The Lost Alpha

"Anna hurry up, we're going to be late!" Sall yells.

"I'm coming, geez," I yell back.

"I don't like that tone, Missie," she says as I run down the stairs.

She's already at the door holding it open. Her black veil is blowing in the cold autumn breeze, matching the pace of her dark dress. Not exactly the dress I'd choose to wear to my husband's funeral. With lase more for decoration than coverage. But what do I care, it's not like she does. Out the door, I see the strange-looking figure that has been following me my whole life. Once he sees that I've spotted him he disappears,  just like always. Looks like he didn't want to miss the funeral either. Or any day of my life for that matter.

"Hello? Anna! Snap out of it and get in the car! We are going to be so late!" she yells again.

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"Now don't act like your usual grim self," she says, taking a breath as she turns into the graveyard. "At least pretend that you liked Herald, and will miss him. After all, he did help me foster you for a long time."

"Only five months," I say under my breath.

"Only? ONLY? You try taking care of a 17-year-old girl like you for five months! See if you'd live through it."

"I know you're not implying that I'm the reason for dear old Herald's death, right?"

"With the things you put us through, I'm surprised I'm not laying in a coffin right next to him."

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She told me that one month ago today. I can't stop reciting that conversation in my head. She died only two hours later.  She dropped me off, back at the house after the funeral. She said she had "an eran to run". She never came back.  I don't know why I'm at her grave right now. I didn't like Sall or her husband Herald, not that I ever liked any of the couples that fostered me.

Oddly enough every family I was ever with no matter if it was for two weeks or two years they all died after I came to live with them. They all also somehow knew my parents. But never had anything good to say about them. Like they were enemies. So why was it that whenever the couple I was with died there was always another “enemy” ready to take me? Why would they want to take care of me if they hated my parents?

After a few times of the couples dieing and the same shared hatred towards my parents being told. I finally asked each one of the couples why. But they got so wired and defensive. I never got a state answer. That got old after a while so I stopped asking. Lucky it's my 18th birthday now so I don't have to go to another foster family ever again.

That thought comforts me as I lay the flowers across Sall and Herald's grave. I've never gone back to any of the other graves to "pay my respects". I guess I'm only doing it for Sall and Herald because they were the last ones. The last couple I'll ever be with. I stare at the flowers. They are for all the couples that I was ever with I guess. No matter how much they hated my parents, they still took me in and gave me shelter. I've always felt like something was missing in my life, something I can't explain. My goal now that I am on my own is to find out what that is.

I turn to walk away from the grave, ready to leave those past 18th years behind and start over. Find myself, be my own person. This thought makes me smile as I start walking. But I can feel my smile fading when I spot that same figure I've always seen standing behind a large grave, staring at me. It's always looked like a bear to me, but I've never really seen it up close.

That changes today.

If I am going to start over and have my own life this "figure" will NOT be a part of it. And with that thought I find myself moving towards it. I want to know what it is and why it's been following me my whole life. Once it sees that I've located it, it runs to the forest just behind the graveyard. Now is that time when the old me would have taken this chance and run in the opposite direction. But not the new me, fear has lost its hold on me. So I run after it.

"Wate! Please come back!" I shout after it. But of course, it doesn't stop, it just keeps running deeper and deeper into the forest. I follow it, running till I think my lungs might burst and I can no longer see it. I stop and double over with my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath.

"Please," I breathe. "I just want to know who you are, what you are! And why you've been following me, forever!" I stop talking, realizing that I'm talking to no one. I lift my head up ready to walk back to my car accepting my defeat. When I see a huge, no gigantic wolf standing in front of me. I don't know whether to be scared or amazed. It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

It's a male with beautiful eyes and gets black fur. I am too shocked to move, all I can do is stare at him.

"Is it really you?" I hear a voice ask.

I turn around looking for the source of the voice but see no one. I turn back to the wolf and see it staring at me.

"If you can hear me, touch me. Please, let me know it's you," the voice says.

No way I think to myself, the wolf can't be saying that. I can’t be hearing his- what? Thoughts? No.

"Please, please I can't keep living without you," the voice says.

