The Alpha's Fight

~~~~~~~~~~ This book is a stand-alone story but will contain spoilers to The Wanted Alpha and His Mute Luna ~~~~~~~~~~ There is being aware you may be different from others around you and then there's knowing. Accepting was a whole other issue, one that I was still struggling with even at the age of 18. The first time I became aware I was different was when I spotted a mess of dark blond curls and a pair of hazel eyes. No-one had ever caught my attention like him before. Taylor Forrester. I was 13 and he was 11 and he had just attended my middle school. Knowing I was different came as I got older. While the other boys were looking at and talking about girls, I found myself wondering what the appeal was. I just didn't get it. And then, when it came to gym class, I found myself struggling around the other boys getting changed. Seeing them half naked, their chest, their arms…their everything…made my own clothing that I had yet to change out of uncomfortable and the 'situation' their nakedness inspired was embarrassing to hide and cover up. And yet again it was when I spotted that same mess of blond curls that had things jumping to attention instantly. Before, he just intrigued me, but now we were older and in high school together, it was more than that. This that I felt was more than just me being aroused by a guy. These feelings I had weren't just pointless to pursue, they were dangerous. Monkshood Moon pack was not a place that one could be open with things like this…and if my father ever knew…I wasn't quite sure what he would do. To anyone else, I knew what would happen. But I was his only heir to his Alpha title. If he executed me like he did others, he would have no one to hand the title to, which in a way gave me some security. If I was ever caught, though. What would happen to that person? If I was ever caught looking at Taylor the way I did…what would happen to him? A knock to my shoulder brought me out of my head. 'Stop,' Scott warned through mind-link, as he snapped my attention back to reality and away from my secret crush. He wasn't forcing me to stop something he found wrong or disgusting. He was warning me that I could be seen by others. He was one of the few that knew about me, the real me. My closest friend and future Gamma. It wasn't often I spotted younger students on this side of the school campus. Many of the seniors had either shifted already or were about to, so it was common in werewolf schools for seniors to have a separate campus from the younger unshifted students. New wolves gave rise to a whole host of new hormones which could make mood swings a nightmare to deal with. So to see Taylor so close by had caught me by surprise and I couldn't help my eyes following his figure. I swapped the books out that I still clung onto when I had become distracted by the sweet blond boy and I slammed the locker door closed. I couldn't help stealing another quick glance in Taylor's direction as he walked away, carrying a large box with a teacher. It looked too big for him and all I wanted to do was run after him and help. 'Come on, before you think about running after him like a colossal i***t,' Scott mind-linked, punching my arm and guessing exactly what was flitting through my brain. 'No, I wasn't!' I exclaimed, feeling a little heat creep into my neck knowing full well I had been caught. 'I can physically smell your bullshit, Hunter,' he deadpanned, pulling me to geography class. Even though Scott had been raised like myself, that we should hate and punish anything slightly homosexual, or offensive relationships, as my father called it, he didn't. He was a little weird and confused at first, but it wasn't like I was any different at the time; I wasn't much better now. My sexuality still confused me and sometimes I still hated myself for it, wishing I didn't have to deal with all these strange feelings for another boy, another boy that would probably never see me like I saw him. Scott had caught me staring at Taylor once and, as he put it, I literally had hearts popping around my head, that's how he knew. Taylor had just joined our high school as I was starting my junior year, so our paths crossed a little more than they did now. And not once, despite him being straight, had he ever made me feel like I had to hide that part of myself from him like I had to with the rest of the world. We headed towards class and the sea of students naturally parted for us, well, more for me and not just because of my aura. Most feared me, because I was an Alpha, because of my father, Alpha Nicholas Firth, and because of the detached and cold mask I pretended to wear. I knew most saw me as this moody and brooding individual and it kept them away, which I wanted. It was easier to keep people out than to let them in. I took my seat in class, near the back as usual, to keep to myself as I preferred and Scott sat next to me, as usual, so that I wouldn't be bothered by anyone else. The yellow leaves outside rustled and swayed, capturing my attention as they swirled around. I think it was some sort of acer? I wish I knew plants better. Taylor loved plants… 'Maybe you should pretend to walk into him one day? Knock his books out of his hands and help him pick them up,' my wolf, Hawk, suggested. Was he insane?! 'We're not doing that, ever. That's stupid.' My wolf was barely a year old, having shifted a little after I turned 17, and was still searching for a f*****g clue on how our world worked, sometimes. 'Why not? It'd be cute. Like, oh no! Look what I did by complete accident. How unfortunate, aren't I such a clutz.' Goddess, he was such a dumb cheeseball sometimes. I was surprised by how much he perked up whenever he saw Taylor too. He was always a little more excited around a few of the guys we found cute, especially if they were getting changed, but Taylor? I could feel his mental tail wagging whenever we spotted him or caught his scent. It was a sweet fresh aroma, like spring rain. I noticed the chair in front of me was empty again. This was becoming a regular occurrence with her recently. Like me, Jayden was dealing with issues of her sexuality, but for her it was worse. She must've been having one of her down days again. 'I know what you're thinking, she's in the library. I just texted her,' Scott mind-linked me. Jayden hadn't shifted yet, so neither of us could mind-link with her yet. Most wolves would shift around 18 to 20 years old, with Alphas and some Betas shifting as young as 16 or 17, or in rare occasions, 15. Most Omegas took a little longer for their human bodies to mature and be strong enough to endure the first shift, so they normally shifted around 20 to 22 years old; stronger Omegas shifted as young as 19. The last class of the day passed uneventfully and I was glad to be finally done. Though, what waited for me at home was just a bitter reminder that it wasn't a home, it was a prison. While Scott went to his track meet, I went to the library instead, hoping to find Jayden and make sure she was ok, but she was nowhere to be found. I texted her only to find she had left a few minutes ago, saying she was 'fine', that I highly doubted. While I was here, I decided to stay and study a little while longer to delay the inevitable of going home. After I couldn't stare at equations any longer, I packed my things up and left; there'd barely be anyone still at school, so I could walk in peace. Heading out into the open air, the breeze carried a scent over to me, one I recognised immediately. There he was again. I had seen him twice in one day. Normally, I'd only see Taylor once or twice a week maybe. But today I was being spoiled. He was sitting crossed-legged by the old oak tree. Normally he had left school by this time. There was a book in his hands and he looked to be engrossed in the story, flipping through the pages as I just stood there staring. The late summer sun illuminated his hair to a dark gold and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. This was so stupid. He was just some boy… 'Some boy that you think about every day,' my wolf teased, not making things any easier. 'Shut up!' I snapped back, already feeling my face heat. I looked back to where Taylor sat and I was about to turn, to walk away and go back to my prison…when he turned…and our eyes met for the first time. And for that blissful split second, we both saw each other. I always knew he had beautiful eyes, the bright hazel in this light took a golden green hue. Even my wolf was entranced. I couldn't turn away from him and I knew I never wanted to. It all started with that one glance. ~~~~~ If you'd like to read my other work in The Rogue Beginnings Series, please see the list below: Book 1 - The Rogue Alpha's Return, complete Book 2 - The Wanted Alpha, complete Book 3 - His Mute Luna, complete Book 4 - Accepting My Twin Mates, ongoing ~~~~~ I will be adding to this book as and when I have chapters written, but my PTR work has to come first. Hunter's Story will never be signed to Dreame so will be guaranteed to remain free.