The Badboy Alpha's Ebony Beauty

"Papa!" I called my father with barely a whisper. He turned from watching the bait in the water to me, then to the place I was pointing at. "Look there. Something is stuck behind that big rock!" I continued. He stood and walked closer to where I am to try to see clearly, but it was too far away. I have better sight than him, not because I'm younger, but because I was born with a hawk's eyes' keen eyesight. He sniffed the air to catch the scent of whatever it was, when it suddenly moved; raising a hand in the air. A hand? "Is that a human?" I asked, curious of how a human will be caught upstream. Our spot is way up high in the mountains and no ordinary human can reach it without us catching its scent first. "It's a wolf." I heard my dad say as he stood and packed our bags. "gather your things we must leave at once." "Leave? But…" Did it come from the peak then? I thought but it was impossible, I went on with my curious thoughts. Reaching this place was difficult even for wolves. "No buts El. Hurry up. We don't know how many he brought with him. It's better to go back and alert your mama," he lifted our fishing backpack and briskly walked away. I dared not move. From where I stand I could see the man struggling to keep his grip around the boulder to not be swept by the raging downward river current. "El!" I heard my papa calling. "Sorry, Papa. We can't leave him here. He could die!" I quickly took off my thick bear coat, revealing the shining ebony skin of my arms. It was cold up here and given the time of the year, soon the mountains will be covered with snow. That's why we are here to catch fish to stock up for winter when we can't hunt wild animals and birds for food. I ran quickly on the side of the riverbank, ignoring my father's call. My hands were trembling as I pray earnestly to the moon Goddess to let me not be too late and as I keenly watched over the man hold on to his dear life. "Hold on right, Mister! I'm coming for you!" With haste, I took off my boots. I can't skip through the boulders as they were spread through quite a distance away from each other. There's no other way but to swim towards him and against the current. "Elise!" my father caught my arms before I could jump. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't cross that distance! The current is too strong!" "But, Papa! Please we have to help him!" "Listen to me El. No one can know we are here. We've stayed hidden in the mountains for a reason." "I know, Papa. But we can't just let him die! Not when he's holding on to his dear life. We can just leave him here on the bank where he's safe." The stern look in his eyes told me there was no way he's saying yes but then he sighed and his face softened. "Alright." he said between his teeth. "Put on your shoes and coat, I won't let you get in the water." "But… I thought we'd help him?" "Yes we will, Missy. We'll use our gear and rope. Hurry up and tie this around that trunk," he pointed towards a huge tree and gave me the end of the rope. Of course! I was panicking too much that I forgot we brought a rope for our traps. I skillfully tied the rope as father taught me. Being an only child I get to learn survival skills and inherit his skills as one of the finest werewolf warriors in our former pack. I shook my head and turned to him when I was done but he's already running towards the raging water with the rope in his hands. I gasped when he jumped and shifted in midair. It's been a long time since I saw him shift to his big, black wolf Aristel. He landed and hopped with ease on the rocks at a time. When he was on the boulder where the man is, he pulled the man's arms with his mouth. The man coughed up, blood and water mixing in his goo. Father nodged him and looked my way. "Mr! Tie that rope around your waist!" I shouted the instruction since my father had not shifted back to his human form. For a moment, I was worried that someone might catch our scents, or hear me so I stood on the lookout and prepared for a surprise attack. Like a squirrel, I climbed up to the tree I'm standing by and carefully listened to any sudden movements in the parameters while my eyes stayed focused on my father and the stranger. The stranger did as I said with his weak hands. When he's done, Aristel nudged him and he climbed to the black wolf's back. Once he was secured, Allister jumped back to the bank but before he could land the man lost his grip and splashed to the water. I hurried down and secured the rope. The current is too strong, he'll drown if we don't get him out quick but my fragile hands are no match for the current. Allister bit the rope and pulled it with me. "A little bit more!" We pulled harder until I could see the man near the bank. I ran towards him and grabbed him by his arms. With all my strength I pulled him out of the water. Aristel took his other arm and pulled him out completely. The man was naked, fresh and big, bite and stab wounds covered his torso and legs. I saw a black crescent moon tattoo on his left pulse, it could be a pack mark. Was he attacked? I looked at Aristel. His eyes reflected my fear. Father was right. Someone could be on his tail. Aristel left my side to shift back to his human form while I checked the stranger's pulse. He's breathing, thank Goddess. "Move aside," I heard my father say and I did as he said. He carried the man to his back and slumped him to the nearest tree. He pulled out one of our blankets and covered him with that. "Get the rope and get ready. We should head back now." "Are we just leaving him here?" "We can't bring him home, Elise, you know that." I bit my tongue. I do. Whoever did this to him wants him dead and will surely come looking for the body to make sure. Balling my hands to a fist, I shook my head. "That's the same reason we have to make sure they don't find him. What did we save him for if we'll just let them find him and kill him? That's not humane at all!" I shouted at my father's back. I know I'm being stubborn and maybe stupid but I can't let a person die, not if I can do something to help him. Father stopped moving. For a moment I feared I actually made him lose it. I've always been a good kid, always following my parents and always afraid to disappoint them. They are all I have after all. I heard him sigh before he turned, the expected anger in his eyes wasn't there. Instead it was beaming with pride. "You really are a good child," he said before he glanced at the man. "Alright. I'll shift and carry him on my back. Make sure he's securely tied this time. And you carry our bags. You want this so if you stumble down you'll have to get up and climb again on your own," he warned. Our camp or home is still a few miles up the mountains and it's a stiff climb from here. Still I couldn't care less right now. "I won't fall! I cheerfully replied while picking up the rope and waving it to my father's face with a big smile on mine, my pearly white teeth a stark contrast with my ebony skin. He grinned and messed with my equally dark colored hair accented with natural silvery white strands. "Come along now. We will have to go back for a quick hunt if we don't want to spend the winter with empty stomachs." "Aye, Sir!" I answered and gave him a salute which made him chuckle. I hurried and set him up on Aristel's back glad that I had done a good deed not knowing how it'll turn my world upside down.