I wasn’t like other humans. I hadn’t been born to a woman nor was I the product of a she-wolf’s birth. No. I was different.
I was formed from the very essence of the earth itself, a magical combination of virility and power personified into a predator that was unmatched in this world. I was the first full-blooded alpha in centuries, and I was ready to take control of my mate and my pack. It was my responsibility to ensure the continuation of our species and I had every intention of doing exactly that, no matter what got put in my way.
I could feel the magic of nature running through my veins. The lifeblood that pumped through my heart was powered by the energy created by the rushing water that cut through rock, the liquid magma that carved the surface of the planet, and the wind that rustled through the leaves of the trees.
I was wolf. I was life itself. I was alpha.
When I had walked out of the cave that had given me life, my betas had already been on their way. They’d detected my existence and come to me when I had called for them. Now there were fifty in
my pack and more were arriving every day.
But there were more that couldn’t come because they were behind bars. More of my people were trapped in captivity and I had to get them out. I wouldn’t stand for the unfair imprisonment of my kind, not when I could do something about it.
The connection between me and my betas was strong and unbreakable. I gave them direct orders and they obeyed or else the alpha bond reminded them who was in charge. They answered to me and me alone. Nature demanded it.
My omega was another story. She was my mate and she was human, but she would learn that she would answer to me too.
I’d risen deep in the mountains not long ago and stayed sedentary as my pack had come to me. The past several days I’d sensed a segment of my pack not far off and I had been making plans to rescue them. Yesterday though, I’d scented her on the wind.
My mate.
And I had come for her.
She wasn’t far. I could feel her steps on the earth, could scent her breath on the air. I knew she was close, and I was going to find her. And then I was going to teach her of her rightful place.
My pack and I had acted early in the morning, catching the humans unawares for the most part. It had been surprisingly easy to break into the compound. One of my wolves had knocked out a security guard and stolen his badge. Once we had snuck into the facility, we had stolen several more keycards and gained access to the entire building, which we found went deep underground.
Through my connection to my trapped betas, I’d sent them a message that we were coming for them. They’d begun their own escape from several floors below on my command. The building’s alarm had been triggered in the process and that’s when the humans had started their attack. We shifted into our wolf forms immediately. We’d been able to detect them coming and we’d been ready. Their strategies were simplistic and uncoordinated, and it had been easy for us to break through their ranks.
They’d used guns, which had proven useless against us when in wolf form. Our hides were thick and impenetrable, except to one very particular material.
Silver. A blade or a bullet made from the precious metal would pierce right into our flesh. This place hadn’t stocked up on such resources, that much was becoming increasingly obvious. We were more vulnerable when in our human forms, our skin being much more exposed and defenseless against weapons. Once any danger presented itself, we would shift and were much safer because of it.
I’d instructed my people not to kill needlessly, but the numbers of humans proved to be large and even though we were protected from normal bullets, we were not immune to fire. They used a fair number of grenades and flamethrowers and several of my people were hurt. The betas defended themselves and once the captives from down below joined our ranks, we’d pulled out. I didn’t want to be there any longer than necessary.
I’d given the command to escape this place and make camp several miles away where they’d be safe. I’d instructed them to leave without me because I had my own mission to complete. I’d come back on my own. I’d come to find my mate.
I sniffed the air and her scent carried on the breeze. It was sweet, an aroma of apples and peaches and fragrant wildflowers and as refreshing as rain. I took a deep breath and savored the moment, knowing she was close.
It was my destiny to find her. Fate demanded it. Now it was only a matter of time.
A twig cracked in the distance. The birds went silent. The fur on my back raised in excitement. I began to run. She was out there, and she wasn’t far. I could feel it.
I sprinted through the forest, my paws falling silently onto the dirt beneath me. I wove through the trees in stealth, ensuring that every step was as noiseless as possible. I was the predator and she was my prey. She wasn’t going to know that I had found her until I wanted it to be known. Until then, I was going to enjoy the chase.
As I came across her traveled path, it quickly became clear that she hadn’t been trained in the ways of the forest. She did nothing to conceal her footsteps or the branches and leaves that had been broken or pushed aside as she made her way through the brush. It was easy to track her this way, and I loped along her trail until I knew she was very near.
I slowed down, padding softly down the defined dirt path until I saw the blue of her jeans and the green of her shirt peeking through the brush. Carefully, I circled around so that I could see her face for the very first time.
I sat on my haunches and licked my lips. I waited as she came around the bend, striding slowly through the forest as though she didn’t have a care in the world, like she didn’t know I was coming for her. Maybe she did or maybe she didn’t. Maybe she just thought she was safe.
She wasn’t. Not from me. She’d never be safe from me again.
She lifted her eyes finally and came to an abrupt stop, pulling in a panicked gasp as she took in the sight of me. Her fingers clutched at her chest and she whined so softly that it was almost imperceptible, but I heard it anyway.
I’d found her and now she was mine.
My mate.