Chapter 23: The New Alpha

Willow looked desperately around for Garin but couldn’t find him anywhere. She didn’t think that he had marched with his family, but who knew. She hadn’t counted, instead getting out of there as quickly as she could have.
A howl sounded. She knew it was Lyall. She looked overhead at the full moon. He would be unstable tonight. He shouldn’t be so close to town. He could shift at any time, hurting an innocent bystander. He knew better and yet…here he was. Flaunting their laws.
The Red Hoods had made their message clear. She knew that they could hear the howls as well. They would be on guard tonight, possibly even actively hunting. How did everything become such a giant mess? She was frustrated with the entire situation and angry. Angry at them. At Lyall. At herself. At the stupid laws of her kind.
She aggressively pushed her way to her car, not caring about being polite. The tourists were so deep in their cups they probably didn’t notice. “Crap,” she said as she looked down at Lyall’s car parked behind her store. She had forgotten she let him drive. Remembering her purse inside the café, she snuck in the back door, hoping that Lyall hadn’t seen her yet. She needed to keep calm when she saw him. Even the slightest rebuff could cause him to shift and hurt someone.
She had to wait until they were out of town before confronting him about Garin. After grabbing her things, she walked back outside. He was waiting for her. His smell was pungent. She knew he was on the verge. She forced a smile.
“How was your night? I got caught in the crowd.” She said, walking down the steps towards him. His eyes were wild as they rove over her.
“Mine wasn’t great,” he replied. She saw that his features trembled, quickly shifting from humane to lupine.
“Well, let’s get out of here,” she said and slid into the car. She didn’t want to be this close to him, but she had to get him out of here. He got into the car with her and his smell overtook her. While it wasn’t repulsive, it certainly wasn’t enticing.
The drive was silent for a minute as they wove through the thinning streets towards the dirt road that lead to Willow’s house.
“So, I met your little friend tonight,” Lyall said to her, the streetlights fading as they pulled out of town. The only light the mocking white moon above.
“Oh?” Willow asked, keeping her voice level.
“Garin,” he sneered. “I think he has a crush on you.” He eyed her.
“I highly doubt that. He is a Brochade,” she replied not meeting his eyes.
“He said he was meeting you there tonight,” Lyall accused. She scoffed.
“He really must be delusional. Must be because I was polite to him at the café. You know how the Brochades are, they think they are entitled to everything and that everyone should bow at their feet,” she replied haughtily.
“I’d say so. He threatened me. He told me I should leave you alone,” Lyall lied, gauging her reaction.
“Why would he do that?” she asked, her mind whirring. It didn’t make sense.
“I told him I was your fiancé and he just snapped. I think he wanted to fight me.”
Color burned on Willow’s cheeks.
“He really must be crazy,” she said. So that’s what happened. Lyall and thinking he has some type of claim on me. She ground her teeth together but knew that she only had to placate him until they were at her house. Then he would shift and join the other males outside of town and go hunting. She would sort things out with Garin then.
Her house was a welcome beacon as they came over the hill. He pulled into her driveway. She unbuckled quickly.
“Well, have fun tonight,” she called to him, opening the car door. He shut off the ignition and her adrenaline flared. She knew he could smell the change.
“I’m not hunting tonight,” he said getting out of the car.
“Oh, why not?” she asked, dreading whatever was going to come out of his mouth.
“Because I want to spend time with you. You haven’t given me the time of day since I’ve been here,” he stalked behind her as she hurried to her front door.
“I told you, the week of the festival is the busiest week all year but now it’s over, so I can see you tomorrow,” she opened the door and slid inside. She went to close it and his hand slammed against it, stopping her.
“I’m coming in,” he said, his features flickering quickly. She sighed and held the door open. Smugly he strode in as if he owned the place. She would already have to burn strong candles to get his odor out as soon as he left.
She tossed her purse and coat onto the bench beside the door.
“I’m just going to be going to bed,” she said, arms crossed.
“Good,” he leered at her.
“You’re welcome to stay down here. There’s food in the fridge,” she turned to go, and his hands wrapped around her waist, pinning her against the door. His breath was fetid against her cheek, it reeked of stale beer and cooked meat.
“What are you doing?” she asked calmly, hoping to diffuse the situation but she felt the power of the moon singing in her veins. While Lyall was the victim of its call, she was its goddess.
“Doing what we should’ve done years ago,” he breathed heavily against her neck and shoved his knee between her legs, shoving them apart.
“And what’s that exactly?” she whispered.
“You're mine. You belong to me. It’s time like you acted like it,” he said, pressing her hard against the door and clawing at her pants.
“This isn’t the way to do it.” She replied, tamping down the wolf inside that begged to be freed.
“I won’t have you refuse me again,” he hissed against her neck, his breath hot. He ripped the button from her jeans, his hands fumbled with her waistband. She closed her eyes and let the power seep into her skin and settle into her bones. She felt every cell in her body come alive with it. When he looked back at her face, his eyes widened in confusion and fear.
She had transformed so swiftly, he hadn’t noticed. Her long snout curled back into a snarl and she roared, shaking the windows of the house. Lyall lost his fragile grip on his humanity and was forced to shift, his bones cracking painfully as they rearranged. Black fur rippled across his skin and with a shake of his head, he was a wolf.
Willow rose over him, nearly double his size. She had to crouch to fit into the hall, her raised hackles brushing along the beams in the ceiling. She stalked towards him. He cowered, lowering his face as she growled deeper, forcing him to submit.
How dare you! You attempt to rape me in my own home? To just take what you want? I’ll never be yours. Never! I break our engagement. You are no longer welcome in the home of the Bittermane clan. Learn your place!
Her words beat him lower to the ground until his shaking body was pressed against the floorboards.
Leave now or I will tell the council of your flagrant disregard of our laws! She snapped above his neck, her teeth shearing off some of his fur. He quickly scrambled through the front door. His tail between his legs. She followed and stood on the porch, watching his retreating form dash through the field and into the woods.
She looked towards the orb in the sky and howled. She knew what this new power was flowing in her veins.
She had become the alpha.