Chapter 3 The Alpha

The legends are true. Both night stalkers and fangs are very much real, and I’m standing between the two.

How could I be so oblivious to it? Always scoffing at my grandmother’s stories. Maybe this is my punishment for being a brat and not listening.

There is nowhere for me to go. The only choice I have is to decide if I want to die by the night stalkers or the fangs. I think I’ll take my chances with the wolves. They seem like they’d give me a quick death. The bloodsuckers would probably keep me around for feedings, letting me die slowly and painfully.

There’s no more time for thinking. So, I make a choice and run towards the wolves.

The larger of the wolves tilts his head, confused.

He must think, what a dumbass.

I'm going to die anyway. Why should I care what everyone thinks of me? I never did before. It's not like anyone likes me anyway. I can see it now - the whole reservation celebrating my death. A crowd of my peers cheering and clinking their glasses of beer, happy that they are finally rid of me.

Pulling myself from my thoughts, regret surfaces of my decision, and I halt in the middle of the field, glancing around urgently.

Can I make it to the tree line? Maybe I’d have a better chance there.

As I ramble in my head yet again, the pack moves toward me, and I realize I don’t have time to run and squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to see my death coming.

After a few seconds, a strong wind moves past me, and I peek out of one eye to see all my limbs are intact and there are no wolves. I do a complete three-sixty at the sounds of growling along with blood gurgling as the wolves tear out the fang’s throats. I always thought the two were working together, but I guess it’s everyone for themselves when it’s dinnertime. But what kind of dinner am I to a pack of wolves? More like a light snack or a small bag of dog treats. There isn’t enough of me to go around. So, what’s the point of fighting over me?

Instead of running, I watch them tear the bloodsuckers to pieces. Again, I’m an idiot. I have plenty of time to get away while the mythical creatures are distracted by each other, but I’m not sure what it is inside me that’s telling me to stay put, and I do.

The giant wolf doesn’t scare me like the others. He put me at ease, which is weird. Maybe he has some way of calming his victims before eating them or something.

Finally, my brain sends stress signals to my body, forcing me to back away, hoping they won’t notice me, but the leader growls deeply, making the ground shake beneath us from the rumble in his chest, stopping me. Our eyes meet, and my heart skips as it thumps erratically against my chest. The wolf stares for a moment before he lurks towards me.

Hands in front of me as if that is going to save me from his razor-sharp teeth. “I only want to find my family. You can have the land all to yourselves. I promise. I won’t tell a soul about your existence,” I plead, but did these things even understand English?

The giant wolf keeps his eyes on me while creeping toward me as if trying to figure out something. The others stay behind him. He stops midway—the sound of bones breaking echoes in my ears. I wince at the sound.

Shaking, I can only stand there in disbelief as I now look at a human.

My eyes grow wide as I notice he’s completely naked, and I’ve never seen a man’s, you know, but I’d have to say he is packing for my first one. I quickly avert my eyes, trying not to be a perv, and peek.

“Out of all your people, how are you the only survivor?” A deep yet smooth voice spoke.

My eyes snap back to him, and he is in front of me. His dark, sensual eyes pierce into me. A fire blazes behind them. The man has a jawline like a god with thick stubble and abs, displaying a happy trail down the middle of the V-shape between his hips and intersecting into the forest of hair above his manhood. His biceps have large tribal tattoos up his arm and cover his pecks. My mouth parts as I take in every inch of his exotic frame.

“You can’t speak now?” He asks, eyeing me peculiarly.

Focus Sakari.

“Sorry, I’m a little confused,” I respond softly.

“About what?” The man or wolf says, unsure what the hell he is.

I look him up and down, still searching every crease on his sculpted body, not even embarrassed that I’m gawking. “Um, you were a wolf, and now you’re a human. You killed the zombie fucks instead of me. Why?” I ask, not sure I want the answer.

He smirks, amused.

Ugh… even his smile makes my knees buckle and my lady bits pulsate. None of the boys at school can do that.

“Who’s saying I won’t?” He says, and I swallow. I know he’s probably going to kill me, but I didn’t know when. I can tell he is unpredictable. Maybe even bi-polar.

“You can kill me. That’s fine. I want to know my family is okay,” I declare.

He steps closer, and I withdraw when he reaches out, but he only removes my hair from my face so he can see all my features. “You don’t look like the others,” he points out, puzzled, just like everyone else.

