Comeback of the Bruised Alpha

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This Alpha Ryder wasn’t the same person he had known in his last life. He didn’t remember he had made such an offer to go with him in his last life. It was on this investigation into the human town that he met that scum Reed.

“You’re being very kind, Alpha Ryder. But there is really no need to bother you with such a matter. Let Estelle go with Hugo. They are partners from young.” Hugo’s father said.

This made more sense. It was always him and Estella working in pairs, be it hunting or going out on missions. The other alphas might doubt his abilities, but not his father, who had been strict with his training from young.

Alpha Ryder, however, c****d his brows, seemingly not pleased with his father’s proposal.

“Father, I’d love to work with Alpha Ryder.” Hugo heard himself saying. Wait? He didn’t know what had gotten into him to say those words. Perhaps he just wanted to see how the poker-faced Alpha Ryder would react or perhaps he wanted to know the connection between the young alpha and his crescent mark. Right, he had to figure out why his mark would burn.

Since Alpha Ryder offered to help, the other alphas didn’t object. They all knew how strong this young Alpha was, who had won the challenges of his pack members at the age of 16 when his father, the previous alpha, was seriously wounded in a fight. Rumors had it that he was blood thirsty, killing all those challengers, and he never went easy on those who betrayed him.

Hugo had believed those rumors in his last life. But having paid a huge cost for easily believing what others said, he now began to doubt whatever that wasn’t verified by solid evidence.

Alpha Duke had intended to scold Hugo for the sudden decision but swallowed his scolding back upon thinking of the teary son a few moments ago. ‘Fine. Just let him go with Alpha Ryder. At least Alpha Ryder is strong,’ he thought. However, he was still worried, as Alpha Ryder never struck him as someone kind and he wasn’t sure of his actual intention of offering to help.

“Okay, Alpha Ryder, seems I have to trouble you with this matter.” Alpha Duke said, turning to face Hugo, “Hugo, show Alpha Ryder to the guest room. Go to your Uncle Jimmy for information before you start the investigation.”

Hugo nodded and walked to Alpha Ryder, “This way, please.”

Alpha Ryder gave him a quick look before walking to their pack house.

Hugo was like: …? What is that look supposed to mean?

However, he didn’t have much time to figure that out as he had to lead Alpha Ryder to his room. The two silently walked along the way he had come with Estella, passing pack members who constantly looked at them in curiosity. Hugo kept a smile the whole time, an awkward one though.

The silence was killing him. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, trying to lessen the embarrassment, “Alpha Ryder, um… where should we start tomorrow?”

No! Response! Not a word from the man.

“Alpha Ryder, where…”

“Which room?”

“What? Oh…right, there, the third on the right.”

Alpha Ryder walked straight in.

“If…um…if you want anything, just let me know. I’m right…”

Boom! The door was slammed shut before Hugo’s face, nearly hitting his nose. “…next door.”

Clearly, Alpha Ryder didn’t need anything. Hugo’s plan to get close to Alpha Ryder and test the reaction of his mark failed at the very first attempt. But he didn’t worry a bit. There would be plenty of opportunities during their investigation of the matter. Even if there wasn’t, he would create some.

Now, his priority was to make some preparation for tomorrow. It wasn’t his style to jump into something on a whim and get everyone into trouble. Perhaps Alpha Ryder knew something, but he didn’t feel it safe to put his whole hope on someone he had just met.

He had been to the Riverside town in his last life. It had a winding river leading far into the forest. Yet to not arouse any suspicion, he had to pretend he didn’t know much about the mission. Besides, it was in his last life and some details had been blurred by the long years. His father had mentioned talking to the delta, Uncle Jimmy, for the details of the town and of the accidents.

With that in mind, he headed back to the gathering to find Uncle Jimmy.

Ryder’s POV

Ryder stood behind the door, his chest heaving violently. He was no longer the cold and dark alpha he had just been in the gathering. There was something strange about this son of Alpha Duke, Hugo. Ever since he laid eyes on the young man, he felt his wolf getting uneasy in the back of his mind. The feeling was complicated, surprise, joy mixed with fear and pain. It lasted for only a second but was so strong that he could barely keep his cool. But he managed to hold it down when the young man looked over.

There was more to the young man than met the eyes. He had to figure out why his wolf, who had been calm even in the darkest time, would act this way in front of a young man. Yet the tricky part was, the longer he stayed closer to the young man, the harder he found it to keep his cool. He had thought he had found his mate, a male though, not something he had expected for, still a good thing. Unfortunately, it was different than the connection of a mate, something more, something trickier and more dangerous, and something that he must find a way to figure out.

