The Last true Alpha

The town of Crystal Valley, which is on the outskirts of west London, is notorious for its cloudiness, which prevents you from having a clear view of the sky in the mornings. However, perhaps that is precisely why we love this place.

There is more mystery surrounding this place than we commoners are aware of, but we are powerless to act. You can't move around this small town without someone asking you how you're doing and what you're up to. Because of how small it is, everyone tries to pry into your affairs to find out what's going on. Despite how frustrating it is, we all eventually get the hang of it.

The town is also known for its abundance of forestry and natural resources. It is said that most wealthy men in the world would purchase their diamonds, gold, and crystals here; after all, the name speaks for itself. Another issue is that strange things keep happening to this town, and it's not just random things. People disappear for no specific reasons, and the sheriffs, well, they have nothing to say to us. There are also these strong families that maintain the town's stability; without their consent, no man is allowed to participate in the affairs of the town.

There are the Lordsons, who are regarded as the masters of high craftsmanship, the Bowers, The Bowers, who presently possess the status for exports and exchange, Riverline, who are the top makers of excellent wines and are well-known worldwide, and the Eastlanders, whose specific activities are unknown and with whom no one interacts as a result. The Rains, the final and most powerful family, essentially feed the town because they are partly royal. Crystal Valley is ruled by these five families.

You may be asking who I am; I am just a regular citizen of this noble town, obviously the storyteller.

The door is knocked repeatedly,

"Peter, Peter, you better get out of bed before I come in and knock some sense into your head, and stop with this stupid chat with yourself, and go to school, you are in your second year, you are finally a senior come on you don't want to be late; breakfast is downstairs hurry! a woman yelled. "Mother, please stop yelling, I can hear you without you screaming my name out. For the love of God, will this woman let me be? Ok, guys, that's all for now, see you soon.

"Who am I kidding, they're just some damn toys. I can't believe I've been talking to myself for how many years now" I sighed and dragged my ass downstairs. I have no friends, literally no one to call, and I'm in my senior year without any friends.

Peter, what's going on?" my mum yelled. "What is keeping you, Breakfast is ready, don't make me climb the stairs boy," my mother called out again. "I'm coming, you don't have to yell, I was already dressed for school Mum" I replied.

"I don't know what to do with you, come here," she said to me while my dad was sitting right in front of us. Father is the quiet one in the family. Allow me to introduce them and meet the one and only Mrs. Pepperman. She is a wonderful cook, and everyone in this town loves her cooking and she runs a small restaurant across the streets.

And here is my father, Mr. Pepperman, the contemplative monk, and Rose Pepperman, the princess of the house, who considers a year's difference in age to be a century. Rose stood up and said, "There you go again with this. I'm older than you, and there is nothing you can do to change that." If you want a fight, bring it on.

"Your poker face is the reason you don't have any friends because it scares everyone."

"I think you should check your height because you might be mistaken for the youngest", I retaliated. A tap on the table brought us back to life and we returned to our seats and ate quietly. It was already 8:00 am and we were late for school.

My sister and I attend the same high school, Crystal Valley high school; she is in her third year, and I am in my second year. At home, we often pretend to be friendly with each other, but at school, we are strangers. I am one of the outcasts and I don't quite understand what my sister meant about my face; in fact, I don't look like any of my parents.

Everyone knows, and sometimes people assume I was adopted but I care less about that. I am tall, my hair is brunette in color and my skin is fairly white, but my eyes are unusually green, it sometimes glows in the night and pretty much scare people, and I am guessing that is why I don't have friends.

The bus just passed by...

"Hey, hey!! wait for me, no, damn it, I heard giggling from the students on the bus from where I stood. "They always do this to me, and my sister never fails to humiliate me, and it kills me that I can't do anything about me and so I have to run.

