The Last Female Alpha

The forest was too quiet. Evelyn Vale stood at the edge of the northern woods, staring at the enormous silver moon hanging above the mountains. Its light slipped between the trees, painting the mist in pale ribbons. Behind her, the lights of Blackthorn Pack glowed through the darkness. Home. At least, that was what Evelyn had always believed. She touched the silver pendant around her neck. It had belonged to her mother, who had died when Evelyn was too young to remember her. Her father had never explained much about it. Whenever Evelyn asked, Alpha Marcus Vale simply told her the same thing. “It's the only thing your mother left you.” Tonight, however, the pendant felt strangely warm. Evelyn frowned. Something wasn't right. Her wolf had been restless since sunset, pacing inside her mind like a caged animal. *Something is wrong.* Evelyn swallowed. “I know.” *We need to go.* “Go where?” Her wolf fell silent. That frightened Evelyn more than the warning. For eighteen years, she had heard her wolf clearly. Even before she officially came of age, she had always felt its presence. But tonight felt different. Powerful. Almost as though something inside her was waking up. A howl suddenly tore through the forest. Evelyn froze. It wasn't a normal howl. It was a warning. Another howl answered from far beyond the trees. Then another. Evelyn turned toward Blackthorn Pack. A bright flash suddenly illuminated the night sky. BOOM! The sound shook the ground. Evelyn's heart stopped. Smoke rose above the packhouse. “No.” She ran. Branches whipped against her arms as she raced through the forest. Her breathing became heavier, but she didn't slow down. As she approached the packhouse, chaos greeted her. Werewolves were running in every direction. Guards shouted orders. Children cried. The scent of smoke filled the air. “What happened?” Evelyn demanded. Nobody answered. She pushed through the crowd. “Where is my father?” A guard grabbed her arm. “Evelyn, wait!” She pulled free. “Where is Alpha Marcus?” The guard's face was pale. “His study…” Evelyn didn't wait for the rest. She ran inside. The hallway was strangely quiet. Too quiet. Her father's study door stood open. Evelyn stopped. The room looked as though a storm had torn through it. Books were scattered across the floor. A table lay overturned. The window had been shattered. And beside the fireplace lay something that made Evelyn's heart sink. Her father's silver ring. The ring worn by every Alpha of Blackthorn for generations. “Dad?” Silence. She stepped inside. “Dad!” Nothing. Evelyn searched the room frantically. Behind the curtains. Inside the adjoining room. Under the desk. Nothing. Her father was gone. Then she noticed something beneath the desk. A black envelope. Her name was written across it. EVELYN. Her hands trembled as she picked it up. Inside was a single sheet of paper. She unfolded it. *My daughter,* *If you're reading this, something has happened to me.* Evelyn's eyes widened. She continued. *There are things about your birth that I should have told you years ago.* Her heart began pounding. *You were never meant to live as an ordinary wolf.* Evelyn stopped breathing. “What?” A noise came from the hallway. Footsteps. Someone was coming. She quickly folded the letter and pushed it into her pocket. Two men entered the room. They weren't Blackthorn guards. Their clothing was dark, and each wore a silver wolf crest Evelyn had never seen before. One of them looked around. “She isn't here.” “Search everywhere.” Evelyn backed toward the broken window. They were looking for her. Why? She didn't know. But she knew she couldn't stay. She climbed through the broken window and landed outside. Then she ran. Evelyn didn't stop until the packhouse lights disappeared behind the trees. She crouched behind a fallen tree, trying to catch her breath. Voices echoed in the distance. “Search the northern forest!” “She couldn't have gotten far!” Evelyn covered her mouth. Her wolf growled. *Run.* “I am running.” *Faster.* Evelyn looked down at her pendant. The silver metal was glowing. Her eyes widened. “What…” A strange symbol had appeared across its surface. A wolf surrounded by a crescent moon. The same symbol suddenly appeared beneath the skin of her wrist. Evelyn gasped. “What is happening?” Heat spread through her arm. Her wolf suddenly became silent. Then— A branch snapped behind her. Evelyn spun around. A man stood between the trees. He was tall, dressed in black, with dark hair and an expression that revealed nothing. Evelyn immediately stepped backward. “Stay away from me.” The stranger didn't move. “Evelyn Vale?” Her stomach tightened. “How do you know my name?” His gaze dropped to the glowing mark on her wrist. His expression changed. Shock. “You have the mark.” “What mark?” He took a step forward. Evelyn raised her hand. “Don't come closer.” He stopped. “You need to leave this territory.” “Why?” “Because the people who attacked your pack are coming for you.” Evelyn's heart pounded. “Who are they?” “I don't know.” “You're lying.” His jaw tightened. “Your father knew this would happen.” Evelyn stared at him. “You knew my father?” “Yes.” “Where is he?” The stranger hesitated. “I don't know.” “Then why are you here?” “Because he asked me to find you.” Evelyn stared at him. The stranger reached into his coat and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He held it toward her. Evelyn took it cautiously. The handwriting was unmistakable. Her father's. *Evelyn,* *Trust the man who brings you this message.* Her eyes lifted. “Who are you?” The stranger looked directly at her. “Kael Draven.” The name meant nothing to Evelyn. But her wolf reacted immediately. *Danger.* Evelyn stepped back. Kael noticed. “You should be afraid of me.” “I'm not.” “You should be.” A howl echoed through the forest. Kael's expression hardened. “They found you.” Evelyn turned. Several figures were moving between the trees. Kael stepped in front of her. His eyes suddenly flashed gold. Every wolf in the forest went silent. Evelyn stared at him. He wasn't an ordinary wolf. He was an Alpha. And judging by the reaction of the others, he was powerful. “Run north,” Kael ordered. “Why should I trust you?” “Because if they capture you, you'll never learn the truth about your father.” Evelyn hesitated. Then she ran. She had barely taken a few steps when something inside her changed. Heat surged through her body. Her vision blurred. Her wolf rose with a force she'd never experienced before. A powerful roar echoed through the forest. The wolves behind her stopped. Some lowered their heads. Others dropped to their knees. Evelyn stared at them in confusion. “What…” Kael slowly turned toward her. His eyes widened. The mark on Evelyn's wrist was no longer silver. It burned with a brilliant golden light. Kael stared at it as though he'd just seen a ghost. “No…” Evelyn looked at him. “What is it?” Kael's voice was barely a whisper. “Your father wasn't hiding you because you were weak.” Evelyn's heart pounded. “Then why?” Kael looked at the golden mark. “Because you're not just an Alpha.” He looked directly into her eyes. “Your blood belongs to the lost royal line.” Evelyn froze. Kael took a slow breath. “You're the last female Alpha of the royal bloodline.” The forest fell silent. And somewhere in the darkness, another howl answered.