Conquered By The Blind Alpha

ALLE Power. From a young age I’ve always known who I was and who I’m meant to be. I became the first female alpha of The Gray Trees pack when I was just eighteen, barely old enough to drink yet smart enough to know that power is what makes the world spin. And now I have it. Five years later and despite the countless pushbacks that had come with my new position, my pack has flourished under my rule, reaching heights that our former leaders had held us back from solely due to their cowardice and fear of being seen. But I am not a coward, not like them. Or so I thought. “Speech! Speech! speech!” The crowd’s excited chants echoed off the brown and gray trees that surrounded us. Lights hung over numerous branches to light up the bustling event and crowd of people that I now stood among, and currently craving the solitude of my office which of course was only an elevator away seeing as the event was being held right behind the pack house. It was my Beta’s wedding, and I was her chief bridesmaid. And it was also my duty to make the toast for night, only problem? I was so f*****g bad at public speeches. Yes, you’d think being Alpha for five years would make me amazing at that…no, it didn’t. I looked at my beta, Clarisse, with pleading eyes and she simply gave me a mischievous grin that proved she wasn’t going to drop it. Her husband, Jerome, joined in the chant making the corners of my lips twitch. “Ahem!” I cleared my throat, making sure to glare at Clarisse before turning to face the crowd that was clearly hungry for my embarrassment. My pack knows me, I always hate the long talks and speeches, I prefer actions because they always speak louder. “Clarisse is an amazing woman and has been an amazing friend in the past twenty-three years of my life,” I held up my glass of wine, “Despite being an immense pain in my ass, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you…ahem!” I turned to look at Jerome, “Even if it means sharing you with this guy over here.” I hear some chuckles but the sound does nothing to ease the tingle of nerves that work their way up my spine. “I wish you a life filled with joy, just like the joy you’ve brought me.” Then I drank before any more sentimental bullshit left my lips, my eyes were stinging and I’d deliberately avoided Clarisse’s gaze because I knew she was crying as well. I looked up at the star littered sky and blinked back tears, inhaling deeply to ease the growing ache in my heart, drinking some more before planting my ass back down on my seat, the soft material of my red dress rising slightly. The wine helped with the nerves the applause brought on, easing the racing of my heart and maybe even slowing it. I heard a few murmurs as some of the pack members teased that it was too short and I should drop more lines. All I did was laugh and drink three more glasses of wine. I watched later on with a feeling of immense pride blossoming in my chest as I watched Clarisse dance with her husband, both of them looking into each other’s eyes as though they could see worlds in them. Love. It is an emotion I don’t think I’ll ever understand. Giving yourself utterly to someone, subjecting yourself to the torment of being tied to a person, being constantly vulnerable, weak. I love Clarisse like a sister and I respect her choice, but it can never be me. I wasn’t born for such a life, I wasn’t made to bare my soul to another. I am a leader, a ruler…and there is no room for weakness on this path I’ve taken. I use my signature glare to scare away every man that dares to approach me and ask for a dance or to take the empty seats next to me despite Clarisse giving me a disapproving glance each time I send them on their way. The wine has done its magic, stripping me of every worry and heavy thought and ache until I find myself laughing to Jerome’s stupid jokes and eventually having a dance with his really attractive best man who seemed rather eager to put his arms around me. After what felt like an eternity of doing a whole lot of out of character s**t, I went back to my seat and held my head in my palms, everywhere spins and for a moment, there’s this sinking feeling in my gut that something was wrong. I’m usually very good with holding my alcohol. Why am I so dizzy all of a sudden? I leaned back on the chair and heaved a sigh that seemed to take everything out of me. Then I heard it. A bone chilling scream cut through the bustle of the wedding, the sound jolting me awake as I immediately stood up. My eyes narrowed as I scanned the now panicked crowd, looking for the source of the sound. I smelled them before I saw them. Wolves, hundreds of them marching in, coming towards us. All shifted, all foreign. Invaders? Rogues? I instantly reach for Clarisse whose expression has become even more grim than mine. “Do you smell that?” she asked though I was pretty sure she knew the answer to that; her green eyes were alert and every inch of her coiled tight with tension. “Get everyone who isn’t a warrior inside and lock the doors behind you.” Clarisse blinked, “What? I’m not doing that,” She shook her head, “I’m not leaving you out here to face whatever those are by yourself.” The snarls of our warriors shifting and preparing for battle and the low menacing growls of the intruders filled the night, making the air damn near suffocating. “There are hundreds of them, Clair, I need someone on the inside who is strong enough to keep them safe,” I held out a hand and cupped her cheek, “We don’t know what we’re up against, so I need you to do this for me.” She sighed, then groaned before grunting a nod, “Fine!” she huffed, clearly reluctant to do as I’ve asked, “What a f*****g wedding,” she mutters under her breath, leaning in and pressing her forehead against mine. “Don’t you dare f*****g die tonight, Al, or I’ll kill you!” I couldn’t help the grin that tilted my lips, my chest thick with something strange and heavy. “I don’t die, I kill.” I responded with my usual confidence, even though the feeling of dread had dug a pit in my stomach so deep I feared I would vomit right there on the grass. The warmth of her forehead leaves mine as she moves back and her eyes meet mine one last time, saying a thousand things with just a simple stare, she nods firmly and then runs in, ordering the others to follow behind her, scooping up kids as well as kissing Jerome goodbye. He was a warrior; he had to stay back. I didn’t turn away until the garden was cleared of the weaker pack members that attended and the back door of the castle was closed shut. Then I turned, facing the woods were golden, green, red, glowing eyes were now visible as the invaders prowled closer. I unzipped my dress, stepping out of the red velvet gown Clarisse had picked for me just weeks before, folding the dress and setting it aside on a table. As I prepared to shift, my warriors charged into the woods and adrenaline coursed through my veins, blood roaring in my ears as the intruders finally showed themselves. I didn’t get past the first stage of my shift before the whole world spun and blurred around me and my legs gave out. I fell to the floor in a pathetic heap, my limbs going slack and eventually losing all feeling. The threaded lights in the trees changed colors, swirling, fading. I couldn’t move; I was paralyzed. Then it dawned on me, I wasn’t just drunk the entire night, I was drugged.