My dominant alphas

chapter 9

Mia's pov

Mia couldn't stop thinking about the messages.

Even after returning home from the party, she kept staring at her phone, rereading the strange words that had appeared on her screen.

Stay away from Jake and Jason. They are not what you think they are..

Who was the person behind the messages?

And why did they seem so determined to keep her away from the two boys?

Mia tossed her phone onto her bed and sighed.

"You're overthinking this," she whispered to herself.

But deep down, she knew something wasn't right.

The following morning, she walked into the kitchen to find her mother preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, sweetheart," her mother greeted.

"Morning, Mom."

Mia sat down, but before she could touch her food, she noticed something unusual.

Her mother was staring at her.

"What?" Mia asked.

"Your eyes."

Mia blinked. "What about them?"

"Nothing. I thought they looked different."

Mia frowned and rushed to the bathroom.

Standing before the mirror, she examined her reflection.

For a moment, everything looked normal.

Then something strange happened.

Her eyes flickered.

A faint silver colour appeared around her pupils before disappearing almost immediately.

Mia stepped backwards.

"What the hell?"

She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

Normal.

Perhaps she was simply tired.

Or perhaps something was happening to her that she couldn't explain.

That afternoon, Mia was searching through an old cabinet in her parents' bedroom when she accidentally knocked over a small wooden box.

Several photographs scattered across the floor.

She bent down to collect them, but one particular photograph caught her attention.

It showed a younger version of her mother holding a newborn baby.

Mia smiled faintly.

"That's me."

But when she turned the photograph over, her smile disappeared.

Written behind it were four words:

The child we adopted.

Her heart began beating faster.

"What?"

She turned the photograph around again.

There was no mistake.

She picked up another document lying inside the box.

It was an adoption certificate.

Her fingers trembled as she read the name written on it.

Mia.

Her name.

She had been adopted?

"No..."

She searched through the documents, hoping to find another explanation.

There were medical records, an old hospital photograph and a letter sealed inside an envelope.

The letter was addressed to her mother.

Mia opened it.

Please protect this child. Whatever happens, never allow her to discover where she came from until the time is right. Her kind must remain hidden.

Her kind?

Mia swallowed.

"What kind?"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Mia jumped.

Her mother stood at the doorway.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

"Mom..." Mia whispered. "What is this?"

Her mother's face went pale.

"Mia, I can explain."

"Explain what? That I'm adopted? That you never told me?"

Tears began gathering in Mia's eyes.

"Why would you hide something like this from me?"

Her mother approached her slowly.

"Because I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

Her mother looked at the letter in Mia's hand.

Then she whispered something that made Mia's entire world stop.

"Because you are not an ordinary girl, Mia."

That night, Mia couldn't sleep.

Her mind kept returning to her mother's words.

You are not an ordinary girl.

What did that even mean?

She walked into the bathroom and turned on the light.

Something was different.

A strange silver pattern had appeared just beneath the skin of her wrist.

It looked almost like a delicate crescent moon surrounded by tiny lines.

Mia touched it.

Immediately, a strange warmth travelled up her arm.

She gasped and pulled away.

The mark glowed faintly before disappearing beneath her skin.

"What is happening to me?"

Then she heard something.

A whisper.

Not from inside the bathroom.

From outside the house.

"Mia..."

She froze.

Someone had called her name.

She slowly approached the window and pulled the curtain aside.

The street was empty.

But strangely, she could hear footsteps several houses away.

She could hear a dog barking at the end of the street.

She could even hear someone speaking inside a house across the road.

Her hearing had become impossibly sharp.

Mia stepped away from the window.

This wasn't normal.

Nothing about this was normal.

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

An unknown number.

UNKNOWN CALLER: The changes have started.

Mia's blood ran cold.

She quickly typed a reply.

MIA: Who are you?

The response came almost immediately.

UNKNOWN CALLER: Someone who knows what you really are.

MIA: What am I?

There was a pause.

Then another message appeared.

UNKNOWN CALLER: Find out before the blood moon rises. After that, nobody will be able to protect you.

Mia stared at the screen.

Blood moon?

What did that have to do with her?

Meanwhile, across town, Jake stood in front of his bedroom mirror.

His hands were clenched into fists.

He could feel it again.

That strange restlessness.

The same feeling that had been troubling him for days.

Jason entered without knocking.

"You're doing it again."

Jake didn't turn.

"Doing what?"

"Acting like you're about to destroy the entire room."

Jake exhaled sharply.

"Something is wrong."

Jason leaned against the doorway.

"You mean something is wrong with you."

Jake shot him a warning look.

"Not funny."

Jason's expression became serious.

"I know."

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Jason glanced towards the window.

The moon was becoming visible in the evening sky.

A reddish glow surrounded it.

Jason's expression changed.

"Jake..."

Jake followed his gaze.

His jaw tightened.

"No."

Jason nodded slowly.

"The blood moon."

Neither boy spoke.

They both knew what that meant.

Their wolf instincts would become stronger than ever, and controlling their transformations would be difficult.

Especially with Mia so close to them.

Jake grabbed his jacket.

"We need to stay away from her tonight."

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"You're telling me? You've barely allowed her out of your sight since we met her."

"Jason!"

"I'm serious. Whatever is happening to her, our instincts are reacting to it."

Jake looked towards the moon again.

"She's changing."

Jason nodded.

"And if the others discover what she is before we do, she'll be in danger."

The following evening, Mia received a message from Agatha.

AGATHA: Girl, are you coming out tonight?

