Alpha Without a Pack...

Chapter 97

                                        Sidney

There was a thrum of excitement in the air or perhaps that was just me, but either way I was eager to meet the three girls staying in my cottage. I was relaxing on the porch with Madison, the three pups and a few of the guys, while the rest of the boys were busy grilling out our dinner. After Mads and I successfully got the fools to agree to our demands I had gone to rest a bit so I'd be ready for whatever these mysterious strangers might throw at me. It was dinner time now and the rescue girls were supposed to be showing up anytime now which had me on an excited yet wary alert. I wanted to meet them but I also understood the boys worries for my safety, although even injured I could defend myself just fine.

 They had argued that if we instinctively tried to fight for dominance like Mads and I had the first time that it wasn't a good idea. I had assured them I could control my temper with whatever they might say and do to me. "What do you think they'll be like, will they be like you and mom?" Lea asked softly as I stared into the trees in the cottages direction. "I don't know little one, they have a somewhat similar past as me, but that doesn't mean they'll be so nice." I hummed in an honest reply. I was about to remark how they couldn't hate such adorable twins when I caught the scent on the wind, and I had to bite back the growl in my throat. "They're here." I whispered to the girls at my sides as a trio stepped out of the trees. 

The first one to step forward was the little leader of their group about my age, red hair and green eyes the boys told me her name was Rose. Then there was the blond haired blue eyed Sarah a few years younger than me and sporting the same name as Micah's sister, he'd had a bit of panic when he heard the name until he could confirm it wasn't actually his blood related sister. The yougest one was just a pup with brown hair and brown eyes that couldn't be older than eight or nine years old, she was keeping her eyes nervously on the dirt and standing behind her two protective companions. "Something smells good." Rose breathed out and I took a step forward, all eyes shot towards me. 

"Yeah, I love a good grill out myself." I replied softly as I slowly strolled towards their three strong huddle, the older girls tensed but I ignored them as I set my sights on the youngest of the three. "Hi, I'm Sidney, what's your name?" I asked it so gently as I knelt slightly to seem less threatening, even if I hated lowering myself to the red heads glare of dominance, little did she know I could snap her like a twig if I wanted to. The big brown eyes shot up to meet mine at the mention of my name and I smiled at her encouragingly. "I'm Ruby, and you're the one that got them to save us." She whispered it but I heard it loud and clear as she pointed to the Alvalrado's. 

"I am." I nodded slowly and suddenly she brushed past her two protectors and nearly tackled me with the force of her hug, I wrapped my own arms around her as she nuzzled into my hair. "Thank you." She whispered on a soft son and I felt my heart melting. "You are very much welcome, now there's a few of my friends tgat would like to meet you too, if you don't mind?" I asked as she pulled back and nodded slowly, I stood and met the two older girls gazes head on, daring them to try something, wisely they dropped their eyes in respect. I introduced little Ruby to Mads and the pups before letting the guys introduce themselves from a safe distance since she seemed uncomfortable around so many males.

 It wasn't long before Ruby was off playing with the twins and leaving us older ones to play nice with the two older girls. "How long did they keep you caged?" Rose asked so bluntly once the kids were out of hearing distance and I stared her down. "Too long, a lot longer than you I'd guess since you weren't there when I escaped. I can give you a 99% guarantee that whatever they did to you happened to me." I state the words just as blunt and Sarah winced beside her. "Chances are they did a lot worse to me actually, I dealt with the lab and the fights." I shrugged nonchalantly and silent Sarah gasps. "You were one of the fighters, they brought some in every now and then, but they never came back when they took them away." Sarah breathed in disbelief I nodded back to her shudder. 

"I was their champion, one of their favorites and favorite to torture, I never stopped fighting them, never completely lost my fighting spirit. I knew about the fighters too, few to none survived that fate, so when I kept coming out alive it only made them push me more, more fights, more tests, more everything." My mouth goes a bit dry at the nightmarish memories but there's no need to sugarcoat the truth of what they already knew. "Favorite huh, so you were one of their little b*****s." Rose sneers out her remark and everyone around me stills. "They tried, but I'd kill every single one who dared to enter my cage, they had to use special tools to pull me out when I fought them." I growled back. "Ha, yeah right you probably enjoyed being the little favorite, letting them do whatever they wanted..." My hand clenched tightly around her throat cut her off.

 "Watch your tone with me Flowers, I know that hate and that pain that you feel right now but don't you dare try to take it out on me or my friends, you will regret it." I snarled a warning, releasing my grip as she gasped for air and the boys moved closer to defend me if need be. "Why I ought to..." Rose was close to shifting, I could sense it and if she wanted to fight my wolf would rise to her challenge, but I had promised to behave myself, so instead I cut her off by letting my power roll off of me in waves. The moment the alpha power hit her she crumpled with a whine, I heard gasps from the Alvalrado's at the full force behind it even as I kept the strongest waves of strength reeled in. 

"You see little foolish Rose, I was the favorite because I never stopped fighting, I survived and became their favorite champion because I refused to lose. If you try to fight me you will not win, you might lead your friends but you do not lead me, nobody does." I let my power roll over her a little more before reeling all of it back in as she cowered on the dirt and I guiltfully knew I had to make it right after forcing her submission, I held out a hand yo her with a sigh. "You don't have to love me, you don't have to like me, but you will respect me and in return I shall respect you in kind. Now let's try that again. Hi I'm Sidney but you may call me Sid of you'd like, it's very nice to meet you and I hope you can enjoy sharing in our dinner with us tonight." I smiled as she slowly glanced up to my face, I kept my hand held out waiting until she slowly put a hand in mine and I pulled her to her feet.

 I met her gaze and held it as we slowly shook hands and I smiled at her weary disbelief. "Yeah, I know I'm a freak among freaks but it does have it's advantages. Why don't you go ahead and call the kids to come eat and we can all enjoy the delicious food the guys grilled for us?" I asked softly, she nodded cutely and went to do just that. "Geez little wolf, I knew you were powerful, but... wow..." Denzel's remark had me and most of my boys smirking at the awed expressions of the Alvalrado pack members. "Remind me to never challenge you to a full fledged fight she wolf, I get the feeling we might not like that outcome." Alvalrado whistled out lowly which had everyone chuckling easily in response as I sent him a quick little wink. 

"You get used to it." Bowen shrugged playfully which brought on even more laughter as Rose returned with the pups and we all tucked in to our dinner. "So you really can kick butt even without letting your wolf loose?" Beck hummed out beside me a few hours later after everyone had eaten and gotten to know each other better, we were calling good nights to the rescued girls as they disappeared into the night, heading for my cottage. "You better believe it." I smirked back at his lazy grin. "We're all so proud of you Sid." Beck's whisper and the dazzling twinkle in his eyes hinted at things that I couldn't understand, but my feelings flared inside me in response. 

"It's not like it was anything special, after all I made a promise and I had to keep it, for my health and all of your sanity." I could feel the warmth flooding through me and I fought it back down, no way was I letting a little comment make me blush like a bashful pup. "Yeah, thanks for that." He murmured softly as his shining eyes studied me until Simon came in with a welcome interruption. "We should get you back up to bed, you need all the rest you can get to get better quicker." He waved me on inside. I could have sworn he shared a look with Beck and the others before ushering me upstairs to bed, but what that look was, I would never know.

*It's shorter than I'd like it to be and I'm sorry but I'm a bit busy and it's an update at least. I've been looking for a job to help with financial stuff in my family and I finally have an interview set up for next week. If I get the job the updates might be slower and maybe a bit shorter but I will do my very best to keep them coming. Enjoy*