Rise of the Alpha (The Rise Series Book 1)

by Helen Dhanoya

  Alaric gave one last powerful thrust into me from behind, causing me to scream out in pleasure. My knees buckled and my body trem- bled. He moaned loudly, as he unloaded into my core.

  We fell backward onto the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, panting. Resting his forehead against mine, Alaric looked into my eyes with his stunning blue ones.

  “I love you,” I said, smiling like a fool.

  His face softened, as he reached up to cup my face between both of his hands. “I love you, little wolf.”

  Wrapping my small body around him, I kissed him fiercely as a knock on our bedroom door interrupted us.

  “Alpha.” It was Eric; he quietly spoke through the door, “I’m sorry for interrupting you this early in the morning, but we’ve just received an important letter that is addressed to you.”

  “Coming!” I said, removing myself from Alaric before jumping up to go to the bathroom to wash my face and wrapping a large robe around myself.

  Checking the time, I notice it’s just past 3 a.m. Making my way to the door, I turned, watching Alaric shoot up from the bed and rush over to the bathroom with nothing but a sheet on.

  I smirked as I gripped the handle.

  Opening the door, I found Eric standing there in a pair of black jeans and a navy blue shirt. The light of the hall cascaded down into our bedroom, enveloping him while causing me to squint for a moment. The tiredness of his body showed on his face. He held in his laughter as he looked past me and to the sheets thrown all over the room.

  “A letter? From whom?” I asked, rubbing my sleepy eyes as he handed me the letter.

  “Not sure. I’ve never seen this symbol before.” He shrugs.

  Examining it further, my eyes widened when I noticed what he was talking about. There was a symbol of a black sun with an X in the middle. I had only ever heard hushed whispers from my parents, like they were afraid of whoever it represented.

  Looking back at Eric, I mumbled, trying to find the right words, “Get ready for a meeting, I’ll link the others. Please meet us in my office in thirty minutes.”

  “Yes, Alpha.” He nodded before turning to go back down the hall.

  I mind-linked Wyatt, Alaric and the Elders. I’m sorry for the sudden meeting, but it’s urgent. Be in my office in thirty minutes.

  Yes, Alpha. Their voices rang out in my mind.

  Closing the door, I set the letter down on the dresser before joining Alaric in the shower.

  Afterwards, I quickly dried myself and dressed in a pair of ripped skinny jeans and a black t-shirt. Alaric’s white shirt fit snugly on his broad chest and shoulders, while his blue jeans hugged his ass, making me bite my lip as I finger-combed through my hair.

  Snatching the letter from the dresser, I followed my mate from the room and down the stairs to the offices.

  Inside, everyone waited patiently.

  “Good morning,” I said, moving to take my seat behind the desk while Alaric grabbed his chair from his office to sit beside me.

  I cleared my throat. “The reason I’ve called you here this morning is because we’ve received a letter from the High Were Council.”

  It was an eerie feeling, watching everyone remain silent. They all just stared at me with terrified expressions on their faces.

  The first Elder’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, his voice barely above a whisper like he wasn’t supposed to speak of the matter. “The High Were Council? What could we have possibly done to draw their attention?”

  I shook my head, leaning back in my chair and sighing. “I have no idea, but let’s find out, shall we?”

  Opening the middle drawer of my mahogany desk, I pulled out a letter opener. Neatly ripping through the top of the envelope, I removed and unfolded the note.

  It read:

  Greetings, Alpha Dahlia,

  The High Were Council has requested an audience with you and those you had accompany you in the torturing of the human you captured a few months ago. This will be a trial to determine whether or not you are guilty of these crimes and the charges against you.

  IF we do find sufficient evidence against you, we will strip you of your status as Alpha and force your pack to disband. Or, if you object to that, we will kill you.

  We’re giving you three days to gather everything you need to prepare. We’ve already paid all of you and your companion’s travel expenses, so no need for you to pay out of pocket.

  We expect you at our residence by 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Your flight leaves Friday at 6 a.m.

  -Best of luck, Phillip Wilson, Assistant to the High Were Council.

