From the moment I opened my eyes, I knew I was different. Don’t ask me how—I just did. It was in my blood, a silent pulse that thrummed beneath my skin, a dark whisper in my soul. I was Alpha.
--- Bang, bang, bang. The pounding against the door is relentless, like the steady drip of water eroding a stone. I keep my eyes shut, pulling the ragged blanket over my head, trying to block out the noise, the world, the constant reminder that I’m a fucking outcast. But the banging only grows louder, more insistent, like the universe won’t rest until I’m reminded of just how unwanted I am. Three knocks, a pause. Three more, and then nothing. A growl rumbles in my chest, raw and unfiltered, a beast waking beneath my skin. I want to tell the bastard outside to go fuck himself, but what’s the point? I know what he wants. They all want the same thing: to remind me that I’m less than nothing. A rogue. Less than dog shit in their polished, pristine world. I suppose I might have belonged to one of their packs once, a lifetime ago, when I was just a kid. But memories are fleeting, and mine are shrouded in darkness. All I remember is running. Always running. Moving from one shithole town to the next, hoping for just one night of peace before another pack catches my scent and decides to play hunt the mutt. I’m so fucking tired. All I want is sleep, but that’s too much to ask in this godforsaken world. Saying no to an alpha pack is suicide, and as much as I sometimes wish for oblivion, I’m not ready to give them that satisfaction. Packs are packs. They stick together like a hive of angry bees, and me? I’m just the rogue trying not to get stung. The banging intensifies, the asshole on the other side of the door shouting now, his voice dripping with the threat of violence. I could take him, maybe, if it were just him. But packs are never just one man—they’re a goddamn legion. I pull the blanket tighter around me, trying to drown out his voice, the world, everything. But I know it’s useless. There’s no rest for the damned, no peace for someone like me. The only escape is death, and I’m not ready for that. Not yet. --- My name is Wolf. No last name. Just Wolf. It’s the only thing I remember from a past that’s long since slipped through my fingers, like water down a drain. I might have had parents once, but if they’re still alive, I hope they’re fucking dead to me. If not, it means they abandoned me when I was barely more than a baby, left me to fend for myself in a world that doesn’t give a damn about the weak. Knock, knock, knock. The growling, the shouting, it all blends together into a cacophony of noise that grates on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Fuck it. I leap to my feet, muscles coiling and uncoiling beneath my skin, the familiar burn of anger setting my veins on fire. I don’t care who’s on the other side of that door; I just want them gone. With a snarl, I yank the door open, and there he is—a fucking behemoth of a man, glaring down at me like I’m some kind of vermin. I stare him down, a slow grin spreading across my face. “Didn’t your momma ever teach you it’s rude to bang on someone’s door in the middle of the night?” His growl is low, menacing, his breath hot and rancid against my face. It takes everything in me not to gag. Yeah, I want to hit him, break his nose, maybe even tear out his throat. But I know better. He’s not alone. There are more of them, lurking just beyond the door, waiting for me to make a move. “Get the fuck off our land, mutt,” he spits, his voice dripping with contempt. “Alpha Farkas of the Midnight Pack orders it. Leave now, and maybe we won’t rip you to pieces.” I sigh, smirking despite myself. “Farkas? Seriously? What kind of name is that?” He doesn’t react, which is strange. Most would have decked me by now, but he just stares at me, his eyes narrowing like he’s trying to figure me out. It’s unsettling, and for the first time in a long while, I feel a flicker of something other than rage. Something like fear. I break eye contact, shoving past him and heading for the woods. His gaze follows me, burning into my back, but I don’t stop. I don’t look back. Not until I’m far enough away that their voices are just echoes in the night. “Hey, mutt,” he calls after me, his voice distant but clear. “Who are you?” I swallow the lump in my throat, my pace quickening as I put more distance between us. I don’t answer him. I don’t look back. Because I know the truth, the one thing that gnaws at me day and night, never letting me forget what I really am. I’m nobody.WolfDays and nights have just morphed together; I can’t say how long it’s been since I had a warm meal or didn’t walk into a town and get uncomfortable, unwelcome stares from most folks there. The truth is, yeah, I suppose I look fucking terrible; I probably reek something awful, too. I’ve been up in the mountains so long that I’ve started looking like I belong there; in a way, I guess I do. When I do make my way into a passing town, being butt-ass naked probably won’t go down well, so I tend to help myself to the occasional clean clothes off someone’s wash line; it usually only happens when I sneak myself into towns to grab some food, and by grab, I mean it, quite literally. Being a mutt in the mountains doesn’t exactly come with a steady income. Out here, it’s survival, and food is never as plentiful as you’d think. Should my conscience nag at me for taking what isn’t mine? Probably. But the reality is, it’s this or walking around naked in my human form. My last decent set of clot
