Rise of the Alpha (The Rise Series Book 1)

by Helen Dhanoya

  I sighed, forgetting that I didn’t tell him about Alaric or what had happened between Nathan and me. After explaining everything that had happened the previous day, and what Wyatt told me, I studied his facial expression as he thought of what to say.

  “Well, that does complicate things a bit. So, the rogue outside of your territory is your mate? And I agree with Wyatt. That wasn’t really the best way to go about breaking things off with Nathan, but I see why you did it. Go to a hotel for the night in town and talk to him. I’ll add two wolves to watch your house to see if the person who destroyed your room comes back. Until we find out who did it, no one comes here.”

  I nodded, thanking him and hugging him, before he left to gather the two wolves who would be stationed here.

  I pulled my phone out and called Rowan. “Dahlia, I didn’t expect you to call so late. What’s up?” Rowan’s thick accent was littered with a hint of curiosity.

  “Well, I had someone break into my house, so I figured we could meet at my hotel room for this meeting. Liam sent over some wolves to keep an eye on my house until we can figure out who broke in. I’ll meet you there?”

  His voice was a low growl through the speaker. “Yes, I’ll see you soon. Be careful, you can’t always trust everyone.”

  “I see that, thank you. See you soon.”

  Back in the house, I went up to my room. Carefully stepping over my ruined stuff, I dug through everything until I found the duffel bag I had packed for going to Liam’s. Thank the Gods I didn’t unpack it.

  It was lodged between the closet door and a heavy piece of wood from the dresser. Heavily tugging on it, I finally got it free, but fell backwards onto my butt.

  I stood brushing debris from my jeans, duffel bag in hand; I headed out of the room and down the stairs.

  Grabbing my keys and my purse from the couch, I opened the door.

  Locking it behind me, I turned around and almost had a heart attack when two men stood before me. They wore black t-shirts, one with shorts and the other with jeans, but they both were barefoot. The taller man had black hair and a full beard. While the other shorter man had blonde hair and was clean-shaven. They had the same green eyes.

  “Alpha.” They bowed.

  I could tell they were nervous. “Hello, you must be the wolves Alpha Liam sent over. I’m happy to have you. What are your names?” I smiled warmly, letting them know they could relax.

  They did just that, smiling in return. The black-haired man spoke up, “Alpha, I am Greg Morris.” He waves to the other man. “And this is my son, Jack.”

  I held out a hand for them to shake. “Glad to meet you, Greg, Jack. Here’s my number in case you find anything suspicious, or any kind of scent, tracks or anything you feel shouldn’t be there. Any questions?”

  “No, Alpha. We’re just glad you are okay.” Greg bowed his head again, taking my hand and gently kissing it before releasing it. Jack smiled at me, repeating his father’s actions.

  At the SUV, I unlocked it, opening the door before turning to them. “Oh, one last thing, I promise. Do not let anyone onto the prop- erty. In case someone dangerous does come by, there won’t be anyone who can get hurt.”

  “Yes, Alpha. Please be careful.” They bowed again before shifting into their wolves. Greg’s wolf was massive, his fur a dark gray and his eyes bright green. I noticed the scar above his eyes, in the shape of a star. It was healed over, but I was sure it was no ordinary wound. Jack’s wolf was white, with gray splotches all over. His eyes remained the same as his human eyes, though he was a lot fluffier than his dad.

  Nodding at them, I turned back to the SUV and climbed into the driver’s seat. Placing my duffel bag and my purse into the passenger’s seat, I started the engine.

  My pack, listen carefully. I mind-linked the whole pack. I needed them to understand that this was serious. When I heard “Yes, Alpha,” I knew I could continue. No one, and I seriously mean no one, is to go by my grandparent’s house. Someone broke in and we don’t know who. Before you freak out, I’m okay. I wasn’t home when it happened. I don’t know what they took, but I just know it’s not safe. Alpha Liam sent over two of his wolves to watch it for anything suspicious.

  I heard “Yes, Alpha, understood,” before the connection went dead again.

  Closing the door, I put my seatbelt on before shifting gears and backing out of the driveway.

