The Alpha’s Human Surrogate

Chapter 6 - Leaving for the Hunt

Erin’s POV

I cant believe that this is happening. A small part of me assumed I’d be one of the lucky ones that is never selected, one of the extremely lucky ones that return home from The Hunt. I guess the returning home may still happen.

There’s a part of me that knows I’ll never return home. Cait was chosen because she made waves, they’ll make sure that I’m made an example out of, as Cait would have been.

The gentle sway of the car lulls me, I find myself playing out a goodbye scene with my family. The goodbye that the wolves have denied me.

* * * * * * * *

I’m seated on the stage, waiting while all the girls who weren’t selected and their families leave the selection ground. They’re moving slowly as they filter through the barrier gates.

It feels like an eternity watching them trudge along the muddy track. But judging by the evening sky, it has only been around forty-five minutes, an hour at most.

Soon enough, there are only 20 families remaining. “You have ten minutes to say goodbye,” Beta Daniel informs us. Each of the selected girls, myself included, sprint across the grounds and into the arms of our sobbing family.

I instruct them that they aren’t to take any loans from the wolves, to make sure that Cait’s name isn’t entered anymore than is necessary. I give Cait instructions on how to make the perfumes, to ensure they have extra income. I beg them to stay strong for each other.

“Erin, please don’t worry about us,” my Dad says softly.

“Dad, please. We don’t know what is going to happen.”

“Erin, you can do this. You’ll come home,” Cait tells me.

“I will try my best,” I promise them.

We cry, we hug and we cry some more. Beta Daniel announces our time is up. I need more time, but I realise that even if we were given a month, it still wouldn’t be enough time.

“I love you,” I tell my family and kiss each of them before walking back to the stage with my head held high. But my heart breaks when a glance back at my family, results in me seeing them on their knees, sobbing and holding each other.

“Bye,” I whisper.

* * * * * * * *

As the car continues to sway and I feel my tears from my imagined goodbye, soak into the blindfold.

The car is deathly silent and I wonder if I’m seated alone or if there are others here with me. I decide to take a chance, I pull off the ear protectors and then raise my hands to my face to peek from behind the blindfold.

“You move that and I’ll snap your hands,” a gruff voice warns me.

My hands lower and rest on my thighs. I guess that answers my question. I’m not in here alone.

“How much longer until we stop?” I ask.

“Soon enough.”

“What’s going to happen?”

“Be smart, do as you’re told, keep your mouth shut until I tell you otherwise,” the gruff voice advises. He sounds amused.

“I’m already heading to hell. No disrespect, but I don’t think I’ll be taking advice from a wolf.”

His laughter sounds like a bark, “I think you’re going to be the most entertaining selectee in a long time.”

“Whatever,” I huff and resolve myself to sit in silence and not provide entertainment to this arsehole for a single minute longer.

I replay memories of my childhood, but envisage them as being in a free world, not ruled by wolves. “Ahh,” I gasp when something jabs my ribs.

“I’m talking to you.”

“And I refuse to be a source of entertainment for you,” I snap.

“We’ll be there in thirty minutes. We’ll see how much entertainment you provide then,” the unknown man tells me. We continue the drive in silence.

The car comes to a stop, the vibrations of the engine continues to run. I hear a sharp creak, I assume a gate opening. Once the creak stops, the car once again begins to move.

“Are you ready, human?”

“Go to hell!”

I hear the click of the car door handle and feel the night air hit my skin. I’m suddenly cold and apprehensive, but surprisingly, I’m not afraid. I slide from the car and silently pray there’s no kerb or potholes for my to fall over.

“Wait. I’ll remove your blind fold,” the man tells me.

I can’t control the flinch and shudder my body gives when the man’s hands touch me as he removes my blindfold. I glance at him and instantly realise he’s a wolf. Of course he is. They wouldn’t have a human guard us. I give him a brief look of disgust, and turn away. I catch his smirk before my attention is on the building in-front of us.

It’s enormous and screams royalty. There’s no doubt that this is the pack house. Which pack it belongs to I have no idea. I’m infuriated at myself for being so impressed with its grandeur, but for a simple land working girl, this is the type of building I’ve only ever seen in the old fairytale books from the library.

“Up the stairs. Once we enter the building, we need to turn left and through the steel door,” the wolf tells me.

The other cars are already here, so I’m assuming that the other girls are already inside. “That means move,” he says and shoves me forward.

My legs hold strong and I walk confidently up the stairs, through the door and don’t lower my gaze when the wolves look at me. I will not be intimidated.

“Evening s… dump her with the others,” one wolf says.

How odd, he was about to say something else, before he paused.

I’m led through the steel door and down the stairs. I can’t control the gasp that escapes me when I see that we are in some sort of prison. Cells are rammed with girls, these must be the selected from not just my area, but the others too.

“Last on the left. Go!”

Once we reach the cell, he opens it and I step inside. “It won’t be long and then you’ll be prepared with the others for the scent test,” the wolf smirks.

The what test? Did he just say scent?

He slams the cell shut, locks it and walks away spinning the key and whistling a tune I don’t know.

The sound of the steel door closing echoes through this prison. We’re trapped. But more worrying than that, is the way most of the girls in my cell are looking at me.

“What is your problem? We’re all in the same boat here. We need to stick together,” I snap.

“We know that. It’s just.. well, it’s…” a girl stammers. Her face is stained with mascara tears. She must have cried a lot on the way here.

“Well. Why did Alpha Black escort you in here?” She asks me.

“Who is Alpha Black?”