Angel and The Alpha

Chapter-4

I woke up before the sun even bothered to show its face. Typical. My internal clock had no concept of "rest."

After a quick shower, I changed into the training clothes Lisa had thoughtfully provided—black leggings, a soft grey top, and a hoodie that smelled like lavender and motherly intentions. She'd even folded everything with that terrifyingly neat precision. Honestly, she could weaponize her kindness if she tried.

I tied my hair into a high ponytail, combing it back with my fingers, and headed downstairs.

Silence.

Not the peaceful kind either. The kind that hangs in the air like everyone's still dead asleep or avoiding life altogether. Only the sound of my boots echoed off the floor. Apparently, I was the only early riser in a house full of wolves. Go figure.

I shrugged and snatched an apple from the kitchen counter. Might as well explore since sleep clearly wasn't on the menu.

The air outside was crisp, still holding the bite of morning. I bit into the apple and walked, letting my senses take everything in. Every scent, every shift in wind, every tree and shadow. If I was going to survive here, I needed to know this place better than it knew me.

I paused when I noticed a narrow path of concrete branching off—leading, I guessed, to the cemetery. The trees lining it were different here. Not quite like the others. Thinner. Less alive.

Birds chirped overhead. A few of them stared at me—or maybe at my apple. Either way, they were bold.

"Fine," I muttered, and tossed the half-eaten fruit their way.

Five birds immediately swarmed it like it was a buffet. Greedy little things.

Brushing my hands on my leggings, I kept walking toward the field. Or at least what I hoped was the direction of the training field.

Honestly, I was winging it.

"Hey! Manakel!"

I turned, recognizing Archie's voice before his face came into view. He jogged toward me, offering a casual smile that somehow didn't feel forced.

"Hey, Archie," I said, matching his smile with one of my own. Mine might have even been genuine.

He stopped a few feet away and frowned. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

I blinked innocently. "Trying to find the training field."

Lying came easy. Especially when I didn't feel bad about it.

He looked around, then pointed behind me. "It's that way."

"Oh. My bad," I said, turning slightly. "Weird how isolated this part is."

Archie followed my gaze to the thin trees. His voice dropped a bit, serious now. "That leads toward the borderline. Not where we found you—this side was where the rogues hit us. After that, the whole area got locked down. It's under constant watch, and no one's allowed near it. If I hadn't run into you just now..."

He let the warning trail off.

I scratched the back of my neck and gave him the kind of sheepish look people expected from someone who cared. "Sorry. I didn't know."

I did. But letting him think I didn't worked better for both of us.

"Just... don't wander wherever you want, okay? This place might look calm, but it's not a playground. One wrong step could've caused a lot of problems—for you and for us."

His words were firm, but not cruel. He meant it.

"Got it," I nodded. "Thanks."

He exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders. "Come on then. Before we're late. The Alpha'll have our hides."

He took off in the other direction, and I spared one last glance at the thin line of trees.

Forbidden, huh?

Interesting.

Then I ran after Archie.

We reached the training field right at seven. Punctual. Wouldn't want to tarnish my golden reputation.

Andrew, Cole, Kevin, and the blond one—whose name I still hadn't committed to memory—were standing in a loose circle, talking. Or brooding, in Andrew's case.

My eyes landed on him immediately. The infamous Alpha. Arms crossed over his chest like he'd been sculpted from pure disapproval. Muscles on display. Jaw set like a marble statue of judgment. Stone cold.

Does he ever relax? I bet he came out of the womb frowning.

The thought hit me so vividly I snorted—and then I couldn't stop.

I actually started laughing. Hard.

Every eye turned toward me. Including his.

Andrew's gaze pinned me in place, unblinking. He dropped his arms to his sides slowly, like he was preparing for battle. His eyes narrowed, and I could almost see the calculation happening behind them.

Which only made it worse.

I giggled—actual giggles—and tried not to picture a newborn baby version of Andrew glaring at the nurse for swaddling him wrong.

Honestly, someone needed to put that frown of his on a T-shirt.

"What the hell? Why are you laughing?" Archie asked, frowning at me as I finally calmed down, taking a long breath to steady myself.

"If I told you, you wouldn't stop laughing either," I said, grinning like an i***t, mostly for effect.

"Oh really? Now I have to know."

"Know what?"

That grumpy voice didn't belong to Archie.

I looked up to find Andrew standing right in front of us—fists clenched, jaw tight, and eyes locked on me like I'd just insulted his ancestors.

"Nothing, Alpha," I said sweetly, bowing my head just enough to test his already-thin patience.

"You don't need to bow," he snapped. "You'll train with Cole. Be serious and shut your mouth—before I do it for you." Then he turned and walked off like the drama king he clearly was.

