Alpha

The day is passed with little activity. I wonder what I'm going to do. He's going to bring extra guards for me—I know it. He knows that I'll fight him every step of the way. He may even bring more guys for me than he did for Ryder.

Most of the day I waste away doing exercise—push-ups, sit-ups, practicing moves that I usually need a sparring partner for. I just need to keep myself active. I'll go crazy if I don't.

Finally, the sun begins to slowly descend in the sky. For once, I wish that it wasn't the Full Moon. I want for the sun to stay there. I want to stay human and not Transform. If I do that, I'd be untouchable. The dream won't come true.

I chew my lip in anticipation as I step out of the house and stare up at the sky as the sun as it begins to set. The sky turns the pinkish-orangey glow that I've always admired but now hate. My body begins to tingle as the sky slowly turns purple and darkens as the moon sinisterly reveals itself. I glare up at it as my feet begin to change. It seems somewhat slower today, as if my body is trying to drag the Transformation out for my sake. It reaches my hands and I fall as fur consumes my face, and my jaw begins to extend. My ears grow and become pointed. I close my eyes and am a wolf.

I hate my heritage.

I sigh and slowly begin to walk. The heat if the day still hangs in the air, causing me to pant loudly after just a few minutes under my heavy fur coat. I lick my chaps and creep across the ground, for once not playing or hunting. I plan to seek out the road and wait for Damien's car.

When I get there, the van is already there. But they aren't.

I realize they must have been here for hours. Practically sagging, I resolve to just run wild through the forest like I normally do to work some of the stress off. I need to find them even though I don't want to. I just know it's something I have to do.

I eventually, if reluctantly, begin to allow my nose to lead me. I find their scent, so torn between following it and using my nose to lead me away. I keep reminding myself that this is for the Pack, and that thought leads me along the trail that they left for me in their wake.

They walked far. I eventually stop trying to determine how far from the van we are. I just want to find these guys and get this whole thing over with.

I'm in a part of the forest I've never been before, a shock considering how much we sometimes explore. I'm beginning to get scared, but I ignore the feeling and press forward. I'm by a stream. Damien's near.

He has six men in the clearing with him when I find them. One is hiding in the shadows. One of the men sitting on the ground looks annoyed, the others are stoic.

"Sir," the man whines in an American accent. "We've been sitting here waiting for this girl for hours. Can't we just leave her alone and kill the others. She's a wolf anyway. There's no way we could catch her."

I roll my eyes, predicting that this guy will probably be beaten by Damien's other guards, or maybe he'll have to deal with that other guy that Damien mentioned when he took Ryder—Andre, I think. Knowing what I do about Damien and his father I know that that kind of statement would never be tolerated. "Alright," Damien replies reasonably. "We will test to make sure she is near. I know just how." He snaps his finger and a giant arm shoots up from the shadows, the only part of the man I can see other than his beady hazel eyes. He pulls the trigger on his gun, and the boy who complained is dead. The boy can be no older than Ryder.

I yelp in shock and pain, the bullet having been too loud for my hypersensitive ears.

And that's all they need. "You see, boys. I told you I knew how to locate the mongrel." He looks directly at where I stand stone-still, then back at his men. "Now run."

Needing no more encouragement than that, the men leap up and take off. My eyes widen, and I do the same, running as fast as I can in the opposite direction. I zigzag a lot, trying to confuse and throw them off, but Damien's men are fast. Damien is right behind them, as is that other man I'm sure, but I refuse to turn and look back.

I weave through the forest, diving and crawling under bushes too low for the men to follow but too tall for them to jump over. I bound through streams and creeks, probably retracing my steps several times but not caring. I forget what it is that I needed to find the men for. All that matters is that I'm pretty sure that if I slow down or stop, I'm dead where I stand.

Eventually I arrive somewhere in the forest familiar. It's like someone cut a path through the trees and bushes leading this way. I'm almost at a small clearing with no larger than a 3-meter radius. I know I'm on the right track now.

'It's the place from the dream.'

'Yes, which means it's time to stop.'

'Are you kidding? Those guys will kill me.'

'Stop or I will make you.'

'You aren't going to make me stop. Once I pass this, it'll be impossible for them to get me.'

'Last chance!'

'Leave me alone!'

The Voice begins to screech, a scream as high-pitched as the cackle from the dream. Just like in the dream, I stop dead center in the clearing and lay down with my paws covering my ears. Moonlight streams through the space above me, shining a spotlight on me.

The footsteps pound behind me and the leaves strewn on the floor crunch beneath four heavy men, the much leaner Damien, and his friend. I cry out in pain, wanting to get up and keep running but unable to move. It feels like my ears are bleeding but the Voice simply won't let up.

'Stop, please stop! I'm begging you. Let me up.'

The Voice stops screeching but cackles to fill the small space of silence. And then the men get me.