Alpha Prime: Her Retribution

Chapter Two

I woke to the smell of sizzling steak, reaching over to check the time on my phone.

3pm

Damn jet lag.

Cursing and grumbling, I grabbed my towel and headed for the bathroom. After a quick shower, I got dressed, fiddling with my wig and contact lenses before making my way to the kitchen.

Liam was on the table, wolfing down a very rare-looking steak. Bits and pieces of meat got stuck in his fake facial hair.

"And they say I have bad eating habits." I said, and he looked up, smiling.

"Good afternoon, at least. I am eating on a plate." He sassed, gesturing to the plate.

"Oh, sod off," I murmured, rolling my eyes and getting my well-done steak from the pan. I had left my glasses on the table last night; I was still not used to them.

"Do you have it?" Liam asked. I knew he was talking about the pills. It was something the scientists back in Ridgeway Valley had been working on for years. With the mad Alpha Prime wrecking havoc, a pack might never know when they would need it.

The pills had the ability to suppress the supernatural side of wolves and lycans alike, making it easier to blend in with humans. So our speed, our distinct scent, and other abilities we possessed were reduced drastically.

I felt a slight itch at the back of my hindbrain, a part I had kept locked away for years. Ignoring it, I went back to my room and got them.

"We pose as stranded human beings; the old woman's cabin is right on the border of his territory." Liam said he was going through the plan once more.

"Isn't it weird that Jacob would let a human live so close to his territory? What if she raises an alarm?" I questioned.

"From all I have gathered, the humans think she's bonkers; I believe the term they used is crazy old bat, and the wolves only do business with her; they sometimes allow her into their area during the market days." I nodded, processing the information and storing it for future use.

"The old woman brews some sort of drink and sells it to them in barrels. We get into the territory. We already have a map of the entire place. All we have to do is study the patrol system at the Mont Blanc Cabin. Once we get the opportunity, we go in and attack him. He might be an Alpha Prime, but he won't stand a chance against the two of us. I'll distract him, and you shoot; we rip the tosser's head off and sneak out before anyone notices anything and be back in Ridgeway Valley in time for afternoon tea with my naan." He finished grinning, and I nodded, handing him one of the pills.

"For Silverstone!!!" He cheered while swallowing the pill, chugging down the bottle of water.

"For Silverstone." I whispered, staring at him. Sipping my water, I took a bite of my steak, making a face. Liam was talented in many things, but when it came to seasoning, he was horrible at it. We continued eating, and I watched him as he shoved forkful after forkful of meat into his mouth.

"You should have shifted and gone hunting for a deer if you are that ravenous." I commented.

"Do they have deer around here?" He asked, and his attention piqued. Liam had a special taste for deer, so I shrugged. He groaned, taking a break from his food and rubbing his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I inquired, and he shook his head as if fighting with his body before lifting a shaky hand to drink his water.

"I don't feel so good." He murmured. I looked up to see him looking pale. Getting onto his feet, he crumpled to the ground.

"W...wh...what's happening?" He asked, trying to get up but failing. I kept quiet, my eyes on his prone body, guilt tearing through my insides. Our eyes met, and I figured he put two and two together and realized I had a hand in what was happening to him.

"W... what did you give me?" He slurred, looking up at me, betrayal and anger etched into his features. It hurt to actually do this to him, but I had no other choice.

Kneeling in front of him, I wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead. I knew his body was trying to fight off the drug from how ragged his breathing was, but the pill I had given him could knock out an Alpha Prime; he had no chance.

"I'm sorry, Liam; you mean so much to me. I can't let you endanger yourself." I whispered.

"No... n.. this. Is. My... f...fight too." He stuttered, his eyelids fluttering.

"I'll avenge Aunt Rose, but I won't let you be part of this. You still have a lot to look forward to in life: meeting your mate, starting a family, and taking over the pack from Uncle Pete. I have nothing to lose; no one's waiting for me." I brushed the hair out of his eyes, my heart breaking as I remembered Harry, my sweet, innocent Harry. Wiping away the tears, I watched him start to drift off.

"When you wake up, you will pack your bag; you will go to the Silverstone Consulate and stay there until I come for you. You will not come after me. You will not do anything to risk this mission."

His eyes opened, glazing over before rolling back. I pressed a kiss on his temple, and I sincerely hoped he would forgive me for what I had done. Grabbing the real pills, I gulped one down, stuffing the rest into the pocket of my denim trousers.

I walked back to my room and packed all I needed. The Magnum Taurus revolver felt heavy in my hand. I glanced at Liam once more, deciding to get a pillow from the room and placing it under his head before exiting the cabin and making my way into the forest. Not bothering to morph, I sprinted in the direction of Jacob Mont Blanc's territory.

Your time of reckoning is near.

