Inner - Female Alpha Story

Chapter One

The tall forests trees blurred as I ran past them. The cold, biting breeze blowing harshly across my face as I increased my pace, steadying my breath like I was previously instructed. The twigs beneath my feet cracked under the pressure of my hurried steps. I focused on listening and could faintly hear the rushing footfalls in the near distance. I sprinted faster, ignoring the rocky surface that was progressively digging into the soles of my feet from my brutal flee. My eyes darted towards the sound of crunching dried leaves. I squinted my hazel eyes, my slight paranoia rendering me to expect the source to try and tackle me down.

The canopy overhead thickened and my steps grew muffled by the pine needles that blanketed the forest floor. The sky faintly peaked through the thick groups of dark mahogany trees. It had now turned into a bright neon shade of persian blue indicating the beginning of nighttime. All day animals had surely hidden to safety by now, leaving only him and I in the currently otherwise deserted forest.

I quickly approached a clearing and my eyes zeroed in on a peculiar looking pile of oak sticks ahead appearing to be man made. A faint, cheeky smiled etched my face. I was getting close. Not slowing down, my eyes crinkled as I jumped over the failed ruse of untouched nature, my hair whipping my face as an effect of the brisk action. I didn't bother looking back or wasting my limited time in hesitating, already knowing that he was following my scent closely behind. I was determined to continue; all that pulled me forward deeper into the rugged depths of the dark woodland was my will.

As I ventured further on, the path seemed to become narrower. The trees that were strangled with ivy grew closer to each other and eventually diminished the sunlight leaving me in a perpetual darkness. After running a mile, I was signaled to a halt by the sound of distant crowded chatter. It was faint, but I knew from it immediately that home was close.

I hadn't run but ten feet when I heard a loud rustle nearby that I recognized instantly to not just be another raccoon. I scrambled through the bushes, the twigs and needles pricking my skin. I was no longer making an effort to remain quiet, just simply fleeing. The noise followed my pace, rapidly gaining on me. I ran through a meadow of dead trees. They surrounded the small perimeter leaving only a treacherously slender pathway. I tried to flee around the peeking sticks, but could not escape the lone sharp branch that that stuck out and impaled my skin, leaving a large gash in my stomach. My face grimaced and I bit my lip silencing my pain. The stick remained in my stomach, but fear that I had struck a major artery held me from pulling it out. At this rate, I'd soon be savory food for any passing wildlife.

Ignoring my fatigue, I forced myself to accelerate. He was notably close, jumping flawlessly over the branches that I had failed to.

The birds that had been resting in their peaceful perches awoke to the thunderous sounds of our chase, one tree by one, the birds all flew away. For a split second, I watched the freeness of the air gliding animals. They bat their wings in unintentional unity. It was a perfect hem of cohesion. The strangeness of that second puzzled me. For at that moment, I wanted to be a bird.

Then, I heard the relieving sound of people cheering, likely alerted by the distressed birds that we were near. The sounds of their clapping renewed a sense of adrenaline in me. My feet hammered into the dirt while my breath grew impossibly erratic. I made my highest effort not to be caught in the tangled boughs and the matted twigs beneath.

A slender beam of sun escaped through a pathway between two trees. It hit my wide eyes, dilating my pupils from the sudden intrusion of light. Instinctively, my bloodied hand came up to shield my face.

Knowing he had surely caught up with me by now, I turned to look him directly in the eye from across the field. His feet pounced through the air coming towards me in rapid succession. I was only feet away from the ending, losing now wasn't an option.