© They Call Him Alpha
⊵ Arrival
"It's Blake...it's me."
Blake Westfall.
The boy who had disappeared.
I hadn't seen or heard from him in four years.
So when he had called me the morning following my escape, I hadn't recognized the number that flashed on my phone. The sun hadn't even come up yet. I had been lingering outside a sketchy gas station on the outskirts of town when I heard my phone ring. The Uber driver had refused to take me any farther than the edge of town. He had said something about not wanting to be charged as an "accomplice" to a crime. So, until I had gotten Blake's call, I had loitered around trying to plan my next move while calculating approximately how long I had until I heard sirens wailing and blue and red lights flashing around the corner.
When I saw the unknown number pop up, I accepted the call-half out of curiosity and half out of worry that it would be my parents ready to unleash hell on me. However, I knew it wouldn't be them. They didn't know about the second phone I had gotten on Jana's phone plan; I've had it since I was fourteen. I had left the phone they had bought for me behind, fearing that they'd find some way to track me. The male voice that spoke through the phone's speaker was unfamiliar to me, yet he said my name so naturally and with such intimacy. Like a name his tongue never forgot. When he identified himself his as Blake Westfall, I almost didn't believe him. He was different...at least his voice was. It had matured greatly; it was different-rougher, deeper, firmer.
He hadn't sounded like this in high school. We had been quite a duo when we were younger. Living in the same snobby, upper-class neighborhood, Blake and I had met at the tender ages of eight and six, respectively. Despite being two years apart in age, he and I were close as close gets. Clay always wanted to tag along, but he was too young for our antics. Together, Blake and I were a troublesome pair-we pulled pranks, skipped out on curfew, and raised hell. We gave the posh housewives of our neighborhood something to gossip about. It was Blake who had been the one to show me that I could be more than a trophy daughter. I don't know who I'd be if I hadn't met him. I guess, in a way, he had saved me.
But then suddenly he was gone.
It had been out of the blue. At the end of his senior year-sophomore year for me-he had left. No warning or goodbye. I remembered coming back excited that summer to hang out with Blake after a week in New York for my mother's charity banquet. I had walked the three doors down to Blake's house; I had been ready for a summer of fun and mischief. There were no cars in the driveway. When I had knocked, there was no answer. When I had called out for him, I had been greeted with silence. When I had grown curious and looked through the window, I couldn't believe what I saw.
Empty.
It was entirely empty.
The whole grand house had been left bare and vacant-the furniture, pictures, décor, and any sign that a family had lived there had all vanished. I had dialed Blake's number dozens of times, but each call had ended with the same automatic message: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service."
No one knew where Blake and his parents had disappeared to. The police hadn't investigated further because they said no crime had been committed. The Westfalls had just vanished. It's like they just didn't exist anymore. The gossips of the neighborhood had had a field day with the whole thing. "On the run from the mafia," Mrs. Abbott, a member of my mother's book club, had rumored. "Kidnapped for ransom", another woman had said. "Abducted by aliens," Hilda-an old, wealthy lady, who was off her rocker-had insisted.
My parents had not been bothered in the slightest by the disappearance of the Westfalls; they claimed that Blake was a bad influence on me and were glad to be rid of him. But I had been left devastated. In the years that followed Blake's absence, I had down spiraled. I was abandoned, trapped in my cookie-cutter life that my parents had laid out for me. My best friend was gone, and I didn't know if he was hurt, lost, safe or even alive.
So when Blake repeatedly called out my name on the phone, I almost couldn't breathe. I had fallen to my knees, clutching the phone tightly in my hand. To say I was in disbelief would've been understatement.
"Peyton." Blake said again. I tried to move my lips, get my tongue to form words, allow my voice to work, but my mouth was just left agape. There was a long pause before he spoke again.
"Peyton, are you alright?"
If anyone were to see the look on my face, they would've thought I'd see a ghost-and, in a way, I had. A ghost that had been my pillow when I had fallen asleep on the roof of his house after watching the stars, a ghost that had been the flashlight in my dark room the first night we had snuck out after curfew, a ghost that had been the laugh in my ears that always made me smile.
