Alpha

by Regan Ure

  As I slid into my car, I noticed the guy from earlier, the blond one with the short hair who had initially glared at me in my first lesson of the day. He walked up to Cade and stood by him. Both of them watched me intently as I started up my car and revved slightly as I backed the car out of the parking space.

  I glanced back once more before I pulled out of the parking lot. The strangeness I’d encountered and gorgeous boys were forgotten as I raced home. The feel of the car gliding around the corners made me feel relaxed because I was back in control. By the time I arrived home, I was relaxed.

  I parked the car in the garage and slid out. I still loved my other cars. I had various other cars but the Maserati was my favorite. When I needed to relax and drive fast, I drove the fast cars; when I wanted to go unnoticed, I normally used my Range Rover or Jeep.

  Gary was in the kitchen when I walked in and dropped my school bag on the floor.

  “So, how was your first day at school?” he asked with genuine interest.

  “It was okay, but some of the students are a bit weird,” I told him as I grabbed an apple and pulled up a chair next to him at the kitchen table.

  “How were they weird?” he asked as he sipped his coffee.

  “They kept watching me the whole time and it was almost like they expected me to attack them,” I explained with a shrug. It still made no sense.

  “Maybe they were just looking at a pretty girl,” he explained with a smile and I rolled my eyes at him.

  “There is definitely something up at that school. There are two different groups that seem to be run by two different guys,” I tried to explain.

  “You think they’re some type of gangs?” Gary asked with concern.

  “Maybe.”

  Gangs. I hadn’t thought of that. That could explain why there were two groups that stuck together and didn’t mingle with the other students.

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Gary said with a crease in his forehead.

  “Relax, I know how to protect myself,” I reasoned with him. He knew what I was capable of because he trained me himself. Despite what I said, I could see Gary getting that determined look.

  “I’ll be fine,” I assured him.

  I knew Gary well enough to know that if he thought there was something dangerous in my environment, he wouldn’t hesitate to yank me out of the school and make me move to another place he considered safer.

  “I can’t let anything happen to you,” he stated as his eyes softened. He took the responsibility of keeping me safe very seriously.

  “Nothing is going to happen to me. Other than two tight groups, I didn’t see any weapons or any fights. I think you might just be over-reacting. I don’t want to move; I like it here.”

  “Fine,” he muttered. “But if anything happens that I’m not happy with, we’re moving.”

  I gave him a brief nod. Even if he was right and the two groups at school were gangs, if I had nothing to do with them and kept my distance I wouldn’t have anything to worry about. I still couldn’t figure out why they had given me strange looks, but I was sure after a while they’d forget about me.

  As soon as I was done with my homework that afternoon, Gary started with my training. I knew it was the fear that something could happen to me that had spurred it on.

  He was normally very strict and determined with my training, but this time he pushed me harder than he ever had before. By the end of it my legs were wobbly and my arms hurt. I lay on my back on the sparring mat with the sweat pouring off of me. I’d definitely be feeling it the next morning.

  Gary stood above me and gave me a hand up.

  “Are you trying to punish me?” I teased as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

  “I’m just making sure you know your stuff,” he stated with a smile, but I knew him well enough to see the worry hidden beneath the grin.

  “Don’t worry,” I told him as I walked out of the gym, leaving him standing there drying off his face with a towel.

  If it kept him from hiring a bodyguard to protect me, I’d do double the training I normally did to keep him happy. I didn’t want some bulky guy following me around at school.

  I was so sore that the first thing I did when I went upstairs to my room was head straight to my bathroom to run a bath.

  With a sigh, I stripped my clothes off and sank into the warmth of the water that eased my tired muscles. I lay in the bath until my fingers started to wrinkle and the water began to cool.

  Once I got out of the bath, I put some clothes on and then headed downstairs for an early dinner. It was one of the perks of having a chef: I got him to make all my favorite meals.

  It was late when I went back upstairs to my room and Gary disappeared into his study. The sun had set already and it was dark outside. I stood by my bedroom window, looking up at the bright stars in the sky, admiring at how beautiful it was.

  I inhaled the distinctive smell of fresh rain. I searched for the source and my eyes widened in shock when I saw a huge wolf sitting on the inside of my property by the boundary wall.

  It was a massive black wolf—I’d never seen a wolf that big. I even rubbed my eyes and looked again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. It was completely black and its amber eyes glowed in the darkness as it watched me.

  Feeling vulnerable, I shut my window and took a step back.

  I had more questions running through my mind. Why on earth did a wolf smell like the group of students at my school? And, why was it so large? I knew it wasn’t possible that a wolf could be that big, but I had seen it with my own eyes. Maybe someone had fed it steroids.

  Also, why had it been on my property, watching me? I felt a shiver run down my spine.

  It was creepy.

  There was no way I was going to tell Gary any of this because he’d make me move and I liked it here.

  That night, I fell into a restless sleep and I dreamed about the massive black wolf with the glowing amber eyes that had been watching me.

