The Feared Alpha

Chapter One

     The steaming hot water poured down my back as I leaned my forehead against the shower wall. I tried washing away my thoughts of the reoccurring dream, but it always seemed to reside around in my brain. My gums throbbed with excruciating pain due to my lack of feeding. I had sworn to my parents before they were murdered that I wouldn't take another human's life, so instead, I reverted to killing animals and drinking their blood. I pushed the pain to the back of my head and turned the shower head off. The plush towel felt good against my skin as I walked into my bedroom. I dried my dreads, squeezing them hard. I slipped on my underwear and then my leggings. I threw on a light sweater and pulled my boots on as I focused my hearing. Zillah was getting up. 
    
     Zillah and I had moved to a new state and into an apartment recently in the hopes of living normal lives. She and her Grandmother were the only people left on this Earth that I trusted and after what had happened with my parents when I was sixteen, we decided it was best to move away and forget that past life. We were enrolled in a nearby college, and today was our first day. She decided to major in Ancient Cryptozoology, where I stuck to the basics and majored in plain ole Zoology.
    
     By the time I was finished getting dressed and heading out of my room down the hall, Zillah was in the kitchen making herself breakfast. The smell of human food was distasteful, but I knew that she was whipping up a delicious meal.
    
     "I'm going to go for a food run Zi, I'll be back in 20 minutes," I announced as I grabbed my jacket. She gave me a cheeky smile and snapped her fingers, making a plate and fork appear on our dining table, "sounds good, I'll be here," she said back, "and remember, class starts in" She looked down at her watch, "-about 45 minutes."
    
     I chuckled as I stepped out of the door and walked down the hallway. We were on the seventh floor - which happened to be the top level - so that meant I had to take the elevator. It was an annoying task, waiting for an elevator. So instead I decided to run down the stairs as fast as I could. I made it downstairs in less than thirty seconds and I brushed off some dust from my jacket as I opened the door to the main level. I took off behind the apartments seeing as our property was border-lining the forest.
    
     I stood on the forest line, stretching my legs and hanging my jacket on a nearby branch. I pulled my dreads into a tight ponytail as I inhaled deeply to track my prey. A deer caught my attention, and it was just over five miles away. In a second I was running, dodging trees, and jumping over boulders. When I got closer to the deer I slowed my pace and stepped quietly. My fangs grew from my gums and I could feel my eyes glowing bright purple. I leaped and tackled the deer, sinking my teeth into its neck and draining it of all its blood. Its body fell lifeless to the floor and I steadied my breathing until my heartbeat was normal again. My body felt rejuvenated seeing as the last time I fed was over a week and a half ago. The deer's blood was bitter and I wiped my mouth clean as I turned to run back towards where my jacket was hanging up. 
    
    Before leaving I took in everything around me. New Hampshire was beautiful and with the seasons changing from summer to fall, oranges, yellows, and reds were filling every corner of my eyes. I could hear a waterfall nearby, pounding into the water below it and I closed my eyes feeling the relaxation come onto me. A gust of wind flew by and the sudden smell of wet dog caught my attention. I crinkled my nose and opened my eyes. "Gross," I said as I looked through the miles of trees trying to identify where it was coming from. But from what I could see and hear, it was just me in the area. I shook it off as I started to run back to my jacket and then to the apartment.

...

     When I got back, Zi was at the table eating her breakfast. She hadn't changed out of her pajamas yet so I decided to go into her room and pick her an outfit. I've always had a love for styling clothes and I knew she wouldn't mind the help. I heard the dishes crash and seconds later she walked into the room. "Thanks," she said quietly as she walked into her bathroom. I smiled and nodded. Zi was my best friend. She had been for as long as I had been alive. 

     When Zi and I were kids, we grew up like any other normal child. Playgrounds, play dates, and water parks. We both knew we were special from a very young age though, seeing as I had been drinking blood since birth. Zi grew up with her grandmother and I grew up with my parents. Her grandmother was a very powerful witch. My parents and her Grandma - we like to call her Grammy - were always close, my parents were also basically raised by Grammy. My parents worked at the hospital so we always had an unlimited amount of human blood and they taught me to conceal our secrets very well. Zi and I were both homeschooled until middle school and when we did enter public school, we were the outcasts. We had one other very good friend but he ended up moving away right after middle school ended and since then, we hadn't seen him.

     Since ending our dreaded twelve years of school, we hadn't met any others like us. Grammy and my parents had never been too open about what else lay in this world, but one thing she mandated was that we tell no one about our abilities or what we truly are. It seems pretty funny though because one logical look at us and you could tell something was off. Zillah has silver hair and pale blue eyes that are almost transparent. She had tan skin and wasn't tall but her frame was stern and on the back of her neck was engraved an ancient symbol. I, on the other hand, had hair like fire. It started a reddish-brown at the top and faded like an ombre into a cherry blonde. It was dreaded now so the colors faded together and contrasted well against my pearl-like skin. My eyes glistened dark purple and seemed to ignite on fire when I let the vampire out. I had freckles splattered across my cheeks whereas Zillah's face was untouched by imperfections.  

     I was snapped out of my haze when Zillah walked into the room in her towel. I pointed towards the clothes I laid out while in my thoughts and she snapped her fingers. Like a flash of lightning, the towel was switched out with clothes. "I will never get used to that," I laughed out and she just laughed back. We both headed out of her room and into the living room. The school was a walking distance away so I grabbed my keys from the tray we had on our dining table and we headed out the door. As the door shut, Zillah waved her hand. It locked seamlessly and I rolled my eyes, laughing at how unneeded that was. She looked at me and shrugged, "What, a girl has to be classy."