The Rescued Werewolf

MAISY’S POV: !!BEEP BEEEP BEEEEP!! I flung out my arm and gave my alarm a swift smack, wishing the frustrating noise would stop. However, from multiple Monday morning wake-up calls, I knew the alarm would be followed by my mum's booming footsteps approaching my bedroom door and the ratatatat of her knuckles announcing it was time for me to roll out of bed. Sure enough, a few minutes after I managed to switch off my alarm, my mother’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Maisy moo, its time to get out of bed dear. You don’t want to be late for the bus again.” I groaned under my breath, trying to be careful so that my mum didn’t hear. What she didn’t know was that I always hoped I would miss the school bus and that she would have to take me to school in her car. Taking the bus was embarrassing and most everyone in my class got a car last year when they reached their 17th birthdays. However, since my family were not very well off, the bus was all I could afford. Today mum had to leave early for a big meeting at work, so I had no other option but to get ready to leave for the bus. “Okay mum, I’m just jumping in the shower but I will make the bus on time, I promise. Have a good meeting.” I yelled back to her whilst jumping out of bed and racing into my attached bathroom. I jumped into the shower, taking the time to adjust the taps which controlled the water temperature. Usually I liked to use scorching hot water to wash off any mud I might have picked up in the woods behind my house whilst taking my wolf for a run. However, since I hadn’t been for a run over the last couple of days, I opted for medium/warm water which ran down my back; running over my wolf-shaped birth mark on my inner right thigh, causing a pleasurable shiver to run down my spine. Suddenly, lusty thoughts entered my mind and I quickly switched the water to freezing cold to get me out of my sudden heated moment. I knew I would soon experience my first heat as most she-wolves did when they were approaching their 18th birthday and with mine in just a few weeks' time the sudden intrusion of lusty thoughts was only to be expected. If I’m honest with myself, I was terrified of experiencing my first heat. I have read magazine articles which talk about it being painful and uncomfortable for unmated she-wolves and, since I hadn’t found my mate yet, I was sure this wouldn’t be an experience I wanted to remember. After a few minutes, I let out a small sigh and stepped out of the freezing shower, unable to take much more of the cold liquid running down my body. I looked into the mirror and huffed. I pulled my long brown locks into a low ponytail and splashed my face with warm water and then proceeded to rub in some lotion. I don’t even bother with make-up these days. I looked so plain that make-up wouldn’t have even made a difference. No-one ever noticed me anyway, so there really was no reason to make myself up. I put on some jeans and a baggy t-shirt and stuffed a hooded sweater into my backpack in case it got cold later. I checked my watch to see that I had five minutes until the bus arrived and I quickly grabbed my backpack and ran out of the door, quickening to a sprint as I raced to the bus stop. With only moments to spare, I reached the bus stop just as the bus was arriving. I hopped on and paid the driver, who nodded back to me and flashed me a smile. Although we never spoke, the driver recognised me from the many times I had taken that same bus to school over the last few years. I pulled out my earphones and started listening to my Christmas playlist whilst the bus made its way to school. December in Hatfield high was always exciting. Everyone was exchanging presents with their friends and chatting excitedly about the winter formal, but since I didn’t have any friends, I was just looking forward to the Christmas break. I walked through the crowds of people in the school yard and towards the main building; not a single person noticed me weaving through the groups of people between me and the building entrance. However, this was completely normal for me and I expected nothing less at that point. I approached my locker and pushed my small backpack inside and took out the books I needed for my first two classes and made my way to my first class. The first few classes went by in a blur and nothing eventful really happened apart from the usual snarky comments the popular students made when the teacher gave out homework at the end of each class, which always gained laughs from their peers. When my fourth class finally ended, I let out a long breath I didn't know I was holding and made my way towards my locker to grab my lunch money. I was sitting at a small table at the back of the cafeteria when it happened. The main doors to the cafeteria swung open, crashing loudly against the wall due to the excessive force it was opened with. Some students started screaming and running towards my corner of the cafeteria but I couldn’t see what the commotion was about through the chaos of people in front of me. Naturally, my first instinct would have been to shift into my wolf Daisy and protect myself, but it was expressly against the school rules, since half of the students were human and didn’t know about werewolves. So instead, I sat behind the crowd of people hoping that it was just a group of boys that had burst through the door having a fight or something. It wouldn’t have been unusual, since the human boys would often make advances towards girls they fancied not realising that they had a werewolf mate, and male werewolves get very protective of their mates, which often resulted in a fight. However, this was something else. A man dressed in all black stepped onto a cafeteria table and aimed a long gun at the students all huddled in the corner. He then shouted an order for everyone to line up in a single file. I stepped into the line hoping to the goddess that he wouldn’t shoot me. It was then that I realised there was a whole SWAT team of men dressed head to toe in black and carrying the same black guns. A shiver ran down my spine as I realised I really was in danger here. I felt my heartbeat quicken and sweat started to form on my lower back. I silently pleaded with my body not to have a panic attack right now. I knew if I let that happen I would attract too much attention. Then the soldier might actually shoot me. With that grim possibility in mind, I concentrated on controlling my breathing and suppressing my scent in hopes I would go unnoticed. Suddenly, a man walked out from the group of soldiers. He