Alpha Jasper

Thea

“We’re doomed...”

I bury my face into the cushions of June’s worn-out couch, hoping it’ll muffle her persistent voice.

I came here thinking she wouldn’t know about Jessica’s disappearance.

She never steps foot outside—I even do her grocery shopping—and I figured her parents wouldn’t spill the beans.

“Missing? No one ever goes missing here,” she says, her voice so filled with worry that I almost feel bad for her. Too bad she’s convinced a fictional character is behind the disappearance…

“She couldn’t stand anyone here,” I try to reassure her. “It wouldn’t shock me if she just packed up and left.”

June doesn’t seem convinced. Her fingers nervously play with the hem of her shirt. Her eyes are like mine, hazel, but a shade darker.

Sometimes people mistake us for sisters, which I take as a compliment more than she does. June is stunning. Delicate facial features, big doe eyes, and the sweetest smile.

Her hair is thicker, more luscious than mine, and always perfectly styled.

Her face is in shadow, her back to the window. It’s quite a sight, with the thunderstorm currently raging outside.

Rain is rare here. And storms are so infrequent they’re considered an event.

So with rain pounding on June’s roof and windows, and thunder rumbling in the background, I’m surprised she isn’t scared.

“What if she was kidnapped? What if we’re next?” she asks, running her hands through her mass of curls.

In that moment, she looks a lot like Jessica. “June, relax...”

“I live alone... Oh, Goddess!” She starts pacing in front of me. “I’m next, aren’t I?”

I jump up, grabbing June’s shoulders. I stare at her, holding her tight as she trembles beneath my hands. She’s genuinely frightened, and I can’t really blame her.

Nothing like this has ever happened in our peaceful little town.

Suddenly, the wind howls loudly from outside, and the lights flicker off.

We’re not in total darkness, but it’s enough to make June cry out and dive at the couch, pulling a blanket over herself.

The trees outside thrash their branches around, the dim light from the stormy clouds casting eerie shadows across the floorboards.

“It’s okay... just wind,” I manage to say. Storms scare me. Always have. The thought of Mother Nature wreaking havoc on the Pack is terrifying.

June’s whimpering brings my attention back to her. “We just have to wait for it to pass.”

Again, the wind picks up, shaking the trees so violently a branch snaps off a nearby one, skidding across the deck.

And then, the door blows open.

The force is so strong, it swings back and hits the window, shattering it completely. The crash of the glass and June’s scream are almost identical. Glass scatters across the ground, landing at my feet.

“We’re going to die!” I hear June’s voice faintly over the sound of the wind in my ears. It’s deafening, as I struggle to reach the door. The force of the wind is unnaturally strong.

Something is wrong, this never happens!

I grab the edge of the door. Using the strength I’ve built up from carrying plates to customers all day, I force the door closed, only satisfied when I hear it click.

Relieved, I collapse to the ground, surrounded by glass.

“Thea? Are you okay?” I hear June ask cautiously, peeking out from under the blanket. Our eyes meet.

“No thanks to you,” I joke, smoothing down my hair.

I don’t want to mention how the wind was the strangest thing I’ve ever dealt with. How I found the courage to shut that door, I have no idea. It was as if I was being compelled to stop it.

“Where’s Squiggles?” June asks, finally emerging from the blanket. Wind still gusts through the hole in the window, occasionally blowing in a leaf. That’s not going to be an easy fix.

“He was in his…” I trail off, as my gaze lands on the spot where the dog was just moments ago. June’s face instantly goes pale. Her dog is her world. The entire town knows it.

So the second he’s out of her sight without knowing exactly where he is …

We spend the next five minutes searching June’s small cabin for the dog. Under the couch, behind the fridge, around the chairs. Nothing.

“He’s out there,” June says, her face falling in defeat. She glances at the door, and I know what she’s thinking.

Instead of being trapped in the small room, filled with wind and screaming, the dog had escaped. Into the forest, most likely.

“When the wind dies down, I’m sure he’ll come back,” I tell her, but my words go in one ear and out the other. She’s already at the door, opening it.

Instantly, the room is filled with deafening wind, blowing shards of glass toward me.

I push forward, grabbing her by the forearm to stop her from acting on her thoughts. Visions of her getting lost in that storm haunt me. There’s no way I’m letting her go out there alone …

“You stay here. I’ll go out and find him,” I promise, casting a wary glance outside. The rain is relentless, and doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.

Hopefully the thickness of the forest will provide enough shelter.

Despite not wanting to send me out in the storm, June nods, driven by the thought of her missing dog.

So, gathering as much courage as I can, I run outside, slamming the door closed behind me. Outside, the rain hits me like bullets. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt rain on my skin.

The sensation is uncomfortable, as the cold liquid winds its way through my hair, and trickles down my skin.

I head down the same path I took last night, the canopy providing decent shelter from the onslaught of rain, but not so much from the wind.

I fight against it, my hair whipping around my face as I run.

“Squiggles!” I call out loudly.

My gaze darts around as I move, peeking behind tree trunks and beneath bushes. He’s vanished. The sting of defeat hits me after only a few minutes in the forest.

The deeper I venture, the more the darkness seems to swallow everything. Is it my imagination, or are shadows creeping out from behind those trees?

