The Alpha's Return

Arabella's POV

"DOWN IT, DOWN IT!" Giving Susie and Sara what they wanted I bought the beer pitcher to my lips and downed the entire drink. The earthy yet lemony zing felt refreshing for a second before the fizzy bitter aftertaste kicked in.

Slamming the empty jug onto the bar the girls cheered. It was my twenty-first birthday, and we were going to celebrate in style. The room may be spinning by the time we were finished but isn't that what makes a good night. At least for a wolf it is, because for us, it's incredibly hard to get absolutely shit faced!

"I don't know about you girls but I'm in dire need of the little girls room."

"Good shout Su! I just hope there isn't a que!"

"It's a Friday night, of course there's going to be a que!" I couldn't help but chuckle as I listened to Susie and Sara. They always found the strangest things to turn into a conversation, but I wouldn't be without them.

"Hey isn't that the guy that tried to hit you up earlier?" Standing from the bar I turned to look in the direction Sara pointed in and growled.

Susie had been crushing on him for the last few months but had never worked up the courage to ask his name. Until tonight. After a few drinks she walked straight up to him a plastered the biggest kiss on his lips, all before introducing herself. Though he already knew her name. Turned out he had his eye on her too, or so she thought until this moment.

"How could he move on so quick?" Hearing the hurt in her voice had me wanting to rip the guy's head from his shoulders but I knew it wasn't worth outing what we are.

"That's humans for you. If they can't get you bent over within five minutes they move on." I glared at Sara who instantly went quiet. She may be right, but Susie was upset enough as it was and right now brutal honesty wasn't what she needed.

These girls were the first people I met when I arrived in town. I was even more stunned to find out they were also my college roommates. We were from two different worlds yet got on like a house on fire. Though I think the main reason we get on so well is that their also wolves.

My father is an Alpha to a relatively small pack while my besties are rogues. If we followed every other packs example I would have hated them the moment I saw them. Had my father been any other Alpha I probably would have, but unlike other pack leaders he taught me that every wolf is alike and should never be judged by their title. That includes rogues. My parents believe that some cut ties with their packs because they just simply prefer the quiet life, that they're not all bad news. Although that being said these girls have certainly gotten me into trouble more often than not.

As we approached the toilets a large warm hand wrapped around my wrist pulling me away from the girls. My back was quick to hit the wall as his lips smashed into mine the minty taste of his tongue roaming every inch it could. Dave was my latest fling. He was tall and blonde and fuck me was he good with his hands. Traditionally a she wolf would wait for their mate, but hey, as I've proved time and time again, I'm anything but traditional.

I sighed as his lips left mine before they trailed down my neck hitting that ever so sweet spot. His hands fondling my breasts over my top my nipples hardening making me wish I'd worn a bra. Had we been anywhere but here I would have ridden the fuck out of him, but alas we were in the view of several others. And I hear having sex in the club was slightly frowned upon.

"Hck hum!" Opening my eyes, I found Susie standing there with her hands on her hips. "Here I thought we were going to the loo only instead we turn around to find you making out with the nearest tramp you can find." I cant help that smile that plays on my lips at her words.

"Yes, yes we are." I chuckled in response to her raised eyebrows as she took in my flushed cheeks. He may be just a fling but what can I say, he's a damn good kisser.

"Looks like it. Hello Dave."

"Susie, pleasure as always." Pushing myself off the wall I walked round Dave interlocking my arm with Susie's. "I'll see you later for your birthday treat?" Nodding my head, we turned and walked into the bathroom.

"Didn't realise that douche would be here."

"Susie play nice. It's the only decent club in this town, where else is he going to go?"

"Well..."

"You know what, don't answer that. I know you don't like him, but I do. At the moment that is."

"Hey, it's not that I don't like him, it's just that he is a bigger slut then you."

"Oi!" My voice went high pitched at her words. It may be a true statement, but it wasn't something to say out loud.

"It's true, but I still love you." Pecking her cheek, I went into an empty cubicle.

"Ah there you are! Where the hell did you go?" Sara's voice was so loud it bounced off the tiles causing every other woman to look at her.

"Rescued Bella from dickwad!" I chuckled as I shook my head kicking the door of my cubicle in retort. I didn't need to see Susie to know she was pulling some kind of face.

These girls that had become like my sisters over the last couple of years, had constantly tried to steer me away from Dave. I liked him sure, but if I was being totally honest with myself, part of the reason I stayed with him was because it was funny to see the girls so rallied up. Though I knew if ever push came to shove they would always have my back just like I would theirs.

