He's An Alpha

I ran away from home. After everything that happened with my family and the pack, I did the only thing I thought to do. I ran away from my life. When I was far away from my home and what used to be my life, I kept running.

Being a quitter was frowned upon in most packs, and mine was no exception. When my life gave a 180 turn and things became too much to handle, I decided to give up and start over elsewhere.

No one saw it coming.

Everyone thought I would stick around and take everything they were throwing my way. 

In my heart, I knew I wouldn't be the only one to make the decision I took if they were in my shoes.I was the daughter of the Beta in our pack. Without a say, I was to marry the neighboring packs' Alpha. 

Maybe, I would make the sacrifice for my pack, had the situation not been so twisted.Alpha Nicolas was a 35 year old man. I found a problem in him being 17 years older than me, but I let it go at first. 

My real problem came when I met him.

The first thing he said to me was, "you look just like her."

At first, it was a mystery what he meant. Later that day, the whole pack was talking about me being the replacement of Alpha Nicolas' dead mate. I would be a clone taking the place of his deceased mate. 

After I looked at her picture from when she was younger, I agreed with everyone. Isabelle and I had similar features, but most of it was in his imagination. 

Alpha Nicolas wanted to see Isabelle in me, so that is what his mind showed him. My union with the Alpha would bring a loyalty agreement between the two packs.

Everything for the past two weeks before I left had been hectic around the pack. 

I was pampered and beatified every day, in order to please Alpha Nicolas. 

Not that he cared for any of it. He met me three weeks ago, claimed he wanted me as a wife, and I was to marry him two days from now. 

Every moment we spent together was full of caresses, compliments, and possibly the best treatment any man could give a girl.

The problem: I was aware that everything he did, every present he gave me, and his nice compliments were not for me. 

They were all for her, for Isabelle- his mate who had been killed by a rogue 6 years ago.

It had been early in the morning when I ran away. Now it was almost midnight. 

I only had with me a backpack with three changes of clothes, my valuables, and some saved money. I knew it would last me a while- at least until I settled down and found a job somewhere.

I was given everything when I was at home. Now, things would be a lot harder.

I arrived at a town three states over from my pack. There were hardly any cars on the road. 

Being midnight, no one would really be around. I tried to cover the most land I could during the day, only stopping when absolutely necessary.

It was easy to find a hotel in the middle of town and I went inside as soon as I spotted it.

The few lamps illuminated the streets and gave the air a mysterious look. There was light fog coating the ground. 

Had it not been for the gas station and a diner that seemed to be open 24 hours a day, everything would appear creepy.

I opened the hotel door to be greeted by a middle-aged lady behind the counter. 

The place was too small to really be considered a hotel, but it was too nice to be a motel. Outside, the air had been chilly and the contrast to how warm it was inside the hotel was noticeable.

The lady greeted me with a kind smile and motioned me over.

"Hi sweetie, how can I help you?" The lady asked, with a motherly voice. 

I couldn't help but be reminded of my parents who stayed behind with the pack. Swallowing my pain, I tried offering her a smile.

"I would like a room," I told her.

"Sure thing, dear. We have most of the rooms free, so you can pick from the first floor or the second," she told me.

"I would like the second floor, please," I said to her as she handed me a paper.

"I'm going to need an identification and for you to fill in this form."

I panicked when she asked for my ID. It was obvious I would have to give one, but I wanted to avoid leaving trace of where I'd been.

"Is there any way that I can leave some parts blank, and not have to give you my ID? This is really important," I pleaded. 

I would call more attention to myself by doing this, but at the moment, I felt desperate.

"Honey, are you in some sort of trouble?" The lady asked, as she took my hand and looked at me worriedly.

"I'm trying to hide from my family. My dad, he..." I couldn't bring myself to finish that sentence. 

Being married with Alpha Nicolas might not seem so bad to some, but for me, it meant giving up my life.

"Don't finish that sentence sweetie. I understand. Just fill in the most information that you can and we'll pretend some paperwork got lost, okay?" She smiled at me warmly, and I couldn't help but be grateful toward this stranger.

"Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me. I'm Leila," I told her, offering my hand to shake.

"I'm Marie, and if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. This is my hotel, so I spent most of my time here. But in case you can't find me here, this is my house number." She handed me a business card, and wrote her number in the back.

I nodded my head and settled in one of the chairs to fill out the form.I went to my room after assuring Mrs. Marie that I would be fine on my own.

The room was medium sized, but had everything I needed. The queen size bed was covered in light teal sheets. 

There was a comfortable beige couch in front of the bed. A TV was on top of a shelf which had a combination of several magazines.

I decided to take a shower fist since I'd been running and sweating all day.I went to bed right after my shower. 

Once laying down I could only think of how my life would be from this moment on. 

I was now a rogue, a lone she-wolf, and the idea was causing different emotions within me.

I woke up to the sun seeping in through the window. I didn't want to get up. Despite sleeping all night, my body was still exhausted. I blamed it on the worry of being away from home.

I finally got up and walked to the sliding door that led to a balcony. The view, which showed the back of the hotel, was the beautiful forest that covered most of the area.

I thought about what my parents would be doing right now. I had brought shame to my family and to my pack. I had no idea whether Alpha Nicolas already knew that I ran away.

I was worried about the repercussions my family would have to face, but I was convincing myself that this was the right decision.

After asking Marie for directions to the best place to have breakfast in, she led me to the diner I had seen while getting here. 

She offered to make me breakfast, which was complimentary of the hotel, but I wanted some fresh air.