I continue to trudge on, the chill of my damp clothes against my skin making me shiver. Now I’m starting to regret this wild goose chase for her silly dog.

It feels like everything is against me right now. The wind might have calmed down, but the rain still drenches me.

“Squiggles, come on...” I plead, tripping over my own feet. The dirt path has turned into a muddy mess, clinging to my bare feet—I didn’t bother to put on shoes.

I kick a stick in frustration, groaning.

Not only is June going to be furious about her missing dog, I’m probably lost, and the threat of hypothermia is becoming more and more real.

Then I hear a man clearing his throat behind me.

I spin around, praying to the Moon Goddess that it’s not a murderer hiding in the woods.

But there’s nothing. No one. Zilch. Instead of a person, I’m left staring at tree trunks and a dense wall of leaves. Like a fool. Someone, or something, is here.

And I don’t think I’m welcome.

Shouting ‘hello’ is probably a dumb move. At least that’s what every horror movie I’ve ever seen would suggest.

If whatever is here doesn’t know I’ve stumbled into its territory, maybe I can get out alive. But it sounded like a very ordinary person making a very ~ordinary~ noise.

So I stand still, unsure of what to do. But then I see something. A figure. The outline is shadowy—almost blurry. I have to squint to make sure I’m seeing correctly.

Because if I am, there’s a man standing further down the path, his back to me.

I might have just found someone who can guide me back the way I came. Because I think I’ve strayed from the path.

“Hey! Um... Hello?” I decide to take a chance. It’s better than dying out here alone. My words echo in the wind, and for a moment, I think he didn’t hear me.

But then he turns his head.

I can’t see much of him. It’s as if he’s swallowed by his own shadow. I can only see his outline, which tells me he’s tall, and much bigger than me.

Definitely a man. A man who could either help me, or kill me right here.

And then, he just walks away! He strolls down the path, not even acknowledging me.

“Wait! I'm lost,” I shout after him. He disappears around a bend. Well, either I stay here and risk freezing to death, or I follow him... The latter seems like the only choice.

I force my numb limbs to move, jogging after him, pushing branches out of my way as I battle through the undergrowth.

When I spot the man again, it seems like shadows are chasing him. I decide I might be losing my mind. But I still follow. I still tread the path he’s on.

Despite how fast I’m chasing him, he only seems to get further away. The distance between us is maddening, but every slight turn of his head keeps me going.

Maybe he wants me to follow him after all. But right now, I don’t have time to ask.

And then, suddenly, he disappears around another bend. And when I round the corner, I'm back at June's house.

I let out a surprised breath. The quaint, old cabin with the broken window is in front of me, and I can't help but think I'm hallucinating. The man is gone.

Like he was swept away by the wind. And instead, I'm staring at a police car parked in front of June's porch, the rain leaving a glossy sheen on the bumper.

Luca. My heart pounds.

I sprint up the porch steps, my wet feet slapping against the wood. I shout through the window, begging June to let me in from this whirlwind of wind and rain.

The moment the door opens I stumble inside, yelling at her to shut the door behind me.

I turn to see a frazzled June leaning against the door, the wind from the broken window whipping her hair around wildly.

But I barely notice her, despite failing to find her dog. What I do notice is the man standing in the corner.

I stride over to him, throwing myself into his arms. “I’m sorry.”

I’m apologizing because I know he’s going to be upset. Being concerned about safety is his job, and the fact that he’s my boyfriend, and soon to be forced mate, makes it even worse.

He just happens to be in his police uniform too.

“I can’t believe you would do something so reckless... Putting yourself in danger,” Luca murmurs into my hair. I want to roll my eyes.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard those exact words from him.

I pull away from him, glancing over at June. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t find Squiggles.”

She shrugs. She’s visibly calmer now, having had time to stop worrying while I was nearly lost in the storm.

“I called Luca, because I thought you weren’t coming back…”

“How long was I gone?” I ask. June and Luca exchange glances.

It gives me a decent amount of time to study the two. They look alike. Not just because they’re from the same Pack, but because they’re first cousins.

They share the same hazel eyes we all do, but his hair is slightly lighter from working in the sun a lot. Their facial structures are very similar, which I found strange at first.

But now I’m used to it.

“About four hours,” June says. My eyes widen. Four hours? I swear I was only gone for about half an hour. I clutch my head in confusion. And then I remember the strange man.

“There was someone else out there,” I tell them. “A man.”

Luca’s gaze is fixed on the window, likely sizing up the weather. There’s no way he can venture out in this to search for him. And who’s to say that man was even real?

Maybe it was just a figment of my imagination, a trick played by the cold.

Speaking of the cold, I suddenly become aware of the icy sensation creeping beneath my clothes, prickling my skin. June picks up on it and quickly scurries over to the chest where she stores her blankets.

“Tomorrow, Dad and I will go out and search the area for June’s dog, and the man,” Luca informs me. He’s switched into business mode. I can recognize it instantly. His shoulders are squared, arms rigid.

His face is set in a stern expression. I can’t stand when he gets like this.

June approaches from behind, draping the blanket over my shoulders. I just want this day to be over.

And to figure out who that man was.