I Reincarnated As An Alpha

Heavy.

Her eyes felt like they weighed a ton each as she tried to lift them. Her long dark lashes have been quivering gently for a while now. Kana Matthews has just been struck with a deep sleep.

No.

Actually, Kana Matthews had died. For how long, however, is something she didn't have a grasp on. But she is sure that she died.

It was her eightieth birthday and she had just been out of the hospital. She opened the door of her glass house and found the place devoid of life. Then again, she had been living alone most of her life. So, what did she expect?

"Kana!" A man suddenly piped behind her and she swore she almost had another heart attack, "Why didn't you wait for me before you discharged yourself out of the hospital? I told you to wait for me, didn't I? For fuck's sake, woman, why are you so stubborn?"

Johan Million stepped in front of her. The warm sun illuminated the lines on his face and the wrinkles on his skin. Kana glanced at the cane he had with him and smiled, "I still can get home on my own, you know."

"You just had surgery! How can you be so careless? What made you think you can drive yourself in your condition? What if you got into an accident while driving?"

"How can you shout at me when I'm still weak and frail?" Kana wrapped her hand around her other arm and posed so innocently.

Johan took his lip under his teeth and bit hard at the sight, his chest thrashing again. He walked closer to her and held his bestfriend's hand.

"I'm sorry, I just.. didn't want you to strain your body. We're not so young anymore. We're eighty. It wouldn't hurt for you to depend on me a bit more."

Kana chuckled softly, "You're right, we're old. We're almost at death's door step. Hell, I can even see the reaper in my sleep, and that's exactly why I want move around as much as I can."

Johan gritted his teeth, a cloud of sadness apparent in his eyes, "Don't say that."

Kana laughed at him. He looked scared as she was, but the pins and needles on her body just won't stop. And she knew. Her time was near.

That night, Kana Matthews died.

She remembers it like it was just yesterday. But then, Kana felt as if she had been sleeping for a long time. So long her body seemed to be weak and light.

Finally, after an excruciating effort to force them open, she is able to lift her eyes. And what welcomed her is a blur.

But somehow, she can make out the place. It's sparkling and bright and ultimately dazzling. At that moment, she wonders, "Am I in heaven?" Everything seemed to be gold and white and sculpted. She must be in heaven, right?

Slowly, her vision is clearing.

Kana is staring right into the ceiling. An extravagant ceiling of porcelain with gold design. It's practically different from the ones she had at home and the one in the hospital. She tries moving her hand and a silky soft texture grazes it.

A bed. She is lying on a bed. But even her deathbed wasn't that soft. She pulls her hand and poises it in front of her face.

Huh?

It's smaller than she remembered. No, it's far smaller! Like the hand of a child! She suddenly sits up and when her eyes dropped on her legs, they widened.

Her legs are also short! And what is she wearing? A lace dress? With white stockings?

'WHAT THE HELL?' She thought. She is not a child!

Right then, something scraped against the bed as a shiver embraced her body. There was something. Something poking out of her butt. She could feel her bottom tingle as if she is carrying something long.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" She screams her lungs out, her hands covering her face out of fear. She's a child and a boy and has a snake protruding out of her butt! 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!'

A monster! She became a monster!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

After a while, silence filled the air.

'W-W-What the hell?' She thought again, slowly creating spaces in between her fingers. She looks at her legs a second time. It's clearly a skirt.

She detaches her right hand out of her face and is quivering as she slowly gets her hand close to her skirt. Like lightning, she lifts it up and pulls her stocking!

Her chest seemed to stop beating for a time and her eyes froze at her center. She hoped it's there. She wished hard it's still there. And when her eyes finally fell at the spot, she sees a pink lace.

She gently fixes her stocking and skirt, her face drowned in ash.

'IT'S THERE!' She yells inside, her eyes full of rain. She is still a girl. Thank goodness. She breathes a sigh of relief and is calm again.

She clearly has a clam.

So, why the hell does she have something long sticking out of her butt?!

Just the thought of it is making her aggressively tremble.

Her eyes swept across the room. It's large and magnificent, filled with expensive looking furniture with only white and gold colors. It looked like she was in a bedroom straight out of a comic book.

As she is inspecting the place, a glint catches her eye. She turns to her side but somehow, she is moving slowly. Maybe it was how her heart was throbbing so hard that her neck feared it wouldn't take the sudden shock.

She turns to the mirror and stares at herself.

She could her birds chirp and although it seemed to be daytime, crickets are humming.

.

.

.

"WHAT KIND OF HELL IS THIS?????!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kana jumps out of the bed and dives into the wide mirror, her small body pushing it to the floor. With this, she is face to face with her reflection.

She is a girl, all right.

She is a child.

But what in God's name are the black ears standing on top of her head?! What in the world is that long black thing sticking out of her butt?!

WHY DOES SHE HAVE DOG EARS AND A TAIL?!

'WHAT KIND OF SIN DID I COMMIT TO DESERVE THIS?'

Kana Matthews grips the mirror hard, her eyes shaping like iced marbles. She grits her teeth at the sight. No way. There's no way this is true, right?

