The Alpha & The Great White Witch

Alley POV:   It was just another day at the White Crest pack, the second largest pack in our area. Our pack may only have been the second largest, but we were the most respected. My dad had forged alliances with the surrounding packs to ensure everyone's safety from the rogues. It's always better to work together in larger numbers than it is to work alone and outnumbered. Lately the number of attacks had been higher than usual and no one was able to figure out why. The rogues had always been vile wolves with barely any souls left.      Most of the rogues went crazy after losing their mates. Some of them ran away from their packs due to abusive behavior and turned into rogues. A few were born into it and didn’t know any different. They didn’t have actual homes, so they wandered around the forests trying to seek shelter and food wherever they could. They finally figured out that they moved better in packs but no one knew who their leader was. Every pack has an Alpha, Beta and Delta. They attacked for power and to make other people suffer the way they have, it's never worked, no one wanted their mate killed or abused but they were too far gone to think otherwise.      We couldn’t stop living our lives or live in constant fear. If we did that then we would give them exactly what they wanted, for everyone to be as miserable as they were. We had a strict training schedule for our warriors who trained everyday so that we would always be prepared. Some of our neighboring packs had been attacked but they've never needed assistance. So far the rogue pack was very small compared to ours but they could always grow.      Each year a pack holds a "Wolf Ball" where everyone who can, attends to mingle with one another and some meet their mates at this ball. I had always dreamed of finding my mate, I just turned 18 a couple of months ago and I had yet to see any sign of my mate. We had always heard about good and bad mates and I prayed to the moon goddess that my mate would love me for me. I had often dreamed about what he and his wolf would look like, and how he would treat me. We've been taught since we were pups that when mates meet it's normal to mate and mark each other that same night and that we as women needed to save ourselves for them, most didn't listen but I had and I wouldn't mate or mark the first night either. I'd always said that they needed to deserve it mate or not. I needed time to get to know my mate and not just give it up because he wanted it.     This year it was our pack hosting the wolf ball so my family and I had been running around to make sure everything would be perfect for the event, when we were not training that is. Yes, even the Alpha’s daughter trained even if it was against my father’s wishes. I never wanted my pack to think that I could not protect them in any event, like if a war were to break out. They trusted us to protect them and respected me for training alongside them. They looked up to us to do the right thing. My mother wasn’t much of a fighter but she was a perfect Luna, in any case she made sure every woman and child were safe, she always told me "Without the pack we are nothing" and it's very true.      Since we are hosting this year my mother has been in charge of all the arrangements and she is the epitome of a perfectionist. She's the first to wake up and the last to go to bed. I'd never seen anyone as talented as her when it came to event organising and being a Luna and no one was exempt from helping to set everything up, no matter how hard some of us tried to hide. Between training and helping her I was truly exhausted.      I had just gotten back from dress shopping for the ball with my best friend Leia, I didn't want to leave it to the last minute because I had to train during the week and I was sure my parents wanted me to help get everything ready. I knew my mom would want to see my outfit as soon as I got home and my brothers and dad would have to approve it. They tended to be a little overprotective but I'd never minded it. I was the only daughter of an alpha in any pack, which doesn't happen very often from what I was told. I got up to my room and hung my dress in the bathroom, placing my shoes  under it.     "Alley open the door and let me see your gown!" my mother yelled. As I opened my door my mother came barging in along with my two older brothers. "It better be appropriate Alley or so help me I will make you return it". "Oh Jackson could you not be so overprotective? It's just a dress" I replied with my typical eye roll. Jackson was the eldest brother and would take the Alpha position when our father stepped down. "You are our little sister and no pervy little wolf will use you as eye candy." Tye my second oldest brother said. "Could you two not start today?" I huffed, glaring at them and in return they glared right back.     "Boys I am sure she has a beautifully appropriate dress, besides, your father would not let her step out in anything less that what he approves of, especially on such a big night." My mother replied to my brothers. I ran to the bathroom and put on my beautiful light pink maxi dress. The top was a halter-style which went around my neck leaving my back a little exposed but the front dropped into a small V that stopped just before my breasts. It hugged my waist but flowed at the bottom. It had two layers, the bottom was silk while the top was lace. Truth be told, it made me feel like a princess. I chose light pink shoes to match the diamond necklace that my father had given me on my 18th birthday.     