Chapter 5 Strange woman at the packing lot

Drake stepped down the minute Perry stopped the car beside the Pack house.

"Alpha...",Perry began but was cut short by Drake's sharp reply.

"I need a run. And I need to be alone". He turned away and hunched his back. Bones creaked loudly and separated, breaking down and forming into something else. His limbs slowly gave way to muscular furry arms. His hind legs transformed and thick sharp claws emerged, curling over the earth. A long furry tail appeared behind him and his size increased as his transformation slowly completed. His eyes transformed, became two glowing pools of moonlight. His fangs gleamed in the dimness of the day. Finally a large black wolf stood in his place, fur glistening in the fading light of the setting sun.

The wolf turned his head and glanced at Perry, mind linking him.

[don't wait up for me. and don't come looking for me]

The order was clear. The Alpha clearly wanted to be alone.

[yes Alpha], Perry said and watched as the black wolf bounded away, disappearing into the forest beside the mansion.

He turned and walked towards the door, knowing fully well why the Alpha wanted to be alone.

The door opened before he got close to it and a young looking man emerged, dressed in a butler's uniform.

"Welcome back Beta Perry",he said.

"Thank you Perkins",Perry said and threw the car keys towards Perkins. Perkins caught it in mid air and then looked around.

"What about the Alpha?",he asked.

"The Alpha needs to be alone. He will be along",Perry said and entered the mansion.

Perkins said nothing more and drove the car towards the parking lot beside the mansion.

Perry walked passed the dining on his way to his room and he saw the members of the park gathered in the large dining, having dinner.

"Perry",Trevor called out to him. He was the gamma of the pack, next in command to Perry.

"The Alpha will be back later",Perry answered his unasked question. He dropped heavily into a chair and the butler, Perkins appeared with a full plate of the meal that was prepared. He placed it in front of Perry and dropped a glass of water beside it.

"Thank you Perkins",he said and wolfed down the food.

"Is he okay?",Trevor asked again. It was unlikely for the Alpha to want to be alone.

"Of course he's okay",another of the pack members said. "He's the Alpha. He has to be okay".

Perry said nothing and continued eating.

Trevor knew something must have occured to make the Alpha leave on his own. So he asked the burning question that was on everyone's lips.

"Did something happen?".

Everyone stopped to listen to Perry who had been with the Alpha. Even Perkins stopped to listen.

Perry knew they wouldn't let him rest unless he told them what occured. So he told them about the strange woman in the parking lot, leaving out the part about her striking resemblance to the Alpha's dead mate.

"She really said that to the Alpha?",Trevor asked in disbelief.

"She did", Perry said. "And the Alpha did nothing about it". He picked up the glass of water and as he drank, he watched the pack members discuss the strange woman and how bold she had been to challenge the Alpha. It was surprising to them because they knew women were weak and delicate. They only knew how to love and be loved in return. So it came as a shock to them when Perry told them about the strange woman who hadn't been scared of the Alpha.

"The Alpha would be totally vexed right now to be challenged by a mere human, and a woman too".

"Keep your observations to yourself Ralph", Perry told the lycan. "You wouldn't want the Alpha to hear what you just said".

However the pack members continued discussing the strange woman and how she was able to stand before the Alpha and not cower.

Perry had no choice but to leave them and go up to his room. He was the one that told them about the strange woman after all.

...

The black wolf tore through the forest in blind speed, leaping over thick roots that tangled on his way. He enjoyed the feel of the wind on his fur. It wasn't a full moon night but still, it was exhilarating.

He increased his pace, making his way over to dead man's cliff. A jutting rock that over looked the tall mountains in the distance. Below the cliff were tall trees clustered together, with sharp rocks at the bottom. A place many had lost their lives.

The black wolf stopped at the edge of the cliff and raised his face to the sky. The sun had set and night descended like a thick black blanket. A half moon peeped out from the clouds, emerging shyly and lighting up the forest with its silver glow.

The wolf shifted back and Drake stood at the edge of the cliff, his hazel eyes staring at the distance. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get her out of his head.

His other half.

His one true mate.

His Lana.

Her death had pushed him into a state of coldness. She had been his light, his love, his everything. And when she died, he had become a coldhearted man with zero feelings. He had barred his heart with thorns, closing it off to what he dreaded the most.

Love.

He couldn't bring himself to love again after the death of Lana. The pain of her death had made him crazy and he became ruthless without a slice of sympathy for anyone. He only took women to satisfy his raging sexual desires. They were nothing more than a means of pleasure. That was why he made it clear in his contract that the woman could request for anything she desired. Money. Fame. Assets. Anything.

But never Love.

And he had lived like this for decades until he met her.

The strange woman at the parking lot.

She aroused his interest totally and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about her. There was something about her that intrigued him. Something that was just so special. Something that called to him. Something he couldn't understand. He remembered the lust that assailed him when he had been standing so close to her. It had taken a great deal of restraint to hold himself back from grabbing her. And to crown it all, she reminded him so much of his dead mate.

Lana had been exactly like her. Beautiful. Bold. Fearless. Defiant. Rebellious. She had been the perfect Luna of his pack. And she also had the fiery redness of the strange woman's hair.

And he had loved her wholeheartedly, commiting himself to her.

This strange woman did things to him he couldn't understand. When he closed his eyes, he no longer saw Lana. He saw her. He saw her flame coloured hair and enchanting eyes. He saw her captivating lips and sinful body. She was in his head and didn't want to leave again.

Drake suddenly became annoyed. He opened his eyes and stared up at the sky, where the half moon sent its silver rays to the earth. A part of him hoped Lana was up there, looking down at him. That was all he could think about.

"Lana...",he whispered hoarsely.

And when he closed his eyes again, it wasn't Lana he saw.

It was the strange woman.

And Drake hated himself for it.