Orphan Alpha

Chapter 3

Tree branches tore through my hair as I ran, my wolf refusing to come forward. I was in danger. The

sound of paws thundered behind me and I pushed myself to run faster. I found myself suddenly in the

clearing with nothing to provide cover. Not that it would have helped anyway, the wolf would sniff me

out. My only chance was to reach the water. I tripped over a protruding root as I moved towards the Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

stream. Before I could stand, the wolf was flying through the sky at me, shifting into human form as he

sliced through the air.

“HANNAH! COME ON, WE’RE GOING TO MISS BREAKFAST.” An irritated voice yelled through the

door, waking me from my nightmare.

“I’m coming!” I called back, untangling myself from my sweat filled sheets.

The previous nights encounter had rattled me. My wolf was on edge, angry that I had ran from our

mate. I was more concerned that he had wanted to rip our throat out. We were pack-less after all, and

that made us a rogue threat. I would have to find Barb after school today and let her know about the

incident. I dressed quickly and after brushing my teeth and tossing my hair in a messy bun, I headed to

the orphanages cafeteria with my backpack slung across my shoulder.

“Hey Hannah! Saved you a seat.” Called Toby. He had been here longer than me and aged out in a

week. We had become close friends during our time here.

I grabbed my breakfast and sat beside him, eating quietly. The nightmare was still replaying in my

mind. Part of me wondered if I would have seen my mates human form if I hadn’t been woken up. I

listened to Toby rattle on about a job he had found at the local movie theater and his small studio

apartment. He couldn’t sign the lease on his own until he was eighteen, but Barb had made

arrangements so that he would be able to move in the same day, preventing him from being homeless

for a few days.

I was excited for him. It was difficult for orphans to find a place of their own in our area once they aged

out. Most of them left the area in search of other relative to help them out. A handful ended up in the

local homeless shelter. None of them had the added complication of being a werewolf with Alpha blood

though.

The school day flew by in a blur. We were in finals week so there wasn’t much happening other than

test and graduation prep. I was exhausted from the run and my nightmare and spent most of the time

napping in my classes. I knew the material like the back of my hand so there wasn’t much point in

prepping. The counselor had called me to her office to discuss my college applications. She had given

me a lecture on wasting my potential by not applying anywhere. I couldn’t exactly tell her that it was

dangerous for me to go anywhere since I wasn’t a member of any pack.

I was relieved to get back to the orphanage. Tossing my bag in my room, I went to find Barb. I found

her in her office on the phone, a concerned look on her face. She waved me in and signaled for me to

sit and be quiet while she wrapped up the conversation. Finally, she sighed and hung up the phone.

‘Alpha Tristan’ displayed on the screen before her phone went to sleep.

“So, you had quite the adventure last night.” She said, folding her fingers together under her chin.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. There was no way that she already knew I ran into another wolf last

night.

“That was Alpha Tristan. He apparently scented a wolf in the woods last night and followed it her.”

“Alpha Tristan?” I stammered.

“Yes dear. Now, would you like to tell me what happened? You’re the only wolf in this orphanage aside

from myself, and I didn’t come back here. I returned to my pack after my run.” She chuckled.

I didn’t know where to start. I knew Alpha Tristan wasn’t her packs alpha. Her pack’s alpha was named

Bruce. I had met him once before when I expressed interest in joining their pack. I wasn’t sure which of

the other packs in the area belonged to the alpha she had been speaking to on the phone. I sighed and

decided I would just start with leaving for my run.

“I knew it!” She squealed after I finished telling her the whole story. “I knew he was hiding something.

He wouldn’t have called me over just any wolf.”

“But I’m still technically a rogue.” I stammered, my face flushing at her reaction.

“Oh, sweet girl, you’re his mate.” She chided. “If it were just because of a rogue wolf he would have

contacted Alpha Bruce from my pack. Besides, you’re only rogue for another month when the state

finally gets out of your business and you can join the pack.”

Her excitement was making me giddy. I had been terrified to face him last night, afraid that my rogue

status marked me as a threat no matter how loud my wolf screamed mate. I tried to calm myself as she

prattled on about wolves usually finding their mate much earlier than seventeen. I probably would have

found him when my wolf first emerged if my pack hadn’t been wiped out, leaving me in a human

orphanage.

“Wait, isn’t he kind of old to be my mate?” I blurted out as the thought crossed my mind. “I mean aren’t

all alpha’s old like Bruce?”

Barb chuckled. “Oh, sweetie, Tristan is only nineteen. Not all alphas are as old as Bruce, who is only

fifty-two by the way. Each pack has its own guidelines on when and how to pass the mantle to the next

alpha. Bruce’s son, maybe even his grandson will take over when he’s ready to retire. If I’m not

mistaken, the Iron Hide pack passes their mantle as soon as their new Alpha turns eighteen.”

I felt the heat rising in my face as she corrected my assumptions. I was starting to realize just how little

I knew about being in a pack. Barb mistook my embarrassment over not knowing about the laws

governing different packs as excitement that my newly discovered mate wasn’t inappropriately older

than me. Her assertion that it was perfectly natural to have naughty thoughts about one’s mate only

deepening my blush. I excused myself and left her giggling at my predicament.

“Woah! Watch it Han.” Toby grunted as I ran into him in the hall.

Great, now I would have a second person to explain my blushing face too, except Toby was human and

I couldn’t tell him about mates. Before I could say anything, I caught sight of a bag slung over his

shoulder.

“Where are you going?” I inquired.

“Barb got everything greenlit for me to go ahead and move into my apartment. I’m taking my stuff over

there now. Wanna help? There’s more bags in my room.”

I nodded and quickly grabbed a trash bag full of more of his belongings. I couldn’t tell him what was up

but getting away from Barb for awhile would bring some relief. The last thing I wanted was more of her

teasing me, no matter how well intended. I couldn’t flex my wolf muscles again, but I could at least

wear out my human body enough helping Toby move that I wouldn’t have to think about anything that

had happened since last night.