Alpha Rising: The Wolf Runs
Chapter 11

KRISNA

This land is so different from what I imagined. Being this close to the Redlands is something I didn’t think I would ever see, but now I feel like something is calling me there. Whatever the feeling is, I can’t seem to shake it.

Leaving Collin was hard, but I needed a breather, and my wolf needed one, too. The feelings that we are sharing is confusing to her. She doesn’t understand why this is so difficult. She doesn’t understand why her mates are not loving us the way that the wolf goddess intended.

When her ears perk up, I almost sigh. I wanted to sit and look at the little city of Redland city as I could without being seen. I didn’t realize that I would be this close to the city. It is beautiful. They covered the little city in homes that have orange roofing and a large building that is covered in red roofing, but they clearly distinguished it from the others, stating that someone important lives there.

I can’t imagine how they live, it seems like an overcrowded place with too much to going on. I wouldn’t even know where to run once I got my wolf, but from my knowledge, this land is full of humans. Though I have heard there is a witch who lives in the large home.

My wolf starts to move over the rocks where we were. Her ears are perked, and she is looking confused and I am slightly confused as I watch her. I follow slowly, seeing the hesitancy in her walk. Once over the taller rocks, I see him.

He is sitting on a rock, looking out over the tiny city. My wolf sits behind him and huffs, her nose nudging in his direction. Slowly moving towards him, I’m careful not to startle him and when his eyes meet mine, I swallow hard. He is gorgeous.

His blue eyes bore into mine with surprise. He has long, blond hair that hangs past his shoulders and from under his shirt, I can see the tattoo peeking out from under it. Standing and moving closer to me, he smiles. I don’t think he is a shifter, or I would have either seen him during the beginning or he would not be out here while the wolf run is still active.

That leaves only human. He must be from the Redlands, and it makes my heartbeat faster. I never met a person that wasn’t a shifter. I stand tall, not sure what to expect, but the smile across his face lets me know he is trying to make me uncomfortable.

“Hello.” He stops in front of me and I don’t move, not knowing what to do. My heart beating rapidly is also confusing. I shake my head, scratching it off as me meeting a pure human for the first time. “Do you speak?”

Again, my eyes meet his. I haven’t been in this situation before and the nerves are starting to get to me. My wolf nudges me and I look down at her. Again, her head points to this stunning man in front of me. I should speak, but I don’t know why I can’t get the words past my mouth.

“Okay, guess I will go.” The male turns to walk away when I finally replace my voice.

“Hello.” He pauses and looks over his shoulder at me. Turning fully back to me, he moves closer to me and smiles again.

“I’m Alore.” He holds his hand out to me and something so simply makes my heart race so fast that I don’t know why I am feeling this.

“I’m Krisna.” I slowly reach out and take his hand and the moment that we touch a spark so strong hits me, I drop it immediately.

“Shit.” He pulls his hand back and moves back from me. “This is not good.” He moves back farther and sits on a rock.

“What?” I move to the ground next to the rock he is sitting on. “You felt that?”

“It must be my clothing.” I can hear the lie as he says it. I think he knows it too. He is intriguing to me and, for some reason, he is almost a comfort. There is still the underlying of him being a human, so I make sure to keep my guard up.

“What is it like to live there?” I motion to the city, and he smiles at me.

“It can be fun, but I would rather live away from it. I would rather be free and not have to deal with…” His voice trails off and he doesn’t finish his sentence.

“Deal with what?”

“Deal with anything.” He gets silent again and looks over the rocks down to the city.

“Why are you up here?” I ask him. He doesn’t ask me where I am from.

“I needed to breathe.” He brings his knees up and rests his arms on them. “Down there, too much is asked of me, and being here with you is not the smartest either.”

“Why is that?”

He again doesn’t answer, so I leave him to his thoughts. We sit there in silence, and I just enjoy his company for a moment. I don’t know why I feel so comfortable in a stranger’s presence, especially a human. Maybe because I know he isn’t a shifter and I know he won’t attack me.

My wolf walks in front of him and sits down. I watch her and for a second, I see him look at her and my heart speeds up. Did he see my wolf? I watch him for a moment, and he doesn’t seem to see her, so I calm down and just enjoy the silence.

Alore stands and I follow him. He looks at me and his eyes travel over my face and my lips. I feel the heat from where his eyes touch. “It was nice to meet you, Krisna.”

“Nice to meet you too, Alore.” I smile at him, trying to keep the fact that I don’t want this interaction to come to an end.

“Don’t come to the city.”

“Why?”

“Just don’t okay.”

Nodding, I agree to his strange request, not really knowing why he is telling me not to come.

“Will I ever see you again?” A spark of hope hits me, and I pray to see him.

“I hope not.” He doesn’t explain and he just turns and walks away. I watch him until he is no longer in sight. As strange as this interaction was, I feel slightly comforted, and I feel I am ready to go back to my mates and continue this journey.

* * *

Alore

Ican’t believe I met her. The wolf my mother wants to capture for her own purposes. There was a spark there, and it was very unsettling. I have not heard a warlock having a spark with a shifter of. My mother said that her mother was mated to one, but I don’t believe that to be true, but now I am not so sure.

Her eyes were the color of golden brown, and they were eyes that I could get lost in. The calmness in her and the curiosity was enough to make me feel things I haven’t felt before. It was strange how drawn to her I was.