WolfAfter leading us to the furthest corner of the diner, she slides into her seat, casually gesturing for me to do the same across from her. I hesitate for a moment, turning my head to peer over my shoulder. The wary eyes of the other patrons linger, each sizing me up like I’m some mountain man—a drifter who has no place sitting down with the princess of Sitka. Which to be fair, I am. The thought makes me smirk nonetheless. They don’t understand, and frankly, they don’t need to. I shift my gaze to the window on my left, relieved we’re sitting by it and not crammed into some dingy corner on the other side of the diner. I’ve never done well with tight spaces; they mess with my head, stir up memories from a past I’d rather forget. Those memories are like a mudslide—once you start digging, everything comes crashing down, and I’ve long since run out of tears for that mess. “So, do I look a bit better?” I finally ask, breaking the silence. Her lips twitch into a slight grin as her eyes r
WolfAs the truck bumps along the narrow, overgrown forest road, I can’t shake the feeling that the tension is growing thicker with every passing second. It’s the kind of road where GPS signals go to die and where the only direction is straight to a grave. Dense, dark trees loom on either side, closing in on us like they’re in on some twisted joke—one I’m not sure I’m going to find funny. “So, Wolf, the two guys next to you are Bryce and Chandler—my future beta and gamma,” Don says, a hint of pride in his voice. I furrow my brows. “So you’re not the alpha?” Don smirks. “Nah, not yet. One day.” Sasha snorts but keeps quiet. Don’s little introduction of his future beta and gamma does nothing to ease my nerves. If anything, it feels like he’s laying out the cast of characters for my impending execution. Bryce and Chandler, both stiff as boards, look like they’d rather be anywhere else—maybe at a dentist appointment or in line for a root canal. Chandler’s restless energy makes me wond
Wolf It’s been three days since they stuck me in this godforsaken cage, and no word yet on my release. I pace up and down, expecting to see someone other than the maid—someone who might tell me what the hell is going on—but nothing. As promised, the maid brings me clean clothes and whatever I need to look decent. There’s a washbasin in here with a mirror. The moment I look into it and see my reflection, I can’t believe what I see in the person staring back at me. I don’t recognize the man looking back; my beard is long and out of control, my hair is matted and hangs down to my shoulders. My face is still dirt-stricken, even after I washed it at a nearby stream before entering the town of Sitka. I look... unpredictably wild, scary even. I run a hand through my hair, feeling the tangles catch and pull at my scalp. It’s a far cry from the man I used to see in the mirror—a man with purpose, direction, and a life that doesn’t involve spending days locked up like a rabid animal. The perso
Wolf I’ve been working out to pass the time while I wait. Confinement is driving me insane, and it’s either this or I risk breaking something. Standing shirtless in front of the pull-up bar, I regard it as if it’s my nemesis; oddly enough, I’m grateful they have something like this here, as if they anticipated my need for an outlet. I cast the bar a sideways glance, tilting my head in contemplation. As much as I want to envision it as an object of my frustration, something to strike and shatter, I can’t. Every time I try, my thoughts drift back to Sasha—those lush pink lips biting down on her bottom lip, a sight that ignites a primal longing within me. All I want is to have her beneath me. Damn it, I’m in serious trouble. I’ve lost count after one hundred and fifty pull-ups; now, I’m propelled by a potent mix of desire and determination. The desire to have Sasha writhing beneath me, calling my name, clashes violently with my fierce determination to escape this place and put as much
Wolf The moment Don came to stand before my cell gate with chains in his hands, I knew something was up. Cocking a brow, I narrowed my eyes questioningly. “What the fuck’s up with the chains, Don?” Sighing, he dropped them, the clank echoing against the concrete floor. My gaze flicked down, narrowing on the audacity of this guy. “Don’t give me shit, Wolf. Alpha’s orders are that I bind you in chains before presenting you to him; he does not want rogues running free in his pack.” I smirked, shaking my head as I stared at the rusty chains lying in a heap on the ground, almost taunting me. “What does he think I’m going to do, attack him on his own turf? Do I look stupid to you?” My eyes trailed back up to him, skepticism etched across my face. “Hey, you were stupid enough to sit down and have lunch with my sister; who knows with you, rogues?” His comment irked me, and I should’ve fired back. My wolf was already on edge, but I decided to let it slide. Don was just a pawn, executing
