Alpha Alexandra: The Alpha in Disguise

Alex's POV Today was my 19th birthday, and instead of going ahead to celebrate like normal girls my age, I was here, preparing for war in the only way I knew how. I was currently standing in front of my bathroom mirror, holding a scissor that was pressed to the ends of my long hair, and I held on to the scissors like my life depended on it. One of the most talked about feature of mine since I was born has been my very long hair, and it was always my mother’s pride for some strange reason. She had already told me that I would make a beautiful Luna to an Alpha one day because of how feminine my hair made me look, but the problem was, I have never once believed that I was born to be a Luna. I've always known that I was more than that, especially in moments when I was around men who were sparring, or in moments when I was told that I couldn't do something as simple as shifting under the full moon with the men because there was no point. That always used to piss me off and remind me over and over that being a Luna, a secondary character, was not what I was born to be. I raised the scissors higher at that thought. My father, Alpha Marcus Thorn of the Crimson Crest Pack, had made it very clear that women were not built to lead. He had no sons. Just me and my younger sister, Lyra, who was practically content with the idea of becoming the perfect little Luna-in-waiting, and unlike me, she didn’t want power. She wanted to bake cookies, learn how to take care of a pack, and find a mate with warm eyes and a decent title to match. As for me, I wanted a pack under my control. A sudden knock at the bathroom door startled me, and I didn’t answer until I heard Lyra’s voice. “Alex? You okay in there? Mom says your birthday breakfast is ready,” she announced. “I’ll be down in a few,” I said, even though I had no intention of joining them. Not when I was already halfway out of this house. She hesitated, but then her footsteps faded away, and I let out a sigh of relief before looking back at the girl in the mirror. I wasn’t exactly soft looking in appearance, and I never had been. Not to say I was totally masculine in appearance, but in attitude, I was, as it was the only way to be taken seriously by the boys. There had been a time when I tried joining the boys to train, and instead of either agreeing to let me join them or simply telling me they didn't want me to join them, they’d laughed at me. They laughed and called me all sorts of unprintable names, but that was until I broke one of their noses so bad, his sense of smell was f****d for weeks. But instead of my father to be proud of the fact that I didn't let anyone insult me, he had punished me, telling me it wasn’t my place to attack them and that I should have just reported them instead of choosing violence like some brute. I lifted the scissors and, without giving myself time to think, I started to chop off my hair as quickly as I could. I watched as the strands fell into the sink like pieces of a past self I didn’t need anymore, and I kept cutting it shorter and rougher until what remained was a choppy mess just above my jawline. It wasn’t pretty, but then again, it wasn’t meant to be. I looked... better now. Less like the princess everyone wanted me to be, and more like someone who was worthy of being taken seriously. Good. There was a tradition in our territory that had been passed through every pack, and it was the tradition that involved the Alpha Academy. A brutal and elite training ground where boys from each pack competed to become successors. My father had already sent a few boys from our pack, who he had decided were worthy of being alpha over his own flesh and blood. I had begged him to let me go, promising that I would prove to everyone that I was worthy enough, but in return, he laughed in my face. “You think you can stand toe-to-toe with boys who’ve been trained since they could walk?” he said. “Don’t embarrass yourself, Alexandra. You’ll be a fine Luna one day, and that’s more than enough.” But it wasn’t enough, and it would never be enough for me, especially because I knew that I was good enough. I had trained myself in secret, read all sorts of books on how to be a leader, and done absolutely everything that the boys had done. So I knew for a fact that I wasn’t delusional. I was prepared, and now, I was going to prove it. I grabbed the duffel bag I’d packed last night with a bunch of clothes, protein bars, a water flask, the pocket knife I’d hidden under my pillow, and the forged documents I’d spent a lot of money getting. I’d picked a new name, and a simple one, Alexander. It was close enough to my actual name, so I considered it the best choice. Thankfully, the Alpha Academy didn’t care about names. It only cared about strength, performance, and how hard you were willing