The Alpha's Huntress (book one & two)

-Serena-

I run through the woods, my bare feet barely feeling the cold ground beneath me. I hear my mother’s voice: “Run.” I need to run, so I do. I push myself as far as I can, not looking back—just like she told me. But she isn’t with me. She doesn’t run beside me, and still, I know I cannot stop. I’m not allowed to stop. Only when my lungs burn and my little legs can’t carry me anymore do I finally let myself breathe. I stop and look around, but I’m all alone in the dark forest.

“Mom?”

Of course, she isn’t behind me as I had hoped. My dad isn’t either. Both of them stayed behind. They prepared me for this, always telling me that if anything happened, I just had to run.

I look around, hoping someone will come find me, wishing my parents won’t be far behind, but no one appears. I sit down on the ground, unsure of what to do. I pull my legs close and wrap my arms around them. Tears begin to stream down my cheeks, but I’m not sure why I’m crying. I don’t feel sad, just scared as I wait and listen…

No sounds, but then suddenly…

A branch snaps, and I look straight ahead. My heart starts to pound in my chest, but I can’t see anything.

“Hello?” I call softly.

I have nothing to defend myself with. I’m just sitting here in my pajamas, all alone. But I can’t run anymore. My legs are shaking even as I sit.

“Hello?” I call again.

Suddenly, from a nearby bush, I see glowing yellow eyes. I stare at them in shock, unsure of what to do. I just sit there, looking into those eyes. What is it? I can’t tell.

“Are you here to hurt me?” I ask.

Why did I ask that? Who or what am I even addressing?

“Who are you?” I whisper.

The eyes keep staring at me, and the longer they do, the calmer I feel.

“Who are you?” I ask again.

I don’t know why I feel the need to know, but it doesn’t feel like an animal is looking at me. It feels like a person is watching me. But who can have such yellow eyes? I’m about to say something again when I hear shouting in the distance. I look over my shoulder and see lights flickering further out in the forest. Had someone come for me? I turn back, a smile spreading across my lips, but the yellow eyes are gone.

Who are you?

The words echoed in my mind as I opened my eyes, staring at a boring gray wall. I sighed and closed them again, turning over, but soon opened them once more to find myself staring at a dull ceiling. I threw an arm over my head, not quite ready to get up.

That stupid dream had haunted me since I was a child. I could never forget those glowing yellow eyes and the feeling of being watched. I knew there was a good chance nothing had been there that night. But what felt certain about it was that I couldn’t lie here forever. When a small beep came from my ID watch, I realized I was needed. I reached over to the small nightstand behind me, grabbed the watch, and saw the message: the meeting room. I sighed, sat up, and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

I looked around the small room I called home. All hunters had their own. I pushed off the bed and quickly showered, brushed my teeth, and got dressed. After putting on my watch, I slipped into my jacket, which bore my number: 110.

I left my room, closing the door that locked automatically and could only be opened by my fingerprint. Then I walked down the long, white hallways while putting on my jacket. I passed a few hunters who nodded at me, sometimes calling me “Commander”. I always nodded back, and I could see the clear sign of respect in their eyes.

I quickly found the meeting room one level down. Our entire base was underground, and we only left it when assigned to missions.

“Ah, 110, come in,” the high general said.

She held the highest rank, and I respected her more than anyone else. Her brown hair had turned white but was still long and braided. She smiled as she invited me to sit at the other end of the table.

I settled into my chair, glancing around at the other generals—a mix of older men and women all loyal to our cause of ridding ourselves of the creatures responsible for so much death, including the ones who had killed my parents.

“I have a mission for you,” the high general said.

“I’m ready,” I replied, earning another smile from her.

“You always are.”

That made us both smile.

“It isn’t so simple this time,” she said, her expression turning serious.

I tilted my head, confused. I had never failed a mission.

“We want to strike them hard this time,” the high general said, her green eyes locking onto mine. “And this time we’ve got them right where we want them.”

Now I was even more intrigued.

“An alpha who has been a plague to us for a long time has finally decided he is ready to settle down.”

“How do you know this?” I asked.

“Remember our little dogs we sent into their packs?” she inquired.

I nodded. Last year, instead of killing the werewolves we hunted, we kidnapped some…

“They have reported back to me, and it seems Rogan is finally going to be vulnerable enough for us to get to him. There will be a meeting between him and the family whose daughter is tying herself to him. We cannot let this union happen. They are part of the two biggest packs, and if they combine, it might just be the end for us,” she explained.

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

“I need you to kill him,” she said.

“I will,” I replied firmly.

“I’m sending you and your group out, but 110, you have to ensure he is killed. This might be our only chance.”

I nodded again, locking my gaze with hers. “I will make sure he is eliminated. I won’t come back unless he is dead.”

The high general smiled, clearly pleased. “That’s why I chose you. You get things done.”

I tried to suppress a smile. I rarely smiled, but her praise always brought one to my face. I stood up from my chair and gave a small nod to everyone as a goodbye before leaving the room to find my group. Using my watch, I called them to a smaller meeting room on the highest level, instructing them to come prepared—with weapons and a small bag of provisions. We wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.

Thank you for reading this story. I hope you will enjoy it!