"Peyton. Please, say something." And now that ghost was a voice through my phone that echoed of the past and robbed me of my own voice. But it had taken so much more from me than that. It had-no, he had, Blake had robbed me of a best friend-and possibly something more-when he left.
"H-how," I said, it was barely a whisper. I heard Blake breathe a sigh of relief, as if afraid I'd never speak. "How could you leave me?"
There was only silence on his end. I hadn't meant to say that. I wanted to tell him I had missed him. Hearing his voice again-oh God, it was like hearing the tune to an old favorite song I had almost forgotten. My thoughts were suddenly flooded with dreams. After Blake's disappearance, I had dreamt that he had still been here with me. I had dreamt that nothing had changed. But in the mornings, when I woke up, everything had. Those dreams had haunted me, taunting me with images with him. Every morning I'd wake up to unbelievable sorrow and wishing I'd never think of him, but only to go to sleep every night hoping I'd dream of him again.
"There are things," he breathed every word with a heavy breath, "so many things I need to tell you. That I need to explain to you."
"Then start." I almost flinched at my own hard tone. The relief, the sadness, and the memories had all be wiped away by anger. I didn't want excuses. I wanted to know why and how my best friend could just uproot and leave me without so much as a warning. And I wanted to know now.
After another long pause, Blake finally said, "I will. Everything-I'll tell you everything. But right now, I need to get you somewhere safe. I heard about what happened at your house-"
"How do you know about that?" I asked instantly. I hadn't known where Blake was for four years, but somehow, he heard about what I had done only hours after it had happened? "Where even are you? Where have you been all these years? Why did you-"
"Peyton." He silenced me with the steel in his voice. "We can't do this. Not now. I'm sending someone to get you, and I-"
I tried to interrupt again, but Blake barreled through, "-I know you deserve answers. I will give them to you, but not like this. I know you have no reason to, but please trust me."
Another silence. They never used to happen when we talked. Maybe time had changed us.
I wanted to say yes because what other choice did I have? I had left in a reckless blaze with no thought of where I'd go. I had always planned to leave. I had planned exactly when and where'd I go and how I would get there and be able to support myself. But what I had planned was slow, it would've taken a couple of years-years I didn't have because of the unexpected engagement. So here I was, left at some gas station on the outskirts of town and I was desperate enough to accept if it meant I had a place to stay, at least temporarily. It was between the devil I knew and the devil I didn't-except Blake was far from a devil. I had always known him to be gentle and kindhearted, or at least he had been. Four years is enough time to change anyone. Could I really believe that Blake would be the same? Whatever made Blake's family straight up vanish that one summer must've been serious. Maybe Mrs. Abbott was right, maybe there was mafia involved. I didn't even know what I was going to be stepping into and Blake refused to give me any answers, at least for now.
I shook my head to myself. I hadn't spent all those nights tossing and turning while dreaming of him just to finally find him and then let him disappear again. And he'd promised me answers to questions that've been echoing inside my head for years.
I won't let him go this time.
"Okay," I said softly, my anger from before fading.
I was going to finally uncover the mysterious case of Blake Westfall.
The boy who had disappeared.
✖
A black sedan pulled up in front of me and I watched the driver side's window slowly roll down to reveal a man...that was not Blake. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath until the air escaped chest and I felt my heart stop drumming. Despite Blake telling me he'd send a driver, I guess part of me had still expected for him to show up. Memories of Blake parked outside my house, learning against his old, cherry red Mustang waiting for me to come out. He loved that old thing, despite it being almost as old as I was. Blake's parents could've bought him any of the latest and flashiest cars that most of the kids from school cruised around in, but for some reason he cherished "Old Red"-as he liked to call it. Though, it wasn't all that surprising. Blake loved working on cars; if he wasn't with me then you could find him rolled under the belly of his car or bent over working under the hood. His summer skin slick with sweat, causing his white, cotton singlet to cling to his back, outlining the edges of prominent back muscles-
"Miss? Miss?" The driver furrowed his brows. I blinked, clearing away the memories. "Miss, you are Ms. Kennedy, correct?"
"Yes, sorry. I'm Peyton-Peyton Kennedy," I gave a small smile to apologize and reassure him. He glanced at me and then back at a tablet mounted to his dashboard.
