ALPHA(45)

Tyler switched the engine off and stepped out of the car, so I followed suit. I took a step away from the car, trying to steady my nerves, when Tyler walked around the front of the car and stepped in front of me, with a look that gave me chills. His eyes had changed so they looked devoid of all emotion, and the bleakness in them made my skin cold and my heart beat faster. It was like the old Tyler had just disappeared, to be replaced with this new Tyler who was made of stone.

“What’s wrong, do you hear something?” I asked him, taking a step back from the strange vibe I was getting from him.

“Surprise,” he said, before giving a sinister smile which made me realise something was very, very wrong.

“Tyler, what are you doing?” I asked, as he stepped closer to me, crowding me against the car and boxing me in so I couldn’t get away. I tried to lean away from him, but just ended up knocking my head against the side of the car. I tried to remain calm, remembering that I had to be smart if I was going to be able to rescue Annabelle.

“You stupid bitch,” he said. I could hear my heart beating erratically and it was only just clicking in to place that Tyler was no longer on our side. He was a traitor. You know those moments, where you suddenly realise something that changes your whole life? That was how I felt right at that very moment. It was like everything I ever knew, had just been wiped out, and I struggled to wrap my end around the fact that we had all been fooled. Jackson was going to be destroyed when he found out.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered, trying to get out of him what was actually going on.

“Of course you don’t understand. For months now I’ve been working with the Grove Pack and no-one had any fucking idea.”

“No,” I gasped as the full direness of the situation hit me full force.

“I couldn’t fucking take it anymore. All my life I’ve been with the same pack, day in and day out being the same. Not allowing ourselves to mix with humans and hiding ourselves away and for what? So we can hide like we are ashamed? When it’s humans who should be ashamed! I’d always thought Jackson would be a good alpha, and lead us in the right direction, but then you came along.”

He looked at me with crazy eyes, and was pressed up against me so close I could feel his hot breath on my face and I physically couldn’t move anywhere. I stiffened as I felt one of his hands touch my waist and slide up my t-shirt. Before I could process it, his hand had grabbed hold of my breast and squeezed it hard making me wince in pain and tears filled my eyes. I tried to push him off me but I was no match for his shifter strength and it felt like trying to move a concrete wall.

“Get off me!” I shouted, futilely attempting to dislodge his hand from my breast.

“Shut up! I was planning on helping Jackson to see how good it could be to join our rival packs, in our fight against the humans but you came along and he was fucking pussy whipped after five minutes. Now he can’t get his head straight to figure out what the pack needs. I tried to get rid of you numerous times but you’ve got a fucking guardian angel following after you, bitch. I don’t even understand what it is he sees in you. You’re just another piece of ass.” He removed his hand from my top, and pulled away from me, grabbing me arm and dragging me behind him in the woods. I pulled on his hand and tried to get away but the shock and the stress was causing me to lose my strength, and I refocused my efforts on getting Tyler to talk more to me about his plans. As he pulled me deeper in to the forest, all I could think about was Annabelle, and how I needed to get us both out of here alive. I presumed he was hiding her in the forest, and if it was going to end up a fight to the death, then I had to get her location out of him before I hurt him. I knew I was being pretty optimistic thinking I could take on a wolf shifter when I was just a human myself, but I had to stay positive or I would going to wind up dead.

“Jackson’s only minutes way, he won’t let you get away with this!” I shouted, and my arm screamed in pain from the way he pulled me through the forest.

Tyler laughed and the sound made my blood run cold. “Oh, you really don’t get it do you?”

He stopped outside what looked like a large wooden shed in the middle of the trees, and the night combined with the dense forest made visibility pretty much impossible. He stood before me, and started pacing, ranting like a mad man.

“I’m the one in fucking charge here. Jackson hasn’t got a fucking clue that I’m against him. I gave the guys the wrong directions. They think they’re heading towards us when in fact they’re heading in the opposite direction, straight in to a trap with the rest of the Grove Pack. They’ll figure it out eventually, but by the time they do you’ll be dead and be the first example of what we want to do to all the humans.”