The Alpha & I

Prologue

Shifters have always had a mysterious background. 

Where did they come from?  

Who is the moon goddess they often speak of?

How and why can they shift into animals? 

The land of Solise housed many shifters: wolves, leopards, bears, and probably so many others she hadn't heard of. Druids, the first shifters on record, beings that could take on multiple animal forms, what was that like?

All these questions, she thought about often. She had not much else to do. As a prisoner in her own pack, she had nothing but time outside of her duties. Her only hope was a small gift from her mother, who was now long gone, a name hidden within, a person whom she was told would come for her. 

And it had finally happened...

It was raining. The air was thick with the scent of smoke as the downpour pounded the ground relentlessly. It was as if the heavens were trying to escape the sky. That was the night of her salvation and freedom; she always wondered how the fire could burn so vibrantly and beautifully, and yet the flames were also so chaotic, with the rain trying so desperately to put them out to no avail. The frigid chill in the air made her tremble and shiver as they carried her away.

Good riddance.

The were-leopard pack that was burning had been the one that held her prisoner for thirteen years of her life. They had thought her a piece of property they owned, an experiment they shunned and mistreated but still wanted alive.

The sky was dark; the moon was nowhere in sight. She wondered how the man carrying her saw anything. The loud pounding of the rain against her already sodden clothing only put her more on edge as they hastily put distance between them and the den.

She remembered in that moment thinking; Was she really going to leave this place for good? 

Her heart was pounding in her chest, adrenaline fueling her. Were they really going to make it?

The man who held her firmly in his arms was clutching her tightly enough that she wouldn't fall, but if she struggled enough, she'd be free of his hold. His feet hit the ground at an alarming rate as he propelled them both forward with a speed she had never seen before. He was unnaturally fast. But that was normal for their kind; they were shifters after all. Human-looking people who had an animal side, one they could transform into at will. Well, most could with the right training and willpower. 

Looking over the man's shoulder, she could see the den burning to the ground behind them. She didn't feel the least bit remorseful; she hated them, every one of them . For her so-called family, they had done a terrible job of raising her. Her father, as the leopard pack's Alpha, should have guaranteed she received great respect, but he did not.

Her mother had been an outsider, a wolf. The Luna of the leopard pack hated her for it, even though it wasn't her fault. She was a half-breed, an abomination as they called her, even though it had been their goal to make her. And yet they still wanted her to have pups for them. The Alpha believed that, over time, he could breed the wolf out of her, strengthening the leopards.

"Don't fret, I have you, little one." The man whispered.

Her eyes darted to his face, which was strained forward. Her animalistic hearing picked up his faint, deep voice with ease. Wrapped in a soft, wet blanket, her bottom lip trembling and her body shaking from both fear and the cold. She fought back the urge to sob uncontrollably.

"What's your name?" His voice was soothing, even though he was breathing heavily and clearly wounded. He was trying to distract her from the events that had just transpired. To ground her, keep her centred. Why was he being so kind?