SHE IS THE ALPHA

CHAPTER FIVE

"Erylis?" she immediately released her grip sending me plunging down gasping for air and swallowing water. She grabbed my upper arm roughly and tossed me to land. I doubled over coughing and spitting out water.

" Did you say Erylis?" I managed to nod. Releasing an agitated breath she came over and hit my back gently until I stopped coughing.

"I had an old friend by that name." she continued when I finally calmed down. She sat opposite me looking at me seriously. "Hyde. Do you know him?"

"He was my brother." I said sadly.

"What do you mean 'was'? Like you were banished 'was'?" She muttered with a cynical smile.

"No," I muttered softly with a tinge of sadness, "like we were attacked 'was'. He's..." I choked trying to force out the word, "dead." I finally managed to squeak out. The she wolf stood quickly shaking her head in disbelief. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it. She opened her mouth again looked at me her face an unreadable mask, shook her head then turned and ran.

Was that it? Would she come back? I sighed and got up. I was kinda hoping she would give me some clothes to wear. I parted my hair and used it to cover my boobs. If I grew it out a bit longer, soon it would cover my private parts. I started walking slowly unsure of where to go. I'd reached my destination so now what? I couldn't help but sigh once again. It had been a few days but I was already tired of this life.

Was this my life from now on? I needed to get stronger. My hand went to my neck unconsciously. If this was the power of just one she wolf, would I really be okay? I wish I could have trained with her. I cam back to my senses realizing I'd been walking around aimlessly. I looked around and saw I was near my pack. My heart skipped a beat and I smiled sadly.

"Old habits die hard, huh?" I said out loud as I continued walking.

I cautiously entered the pack. The smell of death just hang in the air. It was cold and barren. I could sense any intruders. Just the smell of death, dried up blood and rotting bodies assaulted my nose. I thought I'd already cried all my tears out but clearly I hadn't. Tears stung my eyes as I walked past dead bodies. I stopped and looked around, tears flowing silently down my cheeks. Would I be able to give them all a decent burial? I wouldn't be able to. The reality dawned on me painfully. Even when there dead there was nothing I could do for them huh. Most of the houses had been burned down, an idea came into my head giving me a little hope.

I got into each and every house, each time saying "sorry for the intrusion," and grabbed as many sheets as I could. By the time I was done, I had managed to salvage so many sheets. I dumped them all at one spot. I went round the pack houses paying my respects to the dead, piling the bodies together, those of one family, those without families, our guards, our fighters. By the time I was done it was so dark, I hadn't even registered I was using my night vision.

I covered each and every single pile, saying a short prayer with each pile. By the time I was done, dawn was breaking. I was so tired but I was happy with myself. I'd finished with all my pack members now it was time to deal with my family. I was instantly filled with dread. What I'd seen the last time I was here had been tattooed into my mind, giving me sleepless nights. My feet were suddenly so heavy I was just dragging them. I didn't want to see what I saw again. But I had to do this. If not for my peace of mind, it was the least thing I could do for them. I came to a standstill at the main entrance of the house. I closed my eyes and gathered all of my courage.

"It's now or never Sie," I told myself. I gingerly stepped into the castle, my heart now beating loudly filling my ears. I had been closing my eyes but I had to open them, I had to get past this. The scene before me was like one of my worst nightmares came to life. But they had, hadn't they. My brother's body was the first I saw. My stomach twisted. His throat had been ripped out, his eyes were bulging out and his body was just twisted in an awkward position. A loud sob racked through my body I had to cover my mouth. "I'm so sorry." I whispered in between sobs.

I went and knelt near his body crying. "I'm so sorry," I sobbed once again. If only I'd trained harder, if I'd just listened to him when he kept bugging me to train, maybe the outcome of this battle would have been different. I grabbed his stiff hand in mine, my tears falling softly but my sobs were now silent. I put his hand carefully back down then moved on to the next body. Seth. There was a clean cut on his throat which had probably resulted to a painful quick death. His body was all caked up with dymry blood with rotting wounds hanging open. Right next to him was his mate, whose name I'd forgotten. Compared to the bodies of Hyde and Seth hers looked much better. Her neck was facing the wrong way. Her death was instant it seemed. With a heaviness in my heart, I dragged her body closer to her mate's.

I looked up. My mother's and the beta's wife body were hanging on ropes that were tied to the rails upstairs. Tears stung my eyes afresh as I run upstairs to untie them. This was the work of sick sick men. I couldn't imagine any sane or humane person doing this. I tried untying the knots but they were just too tight. As I was untying I saw a pair of feet peeking out from the dining area.. I struggled with the knots and still nothing. Agitated I decided to go grab a knife from the kitchen.

I got down quickly the exhaustion in my body long forgotten. As I neared closer to the unidentified feet I could see my dad's pants. This was definitely our alpha. My steps faltered. Last I was here his head was hanging on a pole in thee middle of those two barbaric men. I slowly got closer. My heart in my mouth. He had like five arrows poking out from his body. I dragged my eyes upwards and encountered what I feared the most. His body was headless. A sob got stuck in my throat. I felt like something was lodged in my throat. I stiffly moved forward trying to see whether I could locate his head.

As I was searching, I spotted our staff all piled in one corner their bodies burned. I cried softly for them. The knives were nowhere to be found. Devastated, I headed to our store, grabbed some sheets and covered them. I offeresa small prayer to the moon goddess then went to my father's body. I tried removing the arrows but they were either too lodged in or I didn't have the strength to do this. Probably the latter.

I offered a small prayer for him then covered his body. Hyde was next. Just as I was done praying for him I heard movements outside. I quickly got to my feet, hurriedly covered his body, covered Seth's and his mate then I quickly made for the back door.

The smell of kerosene filled my nose. No!

I looked back horrified, the pack was in flames. There was nothing I could do.