What Am I?

I make my way to the forest edge in a daze. Once I run out of trees I shift. Now I need clothes.

I look around until I see a guy carrying swim shorts and I call to him trying to keep myself covered. He walks over laughing.

"What happened to you?" He asks grinning.

"Ummm... I kinda got in a fight and ended up like this." I say and he laughs again.

"Girl kick you out?... been there! Here take these." He hands me the shorts.

"Thanks man!" I say as he turns away.

"No problem bro... we gotta stick together right?" I nod.... right... yea he doesn't know the half of of it. I put on the shorts and make my way to the nearest store.

"Can I use your phone?" I ask the young lady at the counter.

"We don't really let people do that?" She responds in more of a question as she takes in my appearance. Muddy, covered in dirt and blood, twigs in my hair and shorts at least a size to small. I decide to use this to my advantage.

"My buddies thought it would be fun to drop me in the woods overnight... please I just need to call my Uncle to get a ride home." I explain... it's close to the truth.

"Well.... I guess but make it quick." She says handing me the phone. I quickly dial.

"Hello?" A welcome voice answers on the first ring.

"Uncle Rhy!" I am so happy to hear his voice!

"Alaric! Is that you?!" He sounds amazed to hear me.

"Yea it's me. I'm in California at a shop... can you pick me up? It's right by the forest." I tell him.

"Yea buddy I'm on my way... how are you still alive?" I'm not sure how to answer his question... why would he think I was dead?

"Ummm... Uncle Rhy? What are you talking about?" I ask him.

"Never mind. I'm on my way sit tight."

I thank the woman and hand her the phone. It takes over a hour before I see Uncle Rhy pull up.

"Get in quick pup." He says opening the door.

"I'm not a pup!" I growl as I climb in.

"Thanks Uncle Rhy." I say as we begin moving.

"What's family for?... how did you get here?" He asks looking me up and down in concern.

"I woke up here... and before that... I was... Ti! Uncle Rhy, Ti! I need to call Alpha Aaron! Ti He's.. He's..." I can't form the words.

"Dead." My uncle finishes for me.

"How did you know?" I ask. He takes a deep breath.

"Its been a week and a half since Aaron and Clayton found his body in a pile with at least thirty rouge wolves... it was a bloody mess. The field coated in bodies. They still don't know what killed them all. They thought you were with him and were killed too. They caught your scent but couldn't find your body... well I guess we know where you are now!" He tries to sound upbeat but still seems worried.

"I did it." He gives me a confused look so I continue. "I killed the rouges... once they got Ti I snapped."

"No way you could have done that pup. I saw the pictures. It would have taken at least a dozen well trained wariors to do that kind of damage." He says.

"It was me... just me... then I blacked out and ended up here." I say. The rest of the car ride was quiet until we got to the pack house.

"Come on Alic. I'm having the doctor check you out." Uncle Rhy says as we enter.

"I'm fine! I just... I don't know what's wrong with me... like what happened... I'm not sick or hurt... I want to talk to the seers not a doctor!" I don't need a check up I need to find out what happened to me.

"Doctor first. Seers after. Then we call your father." Uncle Rhy insists leaving no room for argument. I reluctantly follow him to the infirmary.

"Well pup... aside from a desperate need for a shower you are a picture of health!" The doctor says after poking and prodding me doing every test possible to ease my Uncle's nerves.

"I'm not a pup!" I growl at him. He chuckles and pats my shoulder. Anger fills my at his patronizing behavior and I snap my teeth at him growling.

"Woh! Alic calm down!" My uncle yells pulling me away from the doctor who is backing away with terror in his eyes.

"What was that?" He asks as we walk down the hall.

"My wolf found him disrespectful. He is kinda on edge right now." I explain.

"Boy you are oozing power I can still feel it... what happened to you?" He asks more to himself than me but still... I already asked that and he waisted time with that quack!... calm down Alic! What the crap is wrong with me?

"That's what I want to know." I whisper as we reach the residence of the chief seer.

"Welcom Alphas!" The older man says as we enter. He is probably in his 60s I'd guess.

"Thank you Ethan." Uncle Rhy smiles at the man as we slip in.

"My my Alaric! I haven't seen you since you were a pup! Thought you were avoiding me on your visits... you've grown into a fine young wolf!" Ethan grins eyes locked on me. He bows slightly to me which I find odd but I ignore it.

I have always avoided this area. These guys creep me out but I want answers no one else can give.

"Thank you... now what's wrong with me?" I ask shortly. I'm already finding my patience worn thin by his pleasantries.

"Straight to the point I see... you've changed my boy!" He answers. Soon many seers have surrounded us talking and staring at me. My Uncle is talking too but it all begins to sound like static pounding on my mind. It is irritating and building until I finally snap.

"SHUT UP!" I growl standing in the middle of them shaking.

Uncle Rhy steps up and puts a hand on my shoulder. When he goes to speak his lips move but no sound comes out. I see a confused look on his face as he stares at me in shock.

"What is it Uncle Rhy? Tell me!" I am frantic at this point.

"Wow!... haven't felt that in like twenty years!" He gasps.

"What!? What's going on!?" I ask.

"You commanded me... well us... you're an Alpha!" Uncle Rhy is grinning at me and it makes me uncomfortable.