was not dressed like the others. He had a long, expensive-looking coat lined with fur and leather boots that were poking out from underneath it. Whoever this man was, I knew he must have a lot of power. Most every Alpha did, but I could feel the power radiating from him in waves and inwardly thanked my lucky stars that I had always been invisible my whole life. At least it might save me now. The man looked up and down the line of students and started picking girls out randomly. He picked out two of the most popular and beautiful girls in the school, both of whom were dragged out of the line by the soldiers. The girls were whimpering and pleading for their lives but the man didn’t even look their way, he simply carried on moving down the line. He then approached Nina. Nina is the school bully, which this man obviously didn’t know because if he did he would know she wouldn’t go easily. He motioned with his hand for one of the soldiers to collect her, but Nina kicked and screamed at the soldier, dragging her out of the line. When she bit down hard on the soldier's arm he let out a sharp hiss and threw the she-wolf to the ground, clutching his arm in pain. I looked to the Alpha who was so obviously in charge of this whole operation and he simply motioned to one of the soldiers to approach him before whispering into his ear. Before anyone could even process what had just happened, the soldier aimed his gun at Nina and shot her dead. I could feel the tears running down my face but mostly I just felt numb. I couldn’t hear what was going on around me and for all that I tried I couldn't shift my eyes from the ground. Was this shock? I was quickly snapped back into reality when the man in charge motioned to Betty a young girl just a few students down from me in the line and shouted “HER”. A soldier pulled out Betty who didn’t dare struggle against him after what just happened to Nina. Betty had tears in her eyes and was chewing her bottom lip between her teeth. Although I didn’t know exactly how she felt I could only assume it felt much like my own fear but amplified. Although I wanted to help her I didn’t dare step out of the line; I simply averted my eyes to stare at anything else so I didn’t have to see the pain which was evident in her eyes. Yes, I felt like a coward but alive is better than dead and my odds at beating these men weren't good. There was nothing I could do. I was staring aimlessly out of the cafeteria window whilst still in the line of students when the Alpha's boots stopped in front of me. I immediately looked up at his face in utter shock. Not once in my life had anyone other than my parents even really registered that I exist. To my utter horror the man gestured to a soldier to pull me out of the line. Before I could recover from the shock of it all, a bag was thrown over my head and I was roughly escorted out of the school. XANDER’S POV: I slammed the doors of the truck after making sure all of my men had gotten the girls into the back. I walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle and gave my surroundings a once over to make sure we hadn’t attracted too much outside attention. I jumped into the truck, pulled out my cigarettes and brought one to my mouth. I was just about to light it up when I realised we weren’t moving anywhere. In frustration I turned to the wolf beside me who’s name I simply didn’t care enough to remember and registered that he was shaking like a leaf and he was clearly anxious. “WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM MUTT? START THE DAMN ENGINE” I yelled at him, which only increased his rapid shaking almost as if he was having a fit. Everyone in my pack knew better than to disobey me; as their alpha (and a feared one at that) I demanded respect and so I was surprised when instead of starting up the truck the unnamed wolf started to speak. “Uhhh ... sir ... Jessie, ummm errrr” he stuttered unable to form a proper sentence. I knew this was probably partly due to fear and partly out of respect but it only fuelled my rage. “SPIT IT OUT DOG, I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE ALL DAY” I snarled at him, my anger getting the best of me now. It was almost like this worthless mongrel didn’t realise that we needed to get out of here and fast. I mentally scolded myself for not bringing my beta with me for the quick getaway and turned my attention back to the wolf in front of me. This time when the wolf spoke up he seemed to speak with some semblance or courage in his voice. “I’m so sorry and I don’t mean to disrespect you Alpha, please don’t hurt my family. It’s just that this doesn’t feel right. I have two daughters and if someone took them away from me I would be devastated and I would fight to my death to get them back.” Jessie puffed out his chest a little, obviously feeling a sense of pride and determination to protect his family. I could see that as soon as the words left Jessie’s mouth he already wished he had kept quiet. He was now shaking again and playing with his hands and wouldn’t dare look in my direction. Honestly, I didn’t blame him. I’m not really known as the benevolent Alpha and I am feared by most everyone from both my pack and the two neighbouring packs. Although I never let it show, I was quite proud of my reputation and although I felt for this wolf in-front of me and I could tell he was trying to do the moral and right thing, I had a reputation to uphold. It was this reputation which meant I had no choice but to scare him into submission. After all I was doing this for my pack. As if on cue a commotion came sounding from the back of the truck in the form of coughing and blubbering and I gave my fist a firm smack on the metal wall separating the drivers cabin from the rest of the truck in an attempt to shut the girls up. It worked of course. I knew they feared me and since I had two armed guards in the back with the girls, I knew they would behave themselves. After all I did pick these specific girls because they looked the most timid and therefore the least likely to give me any trouble ... I hoped. As an Alpha I was always taught never to show weakness and right now was one of those moments where I had to be firm. “Well Jamie I suggest you put your foot down and get us out of here, otherwise you may find yourself with a couple less daughters to worry about.” I said calmly whilst reattempting to light my cigarette, but from the way Jessie hurriedly started up the car I knew he took the warning seriously. Without a second to waste we pulled away from the school and raced towards the highway.