  The wolf chased me through the dark forest. No matter how fast I ran, it was faster. In the next moment, I felt myself fall and I lay face down in the damp grass. Fear spread through me as my heart hammered in my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment and I smelled fresh rain.

  Something inside of me that I’d nurtured for years refused to allow me to lie on the ground and tremble in fear. No matter what life threw at me, I wasn’t one to cower from a challenge.

  I pushed myself up onto my knees and then I stood up. The smell of fresh rain surrounded me as I struggled to hear any sounds. Slowly I turned to see the wolf watching me with its amber eyes.

  The forest was dark, but the streaks of moonlight illuminated the massive wolf in front of me.

  My heart pounded in my ears. The fear in me fought against my actions; it made me want to turn and run, but I kept rooted to the spot.

  I knew none of my training would help me against this massive animal in front of me. It was the first time I felt vulnerable because I couldn’t defend myself.

  The wolf sniffed the air before it took a step forward. Against all my instincts, I remained unmoving with my eyes fixed on the wolf that was slowly approaching me.

  It sniffed the air again as it stepped closer. It was only a couple of feet in front of me but I stood my ground, my heart still hammering with fear in my chest.

  Slowly it pressed its wet snout into my hand. I held my breath, unsure of what the wolf wanted from me. I opened my hand and the wolf angled its head so my hand rested on its head.

  I felt a tingling sensation start up in my hand as I touched the wolf. It was the strangest thing I’d ever felt.

  You’ve got to be kidding me! I thought when I realized it wanted me to stroke its head. I gently moved my hand over its fur and it nuzzled my hip.

  This made no sense. The wolf didn’t want to hurt me, and suddenly I felt safe even though I’d feared for my life just a few moments ago.

  I bent down on one knee and it brought its eyes level with
mine. It licked my face and I felt a smile tug at my lips.

  “Why are you here?” I asked in a whisper. I knew it was ridiculous that I was talking to a wolf. Don’t ask me how, but I knew without a doubt that it could understand me. If anyone saw me, I had no doubt they would lock me up in the looney bin.

  I watched its eyes as they began to change. Slowly, they changed from the amber color to a turquoise-blue color. I’d only seen those eyes once but I would recognize them anywhere.

  Cade.

  I shot up in my bed, tangled in my bed sheets. My heart hammered in my chest and it felt like it was going to take off.

  I rubbed my temple, trying to sort through the remains of my strange dream while I tried to calm my breathing.

  There had to be a logical reason why the wolf and Cade were plaguing my subconscious. I’d seen a wolf before I’d gone to bed so that explained why the wolf had followed me into my dreams.

  What stumped me was why the wolf’s eyes changed to Cade’s piercing ones. It made no sense. Somehow my first and brief encounter with him had left a bigger impact on me than I’d first thought.

  My dream had felt so real that I could still feel the fur under my hands. I remembered the strange sensation of tingles when I touched the wolf. It had been a strange dream.

  I shook my head, trying to rid myself of images of the dream. I knew it was created from my subconscious thoughts, and I pushed them away. Dreams weren’t really supposed to make sense, so I wasn’t going to look for something that wasn’t there.

  I reasoned that it had been all the strange behavior from my first day at school that made me experience such vivid, weird dreams.

  Tired and still struggling to wake up, I dragged myself into my bathroom. After a quick shower, I was feeling better but I needed my caffeine fix. While I dried my body off, my fingers brushed over my birthmark on my hip. It looked more like a tattoo, but I’d been born with it.

  It was two teardrops side by side. One teardrop was bigger than the other.

  I finished getting ready and went downstairs to get some coffee.

  “You look awful,” Gary informed me as I walked into the kitchen. He sat at the kitchen table with a half-eaten plate of food and holding a newspaper. I just glared at him then walked over to the coffee machine and poured myself some. The rich aroma began to clear my tired and foggy mind.

  “Didn’t you sleep well?” he asked as his eyes softened.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  The dark bags under my eyes wouldn’t allow me the white lie so there was no point in lying. Normally, I wore very little makeup, but I’d put a little more on than usual in the hopes of hiding my lack of sleep. I hadn’t been able to cover it up, though.

  His eyes held mine. I knew what he wanted to know and I shook my head.

  After my parents had died, I’d suffered from night terrors and after a while the night terrors had faded into nightmares. After a few months and some therapy, I began to experience the nightmares less often until a few years later they stopped completely.

  It had been years since I’d had a nightmare and I could see the concern in Gary’s eyes. His first thought at the mention that I hadn’t slept well was that I’d had a nightmare about my parents. There was no way I was going to tell him about my dream. He’d think I was crazy.

  “It was probably first-day-at-a-new-school nerves,” I tried to explain. I took a sip of my coffee.

  “Okay,” he said. He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go.

  This time I wasn’t early so I had to park my baby farther away from the school. I hitched my bag over my shoulder and walked to the entrance.

  Just as I got to the front, someone stepped into my path. My eyes went to the obstacle.

  He stood in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. Vibrant eyes held mine.

