Alpha Ryker's Little Witch

My eyes swept over the dark green forest of steady ancient majestic trees standing tall on the ground. The deep green plant life had a calming effect on my eyes, mind, and soul. It was always amazing to look at the green moss engulfing the tree bark every time I came here.

I spent most of my free time in this particular part of the forest, away from the prying and judgmental eyes of my pack members. It was my perfect getaway from the busy life in the pack.

The treetops swayed in the wind, crashing and bumping against each other. There was something peaceful about sitting on the crinkly forest floor, resting my back on a gnarled tree.

I lifted my face, staring at the canopy that only allowed a few scattered afternoon sunrays to filter through. The minimal mellow sun penetrated through the different shades of green leaves, lighting up the ground with polka dots.

The pack members avoided this part of the forest, but I loved it. It meant that I wouldn't deal with werewolves running or passing by and disturbing my peace. The werewolves were creatures of absolute freedom and suckers for nature, especially forests. While they enjoyed going for runs and hunting, they didn't like passing by this particular spot.

They knew where there was enough prey to satisfy their hunting thrill. Lucky for me, this wasn't one of the prey-invested places. Most pack members didn't like me because I was not of their kind. I was the only witch amongst them, and it had remained so since my parents passed away.

What the pack didn't know was that I could tell what each of their hearts harbored. Their characters were visible and clear to me by the small clouds that hovered over their heads.

Some pretended to be kind-hearted and loving, but their clouds, which were grey in color, showed something different—something more sinister and full of malice. The color of their clouds represented their traits.

I saw through each of their facades, but never once did I let them know. It was my secret. A secret that my mum begged me on her death bed to guard and protect. She made it clear that my mate would be the only person that I could trust.

I had learned how to block the clouds over time. I had mastered the art of switching off the part of my mind that projected all these images. I only switched it on once in a while, usually when I wanted to put my mind to work.

Seeing people's traits wasn't the only gift I possessed. I could use my fingers to light up a fire and put it out. I could move things with my mind, but that always ended up draining the energy from my body. Healing was also a gift I had, and the side effects depended on the extent of the sickness.

I watched as birds twittered and flew from tree to tree, landing gracefully on the branches. I enjoyed listening to their dulcet songs. The sounds always brought forth a smile on my face.

The woodsy smell of the forest floor was unique and caused by the fallen rotting tree branches. I drew in a long breath, breathing in the earthy scent as I enjoyed the gentle caress of the cool breeze on my cheeks.

This was indeed satisfactory. Being away from the insults and the recurrent rude remarks refreshed me. Goddess knew I needed this peaceful alone time once in a while. I had never wronged anyone in the pack. In fact, I had only helped them. Time and time again, I would help heal the injured pack members, especially the warriors.

But as the saying goes, the gratitude of a donkey is a kick. It was no use thinking about them when nature was capable of making me smile. Perhaps their ill treatment toward me would someday come to an end, just like the leaves that fall on the ground and gradually rot. New ones always sprout on the trees.

I was lost in my thoughts when I heard the crunching of the crinkly leaves and grass. Listening in closely, I could determine the number of footsteps padding on the ground. There were at least two people moving toward my direction.

I didn't want to risk anything. They could be bad people, and there was no way I was waiting there to find out. I could have held my own and defended myself, but I always avoided such situations. I hated confrontation with my whole being and today wasn't going to be the day I suddenly liked it.

In an instant, I jumped onto the lowest branch of a tree, gripping it with my right hand. My left hand was on the trunk with my thighs on either side of it. I had done this so many times with my late father. I had no problem using my upper body strength and calves to push myself up the tree. I climbed up gracefully and quickly to avoid being seen by the approaching party.

The tree was bushy. Its dark green leaves were so big that it was easy to hide in between them and go unnoticed. I always masked my scent so nobody would detect me up here, werewolf or not.

Once I was further up in the tree, I made myself comfortable on one of the branches behind the leaves. I was confident no one would see me here unless they were specifically looking for me.

Even before I looked down at the ground, I heard weak, despairing, feminine whimpers. The sounds were so soft and feeble, they were barely audible. When I finally looked down, my eyes grew wide as they took in the scene. The shock, however, wore off quickly and was replaced by uncensored anger.

