Alpha's Claim

Chapter 1: Shadows in the Mirror I stared at my reflection in the cracked bathroom mirror, the fluorescent light buzzing like a trapped fly overhead. My name's Adrianna—Adri, if you want to be casual about it—and at seventeen, I looked like a hot mess. Dark circles under my eyes from another night of zero sleep, hair that hadn't seen a brush in days, tangled and black like spilled ink. Mom always said I had Dad's eyes, stormy gray and always pissed off at the world. Whatever. Dad bailed when? Didn't he? Left us with nothing but bills and a shitty apartment in this nowhere town called Evergreen Hollow. School sucked. Friends? Ha, what friends? I mean, there was Jess from chem class who lent me notes sometimes, but mostly I kept to myself. Pushed people away before they could figure out I was broken. Therapy? Mom tried once, but the counselor just droned on about "coping mechanisms" while I zoned out, picking at my nails until they bled. Today was no different. I slammed the mirror cabinet shut, grabbed my backpack, and headed out. The bus stop was a five-minute trudge through rain-slicked streets. Evergreen Hollow was all forests and fog, the kind of place where secrets hid in the trees. I popped in my earbuds, blasting some angsty rock to drown out the thoughts. Why do I feel so... empty? Like something's missing, clawing at me from inside. At school, the usual bullshit. Lockers slamming, kids laughing at jokes I wasn't part of. In English, Mr. Hargrove droned about Shakespeare, and I doodled wolves in my notebook. Wolves. Always wolves. Fierce, free, pack animals. Not like me, lone and lost. Lunch was a solo affair in the bathroom stall, munching on a stale granola bar. That's when I heard the whispers—new guy in town. Sebastian something. Transferred from up north, supposedly loaded family, drives a black Jeep that screamed trouble. Girls were already giggling about his looks. I rolled my eyes. Another pretty boy to ignore. But then, gym class. Dodgeball hell. I sucked at sports, always have. A ball whizzed past my head, and I tripped, face-planting into the mat. Laughter erupted. "Nice one, Adrianna!" some asshole yelled. I bolted to the locker room, heart pounding. Screw this. I ditched the rest of the day, sneaking out the back door into the woods bordering the school. The trees swallowed me whole, branches scratching at my arms like fingers. I walked deeper, the air thick with pine and damp earth. Peace, finally. That's when I saw him. Leaning against a massive oak, smoking a cig like he owned the forest. Tall, messy dark hair, leather jacket that hugged broad shoulders. Green eyes that locked onto mine like lasers. "You okay?" His voice was low, rumbling. Sebastian. Up close, he was... intense. Not pretty boy—dangerous hot. I shrugged, wiping dirt off my jeans. "Peachy. What are you doing out here?" "Skipping. Like you." He smirked, taking a drag. Offered me the cig. I took it, our fingers brushing. Spark. Weird spark. We talked. Or I rambled, mostly. About hating school, feeling lost, the demons in my head that whispered I wasn't enough. He listened, nodding, eyes never leaving mine. "Everyone's got shadows, Adrianna. Some just hide 'em better." How'd he know my name? Creepy, but kinda thrilling. For the first time in forever, I didn't feel invisible. The bell rang distant, but I didn't care. Sebastian crushed the cig under his boot. "See you around?" "Yeah," I muttered, heart doing flips. As he walked away, a howl echoed faint in the distance. Wolf? In broad daylight? Nah, imagination. But that night, dreams came. Fangs, moon, his eyes glowing gold. Chapter 2: Whispers in the Woods Sebastian became a shadow in my days. Not stalking—coincidence, right? He'd pop up in the halls, nodding hello, or at the corner store where I grabbed smokes on bad days. Mom worked double shifts at the diner, so home was empty, echoing with her absence and my thoughts. I started journaling again, scribbling crap like: Why does he make me feel alive? Lame. But true. Jess noticed, cornered me at lunch. "Earth to Adri. Who's the hottie?" "No one." I lied, stabbing my mystery meat. Therapy demons reared up Friday night. Mom found my hidden stash—pills I'd swiped from her cabinet, not taking 'em, just holding onto the idea. "Adrianna, talk to me!" she yelled, tears streaming. "I'm fine!" I screamed back, storming out. Slammed the door, ran into the rain. Where to? The woods. Always the woods. They called to me now, like a pull in my gut. I trudged paths I'd never noticed, mud sucking at my sneakers. Deeper, darker. Branches snagged my hoodie, tearing skin. Blood trickled warm. A snap behind me. I whipped around—nothing. Paranoia? Then growls. Low, animal. Eyes glowed in the brush. Not one pair—three. Wolves? Here? They circled, massive, fur matted and snarling. Real wolves don't act like this, do they? Panic hit. I ran, branches whipping my face. Tripped over roots, fell hard. They closed in, teeth bared. Then a blur—Sebastian. He tackled the lead wolf, fists flying? Wait, no—claws? He moved too fast, inhuman. A sickening c***k, the wolf yelped and fled with the others. He turned to me, breathing heavy. Eyes... gold. Fangs peeking? "What the f**k?" I scrambled back, heart exploding. "Adri, calm down." He approached slow, hands up. But his nails—long, sharp. "You... you're not human." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No. Werewolf. Alpha of the local pack." Bullshit. But the proof stared back. "Those wolves—they were like you?" " Rogues. Challenging territory." He knelt, checking my scratches. His touch burned, electric. I should've run. Instead, I laughed hysterically. "This a joke?" "No." His face serious, beautiful in the moonlight filtering through trees. "You're hurt. Let me help." He tore his shirt, bandaging my arm. Muscles rippled, scars crisscrossing his skin. Stories there. I wanted to trace them. "Why me?" I whispered. "Fate's funny." He leaned closer, scent like pine and wild. Our breaths mingled. Kiss? Almost. But a howl shattered it—his pack? "Gotta go." He stood. "Stay out of the woods, Adri. Dangerous." But as he vanished into shadows, I knew I'd be back. Thrill mixed with fear. What was happening to me? Home late, Mom asleep. I bandaged proper, but dreams haunted: running on four legs, his howl calling mine.