"Right," he said as he got out the car and reached for my bag, "Well, Ms. Peyton Kennedy, I will be your driver for the day. I'll just take your bag for you and we'll get on our way"
"Oh, no, that's okay," I assured him, shrugging my bag off my shoulder. "Thank you, but I'd prefer to keep it with me." I mostly wanted to just have something familiar to hold on to; there was a comfort in it. He only nodded and opened the backseat door. I climbed in and pushed my bag onto the seat next to me. He got back into the front and glanced at the rearview mirror to meet my eyes.
"Comfortable?" He asked as he turned the key and put the car into gear. I only gave a small smile again and nodded.
"Good, 'cause we've got a long drive ahead of us."
I wasn't worried, I assured myself as we pulled away from the gas station and onto the main road. I leaned my head against the car's cool glass window and stared out at the passing buildings. After a while, the hum of the engine and the soft blowing from the AC created the perfect background lullaby as my vision blurred and my eyelids closed.
✖
When I woke up, gone was the scenery of my suburban town and instead in its place was a thick forest. It had been morning when I had gotten picked up, but now the orange and pink swirls in the sky told me it was nearing sunset. I sat up, stretching a bit while also being mindful of the dull ache in my shoulder.
"Where even are we?" I asked, looking out the window for a better view, but the woods that passed were too dense.
"We're actually close to your destination," the driver replied, glancing at his tablet, "according to the GPS."
We were close? Blake lived somewhere in the woods? Maybe the mafia had scared the Westfalls off the grid. Did the mafia really have that far of a reach? It was killing me, not knowing what happened that one summer. What had pushed the Westfalls so far away?
"Do you mind stopping at the next gas station or rest stop? I'd like to stretch my legs a bit." And I really needed to use the bathroom, but he didn't need to know that. I don't even know how many hours we'd been driving. I also hadn't expected to sleep the entire ride, but maybe waking up at 2 a.m. and the adrenaline rush from escaping had tired me out completely.
"Actually," the car started to slow down, "that won't be necessary."
I looked at him, confused. He pulled up alongside the edge of the forest before bringing the car to a complete stop.
"It appears we've already arrived at your destination," He put the car in park and got out to open my door. I just blinked at him. There was no house, building, no person-nothing in sight. Just trees, endless trees. There must've been some kind of mistake.
"Um, you might want to check your tablet thing again." I said, not wanting to be rude, but I wasn't about to get left out in the middle of nowhere.
"Miss, this is your destination. Were you not even aware of where you were headed? I was given the address of some cabin, and the GPS said its here." He opened my door, gesturing for me to get out. The cool air flooded in, smelling of fresh pine.
"A cabin? No way, this has to be a mistake. Could you drive me to the nearest town?" I asked, rubbing the cold from my arms. Why would Blake be holed out in some cabin?
The driver only let out a frustrated sigh, his brows furrowing again. "Look, miss. I don't accept requests for trips this far out," he took off his black cap and ran his finger through his hair, "but your friend, boyfriend-whatever, he compensated me very well. I just had to drop you off at the given destination, and that's here."
"But, can-"
He cut me off, "Miss, I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with this place at all; like I said, I only do local rides. I'm not sure where the nearest town even is; there's nothing nearby on the GPS and it's been hours since we've last passed any sort of civilization."
"But you can't just leave me out here!" I cried out. I grabbed my bag and fished out my phone. I dialed the number that Blake had called for. "I'm sure you've just been given the wrong address or something."
He stood outside, loudly tapping his thick fingers against the door handle as he waited. It was ringing and with each ring I grew more and more frantic. Blake needed to pick the fuck up, right now. But there was no answer. I tried again. The tapping of the driver's fingers became louder and faster, matching up with the pounding of my heart. No answer again. I tried again, no answer.
"Dammit, not again. Don't you do this to me again," I pleaded softly to myself. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I was reliving that summer all over again.
"Miss, I'm really sorry, but I must go. At this rate, it'll be morning before I get back." He saw the distress on my face and sighed, "Your friend really didn't tell you where you were headed? And you didn't think to ask?"
I looked down embarrassed. I had put my blind trust in Blake, acting as if we were still in high school. How utterly stupid of me. I should've pressed Blake for answers right then and there. I shouldn't have been so easily quelled by his promises. Once again, he has left me, alone and in the dark. I couldn't believe I let this happen again.
