The Alpha’s Raptor

Chapter Two

We silently approached this huge mansion and I gawked at it, smelling dog before we even opened the door. He let me in first, closing the door behind us and replacing his hand to my back. We passed many curious onlookers and the attention from so many people was starting to make me feel lightheaded. I'm not used to interaction and I just jumped right into it.

After an agonizing amount of time, we reached a room where there was indeed a woman laying on his bed... wearing very revealing lace.

"What the hell? Lawson, this is Damon's room! Not a guest bedroom!" She jumped up, shamelessly displaying what her mother gave her. Her eyes skimmed me and darkened, "why are you wearing my boyfriend's shirt?"

"Alpha's orders, now please leave or I'll drag you out," the man responded calmly, obviously not phased by her shenanigans or her half naked body. She must do this a lot.

"Why does he want some puny human lurking around his room?" She sneered, narrowing her eyes at me and stomping up to us. I almost laughed when I noticed the top of her head was level with my nose.

And I'm the puny one?

Oddly enough, Harley was completely silent as the woman got up in my face and pushed me. It was like she wasn't there anymore or as if she's distracted, hell, maybe she's gone on vacation. She's never left me to handle myself like this, she's always so overprotective, and she most definitely wouldn't let someone push me around.

So where the hell is she?

"Hey! Enough," the guy pulled me behind him, growling at the woman who did nothing but glare at me.

If it weren't for the fact I'm trying to remain secret, I would've ripped her to shreds for laying those disgusting hands on me. She was probably touching herself before we came in here, that would explain the wrinkles in her fingers.

"Who is she?" She shrieked, stomping her foot and shooting me a scowl that made me mentally yawn.

I don't understand how someone can get worked up so easily, I'm exhausted just watching her.

"She's his mate, our Luna," he answered, the words angered her far worse and I furrowed my eyebrows, now confused.

What's a Luna? And what the s**t is a mate?

Whatever they mean, it was bad enough to send the she-wolf into a frenzy. The woman's eyes flashed purple and she clawed him, shoving past and lunging directly at me.

I widened my eyes, dodging her attempt to claw my face and she growled. Her other hand reached for my neck and I grabbed it with an audible snap, hearing her scream in pain.

Shit! I forgot I have to play weak!

Both wolves were already staring at me with wide eyes and I grew nervous, purposely loosening my grip and allowing her hand to be freed. She ripped it from my hold then scratched my face, drawing blood instantly. It felt like a tiny bee sting but I let out a forced cry, pretending to be in immense pain.

The woman tackled me to the floor and I threw a punch at her, watching her nose gush in blood then letting her continue to claw me. I needed her to bleed to have a cover up. My wounds will heal and they'll wonder where my cuts are. I'll lie and tell them she didn't pierce my skin, that the blood is from her.

As hoped, her blood dripped on my neck and over her hands while she hit me. The liquid smeared over my healing wounds that went completely unnoticed by her rage.

Where the hell is my raptor? I don't want her taking control, but to know she's still here would be nice! She would never let me get hurt nor let anyone put themselves above us! She'd normally be fighting for control or yelling at me to beat their ass but all I'm receiving is silence.

"Stop!" The man growled, recovering from her deep scratches and finally prying the angry brunette off me.

She easily sliced his flesh with her claws again and threw herself back on me just as a loud snarl bounced off the walls, seconds later her body was ripped from me for the second time.

"Get the f**k off her!" The Alpha growled menacingly, making everyone in the room cower as I shamefully followed in their footsteps.

"Get her the f**k out of here!" He snarled, shoving the now crying brunette into the other werewolf who didn't hesitate to drag the bawling she-wolf out of the room.

After they were gone, the Alpha kneeled by my side with a calmer demeanor and eyes full of concern. He scanned the blood and must've been searching for injuries, finding none and pulling me to his chest. I stiffened, his mouthwatering scent clouding all train of thought I once had and before I could comprehend what I was doing, I leaned into his hold.

"You did good defending yourself."

I frowned, "why are you praising me for hurting your girlfriend?"

His hold around me tightened and a low growl rumbled his chest, "she's not, and never was, my girlfriend. You're the only girl for me, Sylvia, she's nothing to worry about."

Good thing I wasn't worried.

'The Alpha can be spared.'

Harley! There you are! What happened to you?

For the first time since I met her, she snapped at me, 'you can handle yourself, can't you? What the f**k would I have done without exposing us?'

Woah, what's with the sudden aggression?

'Shut up.'

"Sylvia? Are you okay?" The Alpha's voice interrupted my mental conversation with my raptor and I leaned back to look at him.

Why did I zone out so carelessly? It's beginning to freak me out at how unaware I am around him considering I've only known him for half an hour, if that. What's happening to me?

