Alphess: An Angel of Death

Memories Meet Reality

That rainy afternoon comes back to me often, despite it having been many years ago now. Even time and distance from that life of a Highborn cannot erase every memory I have of it and learning your Goddess-given talent is a memory most won’t forget. It’s what was playing in my head as I stared out the water-logged window in my small room. We hadn’t seen the sun in what seemed like weeks, just a constant bombardment of rain and occasional sleet. That’s inevitable when you live tucked away in the mountainous terrain of Alaska, but the weather kept most of the trouble at bay. A loud bang caught my attention from the other room and I turned to look at the door of my room, listening before I moved again.

“Eugh. Nothing but mud and puddles.” The voice was female, melodic in nature and I knew it came from my Beta, Taryn. She must have just returned from a patrol.

I remember when I first met Taryn; the memory takes over and I succumb to it. I guess I’m feeling nostalgic today.

I’d been alone for four years now, running and fighting. I had grown tired and weary of the battles I was facing. I was stalking through the underbrush in the Blue Ridge Mountains, tracking a deer. I was starving and hadn’t eaten in days, spending too much time looking over my shoulder to take the time to eat. I’d run out of money months ago, so going into town to eat wasn’t an option. My eyes were trained on the deer through the leaves of the bush, ears pinned back and my stomach threatening to growl as my mouth watered. Just as I was about to pounce, I heard the bushes across from where I was hiding rustle loudly, paws hitting the ground with no care of who heard or what they disturbed. The deer went running and I cursed the newcomer, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth as I imagined tearing their throat out for the slight they’d just given me.

The wolf that burst forth from the underbrush was nothing that I had imagined her to be. She was tiny, for one. Easily half of my size, and her ribs and spine were prominent. Telltale signs of starvation. Severe starvation. Her eyes were wild, pupils blown wide in fear. She paused only a moment, looking both ways before leaping away again and darting off. She was clearly running from something and I almost stuck around to find out what. But instead, I took off after her. She heard my pursuit and she sped up, her fear-scent prickling my nose. I barked, trying to tell her I wasn’t there to hurt her. I did nothing but terrify her more and she did her best to kick it into gear again. But she was wearing out fast, her paw-steps slowing even as she tried not to show it or let it happen. She leaped one second too late over a fallen log and caught her back foot, sending her toppling to the forest floor.

It gave me just the moment I needed to catch up to her, blocking her path. She stared up at me with those wide eyes, pressing herself to the leaf litter. Her entire body was quivering and she could only hold my gaze for a split second before looking down. Submitting. It was clear in her demeanor she was used to being in this position. The idea of it made me angry – no wolf should be forced into continual submission to the point of fear.

I phased back to my human form, crouching down in front of her. “Will you phase back so we can talk?” I asked softly, trying my best to appear as non-intimidating as possible. It was hard for me; my natural instinct was to kill.

She tremored again, skittering in the leaves back away from me before she phased. It took her awhile and when she did, she landed hard in the dirt again. Not very skilled yet. She was either young, or had been forced to remain in a human form for too long. The flash of anger flooded me again and grew stronger when she kept her head low, refusing to look at me.

“P-p-please,” she whispered. “Just kill me. It’ll be easier.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“But if you do it, it’ll be faster. They’ll just torture me.”

“They?”

“My pack.”

“Did you just escape?”

She nodded. She looked over her shoulder the way we had come, as if expecting wolves to surround us any second.

I hesitated. I’d been alone a long time. I didn’t really want to drag someone like her into my mess. But…I couldn’t just let her die out here alone. She didn’t seem the type to be able to take care of herself, and most pack deflectors either became outlaws (seen as traitors) that no pack can take in without retribution from the original pack, or rouges. Either way….its a death sentence for a girl like her.

“Whats your name?”

“Taryn.”

“Taryn. My name is Hayden. I won’t let them hurt you.” And I didn’t. I trained her myself, turning her into a fierce warrior that never felt the need to submit to anyone ever again.