CHAPTER ONE: I AM THE ALPHA

(Seven years later…)

The night was eerily silent as the wolf prowled through the training grounds. Its grey eyes were glowing with madness as it searched for its prey. And then, it halted as it spotted the family; a middle-aged man, his wife and their young son. 

With a low growl, it stalked towards the father who watched its arrival with a look of horror etched on his face. He just watched in alarm with a pleading look in his eyes as the wolf pounced on him. With a snarl, the wolf bit his neck ferociously, spraying blood all over the place. The man fell on the ground lifelessly and his eyes turned glassy as life faded from them. 

The wolf turned towards the woman with a snarl and curled its lips back, revealing blood stained teeth. The blood-thirsty monster stalked towards her mercilessly and leaped with a growl. The woman fell down helplessly from the assault and as she died, a look of terror stayed frozen on her face forever…

With blood covering its pelt and muzzle, the wolf turned towards the young man who was standing there waiting his turn. The wolf pounced on him with a growl and killed him off swiftly while the man didn’t even struggle once.

The next moment, the wolf changed to human form and as the moonlight fell on her features; I recognized the wild blue-grey eyes, and the golden hair matted with blood… It was me!

“You killed us!” my parents and brother pointed their fingers at me with blank looks on their lifeless faces….

**************

I woke up with a scream lodged in my throat and sighed when I realized that I had yet another nightmare.

I had actually never seen the rogues attack my parents or them dying. I had only seen the last moments of my brother. But in my nightmares, I always saw each of them being killed. Sometimes, they would fight back and sometimes they would just stand there idly while the rogues killed them. And sometimes like today, I saw myself as their killer… 

I guessed it was because of my guilt at surviving while they didn’t. And maybe because I hadn’t found their killer yet… 

‘I will find your killers and avenge your deaths even if it is the last thing I do,’ I vowed to myself like every other day in the past seven years before starting my day…

(A few hours later…)

The huge wolf held its head high in the air and drew its body to its fullest height in a show of aggression. Its wide eyes took on a wild look as it stared at me. Its hackles were raised in a show of aggression as it watched my every move. With its lips pulled back, it bared its teeth at me trying to intimidate me.

I observed its actions with a blank look on my face.

The wolf let out a fierce growl and crouched down, ready to attack me. And then it leaped towards me with a snarl.

I stood still until the moment the wolf was about to hit me. Just the moment before it could make contact with my body, I caught it mid leap. I caught its shoulders while its teeth were just inches from my neck. It snapped its jaw in an effort to bite me. Its hot breath hit my neck, and I knew I had moments before the wolf would take a chunk out of my neck.

With a deep breath, I held off the beast which was at least double my size. Then I raised it up over my head while gritting my teeth from the exertion. My arm muscles quivered from the heavy weight of the wolf, but I didn’t pay any heed to it as I focused my full energy on holding the huge wolf. Then, pushing all my strength to my arms, I threw the wolf.

It fell on the ground with a whine and I walked towards it while it tried to get up.

The wolf got up from the ground and I saw that it was favoring its right leg now.

Seeing me walk to it, the wolf growled at me and jumped again. I caught it again, but this time; I held it by its left leg, which I knew was injured from the previous fall. The wolf whined and tried to free its leg while I twisted it in an awkward angle.

I used its distraction to catch its head in my hand. Then I pulled my hand back and threw a heavy punch to its nose; a sensitive part for a wolf.

The wolf howled in pain and I let it fall to the floor. Then I jumped on top of it and restrained it from moving. And before the wolf could even blink, I had my hand around its neck, ready to snap it at any moment.

The wolf laid still for a moment and then tapped its paw on the ground two times; a signal of surrender.

I took my hand off from its neck and stood up, dusting off my hands.

I looked at the wolf as it bowed its head in a submissive gesture. The next moment, a handsome man in his late twenties was standing in front of me in the place of the wolf. I averted my eyes as he pulled on his shorts. We wolves didn’t care about nudity like humans, but still, I liked giving privacy when it was possible.

I looked up when I heard a roar of applause and found my pack members cheering for my victory.

“You beat my ass… Again!” my Beta Ethan said with a twinkle in his coffee brown eyes.

I watched as he popped his bone back into place with a grimace before it could set in the wrong way. We werewolves healed fast and if the bone set before we could set it right, it would have to be broken again and set in place. A painful process worse than getting broken bones in the first place…

I turned back to the new trainees who were watching us with awe and excitement. The fights always took place with both the fights in wolf forms or in human forms. A fight between a human and wolf was a rare occurrence, and the human emerging as the victor was even more rare…

“And that is how you defeat a wolf in human form in case you couldn’t shift in time or you feel that you have more advantage while you are in your human form. We have flexibility of movements and better control of limbs while we are in the human form," I said.

I took a moment to look at the eager warriors in front of me before continuing.

"The wolves have size and power on their side, but the humans have agility and techniques. And we have to exploit their weak points like the neck, chest area and stomach area. Hitting a wolf in the nose would distract it and you could use that to restrain the wolf and snap its neck like I just demonstrated,” I instructed.

They listened to my speech with rapt attention, and I walked towards them.

“Now split into pairs and one of you change into your wolf form while the other stays human,” I ordered.

Once the trainees split into pairs and one from each pair changed into their wolf form, they waited for my instructions.

“Attack!” I ordered.

The fights started, and I walked around correcting their techniques and postures.

Then I stood along with Ethan and watched their progress.

“Kayla…” he began.

I sighed, knowing what was about to come.

“Why don’t you change into your wolf form ever?” he asked, just as I expected.

“You are strong as you are. Way stronger than even most male Alphas. But still, you will be even more powerful if you are one with your wolf. The feeling of running with the pack, on the full moon, the joy of the hunt together… You are missing everything. Even the pack misses you during our runs…” he continued while I stood silent.

 “I know that your past experience with your wolf form hasn't been good. What with you changing for the first time without anybody to guide you and having to undergo the traumas of rogue attack… But I promise… everything will be better now. Just give yourself a chance, Kayla… You would feel complete only if you embrace your wolf form,” he advised.

“I am complete as I am,” I replied in a harsh voice.

He flinched on hearing my response, but then looked at me with determination once more.

“Just what really happened to you, Kayla? Is it just because of the rogue attack or is there anything else? What exactly made you hate changing into your wolf form? Whatever it is, you know I would be there for you…” he said.

I looked at him sternly without responding.

“Take care of the trainees, Beta. I have business to attend to,” I said in an emotionless tone.

“Yes, Alpha,” he replied with a sigh.

With a nod at him, I turned and walked away from them.

Once I reached my office, I locked the door and sat on my chair. How could I tell anyone what exactly happened seven years ago? It was my secret to know. They just needed to know one thing, I was their Alpha and I could do the job perfectly without my wolf…