Save Me, My Alpha, My Mate

The global werewolf (Lycanthropes) population is making a comeback after a long period of decline. It's estimated there are approximately 5,000 remaining in America alone; some living in packs; and others have gone rogue, preferring to live apart from the pack. In the 1690s, the Lycans fought to survive their eradication during the Salem Witch Hunt. Bombarded with propaganda; the people came to fear those who could transform into the beast; to believe they were cursed by a dangerous cult of witches and warlocks. This fear grew into mass hysteria.

To protect their families from their perceived enemy, the people organized into mobs, hunting down the Lycans, Werewolves, and anyone else they believed to bear the curse of the witch. They burned them; alive at the stake; their screams of terror traveling the wind for miles.

This time of great fear and the slaughter of the weird and different, forever devastated the families of those who survived. In the end, just over one hundred werewolves remained. The elder wolves vowed to never again allow such devastation to bring harm to their families. They made a great promise to replenish the numbers of their population by turning fresh blood.

The transformation of a human into a Lycan is not always successful. Some reject their new bodies and die before reaching their first full moon. Nobody knows the reason behind the rejections; they happen at random. In some cases, a person may lose their mind during their transformation. They call these beasts "Vargulf". They're ugly and stand on two legs. They are nightmarish with half-furred bodies and disfigured faces. These monsters are highly aggressive and mentally unstable; often leading to them killing their prey without eating it and attacking other wolves. The local pack is responsible for killing it before it becomes a threat.

Those who do not die or turn into Vargulfs; successfully transform into a Lykos. These are the perfect wolf-like form, that can grow to a size four times larger than a normal wolf during their first full moon. It is unclear if Vargulf's are considered a different form of Lykos or if they can communicate with theirs like normal Lycanthrope. Unlike a traditional werewolf who can only transform unwillingly under the full moon, the Lycan has complete control over their transformation at any given time.

When a female Lycan gives birth, most of her pups will be boys. The adult males discovered that finding a mate with other wolves is difficult. There are just not enough females to go around and many of the males detect a match in a human. Each male Lycan is destined to have at least one mate; a soulmate who was deemed worthy for them by the Gods of War. The same is said for the female Lycans except, it is the Triple Moon Goddesses who choose the male deemed worthy. As the term applies, these mates are bonded by soul and fate will always bring them together. If a bite or scratch has not occurred, a male or female can detect their mate in a human. Although a human might have a mate waiting for them when they receive their Lykos; this does not mean the change will be successful. Wolves mate for life and it can be disastrous for them to lose their mate. They rarely find another.

There is a deep-seated belief among humans that werewolves exist, but they hold no solid proof. Apart from the witches themselves, the humans had long forgotten about the Salem Witch Trials and the terror that came with it. Since then, Lycans have remained undetected among humans to protect their species from another attack. One miscalculation is all it takes for the Lycanthrope to be slaughtered once more.

Grasping for air with every step, I feel the stabbing pain of my lower abdomen, and the throbbing in my legs; begging me to stop sprinting through the thick foliage of this mucky forest. I begin to lose momentum. The brandy begins to slow as the whiskey takes the lead. She's bleeding, I notice as she passes. The thorns have slashed fine threads of red from the bottom of her heels to the top of her legs and put holes into the threads of her green hipster panties.

Turning my head for a quick glance behind me, my stomach jumps into my throat; terrified of what I'll see. "it's gone!" I mutter in a scratchy voice. All I can see is the tall rows of trees and the winding river to the left fading in the distance. Here's my chance!

"Hold on...Stop!", I yell as I reach my hand out to grab the cold pale shoulder of my fire freckled doppelganger. We slow to a stop and take a seat near a boulder on the rocky ledge of the river. I take a deep inhale of the cold evening air. A slight sense of euphoria almost masks the panic radiating in my body as I listen for the soothing sounds of the roaring waters below us.

Suddenly, in the distance, I hear the loud cracking of small trees and the snarls of the monster that follows.

"Do you trust me!?", I shouted.

"With my life!" she cries back; Tears pouring from her eyes.