I got to the school pretty much all sweaty and feeling hot, since I run almost 2km I assumed and I needed a break, so I didn't notice that the area was crowded with students and law enforcement. What was happening? It's only 9:45 in the morning, so what is going on, I became curious, "I need to ask someone, not my sister, where the hell is Rose?" I searched around.

Suddenly I heard people whispering, "Someone was found dead," "Someone was almost reaped into half," "What the hell?" I said to myself. I pushed my way through the crowd, moving forward, just like that. I turned to apologize when my head bump into something, it was hard as a rock, "Ouch."

Unfortunately, it was the hard shoulders of a stranger I had never seen before. When we looked at each other, I noticed that his eyes were glowing and blue. Who is he? Before I could say a word, he had vanished.

Where is he? I turned to look around, then I looked down and saw that I was close to the dead body. I screamed, and everyone turned to look at me. I fell on the ground, and I couldn't get up, then I shook my head trying to avoid the stares and pulled myself together I tried to leave but the crowd was heavy, I was looking around me to see an opening, then something in me said look up, and I did, and guess what, the stranger was up there standing on the roof of our school building looking down on us, but what was more surprising was the fact that I could see him from where I was standing.

What the hell? Who is this man? Is he connected to this case? What made me more suspicious was the smirk on his face as he vanished.

My sister was nowhere to be found, and yet I still can't get this stranger's face out of my mind. I am literally thinking about him right now, but let's keep it cool. The sheriff kept asking some of the students a few questions.

Since I was in shock, they brought me to the school medical center, I am guessing they thought, I was unwell. "Hey, are you OK? That was a hell of a shock for you, but hang in there alright," said Mrs. Anderson, one of the few teachers who sees me. I was not the only one here.

I looked at the bed next to me and I saw another male student, who I presumed was Clark Dentil, the famous basketball player in our school since I had never been that close to him, I wasn't sure it was him. He was the star of the team, and he is not bad looking either, with his blond hair carefully placed behind his ears, his long eyelashes covering his eyelids and his eyes like the ocean, and his pink lips making him more desirable to the girls in the school.

I am confident that if any of the girls find out that he is here, they will probably swim in here to have a look at him. "You know, you could win a staring contest with the way you are looking at me, and yes, I am Clark, just so I can erase that look on your face," he said with his deep voice echoing. I was startled, but I kept my cool and said, "I know who you are. I just wasn't sure, but yeah, I know who you are", I kept my composure, just to make sure he didn't think I was a wimp.

While the inner me was screaming, "Did he just speak to me? Well, I guess I must have had a good luck charm on me today. "What are you doing here, with all the commotion at school?" I sarcastically inquired. "Well, I don't like crowded places, and I'm pretty sure there are more hot guys out there who can calm those girls outside" he replied to me in the same manner.

Looking at you, you must be the lone wolf they have been talking about, he suspiciously examined me. "Huh! What are you talking about?" I angrily asked. "Well, you don't have any friends and probably no girlfriend either, so basically you are a lone wolf," he teased and smirked at me.

I sighed and laughed it off and said, "I didn't know I was famous."

Unknown to us, there was a ruckus outside, which a man's voice could be heard. "What is going on there? Wait, that is... Clark paused as he spoke, and strangely he had a weird expression on his face and stood up to look through the window.

I became curious as to why he had that strange look and so I stood up and look through the window before I could say anything, Clark was on his way out, and without hesitation, I followed suit.

"That is my daughter, Sheriff McLaren. You don't expect me to calm down. My daughter was butchered like an anima so tell me which parent will be calm? my wife nearly died at the sight of this, but you keep saying you have nothing. No, this is not just any inhumane act, and you know it.

"They are back, and they are trying to send a warning and..", his voice breaks, "That is enough Michael, you've said enough. Another male voice was heard as we got to the gate.

"I'm sorry, Sheriff, but please understand that he is in mourning" he apologized on his behalf. "Don't worry, Mr. Bower, I understand, every parent will be as hysterical as he is" The Sheriff accepted his apology.

