The Alpha's Little Prey

Eve In a world of predators, I was no more than a prey. My perfect world had gone awry, the peace shattering with an ear-splitting scream—my mother's and the next thing I knew, everything went dark. This was how it all started. It was the morning of my eighteenth birthday. I had been waiting for this day my entire life. I woke that morning filled with the same emotions I had carried for over a year - hope, excitement...worry. “You have nothing to worry about, honey,” Mother said, reading my thoughts the way she had always been able to. “Everything is going to turn out fine. You'll meet your mate and live a happy life. Believe that,” She said as she brushed my hair back before styling it into a braid. “But what if I don't meet my mate? I don't have a wolf, Mom.” I whispered as I stared at my fingers. “Remember?” Mother stayed quiet for a minute then said, “Eve, look at me. You're not defined by the accident that took your wolf. You are so much more than just a werewolf. You're beautiful and smart and you have a kind heart. And if you ever doubt that, just know that your father, bless his soul, and I am always with you in mind and in heart.” “Promise?” I asked, looking into my mother's eyes. “Always.” Mother responded and kissed my head. I smiled and tried to draw from her strength. Unlike my mother, I didn't have that knowing feeling, that unshaking certainty that everything was going to turn out fine. In fact, I had the opposite. I walked to my window, and noticed something didn't feel right. The village was quiet. Too quiet. Not even a single bird was to be heard. The wind was eerily still, disturbing not a single leaf in the vast forest that housed the Silverstreams pack. My skin tingled at the uncanny feeling. I swallowed down my feelings and made my way outside to the water fountain. I stood, watching...waiting. A couple members of the pack walked by, waving in hello. I answered with small smiles, ignoring the chill that formed along my spine. I nervously fidgeted with the hem of my pristine, white dress. Mother had gifted me with the handwoven dress last night. “This dress is absolutely gorgeous. I hope whoever my mate is, loves it,” I thought, a small smile played at the corners of my lips. The dress was a flowy, mid-length number made of one hundred percent cotton, stopping just shy of my knees. It had the softest lace sewn on the collar, sleeves and hem that begged to be touched. Mom had added a touch of color with yellow, pink, orange and blue wildflowers over the sleeves and dotted all over the dress. “Pure as snow and beautiful as a bouquet of roses,” she had said when she handed it to me. I slowly patted the dress, smoothing out the non-existent rumples as I waited for the village to come to life. That was when it happened. That was when my world turned to ash. The men came out of nowhere. One minute, there was stillness; the next, chaos. I screamed, my eyes wide in fear and confusion as over a dozen men filtered through the trees, bearing claws and fangs, snatching up everyone in their way. I couldn't move, my feet frozen to the ground as I watched in fear. Houses were set on fire, mothers and children dragged from the safety of their homes by these intruders...rogues. "Eve!" I heard my mother scream. I turned my head sharply in her direction and saw a large man snatch her by the arm as she tried to run towards me. I screamed and charged at the man. I launched myself onto his wide back and locked scratched at his face. I jammed my fingers into his eyes the way mother had taught me and fought not to be flung off his back as he let out a loud growl. Mother finally freed herself and plunged her sharp claws into the man's belly, then ripped through the skin in an upward movement. The man screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. Frightened and in shock, I slid off the man's back and skittered a few feet away, my eyes wide with fear. What the hell just happened. "Eve. Eve, honey, look at me!" Mother yelled and shook me, her face finally coming into view. I blinked to clear away the blurriness and quickly realized that it was tears causing my distorted vision. "We have to get out of here, okay? Eve! Did you hear me? I need you to focus!" Mother said, jerking me firmly until I looked up into her eyes and nodded my understanding. Mother returned my nod, her mouth forming into a thin line. She stroked my wavy brown hair once and placed a kiss on my forehead before pulling me to my feet. We ran. Through the trees, dodging the savage men who spilled blood without a single shred of guilt. They got off on the m******e, fangs bared, claws glistening in the sun as they plundered, taking what they wished. I fought back the rolling nausea as the strong smell of blood and ash and burning flesh permeated the air. People were screaming, children crying out for their parents, men groaning in pain as the breath was stolen from their bodies. Mother, tugging my hand jerked me from my trance. We pushed past the clearing and nearly made it to the river when one of the men slammed into mother, knocking her into the ground. I screamed for her, and then for myself when another man grabbed me by my arms and pulled me into him. I tried to wrench myself free but there was no point. He was way too strong. Mother bit into the arm of her captor and my ears throbbed when he let out a loud growl in pain. He flipped mother over onto her stomach and dealt a heavy blow to her face, dislodging her teeth and