Poisoned Rose

The New Chapter

The Alpha’s girl:

Derek Mace:

It must go without saying that I wasn’t a good person at heart. I could easily be mistaken for something I was not. The truth of it was that I was more than capable of being fiercely aggressive, had a bad reputation, and was respected, admired, and feared all at the same time. Perhaps it had all came down to the mere fact that I had challenged and killed a mature Alpha male at the delicate age of fourteen. A mature Alpha male who had once been my father.  My power and strength went beyond the average Alpha. I could bet on several of my cars that even, Aaron Cross, could feel jealous about it.

I had earned the position of alpha at fourteen when Aaron had only inherited it at the age of eighteen. Yet, in a town where I ruled and my word was law, there was an unsettling balance that didn’t sit well with me. Perhaps it came from the reality that not many wanted to accept such a young wolf as their Alpha. The division could have begun then. But I was twenty-four, now. Well matured and mighty strong. And, I had proven my worth, my reliance and capability a long time ago when I fought many battles to protect this town. Killing packs that crossed our paths in hopes to retrieve more territory, destroying hunters that ravaged with rage to harm those I defended and tore rogues to shreds at the mere mercy of my teeth and claws.

Never once had I doubted myself. My strength. My power. The loyalty and respect that donned over me by my pack. Not once. Not now.

And, I had everything.

Everything an Alpha would ever dream of having.

Except for one thing.

The one thing that the monster within me craved to kill for.

And that was her, that delicate, blonde beauty who dared to challenge me and my existence.

As I sat there at the poker table, I fought the urge to question it all. Was my pack falling apart from the simple ploy of my enemies? I needed to know that it wasn’t because of failing loyalty on the inner circle. I had to make sure I couldn’t doubt any member of my pack because betrayal couldn’t be taken lightly. And, the mere thought that someone was going against me made my blood boil with rage. I could not sit back and tolerate such insolence.

I carefully watched as Gage Rou poured more scotch in his glass. His gaze was fixed to his cards, but his thumb unconsciously stroked the jagged lines of scarring that pierced his face. They were caused from the very markings of a lethal rogue that had once trespassed through the town. Gage had gotten to close even though I had warned him. The incident had taken place a few years ago. The scarring wound was nothing more than an ugly symbol of defying my order during the hunt for the rogue. It served as a reminder to what happened to those who refused to listen to me. But, Gage had lost his son that day and I understood that he wasn’t fit to follow my commands when revenge was all he could think about. Did he blame me for his loss? For the scar on his face?

Gage Rou was an old man along with the other players that congregated around the poker table. Their allegiance had once been to my father and now it was with me. Yet, I could not dismiss the fact that these men that sat around the poker table had received more years being faithful to my father than with me. A part within me hated to question their faithfulness with me, but it had to be done. It needed to be questioned and not dismissed. 

Recently, with all the rogue attacks and hunters closing in on Ridge Black Valley, I had to make sure that I wasn’t being deceived by the very members who pleaded allegiance to me and to this town. I could not stand to be a fool to those that may wish to go against me. And, Gage Rou had much influence over the elder community within my pack. I needed to unveil his intentions and see if he indeed had an agenda against me.