The Last Alpha Queen

Chapter 1

ORIANE

The forest creaked under my feet as my boots connected with the muddy ground, with a pace so fast it made me dizzy.

The silence around me was so thick, almost as if the whole forest stood still for me; the only sound to be heard was the labored and ragged sound of my own breathing.

I stopped. My hands on my knees, as I panted heavily, still glancing around warily.

Who was I running from? Or rather, who was I pursuing?

The questions kept swarming in my head, even as the sky above me spun.

“Something is wrong,” I muttered under my breath. It’s never this quiet. My eyes trailed down my legs to my once white Air Jordan, now barely recognisable as it was soaked in dirt.

A twig snapped somewhere behind me, causing me to shudder… I wasn’t alone any longer.

I took a step, as quietly as I could, and another, until I broke into a run. It was then I heard it, heavy footfalls behind me.

It was clear now, I was being hunted, but by who?

“s**t,” I cursed silently as I tripped on a dead branch and fell to my knees. I scrambled to get up, but it was pointless; the low snarls and growls around me were proof enough that I was not alone.

I had been surrounded. I fell to my butt, as I let my shivering hands wander around, for anything that could be used as a weapon.

“Wh… who are you? And wh… what do you want from me?” I yelled out into the dark, my voice trembling, and more than ten pairs of glowing eyes responded to my demand.

“We’ve been searching for years, little one,” A masculine, croaky voice emerged from the dark.

“Fo… for what?” I responded with courage; I knew not where I had mustered from, my heart thudding loudly against my rib cage.

A dry cackle followed my question.

“For you,” the voice dropped to a deadly calm.

I heard leaves rustling and twigs snapping all around me; they were advancing closer.

“s**t!!!” I cursed as I searched around me frantically, looking for something, anything.

The glowing eyes came closer, and I wrapped my fist tightly around a sharp-edged stone. Just then, the snarls sounded distant and muffled, almost like they were underwater. The forest itself was fading away slowly until it dissolved into my dorm room. The angry growls, now replaced by my roommate’s gentle snore, and the glowing eyes, nothing more than the green wall clock that hung just across my bed.

I sat upright on my bed, my heart still racing, and I could still feel the tingles of shiver on my skin. I shut my eyes and hugged my pillow tightly, as a teardrop slid down my cheeks.

I clamped my hand over my mouth, trying to muffle my sobs so as not to wake my roommate.

“Hey,” Brianna, my roommate, greeted as she stirred in bed.

“Good morning,” I greeted back, taking a sip from my coffee mug in my hand, a duvet over my shoulders.

“You’re up early,” she said, sitting upright on the bed.

“Couldn’t sleep,” I muttered lazily.

“Same dream,”

I gave her a single nod, and a look flashed in her eyes, it was one of worry and something else… Pity, I guess.

Who wouldn’t pity me?

A lonely orphan who only got into the prestigious Ashwood University through a scholarship. Brianna, the richest and smartest student in school, was the only one kind enough to take me in as a friend and let me share her lodge.

Yeah, that’s right.

The rich kids had lodges to themselves, a room, a sitting room, and a kitchen, while other students scrambled with four to eight persons in a single room.

“You’ll be fine,” she sighed and fell dramatically on the bed, using her duvet to cover herself. She had ordered an extra bed, so we didn’t have to share one.

“I hope we don’t have classes today,” she groaned, kicking her legs in the air.

“Come on, Riana, it’s our last semester here, after this, and no more classes.”

“Can we just get this schooling over with?” she blew raspberries.

I smiled as I watched her. She hated attending lectures, but almost managed to top the class; I came second.

I placed my mug on the table and trudged into the bathroom. Once there, I stripped and stared at myself in the mirror. Just on the right corner of my chest was a mark, or tattoo, or something, it was that of lightning. As a kid, the mark was faded, but now, with each passing day, it became bolder. I rubbed on it fondly, as I thought of all the ways I could have had it.

It could have been a birthmark, or had my parents tattooed me when I was young?

I sighed as I stepped into the shower; it was pointless, having no memories of my childhood had proven to be frustrating countless times in the past.

I shuddered as the cold water made contact with my skin, jerking me back into reality. Somehow, it managed to feel like a blissful escape, as I forgot all my problems, in that brief moment, and just let the water work its magic.

“Are you going to get out of the shower today or what?” Brianna yelled from the door.

“We’re going to be late for Dr. Olson’s class if you keep this up, and you know what that means,” she groaned, and I chuckled.

__“There they go again, Cinderella, and her maid,” The murmurs started as soon as we stepped into the class.

“I seriously wonder what Brianna sees in that poor brat,”

“Can someone perceive that?” someone yelled from the back of the class. My eyes trailed the person, and I found him covering his nose with a palm.

“What’s that?’ someone else asked, still as loud as the first person.

__“The stench of poverty,” she fanned her face, and the whole class burst out laughing.

I lowered my gaze quietly, taking everything. Every single day, I had been reminded I was out of place, and wasn’t supposed to be in their midst, even four years wasn’t enough time for me to be one of them. So I had learnt to endure everything. I remembered my first day vividly, I had ran out of class to escape their torments.

Brianna squeezed my hand gently, the class had quietened now, I’m very sure, just a glare from her did the magic.

I feigned a smile, and managed to look up, at least I wasn’t alone.

“You’re late, young ladies,” the professor finally spoke after the whole place had calmed down, glancing at his watch.

“We’re sorry, Dr olson, we…”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he cut in sternly, arousing silent chuckles from the class.

“I’ll let this slide because of you, Miss Hamilton,” he glanced at Brianna, completely ignoring me.

“If this repeats itself, you’ll have the room,” he added, his tone still as fierce as ever.

I gulped hard at his last word; every student in Ashwood University knew the implication of the room.

We were able to sit through the two-hour lecture, though I barely made it through, as the worms in my stomach kept on rumbling.

We couldn’t make breakfast, cause we were late. Immediately, the class ended. Brianna held my hand and pulled me out of the class.

“What’s wrong, Riana?”

“I feel like my stomach’s going to explode, I’m so hungry,” she pouted, and I burst out in laughter. I laughed so hard, clutching my stomach, that she glared at me.

“It’s not my fault you slept for long.”

“Shut up and come,” she pulled me out, and we kept running till she bumped into someone and retraced her steps.

I looked up and met a man, or guy, who looked so young and cute, glaring hard at us. Behind him were hefty and fierce-looking men. He must be an important person to walk around with guards.

“We’re so sorry,” I muttered, with a bow pulling Briana behind me, his eyes rested on me, I could swear, I felt the heat from them. Behind me, Briana's gaze remained lowered.

“A word, Brianna,” the voice came, masculine, yet dreamy.

I startled, as he spoke.

“You know him?” I mouthed to Brianna, and she mouthed, “I will explain everything later.” I nodded, and she went off with him, leaving me with the grim-faced guards.

“What was that all about?” I asked as soon as Brianna returned, and she pulled me to a corner.

I c****d my head sideways as I stared.

She chuckled nervously as she fidgeted with her fingers.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” she spoke in a hushed tone.