"Let go, Michael, we're going to get to the bottom of this" Mr. Bower reassured.

"But Daniel, she is my lovely, and" tears begin to fall down his cheeks. "I know they won't stop, they are here, they are back, I know it and they are coming for us all we need to flee" his voice breaking as I watch from afar. Suddenly Mr. Bower leans over to Sir Michael's left ear, and within a few minutes, he was back to himself, and they left without looking back.

The person before me had that same expression on his face, but suddenly there was a smirk. "What is going on? This is strange, or maybe I am strange" I said to myself. "I have to leave now friend and i am guessing you feel the same bye," he said to me with a smile and left.

"What just happened? Friends? did he hit his head or something? What a strange day"

"Peter! Peter! hey, dumb ass." The annoying voice is none other than my sister.

"You can just respond, you know, Mr. lone wolf" she teased me again.

"Say that again and I will make you regret it" I threatened. "I am scared, someone please save me from my little brother," she cried out sarcastically, leaving me speechless.

I did not realize that two eyes were looking directly at me, and it was none other than the blue-eyed demon. Well, I called him that. It just fits him, but right now, that is not the issue. What is he doing here and why is he so close to my sister? My sister is in danger if he is connected to the case. What is this?" These questions kept popping up in my head.

Strangely they seem close because they are smiling at each other. "Rose, who is this? I pulled Rose towards me with force. I heard a sigh from the stranger, and he suddenly spoke "My guess is you are thinking I am involved in the murder case, right? he said with a smirk on his face. My devil sister screams at me "What the hell? Why would you think that? Don't you remember he is our cousin?"

"I have a cousin" I exclaimed. "Wait, we have a cousin, I don't remember him coming over. What is happening? Just as I was about to ask the next question, the stranger answered my thoughts, "Of course you don't remember me." "You were just two years old, or maybe less, and you never came for a visit; only Rose did."

The smirk on his face irritated me and I dislike him. "It's nice to meet you again, little cousin," he said with the same smile on his face. "Fuck we just met a few hours ago' I screamed internally. "I am Cole Gray" he added. I just know he is Trouble.

The Bowers are known to hold a higher rank when it came to exportation and importation. Their family has been doing favors for the town for many years. Most of the food products are produced by them. Crystal Valley holds them in high esteem, and they have kept it that way.

There have been so many mysteries surrounding them. The famous one is that they used to keep a demonic beast in their factory underground. Some of the workers who went there never made it back, and those who did were never the same. Either they had gone mad or blind. But it could just be a rumor. The Bowers are rich very rich.

They own most of the land in Crystal Valley. It is said that the Bowers were the original settlers of Crystal Valley since their lands exceeded even the royals. Nobody knows the real stories behind their names and where they came from. That is one of the mysteries about Crystal Valley. The place is full of all kinds of people , whose family trees date back to the 1890s.

The first Bower, Mr. Clifford Bower, was the founder of the Bowerfact. He built a great mansion on the hillside of Crystal Valley, which has been handed down from generation to generation, and now the current generation is headed by Mr. Daniel Bower, making him the 132nd successor of the Bower Mansion.

The mansion is a venerable Elizabethan house that can pass as a royal home. The mansion holds over 20 rooms with exquisite decorations but gives off a gloomy and hollow atmosphere. The mansion is occupied by four people: Mr. Bower and his wife, and their two children, a son and a daughter, who both attend Crystal Valley High.

The mansion is usually quiet, but today seems to be different. Footsteps and deep voices are heard, in the upper room, two men exchanging words, "You know that they are not going to stop until.., voice shakes" the first man spoke.

"Stop with this nonsense, I can't help you if you keep saying these stupid things" the second man said.

"That is not nonsense, my daughter was split into two, and you said it's nonsense, ooh I guess is not your daughter so it's fine, but when it's mine, I am talking nonsense, whether you believe it or not, they are back and this is a warning , we can't ignore that", the first man spoke again a in trembling voice.

