THE RETURN OF ALPHA MYLES

Reality hits

Chapter 2

The Riverside Pack, as it's well known, was named so because it consists of two big hills full of ancient trees. A big river runs at the bottom of the hills, acting as a boundary with the Greenspan Pack. The two packs are surrounded by other small towns where humans dwell.

My father is the Alpha of the Riverside Pack...o rather was until my greedy uncle murdered him in cold blood!

He was a good leader and everyone loved him, mostly for his good leadership that saw everyone flourish. The pack members, both omegas and royalties were loyal to him and loved him a lot.

His wisdom endeared him to them and they always knew that if they went to him in times of dispute they would get good justice.

I'm the only child to my parents and they love me so much. They brought me up the best way they could, offering me the best trappings that the palace could give and I was growing up well as they always said, showing signs of being a great future Alpha.

My mother dedicated most of her time bringing me up, teaching me the ways of the Pack and the history of our forefathers and when my dad was not attending to matters of the Pack, the three of us would sit as a family and connect.

I loved my parents so much....I still do, even in their death! Every day after school, I would come home yearning to see them.

The Palace is seated on top of one hill, an imposing stone castle, built by my grandfather using modern architecture.

In the same compound, at the furthest end is another house, similar to the palace but smaller.

Dad's younger brother, the top warrior Michael lives there. I used to spend a lot of time there too, talking and playing with my uncle. He loved me so much because he used to teach me some good lessons, including riding horses, handling fighting tools and a few lessons in history, and other times some basic sword lessons.

“I would like to see you growing into a strong swordsman.” my uncle would say from time to time...
He was just great!

However things changed when uncle Michael got mated to a princess from the neighboring Pack. She hated me at first sight and I soon found myself being separated from my favourite uncle.

However, I eventually learnt to deal with it and soon I weaned myself from his company, something which pained me immensely.

It now became the norm for me to stay a week without seeing my uncle.
Rumours started spreading within the palace that the top warrior was planning to overthrow his brother, and he was spotted in many instances training newly recruited warriors deep in the woods but the Alpha my dad disregarded this information.

There was also a talk about the other warriors and guards being swayed to betray my father but he refused to believe it.

Well, all these I came to learn later through one of my confidants!

He couldn't allow anyone to talk ill of his beloved brother. But what he didn't know was that his brother was being driven to do all these things by his mate, carina.

As time went by and the brother continued with his underground mission, the Alpha forbade anyone from ever speaking about the issue.

My mother tried to influence my dad to arrest my uncle for subversive activities but he turned a deaf ear on her and for the first time, I saw my father shouting down at my mother.

He had absolute confidence in his brother and no one could convince him otherwise. He always narrated how the two of them grew up together and the strong bond between them, terming it as irrevocable and indivisible.

Then this evening as it rained heavily his brother's minions matched into the palace, and caught the palace guards unawares. Other members of the palace guards joined ranks with the invading forces.
A sword fight started but the palace guards, unprepared, were quickly overpowered.
The Alpha was holding a meeting with his Beta and Gamma when the invasion took place. The invaders broke in and a fierce fight ensued, the Alpha himself being a skilled swordsman.

However, the invading warriors overpowered them and killed them all!

Later, all the other guards and palace maidens were rounded up and some of them who couldn't submit killed by beheading.

With the Alpha my father dead, an order was issued to look out for my mother and I and kill us too.

My mum had escaped by a whisker, and she ran away, to escape death with the aid of one of her most loyal guards who had refused to be swayed.

But she couldn't leave me behind since I was all that she had left.

Now she's dead after waking me up and tried to escape.  She was unable to scale the perimeter wall. They captured and killed her instantly!

However, I'm already safely across the wall and after witnessing what has been done to mum, I escape into the deep woods, in the heavy rain, uncertain of where I'm headed to.

Several things I've seen and heard left me confused.
For instance, uncle Michael has betrayed all the trust my father had for him and my mother's guard of many years is now working for my uncle. Betrayal is everywhere and I don't know where to run to. However, I have to continue running as the guards are after me and I can hear them shouting some paces behind me.

I run towards the general direction of the river, which serves as the boundary with the next kingdom and I know that if I make it across, the pursuit would stop. The guards wouldn't dare pursue me into another territory.

The guards and warriors pursuing me seems to know what I'm up to, and they start shouting at me, beseeching me to surrender myself and nothing will be done to me, but I know better.
I've seen it all...they killed mum in cold blood at my watch and the same fate awaits me if I dare surrender!

I keep running until I can hear the river roaring as it cascades down the rocks.
The banks can't be far away, but there would be a challenge, how to cross it...

The rains have pounded all over the hills, flooding the river which burst it's banks.
Now with a bloodthirsty force coming after me, I need to think on how to cross the ballooning river!
The rain has now subsided and the sounds of the approaching army are now getting louder, and in a few moments they'll find me if I don't cross the river, but the water is flowing too fast for me to cross.
There's a rope bridge upstream and I head towards it, in the hopes that it's still there. Meanwhile my pursuers are getting closer, and their leader still calls my name, pursuading me to come out, and nothing will be done to me, a tired lie that even the liar doesn't believe.
I find the bridge, but it's in a very bad shape I'm not even sure that it connects to the other side. I pull at the ropes and some of them break off, rotten from years of exposure to the elements.
But faced with certain death from my pursuers, and the likelihood of escape through the sagging bridge, I decide to go for it.
I take the first step, then the second, trying to balance myself, and soon I gain traction and start moving. The water just two inches below me threatens to wash me away should the ropes give way but I still trudge on.
Midway the river Michael and his army see me and someone shouts to me to stop or they'll cut away at the ropes.
I stop immediately, seeing the consequences that may follow should they cut away at the ropes.
“Turn back and come." The same voice orders.
I shake as I imagine what is certainly waiting for me and I defy the order.
I make more steps towards the other shore.
“Cut the ropes," I hear the order clearly amid the raucous sounds of the fierce river.
The bank is about ten meters away and I try to run, but a rope gives way under my foot, and the foot gets entwined inside. Then another one is cut, destabilizing the bridge even further, taking away my balance, but I still hang on the ropes ahead, having disentangled my foot.
I crawl on all fours and finally make it to my feet, then I jump upstream the remaining distance, as the bridge finally gives way and the river washes it downstream.
I land on the shallow banks where the water is less speedy and hung on papyrus reeds, then wade my way across.
Michael goes mad, seeing me across without any means of getting at me.
“We'll find you young bastard. Don't celebrate just yet."

Those words coming from someone who had promised me safety just moments ago.
Now safe, I dash into the forest, secure in the knowledge that I'm now in another territory.