She looked like a dog! Like that character in that animated show she used to watch when she was a kid. Her fingers twitched and trembled as her breathing became labored.

She moves her hand towards her face, touches it, and finds her skin unblemished and fair. Her nose is pointed but small, and her eyes.. her eyes held a different color to the ones she had before her death. They weren't emerald but blue like frost, reminding her of winter. Her hair is long and is sporting a beautiful auburn.

She was Kana Matthews. But the mirror didn't reflect that person. More than that, is she even a person?

One of her fingers poked the black dog ears on her head. Then, she pokes again. And again. And finally holds it between her fingers.

'Fluffy! So fluffy!!' She delighted, her eyes drowned in guilty pleasure. She kept stroking it and petting her own ears when the thing stuck to her butt wagged.

She glances at it and an urge to pet it comes over her. She is about to indulge in that urge when she hears footsteps drawing near.

'Finally,' she thought, 'someone to ask about this place!'

The wide wooden doors opened to reveal three women in what looked like black and white maid outfits. Not just the plain outfits, but clothings that have been embellished with ruffles and a pretty design.

And for a while, Kana wonders to herself if this is all a cosplay. Then, does that mean her ears and tail are also fake?

Without a warning, she quickly pulled her soft tail. But what followed isn't a sham because Kana screamed loud in tender pain as her bottom began to swell.

"Young lady, what are you doing?" One of the maids remarked as she walked closer to carefully pick Kana up and away from the mirror. She had her arms already stretched but before her hands could even reach the tearful child, the maid suddenly propped in the air and landed on the marble floor.

She was kicked from behind.

The other servants dispersed as a figure loomed near Kana and when she brushed the rain from her cloudy eyes, she saw a woman of deep auburn curls stare down at her.

Kana sniffles.

The woman also had dog ears as did the servants.

Then as if she was hit by a thundering quake, Kana's small body was raised in the air until it crashed on the wall. A strong knot formed itself inside her stomach as her body lied helpless on the floor, salt water trailing down her cheeks.

She coughed, and crimson liquid squirted out of her mouth. Kana's face is buried in the carpet while her hands are tangled around her stomach. Her breathing is ragged and weak.

The woman who kicked her dragged her sharp heels on the floor. She leaned, then sat beside the groaning child. Her long fingers gripped a handful of Kana's hair, lifting her face close to her.

"Who gave you the right to disturb me?" The woman's voice is weak but it's enough to send chills across the child's spine. And all of a sudden, it's harder to breathe. A fire seemed to have ignited Kana's throat, her veins constricting. She glares at the woman's brown eyes, then feels long, slender fingers wrap themselves around her small neck.

"You filthy child!"

Kana could feel her consciousness slowly slip away. She had just died and when she woke up to a new life, she was going to die again. How unfortunate. What kind of god did she offend to make her suffer like this?

She couldn't take it anymore, seconds felt like eternity. Any more and the whites on her eyes will possess them. Then, at that moment, the woman loosened her clutch.

Kana dropped to the ground, coughing and heaving. 'This crazy bitch!', she called out internally. She almost died! Again. And she didn't even have the chance to explore her situation.

She looked up at the woman but the person who almost murdered her showed no remorse, her eyes indifferent and cold. Unlike her, Kana's frost marbles were warm with emotion.

The woman didn't like that look.

She raises her hand and runs it across the child's right cheek, creating a crisp sound in the air. She slapped her again, and again, and again, and again that her palm tingled when she stopped.

Kana lied on the floor, limp as a noodle. Her face ashen and defeated. She can't even move a muscle and all she felt was her cheeks burn and her stomach throb.

What just happened?

First, she wakes up to the body of a child. Second, she finds dog ears and a tail attached to her. The next she is being beaten by a grown and crazed woman as other people silently witness her torment.

The woman stood up, "Get out and don't come in here unless I tell you to. Touch this child and I won't hesitate to skin you alive."

Kana watched the servants' feet shake, but all of them scurried off the place after a second. The woman followed behind. She pulls something out of her dress. She closes the door and Kana hears the woman lock it.

'What the hell?' She thought, but no voice came out of her mouth. She groaned, feeling like hell. If this is her new life and she is going to be abused by that woman for the rest of it, then Kana didn't want it.

She had never experienced such whooping. Sure, her mother had hit her once or twice but Kana knew she deserved it. She was the only child and was a black sheep at that. So, how could she complain about being slapped every now and then?

But this time, she didn't do anything to merit that kind of torment. Maybe that woman is just out of her mind. Or maybe Kana isn't supposed to live at all.

She ponders on that for a while, and plans to seek answers to her problem. However, before she can put that into action, her eyes gave up on her as she drifted off to sleep.

Kana's room had a single but large window on it. When she lost consciousness, the skies basked in the sun's glory. Now, the window exhibited an orange and reddish hue outside as the warm breeze caresses her battered face. She is starting to rouse as her ears pick up on the squabble outside the room's door.

"What do you mean you can't open the door?"

"I'm sorry, my lord, but the Duchess has instructed us not to allow anyone entry."