"Alright, and let's say they are back, and boom they just came and attack the one person who actually did nothing in eradicating them, seriously are you that much of a coward am not surprised then and now you were always a coward, scared to lay a finger but eager to know the results. Michael even if they are back , we will be waiting for them, fortunately it won't happen since there were no survivors", Mr. Bower explained.

"So the coward is acting cowardly", a female voice said teasingly. "Don't you dare mock me, Camille, you witch", Michael voiced out angrily. "Well, I am a witch and there is nothing much to it", Camille stated.

"Why are you here? Who asked the witch to be here? She is not needed here", Michael questioned. "I called her, I wanted her to help us find out what happened to your daughter", Mr. Bower stated.

"Don't worry baby coward. I am here to help, so trust me", Camille said with a mocking grin on her face. 'And besides, I also believe it's not a mere attack, I believe there is more to it and what tipped me off was the fact that, of all places, why the school ?, or was it really a coincidence? Or a warning message", she added and sighed.

Suddenly there were footsteps drawing closer to them, followed by a male voice. "It has been a while since we gathered here, well, it is true about the old saying, "Death really brings people together", An evil laugh echoed the room.

"Carl, get a grip, nobody cares about your stupid sarcasm", Camille remarked. "And as always the witch finds my words offensive, everyone is here except... hmm", Carl pointed out.

He paused and said everyone is present except for the Rains, not that surprising but i thought he would show up for Michael's sake". Michael lowered his head, internally he knew Carl was right but there is nothing he could say.

"Four is enough, we can do this on our own so let us just focus on that, we present are the Lordsons, Eastlanders, Riverlin, so let proceed. Camille, tell us what you and your people found out", Daniel stated sternly.

"Is there a body? We need to examine the dead body before we can draw out a conclusion", Camille stated. "It's impossible, the body is with the county, and there is no way we an bring it here so let's not bring it up", Michael replied.

" What about a picture of the dead body?", she inquired. "Are you crazy? A picture of my daughter's dead body? No way, no, she is my daughter, and nobody has the right to do that', Michael sternly rejected to the idea.

"Well, can't you just find her body with whatever magic or witchcraft you guys use and do something about it", Carl stated. "It won't be easy, in order to know exactly what happened to her, we have to have the body here with us", An old woman answered.

"It can't be helped then, we have to steal the body", Daniel reckoned. "What do you mean by that? What if...", Michael was interrupted by Daniel, "There is no if, we have to steal the body from the county at midnight, lets meet at the usual place, the meeting is over".

Everyone left except Michael, who eagerly wanted to talk to Daniel, but Daniel made it clear that his decision was final and that there was nothing he could say or do that would change his mind. Michael had no option other than to let the issue go.

Nightfall, midnight was a few hours away.

At the Peppermans' house.

Peter's encounter with Cole left a mark on him, but is sister ignored his feels and decided for both of them to go home with Cole even though her brother wasn't too happy about it since he still had doubts.

The school was closed earlier than expected due to the mysterious death of Michael Lordson's daughter, before going home they toured the town until nightfall. Fortunately, Mrs. Pepperman was upset instead she welcomed them all but was quite surprised to see Cole.

Her surprised face was noticed by Cole and so he leaned over for a hug. "Aunt I miss you, it's been ages", Cole said with a smile. "Yes, it has", she agreed with him, but internally she felt awkward but after a few minutes passed that awkwardness disappeared.

Peter's POV.

I get that he is nice and all, but why is it that the women in this house are all over him? There are other men here alright, I screamed inside me. I still don't trust him, and he gives me the chills, but I don't want to be the bad person. I know he will slip, and then I will get my chance to unmask him.

Suddenly I locked eyes with Cole, but I quickly turned away it was too late for me; he was walking towards me. "What does he want now?", I said to myself. "Do you still suspect me or something, because you keep giving me that suspicious look?", he said to me with a stern face.

