Seeking The Alpha (Wolf Pack Chronicles Series Book 1)

by Amelia Wilson

  The cities who did not fight against the shifters were allowed to carry on as they were. People like Cara’s family, who rejected the new race were pushed out of the established communities and forced to build new towns, and ways of surviving without any contact with the Shifter accepting cities.

  Eventually war broke out among the shifter cities. At least that was what Cara heard. People left the cities, and so did the shifters. The order of the world forever changed.

  Cara thought that perhaps the shifters were misunderstood by the people of her town. She wanted to believe that the world would eventually return to the kind of order it once held. She wanted to believe that the shifters were good.

  Then they came.

  The creatures who walked like men but were not men at all. They were monsters, wild beasts. Every man attacked by them died. Their bodies were brought back in pieces.

  It wasn’t long after the hunting party was slaughtered that the wall was built. At first it was only five feet high. When more hunters were killed outside the wall, the townspeople added to the wall. It grew higher every year, cutting out more and more light from the people inside.

  For seven years Cara, and most of the people of Aldrich Town, were trapped behind the walls. It was a cage, and it was only going to get smaller for Cara when she married Aldrich.

  The man was in his forties, while Cara was not even twenty years old yet. Cara knew him to be a cruel man, just like her father.

  If it wasn’t for Cara’s uncle, Mortimer, she might not know that there were men who were kind.

  The men of the town angered easily. Many of them took out their frustration on anyone weaker than they were. When this happened, it was up to Aldrich if the person causing trouble got to stay, or was pushed outside the wall to be killed by the shifters.

  All matters were taken to Aldrich. When Cara once asked her uncle why Aldrich was in charge he said, “He owns the food. Aldrich owns the weapons. He owns the wall. Aldrich owns the people of his town because without him they starve, are defenseless, and die.”

  When Cara’s father took to beating her, the neighbors called in Aldrich. Cara was thirteen years old when he came to her house that night to answer the complaint. He arrived with a rope, ready to tie up her father because he was not interested in justice so much as he was interested in not being bothered.

  When he saw Cara, he entered the home and sat down at the dinner table with Cara’s father. He promised to spare him if he kept her untouched by other men.

  A virgin.

  Aldrich said he would return for her when she was ripe.

  Cara didn’t understand most of what he’d said, but she knew she didn’t like how he looked at her. She didn’t like the way Aldrich would follow her home from the schoolhouse after that.

  She was relieved when Aldrich married Paulina. Cara thought that since he’d married, Aldrich had forgotten her. Cara believed she was free of him.

  Up until two days prior, Cara believed that she would be like every other young woman in town and choose who to date and who to marry. When Aldrich came knocking, Cara knew she’d been mistaken. Aldrich hadn’t forgotten her. Not at all.

  Her father opened the door for Aldrich. When Cara saw him her body froze with fear. There was a rumor that Paulina died. Cara chose to believe it wasn’t true. After all, Paulina was only twenty-three. How could she die so young?

  Aldrich married Paulina when she was nineteen. Cara heard people say that Aldrich never let Paulina leave his house. Since Cara’s father rarely allowed Cara to leave without an escort, she thought it must be the same kind of restrictions for Paulina.

  Once though, when she passed by Aldrich’s house on her way to work, Cara saw her. Paulina was standing in the window glaring out at the light as though she’d been in darkness for so long she couldn’t adjust. She was bruised, too skinny, and she was crying.

  Since Aldrich was the only kind of law in Aldrich Town, Cara felt helpless to do anything for Paulina. Cara remembered that look of desperation on Paulina’s face, it wasn’t a sight she would ever forget.

  Aldrich entered Cara’s home. Cara could only think of the terror on Paulina’s face. She stood, backing away from the table. Aldrich’s brown eyes were so dark they were nearly black as they followed every move Cara made.

  Cara’s hands were shaking. She fisted them. Cara didn’t like the pleased look on Aldrich’s face when he saw the clear sign of fear. Narrowing her eyes, she dared to meet his gaze.

