The Alpha’s Raptor

I lowered my body to all fours behind a fallen tree, swaying my tail and narrowing my eyes at the deer about forty yards out. My claws pierced the ground and I let out a small hiss, a low chitter clicking in my throat. The deer heard and froze, perking it's head and I raised mine with multiple caws of joy before lunging across the tree. I landed on my hind legs and began sprinting toward my meal, growling in excitement when it ran so I lowered myself back on all fours to gain speed. The deer barely made it fifty feet by the time I pounced, the curved talons on my feet embedded into its back and my weight brought the animal to the ground with a loud snort. I pressed its head into the grass with my hands, ripping its throat out and throwing my head back as I crushed the bones in my jaws. Deer are my favorite thing to eat. Their fur adds a sweet taste to the savory meat inside, the blood is warm and refreshing so I usually don't need water afterward. I've tried lone wolves but they have too much fur and I always throw up, their meat is too salty with no sweetness to balance it out. Squirrels are a decent snack, they just aren't big enough. The scales on a fish are like razor blades in my throat, so they're out of my diet completely. I only eat when I'm in raptor form because I live in a cave, human food is not out in the wilderness. I've been to town once with my parents and the food was amazing, but I couldn't stay. I haven't had any human interaction since then, it's been ten years. My parents were killed in their human forms by lone wolves, ever since I've been in this form to protect myself. We should've known living in the woods as humans would've ended badly, I'm just glad I knew how to shift or else they would've killed me too. The three of them died horridly at the claws of an angry Harley, my inner raptor. We ate them but became sick. We don't eat werewolves anymore. I finished the deer just as multiple howls echoed the night air, small crackles vibrated my throat and I stood on my hind legs to get a better view of my surroundings with my max height of nine feet. When I'm on all fours, I am only five foot. I curiously swept my vision over every last detail of the woods around me when another chorus of howls came. They were much closer and I hissed lowly, getting down on all fours and rushing into the bushes leaving nothing but a blood stained skull behind. I'm a quick runner in this form. I can run up to fifty miles per hour within three seconds, unfortunately that's only because I've spent all my life on the run. Normally, I'd only be able to run forty so I guess there's one upside about being paranoid. More howls echoed and I pushed myself as fast as physically possible. I could take on a wolf, but a pack? That's pushing my luck. I struggled with four. They were the last shifters I've encountered and I intend to keep it that way. If anyone figures out there's still a dinosaur roaming the earth, I could be taken in as a science experiment and who knows what'll happen to me. I'm the most valuable thing on this planet, so if anyone knows of me I have to kill them. The distant pattering of paws made me gurgle in panic, why are there wolves out this late? Did I chase that deer onto pack grounds? I'm normally more careful, surely I wouldn't have crossed pack border! I stick to my area of the woods where there's more deer, they don't get too close to wolf territory because they will be eaten. I stood on my hind legs, continuing my run while I shifted back for the first time in many years. My pace never slowed as I became myself again, my nude body growing goosebumps from the cold air. I couldn't risk staying in that form when they finally caught me and I know I couldn't take them all, by the sounds of it there were at least five. My run definitely wasn't as fast because a brown wolf suddenly appeared in front of me and I shrieked, coming to a rough halt and falling into the cold grass. I covered my body and widened my eyes, watching more wolves come out to stand on every side of me. I make one tiny mistake and now I'm going to die. Life's awesome like that, isn't it? The brown wolf in front of me then stepped to the side, revealing a black and white wolf with bright white eyes. I noticed he had clothes tied to his legs, that's when immense power hit me like an uppercut and I cowered down, unable to keep eye contact. The animal walked up to me and lowered its nose to my face, sniffing then growling. Shuffling was heard and I slowly lifted my gaze, seeing the wolves retreating, all except the one in front of me. Soon cracking and snaps echoed off the trees and I noticed it making a transition. I quickly lowered my line of sight and swallowed the fear constricting my throat, what the hell is he doing? Why isn't he attacking? I'm struggling to keep Harley at bay. She senses my anxiety and is clawing to take control- to help me. We haven't interacted with another person in far too long, she is convinced anything breathing is a threat to us. I don't disagree, but they could've killed me and they haven't. "What are you doing so far from town? And why are you naked?" A gruff voice asked, making me lift my head to the now half clothed man with a frown, "your mayor has a deal with me, we stay off your streets and you stay off our land." Humans know about the supernatural? How much have I missed? I've been secluded for so long... "I-I was dared to streak through the woods," I lied, relieved enough to know he thinks I'm human. That means they didn't see my other form which I'm thankful for. I didn't want to attack him, he emits so much more power than any werewolf I've ever encountered. Do packs have Alpha's now? My parents told me back then wolves traveled together but never had official leaders. I was told if they ever evolved to that point, every other creature will be damned, but to not worry because they never will. "Here," he handed me the black t-shirt in his hands, "I'll show you back to town. This time will be excused, next time better not happen or I won't be so forgiving." I nodded, slipping the shirt over my head only to see his hand extended toward me. Hesitantly, I took it yet instantly jolted back at the unexpected shock it sent through my palm. A gasp left my mouth and Harley was about to surface, itching to attack this man thinking he was trying to hurt me. It wasn't painful, however, she doesn't see reason. She believes he was trying to hurt us, unaware that we hardly feel physical pain. I stood up on my own, adjusting the shirt to cover my naked body and frowning at the