Taming The Mad Alpha

KIRA'S POV "S-Sister…" That simple word shattered my peaceful night. Only moments ago, I had been sitting beside my little brother's bed, quietly reading my worn-out book and admiring the cold full-moon night. I watched the moonlight spill through the cracked window, painting the rundown room in a soft silver glow. I had always loved nights like this. For a little while, I could forget the poverty, the hunger, the fear. Forget about my father. Forget about the pack. Forget about everything waiting for us outside these walls. Until that single word echoed through my thoughts, reminding me of where exactly I am. I dropped my book and turned my full attention to Milo. His eyes were open, glassy and unfocused, swimming with pain. His small body burned under the thin blanket, trembling violently. He was shaking, groaning, crying in agony. Another fever. But this was worse than before. His skin was turning white as snow, and I could see the blue veins threading beneath his pale flesh. "Shit." I grabbed a towel and wrung it out in the basin, the last basin of cold water I had fetched from the nearby lake. I pressed it to his forehead. He whimpered and pushed my hand away. "I'm cold, Kira," he sobbed. "It hurts... I don't want that." "I know, little one. Just hold on." My voice cracked. I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood. I couldn't cry. If he saw me cry, he would panic. I had to be strong for him. I was the only thing he had left in this world. The only person who hadn't abandoned him. And I couldn't even afford the medicine to understand why he kept getting sick. Even if I could, would the pack take us back? Would they even let us near their healers? I ran to the kitchen, a tiny, suffocating room with a rusted stove and a broken window. I threw open the pantry, desperately searching. Empty cans. Empty bottles. Nothing. I checked the cabinets. Empty too. I pulled at my silver-white hair in frustration, holding back a scream as Milo's pained cries echoed from the room behind me. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. I had nothing. I sank to my knees, shaking, tears streaming down my face. I sobbed quietly, my chest heaving with the weight of everything I couldn't fix. All of this, all of this suffering, because of my father. The traitor who slaughtered the Alpha's family. The traitor who abandoned us. The traitor who left me with nothing but a dying brother and a name that made us outcasts. "Kira?" Milo's voice called out, weak and trembling. I snapped out of my daze and rushed to his side. He was staring at me with worried eyes, his little lip wobbling. "I'm sorry for making you sad," he said, his small voice shaking. Tears leaked from his eyes. "I'm s-sorry." I shushed him gently, touching his cheek softly. "You have nothing to apologize for. I will take care of you." Milo's face crumbled into a sad sob. "N-no. My fault. Everything my fault. Mom died. Dad hates me. Now I'm sick." I didn't know he was feeling this way. I could see his face growing paler by the second, but he kept crying, his little body trembling. I quieted him with a soft kiss on his forehead. His trembling slowed. His breathing eased. I didn't understand why my touch always calmed him. Maybe it was because I was all he had. Maybe it was something else. "I'm going to get you some medicine," I said, grabbing my torn coat and worn-out shoes. "Just hang in there, Milo." I paused at the door and looked back at him. His small body was curled under the thin blanket, his eyes already closing from exhaustion. "You're going to survive," I whispered. "And I'm going to do everything I can to make sure of that." --- I was deep into the old forest now, holding a bag of precious junk that I hoped any healer or even a forest witch could trade with me for medicine. As I walked deeper into the forest, I saw three parallel lines, stretching from shoulder height to the ground. They were deep, red and clearly new. They were too big for a normal wolf. It looked like it came from a very dangerous aggressive wolf. I was crossing into pack land. The very same one my father had betrayed. Today was the full moon. The forest was wild and unpredictable. Rogues roamed. Packs patrolled. And I was a wolfless girl with nothing but a bag of junk and a desperate hope. Milo's pale face wouldn't leave my mind. His trembling body. His weak voice calling my name. I had no choice. So, I pushed forward. But the farther I walked, the denser the trees became. The moonlight barely pierced through the canopy. The air grew cold, and the sounds of the forest fell silent — no birds, no insects, nothing. A twig snapped behind me. I froze. Then I heard a low, quiet growl, so close and dangerous. I spun around. And there stood a wolf before me. Not just any wolf. A massive beast with saliva dripping from his jaws and red, angry eyes that burned like fire. His tall form towered above me, casting a shadow that blocked out the moonlight. I screamed as he lunged. But an arrow shot through the air and struck him in the side. He howled in pain, stumbling back as he crashed to the soil. I was still on the ground, when I noticed a group of warriors surrounding us in a circle. Their faces were hard, carved from stone, the faces of men who had killed before and would kill again. "Don't hurt the Alpha!" one of them snarled. “Contain him, safely.” My eyes widened. Alpha? I needed to get out of here. I scrambled to my feet and ran. I didn't look back. I just ran, pushing through the trees, my lungs burning and my legs screaming with every step. But I heard yelling and footsteps behind me. I turned to see the wolf chasing me, his red eyes locked onto mine. He was faster than I expected, his paws skipping through the bushes like he barely touched the ground. I screamed for help, throwing a rock at him, but it didn't even make him flinch. He was closing in, his massive paws pounding against the earth, his breath hot as he howled. I looked around in a panic, grabbing a small branch and a sharp-edged stone. I kept running, my breath catching as I struck the stone against the branch, praying under my breath for a spark. Please. Please. Just one spark. Finally, a flame flickered. The branch lit up. I stopped running and turned back to face the wolf, waving the burning branch in front of me like a shield. "Stay back!