to push yourself before you broke, and I wasn’t going to break. I made it to the train station after sneaking out of the packhouse through my room window. My hoodie was pulled up, and I kept my eyes down, not wanting to be caught by anyone who would recognize that I was Alpha Marcus’s daughter. I boarded the train without hesitation, and as the hours passed, I knew I was getting closer and closer to my dream place. The very place that would push me to become the first female Alpha. When the train finally rolled to a stop at the Academy’s private platform, I stepped off with the rest of the new recruits. Boys of every size and build, some obviously cocky and loud, and others quiet and observant, just like me. We were directed through gates and into an open field where an instructor, who introduced himself as Gamma Kade, had been waiting for us, scanning us like we were meat waiting to be judged. “Welcome to hell,” he barked. “Only the best make it through, and the rest of you? You’ll either be sent back to your packs in disgrace or carried out in body bags.” All through his very brief introduction, and possibly his lame attempt to scare us, no one laughed, and I didn’t even flinch. After his speech, training started immediately. There were no introductions, no room assignments, just an instruction to run, and we were to run ten miles uphill while holding weights. My lungs were already burning before the second mile, and my legs didn't feel like my own again before the fifth, but I didn’t stop because I couldn’t afford to. I couldn't afford to fail on my first day. After what felt like forever, I finally crossed the finish line, and by the time I did, I was breathless, soaked in sweat, and trembling. Gamma Kade looked at me with an expression of surprise before suddenly speaking to me. “What’s your name?” he asked. “Alexander,” I said, my voice hoarse. He nodded once. “Interesting.” By the time we were called back to the starting field, I was still trying to calm the burn in my lungs. Around me, the other boys looked wrecked, with most of them collapsing on the grass, panting like wild dogs, but I refused to be one of them. It wasn’t because I wasn't tired, because I sure was, but because I refused to look anything less than ready. We gathered quickly, all fifty of us forming a scattered line as Gamma Kade watched our every move. “You all finished the run,” he said. “That alone is more than most recruits manage on their first day.” “But this isn’t a charity,” he continued. “And only the first thirty who crossed the finish line will remain, while the rest of you will be sent back. Your packs will be informed that you didn’t make the cut.” A few boys muttered under their breaths. Some of them were cursing, while others seemed to be praying. As for me, I had no reaction. I wanted to believe I had finished early. Not just early, but first. I hadn’t seen anyone ahead of me when I crossed the finish line, and the fact that Gamma Kade had spoken to me had to mean something. He pulled a clipboard from under his arm, and I immediately held my breath. “I’ll call out the top five,” he said. “If your name isn’t in there, don’t cry about it. There are still twenty-five slots left, and this was only the first test, but if you are in the top five—know that every instructor here now has their eye on you.” He started reading. “Fifth place—Nathaniel Rowe of the Iron Fang Pack.” “Fourth—Devon Wyatt, from the Shadow Pines.” “Third—Kieran Frost of Coldridge.” I held my breath and clenched my hands behind my back as I waited. “Second place—Alexander Vale, representing the Crimson Crest Pack.” My heart stopped as soon as I recognized that the name Alexander Vale was my new name. I should have felt relieved that I passed, maybe even proud of myself, but instead, all I could think was—second? But how? I hadn’t seen anyone in front of me, not even at a distance, so who the hell had placed first? Gamma Kade paused briefly before announcing it. “And in first place—Jaxon Maddox of the Nightwind Pack.” At the mention of the name, a few of the boys muttered something like, “Of course,” or “Figures,” but I wasn’t paying attention. Instead, I was more focused on trying to find the boy who answered to that name, and there he was. Jaxon Maddox. He was standing at the front of the group, clearly relaxed, like someone who didn’t need to prove himself but could still crush you if he wanted. From behind, he had no reaction to the announcement at all, almost as though he couldn't care less, and I hated that I couldn't see his face. He was too far, and his back was turned to me. Unlike most of us, who looked exhausted, he looked like he’d just gone for a casual morning jog, and that pissed me off. It wasn't to the point of already hating him, but even from behind, I knew for a fact that he was the one to beat.