Rise of the Alpha (The Rise Series Book 1)

by Helen Dhanoya

  My ears perk and I shoot my head up. What else was said?

  He shook his head. “Nothing, I am pretty sure he’s plotting something though.”

  I growled loudly, the motion causing vibrations through the room and knocking the flower vase off the bedside table, where it smashed all over the floor. I’m meeting with the culprit in a day and a half. I don’t trust him at all, but I have to meet him. To try and figure out any new information. To find Grandma.

  He looked even more worried. “Be very careful with how you deal with this, Dandelion, the W.E.U. are extremely dangerous.”

  I nodded, moving my head closer to him to lick his cheek. I love you, Grandpa. I got to go and make sure my warriors are prepared for the meeting. I promise to come back and visit soon.

  He pushed his food tray to the side, moving forward, enough to where the wires in his arm wouldn’t pull, and wrapping his arms around my neck. “I know you will, Dandelion. I love you, so make sure you come back to me. I’ll be waiting for any new information you find.”

  CHAPTER 9

  DAHLIA

  I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE being practically smashed together in the back seat of Nathan’s Jeep.

  You better hurry up, if you don’t want me to puke all over your glorious cup holder back here. I huffed, my stomach rolling as he pulled into the driveway of my grandparents’ house.

  He shut the engine off and hurried to get me free. I jumped out, landing awkwardly on my feet and stretching my stiff legs.

  He laughed. “I didn’t know a wolf could get motion sickness. It’s hilarious.” He bellowed over.

  Shut up, this is new for me so don’t laugh. That’s rude. I growled at him, watching him wipe tears away before his laughter stopped.

  “All right,” he locked the Jeep and walked to the front door, with me hot on his heels.

  “So,” he started as we entered the house. “What are your plans now?”

  He went to the kitchen and got a bowl of water, gently setting it in front of me.

  I lapped at the water, quenching a thirst I didn’t know I had. Well, training obviously. We don’t have time to sit around lounging.

  He nodded, taking a seat on the couch.

  I finished the water, mind-linking the warriors to meet us at the gymnasium to continue training. I was met with “Yes, Alpha” and plenty of grunts.

  Nathan placed the empty bowl in the sink before heading to our bedroom for a moment. He came back dressed in a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt.

  He smiled at me, using his left hand to wipe his hair from his face, as he got his phone out and sent a text to someone. “I texted an Omega to start dinner for us. She’ll be here in a moment.”

  I nodded, as he came to the front door, opening it and walking out onto the porch.

  The afternoon sun beamed down on the yard and a light breeze welcomed us. It felt nice.

  He shifted, the motion being a fast blur. I was amazed how quick it was for him. I knew with time I would be the same, but first I needed to learn how to shift back to my human form. It shouldn’t be hard but for some reason, I can’t do it. Maybe I’m broken.

  His wolf was large but he only reached my shoulder. He had more muscle but I outdid him in everything but experience.

  Ready? He came to me, poking me in the side with his wet nose. I nodded. Yes, let’s go.

  AT THE GYMNASIUM, I sat in front of the stairs, watching as cars and wolves rushed to meet us. Some of the older wolves had shifted and were quickly arriving by the minute.

  As the younger wolves climbed out of the vehicles, they noticed me. I watched as Ellen and Wyatt pulled up in their small Nissan Sentra, its paint job fresh and the engine rumbling before Wyatt shut it off.

  Wyatt smiled brightly when he noticed me sitting beside Nathan. “Wow, you finally did it. So, this is what an Alpha looks like. I would enjoy sparring with you.”

  I couldn’t help the wolfy grin that crossed my face, but I shook my head and stared at the group of over sixty wolves. The older wolves who hadn’t shifted yet did and they waited for me to say something.

  Thank you for meeting up with us again. I know it was on short notice, but we really don’t have time to waste. Let’s all do our best and make the Gods proud.

  Cheers erupted from the group and the howls began.

  I lifted my head to the sky, joining in. The sound was heavenly. It rang through the air and shook the ground around us. The group here was only a fourth of my pack; I could only imagine what it sounded like with all of everyone joining in.

