The Alpha And The Prey

Chapter 4

Tessa Pov

    I tossed and turned, sweat gathering on my body as I whimpered. I kept seeing it, the teeth gleaming in the dark, and those eyes, back and forth. The teeth would come and scare me, my little bunny feet running and running, but the teeth were nipping at my tail, no matter how hard I hopped away they were right there, biting, curved, and pointed covered with my blood dripping down them. Then the eyes would appear and I’d turn to look at them, captivated. The beautiful forest green eyes, and the silhouette of the man behind them. He’d hold out his hand to me, and I’d shift into my human form to take his hand. However before I could touch him he’d turn into teeth once more, chasing me, haunting me, devouring me over and over and over again. 

    I woke with a silent scream, only to feel a small body bundled against me. I knew without needing to look it was Sean. He was in his bunny form and soft little growls were coming from him as he kicked his feet in his sleep, probably having the same nightmares I was. Gently I moved out of bed so I wouldn’t disturb him and I shuddered, feeling the cold of the night air against my sweaty body, chilling me all over. I grabbed another set of pajamas and underwear and tiptoed to the bathroom, knowing it was still early in the morning, and took a fast shower. I was glad to see the wounds were healed, despite the harsh scars that lingered like a bad memory painted on my body permanently forever to be seen. I frowned, poking at them, and felt a tear of frustration slide down my cheeks in anger. I was never very vain, but how could I ever explain these types of scars to a lover if I ever did find one in the future? Sure, I’ve had offers. I often went to town and got food and supplies, and new textbooks for the kids every month. We all had cell phones and more than once Addison handed out my number to guys in hopes I’d be too distracted to notice her trying to sneak out. But I always turned everyone down, no matter how attractive or sweet they were, because I didn’t have time for any of that. I had too much going on with raising three kids who shifted uncontrollably into bunnies at any time. After the shower I dressed quickly, throwing the clothes into the washing machine and starting a load before going back to bed. Sean was a human again, curled up and shivering naked but still asleep, and I pulled him to sit up as I slipped one of dad’s shirts over his body. It was big on him, floating down to his knees, and he curled up in the long-sleeved and soft fleece shirt and sighed, a soft smile on his face as he curled back into a ball and drifted back to sleep. I sighed, laying beside him as I pulled up my phone, dimming the screen as I scrolled through it. I wasn’t the same as Addy. I didn’t have every social media app possible on my phone. Even still I checked the news, checked the shipment of the new school books, and a few other things. Absently I checked the bank account and sighed. It was hard living at home. I had to get a job where I was at home, and I ended up getting an online graphics design job. I worked at home making advertisements for the big corporations, like Sunset Enterprise a few towns over, and a few other big corporations. It was fun and I never actually met any of the employers face to face, since it was all over the computer. It paid well enough, but I barely used any of it. I had bank accounts for all the kids that I transferred money into for the future, for their own college or cars, or homes, whatever they wanted when they turned eighteen. 

    Being homeschooled, I graduated high school early and college as well to start working. It was tough, on top of raising three kids, but I was motivated to keep going no matter how hard it was. Once I was finished transferring an equal amount of money into the kids' accounts I closed my phone, rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep. In the morning I’d probably have to take everyone to town to get supplies for the house. Thankfully I was blessed with no more nightmares, and when the sun rose we all awoke. It was a normal standard routine. Addy went to sit at the table and Avery and Sean went to their desks in the living room. Addy had to be split up and closer to me because she didn’t concentrate very well. I made breakfast as they all checked their emails and started to work on assignments. After a while, they all stopped to eat, before resuming. I worked on a project for a bank logo while I helped Addy with her math. We stopped once more for lunch before resuming, and once everyone’s assignments were done for the day I announced we were going to town, and surprisingly Addy was frowning. “I don’t want to go, leave me here. I’ll watch Sean.” She said with a frown. 

    I stared at her as Sean and Avery jumped up and down, excited over getting out of the house. “First off, no. They want to go. Second, no, I don’t trust you alone right now. Third, you always want to leave, why not now?” I asked, suspicious as I crossed my arms over my chest. 

    “He messaged me since he couldn’t get ahold of her,” Avery said, making Addy’s face flair red. “He said he stood her up because his ex-girlfriend wanted to get back with him. Now she doesn’t want to go in case she sees him.” She told me. 

    I turned to look at Addy, who was mouthing cuss words at her twin sister for telling her secret. “So? You’re just going to hide because he picked her over you? You’re fifteen you don’t even need a boyfriend. You can’t even figure out math.” I told her. 

    She threw her hands up in the air, glaring at me. “Everyone our age has boyfriends! All of my friends have boyfriends!” She said, frustrated. 

    I sighed, pressing my finger and my thumb against the bridge of my nose. “Your friends on f*******: that you barely know because you’re homeschooled. They go to school and see boys constantly. We’re not the same as them, Addy. You know this.” I informed her. 

    “If I could just go to school with the other kids, I’d get a boyfriend.” She muttered. 

    “And a visit from Area fifty-one when you suddenly shift into a bunny during class,” I added, making her growl in frustration. “Don’t you growl at me. Get your butt ready, you have five minutes or I’m disabling f*******: after dinner.” 

