ALPHA'S REDEMPTION

IYRA'S POV

My heart pounded in my chest as I raced through the forest, chasing after the cunning fox. The crisp autumn air filled my lungs as I urged my legs to keep up. It was not getting away from me this time! With a grin, I picked up my pace determined not to let it out of sight.

The forest appeared to have come to live as every creature seemed to have paused to watch our race unfold. Birds chirped, their calls ringing out like a chorus of encouragement. Squirrels scurried from branch to branch, their tails flickering back and forth as they tracked our progress. Monkeys swung from tree to tree with ease. Even the trees seemed to lean in as if watching a spectacle.

Just as I thought I might catch up, the fox makes a sharp turn, disappearing deeper into the forest. I skidded to a halt, clutching my chest, hands on my knees, heaving as I tried to catch my breath. I scanned around for any sign of movement, but my eyes barely caught a flash of fur and playful eyes, and within a second, it was gone.

"I'll catch you next time!" I yelled after the mischievous creature, for like the thousandth time. It let out a squeak sounding almost like mocking laughter.

"Jerk." I mutter, as I collapse to the ground still trying to catch my breath. A bird chirps loudly as if scolding me for stopping. I turn a sharp glare to Zephyr, a name I had given to the feathered creature. Its eyes gleam with a knowing glint as it continues chirping away.

"You know you can really help if you want to, right?" I called after it as it vanished into the sky, as if bored just to be in my presence.

As the rush of adrenaline slowly faded away, I was left to confront my reality again. We were really moving back to our old pack, the Nightfall pack. The pack that casted us away leaving us packless and isolated. I shuddered at the thought, as painful memories of the shameful move flooded my memory. I mean there wasn't much I could remember. I was just three after all. But I do remember the struggle of trying to create a new life all over without any support, finding our place in an unfamiliar territory. It did help that we were later able to merge with other rogues and create a little pack of our own, I was even able to make a friend of my own that wasn't an animal. The forest and our little pack is all I have.

Just a few days ago I was doing the usual - swinging from trees, hunting with Ethan and discovering new things about my abilities when my parents summoned me to tell me that the tenure of our banishment was over, they had received word that we were welcome to return if we chose. I remember the way my heart sank as they delivered the news. Just the mention of the pack had me furious.

The circumstances behind the banishment was still a shock to me. Apparently, a document had been found linking my father conniving with the rival pack, the Bloodmoons to attack the pack. My father had been both horrified and speechless and despite his willingness to do anything to prove his innocence, we were still exiled, for fifteen years, the alpha had declared.

And now after all these years. I was being forced to return to that place - to face a pack that had rejected me and my family. My stomach churned with dread and unease. What would they say? Would they still see me as an outcast? Would we ever be able to find acceptance there? Does my cousin even know I exist?

As I rose to my feet, Zephyr swooped down to perch on my shoulder, letting out a soft comforting chirp. I reached up to gently stroke his feathers, drawing energy from his familiar presence. Zephyr had been with me since I was a pup. I had found him very sick and had rushed him back to the pack and nursed him to health. From that day on, he would take flight but would always return.

"I don't know what's going to happen, Zephyr," I murmured. "But I hope we don't regret it."

He tilts his head, as if understanding my anxiety. With a gentle flap of his wings, he lifts off my shoulder and circles around me, his eyes gleaming. Suddenly, the air seemed to sparkle and tremble; his feathers began to glow with an ethereal light and a strange energy began to build up around us.

I watched in awe as he landed back on my shoulder, the light enveloping me in a warm, tingling embrace. Closing my eyes, I felt a surge of power coursing through my veins. I felt like I could run for miles and miles without stopping and just as I felt like something deep within me was awakening, it was gone.

I opened my eyes feeling revived and energized. Zephyr let out an excited chirp, as if sensing the newfound strength within me.

"What was that?" I asked in wonder, reaching up to stroke his soft feathers. The bird simply gazed at me with his piercing eyes as if questioning what I was talking about, and with one last excited chirp, it took flight.

