An Alpha's Charge

Steven

“What do you remember about your childhood, when you were adopted?” Sam asked.

“I remember sitting in the igloo with my sister when our parents left us so they could fight the fires. They never returned.” Sanders said.

“Man, I am so sorry that they never returned to you. Do you have any clue where your sister is?” Sam asked.

“No, I do not know; Mom and Dad never let me have a computer, so while I am here at school, I look for her online to see if she is on social media or lives in the same area where we were. I get nothing. I am giving up; I must concentrate on my future and pray we meet later.”

“Why did your parents change your name?”

“They are stupid, abusive pieces of shit, and I hate them so much. I cannot wait to get out of here and leave this God-forsaken place.”

“How are they abusive? You hide it pretty well.”

“Physically, emotionally and mentally, verbally, along with rape and incest by him and his father and brothers.”

“Shit, report them; they cannot do this. It is illegal for them to even do this to you!”

“I have tried to, but they are all police officers who stand up for each other. I even went to the DFSS, and they never helped me. I am working as hard as I am to leave this place and the country.”

“Where will you go?”

“North to Alaska or Canada. I must get out of here, and please do not tell a soul, Sam; I do not want to be found when I leave here.”

“What about changing your name back to your actual birth name?”

“I do not remember it anymore. But I do remember someone calling me Steven. As for the rest of the stuff, it got burned in the fire along with other adults and kids, plus if there were any survivors, they would all be older than me.”

“I will not say a word, Sanders, I promise; just take me with you?”

“Nope, you have a good family; I do not. Honestly, I am so glad they never adopted Lane along with me. It would be much worse for her if she were with me.”

“I will take your computer and money and hide, so they will not find it. Dad set you up an account, so I have put your paychecks there. Dad has been adding money to it as well. He is an attorney and will do something with those stupid assholes of yours.”

“Really? Thanks, I will repay you and your family for doing this for me.”

“Go home and act like nothing has happened today.”

They gave each other bro hugs and went their separate ways. Sanders was always penniless, but he knew his best friend was saving his money until he exited high school. He worked hard, completed his assignments early, and finished a semester’s work in two months. He could sluff off a little bit.

When he got home, he had already changed clothes and showered, so he did not have to do it again. His parents were waiting for him to come home and were pissed that he had not come home after school.

They questioned his whereabouts, and if they did not like his answers, they beat him with belts, metal pipes, poles, and whatever they could get their hands on. They were shifters and kept their weapons of choice doused with coolant, wolfsbane, and silver. They also had shotguns, 9mm (about 0.35 in), and several other weapons that would kill shifters.

They would not let him get by with anything as they never believed a word he would say. All he could do was think that tonight was the last night, and he was out of there. Everything was up and ready for him to leave early the following day; he just had to dodge their abuse tonight.

He went to bed tired from the beating he got from his father and mother. He took out his bag and packed most of his clothes but left enough for them not to notice anything missing. He jumped in the shower letting all the hot water wash over him to ease his achy muscles and joints away along with any blood from the whips they used. When he finished, he dressed in dark jeans and a black T-shirt and put a red plaid shirt over it. He made his bed look like he was sleeping in case his father or other men were to come and check on him, which happened frequently. That is when the rape would happen during the night.

He removed his hat and heavy coat and opened the window to let the cool air into his room, inhaling the fresh pine scent. He thought about leaving a note but decided against it as he did not want to be found. He prayed to the deities up above that life would get better soon and to help him on his journey. He had his papers in his backpack, passport, and driver’s license.

His friend’s father got his name changed to Steven Duke Bennett, but he would go by Bennett or Duke. He met up with Sam and his father, who handed him a set of keys to a brand-new Jeep Wrangler four-door soft top. His eyes swelled with tears as he took his keys and hugged Sam and his father.

“Here, you will need this to get where you are going; in this envelope are gift cards for gas, different food, clothes, and a black credit card with no limit. Do not use the black card till you get to your destination. We know what you are going through and wanted to help.” Garrett’s (aka Sam) father said.

“In this one is your life savings with some extra that we threw in for you. Here is a new cell phone and a new number. We put our phone numbers in it. Call us if you are in trouble, and we will find you. Get out of here; I know this is not the time you want to leave, but you must. Stay connected, and do not look back.”

“How can I ever repay you guys for all this?”

“You cannot repay us, those people corrupt this town, and we are getting ready to take them down. It is our way of keeping you safe for the rest of your life. Get out of here now; we will talk to you later.” Garrett said.

He jumped into his jeep, started it, and peeled out of the driveway. He headed west and never looked back. Driving for six hours, stopping only once to fuel his truck and get some snacks, he was out of Maine, where he grew up. He may be sixteen, but he knew when to leave. He would finish school when he gets to a town where Steven feels safe and start over until he goes to college.

He was thankful for the friend he left behind and hoped he would see him and his father again. He could not dwell on that now; he had to get far enough away from the East as he could. He stopped in Indiana, checked into a charming hotel, and ate dinner. It was more than he ever had back home.

