The War of the Alphas: Book 1 of the Wolf Rising Saga

31| Summit Pack

Summit Pack: Alpha Ryan

Ryan's POV

I slowly open the door to Asena's bedroom. She's sleeping soundly on her bed, curled up in a ball with a book lying open next to her. I smile softly at the sight.

Even though it's nearly noon I can't judge her for sleeping in so late. I know she hasn't been sleeping well since our fight, according to her Mom. I haven't either.

I feel bad, making her upset for the past three days. Her mom told me she has barely come out of her room and won't eat very much.

But a part of me, the selfish part, feels good about it. It gives me hope that she does have feelings for me, that we can have a future together.

I remember first lying eyes on her when I was twelve years old. It was my Moms birthday so everyone in the pack came to celebrate at the house, including her family. She had her brown hair curled in little ringlets down her back and her bangs nearly covered her eyes. She was wearing a pink dress with white tights, but she also had on a cape and a yellow and brown scarf.

All the other kids laughed at her but she didn't seem to mind. While her parents socialized she went into the corner and pulled out a Harry Potter book. She read it all night long, not having a care in the world for anyone else.

After that night I didn't see her for a while. Our pack isn't into socializing very much so it wasn't abnormal and she was grades below me in school.

The next time I saw her was the first day of senior year, and her freshman year. My eyes zeroed in on her and all I could focus on was her brown hair that I had engraved into my memory. She was sitting alone in the cafeteria reading her book, just like she did years before. Except this time, she seemed to notice the stares everyone gave her. From the way she hid behind her book I took it that she didn't like it very much anymore.

I watched her again every day for the next two months. For the first few weeks I never sought her out, she was just there, in the hallways, in the library, in the front office helping out. But eventually I found myself spending parts of my day searching for her, just so I could she her. She had no friends, not werewolf or humans. The werewolves thought she was a bad omen, she was the daughter of a human and werewolf. She was the omega. And the humans, well by rules of the pack she had to stay away from them.

She stopped eating the cafeteria and I did too. She would eat her packed lunch in the library, flipping through the pages of a book while I hid between the bookshelves yards from her.

Asena never noticed me until the day I punched someone for her.

It was in October and school had just gotten out. The air was getting colder and colder with each passing day and colorful leaves littered the ground around us. Everyone was walking home, getting in their cars to go home. By that point my eyes naturally found her in every room, no matter how crowded.

I saw her, backpack hunched over her shoulders, binders in her arms as her skirt flew in the breeze. I was enamored by her, by everything she did. Then she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and went sprawling on the ground, her papers flying through the air.

Everyone in the vicinity stopped and stared. They were horrified for her. I was horrified for her. I was about to go help her up, finally introduce myself when a sophomore boy parted from his group of friends to run to her aide.

I stopped in my tracks, letting him help her. I felt . . . angry as he smiled at her, told her a joke to make her laugh and helped her to her feet. I've seen him around school multiple times with different girls. He always seemed to be flirting with them or messing around with his friends on the wrestling team.