Classic Zephyr

With a deep breath, I turned, shaking my head as I began the long trek back to our makeshift pack territory, feeling lighter with every step I took.

The closer I got, the more signs of our impending departure became very real, piles of supplies and our belongings were stacked neatly, ready for the journey. My mum was busy fussing over all the stuff we had to give away while my dad was making final touches on the wagon he would likely use to transport us.

"We are really doing this, aren't we?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. They both turn to me, their expression unsure. "What if they see us as outcasts, as unwanted?"

They exchange a weighted look, their eyes brimming with uncertainty. "We don't know what awaits us." My mother admitted. "But we have to at least try. This is our chance to reclaim our home, to rebuild the life we once had."

I wanted to scream no and stomp my feet. A part of me had hoped we would never have to go back, that we would continue building our lives here. The thought of leaving all we have created behind, Ethan especially filled me with dread but I could see the desperation in their eyes, the longing to return to the familiarity and security of the pack.

Sensing my reluctance, my father places a gentle hand on my shoulder. I look up at him as he smiles with a bittersweet expression.

"I know it's not easy, my dear but this is an opportunity we can't ignore. Who knows how long this offer will stand. And we can't really get answers to what really happened from here, can we?" He asks, a sly glint in his eyes.

He had me with that one and he knew it, and I knew deep down he was right. As much as I wanted to resist, clearing our name could only be done by returning to the pack.

With a heavy sigh, I nodded in resignation. "Alright, I'll go with you guys but I can't promise that I'll be happy about it."

With that, a wide smile spread on their faces and I could see the relief in their eyes. They knew it was a difficult decision for me and they would have respected my decision. With the air cleared, they practically crushed me in their arms.

"Can't br-eathe." I managed to let out as they laughed, releasing me from the koala hug.

We began to make preparations for the journey ahead, with other rogues stopping by to have a mini feast as our send off. Ethan was grumpier than usual but despite his gruff exterior, I knew he was going to miss me.

Later, as the night wore on and the others slowly departed, he finally approached me.

"You're really leaving, huh?" he asks with a rare softness in his eyes, his voice low and gruff. I nodded, and he sighs, looking away.

"Promise you'll visit and won't forget me." he said finally, his eyes locking onto mine with a fierce intensity. I smiled, feeling a pang of affection for the grump. "I promise and you'll be the first person I'll visit." He nodded, seeming to accept this, and then his expression turned serious. "And promise me you'll use what I taught you if the situation demands it." He said, his eyes narrowing. "You're not helpless, you know. You're strong and capable, and I won't have anyone thinking otherwise." I smirked. "You know you don't really have to worry about that." I winked, horribly, might I add.

His tough expression cracks as breaks into a laugh that was both infectious and irresistible. Then, in a rare display of affection, he reaches out and braids a section of my wild hair and ties it with a green thread, a ritual I realized we had done as kids.

"For luck." He explains, with a hint of a smile. "And so I can keep a track of you even from afar."

We stood there, basking in the little time we had together. Then, without a word, he gives me one of his scarce hugs and walks away. And as I stood there, watching his form fade into the distance, I couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming.

******************************

We began the journey that night though we barely made it past the pack authorities at the border who deliberately made us wait, insisting they needed to verify who we claimed to be. As the hours ticked by, they realized there was nothing else they could hold us with and had begrudgingly let us go. We arrived at the house when the sun was barely peeking through the horizon, the faint glow struggling to brighten up the unfamiliar house.

As I stepped through the doorway, the air was thick with the scent of stale dust and forgotten memories. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling and walls, leaves and debris littered the floor, crunching under my foot as I made my way further inside. It felt like I was in another universe and in a second, someone would appear and demand us to leave.

