Behind The Alpha Series Book 6 Oliver
Chapter 11

(Chapter song ‘You’re Going Down' by Sick Puppies)

OLIVER

I thought of chasing her. I wanted to, but I don’t think she’d tell me what was going on so, I went to the source. Paulie.

I walked into the bar and waited at the kitchen door. Paulie was tending bar and I figured I’d give him a little break.

He comes down to my end as I stand in wait.

I reach out, grab his shirt and pull him into the kitchen.

“What the hell?” He snarls as his brain tries to catch up. When he sees my angry eyes, he clams up.

I slowly look him over as he stares back with fear.

I meet his eyes. “What did you do to her?” I say low and eerily calm.

“What? What do…I didn’t…Who?” He stammers. His feet slip on the floor as he struggles in my pin.

“Jane. She left here…in tears. What did you do to her?” I tick my jaw as I tilt my head.

He gives me a confused look. “Nothing! Jane’s crying? I just told her to take out the trash. I-I didn’t do anything! Is she OK?”

“She’s gone.” I motion to the bar. “What about them? Anyone touch her?”

“I didn’t see anything.” He shook his head.

I glance out to the floor and don’t see anyone who looks like a problem.

I let him go. “Thanks.”

I turn to the back door.

“If ya replace her, tell her to get her ass back to work.” He says straightening his shirt.

I look over my shoulder at him. “I won’t do that.”

“Why?” his brow furrows.

“Because she just quit.” I grit and walk out of the bar.

I step outside into the night and walk around studying the scene. I wrap an arm around myself and rub my chin.

She looked panicked. Like something or someone was after her. She kept looking to the woods.

I stroll over to the treeline and search the ground. Squatting down, I move a leaf that’s been stepped on. It’s a paw print. Not a large paw print, but definitely larger than a natural wolf. I get the faint hint of dark, earthy spice and arch a brow.

“I smell you.” I whisper to the quiet forest. My sight floats under the canopy. I lick my lips. “I know you’re here.” I say to the other side. I actually don’t know if she’s still here, but my gut tells me she is.

Jane must have seen her and got scared. I can understand that. A girl her size wouldn’t stand a chance against a rogue, but what I don’t get is why didn’t she call it out. I was here. I could have taken care of it.

I brush the dirt off my hands and stand. I have to replace Jane then replace this rogue.

She seems to be able to evade the Enforcers.

I turn and head to my car. “Let’s see how well she evades me.” I growl.

****

The next morning, I head downstairs. I plan on going for a jog around the border to see if I can replace anything that might lead me to where she might be hiding.

I tie up my runners and grab a hoodie just as Ian comes out of the common room.

“Hey, gotta a minute?” He says as he sips his coffee.

I glance at him and do up my other shoe. “I will after you put that cup back in the kitchen.” I give him a warning glare.

“Ollie, knock off the nitpicking. It’s annoying.” He takes a drink and sticks his hand in his pocket.

I slowly stand, suck in my top lip and take big steps toward him with my fists clenched. I stitch my brows, tilt my head and glare. My Alpha waves off me and I know he can feel it.

He rolls his eyes and walks his cup back to the kitchen.

Grabbing my sunglasses, I put them on and wait for him to come back.

He sulks as he rejoins me at the front door.

I stand confidently. “Now, what did you want to talk about?”

“First, the Enforcers found a truck outside of town. Oliver, three people were found in the field beside it.” He says solemnly.

“I’m assuming it’s not a wreck.” I cross my arms.

“It’s a wreck. Not a car wreck, but it’s going to be difficult to identify them.” He mimics my stance.

“The rogue.” I state.

He nods. “Looks like.”

“Any evidence? Did they hurt it before getting shredded?” I ask.

He shakes his head no. “They never shifted. It looks like they were surprised. One guy had his heart ripped out. No defensive wounds, nothing. Like he just stood there and let it happen.”

I nod. “Any video?”

“It’s half a mile out of town so no.” He supplies.

“Alright. Clearly this rogue is hunting. It doesn’t make sense, but nothing does anymore. I want to be notified as soon as it’s seen.” I order.

I turn to the door. “There’s one other thing…”

I look back. “What?”

“Andy…” He says low. “He’s in the infirmary. He got stabbed, Ollie.”

I grab the handle. “I’m surprised he’s lasted this long.” I mumble and open the door.

“Ollie…” Ian starts.

I completely ignore him and jog off around the pack house to the woods.

Pushing Andy aside, I focus on this she wolf. There has to be a reason why she’s being so passive for a rogue. Killing three men isn’t completely out of character, but usually they set themselves up for suicide by now. It’s been several weeks and she hasn’t made any move against us? I need to replace out more.

I run up the path, under the canopy. My runners thump on the hardened dirt. The trees fly by as I sprint through them. The air is cooler today, but I’m working up a decent sweat.

Coming out of the woods, I stop on the road out of town. I lean on my knees as I look up and see the Enforcers investigating the murders. I realize how far out of town I am. Searching the trees across the way, I decide if I’m going to be bait, I might as well be in her sandbox.

With a skip in my step, I sprint across the road and rejoin the path on the other side.

I carefully run down hills and jump rocks. My wolf is wanting out, but not today. This little girl is shifting today. I want to be present when that happens.

