Alpha’s Proposition
1013 Words
The rising sun cast golden slashes of light through the thick pine trees surrounding the Bloodfang compound. Morning mist clung to the ground like a second skin as Ava sprinted across the training field, her breath coming in sharp, deliberate bursts. Her muscles ached, her shirt clung to her sweat-slicked skin, but she pushed forward.
Each thud of her feet against the earth was a silent vow.
I will never be weak again.
She had been training for three days under Kade’s brutal regimen. The Beta of the Bloodfang Pack didn’t go easy on her — not that she expected him to. The moment she’d stepped foot onto their land, she knew she would have to fight for every ounce of respect. Each sparring session left her bruised, but not broken.
Kade barked from the sidelines. “Again! You dropped your elbow on that punch.”
Ava wiped the blood from her lip and reset her stance. She didn’t argue. She didn’t flinch. She swung again, this time sharper, tighter.
Kade gave the slightest nod. A silent approval. That was all the praise she’d get — and she was fine with that.
After the training, Ava staggered back to the barracks, exhausted but lit by a fire she hadn’t felt in years. As she rounded the corner, Damon stood waiting by the entrance to her quarters.
He was dressed in black, the edges of his jacket dusted with dew. His eyes, sharp as ever, watched her silently.
“Alpha,” she said, straightening her posture.
He c****d a brow. “You look like hell.”
She gave a tired smirk. “Feels worse.”
He tossed her a towel. “Good. You’ll need to get used to that.”
Ava took it, wiping her face. “What brings you here so early? Come to watch me fail?”
Damon’s lips curved slightly. “On the contrary. I’ve come to make you a proposition.”
She blinked. “A proposition?”
He nodded. “Walk with me.”
They moved through the forest trail behind the compound. Birds sang overhead, oblivious to the tension walking beneath them. Damon’s presence was commanding — even in silence — yet strangely comforting now.
“You’re progressing faster than I expected,” he began.
“Because I don’t have a choice,” she replied. “Survival has a way of speeding things up.”
He chuckled under his breath. “Fair enough.”
They reached a small overlook — a cliff with a view of the vast valley below. Damon stopped and turned to face her fully.
“I want you to be my liaison,” he said.
Ava frowned. “Liaison to what?”
“To the outer rogue networks. To the wolves who’ve been cast out, scattered, forgotten — like you were. There are dozens of them hiding in the edges of our territory. Some are dangerous, but most are just desperate. We need them.”
Ava hesitated. “You want me to convince exiles and rogues to join the Bloodfang Pack?”
“I want you to lead them,” Damon said, voice steady. “You know what it means to be thrown away. That gives you power.”
She swallowed hard. “You trust me with that responsibility?”
“You’re not ready yet,” he said bluntly. “But you will be. And when that time comes, I’ll need someone they can look up to — someone who isn’t just a warrior, but a symbol.”
Ava turned away, staring out at the horizon. This… this wasn’t just training anymore. This was something bigger.
“You’re building something,” she said quietly. “Not just a pack.”
Damon stepped beside her. “I’m building a future. One where wolves like us don’t have to beg for scraps.”
Ava looked up at him, seeing not just the ruthless Alpha, but the visionary beneath. He wasn’t like Lucas — who clung to tradition and power. Damon was forging something new from the ashes of the old world.
Still, doubt lingered. “What if I fail?”
Damon’s eyes pierced into hers. “Then you learn. Then you fight harder. Failure is only permanent if you let it break you.”
Ava clenched her jaw. She wasn’t the same girl who had cried in the woods after Lucas’s rejection. She was becoming someone else. Someone stronger.
She nodded. “Alright. I’ll do it. But I want full autonomy when the time comes.”
He smiled. “Deal.”
Later That NightAva sat alone in the training hut, her knuckles raw from the punching bag. Damon’s offer echoed in her mind. Lead the forgotten. Become a symbol. It was terrifying… and thrilling.
Just as she stood to leave, a low growl came from the shadows.
She spun around, teeth bared. But the figure that emerged wasn’t a threat.
It was Rhea.
Ava stiffened. She recognized her from the Crescent Moon Pack. One of Lucas’s closest allies. A fierce, cold-eyed Alpha female known for her loyalty — and cruelty.
“What are you doing here?” Ava asked, her stance defensive.
Rhea stepped forward, arms crossed. “I came to see if the rumors were true. That the little Omega Lucas rejected is playing Alpha’s pet with Damon now.”
Ava bristled, stepping closer. “Careful, Rhea. You’re trespassing.”
“And yet, I’m not the one pretending to be something I’m not,” Rhea hissed.
Ava narrowed her eyes. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you.”
Rhea laughed bitterly. “Jealous? Of you? Don’t flatter yourself.”
“You came all this way,” Ava said coolly. “You must be curious about something.”
Rhea's smile vanished. “Watch yourself, Ava. You’re not one of them. And you never will be.”
Then, without another word, she shifted into her wolf form — sleek, silver, and swift — and vanished into the night.
Ava stood frozen, heart pounding. Her past had just walked into her present. And the message was clear.
They were watching.
- Writer
