Adrian
The house wakes before the sun.
As it usually is. There's chitter chatter in the kitchen as I sit up on the bed. Marissa is beside me, her eyes closed, revealing her upper body under the covers. I let out a sigh as I run my fingers through my hair.
I need a haircut.
"Risa, wake up," I nudge her gently. her eyes open and confusion sprawls on her face for a second, until realisation hits.
"I didn't go back home last night?" she asks in a statement kind of way.
I nod. "Your dad is going to know something's up if you leave through the front door."
Living in a compound with other wolves that have supernatural abilities is not the easiest thing to do. Sneaking away from my house is going to bring about gossip that I can't afford right now.
"I can't stay here until everyone leaves, though. Your kitchen is always a mad ghouse in the mornings," she points out, her raven black hair falls over her face as my eyes find their way to her naked chest. Marissa has always been attractive to me. Her blue eyes and black hair is a combination that I didn't even know I was attracted to, until her. Right now, all I want to do is push her back to the bed and have my way with her.
But I can't.
Not right now.
"Go have a shower, I'll get some clothes from Bev and some breakfast for you. They should all be out by the time you're done," I try to offer her some assurance, but she looks hesitant.
Her dad is one of the elders in the pack, and he also hates me.
He'd be pissed if he found out what we've been doing.
Not like I give a shit.
I am the Alpha, and I don't have to answer to anyone, but at the same time, I've been given the responsibility of keeping the unity and peace between the pack members. I don't need the elders undermining my leadership qualities. After my parents' death, taking over my father is the one thing I want to succeed at, and I can't have Marissa messing that up for me. We both know what this is. It's not serious. Just letting off steam, and I need to keep it that way.
"Don't forget to come get me when they all leave," she bats her lashes at me, and I manage a smile and a peck on her lips as I make that promise.
By the time I make it downstairs, the kitchen's already alive. Half the pack is arguing over coffee, someone is frying eggs, and Bev is sitting on the counter like she owns it. Which, technically, she almost does.
"Morning Alpha," she says with a mouthful of toast, smirking. She is teasing me.
"Don't call me that before I have my cup of coffee," I mutter, grabbing a mug.
She chuckles. "Don't act like you don't love it."
She's right, not about the nickname, but about the life. Being the Alpha isn't easy, but it's mine. I walk over to her with my cup just as Luca slides a plate to me. Luca is my best friend and Beta. He doesn't live in the house with me. He has a bungalow next door with his mate Cherry.
"Thanks, man."
I lean closer to my sister, and she looks up at me. "I need your help."
Her brow is raised as I explain my predicament. Letting Merissa stay over last night was out of weakness. I should have known better. Having sex with her is something I have to stop. We can't keep messing around.
"Right now?" Bev asks with a smirk.
I nod. "I don't want anyone to know she spent the night. If talk gets back to Dom, I won't hear the end of it."
She chuckles. "You know everyone here already knows that you're fucking Marissa."
I glare at her, and this gets a chuckle out of her, but at the same time, she jumps off the counter and grabs the toast from her plate. "Gotha brother," she runs out of the kitchen. I let out a sigh of relief as the house hums with voices, laughter, and the occasional low growl when someone steals bacon. It's chaos, but this is my family. My brothers and sisters.
Across the table, Luca and Jere are bantering as Luca balances a spoon on his nose playfully. The others cheer him on like he's doing some sort of Olympic sport.
"Real mature, Luca," I say.
"Hey, boss," he grins. "Not everyone can be serious and mysterious all the time."
I give him a flat look. "Try me after practice."
He laughs, but the sound fades when my gaze sharpens. I need to get everyone out of my house, and he can tell from my expression. There's a ripple of quiet, a natural order settling back into place. That's the thing about being Alpha. I don't have to raise my voice. They just listen.
I watch as they all scrummage through the rest of their meal, and in a matter of minutes, they all leave my house. I step outside, mug in hand. The air smells of pine and rain, the forest stretching out behind the house, almost like it's guarding my home. My compound. To humans, it's just the woods. to us, it's history. Every tree, every path marked with our scent.
I close my eyes for a second, knowing full well that in a matter of minutes, I'll have to head on to school.
College.
Going to college was a decision I made on my own. A semblance of normalcy that I wanted to have. It's something that I didn't need, but also something I craved almost as much as being the leader that I am. None of the elders understands the decision I made. Not even Luca and Bev, who are forced to go on this journey with me.
There was just something. A pull. And I haven't regretted my decision since I started.
With my eyes still closed, I centre myself.
And that's when I feel it.
Something faint, like a whisper in the air. A scent that doesn't belong. sharp, new, laced with adrenaline and blood.
This won't be the first time that we've had trespassers. rogue wolves, trying to get in on a turf that doesn't belong to them. There is unity among the werewolf community, but once in a while, we have to eliminate the bad eggs. I am always wary of new scents, and right now, this is something I'll have to look into.
Bev appears beside me, her hoodie half zipped, dark curls into a bun. "You feel that too?" she asks.
"Yeah," I say quietly. "Something happened last night."
I don't know what it is, but I'm certain someone was hurt. There's too much blood and the presence of humans. This won't be the first time that they'd hang around the forest leading to our compound, but they can't find it even if they tried. We are hidden by a magical cloak, done by the compound witch Lucinda.
Protected and safe.
"Humans?"
I shake my head. "Not exactly. But I plan on finding out."
We exchange a look, then I remember Marissa. "Did you give her the clothes?"
She nods. "She's gone home."
I let out a breath of relief as I face the woods again. For most Alphas, this would just be a worry. For me, it's a responsibility. Whatever's out there... It's my territory. So it has become my problem.
Luca pokes his head out the door. "You two having your spooky twin telepathy moment again? We're going to be late for class."
Bev rolls her eyes. "Not twins, idiot. Just in sync siblings"
He shrugs. "Same thing."
By the time we pile into the truck, the sun's up. I drive, windows down, forest fading into campus building. Crossville University is buzzing. Students on bikes, music leaking from open dorm windows, the smell of bad coffee and paper deadlines.
I smile, loving every sight in place. I park by the track field, grabbing my duffel. The shift from Alpha to athlete is almost seamless. No one here knows what I am, just that I run faster, push harder and somehow, keep my cool no matter what.
"Same plan," I tell Luca as we warm up. "Two miles easy, then sprints."
He groans. "You're gonna kill me one day."
"That's the idea."
Bev waves from the bleachers with a coffee cup, pretending to be our unofficial coach. She mouths show off when I start the first lap.
The rhythm settles quickly, wind against my skin, the steady beat of my heart, the sound of sneakers hitting rubber. Running's the one time I don't have to think about control. I know it might seem like cheating, but I don't call my wolf out whenever I run. It's the only thing that's keeping my wolf at bay in school. It's the only thing that's managing the hunger to hunt.
But when I slow at the end of the track, the scent hits me again.
Faint. Wild. Wrong.
Not from the forest this time, from campus.
It stops me cold.
Luca jogs up beside me. "You okay?"
"Yeah." I force a breath. "Just thought I smelled rain."
But it's not raining. It's the same scent from the woods. Fresh. Near.
And whoever it belongs to… they're closer than I thought.