The Run

Amora.

I was sitting on my bed with a photo frame in my hands. I was about to trace my hands on the beautiful face in the picture when I heard a knock at my door. 

I cocked my head to the side of the door. It should be Carly or Suki.

 

"Come in". I said sitting up from the bed. With a heavy heart, l leaned forward and gently placed the portrait of my mother back on the bedside cupboard. I always pray to the moon Goddess every day, to grant my mother peace, wherever she is  while my father rots in hell.

 I turn to hate men, more and more, each time I think of my father. He wasn't worth a father, not to talk of an Alpha.

The door opened and Carly walked in.

"What are you still doing dressed up like this, my beloved Alpha?" Carly glared at me, with a reluctant look on her face. "I don't feel like running again." I dragged myself up from the bed.

We were to go on a run, the three of us.

How do I  tell her that my body wasn't sound enough to do this?  I had this odd feeling that something was going to happen. I tried to communicate with my wolf Lily, but she has been moody for the past weeks now.

"You know, I will just go change into something.  What about Suki?" I stood up from the bed and scurried to my closet.  I quickly changed into black jeans and a white crop top.

"She was getting dressed when I left. She should be done by now" Carly responded while I struggled in my closet to put my hair in a bun.

When I was done dressing,  I walked into my room, to find Carly staring around it like she was looking for some kind of information. 

She had her arms around her chest and her blonde hair cascaded down her back.  If not for the fact that she was my friend and also my beta, someone that I trust so much, I would have assumed that she was a spy, considering how many times I have caught her doing that. 

"Ahem" I cleared my throat, to catch her attention.  "We can leave now."

I informed her,  walking to my table to grab my backpack so that we could leave, though I was not good about it, I did not want  to fail them and as their Alpha, I had to go with them.

"Oh sure, Suki would be ready by now"  she quickly spun around and we left my room. 

"You know, I have been wanting to ask you..." Carly called out when we were in the courtyard moving to Suki's house. I fixed my backpack on my back and turned to face her.

"What's the problem?". I flexed a brow at her, wondering what she wanted to ask me. She crossed her hands around her chest and gave me a worried look. 

"Don't you think it's time for you to look for a mate, I mean someone that can stand by your side and you two can run the pack . You have been looking stressed lately."

She was right.  Running a pack wasn't a day's job, but a mate was the last thing I had on my mind. After taking over my father, I made sure that I was able to do it by myself.

I wouldn't want what happened to my mother to happen to me, because of an irresponsible mate.

"I believe we have talked about this. I don't want you to repeat that ever again. Unless you want to lose your position as my beta."

I growled at her warningly.  She and Suki should be the last people to talk to me about finding a mate, after all they have witnessed my late mother and I go through in the hands of my father and even the pack as well.

"Sorry, Alpha.  I won't say that again."  She cleared her throat and led the way; while I followed behind. 

After meeting Suki, we went to the forest together. 

We were presently standing at the entrance of the Blood Forest, where we usually have our pack runs. It's a green, beautiful, and dense forest.    

We usually end at the center of the forest because going further was dangerous. 

 Information about rogues of the Blood forest and how dark it was, were rumored in our pack when my father was still in reign.  He had warned the pack never to cross the center of the forest. 

The strongest alpha of all times, Alpha Calvin, and his wife, Luna Della were killed in this forest by rogues.  He was the Alpha of the Midnight pack and the ruler of all five packs in heptadria, with my pack; Dark moon pack inclusive. After his death, some years ago.  All the other Alphas had to go into position to fight and protect their packs, but my father was doing the opposite.

It was said that Alpha Calvin had an only son who was supposed to take after him as Alpha, but after the day he died, no one ever heard of his son, and upto date, there was no news about him.

It was not only called the blood forest because of the death of the Alpha but also because a lot of mysterious things were happening in this forest. 

"We have been standing here for over 10 minutes, can we just shift and start the run?. It looks like it's going to rain soon."

Suki pointed out, looking up at the sky, and honestly, the sky was getting darker.  Suki was a dark skin girl, with long beautiful dark curly hair with a hourglass figure, a friend you will always love to have around, but her temper was very bad. Do not provoke her.

"I don't think Lily would let me shift..." I gaze at the girls standing in front of me, with doubtful expressions on their faces. 

"Why is that...?" Suki asked, tugging a strand of her black hair behind her ear.

"We fought some weeks ago about the mating issue and since then, she hasn't been responding to me."

I let out a sigh and glanced at the thick forest in front of me. 

"You know, I have been planning on talking to you about that, but I'm glad that Lily did already.  You have been losing it lately and I don't think you will be able to continue like this.  You need a mate next to you." She rambled on.

I raised a brow at her, shaking my head. Have they been planning this behind my back?

Carly was just  from saying the same thing and now this. 

"None of you will talk to me about finding a mate again" I growled at them, using my alpha voice.

"That should be my concern and not yours and besides, what do I need a mate for, when I have you both?"

They were my Beta and Gamma and together, we could run the pack. 

"It's obvious that we can't satisfy your sexual needs or bore you pups.  Because definitely, someone needs to run the pack when you're no more."

Carly clapped back.

"And clearly, you don't like James, to make him stand next to you as your mate or perhaps, give him the Alpha position."

She added.

"You should just stop using the poor guy already and look for someone fit"

Suki looked at me.

Yes, James was a guy in the pack that I picked up to satisfy my sexual needs and to be honest, the guy is nothing I would like to call a mate if I needed one.

"HELP ME!"

I opened my mouth to say something when a loud shout in the forest drew our attention. 

I passed a glance at the girls in front of me and they did the same. 

"What is that noise?"

Suki questioned,  taking a few steps toward the forest. 

"HELP!"

The voice shouted this time, even louder. The voice held this strength that I couldn't fathom. 

  What was happening? who could that be? 

"Don't you..." 

I tried to tell Suki to stop but paused when I felt Lily stir inside of my head with such force that I almost fell to the ground.

"You can't stop me. Someone must be in danger and we can't just stay here and do nothing".

She argued back.

"Have you forgotten the stories about this forest?"

I gather myself and try to get them to listen to me.

"You better stop with those myths. You are the Alpha and these are times your duty is most needed."

Carly barked as she scurried behind Suki.  Finally, I had no option but to follow them.