Alpha Loren novel Chapter 4

October 10th

It was an unusual but attractive scent coming from the other side of the border. It was interesting and peculiar and somehow built enough curiosity up inside me to compel me to gingerly cross the borderline, the gentle crunch of the leaves resonating from my steps in the otherwise silent forest.

I suddenly paused and took in a short breath, realising what I had done. Stepping into another Alpha's territory...in the middle of the night...? Did I want a premature death?

But after a few agonising moments, the forest remained still and I let my anticipation crumbled. After a deep sigh of relief, I almost laughed how easily I had let fear grip me and stepped further into the unknown territory.

After all, I still hadn't found the source of that scent.

I pushed a low branch with a brittle network of twigs out my path and kicked up a mass of leaves with every kick. Judging by the fact that there was no beaten track, wolves clearly didn't often cross this territory which brought the question of 'why' to my attention but I quickly pushed the thought away as the scent got stronger.

The most curious thing about it was that no noise accompanied it. There was no rustling in the bushes, no footsteps anywhere around me, no faint evidence of breathing and not a single gesture of life. Everything was quiet and it no longer seemed so peaceful. An air of eerieness seemed to descend amongst the trees and it unsettled me.

Just as the idea of turning back was becoming very appealing, a voice sounded.

"Hello," it said.

"Shit," I cursed as a jolt of surprise seized me.

I whipped around to see the figure of a man before me. How the fuck did he creep up on me so quickly and so discretely?

I looked up slowly. His sheer height made his size immense regardless of the breadth of his shoulders and strength of his build. It was enough to intimidate me and I took pride in being particularly hard to frighten.

He wore the black hood from his sweater over his head so that it left his eyes covered. His face had a menacing expression about them with defined cheekbones casting shadows on his chin and outlining his sharp jawline creating something exceedingly beautiful but at the same time chilling and cold.

"What do we have here?" He said his words dripping with amusement. 

I stayed totally silent and stumbled back a few steps.

"You appear to be on my territory little wolf," He continued in a melodic voice.  He had a slight accent elongating his words, only intensifying the fluidity of his voice.

"I-I was just leaving. I'm sorry," I said quickly.

He let out a short laugh, "Leaving already? You haven't even told me your name...or more importantly why you dared cross my border without permission."

"It was a mistake," I said. "I'll go now."

"No," he said, after looking me up and down. "...You can stay."

It felt like more of a command than an invitation.

"What kind of man would leave a pretty girl like you alone in the woods?" he said. "It's late and cold. Let me take you to somewhere warm."

"I'll be fine on my own," I said, not loving the idea of going anywhere with him. "Thank you though."

By this point, he had stepped close enough to reach forward and run a long finger along my cheek before pausing at my chin. I froze. 

His touch was so soft and gentle yet it triggered something powerful inside me. I could feel his stare burning into me but I refused to look back. I kept my eyes fixated on a tree ahead, completely still and quiet.

"There's something intriguing about you," he said eventually. 

I said nothing.

"You're different," he continued.

I forced a smile, "I'm flattered but I've really got to go."

He let out a short laugh and only brought his fingers to my hair and then down to my neck again.

"That's not how this is gonna work, Sweetheart," he said. "Now would you please look at me?"

He then reached for his hood and pulled it down revealing his whole face. From the corner of my eye, I caught sight of some tousled dark blonde hair and a well-sculpted broad forehead appendaged with dark, thick eyebrows and a perfectly shaped nose.  But I couldn't bring my self to look into his eyes. For some inexplicable reason, I was terrified of what I might see.

"Look me in the eye," he demanded.

"No," I said keeping my eyes on the tree. "I can't."

"So you're a defiant one? All the more fun for me," he said grabbing my face in one of his huge hands and forcing me to face him.

I scrunched my eyes shut. 

"Open your eyes. Do not make me say it twice," He ordered in a firm authoritative tone. He didn't even have to raise his the volume of his voice before some subconscious instinct made me do it.

I cautiously and slowly opened my eyes only to reveal the most beautiful eyes in existence. They were a brilliant shade of blue with a dark outer rim and gold flecks streaked through them like intricately woven threads. Nothing like what I expected at all. But underneath the comforting mask of colour, was an underlying evil. Something that sparked a churning sensation deep inside.

My wolf was screaming something in my ear. Just a four-letter word. And that is what I feared, not the eyes. The concept that this man, stood tall and dangerous in front of me is my...

mate.

A little grin twitched at my lip as I looked up to him. 

The more I looked into those beautiful eyes, the more I was sure. His touch, his voice, his scent. It all added up. 

This man is my mate.

He now smiled and held out his hand out to me. 

Oh, the smile. He was simply the most handsome man I'd ever had the joy of looking on. The way his face creased with it and the way it triggered indented dimples in his cheeks to form and his brightly coloured eyes to glint even more. It made me forget how terrifying he had previously seemed.

"Who are you?" I asked as I shook his hand. 