Both Susie and Sara wanted me to wait for my mate. A mate I should have found when I turned eighteen. However, I had little to no interest in finding him. I love my parents don't get me wrong, but unlike them I want to fall in love because of how that person makes me feel. Not because of some stupid bond that plays havoc on my heart strings forcing me to love someone. Thanks, but no thanks.

"Right so what now? More shots?" Susie was definitely a lush.

As Sara squealed in agreement my phone vibrated in my pocket. Taking it out I realised it had gone onto silent and that there were seven missed calls from home. I had spoken to my parents this morning so I knew they wouldn't be calling unless something had happened. Let's face it nobody else there would bother. I hadn't exactly left on good terms because of my decision to leave. Everyone looked down on me the day I left. It wasn't normal for the next in line to up and leave, not unless they had found their mate in another pack. Something I thanked my lucky stars hadn't happened.

As I called home to see what was up, my heart stopped beating in my chest. My surroundings became blurry as my hearing disappeared. I hadn't even realised I had dropped to the floor my phone beside me until Susie slapped me. I could see her mouth moving, the worry in her eyes but I couldn't hear a single thing. Not even the bass of the music that surrounded me. I felt as though my whole world had ended in the blink of an eye. Pushing my friends away I stood up and made a beeline for the door. As I weaved my way through the crowd of jumpers and dancers someone pinched my ass causing me to stop in my tracks. Normally I would have flirted, teased them maybe, but not this time. Turning to face the guy whose smile looked too big for his face I scrunched my hand into a fist and hit him in the nose. I could feel the sickening crack so I knew I'd broken it. Maybe it could have been avoided but he had chosen the wrong time to touch me.

Arabella's POV

As people began to notice the shouts of the guys whose nose I had broken, I turned pushing through the crowd as I made my way to the exit. The loud music and vibration of the bass were adding to my already forming headache. The phone call I never in a million years thought I'd get had shaken me and now I felt numb and nauseous.

Walking past the taxis that queued down the road, I sat on a bench holding my head in my hands. My parents had asked me to come home for my birthday, my twenty-first was one traditionally celebrated in your pack. Now my head was full of all these what ifs and if only's. Would my presence have made any difference, would I have been killed as well. I shouldn't be thinking those things I know, but how could I not.

Death was a part of life. Everyone would fall victim to it at some point yes, but not him. Not yet. In my eyes he was invincible, the hero in the fairy-tale story. The hero in my story. He was my dad. The man that was always there for me whether it be a shoulder to cry on, someone to keep me in line or someone to keep me safe. Something he had done my entire life. We were more like best friends while I was growing up, not just a father and daughter. He was the man I had always looked up to. He was my King, and I was his Princess. Only now he was gone.

"Bella what the hell. You broke that guy's nose!" Susie went to say more until she saw the tears falling silently from my eyes as I looked up at her. Instead, she fell to her knees throwing her arms around me holding on for dear life.

"He's gone! He's really gone!" I thought I was strong but the moment she embraced me my dam burst and I couldn't hold it back anymore. A sob tore though me, a pain that threatened to overwhelm me.

"Who's gone Bels?" My breathing was heavy and uneven as I tried to put myself together enough to answer Sara as she arrived and sat beside me.

"My dad... he's... he's gone. They came and... they killed him."

"Oh, my goddess Bella I'm so sorry." Her arms grew tighter around my neck and right now I couldn't have been more grateful. Without them holding on to me I'm sure I'd have collapsed and with the pain I felt in my heart I doubt I'd have been able to get myself back up.

Susie and Sara had become my everything whilst I've been here and in this moment, I was glad they were here. Finding the strength, I got up from my seat knowing what I needed to do. My father didn't raise me to be weak, he raised me to be a fighter. 'Strong warriors do not cry Arabella. They get even.' His words ringing in my ears as a painful reminder of what now needed to happen. A part of me wondered if he knew this day would come, if this is what he secretly trained me for. One thing I was sure of was that I needed to go home, back to the Spring Lake Pack.

Tonight was a full moon, which meant if I shifted I would be home in under three hours of solid running. My wolf Willow would have burned every muscle in her body to get me there, but Susie wouldn't shift. It wasn't that she couldn't, it's just that she didn't like too. She had never told either of us why, and I would never force her too. In my eyes she would tell us when she was ready. So instead, we were going to drive, which also meant we could take some things with us. Packing was certainly the last thing on my mind, but I didn't know if or when I'd return.

