Alpha Black

Alice Forrest

I sighed as I found myself in the forest again, the same tall pine trees surrounding me, the same river awaiting my arrival. I had been having this dream every night without fail now, as soon as my eyes closed I seem to fall into this forest, no matter what direction I walked in, no matter how many turns I made, no matter what, the dream brought me to the same river.

Each night, I found myself in the same white dress that floated around me, the same impracticable barefooted-ness. To be honest, I was getting sick of it, I just wanted to have a good night sleep, with no white wolf waiting for me at the other end of the river.

I found myself walking through the trees and eventually at the river bank, the ground once carpeted with pine needs, now littered with warm smooth rocks. I looked up at her, the white wolf that had already dipped its feet in the water, “I’m not swimming again!” I yelled, my voice echoing through the valley that we seemed to stand in.

“That didn’t end well last time,” I sighed, starting to walk down the riverbank this time.

The wolf seemed taken back at voice and looked at me, it’s head tilted as if asking me a question. “Don’t give me that attitude, I am not drowning myself,” I sighed and the wolf mirrored my actions, walking down the other side of the river bank.

She was nothing like what I had seen before, while I was some distance away from her, she would have towered over me like a tree, and her fur looked like she had never set foot in the forest, no brown marks, no discolouration.

“Are you a moon spirit?” I asked, flopping down on a log that had been washed up onto the bank. The wolf shook it’s head and sat down across from me, resting it’s head on it’s paws. “can you shift?” I asked, the wolf stared at me blankly.

I decided to just lean back on the log, let the warm sunlight heat me, if my dreams were haunting me, I could at least try and get some sleep in them, and I closed my eyes. Can you sleep in a dream?

The beeping of an alarm woke me, and I tried to move to turn it off, but found myself trapped in Nathaniel’s arms, a small smile seemed to be permanently etched on his face of a morning. I couldn’t deny that something inside me enjoyed waking up next to him, as if every morning started off as a good morning when the first thin I saw, smelt and touched was him.

“Please, for the love of the Moon Spirts, turn that awful alarm off!” I hissed, realising I was unable to pull myself from his embrace to complete the task myself.

A chuckle reverberated from his chest and he rolled over, still holding me in his arms, freeing an arm he then reached out and smacked his phone, silencing it. His arm snaking back around me and somehow bringing my body closer to his bare chest.

“Good morning,” he purred deeply into my ear, nuzzling the side of my head affectionately, sending shivers down my spine and raising the hair on my arms.

I groaned and snuggled my way deeper into the blankets and his embrace, “you’re happy this morning,” I sighed.

He purred in my ear again, “you didn’t wake up screaming tonight,” he said happily nuzzling at me further.

“Do I wake you often?” I asked.

“Sometimes, only when it’s bad, but what is it? What torments you so?” he asked.

I couldn’t help it, feeling so safe and loved in his embrace, I felt like I could just melt on his skin, how it soothed me. “It’s the same dream,” I admitted.

“Do you want to talk about it? It might help?” he purred, his voice so smooth and comforting.

I pushed my face further into his body, inhaling deeply at his citrus and pine scent, “I’m in a pine forest, and no matter what way I walk, I end up at this river. Waiting on the other side of the river there is this white wolf, she follows be on the other side, sometimes going into the water. I have tried to swim with her, but I started to drown…”

Nathaniel’s breathing suddenly slowed and he sucked in a deep breath, “white wolf you say?” he mumbled.

I shoved my face out from his chest, “yeah, why?”

His brow was furrowed and I could see the thoughts racing away behind his eyes, “Nate, what is?” I asked, the good morning effect was already wearing off.

“I witnessed, something,” Nathaniel said his neck bobbing as he swallowed.

“What?”

“A prophecy.”

“What?” I asked again in disbelief

He swallowed again, “do you know what colour your wolf was, Alice?” as the words fell out of his mouth, I could feel the colour drain from my face.

“What did the prophecy say?” I choaked out, his embrace suddenly feeling claustrophobic.

“Your wolf, do you know?”

He let me wiggle free of his arms, but still keeping me close, “I don’t know,” I said, the panic starting to set in, “what did the prophecy say?”

He sighed and took my hand, kissing it lightly and then holding it to his head, “we will not win this war, without the help of a white wolf.”

I let him pull me closer but I leaned over and grabbed his phone, scrolling through contacts until I found Angel’s husband ‘Beta Stone’, hitting ring and bringing the phone up to my ear.

The sound of the dial was painfully slow, waiting for him to pick up. I found myself rocking back and forward, I couldn’t, I wouldn’t. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

“Alpha Black, what can I help you with?” Kyle’s voice said from the other end of the line, his tone soft yet commanding.

“Actually, it’s me.”

“Alice? Are you okay? What’s going on?” he said, the calm tone lifting to one of more concern,

“Is Angel with you? I need to talk to her.”

“Of course, we’re still in bed,” Kyle said letting out a breath. There was the shuffling of blankets and some inaudible voices before Angel’s sweet voice filled the phone.

“Hey Al, are you okay?” she said, and I could feel her smile through the call.

“Sorry for calling so early, but I have a question,” I said, letting my voice trail off.

“Anything for you Al, what is it?”

“What colour was my wolf?”

The phone went silent.

“White,” she finally said.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there for, but Nathaniel pulled the phone from my hand and finished up the call with Angel, before pulling me into his embrace. It couldn’t be true, could it?

“I can’t,” I finally said, but it sounded more like a sob.

Nathaniel hushed me, running his hands soothingly down my back as I began to sob. “It’s okay, I promised you Alice, you don’t have to,” he said, his words only making me cry more.

“I can’t control her,” I said, the tears now running down my face and onto his chest.

I couldn’t do this.

Any of this.