Queen Alpha

Cheyenne’s POV

I decided I was skipping classes today and heading to the pack library to find out more about these famous wars. When I walk in, I see the nice elderly lady from down the street. She smiles at me as I walk up to the counter.

“Hello young lady. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in here. What are we looking up today?” She asks with a smile on her face. She was always so sweet to us kids on the block. She was always baking cookies, pies, cakes, anything, and everything for us, until we grew older and stopped going down to see her.

“I’m working on a history project for school. I’m needing some information on the major wars that have happened. Can you point me in the right direction?”

“I always told the kids that history always repeats itself and to pay attention. Glad someone finally listened.” She had a smirk on her face, and she winked at me. It wasn’t what she said but how she said it that sent the cold chill down my spine. “You are going to want the restricted section. Upstairs and to the right. You can’t miss it.”

“Restricted section? Do I need some code or pass or something to get in?” My curiosity getting the best of me now.

“Not for you. Just go on up and I’ll buzz you in.” Again, with the smirking. Something was off about this woman.

I shake it off and thank her and make my way up the stairs. Once I reach the top, I look around and see signs pointing out all different types of books. I looked to my right and see a huge oak door with a big plaque that said “RESTRICTED” posted right in the middle of the door. I start walking towards the door and I stop right in front of it. Something doesn’t feel right. That uneasy feeling coming back and sitting in the pit of my stomach again. I turn around to see if anyone is around but there was nobody. I grabbed the door handle and heard a buzz go off and it unlock. I twisted the knob and slowly opened the door.

I’m not sure if I was expecting someone to jump out at me or what, but I slowly entered the room. Looking around everything is covered in dust. Layers and layers of dust. You could tell nobody had been inside this room in a long time. I carefully placed my bag down on an empty table in the middle of the room and started to look around. Not sure exactly what I was looking for, but I figured I’d know it when I see it.

After walking back and forth down a couple isles, I turned the corner to go down a third row of shelves when something caught my eye. I walked straight to this book that was pulled out further than the rest. I tried to blow some of the dust off and all that managed to do was send me into a sneezing fit. I pulled the book out and looked at the cover. I could tell it was an old book; it looked like it could crumple to a million pieces at any time. I wiped some of the dust off the front cover but there was nothing on it. No title or author or picture; nothing.

I didn’t think too much of it when I started heading back towards the table with this book in my hands. I sit down and carefully start turning pages and reading. Much to my surprise, Koa had been silent this whole time. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but it did allow me to concentrate more on what I was reading. I pulled out my notes from last night and started filling in some blanks and some other details. I wrote down all the “major players” from both the winning and losing sides of the wars. I was so lost in what I was doing that I lost track of time…again! I looked around the table and I had a few books laying out opened to certain pages and my notes scattered all over the place.

I was just glancing over the mess when for whatever reason my eyes landed on a map. The dates started showing in my head again and how I figured out that they were 150 years apart. I wonder if they were all located in the same area? Or were they random? So I found my sheet of notes that listed all the locations for the wars. There have been 4 major ones so far that I could find info on. There’s been others between them, but they were more about territory and/or money. These 4 wars could have easily wiped out our kind if they had ended differently.

I looked at my notes and what I had wrote down for the locations and then pulled out one of the old maps that I had found tuck away inside one of the books. I scanned over the entire map and found the location of the 3rd war. I didn’t want to write on the map, so I dug around in my bag for something small enough to use as a place holder. After digging to the bottom, I found, well wouldn’t you know it, 4 pennies. “What are the odds?” I thought to myself. I placed one of the pennies where I found the 3rd location to be. I continued to do the same for the other 3 locations. The location for the first war was a bit harder to find as it was literally in the middle of no-man’s land. I sat back looking at this map, but I couldn’t tell from what part of the world it was from. Hell, this could be Russia for all I know. There were no lakes or any bodies of water for that matter on this map. I had to take a picture of it on my phone and do some online research at home. I had to figure out where these territories were in order to relate them to the present-day names of the locations. The pennies on the map looked to be fairly spaced apart, but depending on how much land this map covered, these locations could be in separate countries or possibly in the same state. I started packing my things in my bag when the elderly lady poked her head in the door.

“Sorry to disturb you young lady but the library is closing in 15 minutes.”

“That’s ok I was just packing up ma’am.”

