Alpha Rylan
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Midika Crane
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1,9M
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39
Chapter One
Dawn
āThis is becoming a habit, isnāt it?ā
The men form a half-circle around me, their eyes tracking my every move with caution.
Theyāre trying to pretend their fingers arenāt trembling on their weapons, their feet poised to retreat if necessary.
There used to be five of them, but Iāve managed to reduce their number to four. Purely by accident, of course.
The leader stands in the center, clutching a staff made of dark wood, its tip sharpened and a metal cuff at the base for grip.
Members of the Purity Pack donāt believe in using firearms or even silver. But right now, I can tell heād love to break those rules and use such weapons against me.
āKneel,ā he orders, his voice shaky despite his attempt at authority.
I canāt help but roll my eyes at the predictability of his command. Commander Burke never brings any excitement to our encountersāespecially not recently.
As the leader of an elite force tasked with protecting the Purity Pack, heād probably rather be doing anything else than this; this being chasing a girl aimlessly through the woods.
āAnd surrender,ā we both say simultaneously, causing him to scowl and me to laugh.
He glances at the three men heās brought along. I wonder if heās noticed the scar on the forehead of the man to his left. I certainly did... I was the one who gave it to him, after all.
It wouldnāt have happened if heād just listened to me.
I hate it when they donāt listen.
āIs this the seventh time weāve done this dance?ā I ask, raising my hand with my fingers spread wide.
Commander Burkeās brow furrows, nearly hiding his almond-shaped eyes. He hates the banter. But I do it every time.
Sometimes it gets lonely, and to be honest, messing with Alpha Rylanās guards is a source of amusement for me.
āWe wouldnāt have to if youād just surrender,ā Burke grumbles, his grip on his weapon tightening. So predictable. Has he learned nothing?
He always does this when heās about to attack, as if he thinks he can catch me off guard. When he sees my raised eyebrow, heāll relax his grip.
I sigh. āHavenāt we established thatās not an option?ā
One of the men at the edge of the group looks to his commander. I have no idea why he keeps coming along.
Every single time, he struts up full of confidence, but bolts the moment I make my move. Heās my favorite.
āBelieve me, creature, we wouldnāt be here if you werenāt his mate,ā Burke says. Rylan wonāt tell them my real name, so theyāve taken to calling me ācreatureā. I like it too much to correct them.
If I wasnāt Rylanās mate, a lot of things would be different.
I wouldnāt be on the run. I wouldnāt be poor. My family wouldnāt have disowned me and my sister.
I wouldnāt spend every moment wondering when his guards might come crashing through the underbrush in pursuit of me.
I have to give him credit for his persistence... Itās been almost a year since we both found out. A year since Iāve been on the run.
I wonāt, wonāt live under his rules. I wonāt believe in the goddess. And neither will my sister.
āNor would we have to if you didnāt stealā¦ā Burke starts, but I cut him off with a glare. Iām tired of explaining myself. Stealing is a serious crime. So is murder.
I only committed one of those on purpose.
He shouldnāt have thrown himself at me. He practically forced my hand.
āYouāre right,ā I say flatly. āBut youāre wasting your time chasing someone who isnāt your alphaās precious good girl.ā
Just then, one of his guards lunges at me. Iād been expecting it, actually. I thought it would have happened five minutes ago.
The way heād been eyeing me from behind his cloth mask gave him away.
Every so often, heād twitch as if he were about to attack, but then heād change his mind at the last second.
Iād already freed my weapon of choice from the tree behind me by the time he made his move.
A heavy rockāI found it at the bottom of the local riverāfits perfectly in my hand, ideal for throwing.
I prefer long-range weapons; it helps me sleep at night knowing I didnāt get close enough to hurt him.
I donāt even have to look at him as I hurl the rock into the air, aiming straight for his forehead.
It hits him, instantly knocking him out. As he collapses next to the rock, I quickly replace the flicker of guilt on my face with anger.
Anger at him.
A heavy silence falls over us, until Burke breaks it with a sigh. āA rock, thatās new.ā
Usually, I opt for a sharpened stick, like the ones they carry, but not as long or fancy. I tried a bone once, but it didnāt hold up without proper treatment.
Thereās nothing fancy out here in the forest. Burke doesnāt listen when I tell him itās an unfair advantage.
This isnāt a game to him, like it is to me. Itās his job, which is why I take great pleasure in making it difficult.
Every time he drags injured men back to Rylan, I can imagine the consequences. Today wonāt be any different.
āHonestly, I think you need better men,ā I say, brushing my hands off on my pants. Theyāre worn and tattered, but they do the job.
Burke rests the tip of his staff on the ground. āHow about a bargain?ā
My ears prick up at his words. Did he just suggest what I think he did? Burke and I have crossed paths in the forest many times, but heās never proposed anything like a deal before.
Itās always been the same old song and dance, so this new tune has me intrigued.
āHe wants to talk to you... one last time,ā Burke says. āThen heāll agree to let you go.ā
My heart nearly skips a beat. Can he be serious? Burke is an older man, which makes him twice as stubborn as the young guys who usually flank him.
This must be tearing him up inside, knowing I might just walk away scot-free. The thought alone has me grinning from ear to ear.
āInteresting,ā I reply, keeping my tone clipped. Iām not sure whether to trust him. āAbout what?ā
He shrugs, a gesture thatās out of character for someone of his stature. Even the two remaining boys look taken aback.
The blond one, whoās always looking for an escape route, still seems uneasy. Iām tempted to say ābooā or something, just to give him an excuse to bolt.
I wouldnāt mind an escape route myself, but I canāt risk leading them back to my sister.
āYou think Iām privy to that information? Youāll have to find out for yourself.ā
āGross,ā I mutter, recalling every other conversation Iāve had with him. Itās the same garbage, time and time again.
If I have to listen to that insufferable alpha one more time, I might just pull my hair out. Of all the people in the world who donāt get me, itās him.
He honestly believes that keeping me cooped up within his packās territory will turn me into a docile little lamb. At least, that was his theory six months ago.
I havenāt heard a peep from him since.
āYou know what,ā I say, squaring my shoulders. āIāll talk to him. If he tries anything, Iāll kill him.ā
Thatās not an empty threat... well, maybe. Every time Iāve been near him, I havenāt felt the urge, but things are different now. Iām stronger. Iām better.
Iām his personal fugitive. And I plan on keeping it that way.
