Destined Alpha

RYDER

The man stood proudly and silently in front of the bars of my cell, staring intently as I watched him in return. Neither of us was willing to break the silence first.

I could tell he was the Alpha of whatever pack I had been brought to—his presence radiated through the whole room. I watched as he looked me up and down.

I could tell he didn’t know what to make of me. I had seen rogues before, they were mindless, dirty, violent wolves driven mad from not having the bond of a pack.

I like to think I looked pretty normal. My hair was long and I had thick scruff on my face from a few weeks of not shaving, but I looked more mountain man than rogue.

“What is your name, rogue?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.

I didn’t answer.

“I asked you a question,” he growled.

“And I chose not to answer it,” I replied.

He looked me up and down with irritation. “Fine, don’t tell me your name. I would like to know what you were doing on my territory though.”

I let out a huff. “Why does everyone seem to think I was in your boundaries? I never stepped foot in your territory, I made sure of it. My home is outside your borders.”

“Is it now?” He glared. “Well any smart rogue would think twice before setting up shop just outside a pack’s borders.”

“I guess I’m not very smart then,” I replied, sarcasm dripping off every word.

The Alpha scowled at me, clearly irritated that he wasn’t getting any information from me.

“Since you aren’t feeling very cooperative, I guess a few days down here might help you find a better attitude,” he said, before turning and walking back up the stairs.

“I highly doubt it . . . ” I mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear me and earn a low growl.

He walked back up the stairs, leaving me alone in the holding cells with a guard poised at the foot of the stairs.

I lifted the mattress off the bed and threw it onto the ground, a cloud of dust rising into the air from the force. I flipped it over and placed it back on the old iron frame, laying down and closing my eyes.

I didn’t know how much time had gone by before a guard came down at shift change.

I had napped most of the day away, waiting with the hope that they would just let me out and I could go home to my solitude.

Hiding had now become second nature to me. I wanted revenge for my pack, but I had no idea who had attacked my pack, or if I even wanted to know. I was content in my loneliness.

At least that’s what I told myself.

The next morning, I woke to the clanking sound of someone hitting against the bars of my cell.

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty,” he taunted as I sat up on the bed.

“I’d stop that before I rip your face off,” I replied. I was not a morning person.

He laughed. “Good luck with that.” He slid a tray through the slot in the bars. “Here’s your breakfast.”

I stood and walked to my meal. Something smelled off. I gave it a big sniff and recoiled when I realized what they had done.

I threw the tray back out of the slot in the door, the tray and food crashing to the floor outside the cell.

“What the hell was that for?!” the guard yelled, attempting to walk through the mess.

“I don’t take kindly to being poisoned,” I growled, before sitting back on the bed.

The guard growled. “Pretty sure that wasn’t poison, man.”

I knew what it was. I had found some growing behind the cabin and tried to use the leaves for tea. I was a hot mess for the rest of the day. Spouting all of my secrets to the air and to my wolf.

They had slipped some into my food with the hope I would eat it and cooperate more.

The Alpha never came and I spent the whole day sitting in the cell, starving, because every meal was laced with that stuff and I didn’t want them knowing who I was.

***

Late in the evening, I was lying in bed, my body becoming uncomfortable.

Something is wrong . . . my wolf whispered in my head.

I could feel myself gradually becoming warmer. I looked down to see the burns and scratches on my wrists from the silver cuffs had become inflamed.

They were infected, and because there was still silver residue on them they wouldn’t heal naturally until it was removed. I rubbed them, trying to get the residue off my wrists so they could heal.

After a while, I felt myself getting heavy.

I was seeing spots and could barely keep my thoughts straight in my mind. I could barely keep my eyes open and I felt like I was on fire, my fever reaching new heights.

I called out to the guard, “Hey . . . guard . . . something is—”

The darkness overtook me.