Below me on the ground was a petite girl around my height—maybe 5 ft. She was a sobbing mess with her arms tied behind her back with what seemed like rope.

Her clothes were torn and tattered, clearly by claws. Her brown hair stuck to her face and some strands were caught in between her thin pale lips.

A stench of dried blood hit my nose. I confirmed the smell by looking at the bruises on her arms and legs.

A large hand with a veiny arm gripped her right elbow, holding her in place. Her feeble attempts to break free from the monster of a man were futile. She was firmly held, and clearly there wasn't going to be a miraculous escape for her. The owner of the hand was a tall individual, 6 feet or more.

Even from this height, I could see how his eyes bulged out of their sockets. His nose was slightly crooked. His hair was surprisingly kempt, but his menacing smile was clearly that of a dangerous person.

His presence commanded a dark evil power that sent chills down my spine, but I wasn't one to back down. I had an advantage over him because he didn’t know about my presence.

The girl wouldn't look at him. She only kept begging. She was barely audible. Her voice sounded hoarse—probably from crying or screaming too much.

I needed to help this girl and I needed to do it fast. I watched as he pushed her to the ground with her hands still tied behind her back.

He didn't utter a word. His expression didn't falter at the girl's cry for mercy. He had a determined look on his face. He was on a mission—a mission that he was set on completing—but not in my presence.

He tore the girl's dress completely, leaving her bare for him to do as he wished. But again, not when I was watching.

My fingertips were burning, ready to light up this evil man and burn him to ashes. But I couldn't allow myself to lose control. Otherwise, I'd end up lighting up the entire forest and hurting the poor girl even further. I needed to try and climb down the tree as stealthily as possible.

I wanted to look him dead in his eyes as he gasped for his last breath. Goddess, here I was thinking about killing him when I had never taken any life before, not even that of an insect. But the girl's appearance stirred something in me.

His actions disgusted me, and the helpless girl lying on the leafy forest floor ignited a rage in me. As much as I tried applying patience, the need to protect overcame my control, and without thinking twice, I jumped down, landing gracefully on the ground.

His frame turned in my direction as my landing caught the man's attention. He was surprised at first, but he quickly changed to something different and sinister. His nose flared up before a series of loud sniffs from him filtered over the sound of the birds and other small creatures.

“No smell on you. Masked it?” His menacing voice filtered over the girl's cries, stirring a feeling of revenge in the pit of my stomach.

“Hmmmm,” he hummed before continuing. “Doesn't matter. More pussy for me,” he uttered in a sick, grave voice that cultivated even more rage inside of me.

I snarled in return, looking deep into his unblinking dark eyes. They were just two balls of nothingness except, of course, malicious intent.

I had no use talking to him. My fingers were letting out small sparkles. Either he couldn't see the sparkles, or he just ignored them.

I cast one look at the girl. She was still sobbing but looking at me with terror in her eyes. She was afraid for me—afraid for my life and not hers.

Her cloud was pink. This girl was kind, selfless, loving, caring. Even when her life was on the line, she was still terrified for me.

“I'm going to enjoy fucking the two of you.” He snaked his tongue over his shrunken, dry lower lip.

“And I'm going to have fun killing you.” The voice was deep, commanding, and more powerful than the evil man’s voice. The thunderous, crippling sound of it captured our attention.

As our heads turned at almost the same time, Alpha Ryker, a god among men, emerged from the trees. His long strides were calculated and heavy on the forest floor as he approached. I hadn't even heard him approach, and by the look on the man's face, he hadn't either. How had he managed to be so stealthy?

His aura was like a powerful storm. It alone forced us to kneel on one knee, eyes cast down to the ground. We recognized him as the Alpha, the leader. His boot-clad feet finally came to a halt in front of the captor.

“We meet again.” There was a pause in his cold statement as his face twitched in pure, unfiltered anger. “Jax,” he addressed the man as his lips pulled into a malicious smile.

The man, Jax, looked utterly terrified. His empty black eyes now showed raw fear. I swore I could see his frame shaking in the Alpha's presence.