"Look, you're not in the middle of nowhere. Just head straight from here and you should find a path or something to the cabin. And if you really don't want to..." He looked at his watch then muttered, "you could join me on my way back, but I'm not stopping along the way."
"Go back?" I echoed softly to myself, looking right through him. Go back to what? I had left home in a reckless blaze and if I went back there'd be hell to pay with my parents. I'd be married off in a heartbeat. I'd have no choice; I might nineteen, but I had no job or money of my own. All of my relatives played by the same rules as my parents, so I had no one to run to. Blake's call earlier this morning had saved me from the realization that I was truly screwed.
"Fuck it," I exhaled loudly. I hoisted my bag onto my back and set one foot out the car. Summoning all the courage I had, I willed the rest of my body to get out of the car.
"Straight ahead you said?" I asked, but I didn't even wait for his answer. I walked on boldly ahead, not even glancing back. I knew if I did, I'd run back to the safety of the car. But then everything would've been for nothing. I hadn't vandalized my father's beloved car or thrown a rock through a window for nothing. Blake had promised me answers, and I'd be damned if I didn't get them.
"Thanks for the ride," I called back as I disappeared into the forest.
✖
I was going to die, and it was all my fault.
I had been walking for fifteen minutes and there was no path or cabin in sight. As if things weren't bad enough, the sun was setting. The last streaks of sun had begun to fade, and my visibility was dropping quickly. As the sun went down, so did the temperature. I was only wearing a pair of jean shorts and a shirt that I had thrown when I had fled the house. I wasn't dressed for this.
I had tried to find my way back to the road, but I had gotten turned around and wasn't sure which direction I had come from. I heard no sound of cars driving by to lead me back either; it was likely that people rarely drove out here anyway. The forest was loud, anyway. Louder than I thought a forest would be. It was constant, the sound of bugs, critters, and animals all around. I hugged myself and treaded lightly, hoping not to run into a bear.
So here I was, lost in some godforsaken forest with no water or food, no cell service, and no hope that somebody would ever find me. I wondered if they'd ever find my body. I worried about how Clay would take it. I had failed him as a sister, leaving him behind only to die in the woods.
As I thought of all the ways that bear could tear me apart, I heard something odd. I heard...nothing. Where there had been the hum of the lively forest, now suddenly there was quiet. The buzz of the forest had mysteriously ceased and I only heard my own footsteps and heartbeat. A hush had fallen and for some reason, it scared me more. And then I heard light pounding of the forest floor, somewhere in distance. It sounded like someone or something was hitting the ground.
A ferocious howl pierced the sky. Though it sounded miles away, I felt the vibration in my bones. The sound of the pounding seemed to be growing louder. I realized it was the sound of something-no some things-running, fast. Had a pack of bears caught my scent? Horrified, I realized they were coming closer quickly.
I should run, but the sound was growing louder and louder, thundering in my ears. My feet seemed like they had sprouted roots that held me to this spot. I was frozen. My breaths were coming out quick and short and my heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest. Now the pounding was right behind me, I could feel the ground vibrate beneath me. With my limited vision, I could make out shadows darting around me. I opened my mouth to scream, but even my voice was too scared to make a sound.
The shadows seemed to be circling me, darting in and around the trees surrounding me. I should've run when I had the chance.
I was going to die, and it was all my fault.
A shadow dashed out from the trees in front of me and I fell back in fright. I blinked at the horror before me.
It was a...woman?
She was only wearing a large, long white shirt, that was just enough to cover everything. Both the shirt and her body were caked with dirt and soil. Leaves and twigs were tangled in her short curls. She approached me, walking gracefully despite being barefoot against the uneven ground. It was too dark to clearly make out her face or expression, but I could feel her gaze on me. Two more shadows emerged from the trees, standing further back on either side of the woman.
"I don't know how you ended up here, but you need to come with me." She commanded, outstretching her hand towards me. I saw a dark liquid slide down her forearm and drip to the ground. Terrified, I realized it was blood.
The same ferocious howl erupted again, but not sounding as far away as before. The woman's attention snapped to the trees behind me and then back to me.
"Quickly now, if you want to live," she demanded more urgently. "You won't get a second chance."
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