A call to duty?

Xyra's viewpoint

One year later

"The wheel on the bus go round and round

Round and round

Round and round

The wheel on the car go round and round

All through the forest…" Zeph and Fina sang loudly, hands clasped against one another and head rested on each others. We were in my car, heading back to the pack because dad called for me.

The alpha king's birthday was coming up and as Cresent Pack was one of the strongest and largest, it was tradition for the alpha and Luna to be there. As the heir, it was only fair I be there too. Zeph and Moira wouldn't miss an opportunity to attend a grand party for the world. April was coming as the beta female, yup, she turned out to be the young beta's mate. It was a big shock, but it was a happy moment of shock and tears. Fina was returning because I couldn't leave her alone with my apartment. The last time I did at our last apartment, half of the kitchen was set on fire in the name of a party.

Who's Fina? The gamma's daughter, our age. Dad introduced us to her since we needed a high school certificate. We wrote final exams with her and went to the same college with her. We all lived together, but work separately. While I worked at a motor shop, April worked in a library, Moira in a cyber cafe and Zeph at a boutique. We didn't want to rely on dad's money, but Fina was totally dependent on her boyfriends and parents.

So while I was driving us home since the pack wasn't that far from our university–just two towns away–Zeph and Fina decided to sing songs to make the journey more enjoyable. The only problem was that it made it the opposite. Zeph was a little bit tipsy so she was singing badly, and Fina don't need to try to sing badly, she's a natural. The other problem was the songs they choose to sing and of course, the way they were shouting.

April covered her ears with a groan, she, unfortunately, sat beside them while Moira rode at front. Moira had her headphone on and her phone in her hands, typing away like the world didn't matter. She was working, she's always working. And when she is not, she is partying, playing boys, going shopping with Fina and Zeph.

"Aren't you guys done yet? You have been singing for three hours!"

"We just got to the best part," Fina chirped.

"The Aprils on the bus goes…"

"This is not a bus, it's a car!"

"Geez, April, live a little," Zeph giggled.

"Xyra," April cried. I sighed tiredly.

"Zeph, Fina, if you both don't stop singing, I'll tell dad about what happened at Matt's party last week,"

They gasped. "You wouldn't dare," Fina challenged.

"Don't even do that, I am involve here. I will stop singing," Zeph said sharply.

"We are finally here," April sighed. Zeph and Fina shrieked with excitement. I glanced at Moira who giggled, she wasn't working.

"Moira, are you chatting with Colins again?" I demanded. She was still giggling.

"Ooh! Let me!" Zeph shrieked. She moved closer and stretched her hands over the headrest. She got hold of Moira's headphone, pulled them like a rubber band and released them. It smacked Moira in the ears, causing her to yelp and them to laugh.

Moira removed the headphone and glared at them. "What the fuck!"

"You weren't listening," Zeph laughed, "so I summoned you,"

"Why you…"

"Moira, mature one today, will ya? And who are you texting? Hope it isn't Colins?" She rolled her eyes and murmured something. "What did you say?"

"No, it's not him, okay? I told you I will let him go, didn't I?" She asked rudely. A low growl erupt from my chest from Majesty and even I agreed with it. Moira, Zeph and April were officially sworn into my pack for protection a month after we came back, so I was their alpha too. Well, I've always been their alpha.

Unlike Zeph who decided to stick to sleeping with who she has feelings for—which wasn't going so well, by the way—Moira was just like Fina, a National playgirl. I had lost count of the hearts they had broken just having fun and messing around, living a wild life. Then she started snatching people's boyfriends, and dumping them. I decided it was time to stop them before they ruin their lives or become a permanent marked by karma. So I ordered them to stop messing around with people who are already in love with others and generally stop messing around and focus on better things.

Of course, Moira didn't like the idea, she was pissed for weeks but eventually got to see what I mean when another girl snatched Zeph's ex and made her cry her eyes out. Seeing Zeph in pain, she got to understand that she was causing that problem to other ladies out there. Therefore, she stopped and became more considerate. But you can't completely get rid of a habit in less than a month.

