The Shy Alpha

Chapter Five

Hunter practically ripped the attic doors from it's hinges, his emotional state fuelling his adrenaline. He stumbled into the room, and hid behind a wardrobe. He pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around them.

"I hurt her... I hurt Alexa..." he whimpered.

Unlike other wolves, Hunter had developed a completely distinct yet symbiotic relationship with his wolf. Wolves were there to offer guidance to their human counterpart, advice when needed and encouragement when courage was low. However, Hunter's wolf had become much more than that. He became a wall of protection, something to help the human side of Hunter successfully hide from the outside world. He'd even given his wolf a name, Ivan. He was the stronger half that Hunter always wished he could be, but knew would never happen.

"Ivan... we hurt her... she's dying..." his voice broke at the end, tears flooding down his face. Unfortunately for him, he was a complete coward, and couldn't face his family after what he'd just done.

"She'll never want us now... we tried protecting her and look what happened... what am I saying... she'll never want us because she's dying!" he roared in pain, his heart breaking more and more with each word. "Please... help me Ivan... tell me what to do..." For once, Ivan was completely quiet, hiding in fear and pain in the deepest, darkest corner of Hunter's mind. This truly terrified Hunter, if Ivan wasn't able to help...

"Hunter! Hunter where are you?!" Alpha Derek's voice rang through the house, anger and fear laced in his words.

A pitiful whimper escaped Hunter's lips, and he cowered more into himself. He couldn't bear to face anyone, he'd hurt the only woman who'd ever mattered to him. She was suffering now because of his incompetence and he couldn't find it in himself to be with her when she needed him most.

Ivan wasn't there to take over, and help him get through this confidently. For the first time in a long time, Hunter felt truly alone.

A loud bang rippled throughout the room, and Hunter almost whimpered again, until he saw it was his father.

Alpha Derek stood about 2 feet in front of Hunter, his eyes wide in shock at what he was seeing. His son's dull brown eyes were now a bright hazel that were glistening with fallen and unshed tears, and his skin was shaking in terror.

"Dad... I'm so sorry..." Hunter stood up and quickly stumbled back a few steps away from his dad.

"Oh Hunter, son... no..." Derek leapt forward, lifted his son to his feet and wrapped his arms around him in a long forgotten hug. Hunter started panicking, tears flooding down his face and his body trembling. "She'll be fine my son, she's with the pack doctor now, her parents and Dominic are there watching over her as we speak."

Hunter's body stilled, tears stopped falling from his dulling eyes, and his face became emotionless. He pulled himself abruptly away from his father, and started nonchalantly down at him. "Alpha Derek, my name is Ivan." Derek's eyes widened at the sudden change in his son's behaviour, and he took a few steps away from him. "I am your sons  wolf." Hunter inclined his head slightly as a show of respect. "Although Dominic has expressed his interest in our mate, I will take this opportunity to tell you now... if he dares to lay a hand on her again, I will not hesitate to rip his throat from his body." His eyes flashed black and white, and Derek felt an increase in the Alpha aura surrounding him.

Hunter made his way to the attic door, his feet pacing in giant strides, and leaving his confused father, shaken, behind him. Why did his son change so suddenly? What was going on?

As Hunter approached the small pack hospital, the first thing he smelt was Alexa's blood. It hit him hard and he stumbled back slightly in disgust. He was the cause of her suffering, and it hit him like a ton of bricks just how much he screwed up. Undetered though, he made his way through the double doors, and strode up to the reception area. A small woman was on duty, and she looked terrified at the Alpha who walked so brazenly towards her like it was something he always did.

"Alpha Hunter..." even though Hunter had yet to take over the title, everyone knew who he was, but had no idea how to greet him. "How... how can I help you sir?"

"I'm looking for Alexa, where is she?"

Before the shaking woman could think to respond, a loud voice boomed from behind her, "Don't you dare think of trying to see my daughter!" Hunter's eyes swiftly shot over to the right, where in the hallway leading to the patients rooms, stood an angry woman and man, who he assumed were Alexa's parents. "You've done enough damage already! I don't want you anywhere near my daughter!" It was her mother that was shouting so angrily, the father stayed quiet, although his body was partially in front of his mates, ready to protect and fight if need be.

"I don't care what you think... she is my mate, and I'm going to see her," it was definitely Ivan's voice that came through strongly, Hunter hiding in the recesses of his mind, fully resigned to never being able to see Alexa again. Ivan refused to bow down to such an idea. "Now you will move away, or I will force you aside."

A low growl emanated from her father's throat, a threatening one, meant to intimidate and instill fear into the intended recipient. All Hunter felt was annoyance, these two morons were keeping him from seeing his mate. Hunter knew he did wrong, and was here to make amends. He refused to be kept away from his mate any longer, especially knowing that Dominic was in there with her. He took one step towards the pair of them, when a pitiful whimper caught his ears.

"Hunter... please come... help me..." it was Alexa! His mate was calling for him and he was stood aorund humouring her powerless parents. A loud growl, almost roar ripped from his throat, and he stormed towards her parents. They stood there in shock as their soon to be Alpha barged his way through them both, knocking them to the ground, before storming off down the hall towards his mates bedroom. His nostrils flared, taking in every scent around him, before locating Alexa's smell of freshly baked bread and cinnamon in amongst the smell of disinfectant and blood. Her room was the end of the hall, and as he reached it, his nose caught the scent of burning rubber that was Dominic.

Hunter's hand banged against the door, sending it flying in the opposite wall and partially dettached from it's hinges. Dominic was sat on the chair next to Alexa's bed, her hand in his and a scowl upon his face when he noticed who was stood at the door. Hunter growled a warning to him, to let her go before he finished what he started earlier. He took a step forward before stopping suddenly.

In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of his mate, lying in amongst a pile of white sheets, with a bandage wrapped around her throat, and IV's in her arms. She looked pale and near death, and Hunter felt his heart break all over again. Her eyes fluttered open, slowly and painfully he noticed, and when she caught sight of him, she did something he didn't think he'd ever see again.

She smiled.