  There was an unmistakable power in him that demanded attention, but I wasn’t your typical girl. I tilted my heard upward and held his gaze confidently, refusing to be intimidated. The truth was I felt it, but there was no way I’d show him that as my stubborn streak kicked in.

  In his eyes I saw surprise at my reaction to him.

  Yeah, pretty boy, I think you’ve met your match.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Scarlett

  I held his gaze for a few moments before he took a step closer to me. I felt an electric shiver through me as I felt my body react to him. I’d never felt that type of reaction with anybody else before.

  The smell of fresh rain hit me full force. I took another deep breath but there was no mistaking that smell; it reminded me of my dream last night.

  Ignoring my body’s reaction to his piercing eyes, I returned his stare without revealing the havoc he was causing me. The outside world around us disappeared into the background as we continued to glare at each other.

  He might think I was one of those many girls who would be in awe of him and his devastating good looks, but he had another thing coming. It didn’t matter that he made butterflies in my stomach come alive. I was stronger than this.

  I wouldn’t be one of those girls who fell at his feet and allowed him to treat me like a fleeting attraction before he moved on to another willing girl. There was that saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’ but in this case I’d bet he was exactly what I’d summed him up to be. He was arrogant and in his case the book cover had warning signs telling me to keep well away from him.

  “We need to talk,” he said as he folded his arms across his chest. Dressed in dark jeans and a black shirt with a leather jacket, he looked badass—but I wasn’t scared of him. I could see from the way the material molded to his lean chest that he worked out, possibly as hard as I did.

  “I don’t even know you, so why would we need to talk?” I asked as I took a step forward, placing me only a few inches away from him.

  I was so close that I could see his dark eyelashes framing his turquoise eyes. His dark, raven hair hung across his forehead and I had an urge to run my hands through it.

  Mentally, I shook myself. It felt so wrong to find him so attractive when I didn’t even like him.

  Something dark flashed in his eyes, then his forehead creased as his jaw tightened. Just from his body language, I could tell he was angry. He wasn’t used to being questioned. He was the type who spoke and everyone obeyed, but I was no follower.

  “Don’t play dumb with me,” he hissed, his eyes darkening with anger. The unmistakable power rolled off of him in waves and I felt that power hit me in the chest. I took an unsure step backward.

  There was something different about him.

  He didn’t know me and I had no idea what he was talking about. It reminded me of my strange conversation with Blake. I couldn’t figure out why both of them kept talking to me about something I was supposed to know but didn’t.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was going to a school for crazies.

  Straightening my back, I stepped closer and pushed a finger into his chest. Although he was taller than me and without a doubt physically stronger than me, I refused to back down from him.

  “Listen here, buddy, I don’t know you or what I’m supposed to know but I can guarantee you that I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said to him angrily as I continued to poke my finger into his chest. “Understand this: if you don’t back off, I’ll make you sorry you tried to mess with me. Keep to the vacant bimbos and leave me alone.”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise and then his eyes pierced mine. Then, unexpectedly, he cocked his head to the side and studied me for a moment before the one side of his mouth tilted upward in a half smirk.

  His devastating smile made my knees weaken.

  I was so over this. As much as he affected me on a physical level, there was no way I was going to let him get the better of me or push me around.

  I stepped around him and entered the school, ignoring his eyes on my retreating figure. The butterflies were going crazy inside my stomach and I couldn’t deny the
physical reaction he caused.

  He was dangerous and I needed to be very careful of him.

  The strangeness I’d experienced yesterday had just upped a level to downright weird. I couldn’t help my thoughts going back to my dream from last night. Cade smelled like fresh rain, like he had in my dream.

  By the time I made it to my locker, I’d pushed all the crazy thoughts from my mind. I wasn’t going to allow anyone to ruin my second day at a new school.

  “Hey.”

  I turned to see Keri standing beside me. Like her personality, her clothes were bold and colorful. The blood-red mini skirt teamed with black boots and green shirt on most people would look mismatched, but she pulled it off. It actually looked stylish.

  “Hi,” I greeted as I closed my locker, stuffing the books I held in my hand into my school bag.

  “What’s your first class for the day?” she asked.

  “Math,” I answered with a sigh. Math was not one of my strongest subjects but I had to work hard at it, especially when I was doing my own finances now.

  “I’ve got English but it’s next to your class,” she informed me.

  “Cool.”

  I was usually a loner, but I liked Keri. There was something about her that put me completely at ease in her company. I knew I hadn’t known her for long, but I felt she was someone I could trust.

  “I saw you had a run-in with Cade this morning,” she said as we started walking down the hallway to our first classes.

  My eyes darted to her curious gaze.

  “He’s like Blake; he never really talks to anyone outside of his group. What did he say to you?” she asked.

  “Honestly, he didn’t make much sense,” I revealed. “He said he wanted to talk to me and told me I knew what it was about. I’m not sure he’s playing with a full deck of cards.”

  Keri laughed and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

  “Only you would think the hottest guy in school was crazy.”