The Long Lost Alpha

Chapter 8: A Taste of Freedom

Theo

The trees rustled in the breeze and the sound of crushed leaves filled the forest. The curious Alpha’s daughter walked in silence beside me, her eyes scanning around for a hint of what I had in mind. Her face radiated innocence with a hint of unwavering strength. She was an Alpha indeed, no doubt.

The only difference between the handful of Alphas I knew and Ilona Rannulf was that she was not biased. From the first time I saw her and our interactions that followed, she was always kind.

“She took after her mother, not her father. Thank goodness,” Kai blurted out, chuckling to himself.

Narrowing my eyes, I replied, “Kai, behave! Or else I’ll turn back right now.”

“I’ll be good,” he whimpered, and disappeared into the endless abyss of my mind.

“Is there something wrong?” Ilona asked, concerned at my facial expression of annoyance.

Smiling at her, I shook my head, “Not at all. Kai is being silly.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you or anything. The packhouse knows that I only go to the market on Fridays and Mondays, so they questioned me today. That’s why I was a little worried.” Her plump lips pouted and a cloud of gloom floated over her head.

Exhaling to myself, I replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll have you back in no time.”

“By the way, where are we going?” she questioned, her voice laced with a tad of fear.

Stopping in my tracks, I gripped her upper arms and looked at her, “Nowhere. We’re here. Stay right here.”

Ilona nodded in response and I walked towards a tall bush in excitement.

“Over to you, wolfy.”

~.~

Kai

Adrenaline rushed through my veins as soon as Theo shifted. The sight of my furry paws and the feeling of the breeze running through my fur made me want to howl. But, there was something else far more important that I wanted to do.

With a deep breath, I walked over to where Theo had left Ilona. As expected, she was looking at me, alarmed by the rustling of the bush. Her sky-blue eyes begged me to drown in them and her rosy lips called out to me.

“Kai! Stop it! She’s our friend!” Theo mind-linked me, disturbing the vision of a daydream before me.

“Right, right. Yeah, I got it. You relax, I got it from here,” I replied before shutting him out.

Approaching her little by little, I nudged her arm with my snout and she giggled in response. Ilona then reached out and rested her palm on my body, making me rumble in pleasure. She stroked my fur and my soul deep within.

But, all of a sudden, when I started to feel something in her touch, she yanked her hand away. When I looked down at her, her eyebrows scrunched up in worry. With a gentle nudge and a whimper, I questioned her actions. Ilona dismissed it with a wave of her hand and her hypnotic smile returned to her face.

“Hello there, Kai. I heard that you wanted to meet me. Is that true?” Ilona’s melodic voice asked. This time she was talking to me and not my silly human.

Even though I could speak to her, I knew I could still answer her question. Wiggling out of her touch, I started jumping around with joy like a pup. Then, I crouched down next to her, demanding her to climb aboard.

The Alpha she-wolf couldn’t resist my charm and insistence. With my precious cargo on my back, I galloped through the forest as Ilona held on tight to me. I was glad to provide her with a sneak peek into the wolf life and cheer her up.

Her laughs and giggles were like fuel to my bones, pushing me to run faster to never stop hearing her joy. But like all good things, our time together soon came to an end. Ilona cupped my big face in her small hands and rested her forehead on it. My whole body rumbled with ecstasy but it soon slumped into sorrow when she stepped away. I took a final look at the magnificent female before dragging my paws behind the bush to shift back to Theo.

Take care of my human, Ilona.

~.~

Ilona

Watching Kai run around like a wild puppy made me laugh. The white wolf was hyper yet so gentle. His rumble as I ran my hand through his fur made butterflies stir deep within me. But, what was odd was another feeling I felt when I touched Kai.

It was as if something else within me was touching him through me. Tingles ran through my body, but I quickly dismissed them. Inhaling a deep breath of air, I assured the adorable wolf that everything was okay. But, Kai wasn’t convinced.

It wasn’t until I agreed to ride him that he rumbled with satisfaction, washing me with relief. The wind in my hair and the wolf underneath me stirred up a sense of peace and freedom in me. My cheeks and face hurt from all the laughs and smiles that Theo and Kai made me feel.

Once Theo shifted and got dressed, we walked through the forest towards the market. He bid me farewell and I strolled back to the packhouse with a smile etched on my face. Engrossed in my bliss, I failed to realize that curious eyes were on me, intrigued by the change in my behavior.

If only I knew.

~.~

Theo

Soon, the days went by and it was Monday, the day I could see Ilona again. Mrs. Quinn was more than happy to let me stay in her small hut, but I made sure to do my share. I did the hard, heavy work around the house. These included collecting firewood and repairing the rundown hut. Plus, when the workload was too much, I helped weave baskets for Mrs. Quinn to sell.

To be honest, time passed quite fast, but I couldn’t shake Ilona out of my mind. There was something about her story and her situation that bugged me. A connection was forming between us, one that’s unexplainable. Yet, it seemed real, meant to be.

Ilona was just my friend, a close one even. Yes, my heart fluttered when she was around, but that was probably just Kai. But, she was not my mate and I had to keep that in mind. No doubt the fact that she was an Alpha while I was a mere Omega bothered me. As for our friendship, we weren’t breaking any rules nor did she mind. Still, it felt nice to feel welcome, appreciated, and not treated as an unwanted rogue.

After freshening up, I took a good look in the stained mirror. Running a wet hand through my hair, my lips curled into a smile.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re handsome, I get it. Can we move along, lover boy?” Kai teased, rolling his eyes at me in my mind.

Huffing at his statement, I put on the cloak that Mrs. Quinn had given me and headed out the door. The sun was bright so I pulled up the hood over my head, hiding away my face. I also didn’t forget to dab a few drops of the liquid mist that Ilona gave me on my neck. After all, I was still unwelcomed in the pack. Plus, after I had met the incredible Alpha’s daughter, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.

“Better safe than sorry!” Kai reminded me, his tail wagging with glee.

Slapping my forehead in annoyance, I continued down the path that had become all too familiar to me. The breeze was cold despite the unshielded sun, running a shiver down my spine. Still, my feet carried me to the local market.

There, standing behind the stalls, was the familiar figure. This time she was in a black cape with red hems. A hood covered her head, hiding her dirty blond locks. But, as soon as I approached her, a burly silhouette emerged from the forest beside us.

“Theo! On your right!” Kai warned before he growled.

My trusty white wolf was right, for soon a man stepped out from behind the trees. He was young and tall. His muscular biceps carried a tattoo of a Gamma. I remember Mother drawing such signs in the sand to teach me when I was a pup.

The dangerous stranger’s attendance alarmed me, but I was more concerned for the safety of Ilona. Approaching her, I placed a hand on her shoulder to alert her of my presence. But, as soon as I did, her hand gripped mine and twisted it the other way.

The figure in the cape—who I naively assumed was Ilona—turned around and faced me. With her free hand, she pushed back her cape to reveal her unfamiliar face. Her dark black hair released down to her shoulders and she glared at me with her piercing turquoise eyes.

“We finally meet, stranger.”