☆ ☆ Alpha Gray ☆ ☆
Beta Morgana had gone to her room to check on Darius before joining me at our training grounds. When she got out there, she seemed somewhat flustered, and I could have sworn that I smelled the coppery twang of blood. I asked, "Are you in heat?" She responded, "No." I shrugged my shoulders and continued on with the shifting test.
I watched her closely after I shifted into my wolf and circled her to get a 360-degree view. I used my mind link and commanded her to shift. Usually, any wolf under my rule would have done anything I asked immediately. I could sense some resistance or reluctance, but she eventually shifted. I used my mind link again, asking her to recite our pack creed.
She did,
"I, Beta Morgana, of Alpha Gray's pack, will remain loyal and just.
I will serve the Moon Goddess and my leaders.
I shall be a righteous role model, setting the example for those who come after me.
While I am here, I shall not falter when death knocks at my door.
I will slay all those who trespass against us.
I promise to defend my brothers and sisters with all my might.
I will always put my pack first, even if it means my death.
I will return to the Earth once my cycle is at its end.
All of this, I swear to you."
She bowed down after completing the creed. As far as I could tell, there was nothing greatly amiss, and I felt like my Luna was just being extra cautious. Beta Morgana was walking in the sun, shifting, though with some added effort, which could easily be explained after the attacks. Many werewolves experienced additional fatigue after being fed from.
She sounded like herself and could even recall things from her past. She hadn't recited that creed since she had to learn it for the celebration of her acceptance of the role as my Beta. I think the Luna was just under too much stress, caring for Jayce round the clock and worrying about her sister when they left to go on the reconnaissance mission.
I used our mind link again and said, "You passed; you can return to your normal form, and I'll tell your sister not to worry so much. She bowed her head again and shifted to her human form. It took longer than normal, but again, that didn't concern me. I shifted back as well and walked with her to the pack house. I said, "You really gave your sister a scare the other night. She woke up from a dead sleep and screamed about how you were gone."
She shook her head and replied, "She's always worried about me; I'm fine, really. Just a little tired." I nodded in agreement, "I'll contact the Ulfric and tell him about his brother, just get some rest. We need to be ready to travel in a few days, and I want my Beta to be in peak fighting condition."
She nodded, "Thanks again, Alpha Gray." Then she returned to her room. I headed to my office and found my Luna waiting eagerly in the chair across from my desk. "She's fine.", I said, before taking a seat in my chair. I added, "She can walk in the sun. She shifted and reverted, though it took her maybe a minute longer; her mind link works, and she recited the creed from years ago that she had to memorize."
I sighed, "I think you've just been under a lot of additional stress, given everything that you are doing to help with this impending war." She looked at me, still not satisfied with my answer. I kneaded my eyebrows together, "I can put some additional watches around the grounds, but I'm telling you, a person who's been glamoured by vampires, it doesn't last this long, and to my knowledge, we're immune."
She spoke up, "Then what about Darius losing his wolf?" I looked back in her direction, "That I can't explain. I was just going to contact the Ulfric to see if he had any insight on it." She nodded and urged me to do so in her presence. I dialed his number and waited for the phone to ring.
Gamma Gavin answered. I said, "This is Alpha Gray. I need to speak with Ulfric; it's of grave importance." He told me it would be a few moments, so I waited patiently. Luna, on the other hand, was fidgety with anticipation. I looked over at her, pleading her leg to stop bouncing up and down. It didn't happen, but I was understanding.
Ulfric Draven finally picked up the phone. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I have an update. Beta Morgana and Beta Darius arrived here around 2:00 a.m. last night, but today, we discovered an issue with Beta Darius. It seems the connection with his wolf has been severed." The Ulfric paused, seemingly speechless.
I continued, "My wife looked him over and said that his vital signs indicate that he is a mere human now. Has this ever happened before? I know you found documents describing Sylas's powers. Has there ever been a vampire that could kill the wolf inside or sever the connection between a man and his wolf?"
The Ulfric said, "I want to speak with my Beta immediately." My Luna shook her head and held out her hand. I handed her the phone, and she spoke, "This is Alpha Gray's Luna. I'm afraid your brother is experiencing some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. He's not speaking to anyone either, and Beta Morgana has had to wait on him hand a foot."
She paused, "He's catatonic, to put it frankly, and I don't know how long it will take for him to snap out of it. That's why I urged the Alpha to contact you, to see if you had anything in your archives that might help me treat him." She returned the phone to me, and I heard the Ulfric pound his fist against something.
I said, "I'm sorry. We will do everything we can to help Darius." He snarled, "Don't worry, I'll be down there tomorrow, and I'll bring the elders and any documents we think may have value." He paused, "We'll figure this out and find a way to restore my brother's wolf and honor." I replied, "Of course, we'll make arrangements to host you. How many do you think will come?"
He thought momentarily, "I'll get back to you on that. Let me speak with Beta Morgana. She was the only witness, correct?" I nodded to my Luna so that she would retrieve her sister and said, "Just a moment." Beta Morgana entered shortly after, and I assumed that my Luna had stayed to monitor Darius.
I handed Morgana the phone and listened to her version of events. She said, "I understand your frustration, and I apologize for not informing everyone sooner." She paused, allowing the Ulfric to speak. "The first attack was six on two, and we survived, but Darius took the brunt of the damage. He was bleeding a lot, and I contacted my sister, the Luna, for medical advice."
She continued, "I made him take the Vitamin K as instructed to help with his own clotting ability, and other than being lethargic, he was acting fine. We rested during the day and traveled at night, but we stopped in Ohio for some food. Neither of us even sensed this group of vampires, and we were ambushed when we went to the vehicle."
She added, "There were even more this time, and they were much stronger than the ones we fought previously. We were split up, so I'm unsure what happened to him. It was honestly a blur, and some people either coming or going from the dinner caught the vampires off guard and fled. We didn't have time to shift because the onslaught was so sudden."
She paused once more, and I assumed that the Ulfric was speaking again. Then Beta Morgana said, "When we found Darius, he was lying on the ground unconscious. He came back after fifteen or twenty minutes, but he wasn't acting normally. He was quiet and almost dazed, so I drove straight to the pack house once I got him in a borrowed car."
Beta Morgana finally said, "I thought he just needed some rest and that perhaps he was in shock, but when things didn't get better today, especially when I shifted, and he didn't, that's when I became concerned and asked the Luna for assistance." She paused again, saying, "Of course, Ulfric Draven, let me know if you need anything else."
She handed me the phone and walked out. I continued my conversation with the Ulfric, "I hope that her recollection of the recent events provides you some help with figuring out what happened and hopefully restoring Darius to his former glory." He grumbled under his breath before hanging up the phone.