So he needed more time spent with him, to confirm what it was and why it happened. There had to be an explanation for all of this. He was sure this was the first time they met, so past connection or enmity was out of the question. Then what was it that pulled him toward the young man, but his instinct kept telling him otherwise, that it was dangerous?

Why?

Chapter 5 His Palm Feels Warm 

After quite a while, Hugo finally found Uncle Jimmy under a big tree far away from the grand feast. He was lying there on the ground as the moonlight filtered through the leaves and shone on his handsome face. Yeah, Uncle Jimmy was never a party man. He always preferred some moments alone. Seeing him walking over, Uncle Jimmy sat up from the ground and asked, “What’s wrong? Did the Alpha ask for my presence?”

“No, Uncle Jimmy. It’s the rogues in the Riverside town. I need info before I head into a human town,” said Hugo.

“What? You? A kid who doesn’t even know how to properly shift?”

“Wow…that hurts, Uncle Jimmy. I nearly succeeded last time.”

“Yeah, nearly.”

Well, Uncle Jimmy got a point. He was the first one of Dawns Pack, and probably also of the whole werewolf history, who only managed a half-shift on his first shift. It was a bit sad, but funny too. Picture this, a man, human legs, but with a wolf tail; a human face but with two hairy ears on the top of his head! Well at least Estella loved that pair of ears, and called him ‘cute.’ Despite being laughed at by others, he didn’t quite worry back then. He was only 14 years old back then and he was already a couple of years ahead of other teenage werewolves in shifting and he had been training hard to get himself prepared for any possible challenges. However, in his last life, he indeed had worried sick for not being able to shift completely even on his 18th birthday.

But now with another life, he was at ease and knew the day would come when he could shift completely and hunt. “That doesn’t mean I’m weak. I’ve been training hard all these years.”

“Alright, you got a point. I’ve been to the Riverside town. That place is spooky but I haven’t figured out why. It just got my wolf restless the whole time I stayed there. I followed the trail of a wolf and found an ancient castle at the far east side of the town. You can try your luck there. According to the town folks, the castle has been bought by some bigshot for some confidential business. It is tightly guarded. But there is something sinister about that place. Do be careful.” Uncle Jimmy’s voice carried a sense of worry and concern.

“The trace of a wolf? Is it a rogue?”

“Not sure. I tried to tail after him but some cops appeared. I searched around the place where I lost him and found the castle. Feeling the whole thing fishy, I came back and reported to the Alpha. But I didn’t expect him to let you take on this matter. Be careful, Hugo.”

“I will. Thanks Uncle Jimmy.”

Information gathered, he headed straight back to his room. Lying on his bed, he couldn’t sleep. The death scene of his father still replayed in his mind. He must find that scum and repay a thousand times the pain he had given him. And this power to heal that Reed had talked about…was he referring to werewolf’s quick recovery ability? He was a bit confused.

In the middle of the night, Hugo came to Ryder’s door and raised his hand, but the door opened itself before he knocked, revealing the cold and poker-faced Alpha Ryder. Yes, he planned to start the investigation under the curtain of the night.

“Umm… Alpha Ryder, I’ve got all the information. Uncle Jimmy told me about this mysterious and heavily guarded castle. I say we go check it right now. It’s dark out there and it’ll be easier for us to investigate.”

Ryder gave a quick nod, closed the door, and then looked at Hugo, still poker-faced.

Hugo somehow read something from the face, something like: Good. Show me the way.

“Okay. Come with me.” Hugo led Ryder to an old car of his. Driving a car would be more convenient for a trip to a human town. The only problem was, the car was a bit too small for the Alpha Ryder. Hugo looked at Alpha Ryder apologetically, who, however, didn’t seem a bit affected by it. So Hugo didn’t bother with it. There was something more important to do. He drove the car out of the deep forest, to the river side and then along the winding river to the far east side of the town where the castle was located. Along the way, he shared with Ryder what he had learned from Uncle Jimmy.

They left the car in the woods near the castle and moved quietly to it. It was an old castle, probably been there for a decade. Under the moonlight, it gave off a creepy feeling. As they neared the castle, intermittent growls and groans could be heard. Those sounds were from wolves! Something was not right. There seemed to be some dirty dealings in that castle.