"Your mate I suppose," he said deeply trailing his hand up to hold my face. I stood there in complete stillness utterly hypnotised by the mellow tone of his voice.  "Pleased to meet you."

I slowly brought my hand to his soft cheek, passing his impeccable jawline and lips. He placed his hand on top of mine.

A few moments later our fingers were entwined.

"I knew there was something about you," he said.

I smiled and let him kiss my hand.

I then caught his scent again. It was so rich and authoritative and his eyes so blue and mesmerising and his build so powerful and strong. He was just like they described him.

Just how my father used to describe the man every wolf feared.

"Alpha Leonardo Loren," I whispered.

His eyebrow raised.

"I mean...urgh...you remind me of him," I said quickly.

"I do?" he replied an amused smile creeping onto his lips.

I nodded.

"Why thank you. I hear he's very handsome," he joked.

I blushed and looked down for a moment to hide it from him.

"But since I'm still standing here alive I would assume you are not."

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because of the stories. The evil, the suffering, the fear, the death that he brings to everyone in his path. They used to terrify me. They still do in fact."

"Then we should get out of this dark forest," he said taking my hand. "We wouldn't want to come across anybody like that tonight."

"Wait, my home is this way," I said resisting his gentle pull in the opposite direction. "I live in Kellington."

"Kellington? What are you doing so far from home this late at night?" he asked.

"I was on a run," I said.

He narrowed his eyes and let out a low hum before he tugged my hand again, "Well, you must be exhausted. Come, come."

"So I need to go home," I repeated.

He smiled again but this time with a little twinge of frustration.

"You're coming home with me," he replied pulling me with a little more force further away from the border. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't," I said. "My brother will worry about me and I have to be at work at 7 am-."

He let out a short breath, "Your brother will be informed. Don't worry about your job. Now come with me."

I furrowed my eyebrows and opened my mouth to speak but closed it shortly after.

"Come," he repeated when I made no movement. 

He looked and spoke as if he was fighting hard not to lose his patience but did he not hear me?

"What?" was all I could say.

"Do I have a halfwit as a mate? I don't know what simpler way to put it," he said, his face straightening. "You are coming with me," he added slowly and clearly. 

"Why?" I questioned. 

"Because you..." he said pulling me closer to his chest, "Are mine now." 

I stood for a moment inhaling his alluring scent, pulling me into his trance. 

He then took my hand firmly and continued walking.

" I don't even know your name and I'm supposed to come home with you? And who's pack is this?" I asked, suddenly snapping out of his spell. "And who gave you the right to decide what I do?"

He didn't answer but his grip on my hand tightened.

"Wait," I ordered, stopping moving again. "I demand that you answer my questions and stop dragging me like some kind of animal!"

"For fuck's sake," he growled before spinning me around and grabbing my arms, pulling me into his chest. "I tried to be calm and gentle with you but now I have lost my patience."

I tried to shove him off me but he was impossibly strong. So as I wriggled and squirmed, I felt his eyes on me. He glanced down at my neck, uncovered by my hair before looking back at my face.

"Don't even bother trying to fight me. You can't win," he said still with a low growl. "Now what is your name?" He said still in a deep but softer voice. 

"Get the fuck off me," I answered before trying to struggle out of his grip again. And yes I have an awful mouth, little kids can learn a lot from drunk dads. 

"Beautiful name," he remarked.

I managed to break a hand free and slap him across the face. A notion of anger swept over his features turning the amused expression into one of indescribable rage. The gentle being that was once stood in front of me was gone now. In his place a murderous monster. 

He pulled me back into him, this time, pinning my back against his chest and wrapping a tight arm around my throat. 

I stopping fighting him and instead brought my hands to his arm, trying to ensure it doesn't take what little capacity to breathe I had left. For the first time in my memory, I felt helpless and unsafe. This man could do anything and I don't know him enough to know he wouldn't.

"This whole stubborn empowerment thing is really hot, but save it for the bedroom sweetheart," he growled. "Now did I mention how I don't like repeating myself? What is your name?"

"You have not told me yours," I gasped. "Yet you are the one dragging me through a forest in the opposite direction to my home."

His grip tightened around my throat and I whimpered.

He laughed as I clasped at his shirt with my fingers, "Please let me go."

"I love it when they start begging," He articulated wickedly. "It always comes with desperation."

"Please," I whispered.

He finally loosened his grip on my throat.

I breathed heavily. At no point did actually block my windpipe but the panic had taken seige of my lungs and I gasped for air.

"Your name?" he asked again, his lips right by my ear.

"Ella," I said quietly.

He let go of me before twirling me around to face him.

He smiled and took my hands.

"Let me get a few things straight, Ella," he began, "You are going to come with me and you are going to be my mate, like the Moon Goddess clearly wants. You will submit and obey. You won't raise any questions and you won't disrespect me or there will be punishments. Okay?" He said calmly, before kissing the side of head, "Take what just happened as a warning."

I clenched my jaw. Now that there was oxygen back in my lungs, I was angry. How dare he use his strength against me like that? How dare he assume authority?