    She frowned, standing with a pout. “You can’t disable f*******:, it’s online.” She said, sighing. Well, I don’t know these things, I don’t use them. 

    “I can throw your computer in the trash though, that’ll disable f*******: permanently,” I informed her. Horror washed over her face as she jumped up and ran to her room. Avery giggled behind me and Sean whispered to her, asking her what was so funny, cracking the frown that was plastered on my face. I turned to look at Sean as he wrapped his arms around my waist, his head burying in my stomach. “What’s this for?” I asked, leaning down and brushing my fingers through his hair. 

    “Hmmm,” He said, rubbing his face back and forth with a soft giggle. “I love you, Tessa.” He said, grinning up at me. 

    I smiled, feeling my heart melt as I hugged him closer to me while we waited. “I love you too baby bun.” I cooed. 

    Finally, after about twenty minutes of me rocking back and forth with Sean in my arms and Avery messing with her phone, Addy came out of her room. She had on a crop top that cut off right under her breasts and tight shorts. She had on cowboy boots and her hair was styled into a messy bun on top of her head as she slung her purse and placed her hand on her hip, her sunglasses dangling in her hand. “What?” She asked as I stared at her. 

    “Did you forget your clothes?” I asked, looking her up and down. Avery snorted and Addy growled, stomping past us to the car. I sighed, making sure Sean was sitting in his booster seat and strapped in, before getting into the driver's seat. 

    Sean whined, shifting back and forth in his seat. “When can I sit in the seat like a normal person?” He asked as Avery sat next to me and buckled up in the front. Usually, she and Addy fought over who sat in the front seat, but Addy was busy growling in the back seat, probably thinking of ways to kill me, bless her heart. 

    I chuckled under my breath, starting the car and backing out of the stone driveway. “When you’re eight. It’s the law here.” I told him. I could see our tiny broken down house in the distance as I drove away from it, and towards the town. Our house was nestled on the edge of the forest, on the opposite side of the meadow. We avoided the meadow, the pack, and the town it used and went to another town on the other side of the forest. We knew of the rogues that roamed the forest but they never seemed to care enough to bother our broken down home or us, as long as we didn’t bother them. They only cared about the wolves after all, and we were fine with that. 

    “Is it books in a box day?” Sean asked, a wide grin on his face. I smiled, telling him yes and he giggled. “Instant school, just add Sean and water.” He sang, making all of us laugh. 

    Even Addy, who was trying to pretend to still be grumpy. “You’re not a plant, Sean.” She grumbled. 

    I shook my head at her, smiling. “Nope, he’s a beautiful flower.” I looked at Avery, tweaking her nose. “You’re a beautiful flower too,” I said. Addy had her eyes narrowed at me, and I grinned. “You’re a beautiful flower too. You’re a rose, beautiful and sharp and deadly.” I said, making Avery and Sean laugh as she pouted. Despite her pout, she cracked a smile and eventually added in to our laughter. The town was a good twenty minute drive away from our house, and the whole drive I thought about the time I got my license. I was almost eighteen, but desperate. I was worried the whole time I’d shift while I was driving and either kill the man in the car with me or he’d take over and take me to the government or something. Even still, I had no choice. I needed the license because I had to drive over an hour away for graduation. I was able to do college online, but when it came to graduating, they wanted me to be there. The genius child who graduated college at seventeen, almost eighteen. I was glad the graduation date was my birthday, and I had to force Avery to watch the others while I went. It was stressful, worried the whole time Addy would leave, but thankfully everything was fine when I got back home a few hours later. Then again Addy wasn’t that hard to handle when she was thirteen, it was just recently she started to try to leave all the time and got ideas of boyfriends. 

    Once in town, I parked in a spot in front of the general store and we all went inside. Addy pushed the cart while Sean skipped beside me, his hand nestled inside mine despite the fact that I told him over and over again he was old enough to walk in a store without holding a hand as long as he stayed close by. Avery kept slowing down to look at the books section that was close by and I made a mental note to take her over there. I gathered up the necessary supplies, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies, laundry items, and such, before heading over to the books. Addy grumbled but Sean moved to look at the manga books while Avery’s eyes perked up. “I’ll take you to the make-up section afterward, just give her a few minutes,” I whispered to Addy. 

    She blinked at me, a soft smile lighting up her face as she grinned at me. Once they each grabbed a few things they wanted I got more first aid supplies and we were soon out of the store. Everything was loaded into the car and we headed over to a nearby cafe for dinner. I didn’t normally buy dinner since we always ate at home but it was a tradition. If we went to town and no one shifted while in the store, we were rewarded with dinner. I grabbed a newspaper and was reading it as we waited for the waiter to notice us. Absently I turned the pages, before an image caught my eye and I frowned. “Ooooh, that’s one of the CEOs of the Sunset Enterprise!” Addy exclaimed, looking over my shoulder. “Doesn’t he look so dreamy?” She asked, a sigh escaping from her as she giggled. 

    I nodded absently, staring at the black and white picture, and frowned. There was something about those eyes that seemed familiar to me, but I shook my head and put the paper down as the waiter came. It didn’t matter, it wasn’t important. He wasn’t important to me.