New Story. New Idea. If anyone has any ideas for a front cover or story images then message me. Willing to dedicate to those I like as well as include the image as a side picture or even story cover! So get creative and fill up my imbox with your creations! 

It was becoming part of my routine, positioning myself at a table and using a book as a prop to remain as unnoticeable as I physically could without reducing the view of my line of sight. I didn’t blink, my gaze focused on the blonde haired beauty in the corner of the room, her small fingers curled around the edges of a biology exercise book, oblivious to everything else around her.

“Chase?”

Her name was Annabelle.

She was a new addition to their territory after having arrived with many others who had submitted to my alpha, choosing to admit defeat in order to survive instead of being killed within battle. I had fought, had killed and wounded many who had taken the aggressive option rather than recogning that they would not be triumphing at the end of the battle, and yet it hadn’t seemed worth it when I calculated the small amount of territory which was gained as a result.

It didn’t make sense; why go to war when the gain was so insignificant?

“Chase?”

I was responsible for recruiting, training and managing the packs military and defensive guard. At eighteen I was already established across many packs as being a fair but firm trainer, of turning even the most unassuming pack members into wolves capable of fighting alongside me with a grace and elegance that was a firm contrast to the harm they could inflict on another. I respected each pack member as long as they respected me in return.

As long as they followed orders that was.

I was a beta. Not considered a low position within any pack, but there were many of us. It was my position regarding the packs defensive and offensive military that established my high position despite my wolf’s birth status. I was no alpha, but I was close.

“Chase!”

Feeling my eyes bleed into black I snapped my head around, instinctively snapping my fangs at the interruption. I had taken to spending the majority of my nights staring at the new addition to the pack, her adamant interest in her reading material preventing her from noticing the intensity of my staring as she frequently made herself at home within the cosy walls of the library.

It was probably for the best.

“What?”

Michael raised his hands in defence, “I just wanted to remind you that the warning bell is about to ring in five minutes. It’s your turn to lock up.”

My fingers clenched into tight fists at the reminder of the provisional nature of the overtaken pack and the rules that came along with their stay. In return of shelter, job opportunities and food they were required to follow strict instructions, one of which was being contained in a designated area after eight pm.

I didn’t agree but it hadn’t been my call. It was understandable to take precautions in case of unrest or killings within the pack, but to physically lock them up, treat them like animals was disturbing.

“Why don’t you just ask her out?” Michael had clearly followed my line of sight and noticed my staring. I grunted. “You waiting around to make sure she isn’t late getting there?” he continued after receiving no response.

My nails clawed at the reminder that she was subjected to the same caging as the other pack members, the idea that someone so quiet, so harmless was treated as if she was a threat despite her complete cooperation didn’t sit well with me.

She didn’t deserve to be treated like an animal.

Her metal bracelet identified her as a wolf rather than a human pack member; both species were treated the same. A wolf could easily scent out whether a person was a wolf or human; the bracelets were for the benefit of the human pack members. It wasn’t hard to imagine the strain of being confined to a small area and how it would have an effect on her wolf. It couldn’t feel pleasant.

“No.”

“No to what? Waiting around for her or asking her out?”

I grunted, “Both.”

Michael sighed, “I’ve noticed a few of the guard taking an interest in her. She is very pretty.”

I had him tightly by the wrist before he could say anything further that would result in me ripping his throat out. My attraction towards her may be unusual, but if he wasn’t joking I planned to have a serious conversation about boundaries and not overstepping them.

“Are you lying to me?”

His heart beat increased, my fingers growing damp as I looked down only to realise I had been digging fully extended claws into his skin. My fingers twitched within the imbedded muscle.

“I was exaggerating!” Michael relented, clearly regretting his attempt to push me. “There has been mention of her in conversation but everyone’s noticed your interest. No one plans on risking their favour by approaching her.”

“Are you being honest with me?”

He nodded quickly. Breathing through my nose I retracted my claws, hearing his sigh of relief before taking a seat next to me, following my line of sight with a bewildered expression. I knew what he was thinking. There were plenty of nice looking girls that had travelled over with the new pack, not to mention I wasn’t short on attention from the women within my own pack, so why was I so interested in this one?

If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t have a clue. My wolf liked her which was a surprise in itself; my wolf didn’t like anyone.

I didn’t startle as the warning bell rung, the high pitched sound echoing around the room causing everyone present to wince. I didn’t remove my gaze from Annabelle, the only other new pack member within the library, and instead watched with interest as she stiffened tightly before shakily grabbing her belongings and stuffing them roughly into her deaerating bag.

I rose to my feet, feeling Michael do the same.

“You could offer her a ride?” Michael offered. I rolled my eyes.