WolfAs the chains fall to the ground, my eyes snap up to lock onto the alpha. Fenris’s beta is the one undoing my restraints, and I give him a brief, sarcastic nod of thanks before returning my gaze to Fenris, who’s still glaring at me as if I owe him more than a headache. “So is that it then?” I mutter, meeting his gaze without flinching. Fenris nods toward the open door, his voice gravelly as he grumbles, “Get out, and remember what I said, Wolf; you’re free to go when you complete this job. But not in my territory. I never want to see you here again, understood?” Scoffing, I shake my head with a smirk. “Trust me; I don’t plan on sticking around once we’re done.” Without sparing him another glance, I snatch the file off the table and stride out of the room. I can still feel Fenris’s piercing gaze burning into my back, but I resist the urge to look over my shoulder. What a dick. Surprisingly, Don is waiting for me just outside the door the moment I step out. He crosses his arms,
WolfLeaving Erebus, conflicting feelings swirl inside me as I speed off, the roar of the bike’s engine barely drowning out the noise in my head. Every part of me screams to turn back, to go to Sasha. My wolf’s howling is relentless, a constant pounding in my skull, making it nearly impossible to think. The engine is the only thing keeping me grounded, forcing me to stay focused on the road and not the impossible situation I’ve left behind. Mate. I still can’t believe that word slipped past my lips. It’s impossible, it has to be. I know almost nothing about the mate bond, but one thing I do know is that it happens under a full moon. We’re still days away from the next full moon, so how could I possibly feel this overwhelming pull towards Sasha? It doesn’t make sense. Yet when my wolf growled the word, *mate*, something snapped inside me—like a rubber band deep in my soul that I didn’t even know was there. It’s a pull, a connection, something so primal I can’t ignore it. And Sasha..
WOLF My body feels heavy as I drag it towards the flaming bonfire; this whole week has been brutal, and my muscles are still aching. Looking down at Damien as he sits with his back against a heavy log, I can’t help but smirk, “You look like shit, you know that?” Looking up at me, he rolls his eyes as he scoffs, “Fuck you; you made me do way more than you, and you know it.” Letting out a low chuckle, I go to take a cold beer from the cooler box right beside him before coming to rest my tired body on the ground beside him, resting against the heavy log behind me; I let out a deep sigh. “You know tomorrow we've gotta start bolting all that shit together, right?” Taking a swig from my beer while looking aimlessly at the flames licking the cool air. Damien’s head slowly turns as he scowls at me, and I swear the chuckle rumbling from my chest nearly sends the bubbles from the beer in my mouth right up my nose. Damien packs up, laughing as he shakes his head at me, “Tell me again why we
WOLF “Please stay.” My whisper hangs in the air, her sleeping form so peaceful right beside me. This is how it’s meant to be, so how can I just let her go? I haven’t been able to sleep, so I feel like crap. Ever hated the moment the sun came up in the morning? Me neither, that was until today, because today marks the last morning I’ll wake up next to her for... Fuck, I don’t even want to go there right now. I need to stop kidding myself by being hopeful that she’ll only be gone for a day; I have this gut-wrenching feeling that it’s not going to be that easy. Gently running the pad of my thumb over her cheek, she’s out cold, and I don’t blame her. After our hot fuck session in the shower last night, we ended up moving on to the bed, and well, let’s just say neither one of us got much sleep from that point onward. By the time she finally passed out from exhaustion, I should have probably done the same. Our bodies were completely saturated, and I could tell she was sore. But I just co
WOLF By the time we get back to Erebus. The red and orange, purple color palate cascades down to the rim of the horizon, and suddenly, all those colors seem to take on an even deeper kind of beauty than before. I'm still busy trying to wrap my mind around the mind-blowing sex we just had up at that lookout point, the rock formation ledge overlooking the entire Sitka and Erebus. Fucking Sasha up on that ledge was mind-altering, the entire Sitka and Erebus far down below as I pumped my dick into her, over and over again, as she lay sprawled out with her legs wrapped around my waist. My spine is still tingling all the way to my dick just thinking about it. Her hand is in mine, our fingers laced as we make our way out towards the back of Erebus and towards the flaming bonfire. We're immediately met with a lot of people I don't know; Erebus pack, I know that much off the cuff. A huge bonfire near the center of the property, logs, and people casually seated around it as the high flames li
SASHAWatching Wolf get on his bike and speed off, I suddenly feel my entire world begin to crumble into dust all around me, the loss of his presence instantly crippling me, and I'm suddenly battling to breathe.I’m about to break apart; I can feel it as my heart shatters. He left; he just left me. The dam wall inside of me is about to burst. I can’t hold it in any longer, spinning around. My eyes are shimmering with tears as they connect with Atlas. He’s standing a distance away from me, his jaw clenched, brows furrowed as he watches me warily, concern sketched across his features. The moment I think that he might actually care, he turns on his heel and disappears back into the cold room before shutting the door.The moment I start to hyperventilate, I suddenly feel a hand wrap itself around my wrist and begin to pull me towards the pack house's front door; it’s Edith.“Come, my child, let’s get you inside.” My feet are moving, but I can't feel anything; the only thing running throug
