Behind The Alpha Book 8 ADAM

(Chapter song ‘Weapons’ by Ava Maxx, ‘Satellite Debris’ by Aleksander Dimitrijevic)

ASTRID

“Garth! Pile that wood over there!” I point to the growing pile of trunks.

“But the house is here!” The large red headed man growls at me.

“The sleds need this road. If you put them there, they won’t fit! Now, move!” I bark.

“Fine!” He grumbles as he drags the logs to the pile.

I cross my arms and look over the village that’s slowly growing in the valley of our new mountain home.

I hear a giggle come from behind me. “I’m impressed. Garth doesn’t move for anyone else.”

I turn to my friend Hallie as she passes me a cup of water. “He only listens because he thinks he can make it in my bed.” I tilt my head and arch a brow.

“Well, you could do worse.” She nods to another area as a clumsy oaf of a man tries to impress the ladies as they walk by with his sword work.

I shake my head. “Why is he always wasting time. We need these shelters built. Jensen! Quit messing around!”

He stands smugly and ticks his lip up. “Jealous, Astrid?”

“Me?” I point to my chest as Hallie giggles. She flips her long braided brown hair over her shoulder. “Never!” I scowl.

“Impressed then.” He crosses his arms with so much confidence in himself it makes me sick.

“Ha. I’m not impressed by clowns.” I shake my head.

“Well, if you can do better, by all means.” He holds his hands out, bows then raises his eyes to me.

“Don’t do it.” Hallie whispers.

“It’ll just take a minute.” I grumble. I pull out my broad sword out of the sheath on my back. I stride over to him. My boots crunching in the snow and clouds of air form in front of my lips.

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She shakes her head and I flip my long, snow white hair to my back as I approach the large man in fur lined leather. His head is half shaven and his long hair on top is braided.

“We fight for taps.” He eyes me.

I groan. “It was accident, Jensen.”

“You missed my sac by inches. That was no accident.” He grits.

“By the way you’re whining, you’d think I turned you into a woman.” I snort. I spin my sword as I prepare to fight.

I’m tall for a woman of my pack, but Jensen is half a foot taller. His large frame could hold two of me and his strength is unmatched when he’s not drunk on mead. Which is very rarely.

He squares up as others move out of the way.

“Go easy on me. I am just a mere woman.” I say as we start to circle each other.

“Don’t worry, Astrid. If I hurt you, I’ll kiss it better.” He makes air kisses at me and I take that as a start signal.

I swing my broad sword up and bring it down. He blocks and swings. Our blades clash as our feet shift in the snowy mud.

I hit his blade, spin around him and slap his ass with the side of my blade.

He growls at the pain and a round of applause comes from the onlookers.

“That’s one, Jensen.” I say as I bounce the sword between my hands.

“I can count.” He sneers.

“Can you?” I tilt my head then lunge at him. He backs up as I strike left and right. He hooks my sword and the sharp edges scrape and grate as they turn against each other.

We break apart and Jensen attacks. I block as I back up. People move out the way as we travel down the path. I jump a fence and run for a bunch of barrels. Jensen is right after me.

I laugh as I glance behind me. He’s fumbling around the barrels and climbs over the fence. I run back to where we were.

Spinning around, I raise my blade. Jensen brings his down and strikes.

I drop and use my blade to trip him and he lands on his back in the wet mud.

The people laugh as I stand confidently.

Jensen sits up and shakes the mud off his arms.

“Had enough?” I say.

“Are you down?” He glares at me.

“No.”

“Then no!”

He gets to his boots and runs at me.

His frustration is clear as he attacks. We move down the path.

My breath is labored as I block his advances. He spins around and I block a neck shot. I shove him back and glance behind me.

An evil Idea crept into my mind.

I keeping backing away, blocking high and low. The blades spark as the fight heats up.

When I see my chance, I spin around him and before he can react, I kick him right in the ass.

His eyes widen as he tries to stop from hitting the ice on the lake. He slides across it, falls to his knees and right off the end of it, into the ice cold water.

I stand at the bank of the mountain lake.

Jensen surfaces, soaked to the bone and huffing shocked breathes. We may be snow wolves, but cold water can still affect us.

He grabs the ice edge and stares at me. His fur collar is matted to his body.

Applause erupts behind me.

“YEILD!” I yell to him.

He taps on the ice twice and turn to my people. I dip into a low bow and sheath my sword.

Men run to help Jensen out of the water and the rest of us head back to the village.

“I think you impressed him this time.” Hallie giggles as she takes my arm. Our black pants and fur covered boots walk in sync as we head to the square.

“Embarrassed most likely.” We turn and Jensen rips off the hands helping him up. He shakes off his clothes and stomps back to the village as we laugh together.

“Astrid.”

I turn to blue eyes with a red ring around the pupil.

My smile fades as my half brother stands with a face that is less than impressed.

“Christian.” I breathe as I step up to him.

Hallie touches my arm. “I’ll start supper.”

I nod. “I’ll be there soon.”

She walks off and turn my eyes to my brother.

“What have I told you about harassing the men?” He eyes me.

