Rise of the Alpha (The Rise Series Book 1)

by Helen Dhanoya

  My stomach rolled when remembering the finger we’d found yester-day. This person was sick, and I hoped we found him soon.

  She dished everyone a plate before handing it to them as she appeared deep in thought. Once everyone got their drinks, she sat back, taking a small bite of her ham and cheese sandwich. I had a PB&J sandwich, with some milk. Nathan swiftly licked his food up, before licking his mouth, his eyes never leaving Wyatt.

  Neither of us trusted either of them, so we had to keep an eye on the one who could do the most damage up close.

  Ellen placed her food down, clearing her throat, a serious expres- sion crossing her face. Her light blue eyes changed to a dark ocean color. “I had discovered the W.E.U., the Werewolf Extermination Unit, when I was on a trip to another state. They had a small base outside of the town I was in, so I’d take strolls on my runs at night, when the security was lacking. I found dozens of experimented wolves. Whatever they did to those poor Omegas and rogues wasn’t human, let alone sanitary. I was close to finding out who their leader was, but thanks to my phone going off, I had to quickly escape. They had found out about me, so they packed up and left. I didn’t know where they’d relocated to.” She stopped to take a drink before continuing, “I was looking everywhere for them, but I found nothing. That same day, I received the news of your parents’ deaths. That’s when I decided the pack life wasn’t for me. I left, met Wyatt’s father, who happened to be my mate, but here’s where this gets difficult.”

  Wyatt’s expression became cold and bitter, as his mother began to talk about this man. Judging from the reaction, they didn’t have a good relationship, but I had no place to judge, so I remained silent.

  “Come to find out, he was a jaguar shifter. One of only three on this continent. He was away often on missions and meetings with the other two. They were investigating the W.E.U., having been hired by the High Were Council to find out more about them. But this was around the time I found out we were pregnant with Wyatt. His father had been gone for weeks, having contacted me only once the whole time. I hadn’t really thought of anything happening to him, but that was before I received the phone call from the Council, asking me to come to an emergency meeting. I knew something had happened. The bond between his father and I had broken. I hadn’t realized it before. I couldn’t link him anymore. I couldn’t feel him. I raced over to the Council house, where my fears had been true. I walked in and everyone had gathered around a coffin. It was closed, but I knew by looking around that he was in there.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows. “How come you didn’t get sick when he died? Grandpa almost immediately got sick after Grandma was taken.”

  She stared at me for a moment. “Because, your grandparents were always together. My mate and I were separated almost the whole time, and I had Wyatt to care for. My instincts took over.”

  “Oh.” It was all I could think to say; it made complete sense.

  She wiped tears from her eyes, as she steadied herself while Wyatt moved to her and embraced her in a quick hug. Sniffling, she continued. “I broke down. I was emotionally unstable. The Alpha Females took me in, helping me get the right diet put together, a pill schedule and a support system within their packs. But I hadn’t been in a pack for years, so I distanced myself and began investigating on my own. They wouldn’t tell me anything about what happened or how he died, so I had to find the answers myself.”

  I quietly ate my food, intently listening while trying to gather my thoughts. This was important information. Now I had some kind of lead to whom these people were.

  She started silently crying, so I figured it was a good time to stop. I cleaned up my plate, stating, “Well, I can see this is a lot on you, so let’s continue this discussion another time. I’ll set up a meeting with my Beta and Gamma, and let you know when we can meet again. I’ll give you the time to settle back down, so don’t worry.”

  I stood, dusting myself off.

  Nathan did the same, quickly standing by my side as I continued, “I will be in contact with you within the next few days. Let me talk with my ranked members, but we’ll go from there.”

  Ellen wiped her face, standing as Wyatt began to put everything away.

  She nodded, smiling slightly. “I will be on the lookout for your summoning. Take care, Alpha. Be on guard, you never know who is listening.”

  The last sentence she spoke, sent chills down my spine as I watched them pack up and head back the way they came.

  I looked at Nathan, who met my eyes, with the same chill I had gotten.

