The Alpha's Secret

Fairy Tales

MORIA

I have never really been what anyone would consider a “slow” person.

I have always been good with faces.

I could take hints, understand between the lines, read a room better than my AP English textbook.

But this…

And everything that has been happening to me so far is just so mind boggling and impossible that my mind just refuses to arrive at those conclusions fast enough.

A wolf with the exact same color of eyes as Tristen.

A wolf with his voice.

We have those back home. In the world I knew.

Sane people like me called them Fiction.

Some other…less sane people called them myths.

Stories to tell children and characters from which to make movies and write cheesy romance novels

But the craziest of the bunch, called them Werewolves and believed that they were real.

Mythical creatures that had the ability to take both a human and a giant, wolf-like form.

Certain tales said they only changed when the moon was a full, glowing, perfectly round sentinel in the dark sky.

Others said they could change whenever they pleased.

Like I said. Crazy.

But there were a few things the crazies all agreed on.

Werewolves had some connection with the moon.

They also mated for life. A bond beyond physical in it’s intensity. Something so strong it could literally kill those involved.

And that while they might look human, they were dangerous beasts.

Incredibly so.

I point at Tristen’s retreating form, my head swiveling between him and Axe who was lazily making his way towards me.

“What…he…is he?”

Axe laughs quietly. “Words Princess. Try those.”

I am aware that I am not making any sense but it is hard to make sense when the most sensible thing around you is a 4 ft 11 floating fairy.

Speaking of which, Chryseis flies towards us. “Tristen is right. It’s getting late. You guys should get going.”

I look up at her. “Where are we going?”

“Keeper’s Manor” Axe announces, slipping both hands into his pockets and tilting his the direction Tristen has gone indicting we should start moving.

“Keeper’s Manor. Gosh darn it. Well why didn’t you say so earlier…” I begin with barely disguised sarcastic excitement “…it makes perfect sense to me because we have plenty of those where I come from”

Axe rolls his eyes and it is Chryseis who answers “they’re taking you to meet Commander”

I throwing my hands up in the air and let them fall down to my sides in sheer exhaustion.

“You know, Chryseis that is not the clarification you think it is”

Axe scoffs. “I’m starting to see why Tristen is walking ahead. Friendly warning Princess, when we take you to Commander you’d do well to keep your smart mouth shut because he’s not going to find your sarcasm as cute as I do”

I draw my brows together and clutch my hands to my chest.

“Oh no. Is he Tristen’s Uncle? Should I be worried he’s going to try and drown me too or maybe, he might decide that public executions are more up his alley.”

“Believe it or not Princess’s but we tend to reserve our beheadings for actual criminals.”

“Lucky me.”

My voice is drier than cereal but Axe just smirks.

“Although. Somehow you’ve managed to rile Tristen up more than I have ever seen before. And who knows what mood Commander might be in. “

I almost trip beside him.

Wait they actually beheaded people here?

The f**k?

Axe laughs when he sees my reaction.

Then he leans in, his lips almost touching my ears but not quite. “Personally though, I think your head’s a little too pretty to just chop off”

I start to stutter but he shrugs suddenly.

“But then again, I would love to attend my first beheading.”

And with that he walks past me to catch up with Tristen.

My blush disappears almost immediately.

I stare daggers at his back before turning to Chryseis.

“Who Is the Commander?”

“There’s no “the””

“What?” I ask frowning.

“Commander is his name. It’s not a title like you think.”

I nod slightly. “Okay but who…I’m sorry Chryseis can you…like walk? It’s hard to talk to you with all that floating going on“

She lands toes first besides me. “I’m sorry. I forget how new you are to all of this.”

I sigh. “You all do. So Who is Commander?”

“He’s the one who asked them to bring you here”

I almost groan out loud.

I wanted to pull out my hair and some of Chryseis’ too.

My expression must show my frustration because Chryseis laughs.

A twinkling, happy sound I instantly decide that I like.

