Rejected Alpha

Chapter Five

“Enough!” Blaze stepped forward between Elijah and I. I just growled at him for getting in the way of my fun. “Don’t growl at me pup.” Blaze hissed.

“Pup?” I stood to my full height and squared my shoulders. My gaze bore into his, disdain bordering on hatred oozing from me. “How old are you?” I turned back to look at Elijah. “Seventeen, right?” Elijah nodded with a smirk, clearly enjoying seeing Blaze be put in his place. “Uh hu, just as I thought. A male wolf who has not yet shifted. And yet I am in the process of doing so. So, tell me again who the pup is little alpha?” I mocked.

Blaze growled at me, stepping forward into my personal space. It didn’t feel stifling like it had with the others, and an oddly calming woodsy scent mixed with something smokey reached my nose. His angry look however was completely at odds with it, and I hated it. I glared into his amber eyes challenging him as he was me. No way would I back down from a over grown bully who thinks he runs the world.

“You are nothing.” Blaze leaned in and whispered to me. “Just a lost alpha female in a world full of male alphas. You think you’re such a big shot but you’re not. No matter how much my father says otherwise, no matter how much your daddy does, I am the king here, and you. Well, you’re nothing but the dirt beneath my shoes.”

His angry and hurtful words are what did it. I felt my eyes change right before an awful and all-consuming pain rippled through me. I dropped to my hands and knees, a pained scream leaving my throat as it ripped from my lungs. The first bone broke. Another scream tore from me as I fought back against the pain, only intensifying it in the process. Then I remembered what I was told. Don’t fight it, give into it. So, I did. I allowed myself to fall into the darkness of the pain that ripped through me harsher and harsher as each bone broke and reformed. As each bone stretched to accommodate my new form. I felt the prickling of fur as it sprouted all over my skin but I still never looked. Not until I felt all of the pain stop. I lay panting trying to calm myself as the aftershocks of pain quaked my body.

“Breathe.” A voice inside my head soothed. I jumped in surprise, lifting my head and searching around me curiously but all I could see were my dad, Blaze, Elijah and the others who were in the training area. I ignored them. What the hell was that? I wondered closing my eyes to breathe. “I am your wolf, Ruby.”

“My wolf?” I questioned incredulously. “Like a voice in my head?”

Ruby scoffed. “Uh, no. I am part of you, but also am my own being. We are twin souls in one being. Soon when we find our mate, we will be three souls in one being.”

“What if he doesn’t want us? I never knew about any of this, I still don’t know.” I complained to her, actually thankful that she was with me now.

“Seraphina?” My dads voice questioned from beside me. “Can you stand?”

I look up to him a c**k my head to the side confused. Why wouldn’t I be able to stand. That was a stupid question. I huffed and moved to stand but quickly realized I was now on four legs and not two. I looked down at myself only to see paws. Very large paws. Those couldn’t be mine, right? I turned my head to look at my body and realized that as well was wolf and not human. I had shifted. I have been laying here as a wolf the entire time.

I walked over to a nearby pond and looked down into it. I was a beautiful wolf, but also a very odd coloring. My legs, paws, tail and ears were a snow white while my body and face were a deep blue-black color, with sapphire blue eyes. I’ve seen wolves in sanctuaries, pictures online but I’ve never seen a wolf that looks like me. I looked over to my dad in confusion as I trotted over to him and Elijah. I was shocked to find my wolf form almost reached my dads ears. Ruby was big.

“You’re beautiful Seraphina.” My dad murmured as he ran his hands through the fur on the side of my neck. His praise thrilled Ruby. She gave him an excited yip as she started to bounce from side to side. She wanted to play. I laughed to myself at her antics. “Your wolf want to play?” He asked laughing. I just nodded.

Dad chuckled as he started stripping his clothes off. Ruby and I gaped before spinning around so quickly we almost lost out balance. Once we regain our composure we came face to snout with Blaze. He was standing behind us looking over us with a look I couldn’t place. His hand reached out almost unknowingly. Ruby saw the moment he realized what he was doing, and as he went to move his hand away, she pushed her snout into his hand.

“What are you doing?” I shouted. “Do you know what he’s done? What he said to me? Stop it.” My emotions were enough for me to regain control and I jerked myself away from Blaze. I let a low growl fell from my snout before turning to see my fathers wolf and another wolf I couldn’t place. One inhale though and I knew it was Elijah. My dads brown wolf beside Elijah’s black one was like night and day. They were both big, bigger than even me though not by much. My dad however was bigger than Elijah. Did size mean anything? Was it like a show of strength or something? A show of rank? Someone would have to start explaining things to me soon.

