Alpha Tyler: Offered to the Storm Alpha

I waited for my father and mother to cease fighting in the car.

We have arrived in Moonburn. Yet, we're still sitting in the car waiting for their argument to end. My sister's baby kept on crying and the sound of my brother's gaming tablet is very much a nuisance to my ears.

I often wished to be like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. At least, she can live peacefully in a castle full of books-never mind the talking dishes and whining furniture.

Finally, my father, who's in the driver's seat, unlocked the door and I went out immediately. I heard my sister's 'scolding' voice for the one thousandth time today, but I just ignored it, like I mostly do.

The neighborhood is calm and peaceful, probably because of the frigid weather or they just don't care about newly-moved folks.

A blonde woman, perhaps in her early forties, waved at me. Her house is just next to us. I smiled and waved back as well. She looks so happy and cheerful upon seeing us, upon seeing me.

But there's something odd about her actions. As soon as I waved back at her, her expression changed. The smile dropped from her previously kind face and she turned her back on me, going inside her house. I was a bit shocked. But for a person who's constantly being turned back by everyone, it didn't bother me that much.

"What the hell are you doing there, Elaine? Go inside and prepare our food!" My mother's thundering voice is the only one loud enough to echo in the silence of the neighborhood.

I glared at her, silently willing her to lower her voice. But, she just rolled her eyes and tried to throw her slippers at me.

I quickly dodged; I'm a pretty good dodger. My family is very chaotic as you can see. Each has their own business and only pays attention to you if they need something.

My younger sister gave birth when she was sixteen. I am eighteen, and yet jobless-again.

I left my friends and job in Maine to be with my family. At least they are a family in some ways. Despite their cruel treatment of me, my mother is still my mother and my father is still my father nonetheless.

I didn't go to college as my parents wouldn't allow me, even though I told them that I'm going to use my own money. My mom told me that instead of spending my money on college, I should give it to them so that I will be at least 'of use' to this family.

"We have raised you for more than a decade. Don't tell me you're not going to pay us back all the money we've spent on you since I gave birth until you graduated in Senior High School!" That was my mother's words every time I mentioned that topic.

And every time she finishes blurting out those words, she always ends it with an attempted slap on my face that I always managed to avoid. As I said, I am pretty much a professional dodger of slaps and things thrown at me. I think if I were Belle from Beauty and the Beast, I would not think twice about going to Beast's huge castle if I have a family like this.

I wandered through the house, exploring my new surroundings on the way to the kitchen. The wallpapers are still intact, no hint of beastly scratches and blood stains. The house wasn't as creepy as I was suspecting. I guess my family is much more hideous then.

The real estate agent told us that the only daughter of the previous couple was abducted on the night of a leap year. And thus, they left-abandoned-this city and went into another city to start a new life.

It sounds like one of those unsolved cases and disappearing people that I used to watch on Buzzfeed. I am an avid fan of the paranormal and supernatural. That's why I am overly happy that the house we are now living in has some supernatural, mystery case connected to it. Especially since it's a leap year tonight, February 29, 2020.

I'm gonna prepare my journal for this year's chilling phenomena. Like the one I caught in my camera last year where I saw the image of a floating lady before my eyes-and I managed to capture it.

"Elaine! Where the heck is our food?!" my sister yelled at me. The four of them were just casually sitting in the living room, watching Netflix on the television that came with the house.

"Coming!" I answered back like how a housekeeper responds to her employer. I better be a housekeeper of this family if this is how they treat me. At least I'll have a monthly salary if I am their housemaid. To be frank, I'd rather be abducted by an alien at midnight or transported to a faery realm rather than continually living with those four huge pigs that call themselves my brother, father, mother, and sister.

I carried a food tray with plates of fruits and vegetables and a bit of meat that were paid for with my last month's salary before I resigned. I used to work as a waitress at a diner in Maine. Well, to tell you honestly, I once even had a brief relationship with my boss before I found out that he only used me-and has been actually married for five years.

