ALPHA LOGAN

“Oh my!” Logan Westwood froze when an arrow whistled past him and after a brief pause, he became aware of what was going on. Suddenly a deep growl came from the bushes behind him and he gripped his hunting knife tightly and turned around slowly. There was nothing because the source of the sound had disappeared instantly. Then the bushes rattled and he heard sounds of movement. Logan stepped back at once. "I don't have time for this bullshit. He had been sent into the forest before sunrise to bring back a deer for his master Ephraim feast and if he failed to return with a deer he would be starved that nite and be flogged by the guards. Another growl comes again. He hasn't even got his thoughts clear. But this time, it wasn't an animal;Logan heard something different than he had been hearing earlier. This was the sound of man. A faint cry from a tree not far away in the forest. Help… Logan squinted his eyes, then he saw that someone was in trouble. He ran through the bushes, through thorns, and herbs and the density and then he stopped as he began, his heartbeat retreating slowly. An old man lay against a tree, holding his leg, and two armed men lay dead a few distances away. Logan drew his knife at once, and glared at the man but the old man looked at him and lifted his hand weakly. "Please...don't. Logan still held the knife above him. “Who are you?” He tried his best to answer, but his whole body shook and then Logan stared at his leg; a small snake coiled round his leg with its fang still buried in his skin. "Oh no!" Logan moved swiftly, snatching the snake from the man's leg with his bare hands. Logan hurled the snake against the tree trunk as it swiftly wrapped around him. Then he pinned it to the tree trunk with his knife, and it instantly died. The elderly man had a pale, discolored face and immediately Logan knelt next to him and immediately fixed his gaze on the leg. "You got bitten." The man gave him a weak nod as he looked at him. "That's poison from snakes." "Yes, I am aware. If your heart is beating quickly, the poison will spread quickly, so remain motionless and avoid moving your leg." Logan swiftly searched the area, knowing exactly what to use and how to use it. Master Ephraim had once been shown a few plants that could slow down poison, particularly from a snake bite, by an elderly healer in his village. As soon as Logan saw the leaves, he grabbed them and crushed them between his palms to extract the fluid. He then ripped open the old man's clothing and let the fluid fall onto the snake bite wound. The elderly man instantly flinched in agony. "Remain still; you can still survive even though the poison is already spreading." "Are you familiar with medicine?" In agony, he asked. "Yes, somewhat." "So you must be a healer." "No, I'm not; I'm just a slave boy." Logan said, slowly shaking his head. The man gave Logan a wide-eyed look. "A slave?" "Yes." To stop the poison from rising, Logan ripped a piece of cloth from his own shirt and securely wrapped it around the man's leg above the bite. While he worked, the elderly man silently observed him; although his breathing was still irregular, it had improved. "I still didn't think you weren't a healer; most people I know would have run away or freaked out, but you didn't." With weakness, the man spoke. "We all die at some point, and running doesn't change that." Logan answered. The man gave a feeble laugh. "A soldier, not a slave, is saying that." When Logan finally got a good look at the man, he appeared to be more affluent than the average traveler. His clothing was too elegant for a typical merchant, and he wore golden chains and a golden ring. He also looked at his fallen guards, who appeared to be royal guards rather than just regular guards."Who are you, sir, if I may ask?" Before responding, the elderly man gave him a long look. "I am Cassius, this region's Alpha King." Logan covered his mouth with both hands as his body instantly went numb. He was not only strong but also the strongest Alpha in the area; even his master Ephraim spoke of him with something more akin to fear. He had heard the name quite a few times, and every wolf in the entire region screamed his name in fear. And now he was bleeding from a snake bite wound in front of the region's most feared Alpha. "You ought to be more cautious than this." Logan spoke while gazing at the guards' slitted throats. "I did, but all of my guards were killed when skilled assassins ambushed us and fired poisonous arrows." There was a problem, Logan thought as he gazed at the Alpha king. A snake coiled around the king's feet, and two trained Royal guards were dead with their