And Hugo got a sinking feeling the moment he laid his eyes on the castle. The groans, cries and snarls from inside the castle all reminded him of what he had been through in his last life. Hugo’s steps couldn’t help but come to a stop. Ryder noticed it and looked at him, as if asking what was wrong. Hugo shook his head and managed to hold the fear down.

Slowly, they crept up to the foot of the walls. “What now?” Hugo mouthed. There were men in black at the door of the castle. They can’t just walk in.

Ryder looked around the place, and then began to walk around the castle, like he was looking for something. Hugo had no idea of what it was but he followed closely after. His instinct told him this young Alpha was trustable.

Ryder came to a sudden stop. Hugo who was closely behind didn’t have the time to react and bumped right into his back. Immediately, he felt his nose sore and Ryder was quick enough to cover his mouth before an ‘ouch’ could escape his lips.

The big hand covering his mouth was anything but soft, but it felt warm. Hugo nodded his head, his lips rubbing against Ryder’s palm. Hugo felt a shudder all over his body. His body was acting weird. And when Ryder withdrew his hand, Hugo even felt a sense of loss.

The look in Ryder’s eyes changed. His lips felt soft. But he soon shook the ridiculous thought out of his mind and then pointed at the place above their head. Hugo’s gaze followed Ryder’s hand, the hand the just covered his lips, and to the small window not high above. To be exact, a hole.

“Face the wall and put your hands on it.” Ryder said.

Hugo was like: ‘What? Excuse me?’

Perhaps Hugo’s confusion and shock were too obvious, Ryder explained, “We won’t get through it. Unless one of us shifts, step on the other’s shoulder and jump in.”

Right. The window, to be exact, was just a hole that could barely accommodate a man of their build to pass, unless one of them shifted. And with him who still couldn’t make a complete shift, that left the mission to the only person with him, Ryder. But how did Ryder know he couldn’t shift?

“It’s dangerous,” Ryder added.

So he didn’t know. He just thought it would be dangerous for him? That was sweet. Without any hesitation, Hugo showed his back to Ryder, his hands on the wall as the rustle of clothes came into his ears. He fought hard to not look back. Nudity was something most werewolves were used to. But at this point, he just could shake the thought of looking back out of his mind. But it wasn’t right. He shouldn’t do it.

Soon the rustle stopped and he looked back, but he only caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing by then felt a heavy stomp on his shoulder before the wolf jumped in. It was all black, blending perfectly with the night. He was perfect for the night.

Hugo sat down on the ground, keeping his guard up while waiting patiently for the young Alpha to be back. He couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful wolf he had just seen, black and mysterious. He wondered what his own wolf would be like. Well, he knew his ears and tail were the color of the sunset, but not sure if the rest of his furs would be of the same color. It was at that very moment when he realized something. How would Ryder get out? There was no one there to let him step on and jump out!

Anxiety began to eat at him. He could no longer sit still. But he couldn’t just rush in, which would only spoil whatever Ryder was doing. Minutes passed like hours as his worry grew and the mark on his left wrist burned again. But this time he had no time for it. The anxiety was killing him. After what felt like years, there came louder growls from the door of the castle and the footsteps of men!

Was Ryder exposed and captured? He could barely breathe, his heart pounding violently.

Chapter 6 The Scum, Reed

Ryder’s POV

Weird. His wolf didn’t show anything this whole time he stayed in the same car with Hugo. So was that brief moment of sadness, fear and pain just his illusion? But it felt so real. But it could wait.

He needed to focus on the investigation first. He jumped in, landing softly on the ground, careful not to make any noise. It was strange. The castle was so guarded with men at the door but empty and dark inside. Good thing was that darkness indeed gave him the best cover as he padded into the castle. Something wasn’t right. He and Hugo heard the growls, yet now this place was empty. He stopped at a corner of the wall, ears pricked up searching for any suspicious sound.

There, the groans and growls again! But it felt far and…obscured, like they were from under the ground. He then lay down and put his ears on the ground, listening again. This time, the voice became clearer. He could even hear men talking.

“Are you sure about doing it right now, Dr. Wolfe?”

“Do it now. We don’t have much time left. The High Priests want results tonight.”

“But Dr. Wolfe, he’s still unstable. We still need more data before…”

“Shut it! Either you die or that god-damned wolf. Your choice!”

There was a dungeon down there. Slowly he moved, trying to find the entrance to it when there came a sudden boom!