I sighed and slowly laid the food on the table before them. Before I could even yield a step back to the kitchen, a dozen people barged in into our house.

Two words could describe my face: utterly flabbergasted. The lady that waved at me earlier was one of a dozen people.

"What the shit is going on?!" My father demanded.

"Who's the eldest female child?" The man carrying a white dress on his shoulder asked.

I frowned. My brows knitted, confusion was visible in my face. So does my family.

My brother, who was still clinging to his gaming tablet, pointed at me. All eyes in the room were fixed on me. The lady from earlier stepped forward.

"Then our sacrifice to the White Wolf is now settled." She spoke more to the people with her rather than to us.

"I'm sorry, what?" I breathed.

"You'll come with us. Bring only yourself. And nothing more," she added.

I tried to protest but the man holding the white dress shouted in anger. "Come with us now before the sun sets!"

My family just looked at me. I was expecting them to stop these people. But my mom just stood and said, "Go. Go with them Elaine. Before they kill us!"

I'm done with them. Even in this last minute, all they think is about themselves. All they care about is their safety. They didn't even stop me or grab me by the hand. The people I called family didn't even fight for me, beckoned me to stay with them. They just handed me to these people that, in the devil's name, we don't even know who they are.

What if they're a cult? A coven of witches? What do they mean by 'sacrificed to the white wolf'? Does that even exist until the twenty-first century? A bunch of thoughts were flooding my mind.

I know that my family is scared of them as these people are holding a rifle, an axe, a rake, and even a rope. Am I some sort of animal to be butchered?

Nevertheless, my family remained silent even as I slowly walked towards the people. This place that we recently moved in minutes ago is definitely odd and creepy and something's fishy. They handed me to them as some sort of bread to be given to the beggars.

A tear slid down from my face but my sister just rolled her eyes, my brother returned to his gaming tablet, my mother's face was just blank, and my father...he hoisted his hand and waved goodbye at me. I blinked, but he immediately averted his gaze and grabbed a newspaper.

They knew. They probably knew this was going to happen. All four of them. And I am the only one who's oblivious to this.

As soon as I left the house, I felt light-hearted. It's as if I am ready to greet death as being this people's sacrifice. I felt relieved by being freed from my family's chain.

At long last, I, Elaine Rutherford, who is now lying on top of a stone table in the middle of a grassy field, can now rest peacefully in this white dress that the man forced me to wear.

Until I saw a huge white wolf approaching me amidst the night of February 29th.

"Where are you taking me?" I whimpered as the huge wolf carried me on its shoulders.

The path is dark. I cannot see clearly. But this white wolf, which is walking on its two feet, seems to know the path like no one else. It walks like it's some sort of a man rather than an animal. In fact, it breathes and acts as if it's not an animal at all.

The wolf had been walking through this forest for a couple of minutes now. It was silent in here, like the grave. Is it going to bury me alive in the middle of this dark, gloomy forest? Too bad I didn't scream when it took me from the stone table. But what's the use of screaming anyway? Insects and trees wouldn't help me get away from this predator. I doubt they can even recognize my scream as a shout for help.

Heaven knows where this is, until it halted. I tried to move my head to see what's in front of us that made it stop. Luckily, it turned me around and I can see a huge rocky wall that extends to nowhere. It seems to be a divider between this forest and whatever place is beyond that wall.

And, despite carrying me on its shoulders, it managed to move the stone that blocks the entrance in just one hand. It turned around again in less than twenty seconds. Is it some sort of a mutant? Wolverine maybe?

'Is he an alien or something?' I whispered to myself. As soon as we entered the cave-like pathway, it then pushed the huge boulder again, blocking the entrance once more and bathing the whole place in absolute darkness.

I was now facing the path. I prayed to whoever is listening that this is not a bad thing for carrying me in front instead, not in the back. My heart skipped a beat when it clicked its finger (or paws, I don't know) and a flame was now floating before us.

