The Shy Alpha

Chapter Nineteen

- - Sorry about the delay with this update people, the lead up to Christmas and the holiday itself was incredibly hectic, the first year where I did the dinner for 7 people, not much I know but still intense =], hopefully this chapter will make up for the lack of updating! - -

Alexa could feel her heart pumping furiously, the adrenaline beginning to work its way into her veins all as she stared into her mates eyes.

"Alexa... are you okay?" Derek asked, concerned.

Alexa nodded, not taking her eyes off her mates face. "I promise we're okay Hunter, you don't need to worry. What made you guys come over here anyway?"

"Hunter was getting hesitant about leaving you alone for so long... he cut our conversation short when Ivan lost his temper," Derek explained, as Ivan was desperately trying to keep a lid on his emotions. "I followed him to make sure nothing bad happened, and I'm glad I did." Derek scowled at Alexa's parents, letting them know with no uncertainty, that he was deeply disappointed in them. "Ivan, leave with Alexa now whilst I talk with her parents. Take her back to the house."

Ivan growled, and shook his head slowly but surely. His body was beginning to shake, and Derek and Alexa was becoming increasingly worried.

"Hunter... Ivan... what's wrong?" she asked, which garnered the attention of her parents and Alpha Derek. Derek and Daniel were close to shifting, and Amanda stayed rooted to the spot, not sure who she needed to be more scared of. "Hunter... please talk to me... let's go home shall we?"

"No..." a deep voice growled, and Alexa gasped in fright when she found that the voice belonged to neither Hunter, nor Ivan. "Mate... keep mate safe..." His arm reached out for Alexa, who without thinking, quickly stepped back.

"Ivan...?" Derek tried, moving forward, his arms flexing ready for the fight they'd been promised.

Hunter growled threateningly, his eyes swimming with crimson red waves and spittle dribbling from his elongating canines. Fur began sprouting from his arms, but instead of it's usual smoothness and lustre, it came out matted, clumpy and darker. His nose was stretching out into a menacing looking snout, and blood dripped from his fingernails as extra large claws forced their way out. The room suddenly seemed to get colder for the others, as they could see a hazy breath coming from between Hunter's jaws.

"Hunter what's going on? Why are you changing like this?" Derek asked, tentatively.

"Not... Hunter..." the man in front of them growled wrapping his arms around Alexa's shaking frame. "Not... Ivan..."

"What? How can you be neither of them? Who or what are you?" Derek demanded to know, his and Daniel's wolves increasingly worried and on edge. It was like their wolves were getting ready to run, their hackles raised in warning, and they were giving their humans no indication as to what was going on.

Alexa, for the first time ever, felt terrified of her mate, unsure of what was mentally and physically going on with him. Her hands shakily held onto his t-shirt, and her fingers clasped it tightly.

"Who are you...?" she whispered.

The man rumbled lowly, "wolf..."

"You mean..." Amanda spoke up for the first time since the Alpha's entered. "You mean to say you're entirely wolf now? But wasn't Ivan your wolf?"

The man snarled furiously at Amanda, and relented his grip on Alexa, making his way towards Amanda and Daniel. "You... want... mate... leave..."

"I don't care who you are but you are to step away from these people immediately!" Derek ordered, his Alpha command strong and firm. "Hunter I am ordering you...!"