WOLF I'm following behind Sasha, every step towards the outdoor cold room seems to have my beast on edge even more. The last thing I want is to have Captain douche bag anywhere near her, even more now that I know what I know. He's her... Fuck, I can't even bring myself to think it let alone say it. The only thing going through my mind right now is that she just needs to talk to him; he's leaving, he's fucking leaving tomorrow, and I'll never have to see his ugly mug again. Honestly, it's not doing anything to calm my beast right now, but at least it will stop me from ripping him apart, for now, until he leaves and goes back to whatever hell hole he crawled out of. Good fucking riddance. The moment Sasha stopped, I suddenly looked up; I hadn't even noticed that we were already right in front of the cold room door. It's a big outdoor room where they keep all their meat, it's pretty cold in there, hence why they put the body of the other white lighter in there. My hands are tucked in
SASHABy the time we get back to Erebus, I’m still riding on a complete high. Wolf took us all the way up the forest climb to Cross Mountain, the early signs of winter already hanging on the tree tops and slicing through the air like ice. I have a feeling it’s going to be a cold winter this year; I guess it’s lucky that we’re wolves and don’t really feel the cold like normal humans do.Being on the back of the bike with Wolf makes me feel carefree inside, like I’m just a young girl going for a ride with her boyfriend up the mountain. Like I don’t have a care in the world, almost like everything that happened last night never happened, well, almost.The moment we drive through the gates of Erebus, however, everything changes. I’m still walking hand in hand with Wolf as we make our way up to the front door when I suddenly spot Atlas coming storming out of the pack house. My eyes widen, and my chest immediately tightens; my first reaction is that he’s coming straight for me. By the force
WOLFShe isn't up in her room, I've checked, fuck. The little meeting outside with Atlas went on longer than I would have liked. She was in her room, and I picked up her scent, so where the hell did she go?I've checked everywhere downstairs, but still nothing, now the panic is setting in. I'm heading for the front door of the pack house when I suddenly hear someone call my name. Swinging around, I'm met with Edith popping her head out of the kitchen,"Wolf, would you mind helping an old lady with something in here?" I'm about to say no, I'm looking for Sasha. But then I decide against it; I don't want to seem rude, even if I'm really desperate for my mate.I hurry into the kitchen to find her standing right in front of the kitchen island. The smell hits me, and my stomach instantly does a backflip."What's that smell?" It's so sweet, warm, and unlike anything I've ever smelt before. The moment my eyes land on what's on the table, I blink, "Are those...?""Cookies, yes, they are. Just
WOLFI have this strange feeling suddenly running down my spine, swallowing hard, I'm instantly feeling restless, my heartbeat suddenly speeds up, and I can't think straight.What's wrong with me? I grumble.Closing my eyes for just a minute, I try and steady my breathing..."Wolf, hey man, did you hear a word I just said?" Looking up at Damien standing on the other side of this goddam force field, I suddenly hear a swooshing sound in my ears; it's getting louder and louder.I'm about to open my mouth to say something to him when I'm suddenly struck with a scorching sharp pain that shoots right through my chest; gasping for air, I suddenly can't breathe, fuck, the dog tag, fuck. I'm grabbing at my chest the moment I realize I'm not wearing it; that's when I remember that witch telling me to take it off and place it on the ground.My eyes frantically start searching the soil below my feet; all the while, I'm starting to see little black spots forming before my eyes. And the moment my e
ATLAS The moment I see Kris go down and the rogue go for his jugular, I instantly lose my mind, screaming out his name. I can barely think straight. I leap towards him without even thinking, how the fuck, where did this rogue come from. My mind races as I lunge forward to rip the wolf from him. The moment I hear his guttural scream that is followed by silence, I know it’s over before the wolf even gets off of him. The instant gut-wrenching rage that starts to flow instantly has me unleashing a vice grip of my power around the rogue; without even blinking, my arms suddenly swing out to either side of my body, the rogue’s body instantly being ripped into two, landing far away in opposite directions from me as I launch his severed corpse body through the air. My eyes instantly land on Kris, and my body goes numb. I’m suddenly to my knees beside him, his silent form, the blood. Fuck! Screaming out at the top of my lungs, I feel the lack of oxygen burning its way to my soul, my eyes sud