"You girls ready?" Sara stood in the doorway her bag on her back as she did her jacket up.

"Yes and no. You girls really don't have to come." And I meant it. I wouldn't blame either of them for wanting to stay here.

"Will you shut up Bels. We are family and we will not let you do this alone."

"Susie's right Bella. We may not be blood, but we are family and families stick together." Wrapping my arms around the girls my tears again fell. I had always wanted sisters growing up an only child, and now I finally had some.

"What did I do to deserve you two. Thank you."

Grabbing my bag, I took one last look at the place I had called home for the last few years before heading out of the door. What was it the humans say? When one door closes another opens, or something like that. Once in the car we wasted no time in hitting the road. It would take us four hours to get there but it was something I needed to do.

As we hit the highway the weather changed from calm to stormy. It was as if it knew how I felt mirroring my emotions perfectly in every way. My hands gripped the steering wheel as the wind blew harder and harder attempting to push the car from the road but to no avail. No matter how bad the weather would get it would not stop me from reaching my destination. Glancing out of the tinted windows at the bright road it hits me how much life is just like one long choreographed dance. One that even without one of the brightest souls it still goes on, never skipping a beat.

Susie fiddles with the radio beside me trying to find some song that could lift the heaviness that surrounds us. Could a song like that even exist? As the lights of passing cars flew by, I couldn't stop my mind wondering to that of my mum. She and my father had been together since they were children. He was all she ever knew, and she relied on him for everything. No amount of music nor change in scenery would help with the pain I knew she felt.

A part of me felt guilty as I wondered if my mum would even want to see me. I knew she loved me with all her heart and always would, but I was the spitting image of my dad. How would she be able to heal while looking at me if all she saw was him?

Pushing that thought from my mind I silently cursed as the fuel low light began to ding. With everything that had happened tonight I had completely forgotten my tank was almost on red. I had planned on filling up in the morning.

"Not going to lie but I really need a wee!" I couldn't help but chuckle lowly as I shook my head.

"I did say to go before we left. There isn't anywhere for me to stop Susie."

"You need to stop for fuel anyway. I'll go when we stop. Though out of curiosity and not the throbbing of pain in my stomach how long will that be?"

The second my lips parted to respond a loud pop sounded from outside sending the car to spiral out of control. The three of us screamed as the car spun off the road tumbling down the embankment. The car landed on its roof, the glass shattering everywhere.

Leo's POV

After getting the call from my father to come home I knew something wasn't right. Never before had he demanded me while in the middle of a meeting. He had sent me to this human infested town to meet with a new housing developer for plans on extending our land. One thing that ruined any plans I had that involved actual fun. He had spent years battering into me how important it was to keep our true nature secret, something that became more important when my sister ran away. That action alone confused me. The old git was losing his fucking marbles and it was now more than ever I'd wish he would just step down and allow me to finally take over.

Once out of the building I called him back. On the phone he said something had happened, that our secret was out, and it was more important than ever to lay low within the confides of our territory as nobody knew where we were situated. I had asked him multiple times what had happened, but he refused to go further into it. As he hung up the phone, I growled throwing it into the footwell of the passenger seat. He expected me to take over at the end of the year yet refused to trust me with sensitive information. I had fought by his side when both hunters or wolves attacked, the scars left on my skin as a display for everyone to see and still I was kept in the dark.

As the rain began to harshen, I moved to the slow lane not wanting to crash. I'd only had my truck a week and planned on keeping it pristine. My eyes were fixed on the car in front of me as it began to swerve, the wind becoming angry sending it off the road altogether.

"Fuck!" I mumbled to myself knowing I couldn't just leave innocent people to die. Sure, I'd killed, but never someone undeserving. Unlike my father I had a heart. And with how that car tumbled there was no way whoever was inside would be ok. Not to mention with this weather it would be at least a few hours before anyone found them.

Pulling to the verge I flicked my hazards on praying to the gods no idiot would clip my truck. I'd hate to have to kill somebody tonight just because of their own stupidity.

Jogging to where the skid marks imprinted in the ground, I slid to the bottom using the trees to guide me. The mud was like thick sludge as it coated my boots and the bottoms of my jeans.

The car was laying on its roof, smoke escaping from the bonnet in thick dark clouds. I'm no mechanic but I was clued up enough to know it wasn't a good sign. Using Shadow to enhance my hearing and vision I assessed the situation. There were three different scents coming from the car's direction, one which I recognised immediately.

"HELLO!" A voice screamed from the wreckage pulling me from my thoughts.

