Howdy all!

Here is my second story. This is one is a bit darker than my other story, but I think you all will enjoy it.

For those of you wondering about my other fics, don't worry I will be keeping up with those.

This story is kind of a side project. So unless it gets an unbelievable amount of reviews, my main focus for now will still be on my first story until I wrap that one up. Some of you will notice that it doesn't say who the love interest is, and that is for a reason ;). I don't want to give it away so you'll just have to wait and see.

I think that's it for now.

So I bring you 'Alpha and Omega'.

Enjoy. ^^

~Fate is Cruel~

Murmurs weaved through the crowd as they awaited word from the placing ritual.

The placing ritual was a long standing tradition among wolf demons. Each of the four major wolf tribes carried them out in different ways, but the purpose was universal. At the age of twelve moons, the wolf cubs went through the ritual to decide where they would live out their lives among their pack.

In the western wolf tribe the ritual consisted of taking the pups away from the tribe into the Cave of Wisdom, where they would be tested by the current leader and highest elder. There were four possible outcomes for the ritual: pack members, betas, alphas and omegas.

Pack member was the most common result of the test, revealing that the pup was an average pup that would be able to serve their clan through hunting, mating with betas or other pack members to produce the future generation and fighting when necessary.

Betas were the second most common and showed that the pup had potential to be a good protector. Betas were most often the warriors and guardians of the pack and did very little hunting, but instead performed patrols and ensured that borders were not invaded. They were also able to mate among themselves and pack members to ensure a future for the tribe. A beta could become leader of the tribe if there were absolutely no alphas available to take over.

Alphas were rare. They showed courage and aggression as was needed by a good leader. Pups that were found to be alphas were placed in a separate grouping where they would begin to train to one day fight for the right to be of tribe leader. The alphas would compete to become leader, and those that lost would be mated off to another tribe that did not currently have an alpha mated to a beta. Alphas received four slashes across their left shoulder to signal their position and potential to lead.

Omegas were unwanted. It was the worst thing possible for a pup to be deemed an omega and a disgrace for the parents of the pup. When an omega was named, the parents of the pup would be denied the ability to produce more pups, for fear that they might give birth to another omega. While omegas were looked down upon, they were still allowed to stay in the tribe. Only rouges were cast out. They were used as servants to the clan. Omegas cleaned and cooked the food that the pack members caught, and could only eat once all others had been fully fed, even the pups. Omegas were not allowed to mate or have pups, but they were often used as concubines for the current leader or alphas if they were not yet mated, or given to another tribe that may be lacking omegas or needed something for their alphas to rut with. Omegas were not allowed to speak unless the leader or an alpha spoke to them directly. Omegas were given an 'X' over their right shoulder to mark their lowly position and submissive nature.

The western wolf tribe stood in a grouping at the edge of their dens waiting to hear word from the Cave of Wisdom. Tradition dictated that all must be present in the village, so that none tried to interfere with the ritual.

The tribe's main dens were located in a valley in the western mountain range that bordered the southern lands. The Cave of Wisdom was located at the top of the highest mountain.

"I don't hear anything. Maybe that means that both will be pack members." One of the wolf demons said anxiously.

"They haven't started yet, Mora. We haven't seen the red smoke yet." Another wolf demon responded with a snort as they squinted towards the highest mountain.

"What do you think they'll be? Both are the pups of alphas, or well…" The speaker's words trailed off as a pair of cold green eyes locked onto the speaker, silencing them with one hard, cruel look.

No one else dared finish the sentence, but instead made a point of not meeting the glare that scanned the crowd.

The owner of those eyes glared around at the other gathered wolf demons, daring them to finish what the original speaker had started. The owner of the eyes was a stout demon by the name of Siro, an alpha. Or he had been an alpha before events led to him being stripped of his alpha status.

Many moons ago Siro had been primed to take over the western wolf tribe.

The current leader was aged and would soon be going to join the elders, and there was only one other alpha old enough to compete for the spot. The time for the competition came and went, with Siro easily winning the title of leader. He was to be announced the new leader at the next summer festival, which was to be held in eleven moons. The other alpha, Naru, was bitter at having lost and quickly came up with a plot to become leader at the next summer festival.

Naru enlisted the help of a fox demon spell caster. He had the fox come up with a fertility potion that would impregnate the consumer by the next one to mate with them. Naru then kidnapped a human maiden, gave her the potion and brought her to edge of the tribe's lands. With it being mating season Naru knew that Siro wouldn't pass up the chance to rut with a human, since he did not yet have a mate, and he couldn't risk impregnating one of the tribe members without mating her first.

As planned Siro fell for Naru's trap and rutted with the human. And as planned the human became pregnant. But Naru waited for the perfect moment to reveal this, wanting to make sure he completely disgraced Siro's honor and that there was no chance of Siro finding a way out. He secretly kept the human until she gave birth and then disposed of her. He waited until the summer festival to bring forth the child.