  CHECKING INTO THE hotel, the receptionist handed me the keycard. Thanking her, I smiled, walking away with my duffel bag in my hand and my purse hung over my shoulder.

  The room number on the keycard read 113. I walked down the empty hall toward the rooms. A couple of lights down the hall flick- ered on and off.

  My nose wrinkled at the smell of alcohol leaking through a door that opened behind me. A hand grabbed me by the shoulder, making me stop.

  “Hey, pretty lady,” a slurred voice spoke, as the man turned me around. “What is a beautiful lady like you doing in a dump like this?” Facing him, I got a good look at the drunken man. His eyes were dilated and he reeked of harsh alcohol. His face was scruffy, his blonde hair ruffled. He wore a blue shirt and a pair of jean shorts with sandals.

  “Let me go,” I spoke calmly. Eva growled inside me, wanting to be let out to take care of this idiot. I shook my head, letting her know that wasn’t a good idea. This man, although drunk, was human. There was no reason to go full wolf on him; he wouldn’t stand a chance. He hiccupped, roughly shoving me against the wall.

  His body pressed against me, his erection poking into me. I frowned just as his mouth crashed into mine, causing me to drop my bags and shove him off of me before sending him into the opposite wall with a thud.

  “I told you to let me go!” I screamed at him, anger rolling off me.

  He was wedged into the wall, his eyes wide with shock. “What the fuck was that?”

  His drunken friends quickly rushed to pull him out of the wall, as I picked up my bags and stalked away from them. Shouts and curses followed me as I headed toward my room. I knew Eva was close to emerging. I knew I couldn’t control myself once blood was involved, so I had to leave.

  I found my room, sliding the keycard into the door, and rushed inside, where I dropped my purse, keys, phone and duffel bag onto the side table beside the door, before letting Eva out. I felt my body transform, my bones rearrange and my body sprout fur and claws. I shook my fur, letting out a low growl.

  Ever since meeting Alaric, Eva had been anxious. Every little thing had her on edge. And that little scene just now didn’t help anything… it only made it worse. She would’ve torn him to shreds.

  Stretching, I lay down on the cool carpet, letting out a rough breath before getting up and exploring the hotel room. It wasn’t anything fancy. It had a queen-size bed in the corner next to the window, which had ugly brown curtains that matched the carpeting. There was a little coffee area next to the door that led to what I assumed was a bathroom. The side table was accompanied by a mounted flat screen. A few feet away was a small tan loveseat. This room would be my home until we figured out this shit with the break in.

  I didn’t know how long I’d just sat staring out the window and lost in my thoughts, when a gentle knock sounded from the door.

  Shifting back, I grunted from the awkward realigning of my bones. With my clothes back on, I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms before skipping to the door. Standing on my tip-toes, I looked through the peephole. Rowan stood quietly, a hood over his face and his hands in his pockets. Tan jeans fit snugly to his legs with a pair of boots on his feet.

  I smiled, undoing the chain lock, gripping the handle, and pulling the door open.

  “Rowan.” I waved a hand, quickly inviting him in and closing the door behind him.

  “So,” He began, going to the loveseat and planting himself onto it. “I heard from the front desk you had an encounter with another guest here. That hole in the wall is impressive.”

  I took a seat on the floor, crossing my legs and rolling my
eyes at his remarks. “Whatever, that man was drunk and tried to kiss me. He got what he deserved. It could’ve been much worse.”

  He laughed, taking his hood off. My mouth hung open slightly, but I quickly closed it before he could see. His wife-beater had come up a little with his hoodie, letting me get a glimpse of his abs, and revealing his tanned skin and shaggy blonde hair lightly coated with sweat. He smirked when he noticed I was staring.

  I pouted a little, looking away and blushing slightly, before getting myself back on track with why he was here in the first place. “So, do we need to move my pack members to your territory, or are you going to have some warriors come over? We’ll be up at 5 a.m., so we’ll have plenty of time to get everything figured out.”

  He smiled, a dimple showing on the left side of his face. His eyes lit up. “Well, I figured I would be there with my strongest members. That’s the only way I can know for sure that they are safe.”