I had never felt such relief in my life as the Alpha towered over us with his unwavering, fiery gaze fixed on the man on his knees. After another whimper from the girl, the Alpha turned his gaze to us, briefly looking at the girl before finally looking at me.

His expression wavered briefly before he blinked then turned back to Jax.

“Let the fun begin,” Alpha Ryker smirked.

And then he lunged.

I stood by my bedroom window, watching as the sun gradually dipped below the horizon. The twinkle in my eyes was a clear appreciation of nature even as my mind ruminated over the day's events.

The heat brought forth by the yellow star began to ebb away, leaving behind a warmth that promised a good night.

The setting sunbeams of light scattered across the horizon, leaving the sky ablaze with the fire. It was an undeniably beautiful sight. The sun rays painted the sky with a mixture of red and orange. The colors blended well with my yellow window curtains that were neatly drawn.

Watching the sun sink deeper brought some peace to my mind. The beautiful natural sight helped me push back the horrible images my very eyes had been subjected to earlier.

***

Earlier That Day:

I watched as the Alpha lunged, shifting mid-air into a midnight black wolf. The four-legged monster shook its fur, snarling at the man. The massive wolf went straight for the man's nose, separating it from his face.

My eyes refused to blink as the man writhed and slithered in pure agony. The evil smirk on his face had been totally wiped out by the Alpha.

The sudden rapid flow of blood left my insides churning. My stomach contracted into a tight ball, forcing my throat to gag on my own bile. My wide eyes fed on the terror that unfolded, refusing to wander off. No matter how much I tried to look away, my vision remained transfixed with horror.

The screams of pain and hurt from the once brave man left a light ringing in my ears. I watched as he moved his right hand to where his nose had been, trying desperately to press on that particular spot.

The Alpha had different plans though. He went for the man’s right hand, then embedded his sharp canines into the wrist and chewed it off. The amputation brought Jax to his knees, watching in horror as the big werewolf shook its head and threw his hand away.

He had a painful yet pleading look that disgusted me. He had shown the girl no mercy. There was no doubt in my mind that had we not intervened, he would have hurt her once again and killed her. So why was he pleading for the one thing he refused to grant the poor girl?

Speaking of the girl, I briefly turned to look at her. I expected her to throw up from the amount of horror the Alpha was unleashing. Instead, her previously fearful eyes showed some twinkle. She relished in the torture of her previous tormentor. She loved how the Alpha was killing the man painfully.

Just then, my attention was brought back to the Alpha and his victim. I watched in slow motion as the wolf's claws ripped off Jax's trousers, leaving behind blood-covered claw marks.

My mind refused to comprehend what was happening as Alpha Ryker's animal looked straight into the fearful eyes of the man. He then dipped his head, embedding his canines deep between the man's legs.

He bit off his manhood.

Jax's agonized, prolonged scream pierced my ears. It was so loud and deafening that pack members ran straight to where we were. They had heard it clearly, and by the looks on some of their faces, they were happy with what the Alpha had done.

The Alpha Wolf stood tall, acknowledging his pack members, looking around at his pack family. He was clearly asserting his dominance as he held his tail high.

He then sank his canines into the man's neck. I watched as life left the man's black eyes until the Alpha Wolf withdrew his teeth. His maimed body slumped over, bleeding out on the forest floor.

The Alpha’s loyal pack bowed before him, showing every ounce of respect they had for the man. They knew what he was capable of. It was all there for them to see.

That was a warning, and a very clear one at that. The Alpha Wolf then looked at his beta, who was amongst the crowd. He stilled for a few seconds as he mind-linked the beta, and then the Alpha walked away. The crowd made way for him to pass through in sheer silence.

Shortly, the beta walked over to us and carried the girl bridal style. That must have been what the Alpha was mind-linking him about. I was expecting the girl to put up a fight, seeing as she had gone through so much in the hands of Jax. To my surprise, she eagerly held on to the beta.

But as soon as their eyes met, the pack let out a collective gasp. Yellow light glowed around the two, and we all knew that glow showed one thing—the two were mates.

Soon the gasps turned into howls, which was a norm in the werewolf community. Every time mates discovered each other, we howled 5 times. But for alphas, we howled 7 times.