  Aldrich’s cutting eyes widened, the bloodshot vessels in his eyes darkened. His pale face and pointed chin lowered as his heated gaze ran over her. His gray teeth looked sharp as his thin lips curled back.

  He pushed up the sleeves of his red shirt. “Take off your dress,” Aldrich commanded. His eyes opened wider as he spoke. His hands opening and closing like he wanted to grab her.

  Cara looked to her father. He was the only one who could protect her from Aldrich. Sure, her father was hard hearted, and short tempered but he did love her. Cara was certain he would do something.

  He nodded to Cara, telling her without words to obey Aldrich.

  Cara’s face burned with anger at his stab of betrayal.

  How can he just stand there?

  “No,” Cara said.

  Aldrich towered over her. He was crowding her space trying to intimidate her to his will. Cara pressed her lips together as they too began to tremble.

  Aldrich’s hand shot out taking hold of her long blond braid yanking hard and pulling her head back. Tilting her chin up so that she had to look at him. His rough hands groped her breasts as he breathed into her face.

  “You need to see who is in charge, don’t you?”

  Cara was terrified, but she couldn’t stand his hands on her body. Reaching up she raked her nails across his face and kicked him as hard as she could.

  Only a small grunt sounded before his hand wrapped around her neck. He choked her, yelling in Cara’s face as she fought for air. “I’m going to teach you to obey, Cara Warden. You will be my wife.”

  Her name on his lips was a death sentence.

  Aldrich held her up in the air, her feet dangling. The whites of his eyes were bright as he bared his filed teeth at her. His sharp chin stabbed into her cheek as he pressed his face into her hair. He groaned a disgusting sound.

  Cara continued fighting for air but wasn’t getting any. She kicked out wildly and caught him between the legs. It was all that saved her from Aldrich choking her until she was unconscious, or dead.

  He dropped her.

  Cara backed away scooting across the floor. Her breath was coming fast and ragged but she couldn’t get enough. Aldrich’s eyes were crazed with rage. Cara was certain he’d kill her for what she’d done. The scary part of it was that she hoped he would.

  Instead Aldrich cradled his crotch with both hands as he glared across the space at her. When he was able to stand upright again he pointed at her.

  “I’m going to break you, Cara.”

  Her father came forward. He grabbed Cara by the front of her dress and hit her hard in the face. It hurt but fear of what would happen next was stronger. The room was tilting as she tried to see where Aldrich had gone.

  Is he coming? Is my father really going to hand me over to him? Aldrich’s worse than any creature that could be outside the walls.

  “I will come for her Thursday,” Aldrich told her father. “Make certain she is here and ready for me.”

  When the door slammed, Cara relaxed. She stopped struggling against the dizziness and gave in to the darkness that filled her vision.

  Her father apologized when she woke. It was strange for Cara, because he did actually appear sorry. It was the only time she’d ever seen real remorse in his brown eyes.

  “Aldrich will starve us if we deny him. We would both die if I refuse him.”

  “I’d rather starve to death than let Aldrich take me,” Cara told him.

  “I know,” he’d answered. “But I wouldn’t.”<
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  He didn’t lock her in her room or in the house because there was no where she could go. Nowhere to run away from Aldrich. No one would hide her. If Aldrich found her hiding with anyone, he would starve the entire family.

  Her uncle Mortimer and his wife were the only good people she knew. Even though her father rarely let her see them, she loved them and their children. She loved them too much to have them starve for her.

  Cara sat up on the mattress that served as her bed.

  Thinking of Paulina in that house, looking out like she’d forgotten what the sun felt like, made Cara feel smothered. Even the thin worn blanket on her legs was too much. She pushed it off and onto the floor.

  Cara needed to get outside. She needed to breathe in the cold air.

  Pulling on her hand-me-down boots, she spotted her shawl on the hook by the door. Cara wrapped it around her shoulders. On an impulse, she grabbed the scissors from the tabletop as she passed by on her way out the front door.

  As soon as she was outside she felt a little better.