shirtless man who's staring at me with wide eyes. "Mate," he whispered to himself, his next words came out louder as he stepped toward me, "what is your name?" "Sylvia," I answered, making a small grimace at the sound of my voice. I haven't heard myself speak in so long... this is the most I've talked in a long time, I hate my voice. "Your name is beautiful," he smiled, reaching his hands out and cupping my face, "you're so beautiful." I withheld a snarl at his close proximity, pushing down Harley's hectic attempts to take over and keeping my paranoia under control. He does not seem threatening, only his aura. Pushing my thoughts away, I looked up at him in awe and returned his smile due to the warm tingles his touch gave. Nothing appears to be wrong, I feel that he is trustworthy yet I'm unsure why. Harley wants him dead but something else inside me is drawn to him. I feel the safest now than I ever have before. Why am I blindly trusting this werewolf? Why am I letting him get so close to me? "You're my mate, Sylvia," he stated, probably seeing or sensing my confusion, "you're coming back with me." Panic coursed through me at the thought of being detained and I knocked his hands off my face, taking him by surprise that he quickly recovered from with a loud growl. Normally, I wouldn't have been phased but insane power radiated off his wordless threat. Even Harley submitted to his challenging snarl, retreating into the furthest depths of my mind but not without low growls and hissing. She was displeased and angry for not standing up to him, most of all confused as to what this strong power is. He can make her submit, no other creature can control her. She dominates all because we ruled this earth first, we were too strong to live with other creatures. She has never stood down, not even if we were sure to lose, because her power triumphs all other. So how can this one mediocre werewolf make my raptor yield? We are the strongest shifter alive... "Don't submit to me," he demanded, only then did I realize I had my head lowered. I raised it to look at him and he frowned, placing his hand on my cheek, "I won't hurt you, Sylvia, you're my mate. I will keep you safe." 'He's powerful and dangerous, I don't like him. We must kill him. We have to remain secluded so we don't risk being exposed and hunted! Don't trust him, Via, he will find out and hurt us! He lies,' Harley snarled. Despite her words, she didn't once try to fight for control per usual. I found it odd. Every time I encounter a breathing creature she's demanding control, now she's curled up in the back of my mind without fight as I stand under the grasp of another shifter. "Mate?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows and scanning his very handsome face. There seems to be no imperfection anywhere on him. "Not now, I want to get you settled before we have this talk," he said softly, a small smile sticking to his lips as he unexpectedly leaned down and swooped me off my feet. I gasped yet he ignored me, starting his walk back to wherever. "Alpha! Sir! I need to speak to you!" Another shirtless man suddenly shouted, running over to us and stopping our journey. Alpha? Oh no... my parents were right. They evolved and obtained a leader, that's why my raptor stood down. An Alpha is said to gain the power of all his followers, that's why if the wolves ever grew smart enough to create that role then even the strongest creatures such as myself will and can be defeated just by the Alpha alone. But they were merely stories and legends... apparently it's come true. 'We can't kill him if he's Alpha, we must run! Get free! He threatens our life by being near.' Blocking her out, I felt my feet hit the ground and the Alpha turned his full attention to the man, "what is it?" The man glanced to me and tugged the Alpha to the side, leaning close to him and whispering, "the Beta came across something we think you'll want to see. It's unlike anything we've ever encountered before. I think we're dealing with something other than rogues." My heart dropped and I had to pretend I heard nothing, averting my gaze to literally anything else as I secretly eavesdropped. Thankfully, I am blessed with super sensitive hearing. "What? Are you thinking vampire? We have a treaty with the vampire king, they wouldn't risk a war with us. And the werecats no longer live in these woods, they migrated to the mountains and cooler climates. The only possible answer would be the rogues." "Rogues can't do that type of damage, Alpha. This... thing mauled and ate a deer. The skull was all that remained and there were small chunks of flesh still attached, for the most part it was completely eaten. There's a fallen tree a little ways down from it with unrecognizable gashes, no rogue is capable of doing such damage. I'm not sure if it took down the tree or if it was already down. Regardless, whatever it is, it's big and it's vicious. What are you thinking we do?" Harley! We left markings in the tree! You should've listened to me! 'It was an accident! We needed a boost over, I guess when we jumped on it our talons ripped into the bark.' I told you we should've used the cave wall to dull them! They're too sharp! "s**t," the Alpha sighed, running a hand through his hair then turning to look at me, "take her to my room and watch her, I'll be there as soon as I can. Is Ryan still there?" The man nodded, "and I don't think taking her there will be a good idea. I recall Claire heading into your room as we left. If you're not the one walking through the door, she'll be pissed. She might even try to kill her." I'd love to see her try. Harley chittered in amusement, slowly starting to resurface from her previous submission and I had to push her back down before my eyes exposed me. I felt them tingle which happens right before my pupils turn into vertical slits and my irises turn bright red, fading into yellow closer to the center. "Then I trust you'll watch over her like I had just asked, yes?" The Alpha raised a brow, clearly unamused with the other werewolf. "Yes sir," the man bowed, walking toward me and placing his hand on my back. We began walking again and I glanced back nervously, watching the Alpha turn and walk the other way. 'Kill this wolf then run. We can escape.' No! He will know we did it and no longer believe we're human, it'll be too risky. We have to follow his orders to stay under their radar. 'I will not obey to a measly wolf! We are the dominant species, I will kill them,' she hissed, shutting me out before I could respond. Her excessive pride is going to be the death of us.