The Alpha and the Beta

Chapter 4- Memorys and Theories

Macy was quiet as we pulled out of the parking lot. I stole one last glance at my mate standing in the parking lot watching me through the rear view mirror. The smile plastered on his face was hard to resist sharing. It was hard to read his face from a distance but that’s ok. I was still astounded that this boy was my mate.
“Hey, aren’t we supposed to be Shopping?” Macy asked me. A bright smile flashed across her face. Shoot I forgot. I nodded and turned towards the mall.  Macy lived for shopping, aside from our runs; it was what drove her on. Poor Macy was one of the unlucky ones who changed early. She lost her temper one day and her wolf was triggered. So I have been working with her since then. She has come a long way in the last 3 months.
I was not too happy about the fact that I had to wear a dress but my mom would be happy to know that I was making an effort.

 Your moms not the only one who will be happy, it’s about time; you put a little effort forth making our mate happy!! My wolf chimed in. I rolled my eyes at her. My mate, I couldn’t help but let a smile slip out at the thought of him.  Landon Black, The alpha to be was my mate. I guess I could count myself as lucky. At least I got the living breathing Adonis instead of someone else. I could have been stuck with the weird guy who giggle snorted every time I spoke, who sat behind me in chem. I shuttered slightly at the thought.
Landon had somehow made himself a member of my group. Not as our alpha but as our friend. He and my brother started sitting with us at lunch about 4 months ago. I thought they were trying to get some from my friends. But I never saw them make a pass at them. I was ready to tell them off if they did, but it never happened. They somehow made friends with all of us. I never thought I would have believed it out of Landon or Ryan but they weren’t just mean, bullying, womanizers. They were actually pretty cool. They were playful; they joked around with us and even let us poke fun at them. We had fun together. More fun than I’ve had in a long time. It’s taken a long time for our pack to come back from the rouge attacks 4 years ago.

***Flashback***

I was too young to fight but that didn’t stop us from trying. Landon was one of those unlucky ones who phased and changed before he was 17, he was just barely 15. Our parents had made us run to the shelters while they fought off the intrusion. I watched Landon in awe, he was sitting next to me shaking I was trying to calm him down but it didn’t work. Landon shoved me away from him and backed away back out the door of the shelter.

Ryan had tried to stop me but I ran to follow and stop him anyway. By the time I got there it was too late, there was no stopping Landon, I watched in horror the first time he phased. His bones twisted and what should have taken hours happened in less than a minute. I watched as his body changed from his human form to his powerful gray and black wolf. I screamed his name but He didn’t hear me, His wolf had taken over. He protected all of us preshifters with a vengeance. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. In fear of the attack that was bearing down on us, scared because of the new shifted young alpha pledging to protect us, no matter the cost, I watched. I don’t know why I was so scared because Landon was good.
He had been in training since before I even knew what we were. The fighting lasted only a few more minutes. I even got a taste of the action. My brother was yelling at me to come back but I wasn’t going to leave my alpha without any help. So with a heavy sigh Ryan made Macy stay inside with the others and ran to my side. We flanked Landon. Landon had tried to back us back up into the shelter but we weren’t budging.  He had even nudged us with his big head. We may not be wolves yet but we were not about to watch him fight for us alone.
“No way Bro, you’re not having all the fun.” Ryan muttered.