  The air was frosty. Her breath looked like smoke in the dark. Cara breathed hard, like she did after Aldrich choked her. She walked away from her father’s house. It was the first time in five years she’s been in the town without an escort. It was the last bit of freedom she’d ever get.

  Cara walked through the small town finding herself on the main square. Aldrich’s house was up ahead. Cara looked up, spotting Paulina’s handprints still on the glass of the upper window.

  Cara remembered Aldrich’s hand around her braid, his face in her hair, and his breath on her neck. Rage and revulsion burned up her fear until it was gone.

  Raising the scissors, Cara chopped off her braid at the nape of her neck. Just like that she felt lighter. She knew her father would be furious, and she knew Aldrich would be too.

  I’m done being afraid.

  The town horn sounded, signaling a change of the guard. Cara spotted the guard climbing down the tall ladder to go report and trade places with the next guard on duty. She watched him with disbelief.

  The guard tower is empty.

  She’d dreamt of stealing the ladder enough times that as she watched the guard walk away Cara wasn’t sure if she were dreaming again.

  Taking hold of the ladder, she tried to shift it to lean on the wall instead of the tower but it was too heavy for her. Before she could think better of what she was doing, Cara started climbing.

  The sun was rising and the sky above was just hinting at the color blue. Excitement leapt in her chest. She wanted to see the mountains. She wanted to see the field and the forest. Cara kept climbing.

  “Hey, hey you there,” someone called out. Cara climbed faster. Ten more rungs up the ladder and she would reach the tower. Her hands were wet with sweat and it was becoming more difficult to hold on. The ladder shook. Cara looked down to see a guard climbing up after her.

  Faster, come on Cara

  CHAPTER TWO

  “The creatures are out there. You shouldn’t be on the tower,” the man called up after her.

  “They can’t be any worse than the creature in here,” Cara said as she crawled onto the landing of the guard tower. Her adrenaline was pumping, her heart pounding hard, and fast. She couldn’t hear what the guard was saying.

  Reaching Cara grabbed the railing and pulled herself up.

  The sky over the east mountains was streaked with orange, pink, and purple.

  Freedom.

  The hand of the guard grabbed the top rung on the ladder. He’d almost caught up to her. He would try and stop her, she was sure of it. Cara climbed over the railing and turned toward the wall. It wasn’t a far jump but it was a long way down.

  “Wait. What are you doing?”

  Cara jumped landing easily on the wall ledge.

  “Take my hand, I’ll pull you back onto the tower. You don’t know what you’re doing,” he said, his voice kind and full of concern. Cara looked back at him and could see recognition in his eyes, but she didn’t know him. Her father kept her away from most of the people in the town.

  “Cara. Aldrich’s bride,” he said. His outstretched hand dropped. “You’re Mortimer’s niece.”

  He knows my uncle.

  Cara was afraid he was going to try and stop her again. She looked down onto the other side of the wall trying to see a way to escape without breaking her neck.

  “I’ll tell your uncle that you got away,” the guard said.

  Cara turned back, surprised by what he’s saying. “You’re not going to try and stop me?”

  He untied a red pouch from his belt and held it out to her. “It isn’t much,” he said, his face solemn. “Good luck.”

  Cara was still scared to reach for the pouch. Afraid it was a trick and he was going to pull her back onto the guard tower platform. She was afraid he would snatch away her one chance to escape.

  “The… things that live out there. They’re dangerous. You’ll need this,” he insisted, holding the pouch out again.

  Cara snatched the pack out of his hand and was surprised when he didn’t reach for her or try to catch her.

  He really is trying to help me.

  “Thank you.”

  “You should hurry. I saw Aldrich’s servants opening the house to prepare for your wedding. He’ll be coming to get you soon and discover you’re gone.”

  The ledge was thin, and with the wind Cara didn’t know how long she would be able to stay on top of it. Kneeling on the wall she tucked the pouch under the thin bra that was one of the many Aldrich issued articles of clothing for the women. He was the only one with the connections to trade with the stronger cities.

