Becoming Alpha

Chapter 5: You and I

My head throbbed and it hurt like hell.

I had no idea what was going on, and I couldn’t open my eyes. It was like I was in some sort of sleeping state but could listen to what was happening around me. The only sense that was working was my hearing. I started to remember parts of the night before: the tripping; the falling; the gold. I felt something touch my forehead, making it tingle.

“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?” I heard a male voice ask. Concerned? Really? I wondered who it was, but my mind couldn’t really work. It hurt too much to think.

“It’ll be okay. She hit her head. You shouldn’t be so reckless,” another voice replied. Wait, that was...

...Isaiah?

I wanted to wake up and ask them where I was and what happened. Did I hit my head? Even if I did, I couldn’t remember anything. I blacked out. So what had they done? It actually made me a little scared. They could’ve raped me. Well, Isaiah seemed a nice guy, but still...

I felt pressure on my neck. “Her pulse is steady,” the unfamiliar one said softly.

“Yeah of course, dumbass. It’s not like she had a heart attack.” Isaiah chuckled, causing the other one to growl.

“Don’t. Just don’t, Isaiah.”

“Is someone on her period?”

If I was awake, I would’ve laughed.

“You’re so tiring.” The guy sighed.

“You have a lot to put up with, I know.” Isaiah chuckled and began to say some other things but I couldn’t hear them. The pain was a little overwhelming, and even listening to them was awful. I felt myself drift away again but I couldn't stop it.

Two hours later, I woke up again. I was lying on something soft, my head lying on something comfier. I guessed that I was on someone’s couch -- well, Isaiah’s, probably.

My eyes fluttered open and I took in my surroundings. It was very quiet; there were no longer any voices and I wondered where the two guys were. I knew the other guy, and I tried to figure it out but I just couldn’t think. My head still hurt like hell and the light hurt my eyes. I was in a cabin, and almost everything was made out of wood. It was very beautiful though; I felt like I was in a fairy-tale. I peeked outside and couldn’t help but smile weakly at the forest.

I felt so incredibly stupid. I knew that my curiosity had the best of me last night, but still -- tripping? I was so clumsy it started to annoy me, and a man always seemed to come to the rescue. First Ryan and now Isaiah.

I bit my lip. To be honest, I had no idea what to do. My head was hurting, and I wasn’t even sure if I could walk without falling flat on my face. I didn’t like falling -- or tripping -- so I decided to wait. But what if Isaiah was secretly a man who had a white van full of candy and unicorns?

Ugh. Sighing, I glanced outside the window again when a voice made me jump.

“You’re awake.”

I turned around and stared right into the gorgeous eyes of Ryan. “I - yes,” I whispered, slightly confused before I remembered.

‘You’re awake.’ It was the same voice of the guy Isaiah had been talking to. It was him.

I looked up at him. “Why am I here?” I blurted out.

Ryan’s eyebrows furrowed as he seemed to think about his answer. Narrowing my own eyebrows, I stared at him before scanning the room once again, wondering where Isaiah had gone and if they were brothers, like I had assumed the day I had met him. “I found you in the woods last night-“

“Why were you there?”

“Why are you being so difficult?”

“Why are you being so mysterious?”

“I-“

“Wow. I like her, Ryan.”

My eyes caught Isaiah standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he watched us with amusement. I opened my mouth to say something but closed it again.

“Yes, we’re brothers. I know you wanted to ask that.” Isaiah chuckled.

I muttered something inaudible in response. They were both infuriating; I guess that was a family trait. Though I wanted to make out with Ryan more than I wanted to with Isaiah-

God, Rose, can you act any more like a teenager?

“Isaiah,” I asked monotonously, unsurprised, “whose house is this?”

“Mine,” he answered. “Ryan found you last night in the woods, unconscious, so he brought you here. This house is right in the middle of them so it wasn’t that far. You hit your head pretty bad.” I sighed. Like I didn’t know that.

“I know, it hurts like hell,” I said softly, glancing between them.

It surprised me that Ryan looked concerned. He sat next to me. “Do you need something; anything?” he asked me gently.

I bit my lip. ‘You,’ I thought. ‘I need you.’ I still didn’t know why.

My feelings were so contradictory that I didn’t know what to think. I knew he was so young, but he was still my teacher. And we had almost kissed. That thought tormented my mind every day.

Finally, after what seemed like a century, I replied. “Yes… please. Painkillers for my head?” I murmured. Ryan nodded and got up, leaving the room to search for some.

Immediately Isaiah took his place. “I’ve just got one question before I leave. I have to go, but… you don’t know, do you? You have no idea what this is all about?” he questioned. I thought he was joking but the look on his face told me he was dead serious.

“No. And I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said slowly, studying him carefully.

Isaiah merely nodded at my words, standing up. “I have to go a meeting. I’ll see you soon, Rose, very soon.” He smiled at me and left. I raised an eyebrow at his words.

Before I could start wondering, Ryan came in and messed up my thoughts. All they now focused on was him, how he moved, and how his shirt accentuated his muscles. I bit my lip as he sat next to me, handing a glass of water and some painkillers. I muttered a quick thank you and swallowed them. They didn’t work immediately but I felt a little better. I took a deep breath before looking at him.

“Why were you in the woods last night?” we asked in sync.