  They didn’t seem like bad people, but with the time crunch we had, we didn’t have much of a choice in whom we had to trust.

  CHAPTER 7

  DAHLIA

  THE CAR RIDE home was silent, having lost myself to my thoughts over the conversation with Ellen. Do I trust what she said? Was she really my mother’s best friend? If she was, I can’t ever recall a time when she came to visit my mother.

  I needed to meet with the Elders, to get their thoughts and opin- ions, before I proceeded

  any further with Ellen and her son, Wyatt.

  Mind-linking the Elders, I headed home, setting up the meeting at my grandfather’s place within the hour. Liam had texted me earlier in the day with an update. Grandfather’s condition only worsened.

  In the driveway, I parked the Jeep. Climbing out, I grabbed my bag and rounded the vehicle to let Nathan out.

  Jumping out himself, he quickly licked my cheek before running off toward the backyard, his tail wagging in success as he left.

  Laughing, I closed the door and locked the Jeep.

  On the porch, I fumbled with the house keys as a strong set of arms wrapped around my waist. It was Nathan. He buried his nose in my hair, sniffing gently. “You smell delicious, my love.”

  I smiled, turning in his arms to face him. He wore a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. “You could’ve gotten yourself hurt just now, mister.”

  The glint in his eyes was playful. “Yeah, but I would’ve taken it anyway. Pain from you, I could take any day.” He winked.

  Chuckling, I tip-toed to kiss his cheek, a growl erupting from Nathan startling me, as he whipped around and tucked me behind him. When I peeked around him, I found the Elders. They held their hands up in defense.

  “Nathan,” Rain, the female Elder, calmly spoke. “We’re not here to harm either you or the Alpha. We completely understand why you would be up in arms.”

  I moved away from him, finding the key and nudging him in the side with my elbow. “Get your ass inside, we don’t have time to waste.”

  He snarled quietly, rubbing his side where I had elbowed him, but obeyed.

  I turned to the Elders again once they relaxed a little. “I’m sorry about him. The meeting has him on edge. Let’s go in. I’ve got an Omega making dinner for us. We’ve got a lot to discuss.”

  They nodded, following me inside.

  Closing the door behind me, they all took a seat in the living room, with Nathan grabbing two kitchen chairs for us. Sitting down, I began to go over the meeting I had with Ellen and her son.

  “So, he’s a jaguar and wolf hybrid? I’ve only met one jaguar shifter in my life, and he was a hard one to understand,” Tyler, the oldest of the Elders, mentioned as I told them what Wyatt was.

  “But…” His gray eyes darkened. “We need to be careful when dealing with Ellen, and especially her son.”

  I thought about what he said, trying to think of what we could do. “Why not add Ellen and her son to the pack? They would strengthen us by not only our numbers, but our safety as well. With Wyatt’s abilities, we can benefit from him. I know we only have three days before the meeting with the kidnapper, but we have to be prepared for every scenario we can get before the meeting arrives.”

  The Elders thought about what I said, as the Omega brought in a table and set up dinner for us. She had made meatballs and pasta, with homemade garlic bread and a variety of drinks to choose from.

  Rain point
ed at Nathan with her fork, as we began to dish our own plates. “You were there. What do you think?”

  He quietly chewed his food, as he thought of what to say.

  I picked up some salad, drenching it with thousand island dressing, jabbing a piece of lettuce and placing it into my mouth as Nathan began to speak. “Well, Ellen seems legit. Her son, on the other hand, is strong. I would need to do hand-to-hand combat to actually find out where his strengths are and what his weaknesses are. We would need to make the decision soon.” He turned to me just when I stuffed pasta in my mouth, the sauce all over my face.

  He laughed, handing me a napkin. “What do you think, Alpha?”

  Embarrassed, I cleaned myself up before taking a drink of my lemonade. Clearing my throat, I hummed, “I think you’re right. Any objections? But before we add them, I want security detail on Ellen and Wyatt at all times, especially with the meeting with the kidnapper coming up in a few days.”

