Alpha's Offspring

Chapter 2

        The wolf crashed into me, sinking in his fangs almost instantly. I threw him off and he hit the ground with a thud. I stood up quickly and looked at my attacker. A black wolf, with emerald eyes. I was engulfed by them. I had never seen a wolf with those eyes. Without warning he crept towards me. The way he held himself told me he was high ranked. 

        I circled him trying to get behind him. I saw an opening and struck. My claws raked his side. He whipped around as I jumped back. My ears perked. "Help!"  It was Nico. I turned my head, he was being attacked by two wolves at once. Then, pain. I was tossed against a tree and hit hard. My ribs cracked. My attacker was on me the second I hit the ground. His teeth latched onto my throat. Blood gurgled in my throat. I looked at him. Is that...sadness in his eyes? No it had to be in my head. 

        I heard a howl. He released me and walked off. The Trudance pack had surrendered. Before he met up with his packs alpha female, he looked back at me. My neck fur was stained in blood. The scent of sadness, more like regret, was coming off of him. He turned and ran off. I stayed under the tree. I heard my pack celebrating, except one. "Alima?"  "Chance?"  "Yeah, where are you?"  I whimpered. "Alima?!"  Blackness engulfed me. I woke up to my pack standing over me. I was sitting against the tree, still bleeding. "What happened?" Zara asked. I groaned. "I got distracted." 

        My dad cursed under his breath. "You look shaken up." Deven said. "Let's get her home." Chance said. He shifted and exposed his back to me. "Uh...Chance?" I asked. He rolled his eyes. Nico picked me up and set me on his back. We are larger then normal wolves, about twice the size.  All the others shifted. I didn't knowing it would be harder for my brother, also I didn't have the strength. The pack surrounded Chance and I. Chance moved forward and I cringed. 

        It was a long ride back. I tried not to let my pain show, even though it hurt. When we finally got back, Chance shifted and carried me in. He set me down on the couch. "So, what exactly happened?" He asked. "Well...I heard Nico call for help and I guess I let my guard down. I was so stupid." I groaned. "No you weren't. An alpha looks after their pack mates. That's what you were doing. It happens to even the best alphas." 

        "Whatever." He sighed. "You'll understand when you get your mate this year." "Wait, mate?!" I said. "Yeah, you're 16 you get a mate this year. Either on your own or Mom gets you one."  He got up. "Speaking of, I better go get her." "Wait!" He turned. "Whose your mate?" I asked. He laughed. "It's been two years, Alima. It's Jade." He walked off. That made sense, they've known each other forever. I mean, she is in his class. Ironically she's in our pack too. They were the oldest, the rest of them are in my class. 

        Mom walked through the door. She looked over me not saying anything. I fell asleep. When I woke I was in my bed. Nia was by my side. "Oh thank God." She said. "It's about time." "What are you barking about?" I asked. "You've been out for a week. Sabine!" She yelled. My mom appeared. "She's up." Mom walked in and looked me over. "You're good to go back to school." I groaned. "You didn't miss much." Nia said. "Some new guy showed up though." Mom cleared her throat. "You never let me finish. "You're good to go back to school, tomorrow. Today you have to eat to get your strength up. I'd give you what I have but since you've been out so long you'd better hunt." 

        "Can I go with her?" We turned our heads towards the voice. "You mean we." "Whatever." Clem giggled. She was with Ignasio. "Very well." Mom left the room. I got up and walked towards the couple. I sighed. "You two are mates now aren't you?" They nodded. Ignasio is 17, and Clem is 15. I rolled my eyes and jumped out the window.

        I couldn't believe that I had been out for a week. I was starving and my wolf was beginning to claw its way out. I began to run. I jumped over a fallen tree and shifted in mid air. I growled and shook my fur. Ignasio and Clem trotted up. Clem looked concerned and sniffed my neck. The wound was still fresh. I'll have to cover it tomorrow for school so no one is suspicious. She looked up at me and whimpered. I licked her ear, letting her know I was okay. Ignasio was ahead of us. "Maybe we should split up. There's a lone cow elk around here I can smell her. She'll make an easy target, if we can find her."  I nodded. "I'll go towards the meadow by the waterfall, Clem, you can hit the river, Ignasio-" "I'll head East." He interrupted. I glared at him. You never interrupt a future alpha. 

