Pure Blood: Rise of the Alpha

by Unknown

  I jogged down the street and turned the corner and I could see Amanda in her Cooper Mini. I jumped into her car, blasted the radio and we both wore a grin on our faces knowing the day was ours.

  We decided to go hiking to a lake near my house that was tucked back in a wall of pine trees. The lake was beyond a cool canyon pass that wound around before opening into a large valley. It was a perfect day for being outdoors. The sky was clear and sunny and the hint of a cool fall breeze was enough to keep us from getting too hot. The canyon was winding in a perfect way to catch the sun rays. We walked holding hands and enjoying stories of our childhood. Mine was spent entirely here and so I had lots of stories about hunting, hiking, atv riding, and snow mobile riding to share with her. Amanda lived in various places before coming here and so she shared her stories of life on the east coast and even down south. Her Dad’s work had them moving around a lot. He was a genius programmer and took his family along on all his assignments. The look on her face told me she wasn’t too happy talking about the past so I tried not to ask her about the time she went away. It was a part of her story telling she skipped over.

  We made it down to the lake in time for a snack and drink. The water was cool but the lake was so peaceful that the world seemed miles away.

  “Thanks for coming out with me.” I said while holding her up against me.

  “Hmm I wish we could do this every day. I feel so right with you. Even the silence feels full of meaning, does that make sense?” She asked.

  I kissed her in response, because she knew exactly how to express what I felt, there was no need for words.

  After awhile, she leaned to the side and looked at me with hesitation in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked her, wondering what could be bothering her when a moment ago we were so blissfully enjoying each other.

  “Have you ever had a weird dream and as silly as it is feel like you can’t really explain it?” She asked not knowing I’ve had my fair share of weird.

  “I’ve had some pretty weird dreams and daydreams too. So shoot. You tell me yours and I’ll pick from my top ten weirdest.” I said hoping to reassure her. She scrunched up her face then visibly relaxed. I pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears and she smiled up at me.

  “I love when you do that.” She said and settled back onto my shoulder. She held my hand and played with the lines in my palm.

  “You’re stalling” I mumbled not wanting to break this peaceful moment. “But I like it so feel free to keep doing that.” I said with a grin at her chuckle.

  “I’m not stalling, I just don’t want to freak you out or sound childish that I’ve made a big deal about nothing.” She obviously wanted to share something and I had to snap my wolf out of the selfish state he was in. I mean who doesn’t love to be petted and caressed?

  “Ok, I will tell you mine first, and then you tell me yours, ok?” I said while thinking of what aspect of my weird life I can convert into a dream without it sounding too real. So I picked a real dream instead, one that was sentimental to me.

  “I’ve had this same dream a few times which is what makes it weird to me. And it’s mostly been when I feel most…how can I say “You know, when I’m all soft and furry”…stressed. I dreamt the same thing each time. I would be in this odd place where the scenery is all blurred but nice. Kind of like a painting that got wet where things look fuzzy but you can still make out what they are.”

  She nodded empathetically, like she could relate.

  “Well, anyway, I begin to hear a voice in the distance that’s soothing and gentle. It’s saying something I don’t understand but then I see a woman coming towards me from a distance. She’s completely white almost like a walking marble statue. She holds out something to me, it’s some sort of ornament or something hanging on a rope or string I think. It’s hard to make out because the background makes me feel like everything I see is a blur. Then the ornament starts to brighten until it’s hard for me to look.”

  “Did she kill you?” She asked worriedly.

  “I’m not sure. But then in a flash, literally, it blasts me off my feet and I start to fall. Then I wake up. But the weird thing about it is that I think the woman may be my mom.” I finished feeling odd about telling her mostly because I sensed her tense up and heard her heartbeat quicken. Even her skin turned a little cooler in temperature. She must think I’m the dullest person because my “weird” dream didn’t have flying monkeys and a talking dog. But instead it had some freaky ghost that I think is my mother blasting and killing me.