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We had only intended on taking a brief dip in the small lake, where the river flowed into, before returning home from our adventure. We veered off from our usual hunting trails, coming down Blue Ridge Mountain, and entered a small valley hidden in the forest. That's where we found the lake. It was so beautiful; we just couldn't resist. The sun was peering just over the mountains, lighting up the wild primulas and rhododendrons. There was a small shack with a broken water wheel and a deck at the edge of the pond. The moss growing on the roof suggested it was built ages ago. The deck was old but sturdy. We took off our gear, stripped down to our underwear, and jumped right in. Splashing and spitting and dunking each other in the water like old times made us feel young again and brought a smile across her face that I hadn't seen in years.

Both of us were startled when we saw the crimson eyes peering through the vegetation, at the edge of the forest, on the other side of the lake.

"What is that?", she had gasped in horror; with her fingers curled to her mouth, and her other hand pointing to the beast before us.

"A wolf?" I wondered.

Suddenly, the beast began to growl, with deep vibrations, which rattled the water around us. its body raised to a standing position, on two feet, like that of a human; and the grey hairs of its fur coat raised up from its skin. Without delay, I firmly grabbed her by the arm and yanked her out of the water.

"Run. Now!" I exclaimed, and we sprinted off, completely oblivious to our surroundings.

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"Do you trust me!?", I shouted.

"With my life!" she cries back; tears pouring from her eyes.

Without hesitation, I shoved my best friend into the river and darted back into the forest; not waiting for the sound of her startled screams or to see if she would emerge from the waters; hoping it would conceal her scent from the monster that preyed upon us. I continued my escape, running as fast as I could. My scheme had worked as well as I had intended, even though I had no way of verifying if it had already devoured her. I could only believe it would come for me.

The stabbing pain in my abdomen returned as I realized how short our rest was. I was losing momentum. I could hear the deep vibrations of its growl and snarling drawing closer. This thing was huge and fast. I'm a good runner but I wasn't trained to outrun such a predator who seemed stronger and faster than I am. The panic I felt increased as I began to realize I might die. Turning my head, once again, to glance behind me; I scream in utter terror to the top of my lungs as my eyes lock with the crimson eyes of the beast only thirty feet behind me.

"No, no; please no!" I shouted.

I turn my head back around just in time to notice the roots of a tree sticking out of the earth just below my next step and a shallow cliff just past it. Too late! The force of my step cracks the root clean; I lose my balance and trip forward headfirst down the cliff. Quickly, I tuck in my head and lean into a front flip, slamming my back into the cold wet earth, as my body drags a wide streak of mud behind me. There's another ledge below. The force of my body propels me right off the edge feet first and I try to catch my balance as I feel the tip of my toes dig into the thick layer of mud below me. My feet slipped from right underneath me. The air within my lungs escapes me as my belly slams into the mud. The prickly bark of the tree dug into my forehead causing me to briefly blackout from the blunt force trauma.

My vision mostly returns but I am dazed and confused. I jump up to my feet and quickly break a low-hanging branch off the tree that broke my fall. There is mud in my eyes; I can barely see.

"Well, this is it", I thought to myself, in utter hopelessness.

My stubborn instincts won't let me give up. "Come On!!!" I scream to the top of my lungs, in utter terror of what comes next as I point the tip of the broken edge of my new spear towards the unknown. I turn in circles not knowing which direction the beast will come from. "Come on!!!" I scream again.

I don't see it, still turning in circles trying to scan my new surroundings; my senses heightened. The sound of its footsteps along with its growls and snarls were gone. I must have drifted from the river; I could no longer hear the roaring waters. All I could smell was the thick, humid, musky, cold air, with a hint of pine and rotting oak tree. Thankfully the mud covering my half-naked body numbed most of the scratches and bruises I acquired in my escape. The pain in my abdomen decreased.

The throbbing in my head was intense and I noticed a slow drip of liquid falling down my right cheek. I wiped it away with my hand and looked down to notice the crimson, red blood from the wound on my forehead. Once again, my stomach jumped into my throat as I remembered the color of the beast's eyes. Suddenly, I heard the rustling of leaves and the crackle of a twig from the top of the ledge up above and looked up to see those very eyes peering down at me. Stricken with fear, my body froze. The Monster greeted me; its mouth slowly opened, exposing its long sharp teeth; revealing to me a wicked, homicidal grin on its face. Instantly, it pounced off its hind legs and leaped down just a few feet in front of me; gracefully placing its front paws first to break its fall and pulling its hind legs behind it. The beast began to growl, slowly turning its head toward me as it increased the pitch of its growl. As it turned, I could tell it was going to strike!

