Deceiving the Alpha

“Stop this!” I pleaded but Alicia dragged me to the shallow part of the water, the water current strong.

“You shouldn’t have returned if you wanted so bad to live,” she sneered, her claws digging under my skin, causing blood to trickle down the river.

“Hey, that’s enough!” a group of friends carrying picnic baskets arrived and intervened.

“This is none of your business.”

“She is bleeding already. You need to stop!” the guy who called out earlier insisted.

A girl came forward and threatened Alicia, “We will call the police. You are abusing her.”

“Shut up, b*tch!” one of Alicia’s friends yelled, holding the phone to film the girl as well, aiming to make shame her on video.

Alicia laughed mockingly, “Go on, call the police. And I’ll make sure your packs will suffer,” she threatened.

“What?” the innocent girl asked, glancing at her other friends who were also confused.

“I’m sure you are all aware of Silvermoon Pack, right?” Alicia smirked looking at their widened eyes as they stepped back in fear, recognizing the powerful pack.

Alicia continued, “I am the Luna,” she declared proudly, her head held high, “and with just one command I could tear your packs, leaving you all with nothing but labeled as rogues.”

“T-that’s not true,” another girl uttered, yet her voice trembled in fear and unsure.

“The Silvermoon Pack has no Luna yet. You are lying!” the man accused.

Alicia’s face darkened, her frown deepened and her claws dug deeper into my shoulders causing me to yelp. Then a sinister laugh came from her lips as she spoke, “I am engaged to Alpha Conner, and tonight will be our engagement party… Make sure you all attend so I can tear your throats afterward and burn your corpse for a sacrificial offering to the Moon Goddess,” she sneered.

And with that, I was pushed to the deeper waters as she let me go. “No. Help!”

I struggled as the strong current pulled me deeper. I held on a boulder with all my strength but my wounds and cuts worsened the pain.

“P-please, I beg you. Help me!” I begged but Alicia only smirked as she returned to the ground.

“It’s time to let go, mother in law. You must disappear quietly now.” Alicia turned her back, taking her steps as her friends followed her to leave.

“Alicia! Please, I don’t know how to swim. Help me.”

Alicia glanced back, and smiled wickedly, waving her fingers as she uttered, “Goodbye, Carol,” then they disappeared into the woods while I struggled to keep my grip on the stone.

I looked at the group who intervened earlier, “Please, help me. I-I’m Alpha Conner’s mother. Help me.”

“Fred, go help her,” one of the girls urged, and despite the man’s hesitation, he swam into the river and dragged me to the riverbank.

*****

I stumbled through the garden behind the pack house and quickly rested in the gazebo.

“Look who managed to crawl back,” Alicia spotted me with her friends. The engagement party hasn’t started yet. “You’re still alive?”

“Alicia, please… I don’t want any more trouble.”

“Oh, Carol, you are the trouble.”

“Alicia, what are you doing?” A woman came behind her—Paula, her mother. She glanced and recognized me. “So it’s true. You came back to ruin my daughter’s life.”

“I’m here for my son.”

“For your son?” Paula sneered. “The woman who can’t let go. The woman who thinks she’s still in control of the pack.”

Alicia shoved me back against the gazebo’s wooden rail, “Look at you, pathetic. Still clinging to Conner, as if you’re the one he’s marrying.”

“I’m his mother,” I said weakly, “I’m not here to interfere.”

Paula scoffed, “No. You returned because you wanna influence your son and control the pack. But you don’t belong here anymore. Alicia is going to be the Luna, now. Not you.”

Then she turned to Alicia, “Show her who’s the Luna.”

Alicia’s grinned. “With pleasure.” Then she began slapping, clawing me in the face, tearing my skin, and disheveling my hair.

“You think you can return and take over. Trying to act like you’re the one who knows best for him.”

“I’m his mother,” I insisted.

“You think we care?” she hissed. “You’ve done nothing but poison his mind.”

Alicia’s friends circled around us, smirking as they watched. “Come on, let’s see what she’s really made of,” one of them jeered.

Alicia turned to her friend, “Bring me a knife,” and her friend took a pocket knife from her bag.

My heart raced as Alicia held a small blade over my face. “Maybe now you will understand that you are not wanted here, Carol.”

“P-please, don’t…” but my words were cut short as Alicia pressed the blade to my cheek. I screamed in pain but she clamped her hand tightly to my mouth as she cut my skin.

“This is for thinking you could step into our lives,” Alicia whispered, my cries were muffled as I struggled from her friends’ hold. “Let’s see if you’re so proud of that face now.”

Alicia’s phone buzzed, and she answered on speaker.

“Alicia, has my mom arrived?” Conner’s voice. I jolted in surprise and hit a pot.

“What’s going on? What’s that noise?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m just teaching someone a lesson.”

“Teaching who?”