  “Thanks for telling me Connor. It was eerie and honestly I’m thinking we should lighten the mood a bit.” She said and I can tell her anxiety has settled. Maybe she loves me despite my weirdo dreams.

  “Alright, I’ll take a rain check on your freaky dream” I said lifting her off me and getting us both a drink.

  “I feel like stretching my legs a bit. Did you know I use to run track in middle school?” She asked.

  “No.” I said while watching her stretch and pull at her legs and arms apparently preparing for a run. “I never saw you running with the track team.”

  “That’s because I ran in 6th and 7th at my old school.” She said rolling her neck. “I didn’t need any more teasing from the 8th graders in our school so I chose not to run. Ok, jock.” She said teasingly. “You ready to go? We’ll see who gets to the car first. See if you can catch up and try not to get too winded.” She laughed as she leaned down low, cocked her head to the side and gave me a wicked grin.

  I scrambled to get into position and she took off. I trailed behind trying to remember not to show how fast I really can go. In fact, I knew I could outrun her sleepwalking but it was fun to see her enjoying the victory. She got more determined and weaved between the trees and their roots like a pro. I started to think that she’s been here before and that this wasn’t her first time jetting through the path. I was gaining on her when she took a sharp right and I slowed down trying to figure out if I should follow her or cheat and use my wolf instincts to cut her off on her way. I opted to be fair and went down the regular path.

  Then I smelled it. Wolf. Maybe a Were but perhaps a full grown wolf. The smell was too far to distinguish between the two. I broke into a full run following Amanda’s scent. My body got whipped by branches and every part they cut I felt the burn. Luckily, my wounds healed quickly just in time for the new scratch. But the thought of Amanda being torn into with a wolf’s fangs was unbearable. My wolf wanted to leap out of my body but I held on until it’s time. My feet scarcely touched the ground as I tore through the leaf covered ground. I skidded to a stop when I heard the snarl of the wolf and her scent was overwhelming.

  I got to her faster than I thought I would. She was standing in the middle of a thickly wooded area with trees tightly bundled. The wolf was not a Were but it was encircling her and snarling. It was hesitating to attack but what was odder was Amanda. She was holding her ground and chanting something I didn’t understand but in an eerie way it was familiar. I wasn’t sure what to do. She looked like she was in a trance and I wasn’t sure whether it was the wolf doing that to her or if it was Amanda. It would be odd for a regular wolf to have that kind of power unless there was a mage. Damn, where is the mage? If it was the wolf I needed to attack it. I could shift before nearing them so Amanda wouldn’t know it was me. But if it was Amanda I needed to be strong enough to take her on, because that would mean she was a mage and I’d been set up. Either way I had to shift.

  I moved quickly and shifted before either one could take notice of me. I approached the trees making sure to come behind Amanda. I wasn’t sure yet who I was going to attack but I figured taking out the wolf was the best way to determine who was controlling who. But my instincts told me Amanda was not out to hurt me and I leapt forward from behind her and landed in front of the wolf and bore my teeth down around his neck. I was large enough to hold onto him without having to crush his neck. I turned us around facing Ama
nda and she looked panicked. She was hyperventilating and her heart was practically pounding out of her chest.

  “Holy crap!” She said. “Please don’t hurt me, oh my God. I don’t know how to stop two of you.” She was apparently speaking to herself. She was inching backwards trying to put distance between us. And she tripped over an exposed root. I took the chance to turn and run with the wolf in my mouth. I got far enough to fling him down into a gulch and he went into the woods on the opposite side.

  I made my way back towards Amanda but she had already moved on. I assumed she was headed to the car so I picked up my clothes and sped along a separate path keeping close enough to her scent to come to her aid if I had to. I pushed forward at a greater speed once we neared the car so I could shift back and get dressed.

  I was leaning against the car when she came walking out of the canyon.

