For The Love of An Alpha

Fall of Man

A/N - I am really excited about releasing this chapter. Things are about to shift and change, be prepared for a little revelation to come and TONS of excitement in future chapters. Enjoy!

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The hard, cold stone helped soothe the ache in her thighs, as she sat half naked on the small ledge. Barely large enough to sit on, Jhera had managed to balance herself on the patch of jutting rock near the entrance. Her blue flannel shirt was hung loosely about her chest, only a few buttons were fastened. Her bare legs revealed and open flannel revealed the tiny shorts she had underneath her. Looking about the others had dressed fully and we were sitting about resting.

Jhera's silver eyes shifted back to look out the entrance. The sleet that had announced the arrival of the storm, now shifted to freezing rain. Layers of ice began to coat the rocky entrance and she began to question their safety upon exiting.

"Everything alright?" William's voice announced his presence as he came close.

"Ya, why?" Jhera acknowledged him, releasing the bit of her cheek she had been nibbling at.

"You were looking rather intent on chewing a hole in your cheek." He gave a nervous smile, his brown eyes seemed brighter in that moment.

"I was just thinking." Jhera brushed off the comment and returned her watch to the forest about them.

"Care to share?" William took a seat on the floor opposite her.

Jhera squared her shoulders and looked to the man, he was in jeans and a long sleeved burgundy shirt. His black hair was slicked back from his face and glistened from water. He rested his right elbow on his right knee, as he had pulled that knee toward him and planted that foot on the ground. His other leg splayed lazily in front of him. His feet were bare and he shivered as the cool air from outside wafted in.

"I worry about the group." Her eyes shifted from him to the others. "I don't know how safe this will be for everyone. The ice that's coating the rocks is getting thicker by the minute and the storm isn't letting up." Jhera shifted in her seat, pausing to listen for something outside the cave. Silence her only response, she continued, "Not to mention most of you aren't trained for long runs, and we'll need to run if we are going to catch up." She stopped herself and turned to William, her dark eyebrow cocked at him and her head tilted lightly, "Assuming that's what you want?"

"Of course it is." Ashleigh's voice interrupted the conversation.

"Then you'll need to learn to push your wolves." Jhera turned to look to the others who were now watching her intently, "All of you will need to learn." Standing from the ledge she had perched on, "You were all so exhausted from only half a days run, I don't know if we could have continued travel today if we had to." Her lips pursed, as frustration rose in her blood. Her normally pink lips began to look red from the increased blood flow, Jhera licked them slowly. She was trying to stay calm, but this was more frustrating to her then she expected.

"We'll push ourselves." Ashleigh offered up the response for the group, everyone nodded slowly and agreed.

"I hope so." Jhera's voice faded slowly as the sound of the freezing rain picked up and branches broke from tress outside. Her eyes were longing as she watched the sky fall before them.

"You want to be out there." This time it was Erick who came beside her as she stood at the entry.

"A little, ya." Her short response gave little information of her true reasoning. How easy it would be to just take off and leave them behind. She didn't need the pack and could hide her trail. It was doable.

"We should probably rest." Eli chimed in. "If we sleep now, then when the storm is done we'll be ready to move."

"I agree." William spoke up, lifting himself from the entrance floor.