She’s the Alpha

It was happening again but it was different. I was in the middle of English when the alarm sounded. I looked around confused. Who was stupid enough to attack Rigor Moon in the middle of the day? We hadn't had any rogue problems, so what was happening?

'They're coming for you, Stella. Get out of here now!' my dad linked me. I shot up as I thought about Micah. He was only four years old. He wouldn't be able to protect himself. Jessie gave me one look and was on the same page as me. We took off to the elementary school. The warriors were holding them off as best they could but they wouldn't be able to hold them back for long. These wolves were huge and connected to a pack. An alpha was attacking us. We needed to get the children to safety. They wanted me, they could try. I shifted and took off barreling towards the fighting wolves, catching their attention.

'Find Micah,' I linked Jessie. He nodded before he shifted as well. The opposing wolves took the bait and began to chase me. Only this time was different. I skidded to a halt as Kai stood in front of me. What was he doing here?

The wolves circled me. Jessie was thrown into the circle as Micah ran into my arms. I cradled him to my chest before he was taken from me.

'Micah!' I yelled, trying to see where he went. Jessie was beaten and bruised. I tried to help him but Kai was holding me back by the scruff of my neck like a pup. Kai held me there as the wolves attacked Jessie. I growled and snapped and tried to help him but I couldn't. I yelled out for him but nothing was working. I was stuck. I was stuck and I had to watch Jessie be torn apart.

"Kennedy! Kennedy! Stella, wake up!" Kai shouted. I woke up and jumped on Kai in a groggy blur. I growled as I pinned Kai to the floor. I must have shifted in my sleep. My whole body was shaking in fear and rage. Kai held up his hands in surrender.

"Kennedy, it's me, okay?" he said. I panted and backed off of him. I calmed down enough to shift back. I sobbed as I curled up on the floor. I hid my head in my arms as they wrapped around my legs. I curled into the tightest fetal position I could to try and stop the tremors running through my body. Kai wrapped my naked body in the bed sheet before he cradled me to his chest as he laid us down on the bed.

"They killed him. T-They were going to kill me. They were going to kill everybody," I sobbed. Looking at him, I noticed his face was laced with concern and worry.

"What's wrong, Stella? What was it?" Kai asked hesitantly.

"T-The a-attack," I choked out. I gasped as the shock of it hit me full force again. Kai pulled me into his chest and rubbed my back.

"It's okay, Kennedy. You're safe now. I got you," he promised. That's what I was worried about.

***

The next morning, Kai offered to show us around the island. According to him, it was a small peaceful island that had a lot to offer. Micah was excited to see the beaches. We put on our swimsuits as we headed out. Leo and a driver were coming with us, too. Kai and I were sitting in the very back of the SUV with Leo and Micah in front of us. Kai touched my arm gently. I jumped slightly, still shaken up by my nightmare.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked quietly. I sighed and rubbed my arm gently.

"It was just a dream... no big deal," I tried to shake it off. He gave me another worried glance before he settled for holding my hand. I let him because, frankly, I needed it. We drove the rest of the way to the beach in silence. I turned to look out the window. There was a lot of uniforms running around.

"There is a lot of military here," I noted.

"It's better protection. We let the military have bases here and in turn, we get free patrols, weapons, training, radars, everything. They're protecting the island and protecting us unknowingly. We have top-notch security and my pack members aren't worn out from patrols and fighting," Kai explained.

"That's actually really smart," I said shocked. "Wait, Pearl Harbor is where the Japanese attacked. I thought that's why they protect the island," I asked as the SUV pulled to a stop in a beach parking lot. Kai gave me a hand out as he smirked.

"The Hale Ona pack has been around for thousands of years, Kennedy," he explained. We walked down the rocky path until it eventually got soft and sandy. No one was there, but the waves would rush the shoreline before receding and then repeating, There was a soft glare over the water, cast by the sun.

"Can you please just call me Stella; I prefer it. My parents are the only ones who call me Kennedy," I asked softly. It was so relaxing out here, even my guard was relaxed.

"Okay... Stella," he said softly. I was so taken aback by the fact that he caved, that I ended up looking at him out of pure shock. A gentle smile graced his face. I couldn't remember ever seeing him smile when he was with me; not even a little one.

"Hey, Kai? You should smile more. It suits you," I said before thinking about it too much. He paused as his smile disappeared.

"I haven't had much reason to smile," he sighed before pulling his shirt off.

"W-What are you doing?" I asked, confused.

"You didn't think we were just going to look at the beach, did you? Swimming is one of my biggest stress relievers," he explained before walking towards the water.

"Kai," I called after him softly. I felt my pride and stubbornness melt away. Kai didn't have a reason to smile this whole time because of me. I kept pushing and pushing and I couldn't stop. He stopped before he came back to my side and pulled me into a hug. I froze on the spot from the sudden contact, but still... I felt it. Without even realizing it, my arms wrapped around him too.

"It's okay. And... I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the attack, but you're here now," he said softly. It was beyond me how he forgave me so easily for everything I'd done. After a moment, Kai moved away from me.

Kai didn't say another word as he turned and walked straight into the waves. I felt my skin burning up. I couldn't tell if it was from the sun or just the fact that I was blushing so hard. I touched my neck subconsciously. I knew that by now, Jessie's mark had faded away, but I still felt guilty.