The Alphas of Under the Dark Moon

The wind tousled the brick red fur of the large animal that passed through the trees. This territory was free land. No packs, no enemies to fight off. You could hunt as you pleased. It didn't mean you'd be able to do it very well. The packs had taken over the good hunting grounds. Full of elk, deer, moose, elephant even. The empty land here was barely filled with mice. Wasn't helpful for a grown loner who hadn't eaten in days.

The wolf's black nose twitched at the scent of a rabbit. Chasing it the scent for a moment, he finally came across the plump, tan-colored rodent. The male lowered himself closer to the ground, creeping forward as the rabbit nippled on something in front of it. Before he could pounce, a cream-colored blur swooped by, taking the rabbit with it. He jumped up, silently startled by the actions. A cream-colored female stood a few feet away, his target dangling from her jaws. Her eyes glimmered in amusement as he let out an annoyed grunt. She stepped forward, dropping the prey at her paws.

"You should learn to be quicker.."

•••

The wind tousled the cream fur of the female in front of him. Her fur was mixed with browns and reds, giving her a beautiful earthy look. She sat in front of the Alpha's son, holding his gaze with confidence the young male has never seen before.

"Midnight," his father, Red Sparrow, the Alpha, approached from nearby. "She requested to stay in the pack with us. What do you think?"

The female glared a little at that, ears twitching in unease as Midnight Sky felt his skin flush under his red fur. The Alpha simply chuckled as his mate nipped at him for being pesky, leaving their son with his new possible mate. The Alpha Heir turned his gaze back to the female, who continued to stare at him. Finally, she spoke.

"Your parents are... Strange.."

•••

The wind tousled the brindled fur of the male as he stared at the female in front of him. She had a light-colored pelt, patches of red and brown covering her. Her odd-colored eyes gazed at him almost fearfully. His mother had taken this female in, offering her to him as his possible mate.

"She'll give you good pups," she said.

"She'll learn how to lead from you," she said.

This was rather surprising. Red Mesa never seemed very fond of her son. She was probably just aware she was going to pass on soon, knowing her son, the heir to the pack, needed a mate to carry on the legacy. This wasn't out of the kindest of her heart. Wasn't out of concern for her son's love life. And Dark Earth knew that. But, at least this female didn't seem too bad. She managed to speak up.

"M-My name's Mist Walker..."

•••

The wind tousled the fur of the red pup, who sniffed the little female pup who was brought up to him. She smelled of a different pack, but she caught his interest when she yipped out a playful request and nipped at his ear. He yipped back happily, leaping up and closing his jaws around the female's ear, tugging on it.

His parents watched from the sides. They had bought this pretty little female for their son. Although he was still young, it couldn't hurt to introduce a possible mate that this age, could it?

The two pups played, rolling on the ground and taking turns shoving each other over and nipping at them. Once he managed to pin her, the female pup giggled.

"You're all dirty.."

•••

The wind tousled the fur of the Alpha's son, who stood outside a den. A Melanism female had just given birth a few days ago. The scent of the new pups drew him in, curiosity drawing him in yet the warnings and sometimes correcting nippings of the other adults of the pack kept him simply pacing in front of it.

"Earth Walker," his father stepped up, smiling in amusement at his son's bubbling curiosity. The pup squirmed, questioning if he was in trouble. But his father gazed into the den, stepping up.

To Earth's amazement, the Alpha simply asked if he was allowed to enter and was met with the female's voice granting him permission. But to his disappointment, his father told him to stay outside the den, going in alone.

Earth could somewhat hear the conversation going on inside. Polite questions about well-being, compliments on the pups, etc. But the last bit of it was lowered, to the point where Earth couldn't hear. After a little bit, his father called out to him.

"Earth, come here."

The pup stiffened as another call beckoning him in. The new mother he approached blended in the darkness of the den. His father had lowered himself to his stomach to fit. The pup could stand easily inside.

His father leaned forward, the mother uncurling around her pups. There were three. Two of them were a light color and patched with red, the last being yellow with darker patches. Earth's father gently picked up one of the red patched newborns, setting them in front of him. The pup was still tiny, eyes closed. Earth sniffed them, his father speaking up.

"Do you like her?"

Earth looked between the two, then laid down next to the female, watching as she began to stir and sniff him back. They silently pressed their noses against each other. And that was all.

•••

The wind tousled the fur of the juveniles as they peered at each other. She had been purchased by his parents, meant to be his mate. The Alpha's son sniffed her, the female returning the gesture. His tail lashed, smiling as the female tilted her head as they peered at one another in curiosity. They seem to get along well.

"Remember son," his father pulled him to the side. "When you have pups, it's your responsibility to choose which would take over the pack. The choice is in your paws. You have to make the right decision."

"I will, I will," Sky Sparrow assured his father, walking back to the female meant to rule by his side one day. The female looked at him, tail lashing.