"Does this mean that our sister has been locked up in her room the whole day?! Get out of my way!"

A man kicked the door with such force that its frame cracked. Kana could hear people enter as footsteps shook the ground. She wanted to rise but her eyes weren't participating and her body still felt mangled.

"AMARA!" A man yells, his voice lingering with surprise and worry. Suddenly, she feels her body disconnect from the hard marble as an arm lifts her up.

"Ara, wake up." The man calls again and Kana feels another presence draw near.

A hand touches her neck. "She's been strangled! That woman- Has she lost her mind?!"

"Marta, call the physician at once, and quickly, somebody bring us water!"

"Y-Yes, my lord." A woman answered. Kana could feel people scramble out of the room and the need to open her eyes overcame her.

She forces her eyelids to move up, and slowly, she is granted an exquisite existence. A man holds her close. He had long hair falling behind his ear and face, his eyes are oceans and wet and trembling.

Kana had seen this child- er, her face in the mirror and as she stared at the man, she noticed the striking resemblance. He pulls her to his face and Kana swears she could hear his wild pulse.

The man embraced her, a tight and deeply comforting embrace as if he had no intention of letting her loose. His breathing is scattered and if Kana had eyes at the back of her head, she'll see how the crystal tears made a mess out of his face.

As she's held, she catches a glimpse of another man near them. He looked like the other man but his eyes were of a darker blue, almost mixed in with a tinge of purple. His hair isn't long as the one who held her but is the shade of the night sky. He stares at Kana and reaches for her cheek, touching it gently before nuzzling her hair.

"Sorry we weren't here to protect you, Ara. You must have suffered alone. I'm sorry." The man gritted his teeth hard, pain obvious in his quivering irises. Both of the men had white dog ears and tails.

For some reason, upon hearing his voice and being enveloped in the other man's arms, she is pacified, as if gentle waves of the ocean moved around her ribs.

At this moment, servants poured in with a glass of water. They handed it to the man who held her and he ushered her to drink. But, as much as she wanted to, she had no strength in her to move. Not even to part her lips.

Kana is at her weakest. Even in her past, she had never felt such pain. The man presses the glass of water on her lips, his eyes pleading.

"Please drink, Ara." He says.

'Ara?' She thought. They have been calling her that name.

He looked desperate.

Her lips began to dislodge and she was able to drink some water, but every time she swallowed was a challenge. Her throat still felt like it's a crumpled piece of paper.

The other man spoke, "Where's that damn leech?!"

Kana is placed on her bed from whence she roused earlier. The man who held her sat behind her and as the room was showered with bright lights, she could see his features better.

His blonde straight hair is so light it almost looks white. His thin nose and high cheekbones provide his face splendor. His ivory skin seemed to put the unsullied clouds to shame. He is more attractive than any man she'd seen before.

Her eyes fell to his clothes. She had only watched certain period dramas sporting those clothes but never in real life. The man actually wore fit tailored clothing, intricately embellished with designs that looked too lavish. In fact, both the men are luxuriously dressed. She looked around the room, and found that it had the same taste.

The wide open doors of the room were suddenly crossed by a man in robes. But as soon as he stepped close, a figure blocked her sight. He pulls the robed man's clothes and towers over him, clenching hard, "How dare you make us wait? When I call for you, run like your life depends on it. Do you understand?!"

"Atlas!" The long haired man calls, "Let him go."

Atlas did what he was told and pushed the cowering man to the bed. When Kana glanced at him, his eyes weren't the ones she had just seen. No, they weren't gentle. They are blazing with arrogance, anger, and something dark.

"Forgive me, my lord." The robed man squeaks.

The blonde man holds Kana's hand and nods his head to the doctor, "Please."

After a while of trembling, the doctor examined Kana's neck, her face and hands while the others watched carefully. He then pulls something out of a box he had carried. It was a small bottle of green and when he opened it, its pungent smell flitted in the air. He rubbed some of the salve on Kana's bruised neck and wrapped a white cloth around it.

He said, "Can you speak, my lady?"

Kana considered his request and wondered what words she should release that are appropriate for the moment. Of course, her mind isn't that of a child but her body definitely is and if she ran her mouth about that, the consequences she can receive might endanger her.

Then, she remembered what the man called the other. She parts her lips a bit and mouths 'Atlas'. But no sound came out.

The robed man thought for a while, "Her throat may have been injured. It would be best for our young lady not to participate in activities that will strain her neck until she recovers." He pulls out another bottle and raises it, "She will have to drink one spoonful of this medicine everyday to heal. It will be hard for her to swallow for some time so I also suggest the food you prepare for her to be soft and easy to chew."

"How long before she heals?" The blonde man asks, concern written all over his face while his eyes cowers in helplessness.

"After a few days, our young lady will be able to swallow better. As long as no force is exerted on her neck, she will heal faster. You will need to apply this salve on her neck once in the morning and another at night, change the bandage as well, and clean it with warm water."

The robed man seemed to have missed something.

Kana pulls the blonde man's hand to her stomach and reveals her maimed skin. The men gasped in horror and all their eyes widened at the sight.