Chapter 7

I'm let out of my cage by a helper that twilight, as there is an emergency assembly being held for the entire Wolf Dominion.

I'm off to the side, kneeling with the slaves – and every other member of the Wolf Dominion is here – as Alpha Skye speaks to thousands packed into this open levelled Court. Twenty stories of balconies and more wolves look on, while I'm on the bottom floor with others of lower rank.

I see yet another side to Alpha Skye today.

Skye is presenting on a podium, at about midway between every level, without an artificial projector for his voice.

I knew him to speak at a normal frequency or a quiet death drawl if enraged.

This – what I hear now, enlightens me to another side of the Alpha.

He is not just a petty dictator, he's almost akin to a god. His genetics gave him a voice that could transcend the whole Court, and he was clear, every word articulated precisely, his passion and aggressive energy at a focal point of his speech, Skye begins, "THE TREATY TO THE FELINE COMPANY WAS BURNED, THE LITTER STOLEN WAS SLAUGHTERED – EXCEPT FOR ONE SURVIVOR; XRAT. THIS LITTER WAS MILITARIALY CONDITIONED FOR WAR. A GENERATION BORN UNDER THE CENTURY MOON WAS BRUTUALLY MURDERED IN FINAL DECLARATION OF THE FELINE'S WILL; TO DIE AT OUR HANDS WITHOUT MERCY. ALL MINERS WILL DISASSEMBLE INTO YOUR WAR RANKS – WE ARE TAKING THEIR HOLD ON THE WATER STATION XRITE – NO SURVIVORS. BUT IF YOU FIND THEIR YOUNG – BRING THEM TO ME. FELINE COMPANY TAKE THEIR LITTERS INTO WARS – I WANT NINE KITTENS BROUGHT TO ME. A MILLION SOLIVIDIAN JEWELLES WILL BE ADDED TO YOUR FAMILIES RANK IF YOU COMPLETE THIS TASK. EVERYONE WHO MAINTAINS W-D FALL BACK INTO A 24/7 SCOUR. EVERY INCH OF OUR TERRITORY WILL BE SEARCHED FOR IMPOSERS. THAT BEING SAID, A FELINE COMPANY SPY WAS UNCOVERERD IN THE MERIVIDIAN COUNCIL – IN WOLF DOMINION TERRITORY. I HAVE THEIR BEAST."

The floor rumbles with the Wolf Kind's cheers, as I look up, to the platform where a man is dragged out in chains – and a large leopard in a cage is risen upon a platform – chains weighing heavy on every paw, the neck and even the tail.

The cat hisses at Alpha Skye, showing a jaw large enough to ravage at least five Genesis heads. The animal is huge. It's marked with blue electric patterns, deep scars from many wars, and broken teeth, including a bleeding eye.

I cannot watch how the death happens.

It is too disturbing.

Almost every eye is on the next set of events.

I can only guess what happens through what I hear, as my eyes remain closed. The Feline Beast is burned slowly alive – while the man connected through the Nexus bond to the Beast – screams in agony until his death, which equals his Beast's dreadful death.

I can only look up, when the screaming ends.

I can't even look at the remains of either being – but there isn't much left to see anyway.

I focus on the Alpha Skye, who hasn't lost a single nerve throughout the double murder.

As the Wolf Dominion stirs with cheers of excitement for the war, and the joy at the death of the Feline spy – I am reminded yet again of their joy for blood and war and battle.

Will.

What is my will?

Hopefully to never get burned alive like that.

Slow.

And on stage.

While every cheered.

I am suddenly focused, however, on a little ball of fur that the Alpha lifts to the crowd. Silver glossy fur, blue paws, and a blue circle on it's forehead, a black tipped tail and a blue and yellow eye open so wide, focused on a camera as it looks around in total fright.

"FOR XRAT," Alpha Skye continues, "THE ONLY SURVIVOR," as the Alpha holds up the wolf pup, I swear the Alpha's eyes fall on me – which is impossible. I am surely a speck from up there. But even then, it's only a moment. As the Alpha Skye puts down the pup, and he ends his emergency assembly, "LONG LIVE THE WOLF DOMINION."

Everyone else chants back, "LONG LIVE ALPHA SKYE."

And then the Alpha stalks off – and everyone starts to depart like obedient ants, after his exit.

I wait for the Helpers who escorted me down here.

However, with the emergency message – there must be a change of direction or some kind of confusion.

The Helpers who took me down here – seem to forget about me completely. I'm low priority.

