Alpha Obsession

Chapter 20

For once I was speechless

"You smell like shit, Kid."

"And you look like shit, Mr. Clean," I fired back at the imposing, six-foot-seven, barrel-chested, iron statue of a man in a bleached white outfit. If they were going to kidnap me and kill me afterward, I sure as hell wouldn't be nice in my final moments. I expected the two-legged ox to snap and slam me into the concrete, but he didn't. Instead, he cracked a smile and took a step back so I could actually get out of the car. "What do you guys want from me?"

"You've been mated, kid. Considering how strong that smell is, it must have been by an alpha shifter. A werewolf. I need to find her and the rest of her pack." My fears were confirmed right away. These people were some kind of genuine werewolf hunters or something like that. Emilia slammed the car door on the other side and came to stand next to her uncle.

"I think it's a he, Uncle Byron. The likely pack leader is a boy named Hunter Sin, even though he has an older sister." Byron Blake's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Apparently, the younger sibling being the alpha baffled him.

"You let some horny mutt mount you from behind, kid?" what..? oh...oh god. No please. Don't talk about that right now. That's not an idea I'm willing to discuss with anyone, let alone this iron giant. "Are all the teenage boys swinging with each other in this generation? Heaven only knows how many choir boys Nicholas has already corrupted. Now shifters are converting kids too?" I was starting to hope he'd kill me sooner than later.

"No! He didn't mount me! No one mounted me! I was not 'mounted' by anyone, ever!" I made wild gestures with my hands every time I said the word 'mounted' just because. Then again, it occurred to me that I was floored by Hunter on both occasions. "I...was not mounted...from behind." My voice sounded so weak that I wanted to throw my head under their car. Both of the Blakes stared at me like a was an adorably hopeless idiot.

"Alright, kid, call it whatever you like. God knows that I don't need to know what went on in your private life." Damn it! "Just come inside and tell us everything you know," he said as they turned to head inside the largest house in the neighborhood. Of course, it was colored in bright shades of white, yellow, blue, and green. The colors seemed to be a regular theme with these people. I considered running away and trying to escape for a moment. I wasn't the same kid that ran out of breath after two blocks that I was a few months ago. If I started running now, I could get far.

As if my legs were ignoring my plans altogether, I started walking into the bright house. It was ridiculous, but I literally couldn't stop. Temptation seemed to consume my body and override my mental commands. I followed the tall Blake straight into their kitchen where Nick had already set a table.

"Take a seat right there, and keep quiet." I don't know what it was about this man's voice, but I couldn't refuse. It was like some form of hypnosis that affected my muscles. My legs buckled on their own right after I pulled out a chair. Emilia sat down next to her uncle while Nick filled our plates with steak. I couldn't bring myself to speak. "Alright, you can choose to speak now or choose to listen. I'm assuming your wolf friend hasn't told you much about the world that he lives in. Seeing as how you've avoided making a scene up until now, I can infer that you're capable of keeping your mouth well and shut. I can also take a guess as to what questions might be floating in that teenage ADHD brain of yours, so I don't need you to say a word. If you choose to talk, I'll listen, but if you want answers, keep shut and wait for them."

I felt my body regain a little more control and suddenly felt as if I could get up and leave if I wanted to. But I wanted answers more than escape. So I nodded and kept my mouth shut like the iron-colored man demanded. He smiled and began tearing into his steak. Emilia and Nick did the same, but I was a little paranoid about the type of meat on my plate.

"For starters, it's cow. I can't say that the livestock is treated well in this country, but a cow is a cow no matter where you kill it from.

"Aside from that, I'll tell you who I am. My name is Byron Wallace Blake, and I am the current head of the Blake family. I am an ascended priest and a beast hunter, just as the ancestors before me have been. My niece and nephew are part of my line and are promising hunters on their own. My family originally hails from South Africa, though we have since spread across the entire world." The questions started swarming in my head like worker bees, but I knew talking would break the monolog.

"The story goes: There once was a priest who protected his village during the night. He said prayers to the gods in order to keep his family and friends safe from the dangerous animals around them. For years, the prayers were enough to drive the wild animals away. Yet on one night where the land was illuminated by the full moon, the beasts began to rise on two legs. The large cats and mongrels that typically fought against each other, banded together under one beast. It was a monstrous wolf the size of a lion with fur as white as the moon itself.

"One by one, the beasts neared the town as they followed from behind the white wolf. As the villagers fled into their homes, the priest, and his daughters gathered the day hunters to his side. They watched as the approaching monsters stood and stalked the village fence. The wolf was strong and smarter than the rest. Even in its guttural snarling voice, it managed to speak to the priest. 'You've trespassed too long. Abandon your homes or forsake your lives.' The priest refused without hesitation and stared the ten-foot wolf down.

"A battle ensued then, as the monsters began leaping over the gates. The hunters drew their weapons and engaged the beasts in defense of their home. It was the priest who brought the battle to a swift end, however. After decades of faith, the lord had blessed him with strength of his own. With the sheer force of his will, he could bend the bodies of others to his commands. And so, he fought alongside his people and drove the beasts away. The fight had exhausted both sides, but as the sun came to reclaim the night, he said to the villagers. 'Let us not rest until the monsters can strike us down! Let us strike fire to their forest and waste to their caves!' he took his men and daughters in a hunt that purged the monstrous creatures from the land.

"What started that night, became a tradition. The priest grew more powerful with each beast that he slew, and after feasting on their cooked remains, his strength grew to rival theirs. His children and grandchildren inherited his blessings. They were angels on earth just like the priest himself had become. With his family growing stronger and wider with each passing day, the priest came to a decision. Should news of a beast spring from any corner of the world, his children would extinguish them. Any beast that hides among men, shall be brought to justice and consumed by the angels on earth." His story was intense and captivated my attention just from the way it was told. For once, I was struck speechless by just a story.

Oh yes, the narration is real in this chapter. What better way to tell a story than to have it told by a new and very dangerous character. I hope you're enjoying this light-hearted break from the drama that will be resuming soon. By now, you already know that I love to establish new characters in a big way, so kidnapping Jake was like Byron's way of saying Hi to you readers ;)