V

The Kingdom of Erebus was divided in 9, led by the Alpha King and the High Order, which was composed of the 5 elders, whose wisdom was praised all over. Each pack was in turn led by an Alpha and Luna, mates to each other and protectors of the werewolves. A beta wolf was chosen to lead as the right hand of the alpha, strong in both body and mind, truly loyal and a friend. The Gamma, third in command, was in charge of training, a warrior of high value himself. All wolves within the pack had jobs, duties, contributing to the pack's smooth running. Cooking, cleaning, building, teaching were all tasks not looked down upon, but considered as important as the role of the alpha, as no pack could run without order.

The current Alpha King, Maximus Black, is known for his power and strength. Born on a full moon, he was blessed by the goddess Artemis, who saw his heart to be strong and fair. Upon his birth, Katherine Black, the Alpha Queen of Erebus, died, poisoned by the vile creatures that roamed the unclaimed lands, rogues. They would find every opportunity to bring havoc to the kingdom, and the death of the beloved Queen was mourned indeed all over the land. She was a woman of grace, just and kind, a true ruler among wolves. Ethan Black, the former Alpha King, loved his soulmate with all his heart and was devastated at the news of her death. His thirst for the blood of the rogues was fuelled by this. He became a ruthless killer. Putting foot on his territory was like writing your own death sentence. But rogues were resilient to reach him. Wolves among his pack began fearing him and his ways. He had an uncontrollable anger, never took pity on anyone.

It was the same with his son. Ethan brought the harshest training upon Maximus, since a small child. When he failed, a beating occurred. His skin was littered with scars, as his father would use the wolves weakness, silver, to remind him of what happens when he fails. Always keep in mind that you have to be the strongest, that defeat was not an option.

For years, the boy would stare at the night's sky and think of his mother. Oh, his beautiful and kind mother. He only heard stories and saw pictures of her, longing to embrace her. He did not understand why someone would take such a good soul from him. But when his eyes fell on his father one day, in training, he understood. His other half was gone and he felt empty. However, these were not actions of a true leader, a king, but of a scared and angry wolf. Maximus waited, taking in beatings and punishments, until he was ready.

Maximus was not alone. Ethan's grief subsided over time and he took another as his mate, to fulfill his greed and loneliness, selfish all over. Amelia was a delicate woman, who fell for the King's charms and power. Over time, she discovered his true intentions, he had no love left to give and no kindness for her. She gave birth to 2 other children, Elisabeth and Mathias, now of 18 and 10 of age. Maximus loved them, as he grew to care for both, even though they were not fully related. They did not deserve Ethan's cruelty.

At only 17, he challenged his father for his position. He knew he was to become Alpha King after his father would step-down, but he could no longer endure the scared eyes of his fellow pack mates and his siblings, he felt their pain. He fought his father with all his might, all rooting for the young boy. When he finally put Ethan on his knees, in front of him, on the cold ground, he looked him in the eyes and slit his throat with his own claws. The monster was dead and he was now King.

Maximus held his head high, his wolf form a thick, shaggy coat of fur that covers most of his body, with a striking silver hue that seems to shimmer in the moonlight. His sharp fangs and claws are visible, glistening in the dim light, and he moves with a feral grace that is both intimidating and captivating. Maximus's regal status is evident in the way he carries himself, with a natural air of authority and power. He howled, the pack following behind, showing their support for their new King.

He is an imposing figure with a muscular, broad-shouldered build that commands attention. He stands at an impressive height, towering over most with his 7-foot frame. His hair is thick and wild, a dark, nearly black shade that falls in loose waves around his face and shoulders. His piercing golden eyes, now glowing with an inner power, can strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest of foes.

No one dared to cross him. The highest rule of the High Order was that the King must earn his position, so that no ordinary wolf, even from a long bloodline of royalty, could rule over Erebus. The king could be challenged, through battle, until death. Maximus's reputation made everyone outside his pack fear him. When packs and alphas heard of the mere age of 17 of the boy, killing his own father in cold blood, they portrayed him as having no soul. „How could one kill his own father?", they would whisper among themselves. But Ironblood Pack knew better. They saw what Ethan Black has done to the royal grounds, to his fellow wolves, to his chosen mate. He inspired fear, his vengeance at its limits. On the other side, stood Maximus. He was imposing, strong, ruthless himself, but fair. He had his mother's heart, and the strength of a thousand warriors. He was a leader and a friend. All respected him and the pack thrived under his rule.

„Alpha!", he heard stomping coming towards his office. He had a lot of work to do, pack business, keeping everything in order, making sure all ran accordingly. At 26, he felt like the years has past by him, tired of the paperwork he had to do, but it all comes with the job.

„What is it, Peter?"

„Alpha, Mathias is gone."

He fixed his glare on the young warrior in training. „What do you mean gone? Did you lose my brother, wolf?" he roared.

All knew that Alpha Maximus valued honesty above all, but he did not tolerate slopynes, nor stupid mistakes. „He is a 10 year old wolf, a pup! Where is he?"

Peter was a young wolf himself, 17 of age and at the beginning of his advanced training to become a warrior of the pack. Ironblood warrior's were known all over Erebus, for their skills and capabilities. All wolves, male and female, began basic training since 14, so they could defend themselves in cases of emergencies. If they shown interest in fighting, they could pursue training for the medium level, which would grant them higher positions within the pack.

The advanced level was something else. The gamma would watch and train them only to choose the most promising ones within the groups, offering them the chance to become an Ironblood warrior, a Nightshade. The title was granted only to a handful of wolves within the pack. They had to present a great set of skills. Wolves would travel to the King's pack to get a chance to become a Nightshade, but few made it. After all, it was the Alpha King's duty to protect the werewolves and when a pack could not handle a threat, they would call the Nighshades. They came fast, in the shadows and brought fear to all enemies. Seeing them in action was breathtaking, one could not fully comprehend their ferocity.

„Alpha, he...". The king silenced him with his glare. „Do you mean to tell me, that you do not know the location of my brother?", Maximus said with a low, deep voice.

„Alpha, we were walking aaround the training grrounds. He asked me to take him there so he can see the warriors fight. I couldn't say no to him. One moment I looked away when Clara said hi to me, and when I turned around, he was....he was gone."

Maximus stared at him, shooting daggers at this idiot young wolf. His brother was very young, he didn't know how to defend himself and that is the reason he appointed a guard for him. The young wolf in front of him showed promise and a great future and his lands were the safest. He didn't take into consideration Mathias running off. When the realisation struck him, he was furious.

„The training grounds?", the King took slow, death steps towards a scared, now small looking Peter. „Do you know what is next to the training grounds, pup?"

He nodded his head. „The Cursed Lands"