I glanced around to see everyone's eyes on me. Great. Center stage, once again. I rolled my eyes and turned to find Cole looking amused. Of course he was.

That smug bastard.

"Well, I'll catch you later," Archie muttered, clearly not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. Off he went to join his usual gang.

I made my way toward Cole, who was already chatting with the blond guy—Generic Annoying Wolf #2.

"Now what?" I asked as I appeared beside them, dropping the question like a stone into their oh-so-serious conversation.

"First, three laps around the perimeter," Cole said, rolling his eyes like I was already exhausting him. "Then I'll tell you what's next. Now get lost."

The blond one snickered. I gave them both the sweetest smile I could manage—the kind that said I'm plotting your downfall and it will be glorious—then turned around without a word.

They were startled by my lack of sass. Good. Let them wonder.

The perimeter didn't look too bad. A nice little warm-up. I tied my ponytail tighter and started running. The cold air hit my face as I weaved through the trees. I vaulted over fallen logs, my hand steadying me as I hurled myself across them. My speed picked up, hair flying behind me like a cape, feet pounding the ground in a zigzag pattern to avoid crashing into trees.

A tall fallen log blocked my path. Too high to jump, too awkward to climb. So I dropped low, sliding across the rough ground and slipping through the narrow space beneath it.

A massive boulder loomed ahead. Dead end. I slowed and looked around, scanning for options. My eyes landed on a rope dangling from a high branch. Out of reach. Of course.

Still, I wasn't about to let gravity win. I backed up, sprinted forward, and jumped—fingers catching the rope on the first try. I pulled myself up with a grunt and planted one leg on the thick branch above.

Below, a group was watching me.

"You've gotta swing your way through the trees to that red X," Cole called out, pointing to a distant mark painted on a trunk.

"That's one lap. Then do it twice more."

Joy.

I nodded, then leapt to the next branch. My hands gripped the one above as I kicked up, swinging and launching myself from branch to branch like some gymnastic jungle monkey. Finally, I landed back on solid ground with a soft thud. One lap done.

No pause. I shot forward again—faster this time. No holding back. Just the way Gabriel and I used to race through the woods back home. He used to win. Then I got better. Now no one could touch me.

The second lap flew by. Same obstacles, faster reflexes. Slide, jump, catch the rope, fly through the trees. I moved like a ghost with a grudge.

Time to show off.

For the third lap, I slowed just enough for everyone to see. After sliding under the log, I launched into a series of front flips—then kicked off a tree to propel myself into a double flip mid-air, landing with a soft thud.

I could almost hear jaws dropping.

Then came the rope. I swung back and forth, gaining momentum, before letting go just long enough to grab a branch above. Feet to branch. Perfect control. I raced the final tree line, flipping off the last branch and landing with one final spin. Arms out, legs balanced, hair whipping across my face. I straightened, brushed a few stray strands away, and stood tall as my arms dropped to my sides.

Silence. Then—

Clapping. Whistling. Cheers.

I blinked, surprised to find the entire field in front of me, watching, applauding like I'd just won a damn gold medal.

I didn't even break a sweat.

Showtime, boys.

"That was—"

"Amazing."

"Awesome."

"Outstanding."

"Impressive."

The words flew at me from every direction. My lips curled into a smug little smile. Yeah, I knew I nailed it—but hey, appreciation was always welcome.

Then, cue the buzzkill.

"That was remarkable, indeed," Andrew said, stepping in front of me like he had a spotlight to steal. "But next time, don't show off so much. Show's over—get back to work."

Of course. The Alpha couldn't let someone else have a moment of glory without giving it a warning label.

I rolled my eyes and looked over at Cole. He had that impressed-but-trying-not-to-look-too-impressed expression on his face, and—was that a smile? I'll take it.

Everyone else dispersed, going back to training, leaving just Andrew and me standing there. Alone.

"Rebecca," Andrew called out, voice sharp and direct—but his eyes? They never left mine. Those damn turquoise eyes. Piercing. Focused. Like they were trying to figure me out—or maybe like he already had.

We just stared at each other.

No words. No movement.

It felt like I was locked in place, unable to breathe, blink, or think. His gaze was freezing me and igniting something all at once. Like the first breath after drowning—and realizing you liked it.

It was intoxicating. Familiar. And worse—dangerous. That old feeling I thought I'd buried deep? It surged back. Stronger. Louder.

And I hated it.

"Yes, Alpha." A voice broke the trance—Rebecca, I assumed. I blinked hard, shaking myself out of whatever the hell that was.

What the f**k just happened?

I wasn't the only one affected. Andrew looked as off-balance as I felt. His face was unreadable, but his eyes—yeah, they knew something had shifted.