Rapidly, it threw its right paw directly toward my face. I quickly ducked my head and began scrambling my legs and feet into the mud to get away; as the beast struck the tree behind me, gashing an imprint of its claws into the bark. I steadied my balance and took off running as fast as I could. I glanced back to notice the beast peering motionless, in the distance. It didn't last long.

Desperately trying to evade the beast that hunted me through the woods, I kept tripping over more dead branches on the ground. The gap between the hunter and myself was insufficient. It was close enough for the snarling and sounds of its claws digging into the earth to be heard. I started to hear the trickling sounds of the river; reminding me that though I was alone, at least my partner in crime wasn't the one being chased.

I caught a glimpse of a rope bridge ahead, sparking an ounce of hope. I must be heading straight for the river, I thought to myself.

The bridge was short, only about 20 or 30 feet. The water was only a few feet below it but not moving fast. The rickety, man-made creation appeared old but sturdy. I could jump in and swim down the river or continue down the bridge and maybe get ahead of the beast. Not having enough time to weigh the options, I decided to cross the river. I darted along the bouncing boards held by rope as fast as I could. My naked feet were inflamed, swollen, and bleeding. I cringed with each step as they connected with the wood, skimming across the top and grabbing splinters on the way. As I reached the end, I peeked back to see the beast peering at me halfway down the bridge, slowing to a stop with that stupid evil grin on its face. Without hesitation, I continued my flee.

Whatever was stalking me was playing mind games with me. It could have easily taken me by now. Each time it was in reaching distance to me, it gave me the advantage.

"Why is it taking its time capturing me?", I wondered.

Was it trying to deplete my energy? Or play with its food like an African Lion? Each time I traveled a certain length, it would resume its hunt for me again. I wouldn't let my curiosity slow me down.

My feet; my abdomen; my forehead; if the pain continued to increase, it would catch me. I needed to locate a safe haven as soon as possible...

I came across an oak tree with a branch that was low enough for me to climb. Without thinking, I hopped onto the limb, landing on my belly. The burn from the bark scraped my skin causing me to wince; I bit my tongue to prevent myself from yelling. Uneven tree husks tugged on the top of my underwear as I rushed to pull myself up any branch strong enough to support my weight. I continued climbing almost to the top of the tree, where any branch higher would surely break. Content with the last branch, I sat down and curled my legs into the fetal position; hiding behind the trunk of the tree as I attempted to lower my chances of getting noticed. It was becoming difficult to breathe; I was panting heavily from my exhaustion. Working to control my breathing, I gazed down at the ground, searching for the beast.

I could hear it walking up, panting and growling, from down below. It was coming from a different direction than where I approached the tree.

"Was it trying to flank me?", I wondered.

It didn't seem to know where I was. I permitted a triumphant grin to cross my face and I exhaled a quiet chuckle. I shook my head, feeling very pleased with myself for finding this tree and evading the beast. That was until the monster's body came into view. My slight moment of happiness, faded. Before now I had been too scared to get a good look at this creature; now walking upright on two giant paws with sharp claws. Long, ragged-gray fur cloaked most of its body in mats.

It had to be larger than my pickup truck back at home.

Sniffing the air with its massive head, I noticed a small notch taken out of its ear as if it had once been tagged by a hunter. It began wagging its long bushy tail like a playful dog while circling the tree, trying to figure out where my scent trail led. Thankfully, not bothering to glance up at me.

At this point, I remembered the pine masking scent spray which was left with my gear by the lake. It would have come in handy at this very moment. It worked well with deer and coyotes. My nerves were starting to calm down as notions of this being a dumb animal crossed my mind. Predators that were easily deceived didn't survive long during hunting season.

