The Alpha's Daughter

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In the year of the raid on the Doirin pack compound, Emma had fled to a neighbouring pack. The injured fourteen-year-old luckily found the home of the pack's Alpha, begging for shelter. The Nye Family was influential so he recognised her immediately. The disdain for the dreadful tyrant filtered to his seed, he wanted nothing to do with her.

His mate, however, was more merciful.

She heard the child’s pleas and remembered the look of misery Nye children wore whenever the man was around. She could recall their breaths of relief in his absence and took pity on the child.

Dusan's children were victims like the rest of them.

Emma’s regenerative abilities impressed her caretakers, but considering who her father was, it became less of a surprise. She wasn’t entirely on her feet when she expressed that she didn’t want to be a burden to them. They were both unsure of what course to take, she beseeched them to allow her to provide for herself as there was nothing left for her back home.

The Luna at the time, rounded with pregnancy, continued to take pity on Emma. The couple gifted her a small cottage on the outskirts of the town, for her privacy but to keep her hidden until they could decide their next course of action.

It was days after that the fall of Onyx Ridge spread to other packs. The Alpha used the opportunity to introduce Emma to the pack. She was calm in the face of hostility, only saying she would help the pack where she could and responding to nothing else. They could easily make her a slave, she was aware of that.

Her first test shortly after.

The Luna took Emma with her to work as a teacher’s assistant. As the day tarried Emma silently observed the children, much in the same manner the Luna was observed her. During naptime, the pups were rather restless, the reason was unclear. Under the guise of hurting ankles, the Luna excused herself from the litter. She exited the hall but sat nearby to monitor the class. After a few breathes silence gradually swallowed the hall. If a pin dropped in this silence even human ears wouldn’t have strained to hear it. She quietly but quickly rushed back to the class, as she arrived at the door she paused. She pressed her ear to the door and stilled before a slow smile graced her lips.

The only voice heard was Emma’s as she read the children a story animated yet maintaining a hushed tone.

“Luna”, some teachers appeared in the hall. She was quick to silence them, putting a finger to her lip. They nodded, they followed Luna because they saw how quickly she moved and thought she needed assistance.

She slowly cracked open the class door, only allowing her visitors a peek inside. There sat Emma on the floor, surrounded by the students watching her in rapt attention and the youngest of the litter sleeping in her chest, suckling on its finger as Emma gently stroked his head. The Luna’s smile grew wider as her visitors were clearly impressed with Emma’s ability to handle children well even befriending the smallest pup who was very wary of people.

Emma was the Luna’s pride.

Their meeting was around seven months later. Emma was settled into the pack and became somewhat of a babysitter. She tutored and accompanied the village children for pay. The Alpha found out that some underpaid her, when he confronted Emma she confessed her but requested that he did not make an example of them. The alpha was a little wroth some dared to underpay someone as honest as Emma.

It was then that she won the man.

One evening, after a stop in the market, she realized she was being followed. Emma thought it something of a phenomenon. Nothing remotely criminal has happened in this small town until now. Curious, Emma decided to entertain her pursuer. She walked into an alleyway, never looking behind her as she slowed her pace.

Before they were mid-way into the alley she felt a cold, sharp point press into her back. Emma stilled, waiting for something. Her attacker didn’t press the weapon deeper, there was no intent to break the skin.

“Don’t turn around”, a small but rough voice commanded. Emma sniffed. No malicious intent but desperation and filth scented the air. “Look lady, I don’t want to hurt you”, he grunted, “leave the basket where it is and go.”

She took half a step forward and spun to face her assailant, with a flick of her wrist she disarmed him, taking possession of the knife before throwing it into the dirt a few steps away from them.

“Oh”, Emma’s heart lurched at the sight.

A boy, possibly twelve years old, faced her. His ribs are visible in his ratty, badly patched shirt. His pants fared no better and no shoes on his feet. His face was dirty and scorched, it was littered with cuts and bruises like much of his body. She could feel the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, no child deserved to live like this, her heart was breaking.

The hopeless and desperate eyes were flooded with guilt at the sight of her tears. He broke his stance looking at Emma with wavering certainty.

“What is your name?” she whispered heartbrokenly.

The boy’s eyes lit again with desperation, as if just recalling the reason the two met. He resumed his former stance. “Just leave the basket lady and nobody gets hurt”, he threatened.

