Romanian Proverb # 2
Nu haina îl face pe om.
Clothes do not make the man.
“It’s been less than a century since I lost my brother,” Vasile said as he paced the large room that had been his father’s meeting hall. “How am I to deal with the loss of my parents, my Alpha, so soon after such a tragedy? To think, three members of the same bloodline are gone, within a century of one another, and this after my parents survived the 1712 werewolf wars, not to mention the loss of our last gypsy healer.”
Anghel walked further into the room as he watched the son of one of his oldest friends begin the grieving process. Stefan and Daciana Lupei had been two of the most loyal friends he had ever known. Being Alphas of separate packs had never hindered their relationship. Though he was the Alpha of the Western Romanian pack and Vasile now the Alpha of the Eastern Romanian pack, it did not change how he felt for the son of his old friend. He ached for him. He hurt with him and he knew there were no words that could heal him. Maybe time would heal but even that would be only a salve to the wound, not a cure.
“You will deal with it because you must,” Anghel finally spoke, his deep voice resonating against the stone walls. “You are Alpha now; you are no pup. You are a century old and you know what it means to be Alpha and I don’t remind you of that because I care little for your pain. I re-mind you of that because there will be some who see your position as weak. They will think you an easy target, and when that happens they will do something foolish.”
Vasile snarled. He didn’t want to hear it, though he knew it was true. His father’s pack for the most part was united, but there were always one or two upstarts who thought they could run things better. There were always a couple who thought they should be the leaders, but they didn’t under-stand if you were meant to lead, then that wasn’t something you grumbled about late at night in the local pub. If you were meant to lead, then you led because the wolf inside of you refused to follow. Vasile knew he was a leader not just by birthright but by the wolf that lived inside of him. His wolf bowed only to his father, and that was only out of respect. He could have beaten Stefan in a challenge years ago, but he would not disrespect his father or mother in such a way. And now here he was, Alpha of the Eastern Pack, only a few short years later. He didn’t have to worry about whether he might one day have to convince his wolf not to challenge his Alpha, because his Alpha was dead.
“You must nip any notion of a mutiny in the bud, Vasile,” Anghel urged. “You must reassure your pack that though their Alphas have gone on to be with the Great Luna, the Eastern Romani-an pack is still strong and has a new Alpha, just as powerful as the old one.”
“I know you are right, and I trust you just as my father did. I am still just trying to get my head around the fact that they are gone.”
Anghel nodded. “It was unexpected to say the least. May I ask how it happened?”
Vasile’s shoulders tensed. This was the part that he dreaded. This was what he did not want anyone to know because he did not want them to think any less of his father or his mother. “Do you want the official story or the one my father would have you know because of your friendship?”
When Anghel simply gave him a pointed look he continued. “You have heard that old wolves can sometimes become crazed?”
Anghel’s brow furrowed and he nodded slowly. “But that usually happens to unmated males not ones who have found their true mates.”
Vasile’s eyes slowly met the Western Romanian pack Alpha’s. The next words were ones that had not been uttered since his father had spoken them to him nearly eighty years ago and told him never to tell anyone. “My mother, Daciana, was not my father’s true mate.”
Anghel’s eyes narrow and his brow furrowed. “They were mated for a very long time. How can this be? And what about your father’s markings? They changed; I saw them before he was mated and after.” Anghel said as his eyes widened.
Vasile motioned for him to take a seat at the table that dominated the center of the room. He pulled out a chair and sat next to him angling his body so that he was facing him. “I need your word that you will never share this with anyone.”
Anghel nodded once.
“My father had the rare fortune of meeting his true mate when they were very young, too young to fulfill the Blood Rites or the bond. It was a time when humans were superstitious and Canis lupis had to be very careful about who they befriended outside of the pack. My father’s true mate trusted the wrong person and paid for it with her life. Since they were not yet bonded, he survived.”
“What about your mother? Didn’t she worry she would find her true mate and have to leave your father?” Anghel asked.
Vasile chuckled. “Why do you think my father kept her so close to his side and so close to home all of the time? They loved each other, make no mistake about that. And I believe my moth-er kept my father sane far longer than ever would have been possible, although I think the guilt he had for keeping her from her true mate ate away at him over time and probably contributed to his madness. He knew the fate to which he was condemning Daciana’s true mate, but he loved her and when a wolf decides something belongs to him he does not easily let it go.