She places a hand on my shoulder.

“You’ll understand everything in due time. Trust me”

That was the problem though.

I didn’t trust a single one of them.

Axe looks me over as we approach where he stands arms folded across his broad chest and leaning against what looks like a car.

“As much as I enjoy seeing you like this Princess, you’re shaking. You should put that on before you freeze to death.”

My cheeks instantly color.

I stare for a while longer at the rough brown leather in my hand.

Admit that I needed Tristen’s Jacket?

I’d rather slam my tongue in a car door.

But I also do not think a bra and jeans would be an appropriate attire to meet Commander in.

Title or not.

So reluctantly I slip my arms through the jacket and pull it over my shoulders.

Fucking hell it smells amazing.

Axe must catch me looking around because he chirps quietly. “He’s gone on ahead.”

I clear my throat and fold my arms across my chest. “I wasn’t looking.”

“Sure you weren’t.”

He’s smirking at me. I just know he is. So I refuse to look at him.

Chryseis announces that she has something she has to attend to. Besides, it is Axe and Tristen who were supposed to bring me there anyway.

I almost beg her not to leave me.

I clear my throat and focus on the scene in front of me.

At first it looked like a typical 2 seater sports car.

But on closer inspection I realize it doesn’t look like any car I have ever seen before in terms of color and material.

It is low and sleek and a translucent silver grey blue color that manages to look both glassy and metallic at the same time.

Inside the car is even weirder and more surprising, it looks like leather but it feels different.

Softer, and comfier, almost like I am sitting on a fluffy white cloud.

I touch it tentatively. “I’m surprised you… people drive cars”

“Careful Princess. You almost sound Racist.”

I sneer at him. “I’m just surprised is all.”

“What were you expecting?” Axe asks, throwing me a bemused look.

I shrug. “I don’t know, flying horses?”

Axe laughs as his door glides open. “You’d be hard pressed to find a Pegasus that would let someone not of the Shapeshifter tribe ride him, stubborn bastards.”

I try and fail to keep the fascination from my voice. “Wait you actually have flying horses?”

He smiles softly. “Think of them …like a sort of wild life. They have lions, we have sphinxes and

Pegasus”

They.

He said “they” like I am no longer one of them.

No longer human.

I swallow slightly. “But you have cars that look like ours?”

I ignore the voice that whispers that Earth isn’t mine anymore.

Axe starts the car with a button and I can swear I feel the soft purr of the engine reverberate through me.

“It’s a long complicated history but most of our tech comes from their…your world. Our materials and resources are just a tad different and dare I say better.”

I nod even though it’s not fully clear.

That would explain why their clothes and houses looked just like Earth’s and yet completely different at the same time.

“Now If you look out the window to your left,” He starts, sounding like a bad version of a tourist guide. “…you’ll see a flying Unicorn.”

I look out the window as we shoot across the terrain so fast, the world became a blur.

When I do not stop staring out the window, I feel Axe glance at me.

“Uhmmm, now don’t be alarmed Princess…but we don’t really have flying unicorns”

I don’t turn away from the window.

All I want to do is scream for someone, anyone to slow down and tell her what the hell is going on.

“Hey.” Axe’s languid drawl breaks through the haze of my frustrations.

“What?” I sigh the word, finally turning away from the window.

“I know this must all feel like some crazy dream…”

The scoff leaves my lips before I can stop it. “Try LSD induced nightmare”

“…but I promise, it’ll all make sense very soon. Trust me.”

I turn to look at him, my voice quiet and unsure. “You all keep asking me to trust you. I don’t even know who I am anymore...what I am. Tell me Axe, how I can trust you, when you’re the reason I don’t even trust myself.”

He is quiet for a so long I do not think he will answer.

But at the last second he turns his gaze to me, grey eyes meeting my dark brown and speeding up my heartbeat.

“I don’t know Princess. But what other choice do you have?”