HUNTED

Three weeks flew by, and the next thing Aila knew, it was the day of the ritual. Unlike the royal ceremony the night after, this was a ritual only the pack members of the Silver Crescent pack and the Alpha King and Queen of the Blood Moon pack along with their Beta and Delta attended. The ritual itself was late into the evening, but Aila needed to start early in the morning in preparation.

Aila had to lead a hunt with some of the pack members, showing that she could hunt and provide for the pack. This was then followed by her hunting a predator by herself, proving herself capable of protecting the pack. It would take up a whole day to hunt and provide for a third of the pack and then find a worthy opponent to go up against. It was said Damon brought back a 1500-pound bear when he was to be throned, King.

Aila shook off her nerves before the front doors.. She was dressed in only shorts and a sports bra that she didn't mind ripping into pieces from shifting. Damon stood by her side, already dressed up in a suit and looking all sorts of sexy. He leaned down and kissed the side of her temple before grasping her hand as Finn and Kane opened the double doors for them to exit. They walked forwards, Aila smiling at the gathering pack members while her heart pounded against her chest in anticipation.

In times like these, she was always reminded of how big the pack really was. Aila stepped down and bowed her head at Damon's parent's and squeezed Damon's hand before releasing it and headed off towards the ten warriors waiting at the edges of the forest. She led them for a while in human form before shifting and running on all four paws. She could hear the pack cheering behind them and chuckled as some followed through the forest until they made it past the lake and into the mountains.

It was strange to think that the last time she was in the mountains, she fought with the hunters then led them away from the pack. It felt like a lifetime ago. And now, she was leading some of the pack into a hunt; it was both thrilling and educational. It was exactly what she imagined from watching wolves in documentaries. They worked as a team and spoke through the mind-link as they hunted their prey.

After half a day, Aila successfully helped the pack hunt down bunnies, boar and deer. Everyone ate heartily and left the remaining meat for any other wolves hungry. Aila then set off on her own, back out into the mountains, following scents and focusing on all her senses. She let Malia take over a few times as she was a much better tracker and hunter.

They decided between them that the best predator to go after would be a bear as well. Whether it was 1000 pounds or more, she needed to show she could take it down. 

"Oh yeah, cos taking down one of those hybrid thingy's wasn't impressive enough," Malia muttered. She had a point…

"This is for the ritual, though. The pack and the Moon Goddess needs to see we are right for the job," Aila murmured as she lowered her snout onto the earth after catching a scent and following it through some woods. She soon sprinted ahead and found herself face to face with an irate bear. She paused momentarily, her animal-loving side came out again, and she had to swallow past the lump in her throat before lunging forwards and taking down such a beast.

She clamped her jaws down on his jugular and waited until it went slack and collapsed on the ground. Aila stepped backwards, catching her breath and grimaced at the claw marks on the side of her ribs. The bear fought well and managed to swipe its powerful claws and scratch deeply into her side. But after what she endured over the past weeks, she looked at the gaping wound as a mere scratch. There was no wolfsbane or silver on it, keeping the wound from healing, and so, she shrugged it off.

It took her and five other werewolves to help carry the bear back. By the time they returned from such a distance moving a bear, they had left it by the lake, ready for the ritual which would begin at midnight, when the full moon would be directly above the lake. Aila walked off after receiving congratulatory praises from pack members passing her to the bonfire set up. She was only returning to get changed and rest before the official ritual.

After returning to the packhouse, napping and cuddling with Damon, she left to go to the lake at 11:50pm. She wore nothing but her bra and knickers and a sheer white robe to keep the chilly wind off her shoulders. Initially, the Alpha King and Queen would be naked for the ritual, but it was a little 'outdated' now. Though the rest of the ritual stayed the same.

The pack was scattered in the woods and surrounding the area where Aila and Damon would stand in the lake. The only lighting was from the torches scattered among the pack members, the bonfire in the clearing and the moon they waited patiently for to get into the perfect position. The mountains hovered over the lake that reflected the stars and the luminous moon. There were no clouds in the sky, leaving it to be the perfect time for Aila to be 'crowned by the Moon Goddess'. The Goddess never shows up, but it has been said that she watches from afar.

Aila dipped her feet into the icy cold water, the bottom of her robe clinging to her ankles from the water seeping into the material. She inhaled sharply from the cold but bared with it, knowing that the ritual didn't take long at all. She gazed up at the sky and smiled when the moon was in position, and like some type of fairy tale, it shone onto the lake and illuminated its dark waters into a brilliant crystal blue with the moon and stars reflected on it like a mirror.

Damon stepped forwards then; he wore nothing but his shorts, revealing his chiselled body. He was to enter the water with Aila but not inside the moon's reflection. The Alpha was only there to make sure she didn't drown or something. He walked to her right side and dipped his fingers into the bear's ripped throat, returning to stand in front of her with his bloodied fingers.

Aila closed her eyes as she felt the blood being smeared onto her forehead into the shape of a 'C', an 'O' and backwards 'C' to reflect part of the moon phases. He then glided his bloodied fingers down her chin and neck, leaving four bloodied 'claw' marks. Aila opened her eyes and shook off the robe before taking Damon's hand; he led her further into the water that only went up to her knees where the moon rested among the calm waters. Damon released her hand and nodded his head in encouragement.

"Beloved Moon Goddess, Queen of Night, Selene. I stand before you bare and prove to you of my strength, stamina and wisdom in leading the pack and the world of werewolves. From my hunts today, I prove to you I can provide for my pack, and I prove to you that I can protect this pack. I vow to always do what is best for the packs." Aila spoke to the sky; her voice echoed across the lake and through the silence of the night. All that was left to do now was to kneel in the water and wash away the animal's blood.

The only way they knew this ritual was worked was from a significant transformation that took place. Aila wasn't aware of this until Damon showed her the night before. After the water runs down the new Alpha King or Queen's face, their eyes take on a golden colour. This colour showed the Moon Goddess' approval and anointment of the new heir. The golden glow also proved that they could control other Alpha's and packs if they desired.

Aila kneeled into the water, shivering from the cold and wondering if her numb toes were going blue. But she couldn't rush this part of the ritual, even though it wouldn't take long. As Aila leaned forwards and cupped her hands into the water, she gasped as her head felt incredibly light. She watched in slow motion as her body fell forwards and her head submerged into the icy water. But when her face hit the water, Aila was pulled forwards, the scenery around her blurring and transforming, and she found herself standing atop an empty lake.

Aila looked around in shock. There was nobody there except herself dressed up in a white robe. Her chest suddenly felt warm and full, like she was exceedingly happy. But she couldn't understand where such happiness came from. 

What was this feeling? Where was everybody? 

Aila looked to the left side again and gasped before automatically bowing her head.  No, this wasn't real; she was seeing things. She must have gotten a cold and was feverish and now hallucinating.

"This is not a hallucination, my child."