ALPHA

1. (Edited)

Polished/Edited by Jack Kardiac.

1.

Werewolf

'wear-woolf'

noun

(in folklore) a person who changes for periods of time into a wolf, typically when there is a full moon.

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Tasha Filtiarn is the last of the Filtiarn bloodline. She’s also supposed to be the mate of Tate Dietrich, the Alpha of the 'Convel' Pack. Tasha knows none of this, because in her world werewolves are little more than mythological creatures featured in folklore.

Tasha’s world is about to change forever.

Tasha's P.O.V

Morning runs are one of the few things that make me feel alive. Today was different, however. Usually I get lost in the moment, finally feeling free. Today it felt as though someone was watching me, through the surrounding fog and morning mist.

I shrugged it off and kept on running, sprinting around every corner until I came to my usual stopping point to catch my breath, an alley at the back of a Chinese restaurant. Normally I’m by myself for these precious moments of recovery, but today I watched as four guys approached me. They all wore black leather jackets and even from across the alley I could see their arms were covered in tattoos. They also had piercings from head to toe. It was like a gothic party, these guys.

I wouldn’t typically give them a second glance, but considering it wasn’t even six in the morning plus the fact that they were staring at me as they approached, I decided I should pay attention.

"What do we have here? What’s such a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this? Especially so early in the morning?" The guy’s British accent was strong, and a part of me wondered if he was faking it.

"I could ask you the same thing,” I said, shrugging. “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I really have to get going." I started to brush past them, only to have one of them extend a meaty hand and yank me back.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, love. See, my mates and I have had nothing to eat today. And we're quite hungry." I was confused as hell until I saw their normal brown eyes flickered at me. Then they immediately turned to bright red, and a web of thin, red veins began to extend across their eyes. They each smiled, and I almost shrieked as I watched their upper canine teeth become slightly longer… and much sharper.

"Let go of me!"

He ignored me, his grip only becoming stronger. I continued squirming, hoping that it would get me out of here, but no. I was trapped, and I started to panic.

"What the hell are you people?" I spat, still trying to break free of his grip. I raised a leg to try stomping on his toe, but before I could bring it down he slapped me hard across the face.

"Are we really going to do this here, Xavier?” the man holding me asked the larger guy beside him. “People will be flooding these streets soon."
"Yes, we just have to be quick about it, is all." He paused and looked me in the eyes, reading my expression. Probably just fear, nothing else. "Vampires love, that's what we are."

In one swift movement my hair was yanked to the side and the one called Xavier lept forward, biting down hard on my neck. I could feel the blood start draining from my body.

"Stop! Ouch! Stop it!!" I was crying by now, it hurt like hell and I could feel the blood being drained from my body and my life being dragged away along with it.

I lost my balance and fell to the ground just as he let me go. He wiped his lips clean and waved at the others, signalling that he was finished with me and they could have me next. That's when I saw it across the alley — a broken wooden table. Break off a part, stick it in their hearts and they'll be dead.  I thought to myself. You can do it.

I slowly crawled to the broken table while they were busy talking to Xavier and snatched off the broken piece and hid it by my side, keeping calm until they paid attention to me.

One of them knelt down beside me, tracing his finger over the fresh bite marks.

"I hope he didn't get all her blood, I'm still hungry" The other two chuckled along with him and I stared at them through my haze, coughing up trace amounts of blood.

He extended his leg placed a filthy boot on my shoulder, pushing me over onto my side. The stake bit into my ribs, but I ignored the pain, focusing all my attention on what was about to happen. This was it, this was my one chance.
He bent closer and hovered over me for a moment, studying me to get the best access to the other side of my neck. Just before he bit down I removed my arm from beside me, twisted toward him and plunged the stake inside his jacket, pushing in and up to make sure it pierced his heart.

He groaned and rolled off me, falling face first into the pavement. I removed the stake and watched as he immediately turned an odd shade of blue, then turned to face the others. They all stared down at me in shock.

I felt the bite marks on my neck seal themselves shut at the same time my eyes started to water up. I blinked twice and rubbed them with the back of my hand. They must have kicked up some kind of dust or something, ‘cause it stung like nothing I’d ever felt before.

"She… she's one of them! We have to run, now!" They turned around and ran out of the alley as I sunk to my knees, exhausted and confused. I looked down at the stake in my hand. It wasn’t even bloody. It just looked… dusty.

What were they talking about? One of what? I was so confused. After a few seconds I managed to push up to my feet and brush myself off. My eyes were still stinging, and I felt as if I were having a migraine or something, because everything around me seemed hyperdetailed, almost vibrant. I walked up to the back door of the restaurant and looked at my reflection in small window. I gasped.
My eyes were glowing! They were both now ablaze with a pulsating yellow. I blinked and leaned in closer, but the yellow quickly faded back to my life-long green.

I decided to head the other way and cut home through the forest, mainly because the street was starting to fill with people and I technically just killed a man.
No, you killed a monster who was trying to kill you. It was self-defence.
I had to admit it, my subconscious muttering made a lot of sense. I walked across the parking lot, keeping my head down and tossing the stake into the nearest garbage bin. Then I resumed my jog, disappearing into the forest where I couldn't be followed. I needed to get home, as soon as possible.

As I was running I looked over to see a wolf staring at me through the trees. I had no idea of what to do so I slowed down and stopped, standing still. I was afraid, but I also admired its beauty. Then I noticed the eyes. The wolf had the exact same eye colour as mine back in the alley: yellow.
What the—
The wolf suddenly turned its head and ran off in the opposite direction.
I stood there for a full minute, watching as it disappeared among the brush.

I was now more confused than ever.