“As for his markings, you know that he did not announce his mating until after the trip that he took supposedly in search of mate. My mother was already here. The trip was just a guise used to travel to the sea to meet with a band of pirates. He knew of the custom they practiced called tat-tooing, one that could place permanent markings on the skin. He decided that to keep up the ap-pearance of having found his mate, he would have his marks altered artificially. Since the females marks are never seen by anyone other than her mate, it was not important that Daciana obtain markings.”
Anghel shook his head and closed his eyes as he let Vasile’s words sink into him. “What he did was proof that he was already showing signs of madness: to take another’s mate as his own, to alter his marks unnaturally, and to bear a child with her?”
Vasile nodded. “I know but he ruled his pack fairly and none could challenge him and win. For all intents and purposes he did as he was called to as an Alpha. He guided, loved, shepherded, and kept order over his pack. My mother supported him as best she could. Even though she wasn’t his true mate, she was an Alpha in her own right. Had she not been a dominant female the farce never would have held up.”
“Your mother didn’t have to die, did she, Vasile?” Anghel asked unnecessarily. He knew the answer, but he felt like it needed to be spoken aloud.
Vasile’s shoulder hunched forward as he felt the weight of her loss. “No, but they wanted to keep up the charade of their status. She was willing to die to protect my place as Alpha, and she truly didn’t want to live without my father. She loved him, maybe not in a way possible between true mates, but in her own way, she loved him.”
“That is so much for one man to carry.”
Vasile nodded. “Maybe, but it is my burden and one that I cannot share with the pack—ever. They would see my father’s actions as weak and his dishonesty with them about his mate traitor-ous. And then they would question my integrity and my loyalty to the pack. They might even take it as far as to say that Alphas must bear their markings, even the female, for all the pack to see as proof of their mating, and that would not be wise.”
Anghel shifted restlessly in his chair as he considered the quandary Vasile now found himself in. “If you are to be Alpha, and be obeyed completely, you must demand their fealty. You must command their submission and the only way to do that is to be present. You will need to go out and visit the villages of pack members. You need to make yourself known, and you need to squelch any rumors about your parents’ death and reveal the truth.” Vasile started to interrupt but Anghel held up his hand to stop him. “I do not mean the real truth. I mean the truth that you will tell your top four, and their mates as well. By now, even the furthest pack members will be feeling the loss of their Alphas. They will need reassurance that the pack is safe and intact. They will need contact with you, the heart of their pack, and they will need to see confidence in your eyes. That is where they will find their comfort and stability.”
Vasile rubbed his face as he let out a long sigh. Already the difficulties of what was ahead weighed heavily on him. “The pack is scattered. My father’s hold was strong enough to keep them united even as they sought out new land and territories. As we’ve thrived in the absence of war we have grown through matings. There have even been a couple births, and without a healer that is a miracle in and of itself. It will take time to reach them all if I am to visit every village.”
“Rumors of your visits will spread quickly. You know as well as I do that male wolves gossip worse than any of the females.”
Vasiles’ lips turned up ever so slightly at the older wolf’s words. “That is true enough. I need to meet with my father’s…,” he paused and then corrected himself, “with my top males. I will leave my second, Alin, here in charge and take my third and fourth with me.”
“That is wise,” Anghel agreed. “Have you thought about your mate?”
Vasile’s head snapped up. “What do you mean have I thought about her? I have yet to find her. How am I to think of her?”
“I mean have you thought about searching for her, actively, instead of just hoping that the Fates grace you with their favor. You need a mate. She will make you stronger, not to mention give you the ability to produce an heir. You know that proven virility is seen as a strength by the males. It will make them less likely to challenge you.”
“So while I’m out reassuring the pack you want me to be hunting as well?” Vasile’s eyes began to glow as he considered the idea of actually finding her, his true mate. He had not entirely been telling the truth when he claimed that he could not possibly be thinking of her since he had yet to find her. There wasn’t a second in any day that he did not think of her. He wondered what she would look like. Would she have long hair or did she keep it shorter? Was she tall and lithe, or short and curvy in all the right places? Would her eyes sparkle when she laughed? On and on the questions bombarded his mind. In truth he was desperate for her. Whoever she was, he needed her, wanted her, and prayed the Great Luna would show him mercy and lead him to her.
“I heard from your father that you are the most patient hunter in your pack. He said that when you hunt as your wolf, you somehow allow the animal more control without losing yourself. Maybe you should try to stir your wolf’s patience while in your human form?”
“I have a feeling that this hunt will not provoke the same kind of patience in him as the hunt for a kill does. My wolf is restless for his mate. The darkness inside of me gains more ground every day, and now I have no family left to keep my wolf in check. I almost pity the female who gets stuck with me.”