  “WHAT THE FUCK?” Eric ran a hand over his face, letting out a breath. “What do we need to do?”

  I set the letter down, leaning back in my chair as my thoughts went in a million different directions.

  Sighing, I said, “We’ll need to contact Terry, Liam’s Beta. Have him pack those cameras of his. He will be accompanying us to New York.”

  I looked at Wyatt. “I know your mother and Alpha Ryker are on their honeymoon, but we need her back here to testify that it was the W.E.U. who did this.”

  He smiled, sitting back in his chair. “I already let her know; they’re on the quickest flight back. They should land tomorrow morning.”

  “Good.” I smiled in return. He was almost always one step ahead. I appreciated that. “Gather any information on Alex that you can. He can’t possibly be human. We know from his abnormal healing capabilities, that he is not. But we can’t prove that without knowing exactly what he is.”

  Wyatt nodded.

  When we had been torturing Alex, we left him overnight. We returned the next morning to find his wounds almost completely healed. Whatever he was, he was doing something to keep it hidden well.

  “Right on it,” Eric said, suddenly having his laptop in his lap and typing away at the keyboard.

  “I also want the patrols increased while we are gone. We cannot take any chances. I don’t want anyone to pass those borders while most of the higher-ranked wolves are gone,” I said, waving my hand to dismiss them. The Elders took the invitation to leave, while Eric, Rylan and Wyatt stayed behind.

  “May I borrow your phone?” I asked Rylan, who was surfing the web on it.

  “Sure.” She smiled, getting up from her spot beside Eric, walking over, and holding it out for me.

  “Thank you.” I smiled, taking it.

  While I punched in Liam’s number, Alaric bent over, kissing my forehead before stating, “I’ll take care of things here. You focus on the trial; get everything ready and our stuff packed.”

  I warmly smiled up at him, as he straightened before heading toward the door. He motioned for Wyatt to follow him and together, they left the room.

  As they closed the door behind them, a sudden curiosity piqued my interest. “Whatever happened to that black cat I rescued?”

  Taking her seat next to Eric again, they exchanged a glance, before Rylan tilted her head in deep thought. “I’m not entirely sure. After the battle with the W.E.U., the cat just disappeared into thin air. Vanished, and he didn’t even leave a speck of hair in his wake.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows, dialing the number before placing it to my ear.

  “Hello?” Liam’s sleepy voice rang on the other line.

  “Hey, Liam, sorry to call you so early in the morning, but I’ve been summoned by the High Were Council. They said, ‘I’ve been charged with the torture of a human.’ And that anyone who was involved needs to be present. So, I’ll need Terry to come along with those cameras from that fight with Alex,” I said, almost out of breath.

  Liam was silent for a moment. “Okay, sounds good. I’ll send him over. When do you need him to be there? When do you leave? What time is the meeting with the Council?”

  “I’d prefer to have him here the earliest he can be. They’ve paid for all travel expenses, so don’t worry about sending any funds my way. The address is included on the envelope and the flight leaves at 6 a.m. on Friday. That’ll give
us some time to relax before the trial,” I said, leaning back in my chair. The black leather squeaked beneath me and the body of the chair creaked.

  He seemed pleased by my response. “All right, Dahlia, do your best.”

  Before I could hang up, he added, “Hey, be careful when dealing with the High Were Council. They will stop at nothing to get what- ever it is they’re after.”

  “Got it, thank you.” I hung up, twirling in my seat and staring out into the dark sky outside while deep in thought.

  IT WAS NOW around 11 a.m. We all had to bust our asses all morning. The pack house was hectic.

  I placed the box onto my bed, going over everything one more time.

  I had both boxes that Lucian, Alex’s father, had dropped off at my doorsteps. As well as both letters and the contents of each one inside. We had stored my grandmother’s finger in a bag of ice, storing it in the freezer, where it remained until we’d need it again. They wanted me to throw it away, but something deep inside told me to keep it.

  Good thing I did, because who knew it’d come in handy to prove my innocence?