Before all three of us could play though a scent caught my attention. Since I’ve been here, I have unknowingly been taking scents to memory, especially the scent of this pack. What I was smelling now wasn’t pack. I could smell the cruel intent in the air, smell the vileness and sickening scent that wafted off of them.

“Rouges.” Ruby growled.

My head snapped up as I turned in the direction of the smell and growled. Elijah and my dad stepped to my side and sniffed the air. Just as their bodies stiffened howls were heard from back at the pack house. Hope had told me what it was called on the way back from school. More howls met the first, but all I could think about was getting to my mom. I didn’t know if she could shift or not. Seeing she was an alpha I was almost confidant she could but I didn’t want to take that chance.

I bound forward not caring about the danger that awaited me. Protecting my mom, the ones that couldn’t shift, all of them was the only thing on my mind. Elijah wasn’t there, my dad wasn’t there and the little alpha couldn’t shift yet. Dad and Elijah had quickly joined me, flanking each side of me. I knew by the way my dad kept knocking into me he wanted me to turn around. There was no way in hell that was going to happen. When he came to nudge me again, I snapped at him, a growl rumbling in my chest. He gave up after that.

What we ran into however startled me to a standstill. Not only were wolves attacking the pack but what seemed to be vampires. Freaking vampires. This couldn’t be right I had to be seeing things. Then again if werewolves were real why not vampires. So how the hell do I kill them? How much of what humans wrote was true? Would ripping their heads off kill them or would they just reattach? Ripping their heart out? Garlic?

A vicious snarl from beside me ripped me from my thoughts just in time to see my dad and Elijah jump into the fray. There weren’t many rogues considering the size of our pack, but they were doing enough damage. Bodies from both sides lay on the ground some only some unmoving.

“Kill them all.” Ruby snarled, her anger growing and mingling with my own.

A powerful howl I didn’t know I was capable of yet tore from my throat. The sound causing the fight to cease for a moment and all eyes turn to me. Damn it, even in wolf form people stare at me. Great. In their distraction though I was able to pounce on three enemy wolves and incapacitate them. I didn’t want to kill anyone, breaking their legs so they couldn’t fight though? That I could do. Unfortunately, all I managed to do was get every rouge vampire and werewolf’s attention on me.

They all seemed to flock together all at once as they slowly approached me. I crouched low to the ground and growled a warning at them. They hesitated for a brief second before they continued their progression. I wasn’t alone long though, I was quickly flanked by dad, Elijah, several wolves I had no idea who they were and Blaze. Blaze’s appearance startled me, and scared me to death. A low whine left me and I lightly nudged him away from the fight. I didn’t know why. He was a bully. He was mean and didn’t care about anyone. But for some reason I just couldn’t allow him to be hurt.

“I won’t run.” He told me petting the side of my face. I whined again putting my large head in the center of his chest and pushed gently. “Seraphina no. Stop. I am the future alpha; it is my job to protect the pack too.” Not until after you shift jackass, I wanted to yell at him. He was so damn stubborn. I knew I couldn’t make him go, not if he really didn’t want to so I did the only thing I could. I huffed and shook my head at him before turning from him and placing myself beside him. Blaze just scoffed. “I don’t need protecting.” He mumbled under his breath. I could hear him though plain as day.

I swallowed the need to growl at him, resorting to bumping him in the shoulder harder than I had earlier. A startled sound left Blaze as he tumbled and landed on his back. I laughed, Ruby laughed and a very unflattering sound left my wolf self in what I am assuming was supposed to be a wolfy laugh. Blaze got to his feet and looked over at me anger flaring in his eyes. Good. He could use that anger to his advantage in this fight.

Mine and Blaze’s exchange though seemed to go on forever only truly lasted a few seconds. Plenty of time for the group to descend on us. I didn’t know how to fight as a wolf so I followed instinct and allowed myself to drift to the back of my mind and let Ruby take over. Bloodlust filled our veins as Ruby surged into the fight. She was unrelenting, unforgiving and showed none of those posing our people a threat any mercy. There was more than I initially thought and I wondered where they all had come from and why. Were rouge attacks normal?

