Alpha Dane

As I gazed up at the night sky on the outskirts of McCall, my thoughts drifted back to my life in Mexico. A year ago, fear and anxiety consumed me as I lived under the oppressive rule of my father, who was once the kingpin of the most powerful drug cartel. Now, I reside here in hiding. Deep down, I knew he would one day face the consequences of his actions, but his ultimate downfall was his greed.

As a border town resident near Juarez, I was often seen as an outsider due to my blonde hair and blue eyes. People would question if I belonged to the Leon family line. My own father may have also harbored doubts about my paternity because of my appearance.

I am known as Mia Leon, the daughter of Felix Leon. He was a man who instilled fear into many, earning himself the title “life snatcher” for his lack of empathy and refusal to show weakness, even to those closest to him. He murdered his uncle over a game of cards. I was an inconvenience to him after a rival gang killed my mother. At her funeral, he drank beer and flirted with other women. He never truly cared about my mother or me. Father only liked having the most beautiful woman in Juarez on his arm. His priorities were drugs, money, women, and maintaining control over the cartel, and he couldn’t care less whether we were dead or alive.

My friend Kara’s voice interrupted my train of thought.

“Mia, we should probably head back soon. It’s a full moon tonight.”

I glanced at my friend, sitting next to me on the rock. She was not just a friend but also a remarkable beauty. Her long black hair fell in loose waves down her back, like the darkness of the night sky framing her face and drawing attention to her stunning features. Her eyes were a deep, earthy hue that held a sense of enigma, pulling you in with their gaze. Her complexion was flawless and bronzed, a tribute to her ancestry from Native American roots. Her facial structure was classically beautiful, with prominent cheekbones and a chiseled jawline that would make any stunning woman envious.

I knew our connection couldn’t be broken from the moment we met. She was the only one who knew my father’s true identity and what he was ​like before we moved here. Despite her deep trust in her father - a sheriff, no less - she never told a soul. And for good reason. It could have ended badly, especially for me. I had ​lost everything in life, and Kara understood that I needed my father, not because he cared for me as her dad did for her, but because without him, at seventeen years old, I would have been left on the streets with nowhere to turn. But if Kara’s father ever found out how much of a terrible person Felix ​was, he never would have allowed us to remain friends.

During full moons, Kara occasionally behaved oddly, rambling about supernatural creatures and advising me to stay away from the woods. But I found solace in nature because I knew another night of loneliness awaited me when I returned to my empty house.

“Why? So I can be alone?” I sighed. “No, thanks.”

Kara let out a long breath, her eyes flickering towards me. “At least you’ll be safe from them.”

I shook my head at Kara, feeling confused and frustrated. “You always talk about ‘them,’ but you never actually tell me who they are. Are you just trying to scare me?” I asked, not understanding why she was being so cryptic with this information.

Rising to her feet, she reached out her hand to me. “It’s for the best if you never find out,” she said with a slight tremble in her voice.

I shook my head but gratefully accepted. “Your sanity is a constant concern of mine.” I chuckled, and she gently nudged me.

As we walked through the town, the sun sank behind the majestic mountains. Its warm glow painted the sky in a breathtaking spectrum of purples, pinks, and oranges, almost like an oil painting. I had to admit, the Idaho skies were more captivating than back home.

As we approached where our paths would diverge, Kara playfully blew me a kiss and said, “See you tomorrow.”

As we said our goodnights and parted ways, I made a heart shape with my fingers and directed it toward Kara in a silent gesture of affection. “Night, Kar.”

With a heavy thud, I tossed my coat onto the worn armchair by the door, eager to escape the cold and dampness of the outside. My footsteps echoed through the empty house as I approached the kitchen, hoping for warmth and comfort. “Felix?” I called out, but as usual, there was no response. My father’s absence was always felt in this silent house. Despite his constant requests, I couldn’t remember ever calling him dad. The word never rolled off my tongue easily. It felt forced and unfamiliar, like trying on someone else’s shoes that were too big. I had grown used to calling him Felix, which seemed more fitting for the distant figure who never truly felt like a father to me.

I let out a deep sigh and walked over to the fridge. I grabbed a cold bottle of water and went upstairs to my room. Sitting on the bed, I pulled out my phone and texted asking...

MIA: Did you make it home?

KARA: Yeah. You?

MIA: Yep. But, like always, it’s empty.

KARA: Sorry, your dad can be a real asshole.

I sighed heavily and typed.

MIA: He’s a selfish person. If those things you keep talking about were to kill me, he would likely celebrate my demise.

KARA: Hey, come on. Just because he isn’t there most of the time doesn’t mean he would want something bad to happen to you.

I laughed to myself and then typed back.

MIA: I doubt he would even notice if I were gone.

I reflected on my father’s treatment of me. It was reminiscent of the story of Cinderella, except my father was still alive and played the part of the cruel stepmother. Perhaps he was really my stepfather, which might explain why he despised me so intensely.

I pushed the thought out of my mind and typed another message to Kara.

MIA: I’m heading to bed. See you at school tomorrow.

KARA: Night, Mia.

MIA: Night.