The sun was peeping through the curtains as his alarm went off on his phone. Picking up his phone, he looked at the time, letting out a heavy sigh and throwing his arms over his head as he did not want to get out of bed. He slowly got up, showered, and finished his morning routine. As he dressed for another day of travels, he went through the room, ensuring he did not leave anything behind, and took off out the door.

He grabbed breakfast in the hotel and took a coffee. He paid his bill when he checked out using cash only to avoid being tracked down by using a credit card. His friend told him everything to do until he got to his destination, then he could use his card. Bennett could not afford to be found by his family even though he knew they would look for him in a few hours. He had to push himself to get far away from the East as possible.

He left, heading further west, and ended up in Montana late that evening. He wanted to get to Alaska if he could, but that would have to wait a bit. He settled in at a local Bread and Breakfast, eating a late dinner, then heading off to bed. His destination would be Washington before he took off up north to Alaska. He wanted to get registered in a school soon to finish high school and go to college.

Eighteen hours later, he reached Seattle, where he found a place to live, registered for school, and opted for online classes. He went to see a full-time job, which happened to be the same place Lane had worked. The owners or the guests never put two and two together but knew he was part of the bear pack that lost most of their loved ones during the fire. These people had kept an eye out on Lane, and they had been trying to find Steven but never could as his papers had been burnt in the fire. They did not know his new name either, as it was changed when he was a child.

They took it upon themselves to help him as his sister did. A woman came in, noticing that there was a new waiter, but something uncanny about him made him stand out. She could not tell what it was yet but would find out. When another guest came in, his bear stood on end immediately when he saw Bennett. He knew he had to help this person and protect him at all costs. His bear told him he was only sixteen and needed a safe place to stay.

Bennett stood on edge when he saw the new guest coming in and sitting in his section. He pushed that feeling down and waited on him. There was something about him screaming Alpha, but Bennett did not understand. When he walked over to the table, he introduced himself.

“Evening, my name is Bennett, and I will be your server for the evening. May I get you something to drink?”

“Yes, I would like a glass of water, no ice, and the best scotch you have with two ice cubes, please.” Ramiel requested.

“Sure thing, I will get that for you while you review the menu.”

He turned and left, heading to the bar, putting in the order, and getting a glass of water on his tray and the scotch the bartender made with two ice cubes. The restaurant has a lot of shifters and supernaturals that visit. They do not care about the under-21 drinking age and let their workers serve the liquor to the patrons; the only rule they have; the workers are not allowed to drink themselves on or off the clock. It will be grounds for termination.

He returned it to the table, setting both drinks down and quickly taking the gentleman’s order. He promptly left, putting the dinner order in and taking care of the other tables he oversaw for the evening. He could not help that the newcomer was eyeing him, and he did his best to keep his drinks filled but not linger exceptionally long.

Bennett brought out the dinner for Ramiel and asked if there would be anything else for him; he shook his head ‘no’ for now. Bennett could not help but wonder what he was and why he was on edge. Steven never remembered shifting when he was a cub but knew there was something different about him. He thought he was gay, which is why he was on edge.

“Will you be having any dessert, sir?”

“No, I am good, but I would like to talk to you more if possible?”

“Uh, yes. I get off at eleven.”

“I will meet up with you outside then; thank you, Bennett, for your service.”

It came time to head out after his shift, and he cleaned up the restaurant with his other co-workers. He walked outside, and the air was a bit nippy with the start of fall and a chill in the air. He noticed Ramiel leaning against his Denali.

“Bennett, thanks for meeting me. I do not mean to set you on edge, but I know what you are and the people who own this place. You are a shifter, bear to be exact.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“As I said, listen to what I have to say. I do not know your past, but I want you to come live with my pack and me. We live in Alaska, far north in the forest. How old are you?”

“I am sixteen, but heading into my last year of school, I will head to college in Alaska. At least, that is my plan. Why are you so interested in me and not the others?”

“What are you planning to study in college?”

“Forestry is what I plan to do something about being in the woods is relaxing but also sets me on edge. All I can remember is being set in an igloo watching our mom walk away to put out fires, and then my sister and I were separated in an orphanage about ten years ago.”

“Wow, I am sorry, man, that is rough. Look, I want to help you out if you will let me. You are a bear shifter, and if I am correct, you have not shifted, and you will need my help when you get your bear. I can put you up in a cabin; you can go to school near where I live.”

“I... can I think about it for a while. After this year?”

“Sure, you can; here is my number. Call me anytime you want and when you are ready to meet up with me in Alaska. If you feel something weird going on, do not fight it, call me, and I will come to you, or we can meet up somewhere so you can shift safely.”

“I will keep your number and call you when I start to feel weird.” Bennett chuckled.

They got in their respective vehicles and drove off, Bennett pondering over what had been told. He does not understand, but he knows his sister needs help. He just prayed to God that she would not get her bear if what Ramiel said was true.