I almost gasped as the monster jerked its head toward the mossy ground, from the path I had jumped onto the tree. "Shit", I thought. It's onto me. Its long sharp claw-like hands extended and dragged through the moss, scooping up a handful of dirt from underneath. It brought the dirt up to its muzzle, closed its eyes, and took a long deep sniff. Instantly, its eyes opened, and it let out a ferocious snarl. The beast turned its head and set its sights on the rooted area of the tree as it proceeded to trace a path to the first limb I had climbed upon. I could feel my face turn pale blue, as the terror spread throughout my body.

"Shit!", I thought to myself; "it's following my blood trail".

The beast started working away, scanning up each branch of the tree. One by one until locking its crimson eyes with mine; greeting me, once again. It displayed those massive, razor-sharp, fangs; with that same wicked, homicidal grin as it had done earlier. The beast's arms moved to its side, exposing long fat breasts dangling from its chest. It seems our monster is a "She".

She took her time for a moment, just staring at me; still wagging her annoying tail. My blood began to boil. I glanced up at the sky noticing the sun was going down. It was just peering over the horizon. This stupid animal, whatever the hell it was, had been chasing me for hours. My whole body was throbbing with pain. It would take weeks for me to heal from all these cuts and bruises. I was furious! I threw my hand toward her and flicked her off!

"Look at you! You, dumb bitch!" I mocked. "What's the matter!? Don't know how to climb!?".

She didn't like that. Her nose crinkled, and she let out a snarl. Her tail came to a halt as she extended her claws out, slamming her paws onto the trunk, locking them into the bark. Her glare never left, attempting to intimidate me; the intimidation worked, fear was growing in my chest again. A sharp vibration shot up the tree as she sprang up to the second branch, with ease; the one I had struggled to reach. She let out another deep growl as she lowered her body and took one more massive leap, landing gracefully onto the branch just below me. Her balance was like nothing I had ever seen. Far superior to any type of cat.

Once again, I was paralyzed with fear. She raised her arm up toward my branch as I scolded myself for being such an idiot. "Why did you mock her?" I thought; "Why do you always have to be such a smartass!?"

She pointed her index claw and pierced it into the back of my left heel, quickly slashing open a fresh wound to the tip of my pinky toe. The blood started gushing out from my already inflamed foot. Still paralyzed with fear, I was unable to scream. A sick feeling rushed up to my chest. It felt like I was choking on my heart.

She grinned as she saw the blood dripping down the edge of the branch. Stretching her mouth wide open, she moved closer to invite the drips to strike her tongue. She licked her lips a few times, letting out small grunts as she was clearly enjoying my flavor. My eyes began to water, and a tear rolled down my cheek as I came to the realization that I was going to be eaten alive.

Suddenly, she wrapped the human-like fingers of her paw around my ankle and yanked me from the branch, hurling me toward the ground. My back struck a branch below me as I fell. I quickly slide off and slam directly on my side breaking through several limbs below that. The sound of my ribs snapping was louder than the sound of crackling wood during a bonfire. I slammed into the earth below, desperately gasping for air after the wind had been knocked from me. As I try to inhale the lack of oxygen available to me. searing pain burned my ribs and lungs the more I attempted to breathe.

Without hesitation, she landed effortlessly alongside me. Still licking the fur around her lips to clean my blood from her muzzle. Her eyes darkened, and she looked into my eyes with desire. She removed her gaze from mine and turned her attention to scanning my body. I watched in horror as she dropped down to her knees next to me, placing her claws on my chest. The monster slowly moved one leg over me, to the other side of my body, and positioned herself in a dominant stance above me.

Leaning her muzzle in close to the side of my face, she exhibited her teeth and began to exhale a slow steady growl. The shock of her wretched breath wafting up my nose, almost caused me to gag. She pulls away, lifting her right arm, once again extending her index claw, and places it onto my chest. This time, she doesn't scratch me. She gently slides her claw from the middle of my chest, down my stomach, past my belly button, and then grasps ahold of my boxers. Scooting off me and to my side, she roughly lifts the top elastic part of my underwear with her thumbed claw and peeked at my junk. My boxers stretch to a point where the helm snaps from her claw back to my skin, and she lets out a quiet, high-pitched, whimper. Her moan was sensual, confusing me. When did wolves, even giant ones like this, feel sexual pleasure? Goosebumps pierced my skin at the atrocity.