*******************

I slowed to a jog as the cabin came into sight; it was exactly where Liam said it was going to be. I picked up some dirt and rubbed it on my clothing, using my claws to cut into my clothes, making it look like the sharp branches had torn them. My wig was firmly in place; I ran fingers through it several times until it looked unkempt.

Satisfied with how I looked, I took a deep breath and held it before ramming my shoulder into the trunk of the tree.

"Bloody hell!!" I cursed; the resounding snap had me biting my tongue. I could taste the blood in my mouth, spitting it out. I cradled it, approaching the cabin.

"Please, help!!!" I cried out, stopping at the door of the hut and softly banging on the door. "Please help me." I sobbed; it was so easy to get into the act.

The door creaked open, revealing an old, dark-skinned woman with hair as white as the moon, her brown-coloured eyes surveying me before zeroing in on my injured shoulder.

"Heavens!!! Come in, child." She said she was helping me into her cabin. It was sparse, with just a curtain to separate the sleeping area from the rest of the cabin.

"Sit, sit, sit!" She fussed, gently pushing me into a ratty chair. "What on earth are you doing so deep into the forest?" She asked.

"I got lost." I whispered, crying out as she poked the injury.

"This looks really bad. I will have to cut your shirt off. I don't think you can lift your shoulder to remove it. Apologies about your shirt." She explained picking up a pair of rusted scissors.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"E..Emma." I cried out, wincing in pain. "I'm Samara, and you are in good hands." She whispered, smiling at me.

I let her cut the shirt off, exposing the reddening skin. She handed me a piece of cloth, and I stared at her, confused.

"Bite on it, Emma; your shoulder is dislocated, and I have to fix it." She explained. My eyes widened, releasing that this was going to hurt like hell since my pain threshold has been significantly lowered. I bit into the cloth, watching her with wary eyes as she gently clamped on my arm.

I let out a loud groan, my eyes crossing from the pain as she popped the joint back in place. Moaning against the cloth, I could see black and blue spots float about my vision before everything went dark.

I had passed out.

*******************

Waking up, the first thing that came to mind was the incessant nagging at the hindbrain. Ever since I got here, the feeling has increased, becoming a nuisance.

STOP

I growled, shoving it back into the little box I had created several years ago, sinking the box into my memories.

I could not afford to be distracted.

The clanking of pots and plates caught my attention, and I sat up, groaning, when I realized my arm was in a sling. I used my uninjured hand to flatten my wig, satisfied that it was still in place.

"You shouldn't move that arm too much." She said, her back to me. She was hunched over a fire pit. I had no idea what she was doing, but the smell of cooked meat wafted over to me and made my stomach growl, the sound echoing in the tiny enclosed space.

"Don't you worry, dinner will be served soon." I stiffened.

"Dinner?!" I echoed.

"Yes, you were out all day; coupled with the dislocated shoulder, you seemed to have developed a fever." She explained bringing over a bowl of piping hot stew.

"Eat up." She smiled, setting the bowl on the tray.

I ladled a bit of the soup and blew on it, slurping it. It was not bad at all; Liam could definitely learn a few things from her when it comes to seasoning.

The thought of him sent a wave of guilt through me. I hoped he was okay. From the dosage, I knew he would be awake by tomorrow, then my command would kick in, and whether he liked it or not, he would have to go to the consulate instead of coming after me. I honestly hoped he would understand my reason.

"Is something wrong with the stew?" She asked, and I realized I had been lost in my thoughts to the extent that I forgot I was having a meal.

"No, I'm just... it's nothing." I whispered, taking another spoonful.

"There's something different about you." She said it out of the blue. I choked on the stew, coughing to expel the liquid.

How was that possible?

She's human, so how could she sense it?

"I don't know what you are talking about." I said calmly, my mind running through the different options I had. I could easily overpower her; my strength might have decreased, but I was confident that I could hold my own against her.

"I meant you have this air to you; it reminds me of myself." She explained. "Do you see beyond the human world?" I sighed in relief at that. She didn't suspect I was a wolf.

"Is that what it is called?" I inquired, deciding to play dumb, and she nodded.

"Yes, I have it too. It's rare for a human to be blessed with such a wonderful gift."

I snorted at the way she described it; there was nothing wonderful about the gift of sight.

"You do not think so?" She asked, tilting her head to the sight.

"I see no use for it; it bothers me. I wish I could get rid of it." I muttered.

"It saved me; the humans wanted to lock me in a mental asylum; everyone thought I was insane, but my sight led me here, and I have lived in this hut peacefully for years." She explained.

"Well, it's nice to see the sight being useful for once." I replied, sarcasm coating my every word.

"If you would stay for a while, I could teach you how to use it." She offered.

No, thank you, lady.

I opened my mouth when I realized this was the perfect opportunity. I could pretend I wanted to know more about the sight, then I would sneak into the area and finish him off.

Are you willing to reopen old wounds?

I hesitated at that, closing my mouth.

For Silverstone

"I would love to."

The words left a dirty taste in my mouth.