The Alpha

Chapter 3

Axton POV

Protect pup! My wolf, Knox, keeps yelling at me.

What? I ask him, confusion crossing my face, What are you talking about?

We must protect this pup, under any circumstances, he answers me.

Why? I ask him, clearly not understanding the need to protect one small child.

It's important. You must trust me, he tells me, clearly hiding his reasons.

Alright, I tell him to calm his agitated behavior over my hesitance to automatically agree with him.

"Alpha Axton," a voice pulls me out of my daze. I move my eyes to Luna Layla.

"Luna Layla," I greet her. Her face and clothes are covered in dried blood. Mud plagues her skin as she clutches the child closer to her when she sees my immediate fascination with her, "Come in."

I hold the door for her as she hesitantly enters the house. Walker leads her deeper into the house and back to my office as I follow behind them. I stare into the blue eyes of the little pup she holds and the pup stares at me with the same fascination.

"Right in here," Walker says to her as he opens the door and waits for both of us to enter.

"Please sit," I tell her. She immediately takes a seat, placing the child on her lap.

I come around the desk and sit in my chair as Walker takes the seat next to her. Before either of us cam say a word, the door opens again and my Gamma, Reid, enters.

He doesn't take more than five steps in before he plasters a grimace on his face the second he sees me. Most thought he should be my Beta. He is stronger and bigger than Walker, but his gentleness towards those in need made him a perfect Gamma. His job is to protect the Luna, but there is no longer a Luna to protect.

His dark hair covers his eyes, but I know what they hold. Anger.

Ever since I lost my mate, he has been different. They had been as close as siblings. He had been one of the first to step up in the hunt to find her. But after six months of searching, he came back changed. He was no longer the same man that left to find her. He refused to be in the same room as me for more than five minutes without making an excuse to leave. He seemed as angry with me over the loss of our Luna as I was. As I became darker and crueler, he became even angrier with me.

He closes the door silently and stands in the back of the room, holding his contempt for me in silence.

I draw my eyes away from him and back to the matter at hand, "Can you tell us what happened?" I ask Layla, trying not to focus on the little girl.

She clears her throat before answering, "We were attacked by rogues. Madden and I were at our home when the first warning signal sounded."

Her head dips as she tries to hold back the tears that threaten to flow, "What happened next?"

"They came from everywhere. They were attacking everyone, not just the warriors. Women, children, they went after all of them," she says as a single tear escapes.

Before she can lift her hand, the little girl in her arms reaches up to her cheek and catches the fallen tear. Layla gives her a small smile as she stares down at the little girl and whispers quietly, "Thank you."

The little girl just nods slowly back at her and goes back to staring around the room in wonder.

"Is this your daughter?" Walker asks her, trying to get her mind off of the attack for a second.