"Hang on I'm coming." Racing to the car I got to my knees. Bending down and placing my hands on the window that had smashed, was when my heart froze.

In the driver's seat was a beautiful woman I immediately recognised as a wolf with honey coloured hair. Her scent was unlike anything I'd ever encountered. It had notes of banana and honey with a hint of spice. There was no denying she was my mate and by the looks on her face she recognised me as such to.

"Are you going to sit there or are you going to help us?" The sarcasm in her voice had goosebumps layering my skin yet it did nothing to hide the pain she was clearly in. Nobody other than my father had the guts to talk to me the way she did, and I liked it. Too many she-wolves were submissive, they would let you fuck them until the sun rose no matter how forceful you were. It bored the fuck out of me. I wanted a real woman not someone that would just do as they were told.

Flashing her my best smile I told her to hold on to something as I flipped the car back over. Grunts came from the back signalling the passenger was still alive.

"Susie? Where is she? SUSIE!" Spinning on my heel I followed the third scent running further into the forest.

Her long blonde hair a mess of knots and stained with blood sat skewered to a broken branch. Growling I pulled her free placing my arm beneath her knees and resting her head on my other I carried her back to her friends.

"OH MY GOD SUSIE!" My mate who's name I had yet to catch wobbled as she climbed out of the wreckage. Wasting no time she made her way to where I had laid Susie on the ground. Taking the opportunity, I roamed my eyes over my mate. Other than a few scrapes I couldn't see any real damage.

"She will heal. Are you and your other friend, ok?" I didn't care about the friend, but I needed her to think I did.

"Sara's fine and thanks for your help but you can go now. I've got it under control."

"Is that any way to talk to your mate?" I couldn't help but smile at the horrified look on her face. "Look no offence but it really doesn't look like you do."

"No offence but I don't need a mate, what I need is to get home and be with my mum." I could see the sorrow in her eyes as they welled up yet the strength, she used not to let the tears fall had my heart skip a beat.

Shadow growled in my head at hearing her say she didn't want a mate. Even I was stumped. Back home everyone wants their mate, though they mostly found there's within the confides of our pack or others like us. For me to be mates to this she-wolf was a real first. I only hoped she wouldn't find out when she realises what I am.

"Offence taken! Look I have a truck up there and you need a lift. That is unless you're going to leave your shit here and shift." My eyes shot to Susie who had now regained consciousness and was looking at me like I had to heads. "Names Leo."

Holding my hand out I smiled as my mate rolled her eyes before shaking my hand.

"I'm Arabella."

Mm Arabella. Her voice was almost as soft as her name. Helping Arabella hold Susie up we made our way up the embankment. Susie had refused my help at first but unlucky for her, her friends didn't give her much choice. A wound like hers would heal, but it would take time.

"So... where are you heading?" As we got buckled in, I pulled back onto the highway.

"To a garage. That will be fine thanks." If my instincts were correct, it would seem my mate doesn't want to be anywhere near me.

Testing my theory, I quickly glanced in the rear-view mirror to check the other two weren't watching. Sara's eyes were fixed on the passing traffic while Susie had once again fallen unconscious. Satisfied I placed my hand on Arabella's leg. The sparks that tickled my skin had me wanting to growl but I had to hold it in. Arabella stunned by the feeling went stiff letting my hand linger before suddenly flinging my hand away. The sound of her rapidly beating heart like music to my ears.

Pulling up at a garage Arabella got out and I followed suit. Seeing that I was following she stormed into the lady's room leaving the others in the truck. If she thought a mere door was going to stand in my way she was in for a shock. Walking into the bathroom I waited for her to come out of the cubicle. As her door opened, I grabbed her and forced her against the cold tiled wall. Arabella went to push me away but was stopped as I pinned her hands above her head. Her scent changing as she found herself becoming aroused. I smirked as she forced her legs together trying to stop me catching on.

Looking at those luscious lips of hers I forced mine on top. At first, she resisted but after a second her lips parted allowing me entry her head tilting to give me better access. Letting go of her hands she placed them on my chest as mine found the small of her back. The way our tongues mingled and the sparks of our lips locking made me feel like I was floating. That was until it ended.

"What the fuck! You can't just kiss someone you've just met! What the hell is wrong with you?" Arabella went to walk away but I grabbed her wrist pulling her back to face me.

"You're my mate. How can you not want this? There are a dozen she-wolves that would kill to be fated to me."

"Having a mate means nothing to me. So, by all means go to one of them. They are more than welcome to you."