The Thing About Fate

"Really! It has to rain now?!" I groan aloud, feeling cold water droplets hit my face. At least it will help cover up my scent I think to myself. I start to wonder how much land I have covered. I haven’t stopped running since I left Delaware yesterday morning and it’s about midday now. I ran like my life depended on it, because it did. I don’t think I have ever covered this much ground before. I have no idea where I am, there are no familiar scents here but my muscles ache and my stomach is growling. I am exhausted. I shifted out of my wolf form about half a mile back, changing into the bundle of clothes I’d been carrying in my jaws. Hopefully I can find a place to rest soon, or even better something to eat. Slowing my pace to a mild walk I allow myself to take in the surroundings. The air is hot and dryer than what I’m used to, meaning I am south. Hopefully close to my destination. Looking down at my jeans and long sleeved shirt, I feel myself start to sweat, and note that if I am to stay here long I’ll need a change in clothing. I smell no other wolves in the area, thankfully. The last thing I need right now is to run into a pack. No alpha likes finding rouges in their territory. Goddess. I think to myself. That’s what I am now. A rouge. My ears pick up the noise I’m looking for: a road. Following the thunder of cars on the highway, I start cutting through the trees and bushes. I let my mind wander to thoughts of food only, not of my situation. It isn’t hard for me to turn off my emotions anymore; you get use to it where I’m from. Almost tripping on a log I bring my attention back to where I’m going. I’m getting closer to the road now. I can feel the vibrations coming off the concrete. I find as I step out of the woods, that the highways huge. Unwillingly, I pull down my shirt a bit, exposing some of my natural assets, and stick out my thumb. Unfortunately in today’s time, no one will stop for a hitchhiker unless they’re a sluty girl. I hear the air breaks of the semi before even seeing it. Creeping to a slow stop it pulls to the side of the road. Looking into the cab of the truck I see two, might I add, unappealing men. They look similar, maybe brothers. The one in the passenger seat is staring hungrily at me. “Now what’s a sweet little thing like you doing out on the side of a road all alone?” One said. “Yeah don’t you know it’s not safe for little girls like you to be out here alone?” The driver added. This is going to be fun, I think to myself as a fake smile appears on my face. Climbing out of the truck, the man on the passenger side does a sarcastic bow while waving his hand up to the seat, motioning me to climb in. Grabbing onto the handle I pull myself into the cab. While doing so the man outside takes the opportunity to slap my ass. My wolf growls violently inside of me. Swinging around, the back of my hand blazes across his face. He recoils. “Oh feisty” He exclaims. “I like that” He curls a fist and makes a move to hit me. Nice going Alexis, I tell myself. Bracing for the hit, I put my arms up to block my face. “DAREL!” The driver shouts, “Cut it out now! She's just a kid.” I relax my body, smirking discretely. “Don’t mind my brother, he’s just been stuck in this old truck too long.” The driver says while putting out his hand to shake. “The names Todd.” “Alexis” I reply shaking his hand. “Well, where ya headed Alexis?” Todd asks. Darrel gets back in the cab and I can feel him eyeing my breasts. Sighing, I take in a deep breath. I recognize their Texas accents and feel relieved; I am closer than I thought. “Riversbend, Texas” I let out in reply to Todd’s question. The brothers look at each other and then back at me. “Can you take me there or not?” I ask getting irritated. “Oh sweetheart, I can take you places you have never been before” Darrel says with a disgusting wink. I could break his neck right now, and half of me wants to. I make a move to hit him as he flinches in preparation; but Todd hits him upside the head before my hand extends enough to make contact, and shoots me an apologetic look. “Yes we can take you there. We are headed that way anyway.” He says. I only nod in response. The drive was taking longer than I’d hoped it would. About 30 minutes in Todd offered me water and a cold sandwich he fish out from some compartment in the dash. I looked at them hungrily but kept them in my lap. The last thing I need right now is to let my guard down and end up drugged and taken Goddess knows where by these two. Todd looked at his offerings in my lap but didn’t mention them. “So what is someone like you going to a place like Riversbend for?” Todd asks. “What do you mean someone like me?” I question back. “You know, a normal person.” “What makes you think I’m normal?” I laugh with a sarcastic wink leaving them to wonder if I’m serious or not. No reply. Good, I smirk to myself. Looking out the window I can’t help but reflect on the days leading up to now. I have gone from being daughter of the Alpha of the Redwood pack to becoming a runaway rogue. Not that being the daughter of the Alpha got me anything other than pain and suffering. Looking for my long lost grandparents on my mother’s side, the Alphas of the Riversbend pack, I haven’t stopped traveling. Running. Finding them is a long shot I know, especially since I know nothing about them and they might not recognize me. They could be dead for all I know, but I have to try. They’re only ones who can help me now. I wonder what the pack back home is doing. They surely must know I’ve escaped. I can just see my father now, in a fit of anger, going about the house destroying everything in his path. I snap back to reality as Todd hits his breaks. Looking around I see we are at the edge of a small town. Shooting Todd a confused look, he just shrugs and says “Sorry hon. This is as far are we can take you. There is nowhere for us to turn around up there.” I nod and slide out of the truck after Darrel gets out, letting me pass. “Riversbend is just a mile up the road”, Todd says, pointing in the direction of the small road. Then he tosses me a small wad of cash. “Get some food kid” he yells. I thank him