        They took off and I sighed. I walked off towards the meadow. The snow was starting to melt, it was 70 degrees after all. Flowers were beginning to grow. The grass was springing up awaiting for the return of the elk herds. I saw elk hoof prints in the mud. They weren't fresh but they weren't old either. Probably only a few hours old. I sniffed them. Defiantly female, but she could be anywhere by now. I shifted back to normal. My stomach growled. "Ugh." I said to myself. I knew our territory from the back of my head. "There's an apple tree about 1/4 mile away from here." I looked around and shifted. 

        I'd go as myself but I don't want to risk myself being seen by a random hunter and then ask why I was out here. I wasn't really in the mood for explaining. 

        I got there in about ten minutes. I shifted. "Finally!" I ripped an apple from the stem. In our territory, for some reason this apple tree has a charm so the apples are available year round. It's kinda weird actually. I bit down and the juices splattered in my face. I swear, that was the best apple I've ever eaten even if I hadn't eaten in a week. 

        Midway through my snack, Clem mind linked me. Usually if you're not in wolf form you can't hear them, unless it's linked to specific wolves. If not, it's only for those who are wolves at that time. "Found her!" "Where is she?" It was Ignasio. I shifted to my wolf. "She's by that apple tree, the one that's charmed. About a half mile from there." Clem said. "Really? Okay, Clem. I'll be there shortly I'm by the tree."  I cut off the mind link and raced towards Clem. 

        I found her crouched in the shadows. She pointed her nose towards the woods. I nodded and crept closer. She grabbed my tail between her teeth. I looked back and she shook her head. Clem wanted to wait for Ignasio. I sat down and waited. He finally appeared at the treeline. I stood up and walked up to him, Clem trotted after me. 

        We looked for a point of attack, we decided that one of us should run in to flush her out and have two receivers. Clem would flush and Ignasio and I would receive. Clem licked Ignasio. I rolled my eyes. I swear I'll never understand love. She stalked in and I was crouched and ready to spring at any moment. Ignasio was growling softly. We heard rustling and then all at once, the cow elk burst from the bushes. Ignasio sprung with his mouth gaped open. He latched on to her thigh. The cow began to buck and thrash. I lunged aiming for the neck, but careful to avoid her deadly hooves.

        Clem soon joined and we wrestled her to the ground. Ignasio bent down and crushed her windpipe. I gorged myself, sinking my teeth into her flesh. When I was satisfied, I began the long trek home. Clem and Ignasio followed. I shifted. "Why didn't you guys eat?" I asked. Clem shifted. "Well, we had eaten our fill on meat yesterday. The pack brought down a bull elk." Ignasio shifted. "Yeah, besides you needed all the meat you could get. Also, we eat twice that of a normal wolf given we are double the size." Clem nodded. "That elk was only a morsel." 

        I sighed. "Let's just get home." I was holding my ribs. "I've had enough action for today." We walked back home and found my dad standing at the door. "Where were you?" He asked, his arms crossed. "Tyree, we were-" Ignasio was interrupted. "I wasn't asking you!" Dad snapped. I jumped a little at my fathers sudden anger. He whipped his head at me. "You know you were supposed to be resting, now where were you." "Daddy, I was only hunting." I said. "Nothing happened." I winced at a sudden pain.

        "Uh huh, sure. Sabine!" My mother appeared. "Yes dear?" She asked. "Look at your daughter, do you really think she's ready for school?" He asked. Mom laughed. "Of course." Dad sighed and stomped inside. Deven walked in. "Come on, I'll help you." "No, I'm fine." I walked up to my room. It was dark out. I flopped onto my bed. I fell asleep just as my head hit the pillow.