"Good, just checking."

"I know you are trying to look out for me, and I understand you completely. But Xyra, you have to give me a little trust here. I gave you my words that I would stop messing around and I have. I came across a meme and I laughed, not because of a boy,"

"I'm sorry, but you know it is my duty to make sure you all live right. Because we are free from the castle…"

"Doesn't mean we get to make bad choices. Yes, Xyra, we've heard," April interjected with a look of amusement. I laughed a little.

"Shit, I'm starting to sound like my father, aren't I?"

"What do you think?" Moira chuckled. I parked the car in front of the house. Zeph squealed.

"Home sweet home!" She opened her side of the door and jumped out. "Mum! We're home!" Fina got out of the car after her, followed by April, though she opened her own side of the door. I unlocked my seatbelt, letting my mind wander back to the dream I had before coming.

It wasn't per say a bad dream, it was just weird and completely confusing. Even Majesty couldn't place her paws on it. I wore a dress and was standing in a empty ball room. I stood there, just staring at the thrones there, the one made for the alpha king and luna. Something about the luna throne called out to me, something touched my soul as I stood there standing. Then a deep voice said something I couldn't hear, or rather, something I couldn't understand. It was just weird.

"Can you stop worrying for ten hours?" Moira laughed. "Trust me, that dream isn't something you should worry about, I checked and I know it."

"But you didn't hear what the voice said," I reminded her, "what if it's a warning? Maybe the queen's life is in danger," I said as we both got out of the car. April was leaning on it with arms folded, listening to our conversation as she watched Zeph spin Lula around as they both shriek with excitement. Those two are best friends.

"The king hasn't found his mate,"

"What if he finds her and it is my duty to warn him or to save her?" I asked thoughtfully.

"Then when the time comes, you save her," April gave me a look, 'quit it' look. I sighed and let my shoulders slump.

"For now." I murmured. I caught her scent in the wind, followed by her feets rushing over to me. I spun around in time to stop her so called surprise attack, flip her onto my knee before slamming her gently on the ground. I pinned her hands behind her back and then tickled her side.

"Xyra!" She squealed laughingly, "cut it out,"

"You call that a surprise attack? I could hear your feet from a mile," April chuckled. Zira continued to laugh as I tickled her. She wasn't the brat we met when we came, a little training from Her Majesty and April changed her.

At first she hated me, made it known at any chance she got. But she grew to love me before I went to college and then I always had to return with the girls most weekends and breaks for family bonding. It helped, it really did. Zira was now acting a lot more mature and better than her agemates. Trust me, the way she thinks now, you will be shocked by how much she has grown in a year.

"Xyra, leave the poor girl," I let her go by standing up and tucking my hands into my pants pockets.

"Maybe next time, try walking more silently," I suggested mockingly. She stood up and dusted her dress, still laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. At least I got closer this time."

"Because I let you…" Something or someone was coming straight for my head. I stepped out of the way, causing the person to collide with Zira and fall down on the ground. Zira groaned from pain while Isla whimpered. I chuckled at how flat they looked on the ground.

"Zira, you were supposed to distract her," Isla cried.

"You came early. You were supposed to wait until I give the signal," Zira chided. I bent down and help pull them both to their feet.

"You two are working together now?"

"Yeah, since we can't defeat you separately, then we thought about doing it together. Unfortunately, somebody don't know what perfect timing is," Zira chided while glaring at flushed Isla. I chuckled and patted their heads.

"Good luck." I was helping them with their training, but it wasn't going well as planned. Zira was a good fighter, at her age, but she needed to work on her silent movement and her speed. Isla had the speed, the silent feet, but not the fighting skills or quick thinking to go with it. So Majesty made them a deal, the first to successfully land a hit on me within five months, gets to ride her.

Yes, you read right, ride.