So I lifted my leg and kicked his shins. He barely even winced but his distraction was enough for me to slip out his arms and run. He didn't seem to be following me at any great speed but I still sprinted through the forest as fast as I could.

"I happen to love hide and seek my dear," I heard his voice say coldly from not far away as if he had allowed me to get away just so that he could hunt me down. 

Evil. Totally evil.

I quickly scurried over to a thick-trunked tree and lay my back flat on it, frantically searching for a branch to use as some kind of leverage to climb but so far: nothing. 

"These games never last that long though," My mates voice continued. 

 I tried to control my breathing so it wasn't quite so loud but that's hard when so much fear and adrenaline is pumping through your body. I scanned the darkness for a tree hopefully more suitable for climbing. 

There was a perfect one no more than 10 metres away.

I spun around and headed straight for it only to crash into something incredibly hard. Either I had misjudged how far away the tree was or I had lost this little game of hide and seek. A pair of hands wrapped around my waist confirmed that it was the latter.

"God taming you is going to be riveting," He said quietly under his breath, before he pinned me tightly to a tree, standing so close I could feel his breath fanning over my face.

I took a short breath in and froze. 

"I should perhaps bring to your attention who I am," he said before pausing.

His scent reeked of power. I knew he had to be a higher rank wolf but as a rogue that meant little in the way of deserving respect to me.

"But something tells me deep down you already know," he said brushing a displaced strand of hair out of my eyes.

I looked into his blue eyes once again. They were so cold and piercing and the little thought that had been toying at my consciousness since I first looked at them came spinning back. 

"Say it," he added, his voice commanding and sharp.

He matched the description perfectly.

"Alpha Leonardo Loren."

His lips curled into a smile, confirming what I had hoped wouldn't be true.

"That's right," he confirmed. "Alpha Leonardo Loren of the Stella pack." 

Years ago...

"Ella! Connor! It's time for bed!" My dad called up the stairs. Immediately our little feet could be heard scurrying towards our warm beds. We knew that if we were quick he would tell us a story.  We snuggled tightly under the warm covers and awaited our father. We were 11 and 12 but you could never be too old for his stories.

"Are we ready?" Dad said creaking the door slightly open allowing a small strip of light to illuminate our faces.

We nodded and he sat on the small rocking chair in-between our beds and began to speak.

"Can it be a scary one Dad!?" Connor asked excitedly.

"Are you sure. We don't want nightmares again now do we?" My Dad replied. "Mom will have a fit."

"Please, please, please," We begged.

"Very well," He said with a nod.

"Have you ever heard of 'The Bringer of Darkness'?" he began and we both shook our heads. "He's said to be the most powerful, most ruthless Alpha ever to rule. He's tall and he's strong. He's brave and he's scary. Some say just one of his deathly glares can paralyse a grown man, leaving him defenceless. They call him 'the bringer of darkness' after all the misery and despair he brings and because just the utterance of his real name brings some to a sweating, shivering wreck. But do you want to know the worst part?" Dad said and we both nodded. "He takes packs."

"Whole packs?" I asked in shock.

"Whole packs," My dad reiterated. "Mercilessly killing anyone who tries to stop him whether they be men, women or children."

"He won't take our pack will he?" Connor asked. 

"He won't bring any darkness here will he?" I asked.

"The last we heard of him was two months ago in a small pack in North Washington. It was November 16th. The night was cold and dark and the storm clouds from earlier had just cleared leaving the eerie moon to sit all alone in the sky. The teasing stars twinkled around it fading and brightening as the night went on. A few members of The Silver moon pack were sat peacefully around a fire. They were a small pack and vulnerable so they always had guards on watch."  He stopped for a short breath before continuing.

" 'Did you hear that?' One of them whispered to another as a few leaves and twigs crunched in the bush beside them.

'Yes.' He replied. 

'It's maybe just a sheep' the third said. 

'That's no sheep,' the first said as a low grumble emanated from the same bushes.

Those guards were found days later, their limbs scattered throughout the forest along with the rest of the pack," My Dad said his voice growing deeper and more sincere as he spoke. Connor and I were cowering under our sheets as we listened, scared to learn what would happen next but at the same time filled with excitement. 

"Nobody ever heard from any of them again. It is thought that there were no survivors, but that's not true. When a neighbouring pack went to investigate the horror they found consisted of piles of ash, belongings scattered all over the territory and bodies. But only the bodies of Men, Women and girls. Where the boys went is not known for definite, but It is believed that he took them and is training them up to become soldiers, to become warriors, to prepare for something bigger, to prepare for a war to end all wars. Nobody really knows what to expect but one thing is for certain 'The bringer of Darkness' is the most brutal, most ruthless Alpha ever to live and to stop him getting what he wants would be plain stupid. Soon after, the Silver moon territory got a new scent- his scent. Nobody dared to go back after that, nobody dared to go in the rest of his rapidly growing territory either so I guess we won't know...until it hits us." 

By the end Connor and I were trembling with fear.