The Trials of The Alpha and His Mutt

Chapter One: First Day

Miya's POV

How do you hide an abomination in America? If I were asked, I would say, 'move her to Alaska, a land so large and remote it would be impossible for even the numerous packs and covens to find her.' My parents, who need not be asked, for they have answered the question by acting, seem to believe the best way to do it is literally move her two miles outside of a major wolf pack's territory, and enroll her in a school attended by both that pack, and a coven operating out of a small Colorado town.

Thanks to enhanced hearing, and my subtle stealthy perfume, I was able to get a good layout of the school very early in the day. Before the bell rang, most students were milling about in the courtyard. There were some jocks with Letterman jackets throwing a football around- wolves. Around the large, gaudy fountain in front of the school were a group of musicians. One had a guitar out and was strumming along to a song another girl was singing. Vampires. Another, more bookish crowd, was sitting at some picnic tables going over homework. Wolves. A crowd under a tree talking and laughing loudly. Vampires.

Honestly, were there any humans here?

I kept my head down and walked straight past them, opening the main doors and following the signage to the office.

“Thanks, Ms. Renhaven. Aleira will be back in class by Monday morning,” a husky male voice said. I allowed myself a glance at him as I entered the office. He was tall, probably 6'2”, and his muscles were bulging out of his band T-shirt. His jeans looked almost painted on. He shot me a wink, and I swallowed hard, blushing as I looked away. “New student?” he asked, ignoring my apparent shyness. “I can show you around, if you want.”

“What a wonderful idea, Riever,” the old woman who sat behind a placard reading 'Ms. Renhaven' said. “Miss Miya, I have your schedule here. I was planning to give you the tour myself, but these old ankles aren't what they used to be.”

“Oh, well, I'm sure I could find my way-” I tried, fruitlessly.

“Nonsense,” Riever said. He held his hand out to the old woman and she offered up my schedule to him without a second thought. That had to be some breach of privacy. “This school is pretty big, and you could get lost pretty easy. I'm happy to help, anyways.”

“Oh,” I said, blinking away the despair. I could smell the wolf coming off him in waves. By the looks of him, and gauging by how he held himself, I was probably in the presence of either a very strong warrior, a beta or even an alpha. “Well, then, how can I say no?”

No really. Please, tell me how.

Riever put his hand on my back and pushed me forward, out of the office. He shut the door behind him and looked at me with a intensity that made me weak in the knees. “So, tell me about yourself. Miya, was it?”

“Uh, yeah,” I said. “Not much to tell. Military brat, home schooled up until now.” It was a convenient lie, one I had been practicing for weeks.

“Home schooled by who?” Riever asked, pushing forward through the halls.

“My grandmothers,” I responded, absent mindedly. The best way to lie was to use a grain of truth. “They were both widowed, and they both live with us. They're best friends, really.” Playing quiet might only pique his interest, so I tried to give just enough explanation to sate his curiosity without fueling the fire. I didn't want this tour to become a friendship.

“Cool,” he said, pushing open a set of big double doors. The cafeteria was bustling with students. Some of them hollered to him, waving him over. He dismissed them with a wave. “And your parents?”

“Dad's military, mom works from home,” I said. Another lie. “Your friends look like they want you around. We can do this some other time-”

“They're always like that,” he said. “Here, let me introduce you.” That hand of his covered my entire back and propelled me forward, rather I liked it or not. I didn't like the attention it was getting me- though, to my relief I saw some patches of human kids in the cafeteria.

No, no, no, no, no. I chanted in repeat in my mind. The whole table smelled like wolf-shaped trouble.

“This is Harper, Rose and Jenny,” he said, motioning to three girls. They all looked stunning, with curves that could stop a man in their tracks, and sultry, full lips. Harper, the closest to her, leaned a little too close when introduced, and I swear she took a deep sniff.

“Wow, you are so pretty!” she said, smiling. I must have passed the scent check- wolves aren't very subtle when crossed. “Your hair is so straight- is that natural? And, gosh, your complexion is so smooth.”

“Th-thanks,” I said.

“Aw, you made her shy,” one of the boys said. He came around the table and threw his massive arm around my shoulders, squeezing me to his side, “My name is Aiden. I'd like to be the first official boy at this school to ask for your number and your hand in marria-”

“Shut up, prick,” Riever said, slugging him in the arm. Aiden released his grip on me and Riever strategically placed himself between us. “Sorry about that, Aiden's been disgustingly thirsty since he's loved and lost all the other ladies in the school.”

Aiden shrugged with a hopeless smile. “I'm a lover, not a fighter.”

“The quiet ones over there are Bradley and Joe. They are respectable guys,” Riever shot Aiden another glare. “If you find yourself lost or in trouble, these two would be the ones to ask for help.”

Joe only nodded in agreement, but Bradley added, “Really, though, I'm on the student council, too, so if you need help, just ask.”