I'm wearing a white shift, a very brief thing thrown over me before I arrived.

I'm not in shackles either, and my gag had been removed. The only thing on me are the heavy weights resting on my ankles.

I look around, nervous as I see every slave escorted off.

And only I am left alone.

I can't remember how to get back up there, it was a maze through the honey comb, not a simple direct route to the top residence of Alpha Skye.

I turn and wonder off slowly, trying to work out the way I had come.

I'm shuffling, head down, through one main lobby connecting all the interfaces of Wolf Dominion… eventually I come to a slow halt by a Solividian wolf statue.

'The Alpha'

I had not seen Skye's wolf beast, but this statue surely over emphasises how massive he is. A silver wolf with three blue stripes on its head. The teeth are as big as my head. I stare up at it for a good while, and I wonder what it would be like to feel that powerful – being able to Transcend into the Wolf Kind – into any of the Beasts on Genesis for that matter.

I must have walked into some kind of memorabilia museum, or a lobby dedicated to respect and medals of the strongest warriors and leaders. I read the plaque. Alpha Skye, leader of Wolf Company Zrot. Very familiar to the pup's name… Xrat. I walk around here for a little bit, as it's mainly empty while everyone it busy preparing for the next battle for territory and vengeance.

I read through each Alpha that makes up Skye's Wolf Company. Alpha Raygar; a pure black wolf with no other markings, the statue portrays his head down and blue white teeth bared. Alpha Mila, a female that is smaller in Beast form, but the look on her face is something I don't wish to stare at too long, even for a statue. Mila looks like a vicious killer. Full stop. There were at least ten other Alphas to go through. I head down the line to the next. Alpha Vastian, slender rather than muscular, depicted with blood soaked white fur, marked with blue. I turn to head to the next, but through the way at the end, Alpha Skye appears wearing his cape, Xrat prancing beside him proudly. Skye hasn't noticed me while he's speaking to a legion of Alphas behind him. At least a hundred of them in similar robes. I side step behind one statue, out of the way as they pass through.

As they approach toward me first, I stay very still, almost totally ready for a public scolding if I am found outside his residence. How many accidents were going to get me into trouble? However, as the large group gets closer – Skye strolls right by me with quick strides, too busy to notice me.

I relax completely as the whole group march steady and without pause.

I continue to watch, waiting for Alpha Skye to exit the lobby – but of course, he pauses at the last moment. I am not worried, until in the thick silence, Skye yells clearly, irate, "XRAT!"

When he does not continue, I look to my right as I see the pup rounding the statue next to me of Mila, his nose down, and now his snout rising, a paw also lifting as his blue and yellow eye focus on me.

I try gritting my teeth at the pup, hoping that scares it off.

Quite the opposite.

Xrat bares his teeth back at me, ignoring Alpha Skye's command as he prances toward me, dancing left and right as if challenging me.

"Stop it," I hiss, "Go away – go away!"

Xrat eventually barks at me – so loud and aggressive at my feet – and then… then Xrat attacks me.

Well, I think he is, until I see his jaws nawing at the weights on my ankles. He's trying to bite them off, and I watch the incredibly strong teeth tear through at least some of the metal, damaging the cuffs.

I freeze when I feel every Alpha turn to us – the even heavier silence is like a slap to the face.

Even Xrat stops chewing at my ankles and lets me go, turning around so fast as he tries to sit on his butt, right next to me, ears up high to attention at Alpha Skye, who is rounding Alpha Mila's statue, and heading toward us.

"Where are you Helpers?" Alpha Skye does not speak to be quietly now.

He has an audience, after all.

"I don't know, sir!" I try to speak like we don't know each other, hoping to ease his embarrassment – so I don't get the blame of potential weakness seen from the Alpha; if I'm noticed as a problem pet. But then it gets worse as Alpha Skye snarls, "Xrat – get here now," and the pup literally lifts a slow, defiant paw and then slowly places it on my foot, tilting his head.

No.

Then, as everyone watches in confusion, Xrat lifts his paw again and touches my ankle weight, tapping his paw on it, as if to say 'look at it!'

I don't get it.

I glance up to Alpha Skye, a blush colouring my cheeks red.

"He wants to eat her!" one of the Alpha's call out, "Shred her for his food, Alpha."

"Shut up!" Skye is quick to silence them, in his eyes, I know he is aware that there is a worse problem to uncover.

Xrat was not meant to take to me like this.

Alpha Skye leans down to scoop up Xrat, and he almost bites back, until I hiss out, very quietly, "…heel…" I just try it.