  “So I guess I beat the track star after all” I said a bit smugly to try and appear as normal as possible. She brushed herself off as if trying to regain normalcy.

  “Guess coach is doing a better job with you boys than I thought.” She said lightly as she got out her keys from her pocket and unlocked the car. She gave me a peck on the cheek before walking around to her side to get in. So she wasn’t going to say anything, ok, I can play this game.

  “Want me to drive?” I offered before getting in.

  “Nah, thanks. I’m not that worn out. But you could get water from the ice box in the trunk. I’m super thirsty.” She answered and got in.

  As I grabbed the water and shut the trunk I wondered why she hadn’t said anything about what happened. She obviously had something to hide. Hey, pot stop calling the kettle black, my conscious was saying. Maybe she was some sort of animal whisperer like that guy that talks to dogs and horses. I remember going to the fair when I was young, and my Dad and I would check out the guy who talked to farm animals. My Dad thought he was a joke but took me anyway. It was cool for me, and the animal owners were super impressed. My Dad, for reasons that are known to me now, scoffed at him with a kind of annoyance. I would too if I were my Dad and capable of communicating telepathically with supernatural creatures. I’m sure his thoughts were “Pffft, try talking to an entire network of werewolves buddy.”

  “Here you go. Hungry?” I asked knowing I could eat a moose.

  “Yeah, I’m starving.” She said with a wistful look on her face. I was dying to know what she was thinking. But all I could say was, “I know what you mean.”

  CHAPTER 11

  The ice caps glistened like diamonds while the bright clear sky contrasted with a perfect shade of blue. Bryn admired the majestic works of Mother Nature and she knew that all the blood she shed was necessary to maintain the balance she could now enjoy. As she sat on the ice basking in the coolness on her skin while absorbing the heat of the sun on her face she felt the epitome of the ying and yang of the universe.

  “Mother, just give the order you brought me here to give.” She said icily. The dread she felt in knowing the mission ahead of her made her feel like the first time in ages like the killer she was.

  T he snow began falling on the ground next to her; gently touching the ice, then one by one snowflakes began to join together. Like tiny cells melding into the form of Mother Nature. She was glorious and luminous as the diamonds that shone on the ice cap.

  “Dear daughter, it hurts my being to see you this way. I would send another but you know that you are the only one I trust. You’ve been my instrument in so many major events for ages. You’ve seen the good that comes from the tasks I’ve asked you to do. Do you still doubt my decision?” She asked of her beloved daughter. There was no doubting the love she had for Bryn and the trust she had in only her with all matters crucial to the balance. Bryn has done all deeds effortlessly and efficiently and her reward had always been the same. The joy of seeing life continue and her mother’s gift of erasing the remorse and replacing it with peace.

  “I know this will only last for a little. I’m not an amateur, but no erasing of my remorse will make the anticipation of what I am about to do any easier. I trust you but I also know the way of man. He has always found a way to circumvent you mother. He has always found a way to manipulate your gifts to him.” There was force behind Bryn’s voice that shook the ground.

  “And in Connor I see what his father has engrained in him and what his mother has gifted him with. Empathy. The key to man’s survival with nature.” She said pleadingly to her mother, hoping this last effort will open her mother’s eyes to the alternative. All she wanted was to give him some more time. Time to prove himself. To disprove her judgment of him.

  “My love, you are wise and I do not doubt you, but I cannot give him the time you seek. With each passing day he grows stronger. If we let this opportunity pass it will only cause greater harm when you ultimately have to battle him.” She whispered in her daughter’s ear keeping her voice soothing so as not to upset her child.

  “They are seeking out the original witches. Bryn you know what that will bring. I need the traitor dead but Connor too. The witches need to stay hidden and Connor must not increase his power. He has the potential to bring the days of great terror with the blood of Devon in him. If he sees his father dead he may lose his empathy to a darker emotion.” Mother Nature stood in front of her daughter holding Bryn’s face in her hands while looking deeply in her eyes.