  The howls came to an end, and I watched as Wyatt shifted.

  I looked over the crowd and noted as their faces grew from concern to relaxation. I was glad they were slowly warming up to him.

  Wyatt came to stand by me. He was a good foot taller than me and much bulkier, but my presence still shook someone as large as he was.

  I smirked as we turned and headed toward the doors of the gymnasium.

  Two of the younger wolves helped to hold the doors open for us as we all filed inside. The gymnasium was spacious. To the left, the area was lined with multiple punching bags. To my right, treadmills and stair climbers were aligned perfectly. In the center of the gym was the boxing ring and scattered around everywhere were the spar- ring mats.

  Directly ahead of us, on the back wall, was a rock-climbing station. They had real rocks set up instead of those plastic ones, making it easier to practice what kind of environmental rocks we’d be climbing. Above that, was a machine that changed the weather, to prepare everyone for every season. It was astounding. The floor was changed from the usual slick wood to a mat covered floor that made it easier to walk across in our wolf forms.

  I yipped happily, racing right toward the first mat I could see.

  I searched the crowd for Eric and Nathan, who made their way toward me. Ellen and Wyatt followed close by.

  Eric, you’re up. Spar with me. I spoke to him directly, before he padded to join me on the mat.

  I paced back and forth, trying to figure out how he would attack.

  He lounged low, causing me to jump above him. He rolled to the left, dodging me as I landed back down, rushing to snap my jaws at his front paws, and barely missed his toes.

  I quickly stepped forward, moving so fast that Eric couldn’t tell where I was. I moved behind him, using my shoulders to push him. That sent him flying forward, but he landed gracefully on his feet. He rushed to me, lodging his fangs into my shoulder, with his front claws slicing into my side.

  My instincts took over, and dislodging myself from his grip, I snapped my jaws onto his back. My teeth sunk deep, tangy blood filling my mouth and gushing from the wound.

  I hear a loud yelp of pain, when Nathan and Olivia rushed to stop me.

  “Enough, Dahlia! Stop!” Olivia cried, trying to dislodge me from him.

  Her attempts failed but Wyatt managed to rip me from Eric’s flesh. The blood dripped from my mouth as I realized what had happened.

  Nathan shifted and demanded one of the wolves bring him a phone; he dialed the number and held the device to his ear.

  Eric had slumped to the ground, his whining getting weaker. “Liam! We’ve got an emergency,” Nathan spoke into the phone, his voice rising in intensity.

  I slowly backed away from everyone; horror and regret filled me to the core. How did I let this happen? It all happened so fast.

  My head was spinning. I couldn’t tell what Nathan or Liam had said but Nathan ended the call and stuffed the phone into his pocket before slowly walking to me.

  Wyatt had shifted back to human form, before being handed a few towels to apply pressure against Eric's open wound, hoping to stop the bleeding even if it was only for a few minutes.

  Nathan bent down slightly to be eye-level with me. “My love, this isn’t your fault. Your animal instincts took over; there was nothing you could’ve done. We just need to help you control it. But with the meeting with Lucian coming up, it’ll work perfectly.”

&nb
sp; I didn’t know how much time had passed, but the next thing I knew, sirens blared through the air as they came closer.

  Rushing in, I noticed Terry, Liam’s Beta, hurrying with a few paramedics behind him wheeling in a stretcher.

  They took over for Wyatt, who helped them lift Eric’s limp body onto the stretcher.

  Terry speed walked over to me, bowing his head slightly. “Alpha, Beta. My Alpha has summoned you to a meeting in his house for tomorrow morning, 8 a.m. I’m sure we’ll have an update for your Gamma’s condition as well.” He smiled and turned to leave before looking over his shoulder at me. “Have a great rest of your evening.”

  With that, he rushed to follow the paramedics who wheeled Eric out.

  Nathan looked back at me with sorrow in his eyes. “He’ll be okay, don’t worry.”

