The Rogue Alpha

I woke to the sun peeking through the curtains, and the smell of bacon, eggs and sausage with biscuits permeating the air.

My bro was always better at mornings than me, I could almost hate him for it, if I was a more petty person.

This particular morning I was grateful for his early bird tendencies, as I had no desire to cook, and it smelled delectable. I got out of bed feeling as if I never gone to sleep.

I dragged myself into the kitchen, only bothering to put my hat on, and took a seat at the counter. My bro turned and placed a plate in front of me. "You're looking terrible this morning." He informed me.

"Thanks for stating the obvious." I replied, "My dreams were quite active. I don't think I got any actual rest."

He winked at me. "And what was going on in these "active" dreams?"

"Nothing perverted!" I declared.

"Then you shouldn't have any problems sharing." He pointed out.

"They were switching back and forth." I grumbled, "I would have a dream where I was hunting a wild beast, who also seemed to be hunting me. I never saw it, that I can remember, but it scared me even as I sought it out."

"And then?"

"Then I'd dream I was the beast, revelling in the hunt, searching for something I could play with before devouring it. Leaping great distances, running faster than ever before, and barely breathing hard."

"Interesting."

I rolled my eyes. "I would agree more if I wasn't exhausted from it."

"Maybe we should check out the lake." My bro suggested, "Taking a lazy day can be good for the soul."

"As long as I can lay around and do nothing, I'm in."

"That's what Dr Mitchell is prescribing." He said with a smile as he sat next to me.

We ate our breakfast, and changed into our swim clothes. Then he drove us to the beach at Wolf Lake. I quickly found a lounging chair and umbrella, and got directly to enjoying my prescription.

To my surprise I drifted off to sleep, a peaceful, dreamless, sleep.

Suddenly I snapped awake. A tall, tanned, muscular man with piercing green eyes and light brown hair was sitting down next to me, already staring at me like we'd locked eyes across a crowded room, and he was scared to look away.

"Can I help you?" I asked firmly.

He smiled. I'm sure that girls usually melt to that smile, but I'm no ordinary girl. "I don't know why, but you fascinate me." He declared.

"Wonderful." I stated sarcastically, "Can I fascinate you from a distance?"

He laughed. "I haven't even introduced myself yet, and you're already trying to get rid of me."

I asked, "Would it make you feel better if I let you introduce yourself..."

"Actually yes." He cut me off and replied, "I'm Alpha Derik."

"Who names their kid Alpha?" I inquired, squinting my eyes at him.

He laughed hard. A mocking laugh. The kind bullies do when you answer a question wrong in class.

I sat up straight, and found myself growling. Not loudly, but he definitely heard it.

Suddenly my bro appeared next to me. He looked at the other man and put his own charming smile to work. "We haven't met yet, I'm Mitchell." He reached his hand out.

Alpha Derik took it, but left his eyes lingering on me for another moment before actually looking at my bro.

"I'm Alpha Derik, of the Mountain Pass. I'm here for the..." he paused and looked at me. "Gathering of towns."

My bro let go of Alpha Derik's hand, and lowered his head just slightly. "We have bad timing, we didn't know."

"You're saying your arrival is a coincidence." The disbelief evident in his voice annoyed me, but I did my best to ignore him.

"Quite." My bro assured him, "I might not be currently attached, and out of the loop, but I would never bring one who doesn't know to such an event on purpose."

"Doesn't know?" Alpha Derik snapped his head toward me. "How old is she?"

"I'm twenty two." I answered angrily.

"How does she not know?" He asked my bro, while still staring at me.

My bro shrugged his shoulders and replied, "It's a mystery to me as well. I have appointed myself her guardian until she does."

"That's it." I growled between clenched teeth, "If you two want to talk cryptically about me, as if I'm not here, I won't be here." I stood up and walked straight to the water, refusing to look at the jerk and my bro.

"You have your hands full." Alpha Derik told my bro with a chuckle.

I still didn't look back, or slow down. I walked into the water as if I didn't hear a thing.

I was floating on my back, after I tired of swimming, when someone splashed me.

I opened my eyes, expecting to see Alpha Derik, or perhaps another man who was foolish enough to think disturbing someone who is relaxing is a good way to flirt.

Instead I discovered I was surrounded by women of varying ages. A few made a small circle directly around me, but there was a larger circle around them.

I've delt with bullies before, they never attack on their own, at least not me. The small circle considered themselves leaders, and the large circle is their back up posse. They don't want me leaving the water without learning the lesson they came to teach me.

I wasn't in the mood for learning.

I put my feet firmly on the bottom of the sandy lake. I glanced over the smaller circle, waiting for their leader to reveal themselves.

A skinny, but muscular, blonde with light brown eyes spoke, "You have some nerve!"

"I'm trying to enjoy myself." I replied, "You're the ones who have nerve."

"Alpha Derik is mine!" She declared.

I laughed. "First of all I don't want anyone named Alpha, so this has nothing to do with me. Second, if he was truly yours, you wouldn't need to be putting on your little display."

"You little bi..."

I didn't let her finish her insult. I grabbed that long blonde hair and pulled her under the water with a quick snap of my wrist.

Five girls from the outer circle rushed toward the one in my grip. I pulled her up and pushed her towards them. They were her followers, they could have her.

I stared at the other four women in the smaller circle. "Whatever your problem is with me you can deal with it now, or leave me alone."

They slowly backed up, each to their own portion of the posse. Then each group walked out together. Although they tried to be discreet, I couldn't help but notice that someone from each group kept their eyes on me until they exited the water.

I stayed where I was.

Suddenly there was a soft laughter behind me.

I turned to find an older man with brown eyes, and an almost black mohawk, treading water a short distance away.

I know it's crazy, but part of me expected to see yellow eyes.

"That's the shortest, and yet mosr intriguing fight I've seen in a long time." He said with a smirk.

"And you are?" I inquired.

He laughed and told me, "Doesn't matter what my name is. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the show."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Your friend is coming." He announced.

I turned to see my bro swimming towards me, smiling cautiously.

I didn't have to turn around to know that the man I had just been talking to was gone. I heard him slip under the water, and could sense him getting further away.

My bro reached me and joked, "I see you're making new friends all over the place."

"Somebody needs a new definition of friends." I declared, and splashed him as soon as he opened his mouth to say something else I was certain would be sarcastic.

He lunged at me, and took me under the water with him. I broke free and came up. As soon as he got a breath in I grabbed him and dragged him back under.

We must have dunked each other for a good ten minutes or so. About half way through our fun I started feeling eyes on us. Anger and resentment filled the air, and made it hard for me to enjoy myself.

Then as we came up for another breath of air Marshall was next to us. "Mitchell!" He barked, "I understood you to be propper. This behavior is unacceptable."

I pointed to people making out, not that far away from us. "If they can do that, we can have our fun." I stated.

Marshall's head lowered slightly as he replied, "That's different."

My bro took my hand. "How about we get a bite to eat, the water's getting cold anyway."

If anything the water was warmer than when we first got in, but I took the hint, and we left.