  I nodded, standing as my body did its own thing.

  Suddenly, I climbed onto Rowan’s lap. It surprised him, but he relaxed, letting me place kisses down his face and neck. With his hands on my waist, he nipped at my jawline, making me look at him, before he crushed his lips against mine.

  AN HOUR LATER, I rolled over to an empty bed, naked. Rowan was gone, but I noticed he had left a note on the side table by the door. When I read it, it was a simple “thank you.”

  Getting up, I combed my fingers through my tangled hair, wrap- ping a towel from the bathroom around myself.

  In the shower, I scrubbed my hair and coated my body in soap before rinsing myself off.

  My thoughts drifted to Alaric, and a smile crept onto my face as I thought about his beautiful body and the way he made me feel. He was something else.

  Out of the shower, I dried myself and ruffled my hair with the towel, a lazy attempt to somewhat dry it. I walked naked to the side table where my duffel bag was, picking out a pair of cute shorts, panties, a push-up bra and a red tank top. Dressing quickly, I picked up my phone and swiped the screen.

  Opening up Nathan’s message from earlier, I typed quickly. I’d been thinking about this after my conversation with Wyatt.

  Hey, can we talk? I sent it, swallowing the spit that had formed in my mouth.

  I moved to the loveseat, grabbing the remote to the TV and turning it on to a random

  channel. Setting my phone on my lap, I watched the news but tuned it out. I hoped Nathan would really understand that we could still remain friends. After all, he was my Beta. He was a damn good one at that.

  My phone dinged in my lap.

  As I picked it up, the screen was bright with the message displayed in front of me.

  Yeah, I would like that. Where are you?

  I texted back. The hotel at the edge of town. There’s a blue SUV in front of the building, that’s

  mine. I’m in room 113. See you soon.

  Okay, I’ll see you in ten.

  I bounced up, going to the bathroom and rummaging through the drawers to find a hair

  brush. Failing to find one, I just placed my wet hair into a ponytail.

  I went back to the couch, staring at the TV as some news reporter told me what the weather

  would be like tomorrow.

  Cloudy. No rain.

  I let out a breath, as a knock came from the door.

  Standing, I went to the door and opened it.

  Nathan stood there in a green shirt and blue jeans. His features were rugged, and his eyes

  had dark circles underneath them. He looked ike he hadn’t had any sleep. My heart strings were being tugged but this was the right decision, for both of us. “Hey.” He gave a small smile, running a hand nervously through his short hair.

  “Hey,” I said back, opening the door further. “Come on in.”

  He slowly walked in, looked around the room, and headed to the loveseat.

  Sitting down, he watched the news quietly as I closed the door and took a seat on the

  floor away from him.

  He grabbed the remote from the table in front of the couch, turning the TV off. His gaze landed on me. His emerald eyes filled with confusion and hurt. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  I sighed, sitting back so that my hands held me up. “You remember how I mentioned last night that I had met someone in the woods?”

  He raised an eyebrow, nodding. He said nothing.

  I looked away but quickly looked back at him as I spoke softly, almost in a whisper, “That man I met is my mate. I was so happy that I found him. I had to end what we had, so I could start a life with him. We are taking things slow. He’s amazing, and everything I could ever want.”

  His eyes filled with a hint of something I didn’t know. A sad smile formed on his face. “What’s his name?”

  “Alaric.”

  He thought about what to say next. “Well, he better treat you right, or he’ll deal with me. Thank you for telling me about him. If you had told me when you broke up with me, I don’t know how I would’ve reacted. Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt in the break in?”

  I shook my head, relieved he had taken it okay. “Yes, I’m okay and no, it’s just weird and terrifying at the same time. I don’t know who did it, but once we find them, it won’t be pretty.”

  He nodded, not saying a word as he got up.

  I stood, walking to the door with him. Opening it, he walked out before turning to me. “You better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Take care of yourself. 5 a.m., right?”

  I nodded, giving him a small smile. “Yes. Rowan and his best men will stay behind to

  watch the rest of the pack. Terry and Liam’s warriors will meet us at 5 a.m. at the abandoned warehouse. So be prepared for that.”

