Chapter -4

Noah's POV:

I could hear the howls of the wolves approaching, and I started to run with much more force. I could feel the earth beneath me, the fallen leaves and broken twigs, and the breeze hitting my face. Everything around looked blurred except for the path I chose to run and win.

The rustling of leaves grew louder. I reached the waterfalls and stopped in my tracks, awe-struck by their beauty. I took control of my breathing.

"Noah, not again. How can you win the race every time, even in human form?" Michael, my soon-to-be Beta, questioned, and I let out a giggle.

"No, Noah, seriously. We're the best runners in wolf form, but you can even defeat us in your human form," Stephen, our Gamma's son, spoke.

"Guys, guys, stop. I'm flattered, and we all know I'm the best," I said as I lay on the ground.

"Want to be alone? Like always?" Micki questioned.

"Hmm," I said, staring into space.

I closed my eyes and started to feel my surroundings. This place gave me peace. I could feel my friends leaving.

"You remember what's tomorrow, right?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure he's aware of that. Everyone in the pack is excited about it," Micki replied.

"Out, now," I growled.

Ugh, shitty events of life, I thought to myself.

I tried to rest my mind and soul for some time. Peace was something I lost years ago, but I was still trying to find calm.

Though we all accepted that this place was our homeland and we were habituated to living here, at times I still missed our original pack. I wished things were different. I would never forgive her for what she did. Her birth only caused destruction. She was the only person I hated with every fiber of my being.

Selene Stone, wherever you are, you better not cross my path.

I spent some time near the waterfalls, and after re-energizing myself, I made my way back to the packhouse. I saw pack members bowing their heads, not out of respect, I knew, but out of fear. Most of them didn't like me; they said I was hot-headed. If only they knew the circumstances that turned me this way.

And the only rule I had in my life was to never regret my decisions. Even if it ended up in the wrong situation. Whatever decisions a person made, they shouldn't regret them; right or wrong, they had to stand by them.

I made my way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. I let the hot water run over my body, letting all the dirt wash away. If there's a best place where your brain can work to its maximum, especially when you're confused, the shower is the best place you can find.

After spending some quality time there, I stepped out of the bathroom. I glanced at myself in the mirror. I loved the sense of power I felt at times. I turned around to find my clothes, but they were nowhere to be found. I looked around, but my clothes were not to be seen anywhere. Usually, my clothes were always kept on the bed before I came out of the bath.

"Maids, where are my clothes?" I yelled in anger.

Within no time, the omegas who served me came running to my room. Fear was clearly evident in their eyes. Yeah, I liked that. But not even God could save them now.

"Where the hell did you put my clothes?" I asked in a bit calmer voice, controlling my anger.

There was no response, and that made me even angrier. "Who the f*** forgot to arrange my clothes?" I growled this time, and I could see the two maids shaking in fear.

"I... I..." one among them started to stutter.

"Louder!" I yelled.

"I'm sorry, Master. She's new here," Julie came running into my room and bowed her head.

I softened for a second, looking at her. Julie was more of my nanny than just a servant. She was the one who raised me after my mom's death. I couldn't yell at her.

"Hey, new girl, you better learn how to work, or else leave the pack house," I said in anger.

"I'm really sorry, Alpha," she kept on repeating, which made me irritated.

"Get away from my sight, all of you!" I yelled.

"I will bring you a new set of clothes, Master," Julie said and left the place; everyone followed her.

"I'm sorry, Julie, I didn't know our young master is short-tempered. I didn't expect him to react like this," the new omega said to Julie.

"It's okay. Try not to repeat this again. I'll get him the new pair," Julie replied and left the place, leaving the other servants behind.

"He's nothing like our Alpha," one servant said.

"Our Alpha is very kind and compassionate. The father and son are like polar opposites," the other said.

Did they even have any idea that they were talking this shit right outside of my room, and I'm a werewolf with good hearing ability? They were back-bitching about their future Alpha? How dare they?

I heard it most of the time—at the training grounds, at a few Alpha training sessions in the packs, and even when I attended a few of the neighboring packs—but not in my own home, not in this pack house. I couldn't just be silent and let them go, not this time.

"If only our Luna were alive, he would have been different, maybe. He has a bad upbringing that resulted in his bad temper. He didn't have his mom to look after him," another voice said.

"Yeah, I remember what a sweet kid he was when Luna was alive. He was such a well-behaved kid, but things went south when our Luna passed away. He became moody for days, actually for years, and then later, when he got his wolf, he started to become short-tempered. Alpha just ignored his behavior, thinking that he got a wolf and he had to get things in control. But the behavior continued until now," someone said, maybe it was Merissa.

I could identify her voice. I stepped out of my room with fury-filled eyes.

"Do you even realize that I am a werewolf and I have a great sense of hearing? Did you even forget that I am your future Alpha? Is this the way you talk about your ruler? You disrespect him and back-bitch about him?" I blurted out in anger, not even realizing what I was speaking.

This is the worst part about me: when I'm angry, I talk shit, and I don't even realize it. Then it doesn't even matter if I regret it later. I could see all the ladies trembling in fear.

"What the hell do you think you are? You are the future Alpha? No one knows what the future holds. You are not Alpha by birth; this Alpha throne never belonged to you, never belonged to any of us, you better remember that," My dad's voice came out of the blue and yelled at me.

"And what were you saying? You're a wolf and you can hear what they're talking about? How did it slip your mind that even I can hear what you're talking about? How dare you yell at someone? Someone powerless.

You are a what? A ruler? Who said an Alpha is a ruler? We don't rule them; we live with them and try to make their lives better.

Firstly, you better learn what being an Alpha is and then later have dreams of becoming Alpha," he started to rant.

I stood still like I always do, hearing it with one ear and letting it go out the other.

"The day when our Alpha comes, we have to give her back everything," he reminded us, more as he reminded me.

The day when she steps on this land, I will be the one killing her, I thought. If only he could listen to my thoughts. I hated her with every fiber of my being. She was a destructor; her birth was destruction.

"Learn to respect and behave around people, especially with humans. I think I don't have to remind you that you are going to human school from tomorrow," he said.

How could I even forget that shitty decision? I was being forced to go there. What was I going to do with human education? Dad said it would help us learn to communicate and understand humans more.

"I don't want to go, and I won't go," I replied.

"You have to listen to me if you want to be an Alpha, remember that," Dad said, more like growling with his Alpha tone.

I didn't like it, but I couldn't help but be submissive. I don't know what problem he has with me.

I stormed out of the pack house and jumped into the air, letting my wolf, Adam, out. He growled as soon as he became free. Even he was angry.

The best part about Adam is he empathizes with me. I told him everything about my past.

We started to run into the woods, aimlessly. Maybe I knew where we were going to end up: where everything began.