“Don’t worry about putting those books away. Just stick them neatly over on that cart. I will get to them tomorrow.” And with that she shut the door. I finished getting my notes and things back in my bag and I grabbed the few books I had and carried them over to a cart that was against a wall by another desk. I placed the books down gently, trying not to create another dust bomb, when I noticed there was no dust on the cart.

“That’s weird.” I thought. I slowly started to turn around still staring at the books like I was waiting for them to do some kind of trick or something. As I was turning around, I noticed that the desk next to the cart had marks in the dust, like someone had been there recently. How many people knew about this section of the library? I’ve lived here my whole life and had never heard of it until today. I shook it off and started walking towards the door. What’s it my business anyways what other people do in here?

On my way out, I gave the elderly lady a little smile and said thank you. She just winked at me, again, and said anytime. Ok, old people officially freak me out now. What the hell was wrong with her? Why does she keep winking at me?

“Better stay from any candy she offers. She might try to get you to follow her into the woods into her house made of candy and then stuff you in the oven.” Koa laughing hysterically in my head.

“Oh, now you got jokes. First the riddles, now jokes?!” I snap back. “Where the hell you been anyways?”

“I was busy. I’m sorry. Did you find anything out?”

“It’s a library, of course I found some shit out.” I rolled my eyes, continuing to walk back home.

“Care to share with the class?” I could feel Koa smiling in my head.

“You’re lucky I can’t punch you in the face.” I mumble which causes Koa to erupt in laughter.

“Fortunately for my sake, that isn’t possible.” She’s still laughing. What the hell was going on? She’s acting like a completely different wolf tonight.

“Ughh!!! Why me?!” I ask loudly while throwing my hands up and looking up at the sky, hoping Selene heard me. I was beyond frustrated at this point. I had no idea what was really going on anymore. This time last week, I was just a normal 17-year-old girl waiting on her wolf to shift on her 18th birthday. Ok not “normal” considering the fact I was only 17 and had already started college. These past couple days, it’s felt like I was just on autopilot. Almost like I didn’t have control over my own body anymore.

I got home just as the sun started to set behind the tree line behind the house. My 2 younger brothers were sprawled out on the couches watching some movie on the TV when I walked through the door. I asked them where momma was and the youngest just pointed towards the kitchen without saying a word or taking his eyes off the TV. I walked into the kitchen and momma was cleaning up the last of the dishes from dinner.

“Hi Momma.” I reached up and kissed her on the cheek.

“How was your day babycakes?”

“Momma would you stop calling me that please? It’s so embarrassing.” I pleaded with her as I opened the fridge to look for something to eat. Momma started chuckling while drying off her hands.

“That’s my job as your momma; to embarrass the hell out of you.” She was grinning from ear to ear.

“Whatever Momma. It’s your story, tell it any way you want to.” I flash her a quick smile while starting to make myself a sandwich.

“Oh, and I will babycakes.” She smirks and winks my way. What’s with everyone winking at me?! “I just finished all the dishes, so whatever you dirty…”

“Yeah yeah, whatever I use I’ll clean. I know Momma.” I clean up my mess and grab a few napkins instead of a plate and my sandwich and head up to my room.

I up to my room and close the door. I drop my bag by desk chair and head to my dresser to grab a loose pair of shorts and a baggy shirt for bed. I take my clothes and head to the bathroom to take a shower to try to unwind and relax at least a little bit. I’ll settle for anything at this point. My back was stiff, and my neck and shoulder muscles were hurting from sitting in the library all day.

After my shower, I felt so much better. I head back to my room and shut the door. I noticed my blinds were opened and I was drying the ends of my hair still while walking towards the window. I was looking out my window when I thought I saw something move out of the corner of my eye by the tree line. It was enough to make me to do double take. I was trying to focus but it was already pretty dark already outside so I couldn’t exactly see anything. Just as I was about to close my blinds and walk away, I seen it again. I practically had my nosed pressed against my window at this point trying to see what was out there. Just as I was about to write it off as me being stressed, exhausted, and just plain crazy and just go to bed, I seen a figure walking slowly towards me. It was a wolf but those eyes. I knew those eyes from somewhere. I shook my head and when my eyes refocused, the wolf had stopped and was staring right at me. I freaked out and pulled the blinds closed quickly and hid with my back against the wall on the side of the window. My heart was racing and beating so hard, I thought it was going to explode out of my chest. After I calmed myself down, I pulled the side of the blind back just enough for me to see outside. I slowly started turning back around to look at the window, but when I looked, the wolf was gone.