  I placed the lid on the box, getting the duffel bag from the closet before heading over to the dresser. Grabbing four pairs of jeans for both Alaric and me, I went back to the bag and neatly placed them inside, leaving plenty of room for our other belongings. In the closet, I grabbed shirts of different colors and even a lacy black dress in case we went out. Adding in some socks and underwear for both of us, I zipped up the bag before opening both side compartments to add my two-inch heels and our toiletries.

  I set the bag down by the door with the box beside it.

  Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I went to the bathroom to wash my face.

  Alpha, Liam’s Beta has arrived at the border. I’ve escorted him to the pack house. Olivia’s soft voice rang in my head as I dried my face and hung the towel back up.

  Thank you, Olivia. I mind-linked back to her.

  I was surprised he had managed to get everything together in such a short amount of time, but knowing Liam he wouldn’t just sit around and watch his Beta, or even a pack member, without helping.

  Climbing down the stairs, I breathed deeply as the aroma of breakfast for lunch filled the air, making my stomach growl in protest. My head spun slightly from a lack of food all morning and because I had been going nonstop since 3 a.m.

  In the kitchen, I found Alaric, Eric, Rylan and Terry seated at the table. This was our ritual every day for lunch; the higher ranks would meet and converse about the events of the day so far.

  I noticed there wasn’t an empty chair but Alaric motioned for me to come to him. When I stood beside him, he smiled mischievously while pulling me down onto his lap.

  My cheeks flushed as Alaric buried his face into my shoulder, gently nipping at my mark and sending a lust-filled shiver through me.

  He wrapped an arm around my waist, squeezing gently, as he leaned over to place a kiss to my cheek. The feel of his hot breath sent goosebumps to my skin, as he whispered in my ear, his voice husky and seductive, “How are you doing, my love? Want to go for a quick exercise in the pantry?”

  I playfully smacked his chest, gawking. “I’m doing fine.” If you don’t want to have to fuck me right here, right now, I suggest you stop. I doubt everyone would want to see that. On top of that, everyone would think we’re freaks. I mind-linked him, glaring at him out of the corner of my eye.

  My comments made him chuckle, the motion rumbling in his chest and relaxing my tense body. I would love to. I’m sure they could use some tips, but we have more important business to attend to. So, I can wait.

  I looked back at everyone, who just silently laughed at us. Embar- rassed, I turned to Terry. “Good afternoon, Beta. How was the trip?”

  He smiled, placing his hands on the table in front of him. “Thank you, Alpha. It was good. Not much traffic, thankfully. What’s on the agenda today?”

  I smiled back, leaning into Alaric’s warmth while thinking for a moment. “Everything is already prepared. Eric will stay behind to watch over the pack while we’re gone. Hopefully we won’t be there long. Today, we’ll just relax and wait for Mrs. Harlow to get here. She arrives early tomorrow morning. Then Friday morning, we’ll pack everything up at 5 a.m. and get on the road. The flight leaves at 6 a.m. It’ll give us a day to explore the city and prepare for the trial.”

  Everyone nodded, just as steaming plates of waffles, eggs, bacon and sausage were placed in front of us.

  “Looks divine,” I said, picking up my fork, stabbing a sausage, and moaning when the crunchy link hit my tongue. One of my Omega’s placed hot mugs of coffee in front of us with a jar of sugar and a container of creamer. It wasn’t often we had breakfast for lunch, but when you were busy the whole morning you kind of forget. Ha-ha.

  As the Omega left the room, I added sugar and creamer to my coffee as the comfortable silence filled the air. As everyone finished up their lunch, Eric and Rylan exchanged a glance; they both smiled brightly and turned their attention to Alaric and me.

  “So, we have some news,” Rylan began, almost jumping out of her chair with excitement.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Eric and I decided we’re going to get married. We were planning on doing the wedding next month, but with the trial, we don’t know how long everyone will be gone. We’re postponing it another month just to be sure.” She moved her left hand up and onto the table to flash a brilliant false silver engagement ring with a red jewel placed inside.

  I got up, going to the sink to wash my hands and face, before giving Rylan a huge hug.

