The Long Lost Alpha

Chapter 2 : A Second Chance

Theo’s P.O.V

My head pounded the minute I woke up. It was as if I had been asleep for quite some time, judging by how hard it was to open my eyes. The last thing I remembered seeing was Kai crashing down by some trees, almost lifeless. Even so, I did recollect hearing some voices and feeling someone’s warm touch on my body once in a while. But, that was it, that was all I could do.

After that, I tried to open my eyes but all I could muster was a glance at my surroundings. Within seconds, I swayed back into the darkness. The sight of me in a cot in the corner of a small hut was the last thing I saw before my eyelids shut. Following that, I couldn’t feel anything as if I was detached from my own body. There were no more voices in my ear, not even Kai’s.

“Kai? Where are you, buddy?” I mind-linked my wolf, but I received no reply, only devastating silence.

At least that was the case until one day I felt the voices around me get louder, particularly one of a kid. The child approached me and started poking my arm over and over again, much to my annoyance. When I could take no more, my eyes fluttered open at their own accord to catch the perpetrator.

“Nana! He’s awake!” the boy yelled out, deafening my sensitive hearing.

The sound of footsteps piqued my interest and I turned to the source of the sound. An elderly lady walked over to my cot, a warm smile lighting up her face. The strands of gray hair and wrinkles on her younger face reflected how her struggles had aged her.

“Where am I?” I asked at once, despite my dry throat.

The lady exhaled and smiled before taking a seat beside me. She picked up a glass of water and placed it at my lips, helping me take a few sips. As soon as my throat was feeling better, the kind lady took a warm towel and placed it on my forehead, soothing me.

“You’re in the Crimson Crest Pack.” Her voice was comforting but her face twitched with worry, fear even.

My consciousness returned to me little by little, like an hourglass filling with sand. Everything that happened started flooding my mind. My home was no more, nor my family. Everything I had ever known was destroyed. The worst part of all was that I couldn’t feel Kai. My heart broke at the thought that I had lost my wolf, my best friend.

Clearing my throat, my voice trembled as I asked the kind lady an important question, “My wolf…is he…alright?”

“Oh, you poor thing. Yes, your wolf is fine. But, based on my experience, he might be very weak. You’ll need to continue drinking this herbal tea to get him strong.” Her hand waved a small bottle filled with green liquid in front of me.

Despite her words, I couldn’t wrap my half-numb mind around her assurance, “But, I can’t hear him or mind-link him.”

“Yes, his situation was critical and both of you are still feeble. But now that you’re awake, I’m sure it won't take long for your wolf to follow,” she advised, her soft voice calming me down.

“Hang in there, Kai,” I comforted my quiet wolf.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I continued my interrogation, “How did I get here?”

She pulled the boy closer and ruffled his hair, “My grandson, Leo, spotted your wolf in the forest and called me.”

“Your wolf was so bloody!” he exclaimed only to receive a silencing glare from his grandmother.

Hearing his words, I looked down at the bandages around my abdomen. Everything clicked in my mind and my body started feeling the agonizing pain.

As if she could read my mind, the lady continued, “I’m sorry I couldn’t do much more for your pain. Our Alpha isn’t fond of rogues or strangers even. If I brought you to the pack doctor, he might find out and have you banished even in such a fragile state.”

“He’s that bad?” I asked, a little shocked by the condition of the pack.

Her face dropped and she cast her eyes down, “It’s sad to say, but yes.”

“So, you brought me into your home despite that risk?” I asked as I attempted to pull myself up.

The kind mother-like figure immediately propped me up with a pillow. Satisfied, she continued, “I couldn’t leave a poor wolf to die when there was something I could do about it.”

“Well, you have my everlasting gratitude...urm…” I hesitated, unsure of how to address her.

She offered me a bright smile, “Mrs. Quinn, Mary Quinn. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?”

“I don’t mind. There’s nothing left of it anyway,” I replied, a bitter taste filling my mouth. “My name is Theo and I come from The Willow Den, a small village of kind rogues.”

“Oh, so you’re not from the neighboring packs?” she asked, intrigued with my background.

Shaking my head, I looked at her with curiosity, “No. Why?”

“It’s nothing. You look a little familiar, but that may be my old brain. But, your white wolf reminded me of our late Alpha. He was such a compassionate ruler, unlike Alpha Xander.” Her face lit up at the mention of their late Alpha. But, within seconds it contorted into a look of disappointment.

Once again, my head shook, “Oh, you must be mistaken. Kai, my wolf, ran a long way from home before reaching your border.”

“Ran? Why? What happened?” Leo chimed in. The boy listened with curiosity, invested in my story as if it was one of his bedtime stories.