"No!.... No... no... no?... how? I'm a Beta! We already discussed this! I. Am. NOT. An. Alpha!" I see my Uncle shake as my words hit him.

"You weren't... you are now." He responds. Suddenly a thought hits me. One of my questions.

"My wolf... he's not grey any more." I tell them. My command must have worn off as it is Ethan who speaks next.

"Of course not you are the Alpha king! Only True Betas have grey fur... I bet he's bigger too... more keen sences?" He is beaming. I've never seen someone filled with so much joy.

"Yes?" I had ignored those changes in favor of the more obvious color change.

"Probably a bit more hostile too I'd guess." The smile still plastered on the man's face. I growl but then catch myself and nod.

"The mark!" An elderly lady comes up with a rag and begins scrubbing my chest above my heart. I push her away my chest burning but she just smiles at me. "The king!" She says bowing deeply.

I look down at my chest. I see a crown with a howling wolf seated above it. It's not like a tattoo or a scar... it's more like a brand. A fresh one that is still tender to the touch.

Next thing I know all the seers begin to touch me and gasp.

"Onsterfelijk!"

"Neamhbhásmhar!"

"Athánatos!"

"What are they saying?!" I ask to anyone who will answer me in english.

"You... well Alaric... they are saying that you are now immortal... not invincible but immortal." Ethan answers.

"No... I... you mean... I'm gonna... live forever?!... that wasn't part of the deal! I didn't want to be King let alone an undying King! I don't want to watch my family grow old and die in front of my eyes! What about when I find my mate?! My pups!? I can't do that I don't want this!" I rant

"Alic budd.."

"GET OFF ME!" I throw my uncle's hand away from me and he stumbles backwards catching himself on a chair. "Uncle Rhy! I'm sorry are you ok!?" I run over to him and pull him upright.

"I'm fine Alic... with all respect my king you need to calm yourself before you hurt someone." He answers bowing to me.

What is he doing? He is my Uncle! My elder! I look up to him not the other way around!... but I have to admit my wolf liked it... it calmed him.

"Please Uncle Rhy don't... I'm your nephew not your King." I say to him and he looks up at me from his bent position.

"You are both." He states righting himself. "Now that we have our answers how about we raise the dead!... it's my turn to be the first to know you're still alive!"

With that we go to the Alpha's office and Uncle Rhy gives me his chair and points to the phone. "Call your dad." I pick it up and dial.

"Hello?" He sounds broken. My father, usually so chipper... It hurts to hear the pain in his voice.

"Is anyone there?" He asks.

"Dad." I say.

"Alic!? How? Where!? You're alive!?" He stammers.

"Yea Dad... I'm alive." I answer.

"Thank God! How?... I missed you buddy." I can tell he wants answers but I guess his joy in knowing I'm alive overwhelmed that. He let's out a frustrated sigh. "Alpha Aaron wants to talk to you." He states and I can hear him hand off the phone.

"Alic!... where are you!? Are you okay!? What happened in that field!? How did you survive!? Why did you run!?" I can feel the command in his voice. That command would usually make me buckle. Right now however it just ticks me off! He is commanding me! It feels like static running through my mind. More of a nuisance than anything else but something in me finds his tone rude and the fact that he hasn't given me a chance to answer makes it worse.

"STOP!" I growl into the phone. It is dead silent. "Alpha Aaron?... are you still there... Alpha!... answer me!" I am full on panicking now. What happened to him?

"Yea I'm here Alic... what happened to you?" That seems to be the question of the day but how do I tell him?

"You see sir... ummm... I..." I don't know how to tell him. Your son died and now I'm an Alpha pretty cool eh? Probably not the way to go.

"May I speak to Rhydian?" He asks realizing I won't answer. I hand my Uncle the phone and he puts it to his ear. I can hear both sides of the conversation.

"Aaron?"

"Yea Rhydian... what happened to Alic?"

"From what I gather Tiberius's death triggered his transformation... he is an Alpha... our King."

"I figured... I've never felt a command like that! And over the phone!... he is powerful."

"I know."

"So what are we going to do?"

"One of us needs to train him. We can help with the Alpha part... the King however is something he will have to learn himself."

"Send him home Rhydian!"

"I'm not sure I could send him anywhere... he's on edge... the slightest disrespect and he snaps. Whatever he does will be his choice. Let him calm down a bit and we will discuss it."

I reach for the phone and Uncle Rhy hands it to me bowing his head.

"I'm sorry Alpha! I didn't mean to command you... I'm sorry I couldn't save Ti... I'm sorry... I get it of you hate me. It's my fault. I knew we should turn back but I let him stay. I should have drug him home! I'm sorry." I begin to cry... I lost my best friend and he lost his son.

"Its not your fault Alic... you're my boy too I could never hate you. Please... as soon as you can... come home. I don't want to lose you too." Alpha Aaron pleads.

"Good bye Alpha... tell Dad I love him." I hang up the phone.

"Are you okay Alic?" Uncle Rhy asks watching me carefully.

"Peachy." I respond sarcastically. I stand up and walk to the door. "Can I take a shower now sir?"

"Go to Ryan's room... his clothes should fit you. The room next to him is empty you can stay there as long as you wish." He answers.

I nod and leave.

I. Am. The. Alpha. King....

Nope it still doesn't feel real.