a thud and a slight groan as it hit where a bruise was already forming. My leg shot out from under me as I went to trip Harrison back. Once he was on the ground, I didn't waste time getting back up and sending, what would have been, a hard kick to the face, but I stopped myself before it made contact. I didn't want to kill the poor guy.
"That's it." Kaden cut our match as he saw that I was the obvious winner. I pulled Harrison off his back and he gave me a pat on the back.
"Not so bad, Kenzie," Harrison said with a proud smile. I smiled back at him and then at Kaden, who was giving me an admiring look.
Kaden's arms snaked around my waist, effectively pulling me into his chest. He kissed where his marked laid and it relaxed my entire body. The effect he had of me was like nothing I had ever felt before.
"What happens if I take over Moon Rise?" I asked as I looked over at Jordan for the answer. He looked at me for a second without speaking.
"Well," He started, "They have a different tradition there." The group looked at Jordan as we waited for him to continue.
"They are a little old-fashioned. Moon Rise has had the same mindset since they were in their infancy," Jordan continued to beat around the bush.
Kaden continued to speak for him, understanding what Jordan was trying to say, "They still practice the old traditions?"
Jordan nodded sadly, while the rest of us just looked at them very confused. The air between Kaden and Jordan was tense, having their own silent conversation.
"What is going on?" I asked skeptically. Whatever they were thinking about, it was obvious that it was serious.
Kaden started to explain things to me, "They are an old-fashioned pack, meaning that they don't have the same kind of rights that we do. If you look at pack history, the Alphas and Lunas act more like Kings and Queens, there are more Omegas than it is here. There is an obvious imbalance of power."
I took in his words, but it didn't seem all that bad. When I became Alpha, or Luna, I would just change it slowly. Everyone wants power, so there would be no problem with giving more power to the people.
"It's a patriarchy, McKenna," Kaden finished.
Jordan then continued, "They aren't going to respect you until you prove to them you deserve to be respected, blood doesn't mean anything."
"How does she earn their respect?" Carter asked for me. Kaden squeezed me into him, providing me with warmth and comfort.
"She will have to learn to be a perfect Queen. If that doesn't work, she'll have to start killing," Kaden grumbled into my neck.
I gasped, "Killing? Why?"
"Because a great leader knows how to take control, the best way to do that is to remove what's out of control. It's why some of them still respect Maxwell," Jordan explained.
I couldn't kill my pack members. I had killed in battle before, but never execution type murder. There was no way I could do this.
I must have started hyperventilating because Kaden squeezed me tighter, whispering, "It'll be okay?"
"Will it though?" I remarked, too sassy for my own good, "I'm an Omega, not a fucking Queen!" I ran my hands through my hair and pulled at the roots.
"It's a lot to ask," Jordan sighed as he plopped down next to Kaden and I. The wind whipped past my ear, bringing the fresh breeze. The air was tense as every contemplated the words that had been spoken; you could even see the utter fear of Dylan's mama bear face.
"What am I going to do?" I asked as I felt the weight of the world on my shoulder. The tenseness in my muscles more like a mannequin than someone of flesh and bones.
"Well, you're going to learn to fight like a goddamn Queen and then you're going to kick ass," Harrison said positively.
"I'm an Omega. How am I suppose to be a Queen?" I groaned and ran a hand down my face. Kaden pried my hand away and gently stroked by face. His green eyes searched mine as he sent love through our bond.
"You're a Luna, McKenna," He started softly, his eyes gleaming, "You've never been an Omega, your blood is Alpha."
Kaden's words brought me back, back to when I was little. There were several times in my life when my father would remind me of my lineage, not the circumstance.
Flashback:
It was 2001, on the shared lawn of our apartment house. He was laughing, relaxed after mowing the lawn. He asked me if I want an airplane ride and of course I did, what four-year old doesn't? In moments he had my right wrist and ankle. He spun like a shot-putter, but he never let go. The garden turned into a green blur, I was flying- flying until he couldn't spin any more. The memory had no weather, other than a lack of rain. The garden was in fine detail: the crab apple tree, the rhododendron bush, the weeds in the flower beds. But the finest detail was his face, creased with love and my joy- not only for the ride but for being with him, for being with my Dad.
"What's that fit for my Alpha Princess," He smiled with the joy evident on his face. I giggled at him while his blue eyes sparkled like the sky.
"But Daddy," I laughed as he tickled me, "We are Omega."
His fingers stopped against my sides and his eyes dulled to a soft subdued watercolor paint blue. His face drooped, his eyes weighing down on him.