“Cruel rogues poisoned the village and eliminated everyone. Somehow, I escaped even though I can’t help feeling that I shouldn’t have been able to. Why should I be alive when my family and friends burned down in their own homes?” I replied, my voice trembling with hints of hurt and fury.

Mrs. Quinn placed her warm hand on my arm, “Don’t say that. I’m so sorry for your loss but don’t have any regrets. Think of this as a second chance granted by the Goddess, a chance to fulfill your true destiny.”

“Thank you. For everything,” I expressed as I gazed into her eyes, her words ringing in my soul.

“Okay, that’s enough chit-chat.” Mrs. Quinn picked up the bottle of icky-looking liquid and forwarded it to me, “Here, drink this potion and rest. You’ll need all the rest you can get to get well soon.”

Sipping the bitter green potion, I took one last look at the kind face of Mrs. Quinn before closing my eyes. The haunting images of the village on fire and my family dropping dead filled my sight. Their cries riled me with sadness, but it was in vain. Soon, the potion kicked in and nothing but darkness surrounded me.

Rest in peace, The Willow Den.

~.~

Grunts escaped my mouth as I picked up a log and threw it into the fireplace. The contented fire crackled as soon as it received its kindling. Yet, frustration loomed over my mind.

It had been a few days since we were almost mauled to death. Even though we were making significant progress, I was still annoyed that I wasn’t my old self.

“Hey, you’re not the one that took all the blows. Stop sulking!” Kai mind-linked me, his green eyes rolling at me with exasperation.

Scoffing at his response, I walked over to the dusty window and peeked behind the curtains. The world was moving on outside while I sat inside, imprisoned by the kind yet strict Mrs. Quinn.

“Oh, stop being a big baby, Theo!” Kai snickered, infuriating me further.

“You know, I miss the silence,” I replied, my eyes narrowing on their own accord.

Kai stuck his tongue out in my mind, “Oh, please. You missed me and I know it.”

To be honest, he was right but I was never going to admit such a thing to him. It had been over two days since Kai woke up and started annoying me again. According to Mrs. Quinn, I recovered at record speed, unlike other wolves she had tended to while she was a nurse. But, it wasn’t surprising since back in the village, I usually healed faster than the others. I always thought it was something in my genetics or Kai’s.

“Theo! We’re home!” Leo’s voice echoed through the small house.

“Shhh! Not so loud, Leo! Remember what we discussed the other day?” his grandmother whispered with a sharp voice.

The boy immediately placed his hand over his mouth and muffled his response, “Sorry!”

A tight smile broke out of my face as I ruffled his chestnut, curly hair. He responded with a huge grin and disappeared into the house with a skip in his step.

“Ah, to be a pup again. What I wouldn’t do to be like that again!” Kai rolled around in my mind, before throwing his legs in the air in a silly way.

Mrs. Quinn’s voice broke my daze, much to my delight, “I bought some mushrooms at the market. I hope you’re in the mood for a creamy mushroom soup.”

“Is the town far away?” I asked, out of the blue.

“No. It’s a mere stone throne away from here,” she replied, emptying the contents of her basket onto the wooden table. But sensing something odd, she immediately looked up at me, “Why do you ask?”

Picking up an orange and smelling it, I looked away as I answered her, “I thought of taking a walk.”

“Yeah. A long walk. Oh, perhaps a run too?” Kai chimed in like an excited puppy.

Mrs. Quinn’s eye immediately grew wide, “No, son. It’s too dangerous. Someone might realize that you are a foreigner, a rogue.”

“Don’t worry. I will remain hidden. No matter what, I will not let any harm come upon your family.” I placed my palm over my heart, giving her my word.

But, that wasn’t enough to convince her. She wasn’t ready to let go of the invisible shackles she had placed around my feet, “Forget about us. If the Alpha finds out, he will not spare you!”

The elderly woman’s breathing started increasing at the double. Her eyes carried nothing but concern. She had no connection to me whatsoever, yet she feared for my life more than her own. Sitting her down, I knelt beside her and took her hand in mine.

“Mrs. Quinn, might I remind you that I’m a rogue, a lone wolf. We roam around free and are not restricted by rules or threats.” My voice was confident and carried no fright.

She looked down at me, still unconvinced, “What’s your point, Theo?”

Standing up with my head held high, my eyes narrowed as I glanced through the opening slit of the curtain. After a short inhale of air, I looked down at the frail lady, her eyes still full of worry. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I assured her with the words that had kept Kai and me going for as long as I could remember.

“I have, am, and will never be afraid of anybody.”