  I nodded, my breathing heavy and hectic. I need to go be alone for a while. Don’t bother following me. I’ll be back before midnight.

  Not waiting for his response, I darted out of the gymnasium and toward the wooded area closest to the town.

  I DIDN’T KNOW how long I’d been running for, but when I reached a small clearing at the edge of my territory, I panted hard.

  Looking up at the sky, I noticed the sun began to slowly itch its way down into the mountains, creating a bright purple, orange and yellow hue over the sky.

  It was beautiful. Suddenly a twig snapped to the right of me, causing me to whip around on high alert. I curled my teeth back, baring my sharp white fangs.

  A mysterious man stepped out into the setting sun rays. The light from the sun embraced his body, making it glow. His dark skin blended perfectly and his muscles twitched, as he tucked a dreadlock behind his ear where I noticed the three earrings. His bare chest was covered in tattoos that I couldn’t make out. The rest of his long dreadlocked hair cascaded over his shoulders. His black goatee was neatly trimmed and his eyes sparkled a mysterious blue. He was a good six foot, five inches and his body glistened with sweat as his eyes looked me over, curiosity overcoming him. He smelled of fallen leaves and it reminded me of the fall, my favorite season.

  I didn’t know this man but I drooled nonetheless.

  Raising his hands slowly, he chuckled when he saw the puddle in front of me. He spoke, and his silk like voice sent shivers down my body. “Who are you?”

  I am the Alpha of these parts. Who the hell are you? I snarled, continuing to show my fangs.

  He thought about what to say, his eyes sparkling almost a silver color thanks to the fading sunlight as he studied me. “My name is Alaric Vernund. I’m a rogue that lives outside of your territory, right over that hill behind you.” He pointed ahead of me, continuing, “Well, I’ll be on my way. I didn’t mean to cause you or your pack any harm. I had just gone for a run and didn’t notice the territory line.”

  He nodded his head as he started to make his way past me, accidentally brushing his thigh against my own. The simple action sent sparks soaring through my body, a tingly feeling remaining when the sparks had stopped. Confusion coursed through my mind, before lust overcame me.

  What the hell was that? Was I imagining things?

  I jumped away from him, moving my head to stare at his face. He must’ve felt it too because the look on his face was soft, caring, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  He looked at me for a few more minutes before speaking softly. “Why not shift so we can meet officially?”

  I shook my head. I can’t. I don’t know how.

  He burst out laughing, tears streaming down his face. “Seriously? Maybe I can help you. Let’s head back to my place, so we can figure this out, together.”

  I nodded, as he started toward the hill. I hesitated as he passed my territory line, but shrugged and continued to follow him.

  We walked for what seemed like miles when we finally made it to a large clearing with a cute cabin in the center. We got closer when a bright flood light lit the area, letting me take a good view of the front of the house, with a porch that wrapped around the whole cabin. It had two windows on either side of the front door, each having a flower box set under the windows. Pink and purple lilacs were neatly planted in each box. Red curtains blocked the view from inside.

  Guiding us to the front door, Alaric held it open for me to enter with him behind me. “Feel free to get comfortable. I’ll be right back.” He spoke softly to me, closing the door before turning a few lamps on as he made his way to the back of the cabin.

  The living room was small but cute. Below the window was a tan leather loveseat. On the floor laid a red rug with a round wooden oak coffee table on top. In the corner was a medium flat screen TV mounted to the wall.

  I heard the shower turn on and a door close as I make my way into the kitchen. In the right corner the furthest away from me, sat a kitchenette. A small window was placed directly above it, with a sink next to it. The same red curtains from before covered the window. I noticed a stone fireplace opposite from the kitchen area.

  A few feet away sat a square redwood table with four chairs pushed in. A vase of lilacs sat neatly on top. The house was adorable. I loved everything about it.

  I raced back into the living room when I heard the shower shut off and the door reopen. I sat down next to the couch, as Alaric came back into the kitchen wearing a pair of shorts and again, no shirt. The fresh scent of leaves and fresh baked brownies filled my nose and I felt myself sigh.

