Alphas Runt

Dimitri (13 years ago)

I walk through the park irritated. Nobody will tell me anything and it’s so frustrating. I walk past a tree and I look up when the sound of a heartbreaking whimper filled my ears. Staring down at me is a little girl. Her eyes are full of tears and her cheeks are tear-stained.

“Hey, are you ok?” I ask and she hides her face from me. For some reason this makes me frustrated why would she be scared of me. I quickly climb up the tree and stand on the branch next to her. I want to reach out and make sure she’s ok but first I want to see her face.

The wind blows her scent to me and I smile. Vanilla cookie and strawberries my favorite.

“Hey, what’s your name?” I ask softly trying to not scare her. She’s human and tiny so a fall from this height could kill her.

“Grace,” she says the sound is muffled because she is still hiding her face.

“I’m Dimitri why are you so scared,” I ask and she looks at me. That’s when I smell the blood her blood and a growl slips from my chest. She closes her eyes and clutches the bloody arm to her chest.

“A dog bit me and my mommy told me to hide up here. She hasn’t come back,” she says and I shake my head. I can smell it and it wasn’t a dog it was a rouge.

“I’m gonna help you get down and my parents will help you fix your arm,” I say and she shakes her head starting to cry. My chest tightens at the tears falling down her cheeks. I wish to make her stop crying more than anything else in the world.

“No my mommy and daddy said to stay here,” she says and I climb onto the branch shes sitting on.

“Grace won’t be scared ok I’ll carry you down and then I’ll help you find your mommy and daddy,” I say wiping the tears off of her cheeks. Her breathing slows and she calms down a little.

“I’m going to pick you up ok don’t move around too much or you could fall,” I say and she nods. I pick her up and look down. If I jump down I could land on my feet and be fine but I could risk hurting or traumatizing Grace.

“Here Grace I want you to wrap your arms around my neck and your legs around my waist hold on as tight as you can.” she squeezes me and I climb down to the lowest branch. I put my arms around Grace and take a deep breath.

“Close your eyes,” I say and once she dose I jump. She yelps and squeezes me tighter. I land and then cradle Grace in my arms trying to calm her down. For some reason, I feel the need to protect Grace.

“How old are you Grace?” I ask and she shows me three fingers. How could a mother leave her three-year-old daughter in a tree during a rouge attack? The thought makes me growl and Grace looks at me curiously but doesn’t say anything. Her skin starts to turn white and her breathing slows. I start to panic. I sprint the rest of the way to my house. By the time I get there, I can barely even hear her heartbeat with my wolf ears.

I kick open the door only one thought in my head. Save Grace save Grace.

“Somebody help me!” I shout agony and power in my voice. My heart feels like it’s being ripped out of my chest I can’t breathe.

I fall to my knees setting Graces limp figure onto my lap. I cradle her head to my chest and silent tears fall from my eyes. My momma luna Hadley kneels down next to me concern all over her face for both me and the little girl in my arms. My father, however, is only frustrated with what I’ve done.

“Who is this Dimitri you know better than to bring a human into pack territory.” he spits and I glare up at him looks right in his eyes. He will not take her from me she is mine! A low growl rumbles in my chest and Grace whimpers her tiny hands still wrapped in my shirt.

“Momma please help her Grace please stay with me. Please.” my voice cracks at the end of the sentence. My dad lifts me up and tells to carry her upstairs. I place her on the bed and momma takes off Grace’s blood-stained dress revealing another bite mark I didn’t even know was there. I hold onto Grace’s hand the whole time momma cleans her. Knowing she be ok if I stay with her. I end up falling asleep still holding her hand.

I wake up to someone poking my cheek. I open my eyes and see Grace leaning over the bed and poking me probably to wae me up.

“Mitri Mitri wake up,” she says and I groan shaking my head and closing my eyes once again.

“Grace what time is it go back to sleep,” I complain and she lifts my eyelids with her thumbs.

“But Mitri I’m hungry,” she complains and as if on cue her stomach grumbles. I stand up and pick up Grace placing her on my hip. Shes heald a little though still pretty much at a human speed which makes sense because of the fact that she’s human. But being around all of these werewolves will help the healing process. Because she’s so small and there are so many of us she’ll heal faster our wolf spirits will send healing spirit into her temporarily. It happens all the time. We get downstairs to where the pack mothers are making breakfast and I make Grace and I a plate to share before going into the living room to watch cartoons with the rest of the children.

I don’t like the children and they all avoid me because I’m gonna be the next alpha of my pack. I sit in my favorite chair with Grace on my lap. She watches the tv and eats slowly. She doesn’t eat very much so it leaves more food for me.