Emma controlled the waterworks as best she could. “How about this”, she proposed, “for every question you answer I’ll give you a piece of fruit.”

Now the boy looked at her as if she was crazy. He looked as if he were going to refuse when his stomach answered for him, he blushes bright red. She took him by his hand and shook it before he could refute.

“We have an agreement, yes? Let’s go.”

“Wait”, he protested weakly, “I haven’t agreed to anything.”

Emma took out an apple, she snapped off a piece and used it to clean the outer part of the fruit and held it towards him. “Now do we have a deal?”

He stared at the fruit and then back to the lady. He’d been tailing her for a while so he knew nothing was wrong with the fruit offering. His stomach protested again and he didn’t hesitate to take it a second time. She watched him r****h it. He was far too hungry to savour the taste and appreciate its sweet juices that were now flowing down his arms and dripping from his chin. She hid her heartache behind a blithe smile.

Emma took his free hand. Initially, she started towards her cottage, but after a moment of thought, she detoured. In the end, their destination was a park. Emma sat on the bench, he didn’t, much preferring to stare at her incredulously. She patted a spot beside her. He kept staring but eventually lost to Emma’s patient smile. The moment he did, Emma reached in her bag. He jumped to his feet again.

“Relax”, she held up the wet wipes, “it’s just this.”

He reluctantly sat again. The Alpha faced the possible teen, she cradled his face gently but firmly she began cleaning his face. He felt as though he was being babied and the boy wasn’t wrong. Emma employed the same tactic on toddlers.

“I can do it myself", the boy grumbled.

“I know", she replied patiently, “but let me do this for you."

He deflated and let her.

Emma cleaned away as much of the dirt and grime as she could. She was on her fifth ply when she started cleaning some cuts. When she was satisfied, she cleaned both their hands. After she’d finished wiping his hand, she looked up to find him gazing intently at her.

“Is there something on my face?"

“No”, he shook his head. The whole time she was tending him, she was the only thing that occupied his vision. The boy began to study her features and came to a conclusion. This nice lady was also pretty.

He hadn’t noticed it before.

She took out a red apple, and cleaned it with fresh wet wipes, his eyes hungrily tracking the movements. “So, how old are you?"

His eyes snapped to meet the Alpha’s. “I'm eleven now", he rasped.

She put the apple in his hand and studied him closely. She envied his fighting spirit to a degree, although she had a roof over her head, her spirit was almost broken on many occasions. By her own father no less.

Emma pushed away her thoughts and continued questioning. “What's your name?"

He flinched and cleared his throat. Emma folded her lips to hide a smile, was he so hungry he forgot about her for a moment?

“I don't remember it, no one has said it in years", he whispered the last part.

She cleaned and gave him another apple. “Where do you live?"

“Nowhere", he answered on this last bite. Emma tilted her head, eyes enquiring further, “My parents abandoned me so my Nana took me in, she was old and frail but the only family or friend that I had." He sucked in a breath, Emma held his hand, leaving what it meant to his interpretation. “After she died, I was alone for a long time.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Lady”, the boy snorted, “you’ve been asking nothing but questions.”

“Oh, a little spitfire”, she chuckled. Emma set her eyes to the horizon. “How about living with me?” she proposed. “If you would let me”, she breached the topic cautiously, ‘I could take you to my cottage. You could live with me from now on.”

The boy sat bewildered that this lady he just met and tried to rob offered him a home, her home.

“Why should I trust you”, he whispered.

“You shouldn’t”, she replied. Emma kept her eyes trained on the sun dipping below the treetops but her lips stretched into a smile. She finally looked at him again. “Trust your instincts regardless of what I say”, she nodded and faced the horizon again, “this is your choice.”

His eyes widened at her words. The sun painted her in pastel orange and pink hues, casting a halo on her hair. He felt something inside him move because of her compassionate eyes. Her citrusy sweet smell, like fresh oranges and honey, wafted around him it felt like he was being embraced in a blanket of affection. Nothing about her came off as forceful. He blushed to his roots when he realized his train of thought.

What was he thinking he just met this lady?

“Are you alright?” her expression shifted from serene to unease.

“Fine”, he nodded and turned away from her slightly, “I’ll go with you.”

Emma paused then her lips pulled into a megawatt smile he’d grow to adore. “Alright! Let’s go then.”