There is more here that my mother knows that she is not telling me, and with the conversation from the other night, I think I have some sort of idea. All the way home, I think of her. A part of me is more cooperative with her plan and another wants to make sure it never happens. But then I wouldn’t see her again.

There would be no reason for me to see her. I couldn’t walk onto shifter land. I think my magic would work, but I have never tested it against so many, and I know of at least two mates that she has. I know from shifter studies in school that shifter replaceing their mate is something incredible for them. It is a bond like no other. Mates would fight to the bitter end for each other.

Something like that sounds incredible. I have never loved someone like that. Hell, I barely try to even open myself up to anyone. Why would I when my mother is slightly crazy and everyone fears her. It was nice to talk to someone who didn’t know that I was the son of the crazy witch.

I love my mother, I do, but this plan of hers I need to know more about. I don’t know if it is just a revenge plot or a power move. A shifter has never been with another species that I am aware of, and if what my mother stated was true, the only known record was her mother being mated to one, but that she was rejected because the shifter didn’t want to be out of his race.

Granted, I am not like other humans. I have magic. I can do things no normal human can do. I have read and learned all I can and continue to do so, partly because I am scared of what the mind can do to my mom and I want to be prepared in case she really is crazy.

Once I make it back down the mountain, my sister Alana comes into view and when I am about to wave to her, I see her being pulled behind a building. Panicked, now I start to run towards her, only to stop when I hear her talking.

“Alana, just run away with me. There is so much more than this land. We can be together anywhere else but here.”

“You know I can’t right now, soon, but I have to wait until my mother is truly occupied with my brother. My dad forced her to come to my room the other day and apologize to me.” Their voices are low and the male voice is recognizable.

Taking a chance, I peek around the corner and have to smile when I see her personal guard leaning in to k**s her. I knew Alana had a crush on him but didn’t even see it coming from him, always so professional.

“You know mom would kill you if you left right.” I step into view and I swear the guard chokes on his own saliva in fear, reeling so quickly back from my sister that he slams into the wall of the house he was leaning on.

“Alore, please don’t tell mom.” Alana gives me a look, and the fear etched in her face makes me sad. I know she knows mother will be pissed if she knew Alana was seeing someone. Mother probably wants to marry her off to someone.

“Calm down Alana, I won’t tell, but you must come walk with me.” I motion to her to move to me and wait until she wraps her arm around me. Turning back to her guard, I look at him. “You have to follow, but stay at a distance. You can’t hear what I am saying. I want to speak privately.”

He nods his head and moves to a reasonable distance from Alana and gets back into duty mode, making sure someone doesn’t attack us on the street. I almost laugh as the thought crosses my mind. My mother thinks someone will try to hurt us because of who she is and I doubt anyone here would. They have known us all our lives and with the guards; I have fought and practiced with them, earning their respect.

“You promise you won’t tell mom?” Alana’s voice trembles with concern and I smile down at her, trying to reassure her that I won’t.

“I promise, but why do you want to leave here? You do not know what is out there. I won’t be there to protect you.”

Alana looks back at her guard for a moment. “Orell will protect me, and plus, I don’t need anyone to protect me. I know how to fight, thanks to you, brother.”

“I just worry about you, you know.” I squeeze her against me.

“I know you do, but mother has no use for me. I don’t have magic like you. Mother would care more if I was like her, but alas, I am not.” She laughs but I know she is masking the pain. Our mother barely tries with her, only when she is forced to by our dad.

“Dad will be so upset.” I remind her.

Sighing, she looks down at the ground. “I know, but I also know he would understand. I know he loves mom, but he has to force her to be with her daughter. He doesn’t even like what she is doing with you, but he tolerates it because she at least shows her love to one child.” Again, I can hear the bitterness in her voice. She is unhappy about her treatment. “How do I know you won’t tell mom?”

“You don’t trust me?” I raise an eyebrow at her.

“I do, but I feel you may slip. Tell me something.” Smiling again, I sigh as we move closer to the our home. This was something we would do when we were younger. A sort of plan that would prevent the other from ratting each other out.

“Fine, I know you know mom has a plan, and that she hasn’t told me very much, but the wolf she wants I met today.” My sister immediately pulls me to a stop and her mouth hangs open.

“YOU MET HER!”

“Shhh” I place a hand over her mouth. “Can you be any louder? I met her while I was over the rocks and a little past the borderline to our city. She was there as well, looking down at our city. We talked a little, and she was curious about me like I was for her.”

“Well, brother, you have my silence.” Alana giggles. “I promise my lips are sealed, but you have to tell me what she is looked like.”

I immediately think of her. “Her eyes are like golden orbs of brown liquid that I can sink into. She was fierce and beautiful and all I wanted to do was press my lips to her plump, kissable ones.”

“Whoa, I never heard you talk about a woman like that.” Alana stops me and she looks in my eyes and after a moment, she says. “Follow your heart brother, don’t let mother be the decider for your future.” Alana continues down the path and I watch her walk in the house before I continue on behind her.

She is right. What my mother wants I don’t, but now I have to figure out what to do to get out of this. I should go with Alana, help her pack her things and go with her and Orell. Once inside, I close the door and walk to my room. I have a lot to think about.

I have a plan, one that I have been working on. My mother gave me things to nullify the wolves but I took some of them apart and created a larger smoke bomb, one that will make them unable to shift on a larger scale.