Ch. 2

CHAPTER TWO:

~Drake:

Blood splattered from my mouth as a fist made contact with my jaw, and I hit the edge of the bar. Had I been human, it would’ve knocked the wind out of me or maybe meant a concussion. I laughed and spit the blood on the ground. The small crowd that had gathered around us in the bar started jeering, ecstatic at this fight that had broken out. I came here to this place at the edge of town to let off some steam, and I can’t say it wasn’t easy to find some jerks here to start a fight with. Yes, I could’ve taken them out several minutes ago, but where was the fun in that? End it so early I have to go find more trash people? Eh.

“I fuing KNEW it!” the frat boy yelled in victory. “Can’t handle sh!”

He thought this was over. He was turning his back. His buddies congratulated him and patted him on the back. God this idiot talked too much.

“You all need to get the fu** out of this bar!” the older guy behind the bar yelled.

I held back my wolf, who thirsted for blood and wanted to end this.

Just take this guy out already, Dane barked harshly in my head. I shook him off.

The crowd started to dissipate, thinking this was done.

I charged at the prick with a bit of force, not anywhere near my full strength, but more than enough to f*** up a human, tackling him to the ground. I started to wail on his chest and face. His arms came up trying to defend himself, and he was failing. His friends were pulling on my arms trying to slow my attack. After another punch to his jaw, I let them. They dragged, or tried, to drag me off of him and I leaned back on my heels to give them the illusion that they could move me at all. I was one heavy, dense son of a bi***. The crowd recollected.

“The cops are on their way!” The bartender yelled toward us, “LEAVE! ALL OF YOU!”

Sitting on the ground I looked up, it appeared they now all wanted to take me on. Their friend was rolling on the ground, groaning in pain and holding his jaw. Hopefully they’ll run at me all at once. This just got more entertaining. The heavyset friend came charging at me as I went to stand, I held out my hand to grab his shirt, and slammed him to the ground as I continued my charge. Three other guys ran at me. The furthest one on the right had his arm wide open for grabbing, and I reached out and twisted it in an instant, using a little wolf speed. He screamed out in pain as I punched a wide left swing across the face of the guy all the way to the left, and finished with a clean uppercut with my right arm on the one in the middle.

I soaked in the endorphins being released from this fight, and cracked my wrists. Waiting to see if any of them would get up.

Oh yeah, impressive. Beating up a bunch of dumb weak humans, Dane said sarcastically. What would our mate think?

Yeah well, we don’t have one, I barked back at him. He was convinced we had a mate, I was convinced she wasn’t out there.

My hearing picked up sirens. Cops were on their way. Leaving a wad of cash at the counter, I hurried out the back door.

“For damages,” I gruffly said to the bartender as I left. He just squinted his eyes at me.

I wasn’t completely thoughtless.

Could’ve fooled me, Dane commented.

I had come out here to let go of everything after my last meeting with my Alpha. He was displeased with my performance lately and the tone of that hypocrate’s voice as he went down the line on everything I did - I just about busted the back of the chair I was sitting on as I gripped it and tried to rein myself in. I had always been hot headed, and as a werewolf that wasn’t necessarily out of character, but my anger was bigger than my body - and I was not a small man. On top of my quick anger, my aura was something dark and dangerous that I had to constantly keep reined in. Something my family was forced to deal with once I got my wolf at the age of 16.

Firstly, wolves usually didn’t appear until the full moon after a person’s 18th birthday. Secondly, when I shifted, my wolf radiated the strongest Alpha energy my dad had ever heard of. Thirdly, it was a strongly dark aura, like an extreme evil Vampire vibe - which was straight up unheard of in wolves.

My mother had always been a bit intuitive, and knew my real self would bring on some kind of doom and gloom. She had saved the pack in the past a few times before, feeling an attack by Rogues before it happened, and a storm before it struck. I loved my mother and trusted her, so we did as she said. We hid my odd early shift, and the strong dark energy that lived in my blood. Thankfully we were away on a camping trip when I shifted, and after extending our trip with a little white lie to our Alpha, we spent two solid weeks working with a local witch,  trying to suppress my aura. I was instructed to conceal my wolf until I turned 18.

I made it outside and walked to the woods, stripped and threw my clothes into a bag before shifting. The sound of a branch crunching far off stilled me, and I focused my eyes far ahead to see a wolf. Large, light gray, and with dark eyes. Archer. He ran up to me, shifting.

“And where the fu** have you been? At another therapy session? How is Dr. Fist lately?” Archer asked with an impressive attitude for his rank.

“Does it matter?” I asked, an eyebrow raised. “I was just about to head back.”

Archer swept the hair out of his face and sighed, exasperated. I grinned.

“Yeah, yeah. You enjoy giving your only friend an aneurysm now and again. I’m aware,” he added. “Look, I only came out here because you’re out of link range and Alpha Rafael is in a tizzy looking for you. Dude is so old school, I don’t know why he won’t let us use cell phones. Seriously.”

“Ugh, great,” I grunted. “Well, let’s not keep His Majesty waiting.”

We shifted and started our run through the forest. My pack lived by the El Dorado National Forest near Lake Tahoe. Currently leaving Tahoe City, it would take about 50 minutes before we were in range to link the pack. Dane and I pushed the limits of speed charging back, enjoying the movement. It wasn’t as addictive as beating the sh** out of someone, but it was good to move.

Feeling Archer falling behind, we linked his wolf Magnus, I’ll meet you there, probably best we arrive separately anyway.

We let ourselves really loose then. The feel of the cold, compact dirt beneath our paws, and the pain of pushing our heart and muscles to the brink felt great as we continued whipping around pine trees. Losing ourselves in the run.

I was within range in half an hour.

Goddmmit! Drake! Answer me! Alpha Rafael demanded via link

Yes Alpha I replied, like a good little soldier.

We will discuss this affront later! I need you here to deal with this issue! Where are you? He barked at us.

I rolled my eyes as I continued my run, now slowing my pace a bit. Enjoying the burn of my muscles.

Just by Echo Lake, Alpha, I replied to him.

Head into Kyburz. There’s a delegation arriving there from Silver Moon, he commanded. No explanation. I was used to this though.

Yes, Alpha, was all I replied.

What could this be about? We rarely spoke to Silver Moon, let alone saw them in person.

If we’re lucky, Alpha is marrying off that goddess-awful daughter of his, Dane suggested, making me snort.

She was fine really, but her constant unwelcome advances had grown tiresome the last few years.