I break through at a small clearing and stop to catch my breath. There’s a large boulder in the center of it that I walk to and lean on.

I swallow and wipe the sweat off my forehead when I smell it. Earthy spice.

I raise my head and freeze.

A low growl comes from behind the rock. You’ve got to be shitting me.

I hear the grass shuffle and I push off the rock. I spin around and start to back up. A small smirk grows on my lips as my runners push the long grass down with each slow step.

I see her nose first, then her paws as she stalks me from around the boulder.

Her lip curls and her eyes glow red. She’s covered in fresh blood and it flies off her as she shakes. She huffs as she eyes me.

I stop and lower my head. “Look at you. Baby bird. What you doing back there?”

She bares her teeth as she gets in between me and the rock. Her blood covered tail sways behind her. You can hardly tell she’s tricolored under the filth she’s wearing.

I can see her muscles flex and the rage in her eyes.

She takes a few more steps then lowers her head. Her paws flex and claw the dirt.

I move to my right and she moves too. She licks her lips as she walks. Drool hangs from the corners of her mouth.

“You’re a big girl, huh. We'll see about that.” I lift my hand and barks a snap at it. I don’t move.

Her fur stands on end and chest growls deep. The way she’s challenging me, she’s clearly rabid.

I lock eyes with her. “It’s cute you think you’re in control here, little girl.”

She barks another angry growl at me. She’s offended. Good. Let’s keep her that way.

She postures and I crack my neck. I stretch my back and crouch. Squaring up with her, I prepare myself for the fight to force her to shift.

She snaps again and I tick my jaw. “I know you’re a mouthy bitch, but I have a cure for that, trust me.” I motion between us. “You will be a good girl and shift. If not, well, you don’t want to know what I do to bad girls.”

He growls a warning lunge. I feel it’s more of a dare.

“Do it, baby.” I whisper. “Come at me.” I lift a hand to her and crook my fingers.

She lowers her head to the side with a snarl and throws her jaws out at me with a nasty bark. She jumps at me and I brace myself.

She hits me hard and I twist with my hands around her chest. I roar out a growl as I throw her against the rock.

She slams into it and thuds on the ground.

I wipe her drool off my face as I pace in front of her. “Shift!”

She curls her lip and goes in for another try. Her paw hits my head and knocks me off balance. We go down and I hold her leg with one hand and my other hand wraps around her muzzle. She yanks and pulls trying to get me to let go.

Her growls vibrate and her fight shakes me as I hold her.

“SHIFT!!” I flare my eyes at her. She lowers her head to me and our eyes are barely an inch apart.

My arm is shaking at my neck as I fight her strength.

My lip snarls. “Fucking shift.” I say low. I stare into her very being and it’s fucking dark in there, but I’m darker.

I squeeze my hand on her muzzle hard and she pulls away yelping.

I get to my feet, stretch out and tick my jaw. Wiping my upper lip, I sniff and puff my chest out. She rubs her nose with her paw and shakes.

I motion to her. “Didn’t like that, did ya? Hurt?” I nod to her as I pace in front of her. “There’s a lot more where that come from, baby bird…” I stop and square up. “Shift.”

She rolls her eye to me.

I tick my head. “That’s what I would do.” I scrunch my nose.

I crack my knuckles as I see her fur stand. She growls again and turns to face me.

“OK. More pain. If that’s what you want.” I shrug.

She lunges, but instead of attacking, she knocks me on my back and runs into the trees.

I roll to my stomach in time to see her tail disappear. “Oh no you fucking don’t.” I growl and jump forward, tear through my clothes and my black wolf hits the ground running.

I’m like a bullet flying through the trees after her. She’s so fast, there’s already a huge distance between us, but not for long.

She rounds a bend and takes off. Fuck. I bear down and command more speed.

I see the hint of Eden through the branches. She’s not.

Yep. She is.

She breaks through into the backyards of some houses and ducks between two.

Bitch. I growl, tear through the lawns and skid around to where she ran. I see her a block up and turn down a street.

Where's she going?

My claws scrape the pavement and my panting breath echoes in my head.

I follow her and see her turn down another street.

I pump out more speed and turn where she did.

My wolf trots to a stop. He stands in the middle of the quiet street. There’s a few houses, some buildings we don’t use anymore and no wolf.

He raises a brow and licks his lip.

Putting his nose to the ground he starts to track.

I get the spicy scent and follow it to a white storage building. I cross the lot to the grey man door. Sniffing the doorstep, I determine she was here.

I shift and grab the handle. It’s locked. I put my nose to the seam and take in a deep sniff. It hits me and I smirk.

“Got ya.” I smirk. I know where she’s been hiding now.

I let go of the handle and back away. She’s smart. Way too smart for a regular rogue. This might actually be one of Michael’s rogues.

I shift and leave. We'll let her think she got away. I need to keep her here. She’s valuable now. I have a feeling that this little bird has a lot to talk about.

When I get home, my phone dings.

FALCON: Rogue attack. Upton. Deploy 2 hours.

I stuff my phone in my pocket. Fuck. The bird will have to wait.

They whole time I pack up, I think about her. How she looked. How she fought. Am I actually getting a chub from this? She rogue! What the fuck is wrong with me?

I shake my head. Maybe if I spill some blood, it’ll set my head straight.

Maybe.