Shadows of the Alpha

Maverick’s Pov

The borders of the territory were visible from the car windows. Guards with shotguns watched the entrance; I sighed in exasperation. I hated human weapons , dangerous in the right hands, but clumsy compared to claws and fangs. Nothing decided a duel like a real fight.

I pressed back into the seat, forcing myself to breathe slow. I had to be cordial with this bunch of idiots for the peace of the packs. I didn’t want to. My wolf was on edge, sharper than usual. Something was wrong. But who was I to judge? I was the dark thing no one wanted to cross, not even members of my own pack.

They called me the coldest alpha , envied and feared. I accepted only the strongest. I had to protect her at all costs. No more deaths. Not since my sister disappeared. My wolf was nothing but anger, vengeance, resentment. Empathy had long been erased from my vocabulary. Anyone who stood in my way would meet an untimely end.

So why was I here, in the car with my two betas, when I could be on the training ground perfecting my technique?

I hated politics. All those alphas who thought themselves supreme , they’d tremble if I unleashed my aura and made them kneel. In life, only one thing mattered: strength. The packs in this region of America had asked me to come. Wolves were disappearing nearby; I had to use a little power to scare their alpha and make him stop taking what wasn’t his. The aim wasn’t to decimate the pack , it was too important for regional trade. Humans mustn’t know the big bad wolf exists. Honestly, I didn’t care about them; they only needed to learn to fear and respect us.

I groaned inwardly at the noise of the next few minutes. My betas , probably my only real friends , sat in front. Ethan drove while Asher stared at a fixed point through the window. Impossible to read them; like me, they were hard, strong, terrifying. Ethan, the more combative of the two, glanced back at me through the rearview.

“Alpha, we’ve arrived. How do you want to proceed?”

Little bothered him. With his American-football build, Ethan scared any wolf. He was the best fighter in the pack, in human and wolf form , he could nearly match me if he let his wolf take the reins. That’s why I chose him as second. His twin Asher was just as muscular, but built for stalking: he could scent prey for miles. No one escaped him. He was a shadow in the forest, a nightmare in our world.

My eyes tracked the houses taking shape ahead. My strategic side mapped their layout, noting weak points to exploit. They were too distant from each other for such a small pack , a clue: maybe this alpha kidnapped wolves to replenish his ranks. My wolf growled. A leader didn’t use brute force to take followers. Instilling respect through fear was one thing; using one’s status to physically prey on the weak without cause was another.

“We’ll try the gentle way first. Talk. If he won’t listen, I’ll force him to his knees in a duel.”

My wolf approved , blood, tearing flesh, killing. The urge pressed harder than usual, adding to my sour temper. I struggled to calm him; I felt my eyes shift color. Nothing beat a hunt to end the day. I could already smell fear in the woods; good. Let them fear me.

Minutes later we stopped in front of the pack’s main house , the alpha’s home. In every pack it was the heart of life; under its roof the alpha protected the innocent. The alpha, and normally his Luna , though I had neither. Each wolf had a soulmate bound by our goddess: with each birth she removed part of a wolf’s soul and tied it to another. When those two found each other they were linked forever, each stronger for the other. Did I want that? Never. The bond would make me weaker.

A soulmate would slow me. My wolf had been unstable since our sister’s death; not finding a link made him wilder. But if one day I met her, she would have to be powerful. Possessiveness pinched my chest at the thought of having her all to myself. No , I could never sever the bond. If she came, I would become more dangerous: my wolf would have something to protect. That link could be my downfall or my salvation.

A shake called me back. I shoved doubts and desires deep, masking everything with a cold face. A stranger couldn’t read me , except maybe the animal beneath.

A tall, thin man stood at the door. His black gaze gave me no confidence. He planted his hands on his chest and set his legs slightly apart: not welcoming. A sliver of my aura leaked out , not enough to lay him low, only to mark who was stronger.

Asher and I stepped out, leaving Ethan behind the wheel in case of a trap. I let my senses sweep the place. Every detail registered; the wind in the leaves felt like home. Yet a presentiment shoved my wolf against the cage of my mind. Something was seriously wrong. A subtle scent teased my nostrils. My wolf wanted the trail and would have dragged me after it if discipline hadn’t caged him. I told him this wasn’t the time; we had to deal with the man first. But the wolf would not be left in peace, and I cut him off as much as I could, fracturing our harmony.

I moved forward with Asher close, scanning the people spilling out of the foyer and then the leader. None of them posed a threat. The alpha offered a fake smile, never changing his stance.

“Alpha Maverick, what a pleasure to see you.” His voice was syrupy , I wanted to rip his throat out. “What can I do for you?”

“Alpha Liam,” I said, calm. “No need for pretense. You know why I’m here. Packs have heard about members being kidnapped. They blame you. What’s your defense?”

He uncrossed his arms; his fists clenched. He looked ready to snap. I wanted a fight , it would loosen my muscles , but against his power it wouldn’t last five minutes. Too bad.

“Would you like to come inside so we can talk, Alpha Maverick?” he asked. “I’m sure we can find common ground over a meal.”