  My body grew hot and I lightly panted. What the fuck was wrong with my body?! I couldn’t control what it was doing anymore; it was like I was a horny teenager. I shook myself to ignore the feelings that suddenly came from nowhere.

  I laid my head down on my paws, noticing out of the corner of my eye that Alaric kept stealing glances at me. He had a smile spread across his face, as he moved to a hidden closet behind the TV mount.

  He pulled out a huge leather book, the size of three full-length novels. He came back and set the heavy looking book down on the coffee table, taking a seat across from me.

  What the hell is that? My eyes widened, watching him open the first few pages as he looked through what I knew to be a table of contents.

  He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling with an unknown emotion as he smiled. “This is the history of our kind, dating back to before modern civilization. It’s passed down from generation to generation. It should have what we need in here.”

  I watched quietly as he looked through the book.

  “Ah ha, I found it,” He said, having had to go through almost the whole book.

  He read it silently, trying to decipher what it said. The writing from here looked like unintelligent scribbles all over the pages.

  We sat like that for what seemed like forever as I waited patiently for him to finish reading. I huffed out a sigh to show my irritation as he kept turning the pages.

  “Calm down, I’ve found what we need,” he finally spoke, using his finger to quickly read through the page. “Okay, it says if you are unable to shift back from your wolf to your human form, you have a week to find your mate who can help you shift back. If you don’t find them, you’re stuck as a wolf until you do. If you wait too long, you lose your human half to the wild side.”

  I groaned. How the hell do I find my mate? That could take ages! Eva suddenly spoke up in my head, spooking me and causing Alaric to look up from the book and at me with his head tilted to one side. He’s our mate, dumbass. You can’t tell by the sparks and the tingly feeling you get? Your body knows, but your mind is stupid. She spat, sounding irritated.

  I didn’t even know this man. How could he be my destined mate?

  “You all right?” he asked, noticing the turmoil I probably showed on my face.

  I nodded, blinking slowly. What should I do?

  How do you identify your mate? I blurted out suddenly, embarrassment causing my body to burn.

  “Well, from what I’m told, you just know when you meet. You touch them and you get sparks and a tingly feeling after. Your wolf immedi
ately knows.” He shrugged, sitting back and resting his arms on the back of the couch.

  Well, I suppose you're my mate. I said, unsure of what he’d do.

  He nodded slowly. “I know. My wolf, Braxton, told me as soon as I laid eyes on you.”

  He winked at me, waiting for a response.

  Well, I don’t necessarily want to go into a relationship head on. Why not get to know each other better before that? If it works, it works. If not, we go from there. Deal? I spoke quietly, unsure of what he’d say.

  He looked deep in thought, before he took one of his hands and scratched his goatee. “Well, I’m cool with that.”

  What time is it? I suddenly asked, not wanting to be home late. He pulled his phone from his pocket, turning it on. “It’s 8 p.m. Why?”

  I sighed, relieved. I just got a meeting in the morning and need to be home before midnight.

  “Ah, gotcha,” he stated, rubbing his hands on his shorts, as if nervous all of a sudden. We sat in an awkward silence for a moment.

  We kept glancing at each other, not knowing what to say to one another now.

  “How old are you? When is your birthday? What do you like most about being an Alpha?” he said out of nowhere.

  I looked at him as I spoke, watching his eyes study me. I am twenty; my birthday is October 11th. Hmm, probably my favorite part of being an Alpha is being able to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. To witness the strength my wolves feel, when they watch their Alpha command them. What is your age and your birthday? How did you become a rogue?

  He thought about what I said, crossing his legs and tilting his head to the side. A smile formed on his face. “Interesting. I am thirty-one. My birthday is in March. The 25th.” Suddenly his eyes grew dark. “I was in a pack when I was younger. My father, the Beta, had arranged a marriage between me and a neighboring Alpha’s daughter. She had just found her mate, when she had learned about it. We both strongly refused. I wasn’t going to marry someone I didn’t love, let alone ruin her new found happiness. I was banished from the pack after that and I didn’t look back.”