  Curving her hands around the edge Cara began to lower herself down the other side of the wall until she was hanging. Her feet scraped the stones as she tried to find a foot hold.

  Her right foot caught hold under her toes.

  I can do this.

  Scraping her left foot over the surface, she struggled to find a hold. The wind blew so hard that Cara almost lost her grip on the wall. She couldn’t feel the grooves in between the stones with the boots on. Wiggling her foot, she felt the oversized boot fall free. Her toes ran over the cold stone searching and probing for a hold. Finally, she found a very thin ledge.

  “Hurry, someone is coming,” the guard whispered in a hiss.

  Releasing her hold on the top ledge with her left hand, Cara slid it over the sharp cold edges of stone until she found a place to hold on. Just as her other hand slid off the ledge, she heard him.

  Aldrich.

  “She was outside my house. This is her hair. Find her.”

  “Yes sir,” someone answered him, a guard probably but anyone in Aldrich Town would do his bidding. Cara didn’t blame them. She knew what the consequences were for refusing Aldrich. Cara’s hands were starting to shake again.

  So much for being fearless.

  She lowered herself further down the stone wall, feeling her way as she went. Cara’s foot rested on a sharp ledge biting into her flesh. The descent was slow and difficult. Her muscles began to spasm and she had so much farther to go.

  “You must have seen her. Where did she go?” Aldrich called out.

  “I didn’t see her. She must have come by during the shift change. I didn’t see anyone,” the guard lied.

  Cara gained another foot, but it was still too dark to see where the floor below began. If she let go she might suffer bruised feet, or worse broken bones.

  Just keep climbing.

  “What is this?” Aldrich’s voice sounded victorious.

  Cara looked up, certain that he’d climbed the tower and was looking down at her. Her hold slipped and she slid down the wall, her nails scraping against the rock, and tearing away. She caught herself with her right hand, her arm jerking hard.

  Biting her lip, she stifled a cry of pain as her feet searched out holds and grooves in between the stones.

  “This is hers.” Aldrich accused. His voice sounded like it came f
rom the tower. He must have climbed up while she was sliding down the wall. If he looked down, he might see her. It was still dark but the sun was continuing to rise.

  “It’s the same shawl that all the girls wear. It’s the standard you yourself issue out to the women.”

  “Are you saying it’s not hers? That this couldn’t be Cara’s?”

  A muffled sound drew her eyes upward. Aldrich was smashing the shawl against the guard’s face. Cara watched in horror. She didn’t know what to do.

  The guard fought his way free of Aldrich, he gasped for air as he leaned over the wall. His eyes were searching the darkness. He was looking for Cara, but he couldn’t see her even though she was only a dozen or so feet down the wall.

  He mouthed the word, “Run.”

  Aldrich slipped the shawl around his neck and shoved him over the wall. His pointed face leaned over the wall after he’d tied off the shawl to the tower. “You lied to me. You saw her. My Cara.”

  The guard’s feet kicked, his heels scraping on the wall but they weren’t catching. He was choking. Aldrich wasn’t going to release him.

  Cara reached up, climbing upward as fast as she could. The light caught her hand as she took hold of his shoe and pushed, trying to help him.

  “No,” the guard gurgled out kicking her hand away.

  I can’t let you die.

  She reached up again as Aldrich pressed his face into the dying man’s neck. “Do you know how long I’ve waited to fuck her? To break her?”

  He kicked her hand away again, only this time she lost her grasp on the wall. Cara pushed off from the wall with her feet, hoping to land on the other side of the mote around the outer wall.

  Aldrich straightened away from the dead guard, blood dripped down his chin as he cut the shawl and turned away.

  Water enveloped her into freezing cold darkness. The dim light from above cast a silhouette of the guard who saved her life and gave his own. He was floating on the surface.

  Cara choked on water as she tried to crawl up from the depths of the murky liquid. She didn’t know how to swim, but her frantic movements seemed to be working though too slow to do her much good.