BLACK

Alpha Alfonzo

We all said hi back coherently. 

His attention focused to his wife immediately. His deep husky voice sounded urgent. "We need to take Charles to the hospital. His wounds are too severe." 

We all gasped at the news. Charles is an omega, a working member of the pack, a father in his mid thirties. He was out last night during the hunt. 

Luna Ruth nodded with a grim face. "How long are you going to be gone?"

Alpha Alfonso scratched his forehead, "I don't know. A couple hours at best. I need you to be in charged while me and Drew take him to the hospital." 

Drew is the beta and second in command. 

We all lifted our gaze and paid attention to the conversation. Something must have happened during the hunt. I was lost with what's going on but Jake and Lucas already knew. Their face clouded with worries and as soon as alpha Alfonso and luna Ruth both walked away. "What happened?"

"A dead body is found in the woods last night. His wounds reflected of an animal attack. From our investigation, it could either be from the work of...." Jake fell silent, he contemplated his thought as though he doesn't want to believe it. "It could either be from the work of one of us or a lycan. It's no wild animal. The wounds are from the claws and teeth of a beast."

All four of them looked away from each other. They were obviously upset of what they learned. 

My mouth dropped. "That couldn't be."

The pack members are good people just trying to live a normal life and raise families. I couldn't imagine one of them could be a killer. 

Jake looked up at me assessing my state of mind. "Grace..."

"We don't know what's going on inside someone's mind. We couldn have let a bad blood in the pack without knowing about it."

I looked around, the way their tan skin and dark hair matches at least 40 percent of the population in the community. I had assumed most of them are related. Relatives that lived in this community for decades. 

"But aren't you guys mostly related?"

"There are transfers and we take in some strays as well. Werewolves that don't belong to a pack looking for a new family."

Caitlyn and Lou looked at me.

"Like me?"

"Yes. We have plenty of wolves like you here. People who used to belong to a different pack or never been in a pack before. Alpha Alfonso and beta Drew has always been tolerable and welcoming and so are the alpha and betas before them. 

"So what about Charles?"

"He was shot numerous times last night by a hunter."

I gasped one more time. 

"It was silver bullets so we have reason to believe that were being hunted and the dead body last night was a bait."

Lucas groaned angrily, his eyes turned yellow flashed with lethal fury. I've never really seen him emit such danger before but the venom of his wrath rippling all over his body was too terrifying that I found him scary and intimidating right now. 

"Whoever was out there last night was meant to kill us."

There was a sigh and it's coming from Lou and Caitlyn. I know they weren't able to join the hunt last night but I could see the coat of anger and fear in their eyes. They're angry. Nobody enjoys the thought of their family being hunted. 

"That's why we were called out there. To catch whoever this hunter was but he was gone by the time we all got to the woods or even by the time the report of Charles getting shot at even came to us."

"Yeah." Lucas finally let out a long exhale. The fury in his eyes simmering. "We'll take you back to your house but you have to be careful, Grace. This hunter might know what you are, you'll be an easy target."

Sneaking into my room was an impossible task at the Alfonso household. There's no getting away from luna Ruth's sharp hearing and alpha Alfonso's protective personality. They made sure my door is open when Jake came to visit and he's out of their house by ten in the evening. Even Jake thought that it was impossible that he didn't even try. 

Actually, I don't think he was trying at all. There are more pressing issues in his mind. Usually my safety. During those times when he left his mind wide open and I was able to pick up bits and pieces of what going on inside it, all he could ever think about is how to keep me safe and how to get stronger. 

I admired him for that. No one has ever wanted to protect me more than he does. Mom of course, but there's only so much she could do. Move around the country running away from from my roots. Each time she suspected I could be in danger for being different, we packed up and left. All these because she has PTSD when dad was murdered.

It is nearing eleven at night and I had long tucked myself in bed. Mom is on the other room and had been asleep for a while. Today is her day off and she has an early shift tomorrow. Mom usually worked twelve to sixteen hours a day so her days off are spent resting and sleeping trying to recuperate from exhaustion. 

The sound of peebles hitting the glass pane of my window distracted me from my thougths. I pulled the sheets away and hopped out of the bed. I looked out the window to see Jake outside. He grinned and waved as soon as he saw me. He was wearing jeans and black t-shirt with his long hair down to his back.

"Jake!" I called, a rush of excitement swelled in my chest, hurrying to get my window open. About a month and a half ago, I couldn't even lift this window let alone open it. But now I could do it with so much ease. 

Jake was climbing up my window within a split second. I got out of the way just so I could give him space to crawl in. 

Jake slipped in no problem without even making a little noise. Like he'd been an expert at sneaking in to a girl's room. But with the way mom was sleeping, I don't think she's going to wake up no matter how much noise we make. 

"Have you been prowling around outside the whole time?" I asked.

Jake straightened to his height and let himself fall on my bed. "I never left. I stayed out in the woods after Lucas dropped you off."

"Why didn't you say something? I could have let you in."

He shook his head. "I don't think your mom would let me in let alone stay in your bedroom."

He's right. With mom's new found animosity towards Jake, I don't think she would have let him back inside at all. Mom blamed Jake for everything that happened. It was his fault why I turned, it was his fault why I wanted to belong to a pack. It was his fault why I got hurt. If I didn't meet him, none of it would have happened.

"She doesn't like me."

"Most moms don't care for their daughter's boyfriend."

He squeezed his nose. "Have you met my mom?"

I chuckled at that. I don't think she would be thrilled. Most werewolves wants a strong mate for their children. I could already imagine what they think of me. A halfbreed who couldn't even shift until she's seventeen. They'd cast me out to the street quicker than I could blink.

"What're you thinking?" Jake made a tilt of his head.

"Why don't you use the bond to get inside my mind?" I teased.

"You know it doesn't work that way. I can't just tune in like it's a radio."

I smiled at him while he lifted his arms invitingly urging me to come to his chest.