Cowgirls and Alphas

Chapter 6: Flashback

Third Person POV

Drake is 18 years old

A month after Drake’s 18th birthday, he was running around letting his wolf hunt when a foreign scent on the outside of the pack lands caught his attention. Both Drake and Ivar couldn’t figure out what the smell was, so they chased after it. 15 minutes later, Drake found a lone light tan wolf sitting facing him on the other side of the southern border of the pack lands.

Ivar immediately knew this wolf was their mate and begged to go to her. Drake shifted behind a tree, put on the shorts that were stored there, and grabbed the shirt for the she-wolf. When he came back she was still in her wolf form, so he tossed her the shirt and turned around without a word. After the sounds of shifting and clothes moving subsided, he turned and saw a tall, beautiful blonde standing there.

“Mate,” Drake growled and rushed to hold her.

She responded by hugging him back but stayed quiet.

“I’m Drake Reynolds. What’s your name, my mate?”

“Vanessa. I was worried it was you.” She sighed.

Drake pulled back, confused. “Why would that worry you? You don’t need to be afraid of me. I may be a future alpha, but I will always protect and take care of you, my mate.”

Vanessa abruptly shoved him back. “Don’t call me that! I can’t be your mate! You have killed my family. You have killed my pack members. If I give in to this,(she pointed between them) I’ll be spitting on their memory!” She venomously shouts.

Drake was taken aback by her words. “I have never killed anyone in a pack before! Only rogues. How could I have killed your family?” He replied. Then it hit him. His mate was a rogue.

Vanessa scoffed, “We may not be a technical pack bound by laws and all that bull crap, but we are one. And you take any opportunity you can to hunt us down.”

Drake’s heart felt torn from the pain in her voice. He took a step toward her and kept his arms open in hopes that she would come back into his embrace. “Please, come with me and give me a chance to explain to you why we do what we do. I promise it will all make sense.”

“Not only no, but Hell No! I hate you, Drake Reynolds, and always will.” Vanessa bit back. Then, she straightened herself and calmly said, “I, Vanessa Hatch, reject you, Drake Reynolds, as my mate.”

The severing of the bond knocked Drake to the ground. Tears filled his eyes as he choked on his breath. He looked up at Vanessa with pleading eyes, hoping that she would change her mind.

But she just laughed, “The big bad alpha brought to his knees all because of me! This is just too good!”

‘Ivar, what do we do?’ Drake asked completely stunned by her hatred.

The wolf shook his head, ‘Her wolf hates us too. I’ve tried reasoning with her, but it’s no use. I don’t think there’s anything that we can do. You have to accept her rejection.’

Drake stood and took in a deep breath to calm himself. “I, Drake Reynolds, accept your rejection, Vanessa Hatch.” He stood there shaking from the pain of the final tie of the bond breaking.

Vanessa spread a wicked grin across her face. “I genuinely love seeing you in pain, but it’s not enough.” Before Drake realized what was happening, Vanessa used her claws to deeply slice the side of his face down to his throat, causing him to collapse from the immediate blood loss. She stooped down and violently grabbed the hair on his head so he could see her. “I want your last moments in this life to be filled with pain to make up for all the pain you’ve caused me, and my family, over the years. May you burn in hell, Drake Reynolds.” With that, she spat on his face and walked away.

‘Drake! Hold on!’ Drake faintly heard Ivar calling to him before the world faded to black.

••••

Jackson and Eric’s wolves heard Ivar’s call for help before the link closed down. Luckily, Drake had told them where he was going, so they ran in wolf form to him without hesitation. Jackson sent a link to his father and Alpha Malcolm that Drake was in trouble and where they needed to go.

When the boys got to their friend, they saw him unconscious and covered in his blood. Eric immediately went to Drake to give him first aid while Jackson stood guard. The alpha and beta burst onto the scene shortly after them.

“What is going on?” Alpha Malcolm growls.

“His wounds are closing up, but he’s lost a lot of blood. We need to get him to the hospital now.” Eric said out loud.

“Get him on my back and hold him there, Eric. Damien and Jackson, cover us.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the three said together, and they set off.

••••

Drake slowly awoke to the sound of steady beeping and someone scribbling on a piece of paper. As he opened his eyes, he recognized the person writing was the pack doctor. He was staring at the screen that was making the beeping sound.

“Hey, Doc. What’s going on?” His scratchy voice called out.

The doctor spun around upon hearing Drake. “My young Alpha! You’re awake!”

“Oh my gosh! Drake!” He looked towards the shriek and saw his mom and dad sitting on the couch. His mom, Tracy, was already up and rushed to hold him. “You scared the hell out of us! What happened?” She asked with tears in her eyes, then handed him a glass of water. After drinking it all gone, Drake looked around his room again. This time he noticed Jackson, Eric, and their parents were there as well.

“How am I alive? I thought for sure I was a goner,” Drake asked, bewildered.

Jackson stepped forward, “Ivar called to mine and Eric’s wolves. When we got to you, Ivar used the last of his strength to close the gashes, but by then, you had lost too much blood.” His voice cracked as he remembered thinking his best friend was dead. “Your dad and mine came and helped us get you here. Luckily, Doc got you a blood transfusion in time.”

The doctor chimed in, “You’re completely healed physically. We feel the presence of your wolf, but no one can get in contact with him. Can you remember what happened to you?”

Drake rubbed his face with his hands and let out a frustrated groan, “It’s so freaking embarrassing! I’m ashamed to say anything.”

Alpha Malcolm came over, placing a hand on his son’s shoulder, “Drake, we all need to know what happened. The rogue that we smelled where you were disappeared. How were you attacked by a single rogue? That should’ve been easy for you. Nothing adds up. Please tell us,” he pleads.

With a deep sigh, Drake hung his head low as he recounted the event. Low growls filled the room, along with his mother’s cries. “I didn’t know what to do. I never heard of such a horrible mate story, so I wasn’t prepared to handle it like I should have.”

“That explains your wolf being quiet. He may take a while to come back from such a traumatic experience,” the doctor said.

Tracy took her son’s hand, “My sweet boy, no one here blames you. I don't think anyone could handle such a nasty rejection well.” Tears were streaming down both of their faces.

“I’m sorry this happened to you, son. A wolf that can so carelessly throw away their mate like that is dangerous. We will find her and make her pay for her crimes.” Alpha Malcolm swore.

Drake suddenly looked up with a dark look in his eyes.“One condition,” he growled, “I get to kill her.”

His father nodded, “Done.”