Leonidas

Chapter One

Dedicated to aneclarice for making the beautiful covers for me. Your my secret weapon girl!

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Ellie sighed again as she cleaned up after the early morning crew left. It was almost 4 am now, which meant one thing in her mind. Closing time. Which also meant, two glorious hours of sleep before she headed over to her dad's office to help with work.

She wiped down the tables and stacked the chairs, racked the pool balls, and locked up the liquor. It was then she heard the door bell chime with the entrance of a new customer. Or rather customers.  She watched as three very large burly men strode over from the door, to the bar. They all sat with out a word and stated at her. Ellie swallowed hard. She was used to the main people. It was always the night shift crews, and she knew them from when she first got a job here when she was 12. Ellie understood that she had no choice but to get a job. Her dad was sick, and needed medical treatment. The pack doctor was the owners son, so she arranged that she would work in turn for service from him. Now that her father is better, she was making money. It helped pay for rent and groceries. Ellie never spent a dime on herself. Never.

The clearing of throats knocked her out of her stupor, and she looked at the men. When she went to open her mouth, they interrupted her and each asked for a glass of Guinness. When she turned to glance at the clock she saw she still had a few minuets left on shift, and decided to let the lads have a drink. They all looked like they had been through hell.

Their clothing had been soaked, which meant it was most likely raining outside. Each man had scars scattered around their faces, and each had a void look in their eyes.

Ellie nodded and got them their drinks. She could feel their eyes on her as she made them their drinks, how each man observed how well she knew the machines. How she knew exactly when to stop the golden brown liquid right before it toppled down over the sides. She made them their drinks well, and did it efficiently.

When they arrived at the bar the midnight patrols had talked about, they were less than impressed. It dingy and gross. It smelled of bodily fluid and sweat. They honestly couldn't understand why the men had talked so highly of this place. Then they walked in.

Behind the counter was one of the smallest humans they had ever encountered. The girl was humming slightly, and she looked enraptured in cleaning a mess off the bar. Her scent was much different than the place as well. She smelled of clean linens and a blue lilac field. It was strange seeing a how she smelled so strongly to the men. All three were mated and had children, so it was an anomaly to them.

Her chestnut hair was up in a messy bun, her tiny figure was fit but on the boney side. Her skin was pale and her face wore close to no makeup. It was a change from the usual women the men had encountered in the Capital.

Ellie sighed a she got back too work. She was shaking due to their stares. She hated attention and these men were huge. She needed to stop shaking, because her hands were losing feeling. She hummed silently to herself, hoping that her mothers lullaby would quell her nervous mind. Ever few seconds she glanced at them, her mind going a thousand miles an hour. She was tiny compared to everyone, but next to these men, she looked like a child.

She heard the clock strike four, and she paused. Her hand was hovering over the same spot it had been cleaning for the past ten minuets. "Uhm..." She squeaked. The men looked up at her, all three finished with their glasses. Before she could say anything else, they all stood, and walked out. Each one nodding to her on the way out. She walked over to where they say, and stared at what they put down. A crumpled hundred dollar bill sat on the bar and all of the men had finished they glasses completely. Not a speck of beer was on the bar, and it almost looked like they weren't there at all.

How strange.

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Ellie hummed to her lullaby as she walked back from the bar. It hadn't taken long to close up, all she had to so was wash the glasses and put away the bill the three men left. When she woke up again in a few hours, she had to take the money to the bank to deposit it into the owners account. In the last night he made close to three grand. She would take her share for her work, and then the owner would dish out to the other bar staff. She was just allowed to take out she was owed because she made the deposit. Everyone knew she wouldn't take more than she was allowed, she was human. A tiny, delicate human.

A growl tore through the early morning air. It was still dark, but the sun would rise soon enough. Ellie was wondering if the night patrols were switching and someone had gotten through the border.

The growl wasn't of a pack wolf, the timbre of it shook the trees. It was ferocious and possessive, this wolf was dangerous and Ellie was terrified. She was shaking and quickly sped up her pace. Her mind had registered the wolf as a threat and was kicking into fight or flight mode. Obviously Ellie chose flight.

Ellie knew that she shouldn't run, but again a growl tore through the night air like bullet in a body. She jumped this time, and then began sprinting away. She heard the sound of paws hitting the pavement and whimpered as they closed in on her. Ellie yelped as the wolf took her down. She was tackled to the ground with her hands splayed out in front of her. Blood rushed to the open cuts and soon her hands were covered in the red liquid. Her backpack rolled off and she knew her jeans had ripped open, with her knees now cut as well.

"Ouch..."she whimpered. She was still worried at the fact a wolf had chased her down, her whimpers obviously a clue to that. She heard the sound of bones cracking and realigning, and cringed away. The man who tackled her was standing over her with a scowl on his face.

"All humans are to report to the town square at 6 tonight. The Alpha King wants a word." The man stepped over her and was walking away before Ellie could form a sentence. Her hands were really bleeding and she knew she had to get home before any newly shifted wolves or vampires smelled the blood.

So she stood up, to her knees distress, and walked over to her bag. Then she started trudging home, a small trail of blood lingering around.

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Hello you beautiful people! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, seeing as it's finally ramping up! The next chapter wee meet the ALPHA KINGGGGGG!!!!! Yay!

Anywhore,
Vote and comment please! I love when people comment things, it makes me happy!

Xoxo,

Catherine.