"Are you a wizard or something?" The huge white wolf just snorted.

"So you can understand me, huh?" Silence just answered back at me.

'At least this doggie knows and understands the human tongue,' I mused.

We walked for several minutes. Only its footsteps (or pawsteps) reverberated. After speaking some words of wisdom to myself, I finally decided to open my eyes. The floating fire that this wolf summoned earlier greeted me and I saw two huge wolves guarding the entrance by the end of the wall, both standing on their two feet and carrying torches.

I tried to hide my astonished face but the black wolf smirked at me and gave me a curtsy bow. 'What the hell?!' I shrieked in my own mind.

"Are you guys wolf people? Or perhaps the lost colony of Roanoke?" Those words unexpectedly came out from my mouth.

"You will soon find out, mortal. And one thing..." The brown wolf winked at my still gaping face, "We're a pack, not a colony."

My throat bobbed. Since when do wolfies and doggies talk? This. Freaking. Brown. Wolf. Just. Talked.

Gosh, am I in heaven already? I didn't know that heaven is as dark as this and is packed with talking dogs and wolf-like men. Or perhaps I'm within the ninth circle of hell...

I can't. My feet and body wanted to go home. Although I was suddenly aware that I no longer have a home to go to. I don't mind spending time with homeless people in the homeless' abode. I just wanted to run away from this creepy, odd, unearthly place.

My teeth chattered as soon as we came out from the cave-like pathway. It was cold in here, as if all the frigid winds of the mountain had gathered in this place.

It turned around and the black and brown wolf gave the white wolf, which was carrying me, a signal and a tight nod. Even here, I can see the huge wall that is made up of solid stone that extends from hell knows where. 'Perhaps this is another marker of the equator or something,' I wondered.

It put me down roughly and my body landed on the murky ground. Mud stained his moon-white fur and I smirked and stuck out my tongue. I moved my leg a bit and, because of pain, I almost yelled.

"Ouch!" I cried in a soft manner. But the wolf's cerulean eyes just stared at my filthy body. The white dress that the man gave me earlier was now colored in brown mud.

My whining ceased when a light flashed before my eyes and a white wolf was no longer standing a few inches from my dirty feet.

The wolf had shifted into a man. A man with a glorious body; his muscles and abs and all of him was perfectly crafted by some god or deity or Great Spirit. His skin was mocha in color, quite identical to the mud that was covering all over me. His hair was bluish black; blue when moonlight drenched him like it was now, and black if the darkness was the only blanket shrouding all over us like that in the forest. His eyes were cerulean blue, I only managed to take a great look now because this whole place has light in every corner, contrary to the forest that we just trekked. And my favorite part is the fact that his skin was the only thing covering his entirety, nothing else.

My eyes involuntarily slid into the bulging area between his legs. I wonder how long it was, or how hard could it be if I stood naked before him.

'Shut up, Elaine! Why are you so hot in front of your abductor?!' I scolded myself, almost forgetting that I am a 'sacrifice' to this creature.

A malicious grin was plastered on his face. A part of me tried to set aside the fact that I am an offering for the prosperity of the city. I just want to kiss those red, plumpy lips until the dawn breaks.

Wait, I am an offering and sacrifice. But what kind of sacrifice?

"You seemed in deep thoughts, Elaine."

My eyes could've come out from my face. "How did you know my-"

"Welcome to Stella's Soul, Elaine." Then he walked away, without even bothering to look back at me or answer my question.

I followed him with my eyes. And, I just realized now, how Las-Vegas-looking this place is. I was expecting it to be a tribe with two older people roasting a wild pig under the canopy of trees and some almost-naked children eating dinner from banana leaves.

Instead, a gilded fountain stood before me. Huge rosarium surrounds it. Neon lights ala Los Angeles illuminate the night of the leap year.

