k********g the Alpha's daughter

Chapter 1

The tranquility of the forest was interrupted when two wolves came dashing through the trees. Their muscles trembled from exhaustion and the air was heavy from their sweaty musk. One wolf tripped and tumbled. In a heartbeat, the other wolf was upon him, pinning him to the ground with its larger body.

Breathing heavily, the smaller wolf tried to escape, but Rick just pressed him harder into the ground. Owen was a beta, and he was no match for Rick. Soon enough, his struggles died down and he looked up at Rick in silence.

“Rick, listen to me. Please don’t kill me.” Owen’s pleading voice went straight to Rick’s mind. They could communicate without talking through their pack bond, but Rick could also shut him out of his mind to not hear any more of his excuses.

Desperate to get across to him, Owen shifted back to his human form. “Rick, I beg of you. Please let me just explain.”

Rick quietly shifted back to his human form and rolled his aching shoulders, readjusting the last bones before looking back at Owen. He kept the smaller man still pinned down with his muscled thighs. “There is nothing to explain. You broke the law.” His words were almost a growl.

Owen paled, but continued to argue his case. “I couldn’t help it, man! Please, I didn’t mean to…”

“That is not my concern.” Rick interrupted him. “You broke the law and now you have to face the consequences.”

Owen was shaking his head in panic. “No. There has got to be something you can do.” His desperate, pleading voice was getting more breathless by the minute.

“I’m taking you back to the Alpha. That is all I can do. It’s my duty. Just as you should have done your duty and not fallen for the Alpha’s Daughter.” Rick sighed and added, “You brought this upon yourself. My hands are tied.”

The man did not have the decency not to cry in front of his friend. Owen’s eyes filled with tears and he began to tremble violently. “He is going to kill me.” The statement was a strained whisper.

Rick closed his eyes in anger. He did not appreciate the dilemma he was in. Owen had been Rick’s best friend for over five years. They were more than friends; they had become brothers. The two males had both joined the pack warriors at the same time, and even though Rick was now Owen’s superior, their relationship had never changed.

“Dude, couldn’t you have looked the other way?” Rick demanded angrily.

Owen shook his head in humiliation. “I didn’t mean to…”

“Do you love her?” Rick interrupted him. “Is she the one? Your mate?”

With sadness in his eyes, he shook his head. “No.”

“Then why did you let it go on to the point of getting discovered?” Rick was asking with confusion written all over his face.

“I just liked being around her and thought it would be nice.”

Rick shook his head in incredulity.

“I’m telling you the truth Rick; I would never lie to you.” His voice was back to pleading.

Rick stood and stepped away from Owen. The muscles in his legs complained of exhaustion. He had been chasing Owen for over two hours through rough terrain. Having been tasked to capture and return Owen back to the pack for judgment, Rick was aching physically and emotionally.

He knew for a fact Owen was heading back for a death sentence. Pack law had no room for exceptions and leniency. And he knew he may be even more unfortunate and tasked with delivering the sentence.

Looking down at Owen, who had wisely remained on the ground, Rick knew he could not kill his own friend. “f**k!” He screamed to the skies.

After a moment of silence only broken by heavy breathing from both men, Rick turned to Owen and said, “You are going to disappear.”

Owen’s eyes widened in shock, and his mouth fell open. “You mean….” He was too scared to ask the question in case he misunderstood.

With a sigh, Rick explained, “I mean, you are going to get away from here, and you are going to do all you can to hide your tracks and scent.” He paused and then looked him straight in the eyes before continuing. “And you are going to do it exceptionally well. Because if even the wind whispers of your existence… we are both dead.” The last part was said in a whisper.

Owen nodded and quietly got to his feet. “What will you tell them?”

Rick looked away into the distance, “That you went over the falls and I suspect you are dead. I couldn’t find your body.”

Owen nodded again. He slowly walked towards Rick. “I will miss you, brother.”

Rick took a deep breath and nodded. “Me too. Now get going.” He patted the man on his shoulder and stepped back. He watched as Owen transformed back into his wolf. They stared at each other, then Owen turned around and began running through the trees in the direction of the falls.

Rick smiled to himself and whispered to Owen’s mind, “Thank you, brother.” Rick knew a good lie depended on half-truths. Owen took the direction of the falls to give Rick a half-truth to work with.

He needed to be as convincing as possible. Rick had never gone against his pack and Alpha before today, and he hoped the confidence they had in him would work in his favor.

Taking a deep breath, he turned towards the pack lands and transformed back into his big brown wolf. He began the long run back at a slower pace. After all, there was no point in hurrying back toward one’s potential death.