A Wolf Scorned by Taylor Spratt

Amira

“Take your dirty hands off her, Tommy. I’ll tell my dad if you don’t,” Riley bellowed as Paul wrapped his arm around her neck, restraining her.

Tommy held me painfully by my hair, wrenching me higher off the ground like a fork lift.

“Come on, Riley. Why do you keep hanging out with this half-breed? You should be hanging out with your own kind. Aren’t you scared her stink will rub off on you?” Tommy said to Riley as his brother pinned me to the lockers by my hair.

“Let go of me, shit for brains,” I cursed, planting a kick in Paul’s oversized chest, which he barely even seemed to register.

“'Shit brain?' Is that the best you can come up with?” he laughed, pulling my hair so tight it stung my scalp. I swung a punch at his cheek and it connected to make an audible ‘pow’. The smile melted from his face.

Guess that one hurt.

The next thing I knew I was flying down the hall like a bird, before abruptly landing on the floor and rolling like a bowling ball along the ground. Pain flowed through my side, back, and face. I’d stopped moving but the room was spinning and all I could hear was the thunderous sound of Riley’s fiery protests.

“What are you four up to? Didn’t you hear Alpha Logan called an assembly?” Beta Bradley strolled into the hallway, twirling a set of keys around his finger. He shot me a glare where I laid disheveled-looking on the floor.

“We were just teaching that big mouth a lesson. She brought shame to the Alpha and the pack by refusing the offering,” Paul argued.

“She didn’t refuse the offering; she gave it willingly just like everyone else,” Riley piped up, struggling against Paul’s vise-like grip.

“But she did try to refuse. She made a mockery of the offering by complaining.” Tommy creeped closer to me, growling at me with such fervor you could see his fangs. He then balled his fists, ready to punch me.

Painful as it was, I rose to my feet, refusing to go down without a fight. Because Beta Bradly sure as fuck wasn’t going to help me against Tommy.

“Want some, bitch boy?” I planted my hand at my side and threw my hair back. “Come get some. I’m not scared.”

Tommy snarled and his pace toward me changed from a creep to a jog.

“Hold it right there, Tommy. The Alpha's commands come first. Kill the half-breed later, if you must.”

“If you touch her, I will end you.” Riley sank her teeth into Paul’s arm and he yelped, pulling his arm away.

“Compose yourself, Riley or your father will hear about this,” Beta Bradley warned Riley. She went silent even as her eyes beamed with rage.

“Come, Riley. You must stand with your mother and father at the assembly.” Ignoring me, Bradley cut a path toward Riley.

Paul handed Riley over to Beta Bradley and he carried her screaming and kicking from the hallway.

Tommy and Paul reluctantly filed past me, following behind Beta Bradley like obedient puppies. Their eyes never left mine as they passed and the poisonous hatred oozing from them left a bitter taste in the back of my throat.

“We’ll deal with you after the mating ceremony, half-breed,” they said in unison.

“Shall we make it a date then, boys? You bring the flowers and I’ll wear something nice.” I shot them both a wink and they snorted, running along to catch up with Beta Bradley.

“We’ll see if you’ve still got jokes in you when we’re done with you.” Those were their final words as they left me alone in the school hallway.

Well the jokes on you two dipshits. I’ll be long gone by then, on the surface roaming free, happy as a pig in mud. So you two will just have to find a new punching bag.

* * *

I brushed myself off,left the school and headed toward the pack room for the assembly. I’m not exactly a stickler for the rules but the last thing I needed was another entitled Beta catching me out here in the tunnels while I should be at the assembly.

The tunnels were darker than usual with many of the overhead fluorescent lights too old and unmaintained to function.

Roaming through the dirt tunnel, my sensitive nose was assaulted by the stale musty air. The sound of termites and ants crawling about the walls was all that could be heard. And with every passing minute, I was reminded why beings with such heightened senses of smell and hearing, like wolves, shouldn't live underground.

By Goddess Selene, how I hated insects. Hated them more than anything else. I never could keep those nasty little things out of my room no matter how hard I tried.

The dusty wooden sign hanging from the ceiling up ahead read, ‘Now entering West Mines.’ I wasn’t far now.

*Snap*Snap*

I shifted on my heels and spun around to scan the dark cavern behind me.

What was that?

“Is someone there?” My eyes shifted frantically through the dark and, holding my elbows, I took a few steps back. “Hello?”

Great job, Amira. Now you're being stalked by tunnel hooligans again. These were wolf shifters who hung out in the loneliest caves just so they could stir up trouble for whoever they found mulling around alone.

Well they wouldn’t be getting me. I’d tasted enough ground for one day.

I turned and started running deeper into the West Mines tunnels. My boots kicked up dirt as I went at top speed, zipping through the stale mine air.

The roar of footsteps came alive behind me and I didn’t dare look back. I just kept going, knowing that soon I’d see the big, red, wooden double doors of the pack room, and then at least I wouldn’t be alone.

