Filed to story: Wolf Crying Mate of the Alpha by Jazz Ford
I’m here with Ryker now, Vanessa. You don’t need to be here anymore,’ I say, smiling at her.
Mia smiles at my confidence, and Vanessa glares at her.
I heard along the grapevine that you might not even want to become the Luna or accept Alpha Ryker as your mate, she says.
Ryker growls and glares at her. If looks could kill, his would.
‘That’s none of your business.’ I snap at her.
‘Well, it is my business because if you don’t accept Alpha Ryker within a certain time frame, the elders will still make Alpha Ryker mark me as his mate and initiate me as the Luna of Shadow Crest,’ she says happily.
I growl at her words. Did I growl like a wolf again? Everyone turns to stare at me, surprised at my reaction.
‘Would they make you do that?’ I ask him. Ryker thinks for a moment.
‘There is a possibility, but I’m sure it won’t come to that because you’re here now. I don’t see why we would have to rush anything,’ Ryker says. Vanessa giggles.
‘I guess we’ll see what the elders prefer: your true mate who is weak and hasn’t met her wolf yet and knows nothing about our world, or me: someone experienced and strong and willing to bear your pups straight away, she smirks.
Ryker and I growl in unison at her words. I exhale sharply.
‘You’re nothing but a scruffy little dog from the woods!’ I snap. Mia, Hayley, and Kane burst out laughing. Seth tries to keep his composure. Vanessa stands.
“How dare you! I came from one of the strongest packs in the world. Shady Crest! We are-‘l cut her off.
‘Shady, I say. The entire table is roaring with laughter.
‘At least I know what pack I come from,’ she snaps.
Everyone goes silent, bracing themselves for my reaction.
‘For all we know, you could be from one of the weakest packs: the Rabid Rebels or the Astral pack. I can assure you when we meet your wolf, we’ll know, and if you’re from a weaker pack, the elders will intervene. You won’t be allowed to rule as Luna. I’ll be chosen in your place instead!
“And what if I’m not? What if I’m from one of the strongest packs?’ I snap.
‘Well, the strongest pack used to be the Moonstone pack. They have pure white wolves, but they had been wiped out around eighteen years ago, so keep dreaming! Shady Crest is the strongest now, and our wolves are brown, and I have never seen you there. Shadow Crest comes next. Alphas are black, and pack members are grey, Vanessa explains, smirking at me, feeling victorious.
‘So, we already know you aren’t from a powerful pack. So, until you’re the official Luna, I’m still in the running, she concludes.
‘Actually, Vanessa. I think it would be best if you moved out of the packhouse tomorrow. Seth will organise one of the nearby cabins for you to remain close to your mother.”
‘You can’t be serious?’ Vanessa yells.
‘Yes, I’m very serious. You will move out tomorrow.’
‘You can’t kick me out, Ryker. You can’t make me move out!
‘If you are not out by lunchtime tomorrow, I will drag you out of this packhouse myself, Ryker growls.
Standing up from the table, I walk away.
‘Astrid, where are you going? You haven’t even touched your dinner, Ryker growls.
I lost my appetite. I will not stay here and listen to this scruffy little mutt anymore! I storm off to my room and shut the door, locking it again.
If she thinks she can speak to me like that and treat me like that, she has another thing coming!
Last night was awful. I wasn’t able to get much sleep. I got up early before sunrise and headed downstairs to the kitchen to make myself breakfast. Entering, I freeze for a moment as Alice is there, cutting up fruit. Alice pauses and looks up to see me. She becomes angry, and the knife in her handshakes.
‘Good morning, Alice,’ I say politely. She growls in a warning.
I’m just going to get myself something to eat, and then I’ll be gone,’ I say
‘Permanently, I hope, she mutters.
‘Alice, I get you’re upset, but I planned none of this. I didn’t even know werewolves existed until recently. Maybe if we get to know each other, we might come to tolerate each other. Maybe even be friends,’ I say. I yelp when her knife flies past my face and into the wall.
‘I will never be your friend, and you will never be my Luna! Mark my word, Vanessa will become the Luna of Shadow Crest! I suggest you save yourself from the hurt and leave now. Because I can assure you, you won’t live to see your eighteenth birthday! Alice warns.
‘Did you just threaten to kill me?” I ask, in disbelief, looking at the knife in the wall. Alice closes in on me. I steel myself for whatever’s next.
‘If you’re not gone from here by your eighteenth birthday, Vanessa and I will shift and rip you apart! And if you speak of this conversation to Alpha Ryker or anyone, I’ll make sure it’s the last day of your life!’ She snaps. I’m trying to keep my emotions intact.
‘Why do you hate me so much? Don’t you want Vanessa to be happy? How could she be happy with a man who doesn’t love her? A man who doesn’t want to be with her?’
Alice grabs my hair and pushes me against the wall.
‘Oh, Astrid, sometimes in life, it’s not about love, but about other things like power,’ she says, retrieving her knife.
I’m scared and try to hide my fear.
‘If I were you, Astrid, I’d get going right now, before everyone wakes up,’ she says, tapping my nose with the knife. She stares at me and holds the blade against my face. I nod.
‘Good! Well, it was nice meeting you, Astrid. I hope we don’t cross paths again, she smirks, and I leave the kitchen hysterical and affected.
She is going to kill me! She is going to kill me if I stay! I don’t want to leave Ryker or the others. How can I tell them without her finding out?
Bursting into tears, I dress quickly in jeans and a hoodie. I grab a small pack and place another set of clothes in it. Do leave? Do I leave a note? Where will I go? I can’t go back to my stepfather’s house. Maybe I can camp in the woods for a few days. I can sneak food from the diner until I figure something out. The sun is rising, I have to leave now.
I climb over the balcony and down the latticework beneath. I run opposite the shopping strip, hoping it leads me toward Jim’s diner. A couple of hours pass me by when I’m deep in the woods, and I freeze at the faint how! of a wolf in the distance. I know it’s Ryker, realising I’m gone. Falling to the ground, I cry.
‘Please forgive me, Ryker. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to leave you.”
Standing,.! wipe my tears, they’re uncontrollable. I suddenly remember when Ryker explained he could smell my scent. I look around and grab some eucalyptus leaves from a low hanging branch. Removing my hoodie and jeans, I rub the leaves down my legs all over myself. I put my clothes back on, sticking a handful of eucalyptus leaves into the pockets of my hoodie and jeans. I run further into the woods, after a while, I resort to walking because I’m exhausted. Ryker would have followed my scent until I used those leaves. I should probably change course, too, if he keeps going straight.
Changing my direction, I stop at a riverbank to drink some water, hoping it’s clean enough. The sun is setting. I have to find shelter soon before it becomes dark. I wander around until I find a large hollow log on its side.
This will be perfect. I crawl into the hollow log and open my bag, covering myself with the other jumper to keep as warm as I can. I sleep curled up and use my bag as a pillow. The sun rises, and I’m surprised I slept all night.
I’ve been walking for three hours. I’m happy when I see a familiar road. It leads into the city! I stay off the road to avoid Ryker finding me. The black Mercedes is in the distance. I sense it’s a bad idea to run toward it, but I do.
Out on the road, I watch the black Mercedes slow down to a halt. The back window rolls down.
‘Hello, Zenith,’ I say.
‘I was worrying, Astrid. I haven’t seen you for a few days, he says.