  He nodded, making his way back down the hall.

  Before I completely closed the door, I heard a loud crunch.

  Quickly moving to look out the door, I see Nathan walking down the hall. There were

  two men passed out on the floor and a gaping hole in the wall. Drywall fell to the carpeted floor and dust flew up.

  Well, maybe he didn’t take it as well as I had hoped.

  I WAS RELAXING on the couch in my hotel room, reading an article on my news app when there was a knock on the door.

  It was late, so I wasn’t sure who this could be. I set my phone down before getting up.

  At the door I was surprised to find that it was two of my Omegas, Rachel and Gina. They

  looked creeped out and kept glancing back and forth between each side of the hallway, as if

  keeping an eye out.

  I didn’t like the scared demeanor they held, so I quickly ushered them inside my room.

  Closing the door behind me, I whip around when they both start rambling nonsense.

  “Alpha! This is something terrible---”

  “I think I’m going crazy, this can’t be happening. I didn’t think he–”

  I rubbed my temples, sighing. “Stop! Please, calm down. Take a seat.”

  Once they were seated on the love seat, I took a seat on the floor as I pondered what

  could possibly be this traumatizing for them. Whatever it was, was serious enough that only I

  could take care of.

  The girls exchanged a glance before looking back at me. “Okay,” I said. “What’s got you

  two frantic?”

  Gina started first. “Well, I had gotten up to go to the bathroom when I passed the Beta’s

  room. It was ajar, but I heard voices inside so I stopped and listened for a moment.”

  Rachel spoke next. “I was fresh out of the shower, when I noticed Gina standing outside

  of Nathan’s room. What he said next was terrifying. He said, ‘I just need a little more time. Dahlia will be mine and that sad excuse of a mate will be killed by my hand. She was mine first. If I have to take down this pack to get what I want, I’ll do it.’ After that, we quickly left the house and came to report it to you.”
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br />   This made my stomach do flips and this horrible feeling in my gut developed. Nathan had not taken the break up okay, and this was the result. He is a danger to myself and my pack.

  “Okay, girls. Are you sure he was oblivious to your eavesdropping?” I asked, getting up to pace the floor. This was becoming a bigger problem than it had been before. Action needed to happen sooner rather than later.

  Both of the girls’ eyes widened as fear overcame them. They shook their heads but said nothing.

  “All right, I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you are protected, there’s no need to be scared anymore. I’ll handle the situa- tion from here.”

  They get up, where I gave them a quick hug before going to the door. Walking with them, I said, “Thank you for coming directly to me; I am grateful this hadn’t escalated to something even more dangerous.”

  Seeing them out, my gut sank even further.

  CHAPTER 12

  DAHLIA

  IT FELT LIKE I had just gone to bed when my alarm woke me up.

  I groaned, rolling over before snatching my phone from the nightstand.

  The bright screen blinded me, showing that it was 3:55 a.m.

  I jumped up out of bed, going to the bathroom before heading over to my duffel bag.

  Pulling out a pair of blue skinny jeans and a light purple t-shirt with white socks before heading to the bathroom to get dressed-up. Doing my hair in a messy bun, I washed my face and brushed my teeth before quickly getting ready.

  Making the bed, I reached into the drawer of the nightstand, grabbing out the necklace Alaric gave me. It twinkled in the light above my head. I put it on, tucking it into my shirt.

  At the doorway, I grabbed my keys, the hotel key, and my purse before opening the door and mind-linking my warriors.

  Good morning, everyone. Meet me at the gymnasium in ten minutes.

  Understood, Alpha. Those words rang through my head.

  Down the dark hallway, I made my way toward the front. Walking past the two holes in the wall, mine and then Nathan’s bril- liant handiwork, I made it to the lobby. The overnight receptionist greeted me with a smile, while I dug through my purse to find my wallet. The woman wore a black suit, with a name tag that read Avery. Her red hair was curled and pulled up into a ponytail. I recog- nized her as the mate of one of my mid-aged warriors.