The prick of what felt like an icy finger swept across the back of my neck. The footsteps grew louder and my heart roared in my chest. Whoever was behind me appeared to be almost on top of me.

With no choice left, I spun around to face my stalkers head on.

“You want a piece of me, huh? You cowards?” My voice echoed down the tunnel but there was no one there and nothing to be heard but the hum of the lamp that shone white light above my head. I sighed in relief, figuring I’d just been paranoid and turned to continue my journey towards the pack room.

I didn’t make it two strides however, before my face hit what felt like a stone wall. A wall in the middle of the tunnel?

My head tilted back. I’d actually walked right into the wide chest of a man. A man who just happened to be well over seven feet tall, with shoulders so broad you could land a plane on them.

His white long sleeve shirt and black pants strained to contain the sheer power of his oversized muscles.

My breathing stalled like an engine the moment my eyes reached his face. Never in my life had I seen a man so beautiful.

His hair was a honey auburn, shiny and bouncy, combed back neatly. He had a squared jaw, thick masculine eyebrows, and cherry pink lips, the shade you’d only see on models.

His deep-set eyes were a blue I’d only ever seen in picture books.

It was the same majestic blue of an ocean; clear, clean, and all encompassing. So seductive it could pull you in, drown you, and still you would ask for more.

He was- he was in every way imaginable….perfection.

At that moment I felt a strange pressure in my chest, one I’d never felt before. It was like something in my soul had been awakened.

“Are you going to stare at me all day or would you like an introduction?” His voice was deep yet still had that sweet smoothness to it that felt to the ear like milk and honey tastes to the tongue.

He smiled, giving me his hand. I shook it, and I started mumbling something that even I didn’t understand.

“I’m sorry, is that German? I’m a little rusty.”

“Um, no…. sorry. I meant to say ‘hi, I’m Amira’.” Embarrassed, I released his hand and rubbed the back of my head.

“Well, Amira, you smell delightful. What, if you don’t mind my asking, are you?” His beautiful blue eyes scanned me from head to toe and my cheeks burned red from the power of his scrutiny.

“I’m a wolf of course, what else would I be?” I straightened my back, trying not to show my insecurity around a man so perfect.

“Oh no, dear Amira. You are so much more than that.” He took my hand in his and gave it a kiss, his eyes never leaving mine.

At that moment I could have melted but I somehow managed to keep it together as I thanked this he-wolf.

“You smell pretty interesting yourself, Mr...?”

“Syrus. I’m Syrus and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He gave a gentlemanly bow.

“How come you smell so fresh, Syrus? Which mine zone are you from?”

“Oh dear, girl. I’m from up there.” He jabbed his index finger up at the ceiling.

“You mean you're from West mines. First floor? Your rank must be crazy high if you live there. Are you a Beta?”

He gripped both his sides and started laughing. He then wiped a tear from his eyes as I stood utterly confused.

“I’m not from the mines. I’m from the surface.”

I squinted my eyes and tilted my head to the side, sure I must have heard him wrong. No one from the surface was allowed into the mines. And I’d never met a single exception to that rule.

“Even if a surface dweller could get down here, why in the world would you want to?” I asked.

“I’ve come on a special mission and I’m hoping you can help me with it.” He tugged a handkerchief from his pocket and gently patted away the dirt from my face and neck from when I’d been attacked.

“Me?”

He obviously didn’t know how low ranked I was. He must have mistaken me for a Beta’s daughter or something. I wasn’t a deceitful person, a large part of me didn’t want to say anything to make him want to stop talking to me..

“Look. I wish I could help you, but I have no power down here. Maybe I can get my friend Riley to help you.”

“I am not interested in Riley. You are the one I want, little wolf.” He shot me a seductive smile and planted the pad of his palm gently on my cheek to wipe a drop of blood from my forehead with his thumb.

My heart did a somersault in my chest and I got lost in his blue eyes.

There had to be a gas leak in here. I had to be hallucinating right now. Was this angelic-looking man flirting? With me?

“I smell the intruder up ahead! Hurry men, he’s this way.” The ground shook from the weight of a dozen he-wolves armed to the hilt, storming their way toward us, coming from the direction of the pack room.

“Well, until next we meet, little wolf.” Syrus kissed my hand once more and fled in the opposite direction of the guards.

I leaned back against the tunnel walls and watched as the guards raced after him. The guards didn’t even notice I was there. All they cared about was catching Syrus.

Oh my God, he really was a surface dweller.

A deep pressure burned in my chest just like it had the moment I saw Syrus for the first time. I’d originally thought it was just nerves but it felt like something more. But what?

Little by little, I started to feel emotions that for some reason didn’t quite feel like my own. I did feel excitement and a bit of anxiety at meeting a cool new stranger from the surface.

But this thing in my chest felt caged and restless instead. It was like another entity had taken up residence within me.

I half wondered if I was going crazy and then I heard it. A sound like I never thought I would ever hear. Was that a howl? Did I just hear a howl?

Goddess Selene in the heavens above! My wolf! Has she awakened?