Page 3 of Alpha Bully

I’ve been trying to teach Harper how to control them, but she’s still so young. Most shifters don’t come into their powers until they’re much older, and Harper appears to have inherited her father’s family powers, too. I sigh as she falls into my arms, giggling and clearly amused by the pretty sparks. I knew about Callum’s power; the whole pack did, but I’d never seen it in action. Caring for Haper’s emerging powers when I don’t even know the full extent of their potential is becoming more and more difficult.

“Come on,” I say ushering her out of the room. “Let’s go get you a snack, okay?”

Sparks still crackle around her as I guide her to the small kitchen. I remember the Collinses discarded some leftovers last night, and I’m just praying they’re still there. They barely give us enough rations for one person, and now Harper is growing; she seems to be getting hungrier. As we step into the hall, Harper suddenly takes off, running her hand along the wall as sparks cascade from her fingertips.

“No, Harper, wait,” I call, reaching for her as she slips through my fingers.

At that moment, I hear the front door open. "Ava? What's that noise?" Mr. Collins' voice booms, making me flinch.

I glance at Harper, willing the sparks to stop as I pull her toward me, cradling her closely. "It's just Harper playing. She’ll be quiet now, I’m sorry," I answer softly, hoping they won’t come any further into the house as I quickly dash and grab the wrapped leftovers from on top of the bin.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Collins appears in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear as she spots Harper in the hall and the sparks dancing on her fingertips. "Take her outside," she demands, gesturing for me to get out.

My heart is racing as I hurry out of the hall with Harper in my arms and pass Mrs. Collins, who stands scowling with her hands on her hips. We almost reach the yard when Harper's arms suddenly lift toward the house behind us, and a huge spark fires at the porch roof, creating a deafening explosion. The force of it knocks us both off our feet, sending us tumbling onto the dirt-covered ground.

Screams fill the air as I look up to see that the porch has been practically blown off. Mr. Collins, covered in dirt, has already grabbed the water canisters by the front door and is dousing some of the smoking wood. Mrs. Collins is standing stock-still, staring at their home in near disbelief. I look down, cradling Harper in my arms, and check her for bruises. She starts to whimper, and I urgently shush her, knowing that the sound of her cries will only make this worse.

“You.” Mrs. Collins’s attention snaps to me. “Put that monster down and help sort this out.”

I stumble over the ground toward the side door, “I-I will put Harper in her pen and tidy all this up,” I stammer. “I can fix this.”

Mrs. Collins looks at me, her eyes cold and hard. “You’d better,” she warns, her voice low and threatening. "We'll discuss your punishment tonight and what we're going to do about Harper."

I can feel the trembling in my knees as I walk inside and place Harper in the pen with her teddy and some of the building blocks I made. As soon as she's safely distracted, I rush back to the porch, joining Mr. Collins, who is already trying to remove what remains of the boards. He glares at me as he works, his face red with anger. I try not to bristle under his gaze but fail miserably, as every glare only makes me more fearful.

The afternoon passes in a haze of sweat and splinters as I work on clearing away the debris and seeing what can be salvaged from the porch. It's only when it starts to get dark that they finally let me go. I’m grateful for the leftovers that I managed to put in my apron pocket earlier as I rush back toward our tiny room at the back of the house. As soon as I'm alone with Harper, I bounce her on my hip as we share the food.

"They're scared of you," I whisper, running my fingers through her hair. “You’re powerful, and I know you will never have to live like this when you’re grown.”

As I speak, she looks at me with such innocence it makes my heart clench. I believe the words: sheispowerful, and I know she will do great things. But right now, she’s relying on me to keep her safe. After we eat, I creep out of the room to fetch a small jug of water. What I hear on the landing stops me in my tracks.

"We should just get rid of her," Mr. Collins whispers. "She's too much trouble."

"No, we still need a servant." Mrs. Collins insists. “We just don’t need the child; I knew she was going to be more trouble than she’s worth.”

Mr. Collins mutters something indecipherable before stating, “Well, we didn’t know she was expecting when we brought her in, did we? Little slut should be grateful we’ve made allowances.”

"We can't keep the little thing here anymore. She’s dangerous," Mrs. Collins retorts, her voice low and angry. "We'll let someone else deal with her. But we’re keeping Ava; I can’t do all this work on my own. You promised me a proper servant, and there’s not many going around here."

“Fine,” Mr. Collins snaps. “You dump the child in the town, and we’ll keep Ava. Any trouble from her, though, any hysterics, and I’ll put her down myself. I won’t stand for any more trouble here.”

I stand frozen, my heart pounding in my chest as they discuss getting rid of my daughter. I know I can’t rely on my dormant wolf to protect us, but I won’t let anyone hurt my daughter. I will never be separated from her. I won't let them. I always knew I’d need to get us away from here eventually, but I kept hoping my wolf would return and I’d be strong enough to protect Harper on my own. But now I know I’m out of time.

A plan formulates in my mind as I sneak back into our room and tuck Harper into our bed, giving her a drink and then kissing her forehead as though nothing is wrong. I know what I have to do now; I have to escape with Harper and find somewhere safe away from their cruelty. It will be dangerous, but it's the only chance we have. As Harper sleeps, I begin to prepare a small pack of essentials. I know I'll have to make my move in the early hours while they are still asleep and pray to every god that watches over us that we make it out of the dense forest alive. If I can make it to the coast, I know there are towns more welcoming to lone wolves since they receive visitors from the mainland; perhaps we can find somewhere to stay or someone willing to help us.

As exhaustion threatens to overtake me, I force my heavy eyelids to stay open, afraid of missing the perfect time to make our escape. My gaze remains fixed on Harper's peaceful face, still fast asleep. Her innocence overwhelms me, and my heart swells with fierce determination. I know I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, no matter the danger.

Chapter 2 - Callum

Taking the well-worn path, I hike further into the remote part of the mountains that form part of the neutral territory between my pack and my brother’s land. The most sensible thing our mean old father ever did was recognize that three alpha sons could never live in harmony and put a plan in place to divide the island into three packs.

As the eldest, I was able to choose first, and I chose wisely, snagging the coastline and abundant forests furthest away from the mainland and the trouble visitors bring. I have my ports and a large fleet at my disposal for anything we need, but I was happy to let my younger brother Tristen to deal with the constant influx of newcomers who are either welcomed as visitors or turned back on the dock.

However, as I crest the ridge that gives me the best view of the mountain ranges, I can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy over the central lands that were left to Aiden, the youngest. It really is something out here. The trees here are tall and hardy, their trunks thick with age and their branches reaching up to touch the sky in all directions. Moss clings to the rocks in vibrant shades of green and purple, and wildflowers litter the ground beneath the towering ferns that sway gently in the breeze. It may have been the last area chosen, as Aiden is the youngest, but with his small port to the north, I sometimes wonder if his wolf might be the happiest in his mountain kingdom.

At least, he might have been, if it weren’t for the fact rogue wolves tend to favor the mountains since they provide cover and easy access to all three packs. They’re a thorn in all our sides. As brothers, we haven’t always gotten along—too proud and stubborn, I guess. I hesitate to think we’re anything like Ralph; the thought that any of us could be as bad as our cruel dictator of a father doesn’t sit well.

However, sometimes I struggle to deny the resemblance in myself.

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