"Y-Yeah," I stammered, forcing a smile. My raptor and I have never gotten so close to an argument, we'd always bicker but it wasn't serious. She sounded really angry this time and I don't know why.

"My wolf knew you were in trouble, he wouldn't tell me how but he somehow knew. I dropped everything and came as fast as I could, I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner," he said, helping me stand and pulling me into his chest again.

Harley! That's where you were? You contacted his wolf? What the hell is wrong with you?

'I can't help you, it's too risky, but Blaze can. He will keep our secret from his human. He says the Alpha will protect you. I didn't have much of a choice, I couldn't let that mutt hurt you so I reached out to him, I was panicking. It was a reckless decision but it saved you. I like Blaze, plus he's true to his word.'

You're on a first name basis with the Alpha wolf now? I never took you for one to go soft, especially for a man. What happened to your independence?

'He helped you, didn't he? He wasn't angry when he heard what we are, he was amazed. He likes me... nobody likes me. Mother doesn't even like me, why are you not happy?' She gurgled in sadness, a small whimper escaping her and I felt sudden extreme pity.

She was referring to the moon goddess. I never bring her up because it's a sensitive topic. If I were in her shoes, I'd understand the pain she's feeling. Harley is such a sensitive creature once you get her to open up.

In her eyes, the moon goddess created her only to toss her away after generating new creatures. She doesn't understand why she stopped being loved and was suddenly despised when none of her mother's other creations were cast away like her, she's clueless as to what she did wrong. She thought she was everything her mother wanted her to be considering she's her creator. She doesn't know why she would make her with such malice then turn away and place all the blame for being evil on her. Sometimes I hear her cries at night and it wakes me, although I know better than to say anything.

"Let's get you cleaned up, alright?" The Alpha's voice tore me from my thoughts and I nodded, unsure of what else to do.

If his wolf accepts my raptor then I can trust him, can't I? Or what if this is all an act? What if they make us comfortable only to use that time to strike? Harley doesn't trust easily but nobody's ever tried to gain her trust, I'm the only creature who's ever been nice to her. Everyone greets her with hostility so I fear if someone were nice to her, even for a moment, she'd fall for it. If someone were a good enough liar, I'm afraid she may not be able to see through it and I'd hate to be the one to break her heart. Just because people are nice, doesn't mean they're sincere. I wish she knew that.

She's just so desperate for love because she believes she's not good enough, she's eager to be proved otherwise and her pain merely grows when she's not. This pain turns into hostility and unnecessary paranoid defense. She's convinced everyone's out to get her because she believes if her own mother won't love her, then who will? The reason she's so overprotective of me is because I'm the only creature who does, that and her life only exists through me.

We walked into his bathroom and he ran a washcloth under the faucet, wiping off the blood over my upper-half then flashing me a small smile and setting the rag down.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling insanely bashful under the stare of his intense hazel eyes.

"Just admiring," he replied, creating a foreign heating sensation in my face that made his smile turn toothy. Without another word, he took my hand and led me back into the bedroom.

The weird tingles he gave me by mere touch made the strange pull I had to him stronger and I quickly let go, my heartbeat fastening in slight fear and panic. No one has affected me before, what is happening? Am I dying?

No, it's not that, if I were then Harley would be fighting for control to heal me.

Instead, she's being strangely quiet and cooperative again.

The Alpha snapped me back to reality by holding out a new shirt, "change then get some rest, I'll be back in the morning to answer whatever questions you have."

I nodded while taking the shirt, too shy to answer verbally and too afraid to objectify. He shot me a smile and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him leaving me in silence on a very comfortable bed.

I'm not sure how comfortable I feel going to sleep in a house full of werewolves but Harley doesn't seem bothered and she always senses if we're in danger, so I'll trust her.

I changed the shirt then looked around the empty room for another person, after finding nobody I slid under the blankets, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the squishy pillow.

****

"Sylvia?" A panicked voice shook my body from behind and I shot open my eyes, feeling them nearly transform due Harley's startled wave of power from being woken. They quickly returned to their natural orange color as she calmed.

When they were fully normal, I turned around to see the Alpha standing beside the bed with a deep frown of worry. Why is he interrupting my sleep? This is the best sleep I've ever gotten, who knew beds were so comfortable? They definitely beat a cave floor, that's for sure.

"You had me worried," he breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing up and down my arm soothingly while taking a seat on the edge next to me.

"You care?" I furrowed my eyebrows, watching his frown deepen and I turned my body around to face him comfortably. He hardly knows me, he can't possibly care about me.

Today, I will learn about this werewolf Alpha and see if I could use him for shelter whenever I need a break from fighting the lone wolves. I could use an ally. It becomes tiring constantly looking over my shoulder and needing to kill any living creature that spots me in my raptor form. I can't take any chances by letting them go incase they're shifters. Here, I can play human and relax while this werewolf does all the fighting, unknowing that I'm perfectly capable of doing so myself.