and start walking up the road looking back only once to wave goodbye. The mile doesn’t take me long and I soon find myself in a small town. Heading into the first café I spot, I couldn’t help but notice all the people staring at me. Riversbend is a mostly werewolf town, made up of three packs. The Riversbend pack, my grandparent’s pack, is the largest and head pack. Once seated at a booth I watch a brunette girl, about my age, eye me cautiously. Slowly making her way over to me she sits down in the seat before me. I can tell she is a wolf but she hasn’t had her first shift yet. I could beat her easily in a fight I note to myself looking her up and down. She leans forward and nearly whispers “Do you have a death wish or something?” Amused, I c**k an eyebrow at her, mentally flipping her off and then go back to reading the menu, ignoring her. She doesn’t get the hint. “You know you’re in Riversbend right?” She probes on. “Our alphas don’t tolerate rogues.” Slapping my menu down on the table I growl at her. “I am aware of where I am, and trust me; I have bigger things to worry about than your alphas.” Suddenly fear flashes in her eyes but I realize it isn’t of me as I see her looking past me. I hear a deep growl and suddenly a husky voice is right behind me. “Are you sure about that rogue?” Perfect. Standing up and turning to face the wolf behind me, I notice he is a bit taller than me, handsome, but arrogant. God I hate arrogance. He has dark hair, almost black and brown eyes. I can tell he isn’t an alpha, a beta maybe. He is muscular and I can tell he’s a trained fighter, I doubt as trained as me however. If I shift right now I could have a hold of his neck within the second. He’s making this too easy, I think to myself as he tilts his head to the side. “Are you deaf?” He growls “I asked you question rouge.” I notice two other boys filling in behind him. “Look boys” I say with a plastered smile, “I don’t want any trouble.” He snarls. I can tell he is having trouble controlling his wolf, a sign of weakness. “Trouble is all rogues get here.” blurts one of his little groupies. I laugh under my breath. “Something funny rouge?” the beta asks, sounding more than pissed at my lack of respect for him. However he isn’t the only one losing their patience. I take a deep breath in an effort to calm myself. “First my name is Alexis, not rouge.” I calmly say to him. “Second, like I said, I don’t want any trouble. I’m just passing through; I won’t be here more than a few days. I’m just looking for my grandparents.” “And you didn’t think it was smart to clear that with an alpha first?” He quickly barks back. I’m bored with this conversation and ready to leave. “It was a last minute trip and I just got here less than an hour ago. I’ll talk to your alpha later.” I say finally looking into his eyes. I start for the door, pushing past him and his groupies. Once outside I keep walking but it isn’t long before the three boys follow me outside. I notice the brunette girl from earlier has also emerged from inside. “Olivia go back inside.” The beta commands her. “John I..” “Now!” He cuts her off. She whimpers and slowly retreats inside. He turns his glaze to me and growls angrily. I am not impressed. He takes a step towards me. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” I warn. He takes another step closer. He is really trying my patience. “You really want to do this here?” I growl. He smirks taking another step forward, big mistake. Heart pounding, adrenalin rushing, I ready myself for the attack. I see the fear flash through his eyes as I shift. He doesn’t even have a chance to react; my teeth clasp around his neck before he can even shift. Seeing my wolf he knows he made a mistake. I am pretty large for a shewolf, with all white fur and golden eyes. The wolf of the Riversbend family, or so I’ve been told. I smell the fear radiating off him, it’s so thick I can almost taste it. He shifts with my jaws still around his throat and tries to push me off, thinking he is stronger than me. Most females aren’t as strong as the males. However, with both my parents being of Alpha blood I can easily take on a beta, and with my training I could take most alphas too. He is growling fiercely underneath me. His two friends shift and dash towards us. I tighten my grip around his neck causing him to whimper. He must have linked the other wolves to back off because they do. My wolf wants to snap his neck, she’s angered. Right as I am about to I hear Olivia screaming. “NO!! PLEASE!” She cries. “PLEASE LET HIM GO!” I can tell they are mates. Every time I tighten around his neck she flinches in pain. The two boys are holding her back now as she screams and sobs. I would never kill someone in front of their mate if it could be avoided. I can’t kill him, but I can’t just let him go and expect him not to attack me. I need to get this situation under control soon. The alphas and others have, with no doubt, been called on the pack link to come and help. Thinking quickly I drop his neck from my grasp and clamp my teeth around one of his front legs just as fast. Biting down I hear the bone snap. He howls and the girl screams, dropping to the ground still being held by the other two. We heal much faster than humans do but that will keep him down for at least an hour or two I hope. I quickly shift back “Calm down and shift and we’ll be done with it” I yell at him “But if anyone makes a move on me I swear to the Goddess I’ll kill her in front of you. Do you understand?” I waste no time and shift into my wolf form again, not willing to take any chances. He whimpers and shifts back. I take a few steps back allowing Olivia to rush to his side. She cradles him in her arms, sobbing quietly into his neck. He rubs her back with his good arm and coos into her ear trying to reassure her he’s okay. They are all gazing at me in fear and anger. I haven’t shifted back yet again, weary of an attack. John looks at me in awe. “Who are you?” he chokes out. As I contemplate answering a heart stopping growl erupts from behind me. “What the f**k is going on?!” The strong voice, only a few feet behind me, snarls. I freeze for just a moment.