This place is secluded. But, it was more lavish than Moonburn-perhaps more expensive than Beverly Hills.

A young woman who was dressed in navy blue and white helped me get out of the mud. "I'm sorry about Tyler. It's his first time to get out beyond the wall and see a female mortal. Especially one as gorgeous as you are despite all the mud."

Her voice was kind and sisterly. She looked young and-

"You're pregnant?"

"Yes. I'm married to Jason, Tyler's older brother."

My brain seems to have more difficulty in processing things now. "So you're Tyler's sister-in-law?"

"Yes. And I am the sacrifice from the last leap year, last February 29, 2016..."

An 'oh' escaped from my mouth. "So what am I doing here then? Am I-"

That freaking can't be. I am not. I cannot. I will not. Even if the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

"You're Tyler's bride. The next full moon will be the Worm Moon and that will be the time which you and Tyler will be wed."

"Worm Moon? That's a pretty odd name," I said.

The woman laughed. "Worm Moon is the name of the moon for March's full moon. Each month has their names according to ancient traditions. January's full moon is named as Wolf Moon which is the most sacred moon for werewolves and so forth."

"Werewolves?" My brain seems to leave my own skull and bathe in the same mud I was just soaked in.

"Yes. Tyler and all the billionaires here. They are werewolves. And we, the 'sacrificed' women's duty, are tasked to give them children as their fellow female werewolves can't bear them a child if the father is also a werewolf. It must be a werewolf and a mortal in order to conceive another werewolf."

A sigh just came out from me. Maybe because it's the only thing my body could do after all the revelation I just found out, as well as the pain in my whole body that was still lingering in my bones. She mentioned the wedding. Not too bad to be married to a wealthy talking doggy at the age of eighteen anyway.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Well, I am-"

"Melissa!" shouted a shirtless honey-haired man from behind. He's handsome, at least. "It's cold outside. It's not good for a pregnant woman like you!"

The man rushed to her and covered her with a warm, fluffy blanket. He glanced at me for a moment. "Didn't Tyler escort you to his mansion?"

"No, honey. It seems your younger brother was still acting like a child despite the fact that he now has a bride."

Jason clicked his tongue and whistled. An old woman, older than Melissa and I, came running towards us.

"Yes, Mr. Jason?" the old woman uttered as she gave him a bow even when she was still catching her breath.

"Escort the new one here to my brother's mansion. And tell Tyler to quit being childish and be more manly!"

"As you wish, Mr. Jason."

Jason and Melissa strode to their abode behind the red rose garden.

The old woman took off her jacket and handed it to me. She said that Tyler's mansion is two houses from Jason's.

"Well, that's going to be a few minutes of walking exercise," I teased. Her face didn't yield even a smile. She walked first, and then I trailed behind her. We had taken a few steps away from the gilded fountain when a light flashed before us.

Tyler was now standing tall a few feet from us. The old woman's head was still lowered, as if she already knew who and what to do when a light flashed before her, especially one that came from a shifter-a werewolf.

"I'll escort my bride, Rowena. You may rest now."

I watch the old woman, Rowena, vanish behind the trees.

"What are you staring at, mortal? Follow me." Tyler spoke in a rough, thundering voice.

Before I could step forward, he grabbed my arm. My face landed on his bare chest. He was pretty much taller than me. Too bad he's now fully clothed. I prefer him wearing nothing at all.

I jerked my head and my emerald eyes met the windows of his soul, whose color resembles the southern waters of this continent.

And under the Snow Moon of February 29th, amidst the late night's breeze, his lips crushed into mine-without any hesitation or reservation.

I drowned-we drowned-in each other's arms and lips. His hand travelled into my back and lingered in there.

So this is what they mean to be a sacrifice then. All I can do is to answer with fiery passion.

After all, I am Elaine Winona Rutherford, the eighteen-year-old mortal who was chosen to become a 'sacrifice' to the billionaire werewolf, Tyler.