The Alpha & I

Chapter 2 - Welcome to the Pack

She took her time on the way home, it wasn't like anyone was waiting for her. Taking a few detours, she took a slow pace through the greenery of the forest slowly making her way home. She knew she was alright this side of the forest as she couldn't smell any violence, no blood in the air. As the sun began to set, she decided to finally make her way back to the little hut she had been calling her home for the last five years.

Walking along the well-worn path she turned to the presence deep within herself.

You still won't talk to me? Or come out, huh? She asked the sleeping animal.

She got a slight grunt in response; her animal always did that. Making sure to at least let her know that she was still there.

It's okay you know, we could be running free together, wouldn't you like that? She received a sighed huff in response.

She was being told to leave her along. One day, maybe one day they would be together again, but Sirena didn't blame her animal for not wanting to come out. It did after all blame itself for what happened that day.

That fated day, she was both destroyed and saved. On her 15th birthday she'd gone into heat for the first time, it was young for both species, wolves and snow leopards. And given that the snow leopards were becoming extinct, the pack that was keeping her as 'breeding stock' took the opportunity to try to impregnate her. Only shifters could breed with shifters in this world. Though it wasn't unheard of for humans to have shifter offspring, it was extremely rare that they would be able to shift. Her beast had screamed and lashed out, even managed to kill some of their attackers after somewhat transforming.

But once the men stopped and had their fill... or had been killed, her beast had locked its self away. It had been a protective measure, so she would never have a heat again. Sirena didn't mind not having her heat, even enjoyed the freedom, but she missed her they other side of herself. It was like a piece of herself was missing. So close but just out of reach, leaving an emptiness that couldn't be filled.

"I should really name you, but you won't talk to me, so I find it hard to give you one, you know!" she spoke to herself allowed, her animal could still hear her, it was after all, always there inside her.

She wasn't far from the hut now; she could see it in the distance but her nose started to tingle. She wriggled it as she tried to figure out what it was and where it was coming from. It was mixed with a bunch of other scents she didn't know, but she could defiantly make out something or someone she did recognize.

Blood, she realized. "Cedric!" She exclaimed and broke out into a run.

Behind the hut she found. He had been utterly torn to pieces, his skin was gaping open and blood had sprayed everywhere. His eyes were dull and the life had long left them. She felt her animal stir with anger, grief and shock. The feelings overwhelmed them both.

"NO!" She screamed as she lugged forward only to slip in the blood-soaked muddy ground.

Crawling her way over to his body, her hands were shaking as she grabbed onto his barely attached arm. She needed to confirm if it was real. The sickening sound of fresh tearing and the limp arm dropping to the ground confirmed it for her, he was gone.

She felt tears well up, her emotions going into overdrive. Her surroundings had shown her that he had taken out quite a number of the attackers before he had gone down.

Unable to hold it back anymore she raised her head to sky and howled, the sound was not her own and came from deep within her.

She felt parts of her body change. Her fingers elongated to claws, half her face peeled away as canines protruded from one side, her brow filled out and changed shape. She felt her shoulders hunch and become trapped in a half-transformed state. Sirena was trying desperately to shift, to run after the lingering scents that were leading away from the hut.