"So.. tell me about yourself.."

•••

The wind tousled the pups' fur as they chased each other around, sniffing and nipping and playing. The Alpha stepped up, breaking the two's play fight up.

"Wild Sparrow, enough of this," he growled, the scolded pup whimpering.

"But we wanna play!" The female pup he had been playing with protested again the Alpha.

"You're not meant to 'play'," Sky Sparrow growled. "He's meant to train to hunt and fight so he can become a proper Alpha. You're meant to wait until you come of age."

Wild sighed softly. He was always told how important he was to the pack as the Alpha's son. His elder siblings had all been duds, unworthy of the title as Alpha. His sister, his littermate, had been unworthy as well. He wasn't sure what happened to her, but his father assured him she was taken care of. His brother was only a few scores lower than him. Not enough to rid of. Thankfully his father had mercy and simply sold him off instead. Now it was just Wild, having only his future mate to play with. And only when his father wasn't nearby.

The Alpha had been done scolding the two, walking off. Snowy Ashes, his future mate, looked at him, annoyed by the elder wolf's behavior towards them.

"You won't be like that when we become Alpha, will you?"

•••

The wind tousled the Alpha male's fur as he met his beta male outside the line of the pack territory.

A suitable heir for the pack had finally been born, only not to the female he had been promised to as a pup. She was useless to him. She kept producing duds again and again, leading to Wild Sparrow buying a higher rarity female and killing his former mate off.

Wild had sent some wolves out to look for a mate for his son. Dew Fog, his Beta, walked up with a small bundle in his jaws. 30 rarity with two burning Topaz eyes. Hopefully, she'd produce good pups.

A pregnant female, acting as a wet nurse, was nursing his son, having sold his mother off the day he was born. Wild carried the small female, apparently being the same age as the male pup, into the den and laying her next to him. The female's red and black pelt was a big difference against the male's visible white base coat.

"Shadow Pine," Wild announced, relieved to finally have a proper heir after 13 litters and 38 pups in total. He would make sure his pup would grow to be a good Alpha with a worthy mate. "Meet Burning Ember."

The pups clearly couldn't hear him, but Pine seemed to stop nursing and relax into the ground as Ember curled up against him.

•••

The wind tousled Shadow Pine's fur as he met with Hybrid Wolf at the entrance to the pack, similar to his father before him. In Hybrid's jaws were a trembling pup. She was a beautiful little female and would hopefully be more useful than any of Shadow's previous mates.

"Why a pup?"

The Beta placed the pup down to speak. "I thought you were giving her to Wild Pine?"

"Changed my mind. His pelt. It's uncommon." The Alpha responded, then scanned over the pup again. "How much was she?"

"Nearly 50.."

"That much..?" He looked down at the pup. "You better be worth it then."

Hybrid shoved her forward, forcing her trembling legs to follow the Alpha. She was led into the middle of the pack. Wolves were speaking among each other. The Alpha led her towards a red one with pale prints all over his fur along with black patches. His odd eyes turned to his father and he stiffened a little, those eyes going wide when they landed on her.

"Wh-Wha-"

"This is your mate," Shadow Pine looked at her before announcing, "Dappled Shadows."

Dappled Shadows blinked at the sudden name. She'd never had a true name before. Her young mind didn't even know what the word "mate" was meant to mean. But when she looked back at the male wolf after the Alpha had walked away, his odd eyes were...Sad.

"I... I'm so sorry.."

•••

The wind tousled the fur of the newly named Alpha.

The past many seasons had been grueling. Duds after duds after duds, Dappled Shadows was mocked and shunned for providing so many unworthy litters for the Alpha title. Though Burning Storms loved all his pups, tradition was tradition. Still, he was too much of a coward to rid of them himself.

More and more dud litters were born until finally, the pack had had enough. They dubbed Dappled Shadows an unsuitable mate and, as far as Burning Storms knew, chased her out of the territory. Winter Hearth remained, now taking on the job as brood mother for both Roast Wood and the Alpha. And soon Roast Wood passed away, leaving her to only mother Burning Storm's pups.

It still, sadly, wasn't enough to stop the curse of duds from spreading to the new dam and pups were continuously deemed unfit. The pack panicked as their Alpha aged, praying the bloodline wouldn't die out like a different bloodline had in the past. Finally, a small male was born who was healthy and close enough to the requirements that the pack was able to make an exception out of desperation when Burning Storms finally died.

The young male, Burning Hearth, was crowned as Alpha while he was still in his juvenile year. And, hoping to reduce the chances of such a risk happening again, his mother presented him with a beautiful white and black female. Older than him, but still able to carry pups.

"W... Welcome," Burning Hearth said to the female, named Speckled Snows now.

The female looked at him, slightly unimpressed.

"This pack isn't the smartest group, is it?"