Chapter 2. A Collar with a Secret

Desmond Darkness.

As I sank my fangs into his neck, I knew the Alpha of the Dunkles Feuer pack was dead. For weeks, that damn stupid Alpha had been challenging him. The idiot wanted to win the title of King of the Alphas just because he could look me in the eyes like the other Alphas couldn't. He thought he had the power to beat me.

As his body fell lifeless to the ground, I felt my beta calling me from the depths of the forest.

"What's going on?" I asked him through the Alpha-Beta bond.

"That stupid Alder ordered his beta to kill his pack. They've locked the pack in a barn, and Alder plans to set it on fire to kill them all,” Elijah said.

"Take care of the beta. Protect the pack. I'll go now." I immediately began running toward the Dunkles Feuer pack's clearing. When I arrived, Elijah was already taking care of Burk, the late Alder's beta. Meanwhile, the pack was howling inside the barn. As expected, Elijah easily ended Burk's life. My beta was strong, even stronger than many alphas, so to any beta, he was a steamroller.

The Dunkles Feuer alpha and beta were considered fair leaders with a strong pack, but that was far from the truth. They were very cruel to the low-ranking wolves. The poor omegas were tortured and many were secretly sold to other packs for entertainment. This ensured that only strong wolves remained in the pack. Alpha Alder called it natural selection.

When I learned of these practices, I sent spies to observe the pack and its alpha. My suspicions were confirmed. I used Alder's words against him, claiming that he was stronger than me, the enigmatic dark king, and challenged him for the title of king. That old German wolf's ambition was excessive, and this was the result.

I ordered the pack to be released while my men surrounded the barn to prevent anyone from escaping. When they left the building, they found me standing before them: a large alpha wolf with dark eyes and dark fur, larger than their former alpha. I looked at them all seriously with a dangerous, warning gaze.

I knew the fear I instilled in other Alphas and packs. Many high-ranking wolves before me did not even look me in the eye. I had taken care to promote my reputation as a ruthless, dark Alpha—a demon who destroys everything in his path. It suited my terrifying reputation that the members of that clan thought I was the one who wanted to set them on fire inside the barn.

After transforming and putting on the clothes my beta handed me, I began dressing in front of the terrified wolves. This gave me time for my next act.

"Where is the moon of the pack?" I asked in a firm voice that brooked no reply. I saw many of them cower at my words.

At first, there was silence. Finally, a small, very thin woman with a large scar on her face, which must have been made with a silver knife because it had not healed, came forward.

"It's... me..." she said, looking at me with terror.

"I don't think I need to tell you that you're a widow," I said with a satisfied smile. I assured those who were watching me that I had enjoyed killing their alpha.

For a moment, I saw happiness in Luna's eyes as if I had spared her a great punishment. However, she quickly composed herself.

"I know," she said, lowering her head to feign pain. But I had the feeling it was fake.

"Well, you have two choices. Either swear allegiance to me as your new Alpha here and now, or I'll put you back in the barn and set it on fire as I intended to do in the first place. Decide what you're going to do!" I watched them tremble with terror at the choice I was forcing them to make.

I knew right away, though, that they would choose me. They bowed their heads and swore allegiance to me as their new alpha. Once the oath was over, the old moon gave me something hidden from the rest of the pack.

"Alpha, my people won't tell you, but thank you. I give you the treasure that that bastard made me keep from everyone. As my new Alpha, it must be yours," she said, handing me a leather pendant with an intense blue stone hanging from it.

"What is this?" I asked seriously.

"It's the necklace that the Gamma was wearing that everyone is trying to get. The Gamma almost got it, but it was stolen at the last moment. He only got this necklace, and he was furious,” said the old Moon, touching the scar on her face. That's how I knew who had marked her.

I picked up the necklace, nodded, and put it in my pocket. I knew all the packs were desperate to capture the Gamma, except for one. He didn't want to start a conflict with the other clans over a she-wolf, no matter how much stability she brought to his pack. He took care of that; that's why he was their alpha. Besides, you only had to look at the chaos Gamma had caused throughout Europe. She caused nothing but conflict, confrontation, and death between clans.

When they arrived in Ireland, he planned to give the collar to his adoptive aunt, Nelda. She wasn't a werewolf; she was a banshee, an Irish witch. Her mother had once saved Nelda from some rogue wolves who had cornered her and were about to kill her. They became very close friends after that. Nelda is my mother's and the pack's greatest protector. She is responsible for the energy circle that protects the pack's territory. She is also my beloved aunt.

"Where did you get this?" Nelda asked, surprised.

I told her the story the former moon of the Dunkles Feuer pack had told me, and she smiled happily.

"You can touch the stone. I want to see something." I looked at her questioningly, but I had never been able to deny her anything during that witch's journey.

When I touched the pendant, its stones glowed brightly as if they had their own light. I felt a strange energy running through my hands, and I dropped it in surprise.

"I knew it," she said.

"What did you know? What was that?" I asked, still feeling that strange current in my fingers.

"You have to find the gamma wolf and bring her to our pack as soon as possible. Magic has chosen you as her protector,” she said. I looked at her as if she had told me that another eye had grown in the middle of my forehead.

"I don't have to do anything. I'm not interested in the Gamma or her powers. Tell your magic to leave me alone. I have more important things to do. I've brought new members to the pack. I have to distribute and train them,” I said, heading for the door of the Banshees' hut.

"Wait! Take this. Put it on and don't take it off or you won't like the result," she said. I didn't even turn around, so as soon as I walked out the door, I felt something move beside me. I saw the huge tree that had stood stoically for centuries next to the Banshees' hut fall just a few inches away from me without my noticing its movement.

"I told you, Alpha, and that's just the beginning," Nelda said from the door of the hut.

Without saying a word, I turned around and let the witch hang the necklace around my neck.

"But don't think I'm going to look for Gamma. Forget it," I said in my Alpha voice, as if that would affect Nelda. She just smiled, though.

"Unfortunately, Alpha, that's no longer in your hands," she said. I looked at her with a frown.

Of course, nothing and no one could force me to do something I didn't want to do. I am the feared, strong, and ruthless Dark King, Desmond Darkness, Alpha of the largest and most powerful pack, Blue Moon, after all. No one could force me to do something I didn't want to do.