Xander
The hardest thing about being an Alpha was protecting my pack.
Not from other rival packs or other species. I made sure that they would never ever dare to even touch a single hair on their furs.
No, their biggest threat was me.
I looked at my reflection in the river and my wolf stared back at me with glowing golden eyes.
Groaning, I crouched down and splashed the icy cold water on my face. My head was killing me. Honestly I felt like it was going to explode. I hadn't slept properly for a week now because of all the nightmares and my wolf wasn't making anything better. He kept growling menacingly in my head for me to let him out for a run but we both knew that wasn't best idea in our current situation.
The cold water felt cool against my burning skin. I almost sighed happily at the relief it brought. I splashed some more of it on my face.
My only hope now was that this cold would pull me through until I made it back to my cabin before the full moon waned or otherwise-
In the distance a twig snapped, cutting off that dreadful train of thought. The sound of boots crunching the snow that I hadn't heard before caught my attention. I stood up straight. I pushed out my energy and felt an aura approach. It may have been unfamiliar but it didn't feel dangerous at all.
My wolf and I relaxed.
This had to be one of the new wolves my Beta supposedly acquired for me.
A young shifter emerged from the thicket of trees. He had dark hair and a pair of pale silver eyes but the jagged scar running from his left eye to the curve of his mouth marred his boyishly handsome features. His name was Nathaniel, right? I tried to recall.
When he was a few feet away from me, the young pup stopped and dropped onto one knee. He bowed his head respectfully which wasn't necessary at all. My wolf had a thing for space not deep bows and curtsies.
I bet on all my canines that Liam is involved in this somehow.
For the first time today, my wolf muffled in agreement.
"Alpha," the pup said, carefully not to raise his head, "Beta Liam told me to come and find you to tell you that it's your turn now."
I smirked. Finally.
Striding past the young pup into the forest, I let my wolf's hearing temporarily lead me to my wolves' voices.
The pup followed closely behind me.
Liam stood in front of the intruders. His brow was furrowed and his lips set in a thin line like he always did whenever he was frustrated. Beside him was Elaine, my other Beta. Her flaming red hair was tied into a knotty mess on top of her head and in her gloved hand her favorite weapon, a blood stained silver rod.
Before them, the intruders were kneeling in a semi-circle with the leader in front.
Clearly Elaine had done some damage, I observed thoughtfully, looking at their purple bruises and silver burns. Those angry red lines were nowhere close to healing.
It was a miracle that they weren't dead yet.
No normal wolf could take more than ten silver beatings and still be able to talk.
My beta spotted me as I strode to him.
"Did they say anything?" I asked casually though I already knew that they hadn't said anything since I left otherwise because he wouldn't have asked for my expertise if they did.
When he didn't say anything, I smirked.
Turning to the intruders, I said. "How about we cut the crap and get this going."
Their leader sneered.
"Lookie, here boys. The Alpha has decided to grace us with his presence."
They erupted in laughter which sounded like howling hyenas. My wolves growled at the disrespect. Elaine pushed forward but I raised my hand up to stop her.
She'd had her chance already. Now it was my turn and I didn't need her help.
I smiled sinisterly at them.
"Let's try this again. What are you doing in my territory?"
The leader smiled, exposing his yellow, uneven teeth.
"Nothing."
The lie came out effortlessly. My wolf growled in my mind impatiently but I brushed him off. I had to hand it to this guy though. He came prepared.
I sighed. "Then we have to do this the hard way."
Whistling idly, I dragged the leader to an oak tree a few feet away from the others.
I crouched down then placed my right hand around his dirt caked neck. My nostrils flared at the rancid smell of his skin but I ignored it.
"What are you doing?" he asked panicked.
I ignored him. I willed my canines and claws to elongate.
"What are you doing?" he repeated shakily.
Again I ignored him. He is a noisy one, my wolf muttered to me.
Fear was now pouring out of him in waves. He began to fidget and fret but I placed my free hand on his knee.
Gosh, he was such a difficult one. By now I thought he would have figured out what I was about to do.
I sighed.
I ran one of my long claws on his forearm, leaving a trail of blood in its awake.
"You see I need to get rid of you first if I actually want to get anywhere with your friends over there. So simply putting it, I'm going to crush you."
I gripped his neck with my claws and applied some pressure.
He must have been feeling the pain now as my claws crushed his windpipe because he started fidgeting again. I strengthened my hold on him.
"Between the two of us, we both know that they look to you as their leader and I rather not have you in the picture. Okay?"
He coughed up dark blood. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets.
"Okay, I think you understand right?"
He convulsed, still not giving me a reply. Not that I expected one anyway.
There was a sickening crunch sound as I felt his bone snap.
After a few minutes, I released him and he crumbled limply on the ground. His colleagues gasped. Clearly they had expected me to torture him as my wolves had done but that was what everyone else got wrong about me.
I wasn't like other wolves. They were wrong to assume that because I didn't start out like them.
No, my mother made sure that I would be worse.
Much worse than they could ever imagine.
Their dark eyes stared at me in a mixture of disgust, fear and anger. A combination I knew all too well.
"So, the rumors are true," said one of the intruders. His voice come out a little shakier than I think he intended. I wanted to ask them which ones. The ones about me being a homicidal maniac or the ones about my great blood thirst or the ones about me being truly my mother's son but instead I tilted my neck at him and smirked.
"Everything everyone says about me is true."
They all paled visibly.
I stood up, wiping off some blood from my face.
"Now, who wants to talk?"