The Alpha Instinct

Bonus Chapter: The Banished Prince

I let out a laugh at his comment, "I don't know about being a leader. I'm no alpha—" I shake my head at his over excitement. He gets a weird look on his face for a moment as If I've said something wrong. I lose a bit of my smile, "Is something wrong?" I ask. 

"Marshall there's something I need to tell you. I should have—" He stopped mid sentence and looked off toward the woods with a serious expression. A monstrous howl echoes around us and send fear straight into the heart of chest. I grab onto the railing, "What was that?" I whisper.

Declan is standing tensely beside me, "Marshall—" Another monstrous howl calls back to the other and I let go of the rail taking a step back. My wolf is battling for control as fear seems to become the fuel that is keeping my body alive at the moment. Declan grabs me by the shoulders and spins me to face him, "Marshall!" He shouts pulling me out of my haze. He is staring at me with a serious expression, "Get inside my house and lock the door. Find someplace and hide—whatever you hear, whatever happens—do not come out until the sun comes up."

"What's going—" I start to question him but he gives me a rough shake, "Do you understand me Son?" I nod my head as I pull my lips together in a tight line. He gives me a pained smile, "I'm so very proud of the man you've become Marshall. I know that your mother is proud too." His words made me confused but before I could say anymore a large creature broke through the tree line.

"Rogue!" I growled.

"No! Berserker! Now go!" Declan shoves me towards his front door before he leaps over the railing of his porch. I hesitated a moment, long enough to see Declan shift into a large russet colored wolf. The sight of him sent a wave of energy through me as if his powered had suddenly doubled in size. This was the feeling of an alpha—no it was the feeling of something more. When another creature pulled out of the woods I charged into the house, locking the door behind me as I had promised. I wanted tohelp Declan but I was afraid—too afraid. This wasn't like anything I had ever seen before. 

I had waited until the sun came up as I had promised. What I found outside had my heart shattering—Declan lay dead at the foot of his stairs. He'd looked as though he had been torn shreds with all the cuts that covered his body. I could see parts of whatever had been attacking him litter about the yard. A sob burst out of me as I lowered myself to my dead friend—who had been like a father to me my entire life. He had cared for me when know one else had not even my own family.

I picked his body up into my arms, cradling his limp form to mine. I had take him back to the pack—he needed to be given a proper burial, he deserved that. I walked through the forest carrying the dead body of the only person I cared for, the guilt of knowing he'd died protecting me made my stomach turn. What kind of Beta would I be if I ran like a scared pup from a fight? My tears had all but dried up when I passed into the main housing unit for the pack. 

The people outside noticed me carrying the broken body and raced away in fear. It wasn't long before the Alpha and other leaders came running out of the house towards me. My mother also appeared quickly beside them.

"What happened boy?" Alpha Quinn questioned with a gruff voice.

"I don't know—These things..." I shook as I recalled there hideous features and scent, "Like rogues but worse. He called them berserkers...They..." There was a gasp and some hushed whispers cutting off my explanation.

"Take the body." Alpha Quinn motioned to his Beta to take Declan, "We need to burn the body to make sure they don't come back—" I growled when his Beta went to remove Declan from my arms. He pulled up short and fixed me with a warning look but for some reason I couldn't seem to make my wolf submit.