2

ANNABELLE.

PRESENT TIME.

Coming back from my run at six am, I hurriedly walk in straightline to the Pack house wanting a long, hot shower to get rid of the sweat and grim sticking to me like a second skin. To my shitty luck, I'm greeted by a very, very cheerful looking Marco.

Shit, he never had woken up early and I mean ever. He liked to sleep, a lot and was usually late to almost every goddamn pack activity. Yet, he was a good kid. Smart and he knew when to step up.

"Kid," I had two years on him and he hated when I called him that but it was fun to mess with him.

For me to pick him to be my gamma seemed to shock my pack members a few months ago. But I honestly wouldn't have picked anyone but him. He took his responsibilities to heart. Got his work done on time. He was strong and capable of every task I assigned him but he wasn't punctual, unfortunately.

But that was okay.

However, this was unusual and I was irritated and sore as heck from the long run that Ania wanted to take. The damn wolf hide had control and made us run for ten miles, ten fucking long ass miles.

"Hi, Anna! Guess who was here an hour ago?" He sing songs putting an arm over my shoulders.

"Who?" I grumble monotonously removing his arm around my sweaty self.

"Sheesh, could you be any more soulless?" He mocks sarcastically as he slightly nudges my shoulder with his in a playful manner but clearly not reading the damn room.

The idiot acts as if he didn't know how much of a bitch I could be in the mornings. Especially without having my coffee, I sigh in exsparation. "Marco, I don't have the time nor the patience to waste on you right now," I say, irritation lacing my tone.

My muscles hurt, I ached all over. My fucking brain was about to shut off and burst into flames, my stomach was growling and empty, if you'd count the energy bar I had before I left two hours ago.

"I just told you to guess. That's not so hard to do is it, dear Alpha-" he retorts pausing dramatically and starting to get on my nerves.

"Marco," I warn.

"-so you know that the blood Moon Ball is next week. Right? And since we're the only pack that we weren't allowed to attend it since that year when who shall not be named was the Alpha and like -" he blabbers, hands waving around in indication.

I have had it.

"Fucking spit it out!" I shout, my hands raised in rage taking him by surprise.

Marco's eyes widen and his mouth closes and opens like a galloping fish out of water. I

"Uh-I-I-uh, we got invited to the Ball," he stutters recovering from my outburst.

"And?" I drag it out striding to the kitchen grabbing a glass to fill it with water and gulp it down, another one following it

I sigh with relief. My legs aching.

"What do you mean and? We need to go, it's been three years since he died. We're not supposed to stick by his stupid rules even after his death!" He suddenly booms making my wolf want to rip his head off for mentioning him.

"You know that I don't abide by anyone's rules and watch how you fucking speak to me. I am still your fucking Alpha."

It's true, I didn't listen to anyone. What was good for my pack, I do it. I was responsible and fair to my people. We had our rules.

My rules.

Whatever threatens us, I eliminate it. Be it a hunter or black witches or feral vamps, I eradicated it without remorse.

Nothing hurts my family.

Marco whines softly bringing his head down and showing his neck to exhibit his submission.

I hated this. The disrespect especially for foolish reasons such as this.

I fight back a smirk of satisfaction.

I don't want to be an overbearing asshole but sometimes it's just some people that drive you up the wall and literally act as if they aren't.

"I-I just think that we-you should consider going and our pack members as well. it'll be good for us to find our mates. Most of our pack members are unmated and are soon going into heat, we have to find our mates, Anna please think about it," he whispers pleadingly making me grimace at the thought of finding a mate.

Fucking gross.

"I'll think about it and let you know what to inform the others this weekend so that they'd have time to prepare. f we'd go, alright?" I compromise not fully promising that we'd go nor refusing.

I couldn't do either.

Refusing him would be like kicking a fucking puppy-- if you forget that he's a seven feet tall wolf that rip you apart then he is a puppy.

My eyes soften at the hope in his eyes.

"Okay, Thanks Alpha. I'm going back to bed, now see ya at lunch," he shouts halfway through the packhouse.

My lips tug up at the idiocy but genuity of the dark-haired man.

"Lazy motherfucker," I mumble tiredly, making my way to my room to have a shower and get some paperwork done.

Coming out of the shower freshly washed. I start looking through my walk-in closet for something nice to wear instead of sweats and sneakers that I seem to have too many off.

Bingo.

I put on my black slacks and tuck in my dark grey button up in my pants with my belt topping it off with a chain around my neck.

I slid my rings on my fingers. Spritzing some perfume to apply my matte red lipstick and fix up my hair into a neat ponytail. Slipping on my black 3-inch heels. I walk out of my room to my office.

I take a seat at the desk and begin reading through the paperwork.

Signing what needs to be signed and skim through the treaties that need to be renewed with the other packs and see to the complaints that I've received from a few packs considering the god-damned rogues and feral vampires.

I pile the countless complaints to the side focusing on the important deals and planning on calling-- Linda-- our attending white witch that specialized in spell casting and creating wards.

I needed a stronger witch to help her with enhancing our vicinities. I couldn't let any more people die.

The ferals were getting sloppier but their numbers increased. And this needed to be dealt with.

We lost two of our border guards to the unfrequent vampire attacks this last year and I can't take seeing my family get hurt.

It was gnawing at me to see who was turning the humans into such despicable creatures.

Their genes were not heightened nor strong enough to take vampire blood or their bite. So, why risk turning into a bloodthirsty skeleton that'd look more zombie than human.

Being mundane was not wrong but why did these greedy weak fuckers volunteer to be someone's Guinea pig and see if the venom was going to work and turned them into one of us.

It was fucking disgusting what people were willing to do to get power.

Risking their lives was where all it should stop but fuck. Humans don't get it.

My head hurts and I haven't even started yet.

'Patience, human. You're an alpha blood for a reason. Act like it,' Ania says proudly puffing her chest out.

'I know Wolfie now let me work in peace.'

'Bitch if I could just bite you right here right now for calling me that,' she snaps her canines at me threateningly through our link.

I chuckle inwardly, 'I love you, Ania Boo but could you just shut the fuck up for a few hours. Your furry ass is distracting'. I say laughing at the face that she makes.

'Human you could've been nicer to me ya know but whatever, goodbye,' she cuts our link.