  “I love you mother, and I will do as you ask. Please let us be done with this.” Said Bryn with tears brimming her eyes eager to spill.

  “Baby girl. All will be well and balanced and then you will come to feel peace and all will be long forgotten. I love you more than you will ever know or understand Bryn. Be careful and please come back to me.” And with that she held her daughter tight and kissed her soft cheek until the snowflakes that held her form melted away.

  “The plan is set then. We will move in units of threes. Each unit will strike their targets at the designated time, together. It will be a blitzkrieg attack.” The crowd got restless with the thought of nearing the end of the stealth and going into full on battle.

  “This will provide our mage with sufficient time to allow me access to him and kill him once and for all!”

  My phone rang at 8 a.m. and I really didn’t want to get it but after the sixth ring I knew it had to be important.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey bro, guess who is patched up and ready to go?!” I heard Mike say and I grinned at his optimism considering his devastating situation. I still had to talk to my Dad about our options but I kind of out that off not knowing how to breach the subject.

  “That’s great Mike, man I really want to see you on the field again man.” I said keeping my voice light and positive.

  “You don’t understand Connor. They’ve run tests after tests all week. They haven’t been able to see anything wrong with my knee. They think I made it up for attention! Can you believe that?” He said and I was still trying to register what he said.

  “Well anyway, my folks didn’t let up. They said they saw me going down and all the coaches saw my knee out of place but now no one can explain how it looks like nothing happened. Not even a sprain!” He said excitedly.

  “Wow, Mike. Man that’s unbelievable.” I said knowing all too well nothing is unbelievable anymore.

  “Yeah, I know! Well I thought I should call you and thank you for being there man. I knew you prayed for me when I was sitting on that gernie and somehow your prayers were answered. Thanks Connor. You’re the best brother I could’ve ever asked for.” He said with emotion in his voice that had me choking up a bit.

  “I love you bro. And I’m happy things worked out for you. Can’t wait to test it out, so let’s get together sometime this week, ok?” I said still reeling at the news that maybe I had something to do with it. Or perhaps it was the mage? Or had the mage gotten to Mike? Damn I’m getting paranoid. I have to talk to Fridolf. He would know what to make of this.

  “For sure, bro. Talk to you later!�
� He hung up and I fell back down on my bed shutting my eyes and wishing I knew more about Weres. I had to make time to go see Fridolf and see if I can learn more about the pack, our history, and what the hell I was turning into!

  I was done with my run and was looking forward to my shower and then a big lunch. I was just opening the door to the bathroom when there was a knock on the front door. Too lazy to go see I use my senses and I could tell it was Li by the smell of her shampoo.

  “Who’s there?” I called out while making my way to the living room hallway. Despite knowing it was her I had to make it seem like I’m not a wolf with super senses.

  “It’s meeee! Li!” She shouted back.

  “Use your key! I want to jump in the shower!” I called back and went on the bathroom and heard her open the door.

  I could smell bacon frying and I knew she was making her famous BLT sandwich. This was exactly what I needed. Normalcy. Li would be making a sandwich and Dad would walk in right when it’s done and now me texting Amanda to make plans for another date. I walked out of the bathroom heading to my room to get my phone and Li was waiting inside with her back towards me.

  “Li? What’s going on?” I asked stepping in.

  She shook her head and it looked like she shed a layer of skin. I immediately sensed a mystical creature and I had let it in. My wolf awoke and I began to grow out my fangs. I tried to shift in parts so as not to alert the creature still standing with its back towards me. Before I could finish shifting my arms it turned around and like a cyclone changed into a woman made entirely of wind. She looked like a tornado in the shape of a woman. Her arms, legs, head were all spiraling like a smooth tornado. Her eyes were mini tornadoes with the oddest color. They were little rainbows changing colors with every rotation. I only had a split second to admire her. She held up her arm and it turned into a long silver blade. The smell was painful to my nose.