As I stepped out, I saw my mothers eyes swell with pride. My brothers both just stared. "Oh my beautiful Alley I couldn't have chosen a better dress for you!" My mother said. "Thank you Momma I am so relieved that you like it." Both my brothers complimented me but the room fell silent as my father walked in. "Hi daddy! I was just showing them the dress that I got for the ball  next Saturday. What do you think?" I did a small twirl to show it off and held my breath when I saw his expression. Both my brothers were obviously not happy with the choice but it was my father’s opinion that mattered in the end. I knew I was the apple of my fathers eye and I could hardly do anything wrong in his eyes. "You look beautiful hunny and I do approve of the dress as long as you wear a shawl to cover some of your exposed back. Besides your mother, you will be the prettiest young woman there." He smiled, winked at my mother and she blushed.     "Ew, seriously guys we are right here!" Jackson huffed making us all laugh. I went back to my bathroom to change but took one last look in the mirror. "He is right you know, we do look beautiful." Rose, my wolf, said through our link making me smile. I quickly changed and hung my dress carefully so I wouldn’t wrinkle it. We had one week to prepare for the ball and hopefully we’d be ready by then.      Rose came to me when I first shifted at 16. When she showed me what she looked like I was stunned. Maybe I was a little biased because she was my wolf but she was beautiful. She stood tall and proud, she was bigger than a normal sized wolf. Her coat was a mix of colors similar to a calico cat, I thought it was strange at first and she'd never told me why she has many different colors. She made me stronger in a way, pushed me to fight better and helped me when I felt insecure. She will forever be a part of me but she can be a b***h most of the time. She is very protective and doesn't take any crap from anyone and sometimes it is hard to keep her at bay but I know when she comes out she means business and will stop at nothing.      Over the next few days I spent my days as I normally would, woke up, showered, had breakfast and trained. Today was hand to hand combat practice and I was paired with the strongest fighter we had. I warmed up with my eldest brother, Jackson, who made sure I stayed focused. Tyler was the strongest warrior and would be tough to take down but I was fairly confident that I stood a good chance.     Tye walked to the middle of the mat where Tyler and I faced each other. "Alright you two I want a clean fight but don't make it easy, no cheap shots either am I understood?" He asked. We both nodded not taking our eyes off of each other. "Look for a weakness Alley we can take him". Rose, my wolf, told me and I silently agreed with her. Before I knew it Tyler lunged at me with his right fist which I easily dodged. Tyler was calculating, I knew that much by watching him but his weaker arm was his left. I lunged back at him aiming for his left side when he caught my arm and threw me down.     I let out a grunt as my back hit the cold mat hard but I swung my legs around his neck, threw him and got to my feet quickly. While he was getting up I took the opportunity to swipe his feet out from under him making sure he stayed on his back as I pressed my forearm to his throat, holding him down. He used his fist and jabbed it in my side making me gasp for air. I had not been expecting that when he took a cheap shot to my jaw line.      "I said no cheap shots asshole!" Tye yelled, by then I was pissed. I couldn’t believe he took a cheap shot at me! How dare he? He turned to me and smirked and that did it. We both charged each other but my fist connected first and as I grabbed his arm, I twisted it landing him on his stomach on the mat. I pressed my knee to the back of his neck, letting out a deep growl. "I give!" Tyler yelled and I let him up. Still pissed that he took a cheap shot, I turned to say something when he shouted "You are nothing more than a weak link in your family! The weakest link in my opinion"! I didn't think, I just felt Rose take over and punch him square in the face, breaking his nose.  My brothers ran over to pull me away while Jackson yelled in Tyler’s face about what an ass he was and how dare he speak to me that way. Tyler stomped off without saying a word and not raising his head. I hope these bruises went away before the ball or that would really make me mad. "Are you okay?" Tye asked, knowing I was mad. "I'm fine I’m going to shower and I will see you later".I said as I stomped off to my room.     I passed my parents while storming off, "Whoa Alley, what happened?" My dad asked as he stood in front of me. "Hand to hand combat practice, Tyler took a cheap shot at me, I still beat him though. Tye chewed his ass." I said. I could feel my dad’s anger grow as his aura started spreading. My mother quickly ran to him to calm him down. "Go take a shower dear and relax." My mother said. I ran up to my room hoping that my mate treats me as good as my parents treated each other.      When I got to my bathroom I checked myself over, there were now dark bruises along my jawline and along my ribs, great, that's exactly what I needed before the ball "I will heal it before then don't worry I've already started." Rose said I rolled my eyes, I knew she was right but still they shouldn't even be there to begin with! The ball is literally tomorrow night, I can only hope Rose can heal it before then if not I will have to apply more foundation than I wanted. I took a quick shower and lay in bed to relax a little, I grabbed the book off my nightstand and started reading before I found myself in a deep sleep.