Contractually Yours, Alpha

CHAPTER 1— Death And Escape. ~Rowena~ "No!" A helpless scream tore out of my throat as a sickening slashing sound pierced through the air, sending shockwaves of terror down my spine. "It can't be real," I choked out. Tears flooded my eyes, blurring my vision with each bitter drop that fell. I blinked uncontrollably, trying to stop it because they reminded me of a cruel reality. My father, Alpha of the Shadow pack, crumpled to the ground like a twig. His once strong body was now limp and his vacant gaze bore into mine. How could I be so useless? I wondered, glaring at my trembling arms. I yearned to lash out at those responsible for my parents' deaths, but I knew I was outnumbered and outmatched. No matter how hard I fight, I wouldn't change the outcome of my death and their freedom. I approached the scene gingerly, clamping my hands over my mouth to stifle the second scream that threatened to explode from within me. It was reduced to pathetic whimpers that did nothing to hide my anguish and pain. My heart pounded furiously as I caught sight of my mother being dragged to the front of the pack. Her hands were twisted to her back for the pack to see. For someone who just witnessed the death of her husband and mate, she looked at the crowd dead in the eyes, unwavering. In a twinkle, her red veiny eyes met mine. Run! Rowena, run! Her voice echoed through our mindlink, her way to desperately plead for me to escape. But before I could respond through the link, her blood curdling scream stopped me. When it died down, a heavy blanket of silence covered our connection. I felt numb. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the faces of those responsible. Their backs were turned to me. I didn't exactly expect the moon goddess to hear my plea because I turned just in time to see the person who murdered my parents. My heart shattered into a million pieces as I watched my best friend, Aaliyah, walk up to a man and plant a kiss on his cheek. When the man turned, my legs wobbled. He was unmistakably Liam, my mate, the guy I had known all my life and grown to love. My eyes glistened with tears. It hurt so much to see them betray me like this. I couldn't believe Liam would do this to me. He was supposed to be loyal, the future Beta of our pack. Why would they do this, I don't know what I was more mad about, for the fact that those two have been together right under my f*****g nose or the fact they had betrayed their pack and their Alpha. I watched them set my parents corpses ablaze and I couldn't hold it anymore, I screamed my lungs out, and let the tears of pain and anger roll down my cheeks. My screams alerted them and they all turned their gazes towards me. "You shouldn't have returned," Aliyah said, smirking. "I will kill you all, I will make you all suffer before your death" I snarled in anger and my wolf clawed to get out. "Get her!" Luca, the beta ordered the pack warriors, and they all began to run towards my direction. I am their future Alpha, yet Luca has managed to sway them to his side. I was no warrior with exceptional skills, and being the only child of my parents, they wanted to protect me, like my father would say, he wanted to shelter me from such a kind of life. I really wished that I hadn’t listened to him. My legs chose before me. They wobbled, carrying me out of the pack with the warriors hot on my tail. I ran like a damn coward. But deep down, I promised myself that I would come back one day, to avenge my parents' deaths and the betrayal of those who had once been my pack. I ran without knowing where I was going, driven only by the need to survive. I made a mistake of looking back, almost tripping when I saw that they were catching up to me. “Lupa!” I yelled through our mindlink, letting myself go so that she could take over. And she did, transforming into her form. A white wolf as white as snow. She always took pride in being called a ‘Snow wolf.’ She was the last thing that reminded me of my parents who were both snow wolves. The last of their kind. Snap! A sharp pain washed over me. It didn't take long for me to realize that the red line that connected my mind to the back has snapped. It was now a broken line that publicly displayed the severance to my pack. I, Rowena Wilson, daughter of Alfredo Wilson, was now a rogue snow wolf casted out by the very people I had once called family—by Luca Martins, my father's friend and Beta. Saved by Lupa’s feral agility, I safely crossed the pack border's into unknown land. They couldn't follow me there unless they risked being rogues themselves.They could only stand and do nothing as Lupa let me gain control. "I will be back!" I screamed at the werewolves growling and snarling helplessly at me from the border. "Tell Liam and Aaliyah that I will be back for vengeance!" I added, panting uncontrollably. I was about to say more when one of the wolves dared to cross the border. I ran deeper into the claimed lands. I had never been to this side of the land before. lost and alone. I didn't even know the name of the place I stumbled into. Suddenly, I tripped over a branch and fell on my face. Fat tears gushed out of my eyes, not from the pain of the fall, but from the overwhelming weight of everything happening. I should've listened to Mom and stayed home today. If I had, maybe I could've been there to help them. If only I had known what was coming, I would've never left their side. “I'll make them pay for what they did to you, Mom and Dad," I vowed into the darkness. With night falling fast, I perched on a large tree branch. I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to for help. I couldn't risk going back to the pack, knowing there could be a trap set by Luca. I gently released Lupa, for comfort and warmth as she folded into a ball for the night. Tomorrow, I would find a shelter and figure out how to make those traitors pay for their betrayal.