MIA: I don't think so.

AGATHA: You're acting strange. Is everything okay?

MIA: I'll explain later.

Mia placed her phone on the bed.

She had spent the entire afternoon trying to get answers from her mother, but her mother refused to explain anything.

All she kept saying was that the truth would put Mia in danger.

Mia was tired of being kept in the dark.

She decided to go outside.

Perhaps some fresh air would help.

But the moment she stepped into the garden, she noticed the sky.

The moon was enormous.

And completely red.

A blood moon.

Mia stared at it.

For reasons she couldn't explain, her chest tightened.

The silver mark on her wrist suddenly appeared again.

This time, it didn't disappear.

It began glowing.

Mia gasped.

Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Mia?"

She turned.

Jake stood several feet away.

Jason was beside him.

Both boys looked unusually tense.

"Jake? Jason? What are you doing here?"

Jake approached her.

"You shouldn't be outside."

Mia frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"Go inside, Mia."

She folded her arms.

"Can you stop giving me orders?"

Jason looked towards Jake.

"She's not making this easy."

Mia narrowed her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Before either boy could answer, Jake suddenly gripped the nearby fence.

His breathing became uneven.

Jason stumbled backwards.

"Jake, control it!"

Mia stared at them.

"What's wrong with you two?"

Jake's eyes changed.

For one terrifying second, his pupils narrowed, and an unusual golden glow appeared in them.

Jason turned away, struggling to steady his breathing.

"Get her away from here," he muttered.

Jake shook his head.

"I can't."

Mia stepped backwards.

"What is happening?"

Neither answered.

The red moon seemed to intensify.

Jake's fingers tightened around the fence.

Jason lowered his head, his expression becoming increasingly strained.

Something inside both boys was fighting to take control.

They were no longer behaving like the Jake and Jason she knew.

A strange growl escaped Jason's throat.

Mia froze.

She had heard that sound before.

Not from a human.

From an animal.

"Jason?"

He looked up.

His eyes were glowing.

Mia stumbled backwards.

Jake immediately stepped between them.

"Mia, listen to me. Whatever happens, don't come closer."

Her heart hammered.

"What's happening to you?"

Jake closed his eyes.

"Please, just go."

But before Mia could move, Jason let out another deep growl and turned towards the trees.

Jake struggled to maintain control.

For a moment, Mia saw something unbelievable.

A shadow moved across Jake's face, and his eyes flashed with a strange golden light.

The two boys looked as though they were fighting something inside themselves.

Something powerful.

Something wild.

Mia remembered the unknown caller's warning.

They are not what you think they are.

Her eyes widened.

Could it be?

No.

That was impossible.

Unless...

"Werewolves?" she whispered.

Jake's head snapped towards her.

Jason went completely still.

The silence that followed was louder than anything Mia had ever heard.

She stared at them.

Neither boy laughed.

Neither denied it.

And that was enough to make her understand that the unknown caller might have been telling the truth.

Mia ran.

She didn't know where she was going.

She only knew she needed answers.

Her phone vibrated as she reached the end of the garden.

Unknown number.

She answered immediately.

"WHO ARE YOU?"

A familiar voice responded.

"You knew about them?"

"I know more than you can imagine."

"Who are Jake and Jason?"

The caller gave a quiet laugh.

"They are wolves, Mia. And tonight, the blood moon has awakened something inside them that they have spent years trying to control."

Mia covered her mouth.

Like... werewolves?"

"Yes."

Her entire body went cold.

"Why didn't they tell me?"

"Because they were afraid of what would happen when you discovered the truth."

Mia looked back towards the garden.

"But why am I involved?"

The caller went silent.

Then came the words she wasn't prepared to hear.

"Because you are not human either."

Mia's knees almost gave way.

"What?"

"You were never supposed to be raised among ordinary humans. Your adoption was arranged to hide you from the people searching for you."

Mia shook her head.

"Stop lying!"

"I'm not lying, Mia. Your biological family belongs to an ancient bloodline.

Mia looked down at her wrist.

The silver mark was glowing again.

"What am I?"

The caller took a deep breath.

"You're the last living heir of the Moonborn."

Before Mia could ask another question, the call disconnected.

She stared at her phone.

The Moonborn?

What did that mean?

A sudden gust of wind swept through the garden.

Behind her, someone whispered her name.

"Mia."

She turned slowly.

Jake stood beneath the red moon.

Jason was beside him.

But something was different.

Their eyes were still glowing, and neither seemed completely in control of himself.

Jake took a cautious step forward.

"Mia, we need to talk."

She raised her phone.

"Are you werewolves?"

Jake said nothing.

Jason looked at him.

"Tell her."

Jake closed his eyes briefly.

Then he looked directly at Mia.

"Yes."

Mia's lips parted.

"How long have you been planning to hide this from me?"

"We weren't planning to hurt you," Jake replied.

"That wasn't my question!"

Jason stepped forward.

"Mia, there's something else you need to know."

Before he could continue, a loud howl echoed from somewhere deep inside the forest.

Jake immediately turned.

Jason's expression hardened.

Another howl followed.

Then another.

Mia looked between them.

"What is that?"

Jake's voice dropped.

"They've found you."

"Who?"

He looked at her, and for the first time since she had known him, she saw genuine fear in his eyes.

"The ones who have been searching for the Moonborn heir."

Mia's wrist suddenly burned with a strange silver light.

.

And somewhere in the distance, a voice called out:

"THE MOONBORN HAS RETURNED!"