Alpha Faye
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Midika Crane
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PROLOGUE
FAYE
Just right.
I wedge my fingers under the window, pushing it up until the crisp night air wafts in. It’s not a snowy night, but the chill nips at my bare arms. There’s no sense in dressing up when I’m about to shift anyway.
So, I swing my leg over the sill, peering down at the ground below. Here’s to hoping the grass cushions my fall.
I take a deep breath and let myself drop until my feet hit the ground, my ankles protesting the impact. There shouldn’t be anyone around here tonight. As far as I know, the guards are on different patrols until midnight.
The night hums around me. No one else seems to agree with me that the forest behind my home comes alive at night.
They believe it does, but in a different way.
My pack, the Independence Pack, has always kept its distance from the other twelve packs, especially the Discipline Pack. Their disapproval of our rule-free lifestyle has caused a rift between their alpha, Kael, and me.
In fact, he’s sent his goons to kill me more than once. It should scare me, but it doesn’t. I lead a pack where people are free to make their own choices with minimal consequences.
Sure, there are some limits, but my people are independent. They live the life they choose, as long as they respect my decisions when necessary.
However, there are those whose opinions tend to override mine. Like my mother. After a brush with death a few years ago, I invited her to live with me so I could take care of her.
But this has turned out to be a real headache, as she’s been pushing my patience to its limits with her constant “suggestions.” I use the term suggestions lightly.
I try to listen. I try to understand. But staying indoors at night when the allure of the forest is so strong? I don’t think so…
So, to keep the peace, I sneak around. Something a female alpha seeking respect from all packs should never be caught doing.
When I finally muster the courage to ask my mother to leave, I won’t have to sneak around anymore. I won’t have to worry about letting her down.
My bare feet crunch over fallen leaves. My left hand skims the wall as I walk, ready to melt into the shadows if necessary.
The forest is enclosed by a towering dark fence. Since my pack is located at the top of a mountain, the forest is the only way in or out. That’s how Alpha Kael’s assassins get in, which is why it’s suggested I stay out.
I get it, but it’s hard to resist the call of the wild. It doesn’t take me long to find the gate that keeps people out. My eyes are well adjusted to the darkness.
This isn’t my first time sneaking out, and if I can stay under the radar, it won’t be my last. Scaling the gate is the trickiest part. My hands grip the cold iron as I scramble up, my feet nearly slipping on the frost-coated bars.
The higher I climb, the more difficult it becomes. My hands are freezing and cramping, but I push through the discomfort, swinging my legs over the top before dropping to the ground on the other side.
Once I shift, I’ll be fine—unless someone catches my scent. Then I’m toast. To avoid that, I venture deeper into the forest, letting its darkness swallow me with each step.
Just when I feel safe enough to shift, I hear a strange noise. Rustling. And voices. Damn it.
I press myself against the trunk of a tree, hiding from the flashlight of the guards. I recognize their voices. There are only two of them, but I know both. Preston and James. Jerks.
“Thought so.” I hear Preston grumble, followed by a murmur of agreement from James.
“Come on out, Faye,” James calls out.
I wince. Of course they would find me—they’re the best guards in the Pack Quarter. That’s exactly why I hired them to protect my home. Now, I’m starting to second-guess that decision.
“We know why you’re out here, so you don’t have to worry about explaining yourself to us.”
They’re just trying to coax me out, I know it. They’re aware that as the alpha, I don’t owe them any explanations. But they also know that their words will make me want to step out and confirm their suspicions.
“I’m only agreeing to come back because I don’t want to hear another disappointed speech,” I grumble, emerging from behind the tree and into the glow of their flashlights.
“If it will prevent her from having a heart attack, then fine. I’m sure you’d be the ones to run back and tell her.”
Preston and James share a look. They’re not my personal guards. These silver-haired men are tasked with patrolling the area, keeping an eye out for intruders trying to infiltrate the pack.
“You were about to shift,” Preston justifies, his gaze sweeping over me.
I’m not dressed for the cold air, just wearing a simple outfit that I wouldn’t mind losing if I couldn’t retrieve it. Now, all my preparations seem pointless.
“Aren’t you going to escort me back?” I ask.
I don’t really want to engage in more conversation with these two. They’re notorious for gossiping to my mother as if she’s the leader of her own little pack. The less I say to them, the better.
They lead me straight to my mother. Not to report my actions, but because she requested my presence. I dread entering her room. It’s a stark reminder of her frailty. The sheer curtains, the sterile smell. She’s bedridden, teetering on the edge of life.
The moment she sees me, I can see the disappointment in her eyes. She scrutinizes my attire.
“You’re fortunate we have matters to discuss that don’t involve your choice of clothing.”
Preston and James leave me at the door. Lucky me.
I’m a total wreck. My feet and the hem of my dress are coated in a thin layer of dirt. My hair is a mess, and I’m exhausted. How is my mother even awake at this ungodly hour, which I carefully chose to avoid detection? Or so I thought.
“What is it, Mother?” I ask, standing over her frail form in the bed.
Her once snow-white hair, which I inherited, is now gray and unkempt. Her face is pale, her eyes milky. Despite her condition, her senses are as sharp as mine, which is unnerving. It means I can’t get away with anything around her.
“I’ve been concerned about you. The Discipline Pack has been training more assassins. I need to ensure your safety at all times, don’t you agree?” she asks.
She adds the don’t you agree as if to give me the illusion of choice. She likes to pretend I’m oblivious.
“And that means?”
“Your father had a Huntsman a few years ago, before he passed away. That boy kept him safe, both when he was aware and when he wasn’t. After your father fell ill, we sent the boy away.
“But I’ve asked him to return and look after you.” When she reveals this, my eyes widen.
“You made this decision without consulting me?”
My mother sighs, a raspy sound. “Some decisions have to be made for you. You can’t always be concerned about getting caught.
“With this Huntsman, you can venture farther into the forest, if that’s what you desire…”
I clench my teeth.
“What’s his name?”
She sits up. “Cal.”