My brain is no longer able to comprehend what is happening. Perhaps, I had a concussion. I try to knee her in the ribs, but she grabs my leg and yanks it back down. This infuriates her. The color of her irises changes from black to crimson instantly. She quickly moves her jaws to my side and chomps down her razor-sharp teeth into my belly with a ferocious roar vibrating from her throat. The unbearable, intense pain courses through my body, and my panic soars as my darkest thoughts manifest into reality. I am certain now. I am going to die. That was my final thought as my consciousness faded into nothing.

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Suddenly, I awaken to the instinctual reaction of slapping myself in the face. Apparently, a mosquito was hungry. The sky was black, but a sliver of light from the half-baked moon illuminated the surrounding forest. I rolled over onto my stomach and positioned myself to run a marathon, the instant they fired a pistol. I held still, listening to my surroundings. Except for crickets and an unpleasant insect buzzing near my ear, the night was peaceful. This left me feeling unnerved, so I stood up straight.

I swatted at the insect flying around my face. My recollections of how I got myself in this situation surged back to me. I examined my body for fractured bones and the bite, but nothing was there. There was no trace of the gash on my foot or the inflammation, not even dried blood! No scratches or bruises. Was it all a nightmare?

I retraced my steps back to the pond, confident in my imagination playing with me. It's possible I inhaled some mushroom spores and had a severe hallucination. Given that I seldom recall my dreams in the first place, much less pass out, it's the only plausible explanation for what happened.

When I got to the pond, I discovered there was only my set of clothes and gear laying on the deck and nothing else. I rejoiced. My other half was most likely safe and sound at home by now.

As I tugged my clothes back on, I retrieved my phone from my pocket and checked the time. It's 12:32 a.m. The thought of going to school tomorrow makes me groan. I type in the password to unlock the phone and noticed I had numerous missed calls and texts.

"Are you okay!? What the hell was that? Text me ASAP!"

"Hello? Where are you?"

"Please don't be dead!"

"You're scaring me! Please respond!"

Well crap, maybe it wasn't fake.

"I'm okay, let's talk more after I get home." I typed in and hit send.

Lilith's POV

"Lilith! "What the hell happened to my breakfast?" My uncle ranted

from downstairs.

I groggily get out of bed as I hear him stomping up the stairs. As I rush to the door to check that it is locked, I trip over my bag and crash into the door with my side. I clench my teeth as I check the lock and sigh. It hasn't been unlocked since I went to sleep.

Heavy footsteps come to a halt at my door, followed by a constant bashing of fists against it.

"You little shit! You don't lock the doors in my fucking home! You'd better get your ass downstairs and start cooking before I tear your door down!" He's shrieking now, which sends shivers up my spine.

"Uncle Tim, I'm getting ready for school and will be down in a jiffy," I respond.

My ears perk up at the sound of him stomping back down the staircase. With a sigh of relief, I drop to the floor and rub my side.

"That's going to leave a bruising..." I murmured to myself.

I get up and go over to my filthy dresser, where I grab a blue fitted t-shirt and black sweatpants. However, if I had more fashionable attire to wear, I'd be more confident in my appearance. Tim bought all my clothing at a secondhand shop. He told me it was a waste of money to purchase me anything new since I was a hand-me-down child.

My uncle, who was never able to have children of his own, grew up to be a grumpy old guy who shouted at neighborhood kids who let their ball drift in the yard. On his best days, he primarily rants and curses at me. On his worse days, he's been known to physically attack me.

I make my way downstairs to the new kitchen and begin making Jimmy Dean Sausage and Cheesy Scrambled Eggs for him. In terms of cooking time, what's better than pre-cooked meats and eggs? No other option will be available to him other than to consume the food I prepare. My memory is hazy, but I don't recall ever seeing him prepare a meal on his own that didn't entail the use of a microwave.

I can hear incomprehensible mumblings coming from the living room. When I looked at the stove to see what time it was, I realized my bus was just 10 minutes away. Thanks to Tim cranking up the volume, I can hear the newscaster describing a missing girl in a town not far away. As I rotate the sausages, the meteorologist switches over. He mentions we will have a sunny day here in Georgia and to expect a 70% chance of rain in the evening. I grin as I recollect the chilling wind that we would have right now if we were

still in Michigan.