A familiar scream tore through the air. Our head jerked up and searched around only to find my mom grasping on to Hope who was bleeding profusely from a wound across her chest. My mom held onto her, her fierce eyes baring down on the wolf who attacked Hope. Why wasn’t my mom shifted though? Couldn’t she shift? I searched the fight and noticed dad was surrounded, there was no way he could get to them in time. Elijah was fighting in front of another group of women and the others were trying to hold off the vampires. I was the only one available who could help them. What about Blaze though?

I looked behind me and saw Blaze bleeding from multiple wounds all over his body. He was starting to get slow, his movements weakened. The vampire he was fighting realized this and used it to his advantage. With speed I didn’t know was possible the vampire struck out and grabbed Blaze up by his throat. I knew exactly what the vampire planned and I had no intention of letting it happen. In the time it took for the vampire to notice my advance I was on him. My mouth wrapped around the arm that held Blaze in the air and I snapped it off. Blaze dropped to the ground gasping for air while the vampire writhed on the ground shouting in pain.

I ignored the vampire and dropped myself onto my belly, urging Blaze to climb onto my back. He was hurt and he couldn’t fight anymore. He knew it and I knew it; the problem was if he was going to let his pride get in the way. And to be honest I didn’t have time I had to get to Hope and my mom.

“No.” Blaze ground out between clenched teeth. “I will not be seen as weak.” I growled, moving my eyes from his to where Hope and my mom was hoping he would notice and understand. He did, he followed my line of sight to where my mom was holding Hope. A vampire and werewolf approached them side by side. There was another woman with them I had never noticed. Maybe because of mom and Hope.

Arms wrapped around my neck and I growled ready to buck whomever it was off. “It’s just me. Let’s go.” Blaze’s voice came from beside me, right at my ear. So, he was going to hold on instead of ride. Okay, that will work, I guess. I bound forward; Blaze’s grip tightened on me as I did so. I didn’t stop like Blaze had thought I would though. When we reached them, my body barreled into theirs tossing them several good feet away from the women behind me. Thankfully Blaze had noticed what I planned and let go once we got close enough to the women.

“Go, help the pack. I’ve got them.” Blaze told me in a hard tone. I looked from him to my mom, then to Hope and the woman beside them. I nuzzled into my mom with a whine.

“Go Seraphina. We’re alright.” My mom promised. I looked to Hope and the woman with striking grey eyes and chestnut hair. I was worried, what if something happened to them? “We’ll be alright with Blaze.” My mom assured me rubbing my neck. I nodded, my rather large head nuzzling each of the women one by one before I turned to look at Blaze. I stared into his amber eyes harshly trying to convey every single threat I could bring to mind.

“I’ll take care of them. You have my word.”

I gave him a curt nod letting him know I was holding him to it, before turning and looking around to see where I am needed. The fight seemed to be ending, vampires and werewolves retreating and running from the rest of us in an attempt to preserve their lives. Only a few were left. My dad and Elijah were engaging some while the others seemed to target weaker members who either couldn’t shift or are not of age.

Why do people prey on those weaker than them? Even here in this new world people preyed on the weak. I hated it. All it did was make them bullies. But to make it worse strangers have come and attacked where I am meant to live, meant to protect. And I did not like my home being invaded. And I sure as hell did not like that here and decided it was a good idea to try and take out the weak first. Thankfully most of the people here were trained and could defend themselves but there were those that couldn’t. And those few needed protecting.

The first I saw was a vampire feeding on a younger teenager, maybe fifteen at best. That poor girl was no match for a vampire. I’ve found out the hard way they were fast and strong. Just as strong as us even if not more so. But before I could make a move to get to them, I felt something pierce my left flank. I howl of pain tore from me as I shifted to see what had hit me. A wolf, a small wolf stood beside me with blood, my blood covering his snout. I watched as he reared back to swipe at me again and I dodged his attack easily, then sank my fangs into his neck and shook my head until I heard his neck snap.

My side was throbbing as I made my way to the young girl. It didn’t take me long or take very much effort to rip the vampire off of her. All I had to do was wrap my jaw around hid neck and bite down. His head rolled easily after that. They didn’t have hardened skin or anything that made decapitating them hard, so ripping a limb or two from them was effortless. When they didn’t know you were there anyway. I have been lucky enough no vampire had bitten me yet.

