Alpha Olivia

I Remember

My name is Olivia Manuel. I am 19 and a werewolf. I’m going to spare you the whole “yes they exist” speech, so bear with me. We stay in the shadows so the humans don’t see us. We’ve been at war with them once before, centuries ago, and the only way to keep the peace now is to stay hidden. Never shifting in crowded areas and blending in in our human form has kept it safe and peaceful for everyone so far.

I belonged to the Red Moon Pack on the southern edge of Illinois. My parents were the Alpha and Luna of our pack. Being their only child, I was training to take over the alpha position when my father retired. That is, before they were m*rdered. K*lled on the night of my 17th birthday.

*FLASHBACK*

My mother, Amyah, walked me to the door and held it open for me while I exited. My father, Jacob, was going to meet us in the tree line that is about 300 yards from the packhouse. Linking her arm with mine, my mother walked with me through the clearing. Tomorrow is my birthday, and at midnight I will shift and meet my wolf for the first time. I smiled to myself and wondered what she would look like, or sound like.

Sensing my wandering mind, my mother nudged me with her shoulder and smiled softly at me.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

I tucked my long red hair behind my ears and replied, “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“I don’t blame you, sweetheart. Meeting your wolf is an exciting time. I bet she will be beautiful and fierce, just like you.” She leaned into me and pinched my arm lovingly as she finished her sentence.

We chuckled and looked forward towards the tree line. It was quiet tonight, and the closer we got to the tree line, I started to feel uneasy. There was a thick tense feeling and it caused something to stir in the back of my head. I brought my hand to my head, feeling a throbbing feeling growing in my temple.

A wolf’s first shift can be very painful, and very drawn out. It leaves them in a vulnerable state as their bones crack and their muscles tear to take on their wolf form. ‘The pain in my temple must be from my wolf trying to come through,’ I thought, ‘but it’s only 11:30, I have another half hour.’

I looked over at my mom to see her scanning the tree line in a mild panic. I could feel her heartrate becoming more erratic and her breathing quickening. I looked forward and through the trees scanning with my eyesight that was sharpening every minute that ticked closer to midnight.

Right as I saw it, I felt my mom collapse beside me as an earth-shattering scream erupted from her. The screams kept coming as I knelt beside her with tears streaming down both of our faces. This kind of pain suddenly could only mean one thing. Her mate, my father, was d*ad.

I turned quickly back in the direction of the lifeless body of my father I had seen at the moment my mother went down and ran as fast as my feet could carry me. His chest had gaping claw marks and right where his heart is was a silver blade harshly shoved into his chest. Noticing the liquid pooling around the blade, I knew immediately it was laced with Wolfsbane. D*adly in large doses to wolves, it looked like whoever had done this had intended for it to be exactly that.

My heart was racing at this point, and I could feel the twinge in my joints that I would shift soon. Looking around wildly, looking for anything that would point to my father’s k*ller. There was a faint scent coming from all around me and I could tell my sense of smell was getting stronger. I knew the scent of rogues was like hot garbage, but this was more like cinnamon and dark chocolate.

The second it hit midnight the pain overtook me. Bones cracking, muscles tearing and sharp pains enveloping my body making me cry out. I was lost in my grief, and did not remove my clothes. They lie in tatters on the ground. I was on my knees with tears still streaming down my face when I heard my mother’s painful screams start up again. This time it was caused by the dark figure standing over her brutally k*cking her.

“S-s-s-st-STOP!” I wailed. “You’re hurting her!” I cried out as another wave of pain over took me and I went down to my hands and knees. I could see the gray and white hairs sprouting all over my body and my hands turning slowly into paws. My rage at the figure and my emotions from the night intensified and sped up my first shift, and I could feel my wolf coming forward. I could feel her settle into our body and she took control, sensing that we were in danger already.

“Little one, I am Alaris. You may call me Aly.” She let out a low growl that held authority, and looking around she caught sight of our mother and father on the ground. Both lifeless. Putting her head back to howl, it was cut short when she heard a twig snap behind her. She growled and shifted into a fighting stance as the same figure I witnessed earlier revealed their presence while staying in the shadows of the trees.

She advanced slowly keeping her head down and never taking her eyes off the figure. The smell of cinnamon and dark chocolate was burning my nostrils. It was strangely familiar; however I couldn’t place it since I only just received my wolf senses.

The figure laughed, and stood away from the tree it had leaned against. The laugh was that of a male and strangely familiar as well. It was maniacal which took away the familiarity and made Alys hackles raise. Taking a gloved hand out of his pocket, Aly lunged as he smashed a small bottle on the ground and vanished.

Tumbling end over end, Aly managed to get her bearings, swinging her head back and forth looking for him. We were alone minus our parents’ lifeless bodies. Aly whimpered as we walked slowly over to our mother. She shrunk back in our mind and gave me back control so I could try to shift back. All young ones usually have their parents there to help them shift and teach them how to shift back to our human forms. I steadied my breathing and concentrated, picturing my long red hair that came to my midback, my heterochromia eyes consisting of one bright blue and one emerald green, and my small but stout stature. I felt the hair start to recede and my bones began cracking back into place to take on the human form.

Once fully shifted, I stayed on my knees to control my breathing. I wiped the tears that just kept falling and looked around. My heart ached. I heard footfalls behind me, but I ignored them. I was lost in my own grief. I couldn’t understand what had just happened. Where were the warriors? Where was the border patrol? Who was that and how did they get onto our lands?

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” My father’s Beta, Marcus, yelled from behind me.

I turned toward him and tried to speak. I tried to squeak out that there was an intruder. My voice failed me. He approached me quickly and I could see other pack members behind him gaping at me in horror. As he grabbed my throat and lifted me, a smell caught my nose. Cinnamon and dark chocolate. A growl rumbled in my chest, and I felt my eyes widen. The smell was not as strong as when the figure stood before me, but it was definitely there. Was my father’s Beta involved in their murders?

He turned toward the wolves standing behind him still gripping me by the throat.

“Tonight was her first shift. She K*LLED the Alpha and Luna!” Turning towards me, his lips pulled up in a snarl. “You wanted that alpha position so soon after shifting you couldn’t wait for them to pass it to you?! You’re an ab*mination.”

Pushing past the fact he was slowly strangling the life out of me, I managed to squeak out, “No, you’re wrong. Someone was with my father in the woods. I was walking with my mother when she collapsed. I ran to my father, and he was gone. I looked back up to my mother and I was shifting when I saw a figure over her k*cking her. She was gone before I could get to her.”

He gripped my neck tighter and growled. “You’re lying. You’re a selfish brat and could not wait for them to hand you your title. So you took it.” Releasing my neck, he turned to the other wolves again. “She is an ab*mination and a danger to this pack. As the Beta, it’s my duty to look out for the pack in the absence of the alpha. Allow me to lead you and we will survive this. It is certain d*ath if we turn this pack over to this young m*rderer.”

I looked around at their faces. “No, you can’t. I didn’t k*ll them. Listen to me pl—” I pleaded, but the Marcus cut me off.

“In the presence of the Moon Goddess, everyone in favor of me serving as your alpha, say “I””

They glanced at me with shock and horror with a glint of pity as every person standing before me looked back at Marcus as they verbally agreed. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I wailed and begged them to reconsider. I knew there was foul play, and with him stepping up as Alpha, he was definitely involved.

“Fantastic.” He clapped his hands together facing me once again. “My first order of business. Olivia Manuel, daughter of the previous Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, I hereby banish you for the m*rder of your parents. You are no longer welcome on our pack lands, and are to leave. IMMEDIATELY.”

*End of Flashback*