The Demon Alpha’s Gentle Mate

{Raven’s POV} I woke up, excitedly, for the first time in a long time. I finally get to get out of this house! A little backstory, that way you know. When I was a baby, I was orphaned to the pack, left on the pack house doorstep. A “lovely couple” decided to take me home, as they “loved” children. Turns out they love having children do all of their work for them. Waking them up, making their meals, picking out their clothes, helping them with basically everything. This has been my life since I was about six, my adoptive parents were well respected within the pack, so I just had to swallow down the irritation, and hold out until I turned 18, which coincidentally is today! My name is Raven Darkmoon, my adoptive parents told me that I’d never be their child, so I wasn’t fit to carry their name. Instead they listed me as Darkmoon, because it’s the name of our pack. I looked in the mirror, my silky black hair draped down my back to my butt, I hadn’t had it cut since the last time I asked my adoptive mother Sylvia to cut it. She shaved my head so I could, “Focus on what’s important.” I’ve not asked for a haircut since. My hair fell in loose waves down my back, it’s deep black color that gave off hints of purple was the reason Sylvia and her husband Roger named me Raven. They said I reminded them of the awful birds, they would have named me crow if they could have, but the pack would never allow such a name to be given to a child. My eyes were grey, with a small ring of brown around my pupils. I stood at only 5’2, being one of the shortest she wolves in the pack was difficult at times, but nothing I couldn’t manage. I was often bullied for my size, and the fact that I was orphaned, the other she wolves enjoyed picking fights with me, but I didn’t mind it. If I let this stuff bother me, I’d be a mess by now, I’ve learned to just let things to, to try to keep my sanity! Today was my first day starting my job at the pack house nursery, I adore children, and if I get a job at the pack house I get to live there. I am so ready to get away from my “family”, I need to be free of them, and not have to work as a maid for them 24/7. I got up at 6:00AM, knowing they usually don’t get up until I wake them at 10:00AM. I quickly put away the rest of my things in my duffel bag, and slowly snuck out of my room. I crept down the stairs quietly, and exited the house, locking the door behind me and sliding my key and an envelope back through the mail slot. The last thing I needed was for them to try to forbid me from leaving, if I’m already in the pack house I was sure they wouldn’t cause a scene! I made my way through the darkness, heading to the pack house, my new home. I was so excited I could barely contain it, my giddy mood cut short when I noticed a wolf in the distance, he was sniffing around the woods near my house, his physic was large, his fur a dark grey color, I could smell him from here, he’s not front this pack, my heart sank, and I began to panic. I haven’t even had my first shift yet, my wolf and I couldn’t fight even if we tried. Now, I may never have the chance. If this wolf catches me out here, knowing I’ve spotted him, who knows what he’d do! My body tensed, I called out in the pack mind link. “There is a strange wolf in the woods near the border on the South, Western side, they’re not a Pack member. I have spotted him, but cannot shift yet, as I haven’t gone through my first shift.” I stated clearly, panic evident in my voice. I waited for a moment, no one answered for what seemed like forever. I was sure I was done for, when suddenly a voice patched through. “Find a good place to hide, I’m on my way!” It was the Beta Dominic, thank goddess! I quickly made my way behind a tree, I leaned back against it and took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves. I carefully turned to look around the tree to make sure the wolf was still there. My movement graceful, and silent, that was until I heard a snap under my foot. I looked down and noticed a branch that I didn’t see earlier. As it snapped the large wolf turned to me, his eyes glued to my form. He looked me up and down and began stalking towards me. I grabbed a rock from the ground and held it up, I kept my body facing his and never took my eyes off of him. I backed up, as he stalked forward. He leaned down and snarled at me, I knew what I had to do. I threw the rock, hitting him in the face with it. As it bounced off and he shook his large head around, howling out in pain, I took that opportunity to run towards the pack house. My body was moving on its own, with speed I didn’t know I had. Adrenaline pumping through my veins as I tore through the woods. I made it to a clearing when I felt heavy paws come crashing down on my back. Claws tore into me as the large wolf knocked me down, my back began pouring blood. I shifted my body around and laid out on my back, the wolf placing its paw on my chest leaving me unable to move. It got close to my face and sniffed me, I grabbed it’s snout and pushed it away, it growled showing me it’s teeth. I closed my eyes, and covered my face with my arms praying for this to be over with quickly. When suddenly I heard paws clambering out of the bushes on my left. Out stepped about four wolves, one of them being the wolf of our Beta. He was a big Sandy blonde wolf, and he was bigger than the others that were with him. He had the second biggest wolf in the pack, next to the Alpha’s of course. The other wolves snarled, and the strange wolf on top of me took off running towards the border. I covered back over my eyes and finally breathed out a sigh of relief, tears falling down my cheeks, when I heard a voice speak softly. “Are you okay miss?” He asked finding some clothes in a hallowed out tree and throwing on some shorts and a shirt. He walked over to me squatting down next to my panting form, All I could do was nod. “You did great, I’m really impressed that you outran him for so long!” He said trying to make me feel better. His eyes were an emerald green, and his hair Sandy blonde and shaggy. He was tall, and muscular but with a thinner build. I nodded again and strained to sit up, as I did I gasped and cringed at the pain in my back. He looked down his facial expression changing. “You’re hurt!” He moved around to sit behind me and ripped open the back of my shirt to look at the damage. “You said you haven’t shifted yet, right?” He asked. I nodded.” Today is my 18th birthday, I’m meant to shift tonight.” I said under my breath, I wasn’t used to having someone worry for me. “She speaks!” He said in a joking tone. “Well, don’t worry miss..” he paused waiting for me to answer. “Raven, Raven Darkmoon..” I said looking down. “Miss Raven, let’s get you to the pack house and get that checked out by the doctor!” He said. He walked around and squatted down in front of me, holding out his arms. “Hop on!” He’s joking right? He wants to give me a piggy back ride? What are we, eight? I thought to myself in a joking tone. I nodded and flinched as I climbed onto his back. He ran me back to the pack house in no time, and the doctor met us in the den of the house. Dominic sat me down gently on the couch and my back throbbed, I could feel warm liquid oozing down my back and knew it had started bleeding again. “You’re Sylvia and Roger Jameson’s adoptive daughter right?” He asked. I nodded again, not wanting to make eye contact. He clapped his hands together, causing me to jump. “Better go give them a call then!” He said before turning around. I quickly stood grabbing his shirt, horror flashing across my face. “Wait! Please don’t!” I said as I felt the gashed on my back ooze out more blood. I winced as I moved my arm back to my side. “Please don’t call them!” I begged frantically. “Why not? They’ll probably want to know what happened and that you’re okay.” He said, he didn’t understand though, and would anyone really believe me if I told them the horrible things they did. “They won’t care that I’m okay, they’ll just care that I’m not home!” I growled out my face twisting with anger. I sat back down carefully. “Please, don’t tell them, they’ll make me go back.. I can’t.. I just can’t..” my eyes filled with tears that began to spill down my cheeks. “Hey, don’t cry..” he said with a panicked look on his face, “Why don’t you want to go back, they’re your parents right? Everyone always says they’re the best people, what’s going on?” He asked. “If I tell you.. will you promise not to tell anyone else.. no one would ever believe me. Those two have made that clear for years, but I just can’t go back there!” I said. “I promise! Let the doctor patch you up then we’ll go to my office to talk okay?” He said sweetly, the beta here in our pack was known as the best beta in all of Northern America. If I can trust anyone it’s him, and he has the power to stop me from having to ever go back to that horrible house again.