I pretended not to have heard him and went about my business, he suddenly spoke, "Hey, I am just as curious as you are, or maybe I should suspect you too", he smirked. I was stunned by his sudden words, 'What do you mean by that?', I asked.

"Nothing" he got closer and whispered in my ear and I was startled by that and unconsciously blushed. "Hey, what are you doing? You can just say it without coming this close to me, why do you have to whisper?", I yelled at him drawing attention to us.

My devil sister didn't waste time scold me. " What is going on here, care to explain yourself?", she questioned me with a fierce look and i chuckled and drew closer to her and intensely look at each other.

Cole noticed the tension between us and decided to step in, 'Not now little sis', he held her shoulders and pulled her away. "Dinner is ready Cole, you're staying for the night right," she said in a sweet voice.

"That is gross, he is literally your cousin, but you are drooling over him", I said to myself. "Of course, I will stay for the night, just for you dear", he answered with a fake smile only I could see through.

"Seriously, he just accused me a few minutes ago and now he is giggling with my sister, who the hell does he think he is? I want to go to my room and sleep, but the two devils in my house won't let me.

My mother called, and we had to head to the table, dinner went smoothly, which was surprising but nice and I was so full that I literally had to ask my mother to help me get up, and I received a smack on my head.

I got up and said my goodbyes and I looked at the man sitting right beside me, I could not avoid him and, most importantly, I did not want my mother and father to think I was picking a fight with my cousin and so I just kept my inner thoughts to myself and headed to my bedroom.

Fortunately, he changed his mind and said he would not be staying for the night anymore. I literally jumped out of my seat after hearing him say that, but I kept my cool not to be noticed, but I couldn't hide it from him, he saw right through me, yet still, i didn't mind.

Cole and the Peppermans stood behind the door as they whispered among themselves. Mr. Pepperman spoke first " Now tell us, why are you here? You said we wouldn't be seeing each other for a long time, what brought you back to Crystal Valley, Cole?"

"I am not here to cause any trouble, actually, I came with a warning. We can't keep protecting him, he needs to know what has been happening to him", Cole stated. "Nothing has been happening", Mr. Pepperman objected.

"You can't keep lying to yourselves, John, he has been shifting yet thinks it's all in his head or maybe a dream. You have been feeding him with wolfbane for such a long time that he thinks his reality is a dream. You are weakening him, not protecting him", Cole revealed.

"I assure you we have been protecting him, do you think we could have made it this far if we had not protected him?", Mrs. Pepperman replied. "I get it, you fear he will walk down the wrong path, but you can't make that decision for him, so let have him decide for himself", Cole stated.

"He is my son, and I know what is best for him, so go straight to the point and tell me why are you here, Cole?" Mr. Pepperman questioned him. Cole smiled with a dead-faced expression, "You are right, I will be straightforward, I presume you have heard what happened at the school.

The girl who was nearly torn to pieces, they say it's an animal attack, and some also say it's a serial killer, but...", Cole was interrupted by Mr. Pepperman. "Cole, I hope you are not assuming my son did that".

"Of course not, he is not the one, but he was there, the night the girl was killed', Cole revealed. "No, that is impossible", Mrs. Pepperman said wearing a wary face.

"That is not all, he is the only person that knows who killed the girl", Cole added making the Peppermans fret. "How sure are you that he was there? ", John asked. "Because it's almost a full moon, he may be unstable without even realizing it, and while he may not recall it..." he suddenly he paused, when he heard a broken glass sound coming from upstairs and they all stared at each other, and then Cole asked the Peppermans to stay back.

He needed to check, and he quickly went straight to Peter's room but Peter was nowhere to be found. He saw the window broken and pieces of glass on the floor. He quickly stepped back and informed John and Kate about what he had seen and asked them to stay back and wait for his return.

"What is happening Cole?", Kate asked wearing a worried look. "He is gone but do not worry I will bring him back", he promised them and left through the broken window.

*****