CHAPTER 4 Alpha of Mountain Crest

Jessica POV

I laid curled up against my mother's body for 30 minutes before I sensed someone had entered their room. I scented Zach, but just could not find it in me to care enough to look at him. I heard him approach the bed and sank to his knees.

"Jess…" He whispered.

Jasmine whined.

"I'm so sorry, I don't…" he choked.

Jasmine continued to whine. If people were unaware that wolves can cry, let me assure you that we can. Tears left Jasmine's eyes and coated the fur on her face.

"Liza…" Zach's voice cracked.

Jasmine lifted her to look at Zach. He knelt there; head bowed. His shoulders shook as he tried desperately not to lose control. I shifted back to my human form and sat up placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I left her, and she was safe. We fought the hunters, and she was fine. I felt... and... we just found her body…" Zach croaked.

Anger filled my body. There must still be a hunter out there, and it seemed he was picking us off.

"Zach…" I said tears falling from my eyes. This was not how I wanted to take over. I did not want to pick up the pieces of a broken pack to start my reign.

"We were trying for pups." He said, looking up at me. My heart lurched.

"Was she...?" I tried asking.

"I don't know. We had just started trying." He said. His eyes looked like empty voids. I didn't know how to console him.

Zach had unwittingly pulled me from my own despair. Now I had questions, and I didn't have time to sit around.

"Zach." I said, more firmly. He looked back up at me, questioning my tone, but his eyes were still empty. "Are you ready to find the culprit? Are you ready to be my Beta?" I asked. He looked around the room in defeat.

"The hunters are already dead, there is nothing more to do." He sighed.

"The hunters, yes. But how did they get here? Into the center of the pack? Into my parent's bedroom? Without alerting our sentries?" I asked him.

His brows knit together in confusion until understanding claimed his mind. I watched him steel himself against the tragedy of this day, his resolve clear in his eyes.

"I am your Beta. From today until I die." Was his only response.

"Good. Cause I am going to need you." I said as I stood up and walked out of the door, naked as the day I was born. Zach stood and followed me out.

"We need to choose a Gamma, as the current family was completely wiped out." Zach informed me.

"Do you have someone in mind?" I asked him, heading into my room to grab a robe.

"Three people actually, so we need to sit with them and discuss who is best." He informed me.

"Good. Gather them, then meet me in dads…" Dad is dead; I choked. "In my office."

"Yes, Alpha." He bowed, then walked outside. He wasn't officially Beta yet, but it was comforting to know he will do as I ask for the time being anyways.

I walked through the upper floor to my new office. I hated how that sounded. It wasn't a new shiny office special for me. It was my father's. And now he's dead.

I walked through the door just in time to see one of the soldiers I charged with protecting my mate holding Tyler at the wall by his neck.

"Who do you work for?" he demanded. Tyler was terrified. One of his eye's was swollen shut from a large bruise, blood coming from his nose and mouth. They were interrogating him!

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? I ORDERED YOU TO WATCH OVER HIM!" I yelled, allowing my Alpha voice to come out in full strength. The two soldiers immediately fell to the floor. I watched how they contorted themselves in a way so that they offered their necks to me in submission. Jasmine was livid.

"I will fucking kill them for touching mate!!" snarled over and over in my head.

"They will get what's coming to them." I assured Jasmine.

Tyler fell to the ground, gasping for air. He looked up at me, fear the ever-present emotion in his eyes.

"Jessica! What the fuck?!?" he gasped.

Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!!!

My life was falling apart around me!

"Tyler, my love! Are you ok?" I asked, coming closer. He scrambled away from me, pressing his back against the wall. Tears fell from his face. I knew. It was over between us. There was no coming back from this for us.

"What is going on?" he cried. I fell to my knees in front of him; I released the soldiers from my Alpha aura as well. I noticed Tyler seemed to relax a bit as well.

"There is so much to explain to you, and this..." I choked, waving my hand around the office. "This is the worst possible way I could've imagined this going." I said, numb.

Tyler was still scared, he kept staring at the two men that assaulted him in this room. We sat like that for a few minutes, until he tried moving to me. The two guards, now kneeling themselves growled at Tyler's advance. Tyler quickly retreated.

I snapped my attention to them. I get their Alpha was killed in an attack by hunters, and they were suspicious of Tyler, but did they not realize that I arrived with him, unharmed?

"On your feet." I looked at them. The two men stood. I stood with them and approached them.

Just then Zach walked in with three people. They must be the potential Gamma's. Tyler scrambled back, almost hiding behind a couch. Zach stopped, immediately assessing the situation.

"You two! Go cut down trees for seven funeral pyres! Use only steak knives!" he yelled at them. They looked at him with a complex look of fear, and defiance. Zach was not officially my Beta yet, so he couldn't command them. I stared at them, letting my aura seep enough for them to understand that they did have to comply.

"Yes, Beta." They said and scurried out the door.

I breathed deep, glanced at Zach, then returned my attention to Tyler. My heart broke seeing him cower away from me, eyes wide with fear. I fell to the floor. Zach, and the three individuals with him sat along the furthest wall away from Tyler.

"I am so sorry they touched you." I told him. "How do you want them punished?" I asked. His eyes bulged at the question.

"With death!" Jasmine growled.

"Punished?" Tyler mumbled. "Who are you?"

"I am Jessica Ridgewood, Alpha of Mountain Crest and leader of the werewolves here. This is Zacharia Gifford, my Beta and second in command." I informed him.

Tyler started laughing hysterically. "Like a commune!" he laughed. I was nervous. That was not a laugh made in humor. That is the sound of a man descending into madness.

He stood up. "God, do I wish you were in a cult now!". Tyler was still laughing, but now tears freely flowed. His laugh became sobs as he bent over. Then just as suddenly he started, he stopped.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?"