An old sofa sat against the wall lopsided, its cushions sagging and the fabric tattered. Beside it, another worn out armchair leaned unsteadily as if it might collapse at any moment. The coffee table at the center of the room was littered with papers, old books and a pacifier as if no one had given it a second thought before leaving. Cabinets hung open, their contents spilled on the floor. The air was thick with the pervasive smell of decay as the countertops were littered with the remnants of a long abandoned meal, plates coated with dried food and the sink filled with stagnant water making it hard to breathe. I didn't even want to start thinking about what the rooms would look like. It was if we were just going about our normal lives and had been uprooted, like refugees fleeing a war zone.

I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of disconnection, as if I was a visitor in a place I should be familiar with but despite the overwhelming feeling, there was a glimmer of hope that flickered within me. This was my home, the place I had taken my first walk and uttered my first words. So with this feeling of rekindling a long lost connection, I turned to my parents with a questioning look.

"So, where do we start?"

The sun had sunk below the horizon and given way to darkness by the time we were done with the tenuous work of making the house feel like a home again. I stepped out not really knowing where I was headed to as I scanned the place I would have to accept as my home.

The darkness blanketed the property, save for the faint glow of the porch light flickering overhead. A gentle breeze blew, lifting the strands of my hair, caressing my face with a soft, soothing touch and rustling the overgrown weeds and foliage that had taken over the lawn.

As I wandered down the path, I was relieved to see the familiar outline of a dense forest just beyond the yard. The further I walked, the lighter I felt. I breathed in deeply savoring the earthly damp scent of the forest. The gentle rustling of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl calmed me, reminding me that my life might have changed but the forest would always be the same. The towering trees cast a soft ethereal glow, the moonlight filtering through, illuminating the leafy ground.

I made my way to a large oak tree, gazing up at its huge branches stretching towards the sky. I gazed at it calculating how I would reach its peak and without a moment's hesitation, I reached up gripping the sturdy branch and hoisted my body up. It was as if my body had a mind of its own, instinctively knowing the best path to climb.

I gripped the branch tightly, my hands and feet wrapped around the rugged bark as I pushed forward. I continued repeating the process, pausing briefly to check the stability of each branch before committing my weight to it. I couldn't help smiling bitterly as I thought of how Ethan would have probably been screaming "Monkey! Queen of the jungle." from down below and I would turn to him and tease him for being too scared to come up with me then we would probably end up on a branch of a tree sucking fruits.

The world below me seemed to shrink away, the forest floor grew distant and the sound of the night seemed muted by the canopy of trees around me. It was as if I had jumped into a realm of my own, a safe haven where time seemed to slow to a crawl.

I finally settled myself on a broad, flat branch, my legs dangling freely as I gaze over the moonlight. From here, I could see the faint outline of the house in the distance, a spark in the dark. A sense of peace and belonging washed over me, something I knew I wouldn't be able to feel in the confines of those four walls.

The moon continued its slow arc across the sky. I stared at it amazed at how something so trivial could have a massive impact on my life. The sight of it filled me with a mix of terror and excitement. My eighteenth birthday had passed just a few days ago and that only meant one thing - I am going to have my first shift and that in just a day if my calculations were right.

The prospect had me shaken to the core and though my parents had tried consoling me that it wasn't as terrifying as it sounded, I couldn't help but doubt them. I had heard the stories, whispers from older pack members and from Ethan too. But to actually experience the transformation myself was both thrilling and scary. What would it feel like? Was it as painful as it sounds? Would I be able to control my wolf?

These thoughts frightened me but the one that frightened me the most was the matter of finding my mate - a lifelong bond that is created specially by the moon goddess. I wondered more often than I would like to admit how it would be to have such a person. It was exciting but terrifying. The uncertainty swirled in my mind like a vortex, making my heart race and my palms sweat though my parents' bond was a sort of comfort to me, a reminder that such a union was possible.

I ran my fingers over the rough bark of the branch, willing myself to calm down as I took a whiff of the crisp forest air, feeling totally at ease.

The air grew colder as the night deepened and feeling like I've got my full dose of energy for the days ahead and keeping in mind my dad might come out any minute searching for me, I began the thrilling descent down the tree already missing the sturdy branch.