Alessia’s lips stretched into a smile as she shifted comfortably under the blanket. The bed made her want to sink into her dreamscape and never wake up.

Alessia’s eyes snapped open and she jolted upright. Bed?

A wave of dizziness hit her, but she quickly shook it off. She searched her surroundings. 

Identical single beds were lined up in rows against the two opposing walls. All neatly made with thin, cream blankets and a single, white pillow. A bedside table accompanied each bed. On the far side of the room were built-in cupboards that spanned the wall with a hole cut in the center. In the hole was a small, white, marble counter and sink.

She came to the conclusion that she was in an infirmary. 

Alessia touched her arm to check her wounds or used-to-be wound. Someone had bandaged her arm. There was no pain where the reddish-brown wolf had bit her. 

She reasoned that the Alpha must have brought her to his pack to be healed, but she couldn’t understand why. 

Rogues were better off dead in the eyes of pack-wolves. 

A woman entered the infirmary through a door to the far left. She was quite pretty with golden beige skin and long, loose chocolaty curls framing her face. As she approached, Alessia caught sight of gray hair and met warm, coffee-colored eyes. 

The woman smiled emphasizing wrinkles and smile lines that seemed to complement her motherly demeanor, “Good to see that you’re up, how do you feel?”

Alessia moved back against the headboard, away from this unknown woman and the strange kindness she wasn’t used to.

She eyed the woman suspiciously, but replied, “I’m fine.”

The woman did not attempt to move closer, but ordered, gently “Flex your arm for me. Like this.”

Alessia copied the woman’s demonstrations and was rewarded with an approving nod, “Your name is?”

Alessia hesitated before answering truthfully.

“Alessia.”

“Alessia,” she said, kindly and so full of motherly affection that it made Alessia’s heartache, “It would seem that you aren’t eating enough. Your body can’t heal with what it doesn’t have. I’ve given you a protein supplement to heal you up right now, but try to hunt more often going forward, okay?”

Alessia answered defensively, “I was going to hunt when I was interrupted-”

“Which I apologize for.” said a voice from the doorway. 

The Alpha stood leaning on the doorframe, a picture of reluctant determination. 

Alessia saw him now where she could only see a blurred version of him before. Raven-black hair fell in slight wavs, but was trimmed neatly to not obstruct his eyes and kept above his neck. His green eyes were light like a field of grass being captive in his irises. So, unlike the ferocity, she’d been met with before. His sun-kissed skin glowed in the fading sunlight, faint scars decorating them proudly. He was broad-shouldered and muscles strained against the fabric of his short-sleeve black shirt. He wore black sweatpants and a matching pair of takkies.

The Alpha continued, “My wolves had no right to attack you while you weren’t imposing on our territory.” 

Alessia tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. She stared a moment before saying, “That must have been hard for you to say.”

He remained silent and unflinching.

Alessia let out a long breath and said, “You shouldn’t apologize for other people’s mistakes. It’s not your fault, but thank you for bringing me here.”

He replied almost automatically, “They’re my pack and my responsibility and you are welcome.”

He turned to the kind woman, “Is she ready to leave?”

She nodded once, “Yes, Alpha.”

Alessia hopped off the bed. 

As she approached the Alpha she noticed an amount of anxiousness in the way he moved. The pack must be getting antsy with a rogue in the territory. She faced the woman and said, “Thank you.”

Who knew when Alessia would be met with such kindness again? 

The woman waved her off, “Of course, Dear. Remember what I said about eating.”

“I will.” Alessia said and followed the Alpha.

He escorted Alessia, silently. She noted that they were going around the outskirts of the back, not through. Wouldn’t want to stir up unhappy pack members. 

A sudden thought popped into my head. 

“What did you mean by Ethan’s spy?”, Alessia asked, tentatively.

The Alpha raised an eyebrow at her, “I thought a Rogue would know an uprising of her own people.”

Had it been in a different topic, she would have bit back at the inaccuracy of the taunt, but the idea of an uprising was unnerving, “Ethan’s upraising?”
He replied, nonchalantly, “That is your apparent leader.” 

Alessia stopped abruptly. She had been hoping and praying that Ethan would never succeed in his plans. All in vain. 

She said into the wind, “He’s coming.” 

The Alpha stopped too, staring at her with an intensely probing gaze, “What do you know?”

Nightmarish memories invaded Alessia’s mind. Images of burning houses and broken bodies and at the center of it all, Ethan smiling in sadistic glee. 

Panic surged through Alessia. She was suddenly very short on breath, “I need to get out of here.”

Alessia took a running step forward but the Alpha caught her arm, “If you know something- “

Alessia yanked at her arm, but the Alpha’s grip was iron-clad. 

She pleaded, desperately, in her panic-stricken state “I don’t know anything. Let me go!”

For all Alessia’s struggling, Jake had barely moved. He stared intently at her until finally, he said, “You’re afraid of him.”

“No.” she said, defensively, but tasted the bitterness of the lie. But her obvious need to escape was apparent to them both. 

The Alpha let go of Alessia’s arm and she stumbled back slightly. He gave her a firm look while saying, “The only way to get over a fear is to face it.”

Alessia glared at him, “That’s easy for you to say. I’m sure you don’t understand what it’s like to fear someone stronger than you.”

Some of the earlier ferocity seeped into the green of his eyes. He spoke with a brutally calm edge, “I do know. I know that there’s potentially an army of rogues out somewhere and I’m afraid that they’re stronger than the packs can take. Which is why I’m asking you to tell me if you know anything that can help us fight Ethan.”

Alessia remained defiant. Crossing her arms stubbornly, she answered, “I know nothing.”

The Alpha paused for a moment. His demeanor remained calm but Alessia saw the way his eyes sparked. His next words were calculated and precise and stung like concentrated venom.  

“That lady who just healed you. She’s in danger from Ethan’s army. She has a family, and children. If Ethan has an army and he intends on attacking, are you really going to walk away when you could help people like her?”

The Alpha had spoken in a leveled tone, but his words were weighed so heavily that Alessia couldn’t hold on to her resolve.

Her nails dug into her arms. The image of the healer’s kind eyes floated in her thoughts. Alessia stumbled over her words, “That’s not fair. It’s not my fault- I didn’t- I wouldn’t- “

The Alpha spoke, softly, “You could help. You could know something that could prevent any of them from getting hurt. “

Alessia stared fixedly at the ground, avoiding the Alpha’s eyes. 

Memories of Ethan spiraled in her head, but she thought of the woman who had helped her too. Alessia’s mother had never held such kind eyes, but the healer still reminded her of the woman she left behind. The thought of running away and leaving this woman to face her own horrible fate made Alessia hesitate.

Alessia’s violet eyes rose to the Alpha’s. He’d stood, silently, through her thought process.

She tried her best to hide the fear from her voice, but she heard the slight tremble, “If Ethan finds me, he’ll kill me. I’ll tell you what I know and then I’m gone.”

The Alpha barely moved, but Alessia saw the small tension relax in his body. “Thank you,” he said, though it was subtle, Alessia could hear the gratefulness in his voice, “My name is Jake. Jake Deloria.” 

Alessia was wary. She was aware he was only being polite because she’d agreed to give him information. “Alessia Apak.”

He tilted his head down in acknowledgment and turned to head back to the pack. 

Alessia hesitated, but she soon followed.