Page 7 of Alpha Bully

My magic surges once more, as I send a bolt directly his way, first a warning shot to the ground that causes him to stumble. When that doesn’t work, a shot to his shoulder sends him flying backward again.

"You're going to have to go through me first." Turning to the cowering wolves, I growl, “Take him and leave, or fight, and I will put you all down right now.”

They’re not part of my pack, nor anyone I recognize, so I assume they are rogues or visitors. Either way, they’ve clearly realized who I am, as one approaches ears down and submissive as they guide the injured man away. I can feel Ava’s presence behind me, but I don’t turn until I’m satisfied that the other wolves have gone.

The forest falls silent around us; even the child who was crying now seems calm. I finally turn to look at her, and I’m shocked by what I see. Ava stands before me, cradling a small blonde child, her own fair hair—much longer than before—flowing around her. Her figure seems smaller and more fragile, yet curvier in some ways. Her clothes are disheveled and dirty. Seeing her like this pisses my wolf off. Why couldn’t she have made something of herself and gotten away from here?

“You can’t stay here, they’ll be back,” I snap. “Seem to think you belong to them.” I eye the child in her arms.

She lifts her chin slightly in response. “Well, we do not. Just wrong place, wrong time.”

She shifts slightly, and I can tell the child is too heavy for her to hold for much longer. I find myself staring at them for a moment before releasing a sigh. “What about her?” I ask, gesturing at the child.

She pulls the child closer, rubbing her back. “She is mine, " she confirms. I can’t see the child very well, but she looks very young and small. Something within me burns at the knowledge that she’s had a child with someone else since leaving. “We’re heading to the coast, so we’ll get going.”

I can't help but scoff at that. “Is her father there? Those wolves will just circle back around for you if you stay on this trail. Is he meeting you?”

She looks startled for a moment, and I know I’m snapping at her, but I can’t help it. I stare at the child, trying to get my head around the fact she’s been playing house with some new man while her disappearance has haunted me. She looks around the forest nervously, obviously trying to assess the risks for herself before responding.

“There’s no one, it’s just us,” she finally admits, and I know I’m a bastard, but it soothes my wolf somehow. “Thank you for your help, but we’ll be fine.”

I watch as she pulls a heavy-looking backpack onto her shoulder while trying to balance the child. The cute blonde toddler turns to look at me inquisitively, and the intense blue of her eyes briefly takes me aback as she stares back at me with something akin to wonder in her eyes, like she’s never seen anyone like me before. She almost seems to be assessing me; it’s as though she can see straight through me. It’s disconcerting, to say the least. There’s something unusual about the child.

I shake my head. “I won’t leave a child, or you, out here to be picked off by those wolves,” I say, watching the uncertainty flash across her face. “I’m alpha, and this is my land. You’ll come with me while we sort this out.”

I don’t miss the way she subtly rolls her eyes and begins to protest. It should piss me off, but it almost makes me smile. I’m mostly relieved she hasn’t completely lost her spirit; the rest of her demeanor seems to imply it. Except the way she faced up to those wolves—clearly a mother’s determination. That’s something I can respect. So why can’t she see the only way to protect her child is to come with me?

“No way,” she replies defiantly. “I’m never going back there. I’m never going anywhere with you.”

She moves to walk past me, and my wolf bristles at her attitude. Why does she have to be so damned difficult when I’m just trying to help her? I reach out and grab her arm, pulling her back roughly. She stumbles, trying to maintain her balance with her daughter in her arms.

“Don’t you dare,” she hisses, glaring at me angrily. “You’ve hurt me enough already.”

But her words fall flat as she looks down at the place where I’m holding her, a nervous tremor running through her body. The scent of fear is so strong it almost makes me hesitate, but I’m not going to let her walk into danger. “I can protect you both,” I insist, even as I feel my own fangs slowly lengthen in response to her distress. “Agree, for her sake if not your own.”

She shakes her head violently, eyes filling with tears. She’s about to say something, but I cut her off. “Goddammit, Ava,” I snarl, “this is not up for discussion. It’s been a long night, and I don’t fancy another fight with those wolves. Do you?”

Her eyes go wide, filled with tears now, but instead of fighting me on it again, she looks at the girl and simply nods. Without another word, we leave the clearing and begin walking down the trail that leads towards the town. At the crossroad, Ava looks toward the trail that leads to the port and pauses. I can tell she’s considering her original plan, but she says nothing and follows me. The trail she was on passes near our town, and it’s clear she was hoping to travel undetected through the night. The question is, why?

I notice the child watching us both warily over Ava’s shoulder, her little brow furrowed in confusion. Her weight is clearly bothering Ava, and I notice her readjusting her a few times. Ava was never the strongest wolf, but she appears to be even weaker now. I sigh, irritated at the thought that her wolf continues to be a disappointment. “Let me take her,” I say, stopping. “It’ll be quicker.”

She hesitates, but I can see her arms physically shaking, and I reach for the girl before she can argue. I almost expect the toddler to complain, but instead, she squeals in delight as I lift her higher. “What’s her name?” I ask Ava.

Eyeing me warily, obviously reticent, she pauses for a moment before replying. “Harper. Just be careful with her. She’s not used to other people.”

I nod but don’t say anything as we continue walking faster now. I must admit, the kid doesn’t seem nervous as she chatters and waves her arms around. I don’t have much experience with pups, but I find myself enjoying the way she seems to be excited about everything in the forest.

I smile as Harper bats away a butterfly that has taken a particular liking to her. I turn to see Ava watching us; there is an unreadable expression on her face. This is clearly the last thing either of us expected to happen today. I steal another glance, my wolf responding to her proximity. I can’t deny her beauty. That was never the problem. Her soft blonde hair, pale skin, and rosy pink lips call to me, but I also can’t miss her small, weak stature, and I doubt her wolf has improved at all. A question nags at the corner of my mind, and I find myself stopping and turning to her.

“Why didn’t you shift?” I ask. "You could never defend yourself or Harper against a man. Were you even going to try to fight?”

Red appears on her cheeks, and her head dips. “Of course I was. I would fight to the death for Harper,” she says quietly. Truthfully. “But my wolf is gone. I mean, not totally, but I can’t shift. Not right now, anyway.”

For fuck’s sake,I think to myself. A wolf that can’t even shift.

“Well, it’s a good thing I turned up if you can’t save yourself,” I mutter, and carry on walking, my stomach churning at the thought of what would have happened if I hadn’t stumbled upon them. Harper giggles at something unseen, and it pulls at my heart.

I’m not sure why I care so much about them, but I do. And it’s confusing as hell.

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