I slipped silently into the run-down warehouse. As hide-outs for wanted fugitives go it was ideal. Quiet part of town, deserted lot. Huge amount of scrap metal lying about, easy to bump into or unsettle which would create enough noise to alert the inhabitants.
Too bad all of these features are rendered useless against their own kind.
Making my footsteps inaudible I glided in between the obstacles I made my way silent as a ghost into the new alpha's new home. I was really taking into the lion's den or heart of the beast to a whole new level. I wish I could say that discouraged me though. Adrenaline sang through my veins as I drew closer to danger. My heart beat sped up enough that I had to begin taking some deep breaths to calm it. I didn't want any acute ears to hear it beating out the racing rhythm.
Finally, I reached a sort of back door if you will in the warehouse. A slim gap between two sheets of the wall's metal. Narrow enough for a body to slip through.
Sadly, that body had my boobs so I had to shimmy a little.
Once I was inside the building my ears could easily pick up the grunts and shouts of my kind inside. Ah, they were training. A perfect situation to sneak closer. They would be too focused on their tasks being taught to them by their alpha to be listening for another heart beat in the facility. The feeling of hairs standing up on the back of their necks would be pushed aside as adrenaline symptoms instead of a warning that another of their kind was approaching.
Remaining behind as many large objects as possible to prevent from being seen, they finally came into view. Four of them. I took a tentative breath through my nose. Three pups, oldest not even a year old, the others mere months. Glancing at each of their faces they were no more than seventeen. Not uncommon, younger humans take to the change far better. They'd be easy to fend off; it was their master that would be a problem.
He stood with every muscle in his body tense. A vein pushed out from his neck. His eyes were a bright, sparkling green. His hair short and messy – as if he'd run his hand through it several times in frustration. The common huge and tightly muscled body of our kind was covered in loose grey jeans and tighter black t-shirt. I was surprised more by his youth than the others. The new alpha of this area could be no older than twenty-five.
He wouldn't last. At least, not without my help.
It appeared that he was trying to teach the oldest pup a combination attack. Flips, vaults and push-offs leading into a strike, using the force built up by the chain of moves to create a huge attack to devastate his victim.
Except, the poor thing was doing it all wrong and every time he reached the end of his sequence the alpha pummelled him into the floor. The process would be repeated again and again while the other two watched in disdain, knowing they'll be next.
After the eleventh failed attempt I'd finally had enough, so had the alpha it appeared as he shoved the poor pup to the ground once more.
"For God's sake!" He roared. I didn't understand how religion came into his bad teaching methods. "The hunters could arrive on our door step ready to take us out any day! And you aren't taking in anything I'm teaching you! Can someone please do something here that's not completely and utterly predictable?"
And there was my cue. "Knock, knock."
Eight eyes spun to face me. Each pair flashed gold with the idea of a threat. The Alpha regained composure the quickest. Straightening out of his hunched stance and eyed me up and down without an expression.
When he spoke his tone was cold and calculating.
"Erika, what have I told you about not letting your mind wander while you're supposed to be on watch?"
The only other female in the room winced and glared at me. I gave her a small smile.
"I was being focused Derek!" She whined. "She didn't make a sound!"
"Don't blame her," I cut in. Though it probably wasn't appreciated, Erika's glare turned into a full on scowl. "Most of the best trackers can't hear me sneaking up on them."
"Who are you?" The Alpha, Derek barked. "And to what pack do you belong?"
"I'm free-lance at the moment. Just going wherever I feel like going." I glanced at the younger wolves. "You won't believe the freedom you gain from not being in a pack." My gaze flicked back to Derek. "Or having an alpha."
Derek smirked and shook his head. "You didn't answer the second question. Who. Are. You?"
I sighed and strolled towards them, finally allowing my heels to click loudly on the concrete floor. One of the pups flinched at the sound, too much on edge to control his heightened senses.
"I'm known as Alyssa Gray." The half-truth coming easily to my lips. "And you all are?"
Ericka opened her mouth to respond but Derek silenced her with a death stare, he then turned back to me.
"We'll introduce ourselves when we know that you're not a threat... free-lancer Gray."
I tilted my head and shrugged. May as well get this over with. They were going to find out soon enough anyway.
"Fine. What else do you want to know?"
"The obvious question: why are you here?"
We stared at each other for a long moment, I debated lying, but it was too hard to conceal a lying heart beat from an Alpha. His green eyes sparked, hinting at the beast that lay beneath, he and I both knew I wouldn't survive a four on one, not with him taking the lead. There was no running, no fighting my way out and know lying, and that only left me with one answer to give to him.
"I've come, to see you Derek. The werewolf who murdered my father."