  “I’m so happy for you!”

  We broke the hug when a brilliant idea popped up in my head. “Why don’t we go dress shopping while we’re in New York? It’ll be my treat.”

  She frowned, almost pouting. “Alpha, I can’t let you pay for that. It’s too expensive.”

  I laughed, shrugging off her comment with the wave of my hand. “Don’t worry about it. Alaric and I have it covered. Think of it as an early gift. I’ll even help with the wedding planning! I can’t have my best friend going crazy.”

  She looked like she was about to cry, when she embraced me in a hug again. “Thank you, it means so much to me. You’re the best, Dahlia.”

  FOR THE REST of the day, Rylan and I went to work on the wedding plans. Alaric and the guys went to finish up anything we missed with the patrols or assignments, so that left us to our own devices.

  “What colors do you want?” I asked, searching the web for local fabric and flower shops in the bigger city. I loved our small town, but if you wanted anything fancy, you had to drive a little ways. Luckily, with our trip to New York, the dresses shouldn’t be a problem. I guess there was one good thing about the trip.

  She was set up against the front of the couch with all kinds of different papers and documents spread out all over. She groaned, stretching her arms. “Well, I was thinking pink and black. Pink is my favorite color and black is Eric’s, so it’s perfect.”

  I smiled, looking at how happy she was in planning this. Normal people would be freaking out, but over the last few months, we’d gotten closer. And over time, she’d become my best friend, so I would do anything in my power to help her wherever it was needed. And she would do the same for me.

  After going over arrangements for the menu, we had started packing up for the night, when Alaric strode in and wrapped his arms around me, swinging me in circles.

  I squealed as he placed me down before kissing me slowly. It was gentle, but I knew him and every kiss we shared was something special. It sent sparks through my body, my core becoming wet while my panties were soaked. I rested my hands on his chest, lost in the moment, when Rylan cleared her throat.

  We chuckled, breaking apart; though he kept his fingers entwined in mine.

  I looked up at him, tilting my head before asking, “What are you doing here? I thought you guys were doing the last of the prepa- rations?”

 
He pulled me closer, a smile plastered on his face while stating, “We’re holding a barbeque tonight in celebration of the Beta’s engagement. I would’ve done it tomorrow but since we have to be up early Friday, it’s easier tonight.”

  I nodded, removing my hand from Alaric’s to help his sister clean up our mess. Grabbing a backpack from my office, I placed my laptop and the folders inside, setting it beside the front door for us to take with us.

  Eric opened the door, when a whiff of steak and hamburgers filled the room, making my stomach rumble in response.

  Alaric came to stand behind me, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me flush against his warm body. His hard member poked me in the ass. He whispered in my ear, “Why don’t we go get changed and head to the hot tub? It’ll help you relax.”

  I nodded, as we dismissed ourselves. Letting him lead me, I climbed the stairs to our room.

  The room was twice the size of a normal master bedroom. Our large California king bed was set against the right wall with a redwood chest at the foot of the bed. The chest matched the flooring, the shine from the newly mopped floor glittered against the light.

  We had privacy windows set at an angle where we could watch the activity below. Liam had found this property, which had a long stretch of forest right behind our house; it was the perfect view to get drunk to.

  On the left wall, was the large walk-in closet, the left side being mine while the right was Alaric’s. We also had a hidden compart- ment behind the back rack of shoes that held our safe. Inside that safe were important pack documents and keepsakes belonging to my grandfather. He had told me that with him, they were unsafe, so he entrusted them to Alaric and me. He treated my mate like his own son, which I was not expecting, but I couldn’t be happier.

  We hadn’t seen my grandmother since that encounter with Alex. Remembering what she looked like—broken, beaten, and scared… Well, that image was burned into my mind forever. And until I rescued her, the guilt and fear would continue to tear at me.

  Thinking about her, and the horrors she was facing daily, trig- gered my self-doubt. I felt like a failure. I felt unworthy of my posi- tion as Alpha. How could I protect a whole pack when I couldn’t even protect my own grandmother? Or my parents for that matter.