throats cut open. This was none of Logan's business, so he ignored it. "You need a real healer that can cure you, and it must be quick; the leaves will slow down the poison and won't do more." Logan said, getting to his feet. "How much time do I have?" As Logan examined the wound, he saw that the surrounding skin had already turned dark. You may have a year if no healer is able to properly treat it, and even if you are treated by a professional healer, the poison will still be in your body for up to five years. Logan's response did not frighten Cassius. He simply gazed at him, examining his face as though he were trying to find the answers. "Boy, what's your name?" "My name is Logan Westwood." "You claim to be a slave, but you don't smell like a pack." "I don't possess a pack." "So you must be an orphan." Logan fell silent; the response was sufficient. Cassius straightened up against the tree, wincing in agony but remaining composed. Suddenly, he grabbed Logan's fist. He had a firm hold. "Logan, you saved my life tonight, and I owe you. I don't have a son or heir to succeed me, but I do have a daughter. I will give her to you as payment, marry her, and you will inherit my kingdom while I'm away." Logan instantly withdrew his wrist. The abrupt words he had just heard from the Alpha king made him laugh. "I have no right to royalty, let alone to marry a King's daughter; I'm a slave and a wolf without a pack." "You are no longer a slave; you are my savior, and I am purchasing your freedom." "What I am cannot be covered by freedom." "Yes, I agree that a crown can, but freedom cannot." His gaze sharpened with sympathy as he took a small step forward. "I will always be a happy man if you can promise me, Logan, that you will protect what I build and marry my daughter when I'm gone." For a moment, Logan remained motionless, gazing at the floor beneath him. In addition to the fact that he was the Alpha king and planned to wed his daughter and ascend to the throne, someone offered to purchase his freedom for a very long period of time. He recalled every starvation and hunger he had experienced, as well as every beating and t*****e he had received from his master. Despite his intense desire for freedom, he was constantly pursued by the requirement of marrying a stranger. However, he was now forced to make the decision. "I made a promise." Without hesitation, he uttered the words. Cassius instantly grinned and tightly grasped his hands. "I swear that I will locate your master and set you free; I will always be grateful to you." Then, out of nowhere, a sharp spark of electricity shot up his hands. Without delay, he withdrew his hands and gazed at them. "Do you sense that?" He questioned Logan. Logan scowled and said, "Feel what?" Silently, Cassius took off his royal ring and thrust it into Logan's grasp. "Make sure no one finds this ring." "Why?" "If anyone finds out, you will be killed, and you will know what to do with it when the time comes." Horses could be heard in the distance before Logan could ask any more questions. He has been located by the king's surviving soldiers. Logan heard the sound and instantly got to his feet. "I must leave." "Hold on." Logan turned to face Cassius, who was staring back at him with a pale face. "Remember what you promised." "I won't forget what I promised you." "And Logan." The monarch gazed at him. "Elena is her name; please love her if she despises you." Before Logan could ask any more questions, the soldiers emerged from between the trees, and he didn't understand what he meant. As Logan witnesses the guards hoisting the king into a carriage and transporting him away, he swiftly conceals the ring. Logan was not questioned. ******* That evening, he went back to his master's house full of optimism that he would at last be free. But as he got closer to the gate, everything instantly changed. It was evident from the way the guards gazed at him. Logan immediately stopped moving. "What?" When no one responded, he realized that his hunting deer had been discovered with a slit throat and blood all over the ground. Logan moved slowly toward the scene. The animal's body bore a message. Then he went over it. "THE SAVIOR OF THE ALPHA KING MUST DIE" Logan knew he was in serious trouble as he looked at everyone around him. Then there was a shout from behind him. "Logan." When he turned, Master Ephraim was standing at the door of the house staring at him. "Come on in here now." Knowing what might happen to him next, Logan remained motionless. "What have you done?" Logan had not seen fear in his master's eyes in a long time. His blood turned icy, and he had no idea what would happen to him next.