It's nothing, Manakel. You just find him hot. That's it. Hormones. Not destiny. Get a grip.

"You'll help her with self-defense," Andrew said, voice tight. "If there's a problem, you know where to find me."

He didn't even look at me again. Just turned around and walked off, his entire body stiff like someone shoved a steel rod up his back.

Yep. Definitely not just me.

"Hi! I'm Rebecca—or Becca," the girl with warm chocolate-brown hair said, practically bouncing up to me.

"Hey, I'm Manakel," I replied, taking her hand and giving her a smile.

"Can I call you Manny? Manakel's a bit of a tongue twister," she asked, looking sheepish.

No one had called me that in years, except...

"Sure. I like that."

Even if it did make my chest pinch a little.

"What you did back there was so badass. I want to learn those flips. Like, seriously." Her hazel eyes were wide and honest as we walked toward a shady patch beneath a massive tree.

"I could teach you," I shrugged. No big deal.

"Thanks—but if Cole found out, he'd probably chain me to the bed or lock me in the basement and throw away the key."

"Wait—Cole's your what? Brother?" I asked, casually kicking a pebble.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head. "He's my mate. I love him, but he's insanely protective—ever since..."

She stopped. Her smile faded. The energy dropped.

"Since what?" I asked, pretending I didn't already know. I could guess. But I needed to hear it.

She sat down cross-legged on the grass, sighing as she looked into the distance.

"The attack," she finally said.

I lowered myself beside her, mirroring her posture. "If you don't mind... can you tell me what happened that day?"

"You don't know?" she asked, surprised.

I blinked. "No. Should I?"

"I just thought... everyone knows. Even the rogues know. Andrew's parents were killed. Cole's little sister too. A lot of our pack didn't make it."

Oh.

That explained the constant tension, the guarded stares, the silent rules.

"What happened after?" I asked quietly.

"Everyone was devastated. Especially Andrew. He lost his parents and his..." She trailed off.

"His what?" I pushed gently. She was hiding something.

Something important.

"Nothing," she said after a pause, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Cole and his mom went through a lot too. Lisa's basically a second mother to Andrew. After the attack, he never let anyone step foot on pack land. Not until you showed up. That's why everyone's been so... surprised."

"Actually," I said, watching her reaction closely, "my dad did tell me about the attack. Just not in detail. My older sister was killed during it."

Her expression softened immediately, pity blooming in her eyes.

"Oh... that must've been really hard," she said, voice gentle, offering me a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah. It was," I lied smoothly.

At least she believed me now, instead of looking at me like I was some rogue infiltrator with a shady past.

I tilted my head slightly. "By the way... has Cole ever mentioned anything about me to you?"

"No," she replied, frowning a little. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," I said with a shrug, as casual as I could fake. "I just figured he hates me. Since the moment I got here, he's been nothing but cold and rude. Thought maybe, as his mate, he vented to you about the new girl ruining the vibe."

Becca shook her head quickly. "No, Manny, he doesn't hate you. Actually... you look a lot like his sister. Same hair, similar features. Maybe he sees her when he looks at you."

Well, that was uncomfortable.

She continued, "After the attack, Lisa shut down completely. She barely spoke. But the day you arrived? She was suddenly... herself again. That can't be a coincidence. So no, I don't think Cole hates you. If anything, it might just be something unresolved.

Want me to talk to him for you?"

I waved it off with a small smile. "No, no. He'll come around. But thanks."

"Alright, come on," she said, standing and brushing dirt from her pants. "If we don't get moving, the Alpha might personally drag my sorry ass through a training course."

I laughed and let her pull me up. We took our stances again and ran through some defensive moves. She was light and quick, eager to learn, and didn't whine about the bruises—my kind of training partner. After a while, we both slumped back onto the ground, catching our breath just as Cole called out, announcing the end of the session.

Everyone started packing up. I watched Cole approach us, his usual grumpy expression softening as he bent down and pulled Becca into a hug. He kissed her forehead.

Okay... that was actually cute. Annoying, but cute.

I stood quietly, smiling at the two of them before turning away to give them space. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Archie waving at me like a maniac from across the field.

Of course.

I jogged over to him, smirking. "Hey."

"Girl, you killed it out there," he said, practically bouncing. "Those flips? Hot. And don't get me started on the view. I had a front-

row seat to your round ass—"

"Shut up, Arch," I said, blushing despite myself as I shoved his arm lightly.

"No, really. I mean it," he said, now giving me a serious look. "You're amazing out there."

I smiled, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Keep moving before I show you exactly how good I am—by kicking your ass."

He laughed, throwing his arm around my shoulders as we walked.

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