The Reluctant Alpha

Chapter 2 - Broken Spirits

Mia

I wipe the bead of sweat dripping down my brow as I step back to look at my work. Surely the Alpha won't have an issue this time. I made sure to put almost an extra full hour into making these floors sparkle. Last time I forgot to get under the table in the dining area and I couldn't walk right for a week. That beating was so bad that I hadn't heard from Aria, my wolf, ever since. I can sense her there, but she won't utter a word. I'm starting to get worried she will never speak to me again.

Life was fantastic for a long time. We belonged to the elite Lock Heart pack. My father, Eric, was the Beta to Alpha Clarence which made my mother, Delphi, close with Luna Marie. She had always been so sweet and kind to me. I got along well with their children and it was more like she was an aunt than my Luna. Their son, Jack was 2 years older than me while their daughter Layne was a year younger. We did everything together. Movies nights, campouts, Sunday cookouts. All of it.

Right after I turned 10, I shifted for the first time. I was terrified because most wolves don't shift until their 16th birthday. My parents tried to tell me that it was normal and that 16 is just an average. That all wolves are different and will shift when it is appropriate for them. But something changed between my father and Alpha Clarence right after that. It wasn't really noticeable at first, but as time went on it became almost unbearable. At first, we started doing less and less together. Then Alpha would send my father out on missions and jobs for him that made no sense or was just grunt work. Not normal things asked of a Beta. I overheard my mother and the Luna discussing it once, but they both swore to each other that their mates told them that everything was fine. Anytime I walked into the room, I felt like all their eyes were on me. Luna Marie was less and less interactive with me. The Alpha wouldn't even spare me another glance. I tried to tell myself it was all in my head. I was just being paranoid. Until the fateful night that my parents were ripped from me and my life would never be the same.

It was just 3 days after my 14th birthday. My father had been sent out by Alpha Clarence to secure the Northern Border. My father and mother were both confused since we never had any issue with our Northern boarder. The Shadow Moon packs territory was on the other side up there and they were our allies. Hesitantly my dad got ready to head out. My mother begged him to send someone else instead but my father took his position seriously and wouldn't allow anyone else to take his assignments. He also said that the Alpha must have had his reasons. After almost 20 minutes of her pleading and tears, my father kissed me on the forehead and left. I wish I would have known what the future held. I may have helped my mother persuade him to stay.

Shortly after he left, my mother instructed me to stay put and lock the door. She said her wolf wasn't allowing her to just sit back and wait. She wanted to go make sure her mate was safe and sound. I told her she was being silly and that dad was one of the strongest warriors in the pack. I didn't know why she was acting this way. I remember the tears welling in her eyes as she spoke the last words she would ever say to me.

"One day, you will also understand. Always remember that I love you, Mia. And you must always follow your destined path, no matter what the cost."

With that, she hugged me and was out the door and into the night after my father. I tried to wait up as long as I could for them to return but sleep overtook me. I awoke early the next morning to pounding on our door. Luna Marie stood there with red eyes and a haunted look. I knew before she even spoke the words...my parents were gone.

I don't remember much of the days that followed. I was told it was a rogue attack and that my father lost his life trying to protect my mother but that neither survived. Marie tried to keep it together but she was almost as inconsolable as I was. How could she not be? She was almost as close to my mother as I was. Alpha Clarence was another story. He waited until the members of the pack left from paying their respects and his wife and children turned in for the night.

I remember the hatred in his eyes and being confused as to why it was there when he told me I was allowed to stay in his pack only if I made my own way. I was to cook, clean, and do anything else asked of me without hesitation or I would be banished from the pack and on my own. I shook with fear knowing that banishing me would leave me wandering this world alone. I would go rogue, turn feral, and become a monster. We are warned of this as young pups since rogue attacks are something we have to deal with. As he turned around to leave, he made me swear to never tell a single soul what he had told me in this room. I felt lost and alone. Aria whispered to me the whole time to just agree and keep him calm. I didn't understand her concern but went along with it. Alpha Clarence had never been a vengeful or hateful man. He had always ruled our pack with compassion and empathy. It wasn't until a few months later that I heard her warning loud and clear.

One night, right after I turned 15, I had just gotten done cooking a meal for the pack. I told Marie that I was just doing what I thought was right to stay in the pack. She swore to me that she didn't want me to work so hard to take care of the pack. That I was one of them no matter what happened to my parents. I told her that I appreciated her concern but I wasn't going to change my mind. This happened daily until she finally accepted my words.

I was in a rush to get done so I could go finish my studies and rushed dinner a little bit. To my dismay, Alpha Clarence got one of the pieces of chicken that wasn't done all the way through along with some rosemary potatoes that were crunchy. That was the first night that I learned the kind of man I was dealing with. I had never seen such rage from him. I was laying on my bed in the small room he gave me on the top floor of the main house doing my studies when he slammed the door in.

"What don't you understand about your place here?!" he growled.

"I-I-I know. I'm sorry for whatever I have done Alpha." I quivered, backing as close to my headboard as possible. I could feel the power radiating off of him. I was scared but Aria was calm as could be. This made no sense. A burning sensation across my face pulled me from my thoughts and I felt sharp pains throughout my body as he proceeded to beat me until I let the darkness over take me. The next morning Luna Marie asked me what happened and I was too frightened to say anything. I made up a story about being out for a nighttime run when rogues jumped me. Luna Marie told me never to go out alone at night by myself. Alpha Clarence feigned shock and outraged and promised his wife that he would double patrol. Once she turned around, a sick smile crossed his face and I had a gut feeling that this was just the beginning. The beatings have continued ever since no matter what little thing he gets upset about. Sometimes it has nothing to do with me at all. I have just become his whipping mule. A punching bag to take all his aggression out on. It is getting harder and harder to come up with excuses about my injuries. Sure, I heal quick enough because of my wolf, but it has been taking longer since she has gone silent. Almost 2 years now.

Clarence has gotten worse lately. He has been on pins and needles with this upcoming visit from the Blood Moon pack. An allegiance with them would give our smaller Lock Heart pack more protection. It isn't that we are a weak pack, but any extra safety precautions are always a good idea. Especially with the rogue attacks on the rise. We have been lucky and only lost one member of our pack in the last month.

I just have to bide my time and pray that once I turn 18, in three short days, my mate will find me and take me away from all this pain and misery. The Alpha swears my mate will reject me when he sees the state I'm in, but I have to hold out hope. I have to hang on to the promise that he will love me no matter what... Otherwise, what will be my purpose to hang on to this miserable existence?