Alpha Eric: Book 2 of The Alpha Series

5. Becoming Alpha

Eric

The next day came quickly and I spent the first part of the day going over my new duties with mom and dad. The rest of the day I spent helping them move out of the packhouse and into a house they had built in the village. It felt weird seeing them move out and then moving my things into their old room. I got a bunch of new furniture that mom picked out for me for their old room though. I loved her for thinking of me like that, but I still felt odd.

Tonight will be the first night that I spend on the top floor of the packhouse by myself. I really hope this place isn’t haunted like we used to joke around, because every once in a while we would hear a loud bang or two. I would find out soon enough and share my findings with Grant.

As my family was moving out of the fourth floor, the Beta Family was moving out of the third floor. Sebastian was helping them move while he was taking his things up to his new room. Logan was moving her things from her old room to her parent’s room to be with him. A lot was going on in the packhouse and most of the members steered clear of it today.

When mom and dad had everything out of their room and I was completely moved in, I helped my siblings pack their things then we helped with mom and dad's office stuff. While I was in dad's office with him, I watched him take the pictures from his desk and place them in the box he had. He pulled a few books off the shelf that were about Forest Wolves from the past. He was always doing research to understand mom more than what he already did.

“Are you nervous?” he asked me as he put a book in the box.

“Yes and no.”

He stopped and looked at me with a look that told me to explain myself.

“I’m nervous to have the whole pack looking up to me and me screwing up while they watch. Yet, I’m not nervous because I know you are close to help guide me when I’m lost as hell.”

He smiled warmly at me and said, “you’ve got this.”

I nodded my head and finished helping my family move their things. When everything was moved over to the new house, I went to Grant's new room and helped him with his things while talking to him.

“Are you excited to have the top floor to yourself?” Grant asked as we put things away.

“No. I’m going to be bored as hell,” I told him.

“Really? There won't be anyone to walk in on anything funny you want to do and now I’m stuck waking up Jaxson.”

I laughed and said, “you have fun with that.”

“No thank you. All I’m going to do is beat on his door while he beats his meat.”

We both started laughing loudly in the room at the expense of our younger brother.

“In eight months, you will be eighteen and have the right to move back into the packhouse,” I told him.

“I know. I intend to before I leave for training at Crimson Moon and then my adventure starts.”

I nodded my head and said, “when you move back in you can have your old room back on the top floor.”

“Unless you have your mate by then,” he told me.

“We will see what happens,” I said with a shrug.

I finished helping Grant and then we helped Jaxson and the twins with their things. Soon it was time for everyone to get ready for the Alpha ceremony. Everyone was in their new rooms getting ready, so I left for the packhouse and went to my room. I stopped in the doorway and realized that it wasn’t my room anymore. I closed the door and turned to enter my new room.

I stepped into the Alpha’s suit and sniffed the air. You could smell my scent was taking over and my parent’s scents were already starting to fade. I looked around the space and saw that mom had gotten furniture that matched what I enjoyed most. The bed had been switched out and I had red and black sheets and covers on it. I would have to thank her for everything that she did for me.

I went to the closet and went through the clothes that I had to pick from my side. The other side of the closet would be for the Luna that I would eventually find.

I got my clothes out and pulled on a pair of black dress pants and a dark blue button-up shirt. I didn’t bother putting socks and shoes on since I was just walking down to the lake for my ceremony and they would get torn up when I let Riot out anyway.

When I was dressed, I made my way down the stairs to leave the packhouse. I went out onto the porch and looked out towards the lake. I could see that almost everyone was there waiting for me to arrive. I watched as the last of the pack members joined the crowd and sat down in their seats. I could see mom and dad standing not far from the stage as they talked to the members.

I took a deep breath and stepped off the packhouse porch and made my way down to my Alpha ceremony. I held my head high as I walked towards my pack ready to make everyone proud. As I entered the space, everyone went quiet and watched as my parents walked up on stage and I followed. One of our elders was there with the pack blade one a red pillow. That blade had cut the palms of every Alpha and Luna that had led Hunter’s Moon and my blood was about to join all the others that came before me.

My mom had on a light green dress tonight that made her eyes look darker than usual. My dad had on a white button-up shirt with black dress pants. In the front row of the crowd, I saw my siblings, and the two Beta families. After looking at everyone in the front row, I looked past them to the rest of the pack. All I saw were welcoming faces and bright smiles telling me that they were ready to see what I could provide them with.

Dad’s voice broke the silence of the lake and brought my attention to him, “Tonight, we are witnesses to the handover of power here at Hunter’s Moon. I am happy and proud to say that this pack will have a solid future with Alpha Eric. What vows do you have, Eric?”

“I vow to provide for my pack to the best of my abilities. I vow to lead and protect all those here at Hunter’s Moon. I vow that this pack will be taken care of and will be handed to our next Alphas,” I said in a strong voice for everyone to hear.

“To Hunter’s Moon and Alpha Eric,” Dad said in his Alpha tone.

“To Hunter’s Moon and Alpha Eric,” the pack answered.

Dad took a dagger from the pillow that the elder was holding and turned back to me. I offered him my hand as he sliced his own palm as deeply as he could. He quickly cut my palm just as deeply and we shook hands, exchanging the power from him to me. I was now the commander of our warriors, overseer of our territory and the owner of three pack companies. I felt the mind-link completely open up to me with a bright white light in my mind and I felt all of our members for the first time. It was almost overwhelming, because before this all I could feel was mom, dad and my closest friends.

We let go of each other's hands and I felt my palm was almost healed. Cuts never lasted long with me and I learned that it was because of my Lycan. Alphas normally healed quickly but with a Lycan warrior we healed even quicker.

Mom and dad led me off of the stage and to the side to start the pack run. The pack members stood from their seats ready to head out in wolf form. I quickly shifted to let Riot out, ripping my clothes right off my body. My parents followed me and shifted right along with our pack members. Mom and dad took off to lead the beginning of the run and I was right behind them. Rambo and his mate, Sage, ran close by me along with Ben and Emma. Behind them ran Sebastian and Logan getting ready to take up the Beta couple position.

After a while, mom and dad slowed down and I advanced to run in front to take over the pack. At the same time Rambo, Sage, Ben and Emma all slowed down and Sebastian and Logan took their places. The changeover of power was official. Riot circled the pack back around to go back to the lake while letting out his first howl to the members as the Alpha. The territory erupted in howls as the members howled back at him.

We ran back to the area of the ceremony and shifted back to our human forms. Everyone had clothes waiting for them there and pulled them on. Grant handed dad nad me some shorts to pull on while mom shifted with her dress intact.

Once everyone was dressed I said, “Let’s go have dinner.”

The whole pack walked up to the packhouse and went into the dining hall. It was great to see this place filled with members. It didn’t happen all the time but when it did, it got chaotic and I loved it. The kitchen staff quickly got to work serving everyone dinner. I had requested chicken wings, carrot sticks and french fries. I was my fathers son when it came to chicken wings.

The packhouse was noisy with members having fun into the late hours of the night. When my parents said goodnight and left the house with my siblings, I felt like I was supposed to go with them. I chastised myself for the way I was thinking and feeling. This was all new right now.

“You’re a new Alpha. It will take time to get used to it. Everyone had to take time to get used to it,” Riot said in my head.

“You’re right.”

I relaxed and stayed with the members until I was tired. I went to my new room for the night, now just smelling my scent in the Alpha suite. Going to sleep didn’t take long in the new bed mom had gotten me. The bed was comfortable enough to help me fall asleep within minutes.