I don't know what possesses me but I start moving closer to the wolf. I feel a pull towards him. I have to touch him. I am right in front of him staring into his deep blue eyes. I can see them clearly even though he towers over me. He lowers his head so it is level with mine. We stare at each other for a moment before I finally touch him. I pet his head and he leans into the touch. He is so soft, I feel like I was made to touch him. Before I can continue to pet him he backs up and starts violently shaking. I back up in awe as I watch him change from a wolf to a man.

The man is also very beautiful with the same eyes and hair as the wolf. He is in the best shape I've ever seen. He is also naked. I feel as if I'm paralyzed. I just watched a giant wolf change into a man that is now standing naked in front of me like nothing happened. He grabs a pair of shorts off the ground that I didn't realize were there and puts them on before walking towards me. I instinctively back up and he stops.

"Please there's no need to be scared of me. I've been looking out for you my whole life," he says, staring at me like he can't believe that I would be scared of him.

"Haha!" I laugh which confuses him. "Forgive me if I'm a bit scared of you. I'm just having a hard time raping my heard around what I just saw."

"Let me explain," he says, waiting for me to answer but what am I going to say? No? So I just let him continue.

"My name is Zander Whitlock, and your name is Annabeth Barrow. Right?" he asks.

"How do you know that?" I ask shocked.

"Yes! It is you, finally!" he says before running to me with open arms but I take a step back for every one he takes forward. He stops just in front of me.

"I'm sorry I must really be scaring you now," he says before taking a step back, giving me some much-needed space. "This is going to sound crazy but with what you just say you have to believe me. Ok?" he asks. I just nod my head and wate. "Ok, good. I'll just start from the beginning. That's easiest. Your parent's names are Grayson and Beatrix Barrow, they were the Alfas of our pack. They were killed right after you were born by the "Dark Ones” who then took you,” he says, looking at me for recognition, but my face must show that I have no idea what he is talking about. Other than my parent’s names and that they died, that's it.

"Sorry, you don't know what "Dark Ones" are, do you?" he asks. I shake my head. "Crap, what do humans call them? Ah- oh, yes! Vampires, that's what they're called," he says proudly.

But I just started laughing, I don’t believe this. "Oh, and let me guess that makes you a Werewolf. Right?" I ask jokingly.

"Please, don't use the human term. We prefer to be called shifters," he says. I must look so shocked that he just decides to ignore me and go on. "Anyways, we have been looking for you since then. Can you believe that eight other girls fit your description just in the foster system in Ohio? Every shifter in our pack is looking for you! Thank God I found you. Tonight was the last night it was possible because it's your birthday. Your 18 now. Right?" he asks. I nod. " Yeah, so anyways we were pretty sure that you are the lost Alpha but we had to be sure. I'm sure it was weird for you that every couple from the foster system died shortly after you were with them. Hu?" he asks.

"Yeah! How did you k-"

"I killed them, once we knew they had you. They are all what was it- ah vampires? Yes! Vampires. They were part of the "Shadow Clan". Actually, they were going to kill you tonight so you couldn't complete your transition in becoming a shifter and our Alpha. I keep saying "Our" as in "Our Pack" but that doesn't happen yet. It's just your right now. I am from the "Obsidian Pack" you are from "Blue Moon Pack," he says pausing. As he begins to mark things off on his fingers as he says "You need to come with me back to your pack to complete your transition and become the Alpha," he looks down at his finger as if there is actually a list on them. "Yeah, that's it I think. Any questions?" he asks.

I only have about a million but before I can get one out he stopped me with. "Oh, one more thing your parents and my parents were best friends and when I was born you were born two years later they betrothed us together. The date has been set since you were born. They made it for when you were 18 and on the night of the "Blood Moon". Which happens to be exactly one week away. So we have a lot to do. Come on!" he says with his hand reaching out toward me.

I just stare at it. I am so shocked I open my mouth but I can't speak. "Annabeth, please don't say anything, just take my hand. You don't really have a choice, if you don't complete the transition, or do it wrong you'll die. Let me help you, please," he says practically begging me.

Once I finally find my voice I ask "Can I just say one thing?"

"Ok, fine. ONE thing," he says.

"I go by Anna not Annabeth," I say. Definitely not one of the hundreds of other things I'd rather say. But I take it as a consolation prize. If I have to be with this guy for God knows how he is going to call me Anna.

He lets out a shaky breath and says "Ok Anna, take my hand."

I stare at him and he holds my gaze till I finally take his hand, and let him lead me to my new life.