Landon's eyes flashed between us then nodded his giant wolfy head and went back to his protective stance. I had only just started training with my brother and father but I was fast so I hoped I was fast enough to out maneuver these wolves long enough to get some help.
I could hear the fight from a distance getting closer. Landon’s low menacing growling wasn’t drowning out the sounds. When he jumped to my left and ripped in to the shoulder of an incoming rouge long enough for me to pull the hunting knife my father had asked me to carry on me out and plunge it in to the wolfs neck. I held it there long enough to hear the wolf gargle, choking on the blood that was now running down my arm. I ripped my knife back out hearing and feeling the tendons and muscles tear as I did so. The wolf fell to the ground motionless.
I turned in time to see Ryan fighting with his own wolf. Landon and I jumped into action. I ran full speed and buried the knife deep in to the wolf's side, he let out a howl of pain and threw me off of him leaving my knife in his side. I had landed 20 feet away. I scrambled to get back up when I was attacked from the other side. I fought with all I had, but I knew without my knife I wouldn’t be able to do much good. I struggled to my feet as fast as I could, and ran to where my brother and Landon were still fighting with the one wolf with my knife still sticking out of his side. I made a split second decision. I flew at the wolf gripping my knife in his side twisting before yanking it out as I slid under him giving Landon enough of a moment to wrap his jaws around his throat and kill the creature.
The moment I cleared the wolf the one who had attacked me came at me again. I heard Ryan scream my name. I barely noticed him running to my aid but I had this. As the wolf jumped at me I calculated my moves hoping it would work, I crouched down seconds before the wolf could know what I was doing. As it flew over my head I jammed the knife into its throat and it fell instantly to my side. In fear and anger I twisted it and yanked it out again.
But before I had a chance to turn around to find my brother and Landon I felt teeth sink in to my arm a scream of pain left my mouth and I was thrown across the small clearing we were in.  My body slammed in to a tree and I slid down. I vicious growl ripped through the air.
I noticed that the noise from the fight was calming down. It was about over. I looked at Landon at he went for the kill of the wolf that just threw me into this position, slumped and injured.  I watched in horror as Landon and Ryan fought with all they had. One pre shifter and one brand new wolf taken over by instinct, I could only hope Landon’s Alpha blood would take over and he would just do the right thing.
I pushed myself up from the tree and struggled to stay standing, but I let my anger feed my adrenaline and forced to pushed pain aside. I jogged up to them and we formed a semi circle and paced around in a circle slowly waiting for the next attack. Ryan gave me a concerned look but I shook it off
“I’m fine” I mumbled.
He only nodded. Landon turned his head long enough to lick my wound and whine a little at me. I knew he wanted me to go back.
“Forget it, I’m not going anywhere” I mumbled at him.
He huffed but nodded his big head, all of us knowing we were better off fighting together than apart.
As we made our circle I crouched down long enough to pick my knife up again, waiting and finally it happened.
One last small wolf made an advance to us. A female, Yay I thought. I stopped and waved it forward in challenge. It growled louder. A vicious snarl ripped through its chest as it bolted strait for me.
“Bad move” I said.
I countered its advance with one of my own stepping only 3 ft away from the other two. I spun my body just right that when the wolf came soaring over me I plunged the knife deep in its belly and ripped down. The wolf let out an agonizing howl of pain that made me cringe, then slumped and fell struggling to get to its feet. Landon quickly wrapped his jaws around its throat and tugged, Putting the creature out of its misery quickly.
We waited quietly until we heard sounds of approach. All of us tensed waiting for the next attack but that’s not what happened. Our pack came tearing through the woods mostly the parents. They skidded to a stop in front of our formation, taking us in.
“Is it over” I whispered to Ryan and Landon.
Landon nodded his head, but it was Ryan who spoke. “Yea, it’s over.”
I didn’t realize till that very moment that I was shaking. I dropped the knife and fell to the ground. Ryan took in my state then ripped a strip of his torn shirt and wrapped it around my arm. He turned to Landon,
“Can you run her to the pack doctor? I would but I Know you will be much faster. She’s lost a lot of blood.” Landon nodded.
Ryan lifted me up and placed me on Landon’s back. For my little brother he was stupid strong. Though I was surprisingly comfortable up here, I adjusted myself enough to get a hold with my good hand then slumped over and laid on the Giant gray wolfs back. I felt Landon tense but then seconds later took off. Making sure not to jostle me, I had passed out there on his back.

Things had changed after that day. After killing so many, even though I didn’t have a choice, I closed myself in. I chose to train on my own or with Ryan or Landon only. Knowing they wouldn’t treat me differently already having fought by my side before. I stayed quiet in school, kept my head down and did what I needed too. I was focused on fighting, and controlling my temper.
Landon was around more after that, mainly for my brothers training but sometimes he was there cause he wanted to work out some new moves we talked about. I maybe a female but I was one hell of a fighter and they all learned that, that day. I think this is why my parents don’t really worry about me too much anymore. I was slowly becoming the next Omega in the pack. (The alphas 3rd) Brad wasn’t happy about it, but that’s what they say. I didn’t want it though.

