The Lonely Alpha

REMIDE PERSPECTIVE “Once upon a time in a land far, far away,” My dad drones on. He starts all his stories like this and has since I was a little girl. I know 12 years old might be too old to listen to a bedtime story, but the joy on my father’s face when he tells me stories is hard to deny. “There was an alpha werewolf. Some considered him the meanest in the land. Anyone who threatens the balance of peace faces his ruthless wrath. He uses spies and assassins scattered throughout the land to do what needs to be done. People fear him across the realms. His strength and power are unmatched by all.” This story...it’s one of Dad’s favorites. I never know how much of it is real and how much he has made up. My dad continues. “His eyes, one ice blue and one as rich as a sapphire, have no emotion in them. He is cold.” Okay, Dad definitely made up the part about his eyes. “But what they don’t tell you about him is the sacrifice he has made. He rules the realms alone, cutting off nearly all people from knowing him. Loving someone means he has a weakness, something his enemies can hold against him. He is the loneliest Alpha in existence, waiting for his fated mate. Remember, my dear Remide, he is not an evil man. He is just a man. A lonely man. He has sacrificed having pups, a mate, and a family for the good of the people. So others can live without worries about war, bloodshed, and death.” My dad always hammers home at this point. I don’t know why, but I feel my eyes get heavy and closed, and I fall asleep. I mutter to my dad, “He can’t be that bad if he gives up so much for others,” and I drift away. “BEEP BEEP BEEP” Fuck! My alarm. I opened my eyes to see my room. My room is small, and the walls are painted an off-yellow color with posters of boy bands and heartthrobs all over. A small closet is on one side with a desk next to it. The small sconce gives just enough light. There is no window. In one corner is the wicker rocking chair my dad used to tell me his stories. In my sleepy haze, I can almost see my dad’s outline. It’s been 6 years since he has gone missing, and mom moved us back to the human world. It didn’t bother me, though. I am a half-wolf on the human end. I don’t have a wolf, claws, extra fur, or a mate. Blessed with healing properties, heightened senses, and heat, I’m lucky. Take your normal human s*x drive and times it by 3. Being in heat like a wolf is like. It is a primal instinct to mate and breed pups to keep the species going. I am a halfie, and I can’t get pregnant by a human, which just leaves me extremely horny and f*****g the substitute teacher in the supply cupboard. Now, before you freak out, I am 18. I have been for a few months. I tried sleeping with guys my age, but it’s like holding a wet fish. Slippery, smelly, and nothing ends up where you want it. It’s a waste of my time. I’m not saying the s*x is good. I suspect only a wolf can sate me, but it staves off the pain of the heat. I throw my blonde wavy hair up in a messy bun. No makeup. A T-shirt and sweatpants with Converse are all I need. My mother is beautiful, and I look a lot like her, except for my eyes. I have my dad’s eyes, brown with gold rims on the outside. I grab my phone and bookbag and head downstairs. This triplex is old. The wallpaper is peeling. Patches on the wall need to be painted. Half the appliances don’t work, and the furniture is twice my age. There is a note on the counter. Lee has a new penthouse in the city. I will stay with him for the foreseeable future. Rent is paid. Don’t bother calling me unless it’s an emergency. Mom. Lee is her new flavor of the week. Rich and old. He wants nothing to do with me, and if I am honest with myself, neither does my mom. I was a mistake. My dad had just lost his fated mate and gone off the rails. He was in a human club, trying anything to ease the pain. He screwed my mom into the bathroom. Humans are not supposed to conceive werewolf pups, so he wasn’t concerned. However, the moon goddess had other plans, and I came about. He always said I saved him from a slow-spiraling death. The alpha of his pack blessed a chosen mate bond between my mom and him and until he went missing, we lived near a pack. I went to a human school and did werewolf training. Neither side ever liked me or accepted me. Halfies are rare and Halfies with no wolves are almost non-existent. I make a quick breakfast of toast and head out to school. I have a driver’s license, but I’d rather run. It is a 3-mile run through the woods, then 2 miles through town. Nothing feels better than running through the woods with the wind in your hair. The smell overwhelmed your senses. That is probably just the wolf in me. Running through town is fine. People stop and wave. There is a coffee shop, a few small clothing stores, a hardware shop, and a pharmacy. It is quaint. Today, though, the smells are off. One of the old buildings smells putrid. Like moldy fruit and rot. This is new. Gladys, the old lady who runs the trinkets and crystal shop, waves and smiles. The human kids call her a witch and make fun of her. Little do they know she is a witch. She is also very kind. She made sure I always had food when my mom went MIA with one of her men. I have finally arrived at Mount Sinai Preparatory School. I make my way through the parking lot and into the school without being noticed. That is how I like it. I would rather just be invisible. On my way to English class, I hear the most irritating voice. Maya is the school bully and self-proclaimed school slut. “Ha, Remide is dressed like a homeless person...ohh wait, she is homeless.” God, I wish I could punch Maya’s stupid face through the wall. It’s possible I could. I have the skills, but letting her know that means I lose the upper hand in case I have to. I ignore her goading and think to myself, “At least I don’t have to f**k Jase”. Once in the class, I find a seat in the back of the room, away from everyone. Maya’s boyfriend Jase sits next to me. f**k, could this day get any worse? He goads and taunts me throughout class. Poking and prodding me. Finally, he says, “You’re always dressed in rags.” What are you hiding?” he tries to lift my shirt. I slapped his hand away and said, “Don’t touch me.” The teacher finally noticed and gave me a glare for interrupting her class. Jase won’t get in trouble. His parents bought the school swimming pool. These rich snobs who fill the school have never had to deal with any consequences. I sat there annoyed and frustrated, and it was only 10 am. I place my head on my desk between my crossed arms and think, “Can this day get any worse?” Little did I know it could.