My deepest want is for frigid days to occur more often, even though I know I will never be that fortunate. My uncle's inability to use his knees was preserved by a miracle: cold weather. He couldn't get close to me because he couldn't use his knees to support himself. When I think about how he pays for our housing and food, I'm afraid to ask. It's not as if he's able to work without being restricted by his disability.

I hear a bus honk as I put his meal on a plate and put it on the table with a glass of orange juice. My school bus is patiently waiting for me as I peer out the window. I grab my book bag, put on my tennis shoes, and dash out the door without telling Tim about his prepared food. Hopefully, that doesn't leave him in a foul mood for me to come home to.

On the bus journey to Oceanside High School, there was a lot of silence. There were two people on the bus when I got on it, and it had five more passengers to go until it arrived at school. My eyes were drawn to the beauty of the school and its surroundings as we approached it. It was almost as if it was a school that specialized in the study of foliage. The massive Red Wood trees that flanked the school and stretched into the distance, cast a natural shadow over it.

Hopping off the bus, I couldn't help but miss my best friend back home. I had no way of communicating with her and it was eating me alive. Her school year starts about two weeks after mine. I knew she would cheer me on from the sidelines if she was here.

Pushing past the gaudy school entrance, the scent of breakfast hit me. Cafeteria breakfast always carried that memorable, attractiveness when it hit your nostrils. As I enjoyed the aroma, I passed through a few cliques hanging around the faded and beaten, green lockers. The outside of the school did not help with the worn-down insides it contained. The dull, yellow walls had flyers taped to them wherever a student could reach and the once white tiles were now gray with permanent scuff marks. Disgust crossed my expression when I accidentally stepped in old, sticky-pink gum. Attempting to scrape it off as I walked, a few students passed by and judged me with their eyes as they snickered.

I searched for my locker among the bustle of kids mingling around the school. G52, where are you? I bump into someone as though I'm in the midst of a scavenger hunt, gazing at a paper map and glancing up to see where I'm heading. All I could think about was: Ugh, please don't be a mean girl... I don't need anything else to occupy my time.

Looking up from my paper, I see a girl around my height with short, wavy brown hair. Almost the hue of milk chocolate. Seeing her, I couldn't help but be charmed by her beauty. Shock spread over her face as she stared at me with her green eyes, which were neither light nor dark. She seemed to have been sculpted to perfection with freckles covering her face. In every way, she exemplifies the concept of beauty.

"Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi," she exclaims with a grin as she realizes she's being stared at. 'I'm Susi," she says, her voice full of laughter. "Who are you?"

She lowers her head slightly, looking up at me from a side angle. With her hands behind her back, she takes a deep breath. I lift the side of my lips in a "caught red-handed" smile. "That obvious, huh? My name is Lilith, but feel free to call me Lili with an 'I'. Could you point me toward the G section?"

In the past, I've never been afraid to meet someone new. From my straight- forward question, she becomes excited. Her excitement shone through her resolve, happy that I put my trust in her for assistance.

"Sure thing! Let's go together!" In an exuberant yell, she grabs my hand and takes off towards the hallway I'd missed. She turns around as we come across the lockers. "What is the number of your locker?"

"It's G52."

Her grin was so bright it was almost blinding.

"Oh, this is going to be so fun! My locker number is G51. Go ahead and get situated. I'll wait here for you." She promised

Swaying and rocking back and forth on her heels, she waits patiently. Her personality appeals to me. She exudes a sense of joy and vitality. Our future friendship will blossom into something special in no time at all. It's my first day of school, and I'm already looking forward to it. Closing my locker, I confirm all my essentials for the first period.

According to my schedule, English is the first class of the day. Over my shoulder, Susi leans forward and exhales forcefully.

"We have the same courses!" She remarked, now beaming with happiness. This girl is undeniably attractive."Are you all set?" She asks.

I nod, double-checking everything I didn't stow in the locker. Making a new friend and having such a wonderful experience doing so, has shifted my expectations for the remainder of the day into overdrive.