Rival Alphas

Chapter Four

(PRESENT DAY)

MIRABEL REDFORD

"Dad, please, don't leave me alone. Dad." I whimper.

"Mira, Mira. I don't think we have the time to mourn. You will be dead if mom finds you are asleep. How about you head out first? Mourn later, love. I hear crying under the hot sun is superb." Juniper rambles.

I wake up, my all body tense and painful. I hate it when I have nightmares of that fateful day. Thanks, Juni, you are helpful.

She chirps, "happy to help."

"I was being sarcastic," I state, staring at my worn-out bedding. Sweet life of dear dead alpha's daughter.

"I know. So, dear Mira. Off you go. Stop whining and feeling sorry for yourself. We have to cook, clean, and do whatever it is the pack thinks we deserve. I am here. Okay?" She says.

By the goddess, I have no words for her sometimes.

The day begins as always, torturous, and yeah, it ends even worse.

Most of the time, the day drags itself by, and sometimes, it goes faster.

Today, it stretched, allowing me to go through every single painful thing any wolf thought I should endure.

In the evening, I prepare dinner and run off to my so-called room. The basement. Three hours later, I return and clean the mess the pack created.

Since I didn’t get to run today, I make sure everyone in the pack is asleep and sneak outside. I arrive at the forest nearby and transform into my weak wolf. The wolf is funny or so it thinks. It speaks to me, asking me to cheer up to its lame jokes, I try my best not to hurt its feelings, but it stops immediately and tells me the laugh is too dry.

We support each other. She is my other half.

"Oh, Mira." She says.

Hush!!!

The feeling of grass on my feet makes me feel rejuvenated. I wish dad was here, I know for sure he would congratulate me for getting my wolf. But then again, dad always congratulated me, he always found something to be proud of about me.

I miss dad. I love dad. I want dad to pat my hair and tell me he is proud.

I run around the forest, forgetting all my sufferings, just reminiscing my time with dad. It has been years since he passed yet I feel it was like yesterday, and every time I remember him, I can’t get my head out of the animal with two shades of eye color.

I wish mom had asked me or even listen to me about the murderer. Hopefully, she would have asked around, and I know, we have caught the killer. After all, those sets of orbs are rare in our supernatural world.

One thing I am sure of is, that animal wasn’t just a mere animal. Why didn’t anyone give me a chance to speak up?

Transforming back to my human form, I wear my torn clothes and head back home. I see Alpha Debra’s room with lights on. I am a hundred percent sure she is awake, contemplating ways to make my sufferable life even more sufferable.

Mom is bad. Mom is evil.

I hate to say this, but for an alpha, dear Alpha Debra isn’t bad. We have never been attacked ever since she became an alpha. No squabbles have occurred between us and the neighboring packs. She has managed to contain the pack well. Okay, why am I praising her?

Shaking my weird thoughts out of my head, I crawl my tired ass into the basement. There is no mattress but rather a small worn-out blanket I remember dad gifting me when I was five. If mom realize I have it, I would be dead meat.

I think of showering but Juniper advises me against it. If I go to the packhouse I might meet someone awake ready to ruin my night and they would throw abusive words my way. Will I die without showering?

Nope.

I rest my head on my arms and try to sing myself to sleep. No, I don’t cry myself to sleep, how can I when I have questions for my fifteen-year-old on why she didn’t save her dad as that animal killed him?

Tears are saved for victims and I am no one’s victim.

Sleep doesn’t come. My insomnia has gotten stronger over the years. Even though sometimes I wish I could sleep, I don’t get around to it. Sometimes, I would be busy the whole night, sometimes I would be in the forest training, and other times, well, mostly, I will be listening to my Alpha Debra’s voice inside my head as she screams at me for making her life miserable.

I wonder if she knows she is the one making mine a living hell.

*

I hear a sound from outside, and I jolt awake. It is a surprise since no one comes this way at night. As much as the White Moon Pack’s werewolves would love to lament me at twenty-four-seven, they can’t lose their sleep because of me.

Is it the green/blue eyes animal?

Why Mirabel, why are you thinking of the animal?

I shudder and foolishly head outside, I whisper, “who is it? You don’t scare me.”

Juniper says with a glint of amusement, “oh, you wish! Your ass would be dead the moment whatever is outside set its eyes on you.”

Thank you, Juniper. I am grateful for the vote of confidence, you are great!

I look around and when I see nothing, I head back to try and catch some sleep. The moment I start feeling drowsy, I hear a growl. I head outside and look left and right. Shaking my head in annoyance, I swirl back, coming face to face with mom’s wolf, I know today is the day I meet my maker.

Everyone knows her wolf anywhere. It is black-furred and big. Dad used to say it is beautiful, dad I wish you were here to see your mate. The wolf isn’t beautiful, it is furious. I raise my hands in surrender, and it moves to me, ready to pounce. What did I do? Is this the end of me?

“Mom, forgive me,” I beg.

It doesn’t stop. I push past it and run to my haven. A foolish mistake. I hear hissing then bones cracking. I curl into a corner, shivering. Mom enters, and malice and hatred shine in her eyes. “How dare you turn the pack against me?”

Wait? What!

“Do you want to take the crown from me? Do you think I am stupid?” mom. Oh, I mean Alpha Debra screams.

I move backward, what is she talking about? No one in the pack talks to me unless they want me to wash their clothes or rooms.

I am confused.

I try to stand up, but mom comes near me and slaps me across the face. I wince in pain. “I will kill you today.” My yells, her hands around my neck. She squeezes hard, and in less than a few seconds, my eyes roll back to my head, I guess I was still shocked by what she was talking about for me to save myself.

She stops and screams at my face, “why did you tell everyone they ate the cake you baked?” Come on! I am about to meet the moon goddess because of a damn cake? Everyone in the pack knows the dough I always bake ends up on my body. Did someone see mom put the dough into the oven that morning instead of slapping me with it?

“Mom, it is just a cake,” I say.

“A cake you say.” She yanks some chunk of hair, I thrash around as she pulls hard.

“Alpha Debra, let go.” Beta Sawyer says from the entry. Alpha Debra doesn’t. Beta Sawyer comes and grabs her. I move aside, coughing, my head is beginning to pound.

“Let go, Sawyer, don’t disrespect your alpha.” Alpha Debra growls.

Mom is strong. She pushes Beta Sawyer aside as if he is nothing and grabs my head, I try to fight her. Her hands return to my neck, she squashes hard, I can’t believe I am about to die because of the damn cake.

Oh, how a good way to die.

“Mom, let go.” I plead.

Beta Sawyer grabs her again. She yells at him to let go while removing smacking the daylight out of me.

“Ouch! How dare you, Sawyer!” Anger drips in her tone. She let me go.

I drop on the floor coughing. The alpha and the beta struggle, and she wins again. She returns to choking me, this goes on for about ten minutes, and then it hits me, tonight, Alpha Debra is hellbent to kill me.

Beta Sawyer pushes her from me, his eyes meeting mine, I see the message on them, I need to run. I rush out of the basement, limping. Arriving outside, I aim at the gate. I beg my wolf to lend me her energy, I run and the last thing I hear is my mother’s promise to kill me when she lays her eyes on me.

I run and run, without looking back, all the way, I chant in my head. I have turned myself into a rogue! What am going to do now? Will anyone accept me or will they chase me away?