We both laughed and I couldn’t help but love the sound of his happiness; it made my heart swell. I blushed and smiled to myself before gazing at him.

“You first,” I told him softly.

“I was… walking. I don’t live far from here and I had a fight with a good friend. I needed air, so I went for a walk,” he explained. I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but he seemed sincere. Or he was just a very good actor.

I nodded and decided to tell him what I was up to. I wasn’t sure if I should tell him about the wolves but he lived close to the woods, so maybe he knew more about them.

“The first night I came here, I heard… wolves,” I said hesitantly, studying his expression. It was unreadable, so I continued. “At first it didn’t bother me so much, but wolves shouldn’t be so close to Alamery. I figured that I’d go looking for them. I wanted to know more. I know it was stupid, I’m too curious for my own good, but I couldn’t help it,’ I revealed. Taking a deep breath, I stared at my hands. “I went in after dinner. I wanted to see if there really were any, and I figured I shouldn’t have gone in too far, but when I started to go back home, I noticed I was walking in the wrong direction. I was totally lost, and then...”

“Yes?” he urged, leaning into me. I could almost feel his breath slipping down my neck.

“Then I heard it.” I gulped. “The howl. It sounded amazing but so, so sad. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew I had to get out of there. It wasn’t safe. So because I’m such an i***t, I began running in a random direction and tripped and -- according to you, lost consciousness,” I said quietly. “I remember a colour; pure gold. It amazed me. I mean, no human has that eye colour, but a wolf? It would’ve attacked me. I’m sure of it,” I added faintly, looking up.

I wondered when he would start commenting about how crazy I was, seeing wolves, golden eyes and going into the forest at night.

Instead he said nothing.

I waited for a response, wondering why he was remaining quiet. He looked lost in thought, so I lightly placed a hand on his arm. “Ryan? I knew I should have called him Mr. Samson but I couldn’t help it; I liked his real name and it just felt right.

He seemed to jerk out of his thoughts, looking into my eyes. “Sorry...” he muttered, “yes, I found you that night. I was about to walk when I heard the howl, too.” He appeared doubtful. “I had heard stories about wolves in the forest before. When you were there. You know, with... Trystan.” He looked like he struggled with the name. "I just had to warn you."

“I understand now.”

We remained quiet for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence. I enjoyed it, at least. I had no idea what he was feeling. My head was no longer throbbing, though it was still slightly aching.

My eyes fell on a clock.

10:52 a.m.

“Oh no!” I gasped lightly, getting up and almost collapsing on the floor. I wasn’t used to standing. Ryan caught me, gently holding me up with his hands under my arms.

“Rose?” He furrowed his eyebrows, a look of concern on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? I’m late! I’m so late! I didn’t come home last night. My mom, Trystan!” I babbled. His eyes darkened slightly at my friend’s name but I couldn’t focus on that. “I am so grounded.”

“Rose…” He tried to interrupt me.

“Oh my God, what am I going to do? She’ll kill me, she’ll-”

“Rose!” Ryan exclaimed and I stopped, looking up and meeting his gaze. I realised his hands were still on my arms and blushed. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, a crooked smile playing with his lips. “I took care of it.”

The gaze that went on between us felt magical; unreal, to say the least. His touch made my skin tingle with delight and I didn’t want him to stop; I wanted him to continue.

“Rose, I…” he began uneasily. I held the stare, my heart fluttering at the way he gazed at me.

“Yes?” I murmured, biting my bottom lip lightly as I fiddled with my hands.

“I… I…” he began. He sounded so unsure of what to do and what to say. It was exactly how I always felt when I was around him. I didn’t understand, but for that moment, I forgot about the walls that were between us that were keeping us apart. I couldn’t think about it. Not now.

We stared at each other’s lips. They looked so soft; I wondered how they would feel on mine. Before I could do or say anything, I was hit with the cold truth on my arms. His hands had fallen to his sides once more. “I shouldn’t keep you here. Although I have called the school and your mom to tell them what happened, you need to go home,” he muttered. “I’ll-“

I stopped him. I didn’t want to hear it.

“I’ll walk home,” I said softly, biting my lip.

“Rose, no-”

I shook my head and stepped away from him, silently leaving the room, easily finding my way to the hallway. My jacket was there, neatly placed on the windowsill. I took it and put it on. “Rose, just please, let me drive you home,” he pleaded, standing behind me.

“It’s not that far,” I said stubbornly, my voice dead. I didn't know the way but I just wanted to be alone. Why was I feeling so disappointed and so sad that he hadn’t kissed me? “Bye, Mr. Samson,” I mumbled, turning my head to look at him. I saw him clench his jaw but didn’t say anything.

I left Isaiah’s house, but before I could even step upon the sandy road in front of the steps that led up to the cabin, someone whirled me around.

I gasped as I saw Ryan in front of me, looking like a Greek god. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist as I melted into him.

And then he pressed his lips against mine.

Fireworks exploded in my stomach, my heart and my mind. I draped my slender arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me as I kissed him back breathlessly. I couldn’t stop.

I couldn’t. I couldn’t. I couldn’t.

Seconds later, he pulled away, both of us panting, our eyes wide. “Next time,” he murmured, looking down at me with golden eyes, “call me Ryan."