The girl crumpled; I caught her shirt with my teeth before she could hit the ground. I looked around me trying to find where I should take her. Finally, I decided taking her to my mom was best. So, I did, carrying the girl like a mother wolf would her pup. Except instead of carrying her by the scruff of her neck I carried her by her shirt. Before I could make it to my mom and the others, I was surrounded by three vampires and two wolves. Five on one wasn’t my idea of a good time, no matter what situation you apply the theme to. I growled a warning at them, widening my stance to keep myself grounded. I would not let them hurt this girl.

I gently lay the girl at my feet and walked over her so she was under my much larger body. A powerful howl tore from me asking for help from anyone close by. Unfortunately, they were busy with their own rouges. How many were left? Surely there couldn’t be many more. I mentally counted each and every rouge I saw. Five surrounded me, three my dad and Elijah was fighting two. The rest were spread out all over the pack. Twenty. There was twenty more. Where were all the damn pack warriors? There had to be more than this.

I shook the thought from my head as I saw the first vampire attack. He came at me quickly, his fangs glistening with fresh blood, His nails extended into claws as he took a swipe at me. I dodged the best I could without leaving the girl unprotected. He ended up clipping my shoulder, blood pooled around me and dripped onto the girl. Damnit. That is so gross. Sorry girl.

As the vampire lunged for me again, I was ready. My body rocked forward and caught the vampire around his torso. My jaw clamped around him, my teeth dug into skin, cutting through flesh and bone until he was all but bit in half. I dropped the corpse at my feet and growled at the remaining rouges who surrounded me and the girl. They didn’t heed my warning and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. I was. I was terrified, but I had to try.

A wolf and vampire both dove for me first. I couldn’t dodge one without getting in the way of the other so I stood still and waited. When they were airborne, I dropped low, covering the girl with my belly as the two slammed into one another instead of me. I used their disorientation to my advantage and quickly snapped both their necks. Not without harm to myself though. They both managed to get a few swipes in on me. Three down two to go. Thankfully I didn’t have to deal with those two. Blaze snuck up behind one of them and drove a silver knife through their heart, while Elijah made quick work of beheading the other.

Relief overwhelmed me and I had to remind myself I had a girl under me. Someone approached from the corner of my eye and without thinking I turned and snapped at them, a low growl emitting from my throat.

“It’s just me.” Blaze raised his hands in front of him in surrender. “Who are you protecting?”

Shakily I stood to my feet. The blood loss getting to me making my head swim. I swayed on my feet trying my best not to step on the girl. Thankfully only my upper body swayed and not my legs. Meaning I was in no danger of stepping on the girl below me.

“Caroline.” Elijah and Blaze both seemed to shout at the same time before rushing towards me. I huffed at them trying to ask them to be patient while I moved. Moving was hard, it hurt and every time I tried the world around me spun. Hoping I had gained enough strength I moved from above the girl I now knew name was Carolina. The moment I did though I collapsed, no longer able to hold myself on my feet. A wave of heat past over me and I knew my wolf form was fading away and my human one coming back. The pain in my human form was much worse than my wolf. I knew I was too weak to shift back, and I was too weak to move. The only thing I could manage to do was groan as the pain washed over me in currents.

“Seraphina!” My dad landed on his knees beside me, while my mom dropped on my other side and covered me with a blanket. I hadn’t noticed how badly I was trembling.

“How is she?’ I heard Elijah ask though his voice seemed to be fading.

“She needs a doctor she’s lost a lot of blood.” My mom whispered; I could hear the tears in her voice even if I couldn’t see them.

“She saved half the pack.” Elijah commented. “She saved my son and my daughter.”

“Where were the warriors?” My father asked in anger.

“I’m sorry Darius. We haven’t been attacked in so long I sent most to the west river pack to help them with a rouge problem. I will call them back home as soon as I can.”

“Move.” A new voice commanded. “The doctor is here.”

The shuffling of feet sounded around me before hands gripped onto me and lifted me in one fell swoop. If I thought just laying on the ground was painful it was Childs play compared to this. This was torment, agony. I was pretty sure I’d died at some point and went to hell because damn did it hurt. My scream I know echoed around us.

“You’re hurting her.” The voice growled at whomever was carrying me.

“She’s all but ripped to shred son, what would you have them do? She needs to go to the med wings if we want a chance of saving her life.” That was Elijah’s voice, but who was the other voice. I couldn’t place it in my state. I was going in and out of consciousness, only fragments of conversation reaching me. At some point I think my mind just gave in because last thing I remembered before darkness consumed me was someone kissing my forehead.