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face. The wolf yelped, startled. He stumbled back, his red eyes flickering with confusion. He wasn't used to prey fighting back. I swung again, screaming at him, fear and desperation fueling my movements. The beast whined, cowering away from me. He was huge, terrifying. But something was wrong with him. His body trembled. His tail tucked between his legs. He was scared. And he was in pain. He was crouched low, his massive body shaking, terrified and suffering. This wasn't a predator. This was a wounded animal, I froze, my breath hitching. My gaze drifted to his abdomen. There it was; a large, ugly scar, still raw and red, glistening with fresh blood. The wound looked deep, infected, as if it had been festering for weeks. My heart clenched. I walked slowly toward him, my hands raised. "Did I scare you?" I whispered, my voice softening. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I was just scared." The wolf whined again, quieter this time. His ears flattened against his head, and he lowered himself further, as if submitting to me. I dropped the burning branch and slowly lowered myself to my knees. I knew I should run. I knew this was insane. But something deep inside me stirred — something begging me to reach out, to help him, to heal him. I didn't understand it. But I couldn't ignore it. "Is this why you're hurting?" I asked softly, reaching toward the wound. "Did someone do this to you?" The wolf stared back at me, his red eyes searching mine. Then, slowly, he let me touch his scar. His body relaxed under my fingers, as if he suddenly felt safe for the first time in a long time. A soft silver glow pulsed from my palm, warm and gentle against his fur. I gasped, pulling my hand back, but the light followed. It sank into his wound, spreading through his body like a living thing. The wolf breathed in and his body relaxed completely against me. His massive head rested on my shoulder, his hot breath against my neck, his body trembling as the last of the pain left him. I stared at my hands. They were still glowing. What... what am I? Before I could answer, his body began to transform. His fur turned to flesh. His claws receded. His massive form shrank, reshaped, and became human. A naked man now rested against me, his head still on my shoulder, his nose still buried in my neck, my hand still pressed against his bare chest. I could feel his steady, calm heartbeat. I blushed, heat flooding my face at the intimacy. But then I heard footsteps. Shouts. Getting closer. I tried to stand, but the man held onto me, his voice disoriented, soft, almost pleading. "You have such a sweet scent... stay." No, I didn't need this now. My hand was still glowing. I tried to stop it, to will the light away, but it wouldn't fade. The warriors arrived with their weapons raised and then froze. Their hard faces flickered in shock and confusion. "Is that... the Alpha?" Before I could answer, the man's body went limp. His full weight slumped against me, and I fell back onto the ground with him still resting on top of me. He was so heavy I could barely breathe. One of the warriors stepped forward, his face pale but his eyes cold and calculating. He was older than the others, his grey-streaked hair and scarred hands speaking of years of bloodshed. "You," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Who are you? What did you do to him?" "I didn't do anything!" I gasped, struggling under the weight. "He attacked me! I was just defending myself!" "Lies," another warrior growled, his hand tightening on his sword. "Look at him. He's at peace. He's never at peace. That's not defending yourself. That's something else." A third warrior, younger but with the same cold eyes, studied me with suspicion. "She reeks of the rogue lands. Look at her clothes. Look at her hair. She's one of them." "One of what?" I demanded, fear and anger mixing in my chest. "I'm nobody. I was just trying to survive." The older warrior knelt beside me, his eyes boring into mine. His voice dropped to a whisper, sharp as a blade. "You're not nobody. Nobody calms the beast. Nobody makes him sleep like a pup. You did something. And you're going to tell us what." "I don't know what I did!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "I just touched him and—" He grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You touched him. And he changed. That's not coincidence. That's power." He released me and stood, gesturing to the others. "Take her. The Elders will want to see her." "No!" I tried to scramble away, but two warriors grabbed my arms and yanked me to my feet. Rough rope bit into my wrists as they bound my hands behind my back. "Let me go! I didn't do anything!" I fought against them, twisting and pulling. "He almost killed me!" The older warrior turned back, his face unreadable. "If he had wanted to kill you, you would be dead. But he didn't. He stopped. And that," he said, his voice dropping to something colder, "is why you're still breathing." They dragged me through the forest, my feet stumbling over roots and rocks. The cold air bit at my skin, and my heart pounded with fear. I glanced back one last time. The Alpha was still lying on the ground, surrounded by warriors. Still naked, unconscious and peaceful. I didn't understand what had happened tonight. I didn't understand what I had done. But as I was dragged deeper into the forest, one thought echoed in my mind: Milo. I can't help him if I'm dead. And I can't help him if I'm a prisoner.