"крошка [Crumb/ Little One], you are of Alpha. You are an Alpha Princess and nothing but," He explained softly as he stroked my cheek. His eyes flashed with a grey cloud color; he was mindlinking my mom.
She came out in her apron, a staple of my childhood. It was littered with all things British, a reminder of her home. She had followed my father here out of love, but she never forgot her roots. I saw her in that apron, arms wide, a hug just a few steps away.
"Mommy!" I screamed and jumped into her fresh baking aroma.
"How's my Alpha Princess?" She whispered into my dirty hair that was more brown than its usual creme color.
"You're silly just like Daddy, Mommy!" I giggle as I kissed her on the cheek. Dad joined in, kissing my mom on the other cheek and bringing us into a family hug.
I was only four at the time and it was the youngest memory I had of my parents. It was the most perfect memory of my father. I clung to it because in that moment he was the person he should have been, would have been, had it not been for the stress of life. In that snapshot his unwarped personality was something so golden and sacred I wanted to keep it forever. Like an old movie reel I could play it at will.
The next time he told me that I was a few years older. It was the middle of the summer. My mother was just about to burst with my little brother; she was due any day.
I ran to the neighbors house because they had a swing. With my almost seven-year old legs, I pumped higher and higher. My hair flopped backwards as my face felt the warm sunlight. I can't recall how I fell, just the dull thump of hitting the dirt. I laid there unable to breathe, all the wind knocked right out of both lungs.
By the time I got home all I could do was slide down the glass of the front door and bang once. When Dad opened it, I laid on the mat, still trying to breathe. He looked at me, panicked, seconds later I was lying on my parents' bed. Something about being jiggled as he ran got the air flowing. I laid there, just breathing.
My parents were so shocked that they brought out a little dress they'd been saving for my birthday - blue velvet with a white lace collar and cuffs. I forgot the fall in a moment and admired the soft fabric, tears already drying.
"Is it fit for моя альфа принцесса [my Alpha Princess]," Dad said with a tight smile. His eyes gleamed with worry that I wouldn't like it. Mom wrapped me up in her arms and helped me fit into it.
"What do you think, Daddy?" I asked him with a smile as I twirled around.
He smiled back at me, "Fit for an Alpha Princess."
I reached my arms up, wanting him to pick me up. Once he did, I snuggled into his chest, tired from the day's events.
"I'm not an Alpha Princess," I said with a yawn. My mother gave him a sad smile and whispered something I couldn't understand.
"You'll always be an Alpha Princess, lovely."
I kept that dress long after I'd outgrown it, letting it just hang there next to the school clothes.
When my mom died, dad was a lot more isolated. He still cared for us the best he could. He told me about his Alpha past after he had died, wanting me to understand why things worked out the way they did.
He had his dusky hair that rested atop his herculean sallow figure, his hair-line receding like the tides. A disorderly mess that his hair was sat above the wrinkled on his forehead and the blue eyes that never smiled. His hands were withered leather and his fingers were swollen with arthritis. He was bold. He had the resounding presence of a fiery phoenix but the quiet yet strong aura of an Alpha, he didn't have to talk to be the loudest person in a room.
In fact he was much like an Alpha with great boughs striving to touch the sky and its noble roots strengthening its hold on the ground; he was very ambitious man with firm roots to his past and great ties to his land. The native Russian-speaker would often talk of how we were destined for greatness. I never understood why stopping Dad from being Alpha even mattered because he was the best man in all of Europe and Asia anyway.
I walked in on his nightly cry session. He was crying over mom, crying how she was taken too early, taken from him and their kids. He looked at me with his tear-stained eyes and red, runny nose. He smiled at me, his tears dripping into his mouth.
"Hi," He said. I jumped up on the bed and crawled into the covers. I snuggled up to his fatherly warmth and wrapped my small arms around him.
"I miss Mommy too," I told him as I buried my face into his shirt. I wanted to make my Dad feel better. Mom had been dead for a year and he still cried a few times a day. It was taking a huge toll on him and I wanted to stop it.
"I know, принцесса [Princess]. You know she misses you," He sniffled as he pulled me closer. I nodded into his chest and looked up at him.
"Why do you call me принцесса [Princess]?" I asked, my ten-year old voice squeaking.
He smiled, his smile wrinkles coming through before saying, "Because you are a Princess." I looked at him confused, we were Omegas. He continued, "You were born a Princess, one day you'll be Queen."