I’m so focused on Grace that it takes me a second to realize that everybody else is staring at her as well. I wrap my arms around her and pull her back against me careful to not hurt her stomach. I growl and start to feel warm.

But a few seconds of holding Grace and I’m fine. Grace hides her face in my shirt again and I take her up to my room so we can watch tv in peace. We watch cartoons all morning until an unfamiliar car pulls up. I run over to the window and getting out of the car are four boys. The youngest looking to be Graces age and the oldest maybe ten. The driver is an older looking man probably their grandfather. My parents go outside and talk to the old man.

“Alpha James luna Hadley I’m sorry for your loss.” an unfamiliar voice says. Sounds older so it’s probably the old man. I’m sorry for your loss? What did mamma and papa lose?

“As are we henry I now it’s pretty soon but will you be taking over as acting alpha until Jeremiah is of age?” my father asks.

“No beta Franklyn will I have to take care of the children speaking of which I don’t think you’ve met my grandchildren this is Jeremiah the first twins Kyler and Riley and this is Lucas we are looking for his other half have you seen a little girl named Grace around here?” the old man asks and my heart skips a beat.

“Hey, boys why don’t you go ask one of the kids where Dimitri is I need to talk with your grandfather for a couple of minutes.” my mamma’s voice says so I listen even harder.

“Henry we have a slight problem with Grace is she truly human?” mama asks and I scrunch my eyebrows. Of course, she’s human she smells human looks human heals like a human shes human.

“Yes, sadly her bond with the wolf world was severed at birth. She was on life support for the first six months of her life. And there is no way her wolf survived that. So I promised Natalie and Gregory that if anything ever happened I would keep her away from the wolf world. She’s too fragile to even deal with it. And the danger of someone shifting and hurting her are too high.” the old man says and Grace comes and sits on my lap pouting.

“Well that’s going to be pretty impossible now Grace is Dimitris mate.” My father says and I stop listening. Grace pokes my cheek.

“Why did your eyes look different Mitri?” she asks and before I can answer the door opens. A ten-year-old boy stands in the doorway his three younger brothers standing behind him. They look at me holding Grace and growl. Grace oblivious to what’s happening runs to the youngest in the group and screams happily throwing her arms around him.

“Lucas Lucas you here,” she says squeezing him and I pull her back towards me bending down and looking her in the eyes.

“Grace you have to be careful or you’re going to pull your stitches,” I tell my little mate. Mate. the word makes me smile. Grace will be mine forever. The oldest grabs his sister and tries to pull her away from me but she grabs ahold of my arm.

“Get away from him Grace I don’t want you hanging out with this boy,” he says and Grace glares at him.

“You can’t tell me what to do your not my daddy, besides Mitri saved my life so I’ll do what I want to,” she says and I smirk.

“Dimitri vincent Blackwell you get down here right now!” my father shouts and Grace stars crying.

“Don’t leave me.” she cries and I pick her up. I walk downstairs and Grace hides behind me. She doesn’t feel comfortable around anyone else besides me and my mother. She told me that when we were watching cartoons.

“Why where you upstairs what did I tell you about hiding from everybody you are not allowed to hibernate in your room.” my father says and Grace peaks out from behind me.

“He was with me Mr. James I didn’t feel good and I wanted to lay down,” Grace says quietly and my father kneels down to her level and grabs something out of his pocket. It’s a phone.

“Here, Grace how about you go and play with that on the sofa so I can chat with your Mitri for a minute,” he says and Grace runs into the living room. I stare after her feeling lonely.

“Dimitri I want to talk to you about Grace shes.”

“My mate I now I heard you talking with henry,” I say and my father nods.

“She has to leave tonight Dimitri shes going to new york with her grandfather and brothers. When we sent you away yesterday it was because there was a rogue attack. Gracesparents were killed by the same rouge who attacked Grace. She can’t stay here. She has to go back to her pack until she’s older.” he says and I shake my head.

“No no she can’t leave you can’t let her leave shes, my mate, I can’t.” I start to panic the walls start to close in the temperature in the house raises and I feel like I’m burning from the inside out.

“Mitri, what’s wrong?” Grace asks walking over to me. As soon as shes neer me again I’m fine just like earlier.

“Grace you have to go home,” I say and she shakes her head.

“No I want this to be my new home,” she says and I shake my head.

“You have to but I promise you can come and visit a whole bunch and you can have your papa call me whenever you want,” I say tears falling out of my eyes. And my heart starts to break once again.