“He harassed me. Don’t lecture me when your men walk around here like drunken animals.” I scrutinize him as he squint back at me.

“My men are trying to build our home. They’ve earned a good drink and respect from the women of this village. They don’t need your hostility.” He growls and walks away.

“Hostility? What about them? I deserve as much respect as they do. Christian!” I grab his arm and turn him.

“Astrid! When are you going to learn that you will never be a man. Never! You can’t be treated like one either.” He leans to me and shoots me a strong disapproving glare.

I cross my arms. “I just proved I can hold my own like any man in this village. So much so, I should be on the next hunting party.”

He points In my face. “No. Don’t even think it. You are too important to the women here to be lost to the woods.”

He spins on his heels and takes a few steps before I catch up. “And what are you doing about that?”

He rubs his short white hair. “I…I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know? Christian! She’s killing us one by one! Soon no one will want to go out there! Now it’s clear she hates the men so, let me gather a team…”

He whips around. “NO!” His voice echoes across the lake.

I stop in my tracks, lean back and frown as he gets in my face.

“You will not step foot in those trees.” He rumbles quietly.

“What are you so scared of?” I ask as I eye him.

“HELP!”

The call came from the trees and we see them. The hunting party. They’re carrying a bloody frozen body.

We look at each other then break into a run.

They put the man down.

Christian falls to his side. It’s Lathom. My heart breaks. He just turned 20 last month. This was his first time out and the monster claimed him.

“Lathom!” Christian grabs his frozen cheeks. He glances at the men around him. “Back up.” They do and Christian cups his hands together. The red ring glows and he blows into his palms.

He gently places his hands on Lathom’s cheeks and his hands start to steam.

I fall to my knees beside him.

“Hopefully it’s not too late.” He mumbles as the ice on Lathom’s face begins to melt. The ice unthaws down his neck to his chest then to his legs.

Soft chants of Alpha come from the distraught men.

“LATHOM!”

I rise to a panicked mother.

“He’ll be fine. The Alpha will save him.”

I hold her as she cries and watches her only son melt by my brothers touch.

Steam rises from his clothes and water pools around him. His head falls limply to the side when it’s released from its frozen state.

Christian feels his neck and picks up his head to feel if he’s breathing.

“He’s alive.” Christian mutters.

His mother cries more and praises the Alphas gift.

“Get him inside by a fire. Blankets. Hurry.” Christians orders as he stands.

The men rush to Lathom and pick up his limp body.

“Thank you, Alpha. Praise God. Thank you.” She cries at my brothers hand.

He hugs her head. “Don’t thank me for using my gift the way it was intended. I’m just doing what I should when no one else can. Go to your son.”

She smiles, wipes her cold cheeks and runs off.

I wrap my arm around myself as I step up to my brother. “We can’t keep doing this.”

“What should we do, Astrid?” He shakes his head and pushes past me.

“We gather the fighters, go into the woods and kill the monster!” I demand as I brandish my sword.

He whips back around. “I SAID NO!” He growls.

I freeze, put my sword back and stare into my brothers icy blue eyes filled with anger and confusion. Some stop what they’re doing after hearing the harsh bark of their Alpha.

I study his face with a new realization. “She’s poisoned you.” I whisper.

“She has not. Now, tend your woman duties. You’re fighting no one.” He grumbles and walks toward the pack house.

“She has. You’re just too blind to see it. Christian…”

“LEAVE MY MOUNTAIN!”

The sky booms with a dark angry voice. We all look to the clouds as it echoes around us.

“LOOK OUT!”

The village screams as giant frozen ice rocks rise into the air from the trees and are thrown in our direction. They whistle through the air and crash into the rocky ground all around us.

They riddle the lake creating huge waves and destroy boats. The ground shakes with every impact as our fear is once again felt.

“RUN!” I yell as the rocks hit the houses, exploding them into splinters. Wood flies around out bodies as we run for our lives.

I’m surrounded by the terrified screams of my people as they run by me. I run backwards to watch more rise into the air. “GET TO THE HILLS!” I yell out as my heart smashes.

I turn and see a small pup crying in the middle of the road. I run as fast as I can, scoop her in my arms and narrowly miss a rock that hits the ground beside me. You can barely see as debris flies in all directions.

The baby screams in my neck as I hold her and join my people.

Rocks slam into the ground, roll and destroy walls. People rush out the doors just as the rocks impact the rooves of the makeshift shelters.

I get to the base of the hills and turn around. I see men and Christian running this way. The rocks become fewer and I assess.

The attack destroyed huts, houses and storage sheds. Tears threaten my eyes as I see our home laying waste in the mud.

As the last rock hits, the sounds of wailing mothers and growls of men fill the village.

I hold the small child’s head as she cries to almost no breath. I feel her little body shaking in my arms. My eyes find my brothers. He snarls, shakes his head and runs off toward the woods to find the nymph he refuses to kill.

I kiss the pups cheeks and try to wipe her tears. “Don’t worry, little one. I know where to find help.”

I squat down and pick up a handful of snow. I tilt my head and stare at the snowball. A red ring glows around my ice blue eyes. The snow turns to water in my hand. “When I get it, I’ll kill the witch myself.” I growl.