  They nodded in agreement, continuing to eat.

  “I will ask Ellen and Wyatt to visit tonight,” I said, as the Omega started cleaning some of the dishes up. “I would like all of you to join the initiation ritual. I can’t take any chances. I will get the Gamma and two more warriors to also join us. It’s best to be prepared, just in case.”

  I turned to Nathan, who downed his beer in one gulp. “Can you get the Gamma and the warriors here within the next hour?”

  His emerald eyes locked with mine, a stern look on his face. “You got it, Alpha. Get Ellen and Wyatt here. I got the others.”

  I smiled, as he got up and left the house.

  I went to my room, cleaning up quickly, before heading back downstairs with my phone in hand.

  Dialing Ellen’s number, I suddenly got nervous. What if she didn’t want to join? What do I say to convince her?

  After the second ring, she picked up. “Hello, Dahlia! What a surprise! What can I do for you?” Her cheerful, aged voice sounded in my ear.

  “Well, I wanted to ask if you and your son would like to join my pack. I know you haven’t been in one in over a decade, but I will have a house set up for you, and you two will only have to answer to my Beta or me. If you want to decl—”

  She stopped me from saying any more. “Of course, we’ll join! I’ve wanted to join a pack the last few years. Whose would be better than my old best friend’s daughter’s pack? The Werewolf Community has been needing a female Alpha for as long as I could remember. I know my son will become a valuable asset. When are we doing the initiation?”

  That was surprising. I wasn’t expecting her to just up and agree right then and there. “Well, I would prefer to do it in about forty-five minutes to an hour. How long will it take you guys to get to my grand- parents’ house?”

  She laughed through the phone. “Only about thirty minutes. We’ll get ready and head over. See you soon.”

  Ending the call, Rain and Tyler seemed concerned but shook it off as they noticed the look I gave them. “This will strengthen the pack, and we could use Wyatt’s fighting skills to train the warriors. Hopefully, it isn’t anything too barbaric.” I frowned saying that last word.

  Hopefully, I was wrong.

  A HALF HOUR later, Nathan walked in, followed by Eric, Olivia, and Tristan.

  As they took their seats, I filled them in on what was going on. “So, we are initiating Ellen and Wyatt into the pack. Any objections?”

  Olivia looked concerned, while Eric and Tristan had blank expressions. This wasn’t good.

  Olivia spoke first, taking a slow breath to relieve her nerves. “If this is what you think is best, Alpha, I’m down with it.”

  Eric and Tristan said nothing, turning to me and waiting for me to continue.

  “I’ll have you two.” I pointed to Olivia and Tristan. They looked worried, which made me laugh. “It’s nothing bad! I just want you two to keep an eye on Ellen and Wyatt. Let me know of anything suspicious or any concerns you may have. I don’t want them to even use the bathroom without being watched. Understood?”

  They exchanged a glance before speaking quietly and nodding, “Yes, Alpha.”

  Just then, as a knock broke the silence we had.

  I shot up, going to the door. I smiled, opening it.

  Ellen and Wyatt stood on the porch. Ellen wore a short-sleeved pink blouse with a pair of light blue capri pants and white sandals. Wyatt had a white tank-top on; it matched his white hair, with his muscles pulsing as he barely moved them. He wore black shorts and sandals as well. This was the first time I noticed the half- jaguar, half-wolf tattoo on his left shoulder. It glistened in the moonlight.

  “Welcome,” I said, smiling brightly and motioning for them to come in while moving to the side.

  I closed the door as they found their seats.

  The tension in the room was irritating. Everyone needed to get along. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, Eric and Wyatt were nose to nose, claws elongated from their fingers.

  They were so close you could see the heat sizzle between them. If we didn’t stop them, a fight was guaranteed.

  I rushed to stand between them, forcefully pushing them apart, my voice low and dangerous. “Don’t you two dare cause a scene. Don’t test me.”

  That caused them to glance down at me, while Eric showed an apologetic look toward me.

  “I apologize, Alpha,” he muttered.