I didn't miss the looks of disgust the crowd was throwing my way. Of course, they would never acknowledge my attempt to help. I was used to it all, so I quietly began walking back to my parents' house.

I was happy because Jax hadn't hurt the beta's mate anymore and sad because the Alpha had defiled my peaceful place, the place that allowed me to think and relax.

Now blood scattered on the forest floor—the blood of a monster. No way I would step foot into that place ever again.

***

The Present:

As I stood by my window replaying what happened earlier, I noticed that for once in my life, I wanted to make a friend.

I wanted to get to know that girl. I wanted to help her through her pain. I wanted to heal her and make her feel whole again.

I was determined to know her name. It seemed that she was a member of this pack. But why hadn't I seen her before? I would indeed find out.

After watching the horizon turn from orange to red, I decided it was time to take a bath. My body needed it. Maybe the warm water would rinse off the day's horrible memories.

My bathroom was simple. Nothing was fancy about it with a single shower head and a normal bathroom sink below a mirror.

I took my time undressing as images of the Alpha flashed in my mind. I began feeling a bit weird. I mean, his whole profile excited me a little.

He was an attractive man, no question about that. But to think that I liked the way he addressed Jax had me questioning my sanity.

His cold stare had Jax trembling in fear, and that alone was a turn-on. The way his aura demanded respect from the vile rapist had my core throbbing.

Wasn't I supposed to be turned on by normal things though? I thought to myself.

I walked into the bathroom. I never closed the shower curtain since no one came to my house. No one would, so it was normal for me to walk around the house completely nude.

I turned on the shower and jumped right in. I enjoyed how the water drops cascaded down my back, and the temperature soon adjusted from cold to warm.

My eyes fluttered shut as I listened to the sound the water made as they came into contact with the tiled bathroom floor.

The warmth of the water massaged my body. Some streams formed and ran all the way down my legs.

Pictures of Alpha Ryker invaded my mind again, sending waves of heat down my spine and leaving goosebumps behind.

I was a woman with needs, and my body wasn't having it. Pictures of the Alpha occupied my mind and subdued my body, holding it captive with want. I gave in, and at that moment, I knew nothing else but bliss.

My toes curled on the bathroom floor, and I trapped my lower lip in between my teeth.

“You're so fucking sexy, little witch.”

That voice—that deep, sensual, dominant voice—stopped me.

“What?!” The exclamation passed between my lips unintentionally as my head turned to where the voice had come from.

That's when I saw him.

Oh my fucking goddess. The Alpha stood at the entrance of the bathroom. He was clad in a black t-shirt that hugged his muscular upper body. The outline of every ridge was visible under the shirt.

His strong thighs were covered in black jeans. The look was completed with a pair of black combat boots.

Edible. That was what my mind concluded about his appearance. Feeling slightly cold, I remembered I was totally bare before a man—and not just any man but the Alpha. To say I was embarrassed would be an understatement.

I jumped straight for the towel, forgetting that the floor was wet. My wet feet slid on the floor, carrying my body forward. I braced myself for a fall, but all I felt were warm hands under my breasts.

The Alpha held me in place, saving me from embarrassing myself even more. My towel had slipped just below my armpits, and my entire body recognized the foreign intrusion.

The warmth of his large hands seeped into my body, jumbling my thoughts.

His gaze, however, never left my face. His eyes never looked down like I hoped they would. It was a disappointment to me, no doubt about that. After a few seconds, he helped me stand up. I immediately pulled the towel over my upper body.

“Janette wants to see you,” he said after taking a step back.

“Huh?” I had no clue who he was talking about. I was still reeling from what had transpired a few minutes earlier. I could still feel his arms holding me in place and his burning gaze on my face.

“The girl you wanted to risk your life for,” he stated calmly.

Wasn't he affected by what he just saw? Was he sexually defective? I mean, I was an attractive petite woman…or maybe I wasn't his type.

“I am very much affected.” He took my hand and placed it on the front of his slacks. “And I will make your imaginations come true soon.”

With that, he turned to leave, telling me that Janette was at the infirmary.

“And by the way, you are a very attractive woman.”