"Of course. You're my mate," he stated, his hand moving up my arm and brushing some hair behind my ear.

"Can I know what a mate is now?" I asked hesitantly, not sure entirely what will make him snap and most certainly not wanting to find out. He seems protective of me for whatever reason, that much I know.

He was quiet, analyzing my face with a tight jaw and I was beginning to question if that set him off. He did say I could get answers to any question I have, so why's he look tense?

"A mate is an assigned lover," he answered vaguely, "the moon goddess, who is my god, has paired us to be together. You make me stronger as an Alpha, the leader of this pack, and without you I will lose my mind. After a few years, I will die. We have feelings for each other before we meet because of our bond, so when we find each other it feels as if we've known one another forever. We're strangers to the brain, but separated lovers to the heart."

'Are you f*****g kidding me? Mother abandoning me isn't good enough, but now she's trying to take away my independence, the only thing she wasn't able to tear down, and force me to fall in love? She doesn't even know how to love, what makes her think she can enforce it? If anything, that b***h should take a few lessons! She can leave us to rot but I won't let her think she still has power over us, we're independent and always will be. We don't need a mate! Mates are unheard of along our species, we are powerful shifters who do not rely on others to survive! These wolves are pathetic creatures in comparison! I can't believe Blaze was only nice to me because he's programmed to be! Mother is a twisted b***h for-'

I cleared my throat, quickly cutting out Harley's very intriguingly upset rant that I could still hear muffled in my mind then giving the Alpha a nod, "is that why I feel weird with you?"

He smiled slightly, "it's why you feel a pull to me and it's why you feel strange tingles when we touch. The feelings you get around me, the unexplainable ones, are all because of our bond."

"Well I don't want them," I stated, seeing hurt cross his features and his smile dropped to a frown, "I don't want to love, I'm fine alone."

"What?" He asked, sounding shattered.

"I don't need or want you!" I snapped mindlessly, Harley was growling and snarling loudly in my mind and her anger was transferring to me. I shouldn't have snapped but I'm getting flustered, too many things are going on at once.

She wanted to take control and attack but she's forgetting this would be the worst time to do so. He's an Alpha which puts him above us, but we're also in his pack so even if we succeeded against him then we'd be against several other wolves.

"I'm sorry," I forced out, gritting my teeth to keep more insults from spewing out.

I can use him. I must be smart about this. In order to make this work, I have to keep Harley from lashing out and taking control. I also have to stay on his good side as much as it aggravates me to do so.

"This is just new... everything's changed so fast for me and it's a lot to take in, I'm sorry," I mumbled, sitting up and unexpectedly feeling him wrap his muscular arms around my waist, pulling me into his lap.

"I understand, Syl, it's okay. I won't force you to be with me if that's not what you want, your comfort and happiness is everything to me," he stated, caressing my jawline with his fingers and randomly smiling sadly, "god, you're so beautiful."

I refrained from smiling, blowing off his statement so I didn't become affected by his charm, "c-can you l-let me go, Alpha?" I stuttered, trying to sound as polite as possible so I'd have more of a chance.

He growled and I swallowed nervously, "please don't call me that, it's Damon to you," he replied, removing me from his lap right after.

I will not be verbally calling him by his first name, that's too personal and I'm not going to be getting that close to him. It'll only backfire.

A knock then came on the door and relief washed over me. Damon called them to enter and in walked a man I haven't seen before. He bowed at each of us then turned his attention to his Alpha, "still no sign of the animal, sir, but we did find this," he paused, holding up one of my talons that ripped off days ago.

Luckily for me, it already grew back. It ripped off when I was climbing a tree because it got stuck, I didn't realize what happened until I jumped down and felt a burning pain in my toe.

If they found that, then they traveled a decent distance outside of their territory. I foolishly left it in the tree right next to my cave.

"That's impossible," Damon's voice turned cold and he got off the bed, walking up to the other werewolf and taking my curved talon from his grasp, "they're extinct, they have been for hundreds of years and for good reason. This species in specific isn't to be f****d with, Lucas," he snarled, gripping the collar of his shirt and leaning toward his ear, saying his next words quietly, "if there really is one running around, we need to find it immediately. It's a threat to everyone in this pack and needs to be taken care of. Bump the search party numbers up to fifteen, I can't risk any less. Do not underestimate this creature, it's a damn good hunter. This stays between me and you to prevent panic, understood?"

"Understood," Lucas bowed, wincing when he shoulder checked him on his way out of the room, taking my talon with him.

He seems very hateful toward the said creature... which means he will turn against me if he finds out.