chapter 4 : the rogue alpha

  * 3 years ago *

It is safe to say that I am miles away from my pack grounds. I had crossed the border about two hours ago.

Our pack is the strongest pack in America, yet it does not surprise me that no one noticed when one of the pack members was leaving through the border. They must have been so indulged with the announcement Damien made.

I have been running for two hours in my human form. It is tiring me out.  Growing up I did not indulge myself in any sports or pack training, so I am a bit out of shape. I decided to stop and rest for an hour or so before shifting into my brown colored wolf and continuing with my journey.

I noticed a stream a little farther from where I stopped and I could literally see it from where I stood. It is beautiful to say the least, and the way the water glistens in the sunlight makes it appear like it is made of diamonds.

I moved towards the edge of the stream and bent my head down so that I could quench my thirst. I continue lapping at the water with my tongue and continue drinking the water.  From my crouched position, I was so pre-occupied with quenching my thirst that I failed to hear a twig snapping not too far away. A Rogue!.

It was too late to react. The Rogue leaped and clamped its jaw onto my hind leg.  I started trashing around in its hold and I grab the opportunity and I head-butt the rogue and eventually escape from its hold before the Rogue has time to recover from my head-butt.

I claw at its back with my claws and there are three claw marks visible on its back that I know would leave a scar as the cuts were deep into the rogue’s flesh.

The rogue howls in pain but recovers quickly and its red empty and dead eyes are set on me, his prey. It jumps and tackles me down on to the ground with so much force that my wolf whimpers with pain and the rogue takes this opportunity to clamp its jaws on my neck in order to finish me.

One moment I saw its sharp yellow teeth almost about to bite into my neck and the next thing I know, the  weight of the rogue is gone from above me.

A big black wolf had tackled the rogue down from above me and had clamped its jaws on to the rogue’s neck and is flinging the rogue from side to side. The rogue lets out a huge whimper, but the wolf effortlessly separates its head from rest of its body.

I turn my head from the gruesome scene before me and I try to escape discretely from the scene fearing that even though the black wolf had saved me from the rogue, there is no guarantee that I am not going to be its next target.

The moment I turn to run, I am tackled down by the big black wolf and I lay on my back facing it, not wanting to move, and come off as a threat.

It is only now that I am noticing that this wolf is bigger than average wolf and stands tall. It has hazel brown eyes similar to mine and here is no mistaking the black fur, which usually only Alpha's have.

I turn my head to the side and whimper showing the wolf that I submit under its power and mean no harm to it. The wolf cocks it is head to the side and analyses me for a second contemplating whether I am telling the truth or not. It eventually steps back from above me and gives me space to stand up.

'Shift' I hear a voice say in my mind. My eyes widen hearing the voice.

There is no way anyone from the pack can mind link me, I am far away from the pack house so there is no way they can.  Realization dawns upon me and I look towards the wolf and see it giving me a wolfish grin, if you even call it that.

I do not protest knowing that the wolf means no harm, so I turn around and go behind a tree to shift and change into some leggings and T-shirt I have taken with me.

I eventually walk towards the spot where I had last saw the black wolf and instead of the wolf, there is a guy standing there with just a pair of basketball shorts hanging dangerously low on his hips.

To say that this man right before me is an average looking man would be an understatement. My eyes take in his dirty blonde hair and hazel brown eyes, just like his wolfs. He has a chiseled face with a sharp jaw line and high cheekbones that I would kill for and an obvious six pack and toned legs. Of course, he had to look   like a model.

He is a good looking male.  If I had not found my mate and even though he rejected me and easily found a replacement, I would date him.  I push the thoughts to the back of my mind.

I hear a chuckle and I instantly realize that I have been caught checking him out and I blush.

"I don't mind you drooling over me. I'm Matthew, Matthew McDaniel. You can call me Matt for short." He says with an amused smile on his face.  He smiles a lot for someone who just ripped a wolf's head apart from its body.

This just proves the phrase ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’. Wait. Why does his name sound familiar, I think to myself.

"Yes, because my pack used to be the strongest until the rogue attack that took place three years ago." He says with a dark look on his face and I realize that I might have said it out loud. I notice the strong emotion flitting through his hazel eyes. The hatred reflected in his eyes is not directed at me, but he smiles at me afterwards remembering the situation at hand.

I remember him now, Matthew McDaniel, Alpha of River Stone Pack. Their pack was apparently attacked three years ago by a pack of rogues while their Luna  went into labor. I remember hearing how they attacked and killed her along with the unborn child and killing them both effectively along with the rest of the pack.

Because of the pain due to losing his mate, he couldn't do anything to save his pack.  Losing a mate you're destined to be with, most probably wouldn't kill him but some do go down a dark path while others commit suicide.  I'm surprised that he is still alive. This just proves how strong of a person he is.

I do not ask or mention anything about his former pack knowing that it was a touchy subject for him especially losing his other half. I am glad though that he is not one of those Alpha Mates who goes on a killing spree after the demise of their soulmates. He appears to be as normal of a werewolf that there is, even with him being an Alpha .  If you did not know about his pack beforehand and meet him you would think that he lived a normal and happy life and not someone who lost their mate and unborn child.

"Um, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry and I'm Serenity." I reply.  I am a bit embarrassed after getting caught checking him out.

Wow I did not stutter while talking to this stranger, now that is a first, I think.

“You know you space out a lot for a wolf." He laughs and says.  I scrunch my nose up and ask, "What’s that supposed to mean mister?" My sassy side is apparently coming out.

He holds his hands up in a mock surrender motion and says "Hey, don't take offense but I mean that you space out a lot for someone who should have heightened sense and all, y'know?"

"Oh" is all I reply.

"So, what is a pretty girl like you doing living a rogue life anyways?  I can tell that you are new to it." He asks, and I instantly blush as this is the first time anyone other than Courtney and my family called me 'pretty'. I think for a moment deciding whether I should tell some stranger my life story, I eventually decide against it and reply "Stuff happened and I ran away"

He cocks and eyebrow at that, but he does not pry and ask anything related to that.

"So where are you headed too anyways?" He asks, and I narrow my eyes at him.

Honestly, I am surprised that I am not stuttering while talking to someone else, a Rogue and that too an Alpha at that. There is a part of me telling me that I could trust him after all he just saved my life; I owe him at least that.

"I don't know" I reply honestly, and he frowns at that and mutters something under his breath that I could not hear even with my werewolf hearing.

"You can join me if you want to" he says, and I contemplate it for a moment and reply "Okay".

He looks surprised at my reply but quickly recovers, grins, and says, "You won't regret it, trust me" and starts walking towards the North not waiting for me.

"I hope not." I say under my breath and follow behind him.

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