Alpha Black

Alice Forrest

The power that radiated from Nathaniel was intense, as we’d travelled North through the pack, I’d learnt that he could invade the minds of some of the pack members, those who’s will was weak and minds susceptible. He looked through their eyes, jumping from person to person, and I wasn’t even sure how much sleep he’d gotten over the last two and a half days as he sifted through the thoughts of wolves’ minds.

Nathaniel, Jamie, and Jack isolated themselves from the minds of the pack, yet they could feel the claws and desperate pleas, begging for their return. For all the pack knew, we were gone, disappeared off the face of the earth, and someone was giving orders, organising people, and changing shifting the way things worked. It was but a light tickle in the back of my mind, the commands were rolling off their tongue, commanding, and demanding respect.

We were now walking up the road towards the town, the sun now low and apart of the scenery. The sky was golden, with flecks of reds and pinks, the warm light tanned Nathaniel’s skin as we walked hand in hand towards the pack, Jamie and Jack had spilt apart from our company, a couple hours ago, rounding towards the back of the city and entering through the forest.

The shadows now long and dark as the darkness creeped into the forest, this was what we had waited for. Making our dramatic entrance.

The street lights flickered on and a hush, an eery calm blushed over the city, the guards who walked the city walls stopped as we walked hand in hand up the middle of the quite street, the gates opening, an the shriek of the iron gates sending chills down my spine.

‘Think, it’s Darius, your brother,’ I said glancing at Nathaniel out of the corner of my eye, a stoic expression stuck on his face.

‘What makes you say that?’ he asked, continuing to walk, his bare feet padding on the street and his black, torn jeans hugging his legs and arse, sculpting his lower body and his hips and pelvic bone pointing down below his waistline.

‘He’s got Alpha blood, the same as yours. He’s designed to be the back up if you die, he’s meant to be your second in command.’

‘But he told me about the war, about my Uncle’s intentions, it lines up.’

‘What if they were working together? What if Darius betrayed your uncle, intended for you two to take each other out?’

I felt his gaze flicker to me for a moment, “It would appear you were right,” Nathaniel said as we walked towards the pack house, now looming at the other end of the street.

Darius had evidently noticed the bewitchment that everyone had fallen under, as he emerged from the pack house, Nathan following close behind. Nathan’s face was the dictionary definition of displeased, while shock and awe was painted shamelessly on Darius’ face, I was unsure how they thought they could get away with this.

It was not the end.

“Honey, did you miss me?” Nathaniel asked – breaking the eery silence first, throwing his arms out to either side as if waiting for a hug, his voice echoing down the street, bouncing off the buildings and disappearing into the distance.

“You’re alive,” Nathan choaked out,

“You look surprised, nearly disappointed,” I quipped, and I felt the smirk on Nathaniel’s face form, as he tugged me to his side, gripping me by the waist.

“Indeed, they look almost frustrated,” he said giving me a wink as the words lingered between us.

“Shame, they don’t look nearly as disheartened as I’d hoped, do you think they’ll grovel? Beg for our forgiveness,” I stopped at looked at them, the colour was draining from Nathan’s face and Darius still had not moved, as if he was frozen to the spot. “Maybe on their knees?”

Nathaniel looked down at me, and bringing his hand up to cup my face, he let his eyes burn into my soul as he looked at me which such an intensity. His thumb traced my jaw, before his nail dragged down my lips hesitating on the lower, slowly but surely he took his time to release the pressure.

’Are you ready?’ he asked.

I nodded.

It was like time had slowed as Darius shifted, leaping towards us. Even with the strongest Alpha blood flowing through his veins, it was an ambitious to think he would reach us. His wolf landing meters out from us and his body coiling again, as he pounced again. Really, it was a disappointing jump, pathetic really, but perhaps that’s just because I had the time to analysis his jump.

Nathaniel hadn’t broken his stare, still, one hand cradling my face and the other roped around my waist. As Darius drew closer, teeth bared and claws extended, flying through the air, death gleaming in his eyes – Nathaniel gave me a push and he stepped back, letting Darius fly between us.

Darius’ body tensed, but not from preparing for impact, but because of the silver knife I had withdrawn from its sheath. The fool was two distracted by our affectionate display and planned insults that would boil his blood, blood that now trickled down my arm, dripping to the ground from my bent elbow.

“Dam, not deep enough,” I said as Darius rolled through across the street, a large gash connecting his shoulder and hip.

“It’s okay, not everyone gets it the first go,” Nathaniel said planning a kiss on my head and standing behind me, his body language adamant or protecting us from Nathaniel who was in the opposite direction.

“I had hoped it would be your uncle who was first to attack though, you know, get the old and the frail first,” I said turning and giving Nathan and wink who looked even paler now.

His head seemed to shake, as if snapping himself back to reality in the most cartoonish way, he shifted into a dark grey wolf and let a cold lifeless howl rip through the air, ’here comes the ambush,’ Nathaniel cooed.

I could hear their paws, I’d never been able to hear as well as this before, and I planted my feet firmly on the ground, positioning myself to face Darius again, who had pulled himself up off the ground, blood soaking into his dark black fur.

“Your eyes aren’t as nice as Nate’s” I said with a sigh, giving the blade and my arm an aggrieve flick- in an attempt to rid it of the blood.

“You like my eyes?” Nate said turning back to look at me, his eyes glistening slightly.

I turned my head to look at him, “I do, they’re like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” he dropped his gaze and looked back towards Nathan who was now growling viciously.

The traitors and rouges began to filter out onto the street, like blood forcing its way out of a wound. There were hundreds of them, guards, warriors, and everyday people, stepping out like as wolves or people, some had their eyes dropped to the ground, looking almost ashamed, some filled with rage and anger.

’How are you feeling?’ Nate asked.

’Fine,’ I lied, I couldn’t drag my eyes off the blood that wept from Darius’ side, thoughts of his children and wife, flickered through my mind, their smiling faces surrounding me.

“You know, Nathan it’s funny to think that your partner, Darius over here betrayed you, tried to get me to kill you off and allow him to deal with me,” Nate said, as Darius leapt at me again. I brought the knife up and deflecting his attack, before plunging the knife back down his other side and colliding with a bone somewhere near his hind leg.

He let out a feral howl that made my blood curdle, as I tried to keep my face neutral. I gave the knife another flick, the blood splattering on the floor, “you know Darius, over here still haven’t even realised the funniest thing yet,” I scoffed at Nate who stood behind me.

“Oh?” Nate said glancing back towards me and raising an eyebrow whimsically. “Why don’t you tell him.”

“This knife is silver, Darius, I don’t need deliver the final blow, you’re already dead.

Something inside me shifted as I saw the fear lick into his eyes, like a fire burning around at me, he no longer looked at me like I was prey, but looked at me like he was the prey. He took two steps backwards, fear engulfing him and his wolf and something inside me enjoying it – like that was the look I lived for.

Like I lived for the hunt.

“Dose anyone else want to test out the powers of silver?” I asked, and I was shocked by the cocky, wickedness that was my own voice.