Raised by an Alpha *Sample Only*

5

Nothing hurts.

That is my first thought as consciousness comes back to me. I remember everything, so clearly. The run, the wolves and the bites. I was hurt, I was bloodied. I should be in pain.

I stare at the back of my eyelids sensing the light around me. I am not alone though, I can hear the heart beats of at least three people.

No ones speaking. The only sounds are people shifting their weight from foot to foot, or scribbling on a paper. Someone continuously taps the foot, the sound increasingly annoying.

"Kitten, you haven't eaten breakfast yet. Please just a pop tart or something. I promise he will be okay." I can hear the desperation in Colton's voice, and the tapping stops.

"Okay?  Nothing about this is okay, Colton!" My stomach churns at the hysterical tone she is taking.

The sound of a chair scrapping against tile fills the room. By the sound of footsteps, my guess is that Avery is pacing. My ears are able to pinpoint her exact location.

"Avery, our kids are going to shift an-" He starts, and Avery stops pacing, interrupting what he was going to say.

"Exactly, Colton. Our  kids. Half human, half werewolf kids. Not Liam! and now he's hurt." I can't listen anymore and I focus all my attention on opening my eyes.

It's more difficult then I expected. I don't know why they are so heavy but it is like trying to swim to the surface of a pool in full clothes. After a few seconds I finally manage to peak through my lids at the white ceiling above me.

"Avery?" My voice is hoarse as I call out for her. Within seconds her hand is in mine and her face is in my view.

Her blue eyes rimmed by dark circles. Her blonde hair in a messy bun with loose strands flying in every direction. I can see the relief flood her face but I note the exhaustion close behind.

"Liam, you're okay. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" She rushes out, her hands grabbing my face and inspecting it from all angles.

"I'm fine Aves." I clear my throat a couple of times as I move to sit up.

I expect it to hurt for sure this time. Surely I must be sore or something, but no, not at all. Being a werewolf rocks!

"Fine?!  Liam, do you not realize where you are? What happened?" Avery says, her hands flaying all around her.

Colton places a hand on Avery's shoulder, something I have seen him do many times to help her calm down. It's something that mates can do, calm the other. But Avery just shrugs it off and gives him the same glare I get when I'm in trouble.

Frankly, it is frightening. She maybe small, but she is feisty and can be terrifying. Before I can speak, she smacks Colton on the chest a couple of times. Not that it hurts him, he doesn't even flinch.

"This is your fault!" Her finger points directly at him as her mouth sets in a firm line.

Both Colton and I can see that she has more to say, but she doesn't say anything. Instead she turns on her heel and walks out of the room. Colton and I look at each other, one of us has to go after her.

I think it should be me.

"Aves looked just like mama Kristi for a moment there" I laugh, watching as a grin crosses Colton's face.

"Yeah, I should call her and let them know what's going on. I'm sure you remember last time." His hand reaches up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.

Mama Kristi was so mad when Colton didn't tell her that Evelyn had lost her front teeth.

She made him feel guilty about it for a good month and she is amazing at it.

I nod and begin following after Avery, but Colton's hand wraps around my elbow stopping me.

"I'm sorry Liam. Patrol didn't recognize your scent coming from a wolf." Colton says, guilt hanging on his every word.

I give him a small smile, before pulling him in for a quick hug. He claps my back a couple time before he gestures for me to follow Avery.

No other words are needed. It's like how it is with Aves, there are times words just aren't needed because the other person knows exactly what is trying to be said. He may technically be my brother in law, but I think of him more as my brother than anything.

I follow out the door but in Avery is already gone and I don't know where she went. The only hint I have is the small of salty tears lingering in the air.

I really need to figure out peoples scents because I hate associating Avery with tears.

I follow the smell through the halls of the house before stopping in the kitchen. I can see her sitting on the porch through the glass back door. Her blonde hair looking shimmering in the sun light as she drops her head into her hands.

I slid the door open and move to sit next to her quietly. I don't know if she notices my presence or if she is too lost in her thoughts.

Or maybe like me, she just isn't sure what to say.

Neither one of us expected this, in the slightest. And of course, getting hurt my first day as a wolf is a bit of a dent to my ego, but it wasn't anyone's fault. Why would the patrol recognize a human smell on a wolf?

They wouldn't. They were just doing what they are supposed to do to protect the pack.

"Aves?" I bump her shoulder with mine, finally uncomfortable with the silence that surrounds us.

She heaves a deep breath, before lifting her eyes to meet mine. Her usual happy blues are rimmed with red and shimmer with unshed tears.

"I don't kn-" She stops, getting choked up by a sob.

Her eyes flit to the trees lining the yard. She shakes her head back and forth. A move I have seen her do many times when she's trying not to cry.

"I don't like what this means." She finally says, her voice barely a whisper.

"What?" The confusion on my face must have set something off in her, because tears leak down her cheeks.

I don't understand though. Is she mad that I am a wolf like Colton? Because I think it freaking rocks! The senses and the strength is unlike anything I have ever felt before.

Why isn't she happy for me?

"Liam" her lips roll into her mouth as she wipes her tears from her cheeks with her sleeve.

My heart thuds in my chest at the way she says my name. It reminds me of a dream I had or maybe it was memory, I don't know. All I remember is her kneeling down in front of me and telling me that our mom and dad weren't going to come home.

It's like a lightning strike to a tree. One zap of the memory and a fire starts. I realize instantly what she means.

I'm a wolf.

She isn't.

I don't want to admit it that I know what she means. Maybe if I act like I don't know she will drop it and we won't have to confront the elephant in the room. Wouldn't it be better that way? To never know the truth? To never have to ask these questions and just leave things the way they are?

I don't want to know. She shouldn't want to know either! It doesn't matter, so why not let the sleeping dog lie? The words tumble out of her mouth before I can speak, shattering my hope of ignoring the truth.

"Doctor Grey will to do a DNA test."