Alpha Skye hears me, as I try to pass it off as an awkward nervous noise.

Xrat submits to the Alpha but looks back at me in confusion as he's picked up by the scruff.

Alpha Skye is beyond shocked.

"Alpha," one of his seconds, tries to prompt him.

Skye is in deep thought, clearly disturbed.

"Vastian," Skye murmurs, "Lead the Alphas to Transcendence in the First Wave. I'll join the Night Wave. Leave some for me to slaughter."

"Is something wrong with Xrat?" Vastian must speak, he seems to be a younger brother of Alpha Skye, all of the seconds behind Alpha Skye look like him – when I glance over them. Like a family. Like… brothers and one sister. Mila. More I have not seen. I do not dare to glance for more than a slight millisecond.

"Xrat is off-kilter, it could be ear worms, affecting his balance… and common sense," Alpha Skye says dismissively, while glancing at me in irritation.

"MARCH ON!" Vastian takes over, and as they all leave rather quickly, until I am left with Alpha Skye and Xrat still held by the scruff, and looking quite over it to be honest.

"I got lost," I start, "The Helpers abandoned me."

"They'll be punished," Alpha Skye is quick to respond in my favour.

"You believe me?" I whisper, looking up at the Alpha.

He does not nod, but obviously it is clear that he does believe me.

"You've got bigger problems now," Alpha Skye warns me, "If Xrat has attempted to create a Nexus with you, he will not create another one – unless I kill you now."

"It's impossible," I whisper, "I'm a different species."

"Is it impossible?" Alpha Skye asks me, quietly.

"I didn't choose this, if it is."

"You better hope not – Xrat will kill you if I don't. They grow quick, and they aren't easy to handle when they're four, five, twelve then fifty times your puny pathetic size," Alpha Skye actually sounds concerned for me.

At least, that's how I take it, until I remember he said he'd have to kill me to stop the potential Nexus between me and Xrat.

"Alpha?" I ask, cautiously.

"What," Skye is staring through me, seemingly coming to accept the strange circumstances, and possibly considering my inevitable death, by his hand, if this situation doesn't improve.

But I have my answer.

"I'll be your spy," I whisper, and when I look up, I stare at Xrat, who is smiling, and then at Alpha Skye, who is not so fond of words.

"…why…" he speaks low, a warning in his tone.

"I don't know –"

And then Skye suddenly cracks it, and he lets out a snarl, "Do you feel a connection to Xrat?"

I feel my hair breeze back with the force of his decibels. My ears almost ring with the assault.

A connection?

I didn't at first. I didn't care.

Until before.

When Xrat wanted to free me of my weights. When he clearly wanted to break me from my cage; and did.

"I'll do it," I answer, "For Xrat."

"I said. Do you feel a connection?" the death drawl happens, and I gulp.

"Will you kill me if I say yes?" I meet the Alpha's eye, regardless.

His response shocks me yet again.

"Ryder. We'll see how you cope with Transcendence, as long as your brain doesn't bleed out of your ears – you might just become useful after all," it's matter of fact – but it's no longer about my death. I guess that's a win.

"Why is he named after a rat?" I ask, confused about that.

"Because he's a survivor," Alpha Skye notes the connection with an annoyed sneer, between my ability to survive, and the pup too.

"I'm sorry the litter was slaughtered, Alpha."

"I am too – it was his pack," the Alpha lifts Xrat, "Now he's also destined to die by other Breeds, including his own. Wolf Beasts don't take well to weakness. You need a pack to protect you. Xrat will die young, despite his breeding to be bigger and better than even my Zrot Company."

"Don't tell him that to his face, you'll worry him," I whisper at Alpha Skye. He luckily doesn't take offense. Instead, we both glance at Xrat and he's just totally oblivious, other than a sweet smile on his pup face, "Maybe he liked me… because we're both as pathetic as one another…" I joke.

"Come," Alpha Skye notices others walking through, and he immediately becomes uncomfortable with our chat, "Walk behind me."

I follow immediately.

It takes me a second to process that Alpha Skye wanted to escort me back personally.

And that he never thought there was anything wrong with Xrat.

He hands Xrat over to Skyelar for safe keeping and nurturing. And other than few and far words between us, the fact is, Alpha Skye never had to return me, or show me mercy.

So even when he joins his Zrot Company and other Companies for the battle tonight… I feel oddly… safer… than before.

Because Alpha Skye was constantly protecting me.

And it was beyond pity.

Rather… I think he saw potential.