  Once both of them were seated, I paced back and forth between the kitchen and the living room for a moment. Gathering my thoughts, I knew everyone’s attention was on me.

  The atmosphere of the room began to settle ever so slightly. “Now.” I stopped to face everyone. “We’ve come together to welcome Ellen and Wyatt as our new pack members.” I waved to Ellen and Wyatt to come stand by me. They got up and came forward.

  I then motioned to Nathan, who held the initiation knife in his lap. The large dagger was neatly wrapped as Nathan gently handed it over to me.

  I took a breath, before reciting the chant. “Do you, Ellen, promise to protect this pack with your life? To follow all our laws and tradi- tions? To give your life to your Alpha, to trust their judgment and to follow their every command?”

  She smiled, nodding. “I do, Alpha.”

  I smiled thinly. “Then by the authority of my rank as Alpha, I welcome you to the Miller pack.”

  I gently sliced my palm, before doing the same to hers.

  We joined hands, letting the blood mingle and the bond form.

  I could tell in her eyes that the newfound mind-link bothered her. “Headache?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  She gave a small nod, releasing our hands as she stepped back. I could tell she was happy because the tears started flowing uncontrol- lably. Wyatt quickly embraced her in a hug, saying sweet nothings into her ear as he embraced her.

  His gaze held uncertainty as he stepped forward. He tried to give a smile, but it was more of a “constipated” look. It took everything in me not to burst out in laughter.

  Clearing my throat, I recited the words again.

  I could tell he was fighting himself in his eyes, but he subtly shook it off before holding out his hand and stating plainly, “I do.”

  I smiled again. This was new for me, and I thought I was doing wonderfully, if I said so myself. Gently slicing my other palm, I did the same to Wyatt. Joining hands, I felt him become overwhelmed by the mind-link. I could tell it was hard on him.

  Once it was done, I nodded and smiled brightly up at him. “Good, now you and your mother can stay the night here. We’ll have your new home finished in a couple of days. Go ahead and make yourselves at home here in the meantime.”

  Wyatt and his mother hugged each other again, happiness filling the room.

  The Elders seemed to be okay with it, but I knew they had their doubts.

  “Well,” Rain said softly, as she stood, making the others follow suit. “We’ll be heading out now. Alpha, thank you for inviting us. I will be looking forward to our meeting after this situation
with the culprit is figured out.”

  I nodded, getting the door for them. “It’s my pleasure. Thank you for coming. Have a good night, and let me know if you guys find out anything about this mysterious fellow.”

  Tyler nodded, waving from the SUV they had traveled in.

  Tristan and Olivia said something about the next patrol, so they headed out after the Elders. Eric was reluctant to leave Nathan and me with the new pack members but in a mind-link, I told him that nothing was going to happen, that I’d let him know if anything did.

  He sighed, barely accepting the answer before shifting and heading off into the darkness of the night.

  AFTER SHOWING ELLEN and Wyatt where the empty bedroom was, I stayed in the hallway, watching them explore the room.

  “And if you run out of towels.” I motioned to the closet in the hallway. “There are plenty in here. I’ll be in the next room over if you need anything.”

  I turned on my heel to close the door behind me, but remembered something. “Oh, Wyatt and Ellen, training begins at five a.m., in the pack gymnasium. I’ll show you in the morning. Have a good night.”

  The look on Ellen’s face was hilarious. She really thought she wasn’t going to fight, but in this pack, everyone fought.

  Even if it meant death.

  CHAPTER 8

  DAHLIA

  MY ALARM BLARED to life, as I grumbled against Nathan’s bare chest, struggling to break free of his strong grip. With my back against him, I felt his hot breath down my naked skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

  After failing twice, I gently elbowed him, squealing, “Nathan! Let go, it’s time to get up!”

  He grunted, burying his face into my hair, before reluctantly releasing me. “All right, but I’m joining you in the shower.”

  I saw the devious look in his gaze. I rolled my eyes with my hands on my hips. “Fine, we have to hurry though. We don’t have time to slug around.”