I was sitting alone in one of the booths toward the back. It was around 10 in the morning, but things seemed to be running slow in town.

"Mind if I take a seat with you?" A brown haired guy asked me, as he took a seat in my booth.

"Go ahead," I said, more to myself than him. 

He was already sitting down. It didn't take much to figure out he was a werewolf, and a strong one at that.

He ordered a coffee and some pancakes when the girl came to take his order. I noticed she gave him a lasting look. I understood why. 

He was attractive- with hazel eyes, a nice tan, and strong build.

The girl left soon after and didn't take long to return with his meal. 

All the while, the guy looked at me, but didn't break the silence. I said nothing, only acknowledging his stare but kept reading my book.

"You do know that you are trespassing, right?" He asked me, after taking a bite from his pancakes.

"I wasn't aware that there was a pack here, but either way, I'm passing through," I responded while looking directly at him.

"I'm Jace, Beta of the Midnight Moon Pack," the guy said, out-stretching his hand for me to shake.

"I'm Jace, Beta of the Midnight Moon Pack," the guy said, out-stretching his hand for me to shake.

"Leila," I answered, shaking his hand.

"You know, you give off an air of power. Yet, you are running around another packs territory, alone," Jace said to me, with a questioning look.

"Like I said, I'm just passing through. I'm not going to disturb the pack and I'll make sure to keep out of the forest," I dryly replied.

"It doesn't make you less of a threat," he cocked an eyebrow, and gave me a look I saw my own dad give rogues who he thought would be trouble.

"So, what would assure that your pack is safe with my presence?" I asked him.

"Most of the rogues who cross our territory, don't leave alive," he said, with a threatening tone.

He was trying to intimidate me, but it wasn't working. His aura gave off him having some power in his pack, but he wasn't the Alpha. 

His tone had no effect on me whatsoever. The fact that I was no longer part of a pack anymore didn't help the intimidation he was aiming for.

"Are you implying I should watch myself from your pack?"

"It depends on your intentions. When do you plan to leave?" Jace continued eating calmly, like if we weren't talking about possibly eliminating me.

"I'll be gone by the end of the week, for sure," I told him, with a steady voice. 

He was a few years older than me. I was sure of that.

"That's plenty of time for an attack, which only leaves one option."

"What option?" My appetite was long gone, and I only continued to drink my soda. 

I ran away from a controlling pack, to now be on the mercy of another one. Rogues had been treated roughly in my pack and it wasn't any different in others.

"You need to plea the Alpha for permission to stay the week," Jace responded, with a smirk on his face.

"I'll be gone tomorrow," I answered quicker than I'd wished. 

I didn't want to confront any Alpha's because I feared that they might know either Nicolas, or the Alpha from my pack.

"Why are you so nervous all of a sudden? Committed a crime you're trying to hide?" Jace looked amused and curious. 

I wasn't sure what would be best. Confide in him and ask that he keeps my presence a secret, or run before he had a chance to take me to his Alpha.

"I'm not nervous, I just don't respond well to authority," I answered, breathing a sigh of relief. 

Jace raised an eye brow and smirked once again.

"What is it with rogues and having a problem with rules? I will never understand that," Jace said, shaking his head.

"It's the reason you all don't last out in the open. There is no pack to back you up."

I didn't say anything to his thoughts about rogues. I had never experienced rogue life before, but what I had seen- it was difficult.

"Sometimes it's easier to just count on yourself," I replied, after silence had fallen between us.

"You look young, are you even 18 yet?" Jace questioned.

"I'm 18. You?" I asked him, now curious about the wolf in front of me.

"I am freshly turned 22," Jace said, looking proud of himself.

"So, what's the verdict? Can I stay for today without your Alpha finding out? I'll make sure to leave early tomorrow morning?" I asked him, trying to sound flirty. 

He was being overly friendly with me, so it was likely he was mate-less.

"If a wolf from the pack can supervise you all day, then I can let your presence slip," he said, leaning closer to me and rubbing his thumb on my hand.

"And who would the wolf be?" He grinned and I considered leaving right after I was out of the diner.

It's not that Jace wasn't good looking, because he was. I just feared his intentions, or what he thought might happen between us.

After he paid, Jace walked me to his grey sleek car, which was parked in front of the diner.

"Where are we off too?" I asked him as he drove off. 

I didn't know this town very well, but I needed to know where I was at. If I made myself vulnerable, anyone might take advantage of that.

"There's about forty miles of free land for running between our pack and the one next to us. No wolf hangs out in the outskirts of the land so it gives us more space," Jace replied.

I was amazed at the beauty of the forest where Jace took me. I shifted into my white wolf behind a tree while Jace shifted some trees away.

I was a pure white wolf, my four paws tainted with black. It was a trait that ran in our family and my father was proud it. Jace came out with the clothes he had been wearing, in his mouth. His wolf was a light brown, similar to the color of his hair, and he was significantly bigger than me.

I followed Jace as he led us to a clearing that he claimed would amaze me. I shouldn't trust him so easily. 

After all, he had my life in his hands. Without a thought, and against my better instincts, I went with him to the so called beautiful clearing.

In no time, we made it to our desired location. Jace went behind a big tree and changed. I went the opposite direction and put my clothes back on.

"It's just a few more trees ahead," Jace said when we were both together.

I was frozen in place once I saw it. A huge lake stood next to where the trees cleared out. 

It was breath taking. 

Jace was satisfied with my expression and led me closer to the lake.