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Post by Cayden Thomas Murphy on Jan 12, 2013 20:12:09 GMT -5
The Orion pack was founded in 1865 by a pair of wolves named Owen and Eloise Rhymes. Owen was born werewolf, as untamed and natural as the wolf itself. Eloise, his mate, had been his apprentice, human until the day he'd bit her. Together they were a formidable pair with big dreams destined to become a reality. Nestled in the tiny town of Converse, well hidden from the rest of the world, they believed the location was perfect for their plans for family and prosperity.
The next couple decades were rather peaceful. Despite Owen and Eloise seemingly unable to conceive a child, the pack did grow. Their small, quiet lifestyle attracted strangers to Converse, refugees who'd been hunted, children shunned by parents, young wolves wanting to break free from home packs, victims who did not know how to handle their new transformations and had no one to train them. Owen and Eloise accepted them all, and it wasn't long until the werewolf population in converse outnumbered the human one.
For a while, everything was perfect. So long as the secret was kept, everyone could live in peace. The humans did not have to know. In fact, as long as humans were kept in the dark the better off they were. Not everyone shared this view point though. Owen had been the pack's leader for a little more than ninety years. But he was getting older and the younger blood was restless. The young ones, especially those who had been bitten rather than born, were becoming reckless. When one transformed in the center of town, surrounded by a number of humans, all hell broke loose. Life for the werewolves of Converse would never be the same.
For as long as werewolves had existed, hunters had too. Owen had simply done a fine job of keeping his pack away from prying eyes. Now that their secret was out, however, word traveled fast. Once hunters caught wind of the werewolves of Converse, they started trickling in. Peace and prosperity were lost, and protection became the pack's top priority.
In 1961 a hunter shot Eloise near the river. It had been storming, the gunshot masked by thunder. Before Owen had a chance to save her, his mate was dragged under by the swifter current, life drowned and forever lost to him. Overcome with grief, Owen attacked the hunter in a fit of rage. The man, unfortunately, got away, and Owen limped back to the riverside to mourn his fallen mate.
Losing Eloise cost the alpha more than just his mate. He lost his pack and some of his sanity as well. Unwilling to lead without his love by his side, Owen stepped down. He moved out of the pack house and into a small, rundown shack by the river. His beta, Andrew Marner, became the new alpha. Andy had always been the son Owen had never had. And with no heir, it was only logical that his beta take over the pack. The change in leadership had not been handled smoothly though.
As soon as the announcement was made, one of the more hot-headed younger wolves challenged Andy for leadership rights. Andy accepted and the two of them fought for nearly fifteen minutes, Andy limping away with multiple scratches and a couple broken ribs while the younger wolf had lost his temper and ended up with a broken leg and a gash in his side. With the declaration of Owen's approval, nobody had challenged the victorious new alpha after that. He appointed his brother Mason as his Beta and led the pack as best as he knew how, relying on his father's philosophies and Owen's teachings.
A couple months later things again went horribly wrong. Mason was doing some research, trying to determine whether a certain human was a hunter. He was caught, and savagely attacked. Upon finding his brother's body nearly torn in half, rage unlike anything he'd ever felt before rose within the alpha. Rage and grief together consumed him. He was close to attacking, but remembered his responsibilities at the last moment. He had a duty to the pack and that didn't include leading them into open warfare. Andy pulled himself back, and told himself that he would honor Mason's memory with peace instead of further bloodshed.
Andrew Marner remained alpha for roughly the next fifty years. He was a fair leader, decisive in action and always putting the wellbeing of the pack before his own. Though somewhat detached after Mason's death, the pack was his life and there wasn't anything he would not do for his family. His time as alpha was spent in relative peace. At least, it was until he fell in love with a human.
The pack was torn by Andy's decision. Never before had a human been let not only into their ranks, but into the elite upper circle. There was talk and discontentment over the idea of a human becoming alphess. What if Andrew took this woman as his mate? Even if he turned her, the idea of taking orders from someone only a newborn did not sit well with many of the older wolves. Tension grew between the old and the young, the bitten and the born. And, ultimately, the pack began to collapse in on itself. Though Andy eventually broke it off with the human, he had lost much respect as the leader of the pack. Believing he had no other choice, Andrew stepped down as alpha.
The resignation their alpha was the final nail in the coffin. The pack was left in turmoil, unable to function without a true leader. Like Owen, Andrew had had no true successor. Unlike Owen, the damage from Andy's actions seemed to be irreparable. No one seemed capable of reaching an agreement. Loyalties were torn, hearts broken, and the family seemed to crumble. The pack split in two.
Evangeline Knight, one of the older pack members and a born werewolf, spearheaded the decision to leave. She had always been very close with Andy, probably his best friend. And she had loved the former alpha very deeply. Andrew's decision to introduce a human to the pack shattered Angel's heart. Doing what she believed was best for her own wellbeing, she left the pack. What she wasn't expecting was for a good portion of her pack mates to follow her, including Andy. Many of the older wolves, still loyal to Andy and without many family ties to keep them together, trusted Angel's guidance and believed in her leadership. Thus, the Lupus Virtus pack was created, taking the western half of the forest as its territory.
With a new pack now knocking on its front door, Orion needed to find an alpha, and fast. Naturally falling into the position, Jason Oliver, one of the few remaining older wolves, tried to lead where others had already failed. Unofficially he held the wolves of Orion together, filling the void left by his former leader and some of his pack mates. After a few months it was only logical that he become the new alpha. Someone needed to hold the rank and, by default, Jason had earned himself the title. Now he's doing the best he can to pick up the pieces of what's been left behind.
Greg, an ambitious werewolf with a lust for power, saw his opportunity to gain a pack of his own. In a massive fight, Angel was overthrown. She and Andy were driven off, away from the pack that had been theirs and from the place they'd called home for years. Greg, not wanting the competition of a second pack in town, moved those who would follow him to a new location to start a new life. Those who didn't want to follow him remained behind to either become strays or to rejoin with Orion.
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