knocking her unconscious. I screamed so loud I didn't even hear it. I only realized I was screaming when I started to lose breath in my lungs. The man holding me wrapped a lock of my hair around his fist and yanked it back causing me to whine at the tension at my scalp. "Shut up, stupid b***h!" He shouted in my ear and dragged mother and I back to the village clearing. When we returned, the village was filled with sounds of wailing. The pain and loss was as tangible and real as the ropes that bound my hands. The men who caught us threw us to the ground with the rest of the pack members who were caught. Suddenly, a large man with broad shoulders and a scar that went through his left eye and down his cheek, marring the dark skin of his face, walked towards us. He glanced past us then walked to the end of the clearing. "Line them up!" He commanded and I could feel the power in his voice. It was strong, sure yet I could tell that he wasn’t quite an Alpha. Beta maybe. The other savages scurried to obey. They trussed us up and forced us to our knees in front of this man. He must be the leader of this group of savages. Mother had called them rogues. Werewolves who had broken away from their packs or had been kicked out and chose to live outside of the laws of the Lycans. They obeyed no one, bowed to no one but themselves. Not even the moon goddess. They lived for the thrill of the kill and had plagued villages all over the East Coast_or so I had heard. I didn't really know much about them since I'd never actually seen one, much less a whole pack of them. "Mmm. What a lovely catch." The man mused, and bared his teeth in a cruel smile. His men laughed and I frowned, wondering what was so funny, wondering how they could take pleasure from this. The man began to walk the line, glancing over the captives and pointing to specific ones as he went by. He seemed to be selecting specific targets though I couldn't tell what for. He stopped in front of an old werewolf. The woman's name was Shirlene. She'd been known in the pack as Grandmother. Everyone in the pack cared for her and respected her though no one knew where she came from. She looked the man in his eyes and smiled at him through her front missing teeth and the devil smiled back at her before he slit her throat with his claw. Screams erupted from several members of the pack, children crying as the woman slumped to the floor. My heart thumped in my heart and I felt a sheen of ice cover my skin. The devil had come for us. And he was going to kill us all. One by one, the man scanned us deciding which to keep and which to kill as we all watched in horror. Mother finally stirred by my feet, groaning as she came awake. The sound drew the attention of the man and he stalked over to us. He bent and pulled mother up to her feet, grinning as she screamed and cursed at him. I screamed and tried to bite him but was held back by one of his lap dogs. "Mm. She looks kind of useful. Strong arms, sharp teeth, wide hips," The man said as he stroked his dirty hand over mother's hips and legs. He laughed when she snarled at him. "What do you think, Alfred? Keep or kill?" The man asked, his eyes roaming over mother's skin lustfully. Mother spat at him and smirked when he clenched his jaw, his eyes darkened with anger. "Kill her, boss. She's too stubborn. Not good for business," The one named Alfred, a gangly looking man said as he chuckled, showing his damaged teeth. "No!" I screamed and launched myself towards Mother, needing to protect her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...what do we have here?" The man said as he easily sidestepped my attack, resulting in me landing on the ground with a thud. He held my head down to the ground with his boot and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake him. "Ahh, I see what's happening here...sisters? No, no. Mother and daughter! How spectacular. She looks exactly like you. A younger, fairer version," The man whispered sinisterly in mother's ear, grinning when she jerked in his grip. "See, I was going to spare you and keep you for myself even though stupid over there said otherwise but I guess I don't have to do that anymore. Your daughter is a mighty fine replacement,” he drawled. "Touch her and I'll kill you, you son of a b***h!" Mother spat at him, her eyes wide and reddened with fear and rage. "How will you do that when you're dead?" The man whispered, then slashed her throat. I let out a blood curdling scream as mother dropped to the ground. Her eyes were wide and stared straight at me as blood seeped out of her throat. My eyes filled with tears as I screamed for my mother, willing her...begging her to wake up. My world spun on out of orbit. My vision went hazy. The rogues laughed and scorned as the man went on killing. I scrambled to my feet, released from the pressure of his boot to hold mother. Her body felt lifeless and limp in my hands as her blood coated my white dress, marking it with the reality of her death. Soon, I was yanked away by large burly arms, and pulled towards a large van. I screamed and fought and like mother, bit into the hands of one of my captors. The man yelped in pain and released me and I bolted only stopped by the leader pulling on my hair. He threw me to the ground and bound by feet, ignoring my screams and curses. "I'll f*****g kill you if it's the last thing I ever do. I'll make you burn!" I swore before I felt the thud on my head. Pain spread and my vision went dark as my head dropped to the ground.