“We’re going to walk.”

“We?”

Grabbing my coat I slipped it on, vaguely observing Annabelle’s lack of protection against the rain as she quickly slipped out of the door. She was a wolf; she wouldn’t feel the cold easily. I followed behind her, close enough to keep her in sight but not so close as to give away my positon.

“You’ve been doing this for three weeks now, Chase.”

Michael was lucky I thought of him more of a friend then a second in command. It had saved his arse from my temper more than a few times in the past, and he knew it. But he was right, the moment I had caught sight of the small blonde I had been reduced to stalking her from afar.

All I knew was that my wolf liked her, a lot.

Never had I felt such attachment to someone I hadn’t met before. I barely spoke to my own parents, not due to an argument or falling out but since I had moved out of the pack home into a much smaller one closer to the territory edge deep within the forest I hadn’t felt the need to visit more than once or twice a week at the most.

My wolf didn’t pine for them, didn’t whimper if I was apart from my flesh and blood for long durations of time.

“I know.”

“Frankly I’m surprised she hasn’t noticed you yet, you follow her everywhere.”

Considering Annabelle spent the majority of her time in the library and nowhere else I wasn’t technically following her, simply watching from afar as she chose the exact same table every day.

It was less than a quarter of an hour later that the view of the temporary boundary came into sight, two guards I was familiar with standing at the entrance. They spoke briefly with Annabelle, identical expressions of barely restrained softness that had my own wolf flaring.  

What gave them the right to look at her like that?

Approaching the moment she dashed inside to escape the rain I could see the exact moment their wolves picked up on my scent, their submission immediate. It was ironic that their wolves had more respect for me as their trainer and protector despite my beta status than the alpha of the pack.

“How do you know her?”

Expressions of surprise flickered across their features. “Annabelle?”

I grunted.

James shrugged, “She’s always on time, polite despite the fact we are basically accusing her of trying to commit treason and locking her away at night like an animal,” he explained. “Nice change from all the disgusted looks we’re on the receiving end of since this whole thing began.”

I pursed my lips, “She have any relatives inside?”

Grabbing his notepad James scanned the lists before shaking his head. “Parents unknown, possibly dead. We found her school records and she was the top of all of her classes, by the looks of it studying to become a pack doctor since all of her classes were biological or medical related.”

“She was present when we took over," Harry cut in causing my brow to rise. It hadn’t been a pretty battle, it had been swift and efficient but many had died violently. I personally preferred the quick kill yet certain wolves took advantage of the situation and allowed too much of their instincts to take over.

“She attempt to kill anyone?”

Harry shook his head, “saved one of the younger wolves, took out one of her own.”

I stared at him shocked, not having expected to hear as much. Did she hold no loyalty to her pack? “She confess that or did someone witness her?” It would not be a surprise if she attempted to prove her usefulness of the pack by lying to try and gain favour. It happened.

“She saved Jacob from losing a limb.”

Jacob was newly involved in becoming part of the pack guard, having turned eighteen a few months prior to the battle. When I had been given the positon of being in charge of the fighting strategies and tactics at sixteen when I had shown visible promise my first change despite my own age was to set a minimum guideline of eighteen. Many of the younger wolves had been furious, it gave them an opportunity to bond closer to their wolf after all, however, it was a rule I refused to budge on.

I would not have the deaths of children on my conscience.

The becoming part of the guard to protect the pack was optional and voluntary; however, very few chose different paths. It was an opportunity to be at one with your wolf, provide a safe and secure territory for your loves ones, and it paid well in that it gave you slightly more favour with the alpha.

Jacob not bringing this to my attention was not acceptable. I was his superior; I should have been informed immediately after the area was deemed safe and secure. “What did he say happened?”

Harry shrugged. “He let his guard down and the alphas beta took hold of his leg, would have bitten right through the bone had a tiny white wolf as he described it grabbed the wolf around the throat, cutting off the air supply so the jaw relaxed before shifting and checking that he was ok. Surreal if you ask me.”

“Why was I not informed of this?” I snapped.

My displeasure must have been written all over my face if their suddenly rigid expressions were anything to go by. “We assumed Jacob told you, there wouldn’t be any reason for him to keep it to himself. Sure he let his guard down but he didn’t endanger anyone else with his actions, except himself that is.”

It wasn’t good enough.

Sighing off after checking the perimeter and following protocol I went in search of Jacob, knowing he still lived in his childhood home on the other side of the reservation. He needed to learn that while he may not have lied directly to my face, a lie by omission was just as serious and just as punishable.

He needed to recognise his mistake in order to not repeat it again in the future. That was if he wanted to remain as part of the guard that is. I didn’t take being lied to likely.