Not far away from him, the floor burst open, revealing a square entrance. By the light filtering through it, Ryder saw a long spiral staircase leading down. On it some men in white lab coats were trying to keep a wolf under control. Eyes blood red, the wolf snarled and growled as it threw the men off the stairs and jumped out from the square entrance. The wolf stormed right to the door where the guards were, followed by more men holding guns. No one shot though. Clearly, they wanted to capture the wolf back, alive.

Ryder hid behind the huge statute as it all happened. When the group of men ran out, he walked to the square entrance, shocked by what he saw under the ground. It was a large experiment room with equipment he didn’t even know the name of. What shocked him most was a large room where a gray she-wolf was chained. As if sensing something, the she-wolf looked up and their eyes locked. Ryder could see the appeal in those green eyes. She was asking for his help and she was smart enough to not make any noise that might have altered the others in the room.

Ryder wanted to get down to see what else was down there, but then a phone rang down there. And he saw the she-wolf shaking her head slightly. She was warning him of danger!

“Did you get him back? What? It ran into the forest? A bunch of useless idiots!”

Someone was talking on the other end of the phone. And soon the man continued, “Keep looking. Do not kill him. We still need him for our experiment.”

Ryder took his front paw already on the stair back, gave the she-wolf a firm look of assurance and then walked back. This was not the time. He needed a plan.

As the guards were all out into the forest looking for the wolf, Ryder walked right through the door where a few bodies lay lifelessly on the ground. The moment he stepped out, he was taken into a pair of slender arms, slender but firm. Taken aback, he nearly attacked when he noticed it was Hugo.

This time, his wolf reacted but he felt not the previous pain but the coziness of being home. His wolf enjoyed the touch of the young man.

Hugo’s POV

Hugo rushed to behind a wall where he could get a view of the gate. There from the gate of the castle a wolf rushed out! His heart stopped for a second. Without a second thought, he went after the group of men chasing the wolf. He had to seek every chance possible to save him. He hadn’t figured out the connection between the young Alpha and the crescent mark on his wrist.

Not until after running for quite a while did he see clearly the wolf. It was gray, not black. Not Ryder. He came to a sudden halt, realizing Ryder must still be in the castle. He then rushed back and when he saw Ryder padding out from the door, he couldn’t help but take him into his arms. He didn’t know what got into him. He just did it. Something deep in him told him to do so. And when he held Ryder in his arms, his wolf who didn’t know how to properly shift yet, pranced in the back of his mind.

Oh, s**t. This happened fast. How come he himself and his wolf fell so easily for the young Alpha. This was not right. He hadn’t found scum Reed, nor had he taken any revenge. Before he let that scum pay for what he had done to him, he had no time for any relationship. Thinking of which, he let go of Ryder’s wolf and took a step back. Realizing what he had done, Hugo was overwhelmed by the embarrassment. Luckily, Ryder was still in wolf form.

“Umm…I…I thought you…were exposed. I’m glad yo…” Ryder’s wolf just stared at him. The pair of his green eyes made him unable to continue. As he was nearly drowning in the embarrassment, Ryder suddenly nudged Hugo’s leg with his nose.

“What? Stop it. This is not the time for games.”

Ryder’s wolf stared at Hugo like he was an i***t. His wolf raised his forepaw and pushed harder. Hugo opened his mouth, trying to say something when he heard footsteps from inside the castle. Quickly they moved to the side, hiding behind a cluster of trees. And through the gap of the leaves, Hugo saw a familiar face that had been haunting him the whole time after rebirth, the cause of his nightmare, that bastard Reed.

He clenched his fists, barely able to keep himself from jumping out and killing him right there. But something in his hand pulled him back from the deep hatred that nearly consumed all his sanity. He tore his eyes away from that face, knowing this wasn’t the time to do it. He could easily get Ryder and himself exposed or worse, killed. When he looked down, the hatred in him was now replaced by embarrassment…again. He had somehow clutched Ryder’s fur, tightly, in his hand.

Ryder, though, didn’t say anything, or couldn’t because he was still in his wolf form, was staring at Hugo, as if trying to read something from his face. Luckily, Reed’s phone rang and got their attention.

“What? You lost it?”

“You can’t even get a mad wolf?! You’d better hope he’ll be dead soon or we’ll be in good trouble.”

Hanging up the phone, Reed stormed away.

So those men didn’t find the wolf. Hugo released his clutch and even smoothened the fur, while forcing an apologetic smile. They waited till Reed and his men left before heading to where Ryder left his clothes. After Ryder shifted back, they exchanged information and decided to go after the mad wolf, in the hope they could get some useful information.