I sigh, irritated. “Yeah, I get that a lot,” I reply and glance down again, forgetting his junk is out for all to see. “Um, this is a little awkward,” I add, turning my head away.

His eyes narrow. “Excuse me?”

I gesture down at his limp member with my eyes. I mean, I give him props even flaccid, he’s enormous. “You’re naked. Would it be too much to ask that you put some clothes on before killing me,” I say, looking away again.

The man chuckles. “You are shy, huh?”

“No… It’s just not normal to walk around showing the world your junk,” I say, trying to keep my eyes lifted.

“You are part of the Shoshone tribe, no?” He lifts a brow in question.

“Yeah, but we don’t walk around naked,” I retort, feeling a bit irritated as he looks at me like I’m an idiot.

“Your people used to,” He smirks.

“Keyword… Used to,” I reply smartly. I’m unsure if it’s wise to catch an attitude with this guy, but I’m probably dead after he interrogates me anyway. So, who cares?

The man turns back to his pack and calls them over with a nod.

At his side, they wait for his orders. He must be the Alpha.

Oh god, I’m catching an attitude with the Alpha. How stupid can you be, Sakari?

“Guide her back to the pack house,” He orders them.

“Wait, what?” I squeak in protest, but the wolf's growl, forcing me to walk in front of them. We head back into the woods.

I can’t believe I made it this far only to go back. My shoulders slump in disappointment as I follow the wolves, most likely to my death.

The Alpha lingers behind the pack while they surround me as they push me further and further into the wilderness.

What are they even going to do with me? Why didn’t they kill me back there in the field? Did they need me for housekeeping or some shit?

I wonder what their pack house is like. Did wolves live like humans during full moons and like dogs all the other times? I shrug at myself as I walk.

“GRRR…” One of the wolves steps up to me, growling for me to stop.

A massive mansion appears nearby. It’s three stories high, dark, and painted-chipped with vines growing on it from years of no maintenance. Glass-stain windows display beautiful angel designs. It’s like the dark castle from Beauty and the Beast, and I’m Belle. Am I supposed to fall for the Beast? Can I change him from his ruthless ways? I laugh in my head at the thought. Yeah right.

A light-color wolf moves in beside me. Its fur grazes against my outer thigh, and I stiffen up. It’s a female. I can sense the tension between us. She seems pissed that her Alpha kept me around, but what else is new? Everyone hates me in the real world. Why not in the supernatural, too? She snarls and bites at my leg, and I barely move in time for her to miss getting a chuck of my skin.

Geez, someone is touchy.

She snaps her jaw at me once more. When I glance down at her, she gestures for me to enter the house. It’s like a scary movie when the friends pressure you to go first, except this is the wolf edition, and they aren’t my friends.

Why can’t they just kill me like ordinary wolves? Eat my guts, rip me to smithereens. Do something and stop procrastinating. It’s worse thinking about dying rather than dying itself.

I do as they say and walk for the house. It’s dark, not a single light. Did wolves need lights? I thought they had night vision. As I push the door open, it makes a creaking sound. The smell is vulgar, like that of savages living here.

Well, they are technically savages. They ate people and animals, so I can’t call them precious kittens.

I inch my way in further when I hear the floor behind me squeak. I spin around and trip over a board sticking up from the floor. My face heads straight for the wood flooring when firm arms wrap around my waist, catching me mid-fall and placing me upright.

Once again, I’m face to face with the handsome Alpha.

“You are so clumsy,” he says as he lets go of me and walks past.

Infuriated, I rush toward him, ready to rant. “Hey, you, I don’t know what you fucking want from me, but could you just fucking eat me already?” I snap.

You set yourself up for that one.

“Of course, darling, but I’m not sure you can handle that orgasm.” His devious smirk appears.

I scowl at him. “That is not what I meant, damn it!” I huff, gritting my teeth. He’s pissing me off. So cocky, just like the boys from high school. “You are aggravating,” I add, placing my arms over my chest.

He stands to his full height, shoving his finger in my face with his lip curled into a snarl. “I suggest you watch your tone, child.”

That’s it. Screw it. If I’m going to die, okay, so be it. I’m not going to listen to this asshat anymore.

I swat his hand away. “Fuck you!” I glare daggers at him. “Go ahead, kill me, you bastard!”