For The Love of An Alpha

Recollection

Sixteen years ago...

A firm hand pressed against her shoulder as she laid on the couch at her grandmother's home. She felt the shimmy across her body as the hand nudged her into awareness. Jhera stretched hard as she looked to her relative.

"Yes, Nana?" her voice groggy and half asleep.

"Quiet girl," her grandmother spoke quickly in a hushed voice, "get up and dress yourself." She moved from the couch quickly and looked out her front window.

Jhera moved with urgency as fear began to race through her body. Pulling her nightgown from her body, she dressed in jeans and a long sleeved shirt. She pulled her sneakers over her feet and was quickly dragged to the kitchen by her wrist. She moved swiftly to keep pace.

"Listen carefully," her grandmother began as she moved about the kitchen, grabbing things from different places. "A threat is coming, and you must leave."

Jhera shook her head, not risking speaking out right now.

"Yes." Her words were firm. "You must, or they will kill you." She shoved a pack into the girls arms. "Your father was killed last night." She opened the pack and threw a canteen into the pack. "The apposing pack allowed a warlock to fight for them," she stopped to take Jhera's head in hands. "They offered you up as the price."

A lump stuck Jhera's throat, her father was dead and her life was in the balance. Her father always told her she was destined for great things. That her mother was a child of the stars and that she was kissed by the moon itself. Jhera rubbed her right arm as she watched her grandmother move about the room.

"Now, you must trust your wolf." She placed some food in the pack and a roll of bills that she pulled from her freezer. "She will not lead you wrong." She turned the girl around and put the pack on her shoulders, covering it and her shoulders with a poncho.

"Nana..." her voice sounded weak and shaky.

"I love you, with all my heart." She drew her granddaughter into her arms, hugging her tightly.

Screaming flooded their ears, as the fighting moved to the village. Their heads turned to the front of the house as screams of woman and young pups running from the village filled the air, followed by snarling and growling. Jhera could imagine the gnashing of teeth as the wolves moved across the village.

Her grandmother looked around and shook her head. "Come, quickly." She took her granddaughter's arm again and walked to the backyard, it edged on the forest line.

Jhera watched as her grandmother shifted into the familiar gray wolf, her green eyes peered from the girl to her own back. Jhera moved quickly and climbed atop her grandmother's shoulders, grasping the fur beneath her tightly, they took off at a swift pace. The sounds of howling and screams could be heard behind them, as they moved through the forest. The only safe place was far from where she was. Ezara moved as fast as her legs could carry her, the sound of howls coming from behind her. She knew they were on to her scent and she hoped that what they had taught the girl would be enough. They arrived at the stream that was far from the village. Slowing to a stop, Ezara lowered herself for the girl to climb down.

Shifting form, Ezara moved quickly to grab maple leaves from a nearby tree. She rubbed her granddaughter up and down with the leaves. Whispering to her as she did. "You find shelter far from here." She grabbed a handful of grass rubbed it over the girls shoes and socks. "You have about a day before the storm comes. You keep moving until the storm. When the rain starts, you keep pressing on for 3 hours. Keep to rocky areas where you leave no tracks."

"Light footed and gentle to the ground, leave no track, leave no trace." Jhera continued as her grandmother moved about her.

"And here we thought you never listened to us." She smiled one last time to the last of her line. She looked across river and placed her hands beneath the arms of her young granddaughter. Eight years was far too young to be on your own. They nodded to each other and Ezara tossed the girl across the water.