"My pack, it brings me great joy to pass on leadership to Siro. He has proven to be a true alpha capable of leading this clan well." Feng announced from the entrance to the leader's den that stood above the rest of the dens. Feng's age was clear in the way that he could not stand up straight and standing next to the large and powerful Siro, it was obvious that it was time for a new leader. Siro stood beside the current leader, his chest puffed proudly as he looked down at the rest of the tribe that was looking up to him with approving eyes. "Kneel before me young one." Feng commanded. Siro was more than happy as he turned to face Feng and kneeled with his head down. "I Feng leader of the western wolf tribe step down and offer this alpha, Siro, as the new leader of the clan. Elders, do you approve?" He said his eyes lifting from Siro to a row of five elders standing off to the side. As a group they nodded and Feng returned his gaze to Siro. "With the blessing of the elders and the pack I proclaim Siro the new…"

"Siro cannot be leader!" Naru shouted as he stepped forward from where he had been standing among the other pack members. In his arms he carried a squirming, blanket covered bundle. He jumped from rock to rock until he was standing beside Feng at the entrance to the leader's den. "He has broken tribe law! Look!" He removed the blanket and raised his arms to show the gathered tribe.

Loud gasp rose from the clan as they looked at what Naru was holding. In his hands was a small infant that squirmed with small barks and growls of protest. Yet it wasn't the infant that sent shock through clan, but instead it was what the infant was that caused the murmurs. The two small black triangles on top of the infants head, green eyes, and its' scent was the cause of the stir. The child was a half-breed, and from the scent, it was Siro's pup.

"Siro has sired a half-breed! Tribe laws clearly states to that one that gives birth to, or sires, a half-breed cannot become leader!" Naru stated as he shoved the child at Feng.

Feng held the child and inspected it, from its two, twitching triangles to the black fluff ball of a tail that was flicking angrily and back to the blue eyes that only one other in the tribe possessed. When he leaned down to sniff the pup, it gave a small growl and snapped with baby fangs. The old wolf gave a sad smile as he recognized the pup's fighting spirit, and he knew without a doubt that this half-breed was Siro's.

"Naru speaks the truth. It is Siro's pup and tribe law must be obeyed. I am sorry Siro, you cannot be leader, but you have a fine pup here." Feng said moving to hand the pup to Siro. "You can be proud, she seems…"

"Keep that filth away from me!" Siro growled as he stood and glared at the pup, who surprisingly gave its' own small glare back. "This is some sort of trick; I would not dare sire such an abomination!"

"It is no trick; we can all scent your relationship with this half-breed." Naru sneered with a smirk.

"Siro this is your daughter, take her and teach her to be as good a tribe member as you have been. It was simply not your fate to be leader." Feng said softly.

"I will do no such thing. That thing isn't mine. Throw it off the cliff for all I care." Siro growled, his muscles tensing and flexing as he fought to control his anger.

"If you will not care for her then I will allow someone else to. Who will have this young pup, she has the fighting spirit that marks our clan." Feng said facing the gathered wolf demons. Half-demons were accepted by most of the clan, it was only by ancient law that the parent of one could not become leader.

"I'll take her." One of the female wolf demons called out. Another round of approving murmurs went through the crowd. The female who had called out, Spring, had recently lost her mate and unborn pup in a border dispute with a southern boar clan, and it seemed only natural that she would be the one to want to raise the unwanted pup. "I can still produce milk and she will be cared for as if she were my own." Spring said as she stepped forward. "What is her name?"

Feng turned his eyes upon Naru, since he had obviously been the one to find the pup.

"How should I know, I just found the runt." Naru said with a shrug.

"This pup has ruined my destiny and her name will be Akuba." Siro growled before he stormed away from the dens.

"Surely he cannot name his child 'curse'." Spring replied with sadness tingeing her voice.

"He is the sire. If he says her name is Akuba then so be it." Feng said handing the now sleeping pup over to the female wolf demon.

"Fine her name will be Akuba but I will call her Akemi because she is a beautiful pup. She cannot help the circumstances of her birth, but we will treat her as one of our own." Spring said and those around her murmured their agreement as they came over to welcome the new pup into the tribe. A few hung back with glares towards the half breed child that had cost them a chance to have the strong Siro as leader. It had been a wide spread thought that with Siro as leader, the western wolf tribe would become the strongest of the four wolf tribes.

"Who will lead the clan now?" One of the wolf demons called out once the commotion had died down.

"It's obvious, there is only one other who capable of leading this clan." Naru said stepping forward with a smile.

"But Naru lost the competition." Another wolf demon called out.

Naru gave a harsh growl in the direction of the speaker before regaining his composure and speaking. "There are no other alphas among us and Feng has already declared he is stepping down. Would you rather have this clan go leaderless or bring in an alpha from another clan when you have one here?" He questioned, when no one answered he gave a short nod. "I thought so."

"Very well then, Naru, kneel before me." Feng said with a heavy sigh. He could tell his pack would be forever changed by the events of this night, he didn't know how yet but he could feel it wouldn't be good.

Now nearly twelve moons later, the tribe was gathered once again. Naru, who had already been mated and had a pup, now had a pup that had turned twelve moons, as well as Akemi.

Siro watched not because he cared what became of his pup, but because it was tribe law and even in his anger, even he wouldn't go against the tribe's laws. Somewhere deep in his hated filled heart he still saw himself becoming leader.

Before anything else could be said a loud growl could be heard and a puff of red smoke arose from Cave of Wisdom.

"It's starting." Spring said worried for the pup she had come to love as her own.