Love Thy Alpha

JENNESSA

The moment the cool night air brushed against my face, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. It was as if all my worries had been swept away, leaving me feeling lighter and more at peace.

I found myself leaning against the side of the grand house, trying to make sense of my swirling thoughts. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that he knew who I was. It couldn’t have been a mere coincidence, could it?

He had the nerve to talk about my father as if he cared about what happened to him.

Or maybe he didn’t recognize me? It had been a decade since we last saw each other, and even then, we weren’t exactly close. Could it have been just a random encounter?

No, I told myself. There’s no such thing as coincidences, especially not ones this big. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize me in a crowd, but he approached the one person who was staring at my father’s portrait. He had to have known who I was.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. I could feel my wolf stirring within me, ready to break free.

I hurried over to where my mother had parked her car, quickly shedding my shoes and dress. I barely managed to get them off before my transformation began.

My bones started to crack and shift as I transitioned from human to wolf. I knew my mother would have been furious if I had ruined the beautiful dress.

In no time, I was on all fours, my wolf taking control. To my surprise, she hesitated, as if she didn’t want to leave. I urged her on, “Go!”

Instinct took over then, and I was off, running as far away from Alpha Headquarters as I could. I ran until I felt calm enough to regain control.

I hadn’t been paying attention to where I was going, I was just glad to be away from there.

When I finally looked around, I realized my wolf had led me to my favorite spot in the entire pack land—the river.

Maybe it was her way of apologizing for her earlier hesitation, or maybe she knew this was where I would have gone anyway.

Either way, it was comforting to know that my wolf cared enough to bring me to a place where I could find peace.

I shifted back into my human form and sat on the riverbank, naked and alone, but feeling as if my troubles were far away, at least for the moment.

My father used to bring me here, and we’d spend hours fishing. Some of my fondest memories were of those times.

One memory in particular stood out. I was six, and we were having a great day. I had just cast my line when I hooked a big bass.

Everything happened so quickly, and the bass was so strong that I dropped my fishing pole into the water. My father dove in after it.

When he resurfaced, he was holding the bass in one hand and my fishing pole in the other. We both laughed, and I thought it was the coolest thing that he had caught my fish with his bare hands.

Tears streamed down my face as I remembered that day, and this time, I didn’t try to stop them. I was alone, and it didn’t matter if I appeared weak.

I missed my father, and I blamed Clay’s family for his absence.

Clay.

Just thinking his name reignited the anger I had felt earlier. I didn’t want to think about him. I wanted to be here, in this moment, cherishing the memories I had with my father.

But I couldn’t get him out of my head.

I hadn’t seen him in so long, and the last time I did, he didn’t seem like an enemy or a threat.

But seeing his portrait tonight, which was much more recent than the last time I saw him, I couldn’t ignore how much fiercer and stronger he looked. We had both changed.

Without even realizing it, I started listing the similarities between us. Both our fathers had been alphas of our packs. Both our fathers had been killed within the last ten years, which didn’t bode well for Clay. And in another life, we might have been friends, or at least allies, if it weren’t for the mess his father had created.

I was surprised at where my thoughts were leading me. There was no point in imagining what could have been, because it wasn’t reality.

His father had made his choice, and it had set off a chain of events that was still unfolding.

I hated the thought of how one man’s poor decision a decade ago had so profoundly affected my life and continued to do so.

It made me feel weak and a little unhinged. I was angry at a dead man and taking it out on his living son.

I spent the entire night by the river. I knew my mother wouldn’t be pleased, but she would have to understand. I couldn’t be there right now. It was too painful.

The thought of returning made me feel sick and heartbroken. Alpha Headquarters used to be my home.

My father had made sure my mother and I were comfortable there, living among the other high-ranking pack members.

It used to be my playground, but now it felt like enemy territory, and I was the outsider.

After a few hours, I shifted back into my wolf form and spent the rest of the night that way, finding a soft patch of dirt to sleep on under the stars, lulled by the sound of the river.

As a lycan, I was always aware of my wolf, but that night, I needed the extra comfort and security she provided.