Even now my friends ask me what it’s like to hang out with Landon so much. I just shrug, and laugh.
“Sometimes it really sucks cause he hits really hard” I would laugh at them. But they would only respond like hormonal teenage girls. ‘At least he’s touching you!’ Yea touching me while slamming me around.
Landon had started hanging out with me after school more and more the last 4 months though. I was pretty sure he was just waiting on Ryan but I wasn’t about to be rude and leave him in my living room alone. So we would end up playing video games or wrestling around playfully in the living room. When it was just me and him, he was awesome. He made me laugh, which let’s face it I didn’t do much of the last 4 years. We had a good friendship.

Although Ryan didn’t like it much, I remember the first time he busted us wrestling in the living room. Well it was more Landon tickling me and me trying to get away. I had given him crap about getting beat by a girl and he said ‘oh yea, beat this!’ then tackled me. It was fun. When we saw Ryan walk in we both jumped up. His face turned 3 shades of red then snapped “WHAT THE FUCK MAN?”  More to Landon than me, but we both responded anyway.
‘She started it / He started it.’ Then we both ended up Laughing so hard we were crying at how stupid we both just sounded.

I couldn’t help smiling at the memory.  I was pulled out of the memory when Macy cleared her throat.
“So… Do you wanna hear what I heard today?” She said.
“What’s that?” I asked
“Well as you know I had to retake that test today at lunch so I missed most of lunch. But what I heard when I got there was EPIC! I heard you went ape shit on Holly Downs! All I know is Ryan said Landon got up to throw ya’ll trash away, and you snapped. You threw CAKE at her face and everything. Wish I could have seen that stupid skanky mutt tuck tail and run.” She said smiling.
I pulled in to the parking lot of the mall and found a spot and parked. As I killed the engine she spoke again. “So is it true?”
“Kind of, I didn’t throw cake in her face!  I tripped and it sort of fell on her shirt. And she challenged me. I just stood my ground.” I said smiling remembering how slick it all was.
“Yea, but why?” She asked me raising her eyebrow.
“Did you not hear me? She challenged me!” I said sarcastically.
“Ok I’ll bite. She challenged you by talking to Landon? I mean I know you really don’t like her but I have never seen her challenge you.” She said her tone laced with doubt.
“Well she did.” I said as I pulled the keys from the ignition.
“Uh-huh. You said that. But what I don’t understand is how. I have never seen you go at anyone you’re so in control of yourself. Ryan said you were fine one second then it was like you lost it. Over HOLLY of all people. He actually said it was pretty freaky seeing you lose it, none of them had ever seen anything like it outside of a possessive mate challenging someone they thought a threat to what’s theirs.” She said softly, watching my every reaction to the subject.

Your damn strait Ill challenge any bitch who tries to cross the line with my mate. You can bet on that! My wolf growl rumbled through my head. I hate to say it but I agreed with her.
I nodded at my sister. Urging her to go on with her theory.

“So I can only come to 2 conclusions, one less likely than the other. Either you were just being over protective of our Alpha to be; OR He’s your mate. This is something I don’t understand because a few months ago I heard him tell Ryan that he found his mate. So I don’t know what to really think.” She told me. “Unless him being an alpha and changing so young caused him to be able to find his mate faster.”
I soaked in the information but still tried to get her to drop it. “Would you buy it if I said I was just over protective of him?” I asked softly.
She shook her head giving me a knowing look.
“Ok Just keep your theories to yourself, would ya?! I don’t need the world knowing yet. Now let’s go get this stupid dress ok?” I said getting out of the car.
“So I’m right?” She asked a bright smile plastered on her face.
There was no point in trying to lie to her now, she would just watch closer just to prove she was right.
I only nodded. She squealed and crushed me in a big bear hug. I couldn’t help but smile at her. She dropped her arms and grabbed my hand and pulled me to the front door.
“Come on, We have a Dress to buy!” She said winking at me. I groaned in horror but followed her.