As I switched off the lamp on my bedside table, darkness enveloped me, and I could see only shadows against my ceiling. Time seemed to stretch endlessly as I lay in bed, staring upwards and lost in thought. Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the silence from below me. My heart raced as I sat upright, scanning my room anxiously for any signs of danger. After a few moments, I summoned the courage to leave the safety of my bed and tentatively crept down the creaking stairs, my footsteps barely making a sound in the eerie stillness of my house. Every fiber of my being was on high alert as I cautiously approached the disturbance.

What or who could be waiting for me downstairs?

It couldn’t be my father. He was likely half drunk and gambling all our money away. With the cartel potentially arriving, I believed my safest option was to vanish into Idaho’s darkness.

Despite my fears, I kept praying that whoever was there wouldn’t spot me. As I reached the front door, my hand was clenched tightly around the doorknob, but I couldn’t get myself to twist it and flee. I needed to know if it was the cartel and why they would wait this long to come after us.

If they were after my father, why wait until he was gone to break in?

I reached into my pocket and took out my phone, quickly sending a message to Kara since I knew my own father wouldn’t be much help.

MIA: Kar, someone was in my house.

KARA: What?! Get out of the house!

MIA: Call your dad, please.

Calling the police terrified me. What if the intruder was still in my house, and they could hear me speak?

KARA: Okay, get somewhere safe.

I slipped my phone into the pocket of my pajama pants. I could blame it on my hair color because being blonde was sometimes convenient––it gave me an excuse for occasionally acting stupid. Like I was acting now by giving in to my curiosity and risking getting caught, all to satisfy my desire to know who had been making all that commotion.

A loud crash echoed through the hallway as I approached the door to my father’s office. I quickened my pace and turned the corner ​in time to glimpse a black tail disappearing through the shattered window. My heart raced as I cautiously stepped inside, shards of glass crunching under my feet. The room was ransacked, papers scattered on the floor, and the desk was overturned. Fear and confusion swirled through me.

“Seriously?” I exclaimed. “How could a dog cause all of this?” I asked myself, bewildered by the disaster in front of me.

With a shout from the front door, Sheriff Black exclaimed, “Mia?!”

“In here.”

The sheriff’s footsteps grew louder as he approached. He entered the office and asked, “Mia, are you okay?”

I glanced at him before returning my focus to the chaotic scene before us. “I’m okay,” I answered. “But how did a dog cause so much havoc? Or better yet, how did it break the window in the first place?”

Raising a questioning eyebrow, Sheriff Black inquired, “Dog?”

I bent down to pick up a file stuffed with papers that had scattered on the floor, then tossed it onto my father’s desk. “It jumped right out the window,” I explained with frustration.

Sheriff Black proposed, “Perhaps you should spend the night with us.”

I cast a bewildered look back at him. “Just because of a dog?”

Sheriff Black gestured for me to follow him as he said, “We can discuss this further at the house.” He then walked over and gently ushered me towards the office door. Before we left, I couldn’t resist stealing one last look behind me. But Sheriff Black was already pulling me away, and I knew there would be time for questions later.

***

After a long drive, we finally arrived at Kara’s quaint cabin nestled into the hillside just outside town. The smell of pine and fresh air greeted us as we pulled into the gravel driveway. As I exited the car, my eyes were drawn to Kara standing on the porch, her dark hair blowing gently in the breeze. Behind her, the wooden walls of her cabin seemed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding forest, creating a sense of serenity and isolation.

Kara leaned over the railing and asked, “Mia, are you alright?”

A smile graced my face as I ascended the steps towards her. “Yes.”

With a grin, she reached out her hand and exclaimed, “Sleepover!” I inevitably laughed as she eagerly dragged me into the house.

We entered Kara’s room, the warm air carrying the faint scent of her perfume. She jumped on her bed, and I settled onto a plush chair in the corner, crossing my legs. Her gaze was intense, never wavering as she studied me. After a few moments, I turned to meet her eyes and was met with an unspoken question.

Biting my nails, I murmured, “What?”

“What happened?” Kara asked as I leaned back in my chair and breathed a long, heavy sigh.

“Well, would you believe it? A dog, yes, a four-legged furry creature that loves chasing its tail, suddenly turned into a human, broke a window, and went on a stealing spree. And just when you thought things couldn’t get any stranger, the doggy delinquent transformed into its original form and exited through the same window. Who says animals can’t pull off a heist?”

With furrowed brows, she asked, “What?”

I shrugged and let out a burst of laughter. “Relax, Kar, I was just kidding,” I said between chuckles. “I’m pretty sure the dog snuck in when someone broke the window during their break-in,” I stated confidently, still giggling at the situation’s absurdity.

She looked at me with pursed lips and a furrowed brow, clearly not finding my joke humorous.

“Girls?” Mr. Black knocked on the door.

“Come in, Dad.”

As he walked in and sat next to Kara, he said, “I think we need to talk.”

“What’s up?” Kara asked.

Kara’s father looked back and forth between us before speaking, “For the time being, I think it would be wise for you to avoid going back home.”

I leaned back in the chair and calmly said, “It was just a dog, Mr. Black.”

“No, I think there is more behind this attack that we can see,” he announced.

I gazed at him in stunned confusion. “Targeted by who? And for what?”

Mr. Black’s eyes quickly looked away before returning his focus ​with a puzzling look. “To be killed,” he stated.