“Thank you,” I said awkwardly.

“What are you doing after school?” Harper asked, “If Riever got to show you the school, I want to show you the town!”

“Oh, uh, I still have some unpacking to do, and-”

“Oh, nonsense,” Harper said, grinning. “Unpacking is boring. Let us show you a good-hearted Crescent Ridge welcome!”

I froze up. If I didn't find a way out of this now, I'd be an honorary pack member by sundown.

“Lay off the new meat,” Riever said. “I have to show her the rest of the school. You'll be seeing a lot more of her for the rest of the school year anyhow.”

I exhaled softly, feeling a quiet relief. He steered me out of the cafeteria and back into the hallway.

“Sorry about them,” he said, with a laugh. “They're just excited. Crescent Ridge doesn't really change, so a new face is probably the most interesting thing that will happen all year.”

“I... see...” I said, scratching the back of my head.

“The classrooms are numbered out front, and the numbers go by hallway, so if you look at these plaques...” he began to drone on, honestly giving me a tour. I even began to relax about halfway through it. Riever pointed out my specific classrooms, then the most convenient route to key areas, like the office, gym, and cafeteria. “And last, but not least,” he said, “You seem like the quiet type, so I'll let you in on my top-secret, super-private hiding spot.”

I opened my mouth, but an appropriate word didn't come out soon enough. “Excuse me, what?” I settled with.

He grinned, “Follow me, and you'll see.”

Curiosity guided my feet. He led me out a set of double doors that were labeled as emergency exit but didn't trigger an alarm. On the side of the building, there was a service stairway that led down into a basement door that had a thick chain and padlock on it. “This door hasn't been used for three generations,” he said with a smirk. “So, when I need some peace and quiet, I come out here to lay low for a while. You're welcome to use it if you need to.”

“That's... very kind of you,” I said with a smile. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and felt the warmth rising in my face. Oh no. No, no, no, none of that, Miya Summett. I cleared my throat and leaned against the building, looking out through the fenced off wilderness that ran alongside the high school. “So, why share your top-secret, super-private hiding spot?”

“I wouldn't with just anyone,” he said, sitting down on the steps. “You, uh...” he scratched his head, “You were home schooled, right? So, you might find school overwhelming. I thought you might need it more than me.” He paused. “I found this spot when I was overwhelmed. So, I bequeath it to you.”

Damn, he was cute.

“Thanks,” I said, smiling. He smiled up at me with a lopsided grin, then looked down at his phone when it rang.

“Whoops. That's my cue- girlfriend calling,” he went back to the door and hesitated before going inside. “I'll talk to you again, new girl.”

When he was gone, I dropped my bag and deflated onto the stairs. Of course, someone like him had a girlfriend. He had me, antisocial pessimist extraordinaire ready to lick honey off his abs. A blessing in disguise, then, I thought. All the more reason to stay away from him, and his pack of too-friendly friends.

I opened a granola bar, my stomach growling, and bit into it. I was feeling anxious today.

Tonight, I would have to hunt.

Riever's POV

A new girl in the third week of the first semester was odd, so as future alpha of the Crescent Ridge Pack it was my duty to scope her out. My pack was especially keen on human students like her- keep them away from the bloodsuckers and make sure they weren't too nosy for their own good. Lucky for us, Miya was quiet and sweet, seemed like she wanted to keep to herself. That was a good quality in a human.

Thoughts of her faded from my mind as my girlfriend, and hopefully future Luna, greeted me with a peck on my cheek. “Riever, I heard from Harper that you've been engaging in public service duties again. Did you help a little duckling find her way?” Angelica asked. Angelica was the whole package. She was intelligent, strong, and fiery. Her blonde hair and freckle-kissed face were front cover worthy, and her body was that of a pin-up girl.

“I might have done something of the sort,” I replied with a smile. “Jealous?”

“Of a human girl? Never,” Angelica said, sliding into my arm so smoothly I hardly noticed the transition. “So, did you invite her to the party this weekend?”

I hadn't. My birthday party this weekend marked my turning eighteen, and I only had one thing in mind about that night. “I wasn't thinking about it. In fact, I'm trying not to think about it.”

She stopped, her smile disappearing. “Why not?”

I pushed her into a little alcove between lockers and growled into her neck, “The thought of mating and marking you invokes a very... physical... reaction in me. I didn't want her to see it.”

Angelica giggled and pushed me off. “Not in the hall. I don't care if you are the big-bad Alpha to be.”

“And, with any luck, you'll be my future Luna,” I said, kissing her forehead. We resumed the walk back to the cafeteria. “I'll ask Harper to ask her. She looked ready to jump all over her earlier, so I'm sure she'd enjoy the excuse to talk to her again.”

“Marvelous,” Angelica said, a gleam in her eye. “You really are so charitable.”