Alpha Girl (30 page)

He lifted a hand and wiped the tears from my eyes. ‘Oh, Rose. I thought I’d never see you again.’

I sniffed, the back of my throat burning.

‘I feel – I feel so guilty -
all the time
,’ I began to cry harder now. The last few weeks came gushing forth as pure emotion.

‘Oh, sweetheart,’ he crooned, taking me by the elbow and directing me towards the table where we sat down side-by-side.

Mr. Stone wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed into his uniform.

‘My love, I hope you haven’t been blaming yourself.’

‘I have,’ I said, trying to control the tears, but it was no use. I’d bottled it up for too many weeks.

‘It’s not your fault. It’s
my
fault this happened.’

I shook my head vigorously and looked up at him with bleary eyes. He sounded just like those counselors that had tried to convince me that Mr. Stone was an abusive manipulator.

‘You don’t regret it, do you?’ I asked.

He smiled sadly. ‘Loving you? No.’

My heart hammered.

How tragic
, I thought.
How cruel life is.

‘I swear I didn’t tell them,’ I said, the words spilling from my mouth. All the things I’d been dying to tell him spewed from my mouth. ‘It was my mother, Tom. She told the police that we – that we – we-’

‘I know,’ he whispered, stroking my hair. ‘I know.’

‘This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t run into those campers-’ I continued. ‘In the forest, I was –
hic
– naked, and I couldn’t find you –
hic
– so I tried to find the car. B-but they found me and called the Ranger. Everyone thought I’d b-been abused. I told them o-over and over that I hadn’t-’

He stroked my hair and whispered soothing words as I gushed, hiccupping and sobbing.

Once I’d cried myself dry, I looked up into those green eyes, seeking forgiveness.

‘You’re not mad at me, are you?’

‘I could never be mad at you,’ he replied.

‘Wh-what happened that day … in the forest? Where
were
you?’

Mr. Stone sighed and bowed his head. ‘I will admit something to you, Rose, and you may get upset.’

‘What is it?’ I said, my eyes never leaving him.

‘I awoke before you that morning. We were curled around each other, and you were still fast asleep. The memory of the previous night came flooding back, and I was happy for the first time in years. I felt complete.’

I didn’t understand why he thought this would upset me.

He continued. ‘Then I remembered the transformation. That split second before I lost consciousness … I saw you transforming, Rose.’

‘I saw you too,’ I said. ‘You were beautiful.’

He smiled another sad smile. ‘You too, my love. But I realized something then.’

‘What?’

‘Seeing your alternate form, I knew at once … that you were the one - the one who changed me.’

I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly. ‘What?’

He sighed. ‘Your eyes, the colour of your fur – everything. It was the same as the creature that attacked me six years ago.’

Six years ago.

All this time I’d been under the assumption that Mr. Stone had been a werewolf longer than I, because of his age. But it was the other way around. I had been this way for nine years – him, only six.

‘But I … my parents … they always restrain me-’ I paused, the realization dawning upon me. The one time they hadn’t been there – I was twelve. Six years ago.

‘I knew as soon as I saw you transform, Rose. You were the one that changed me.’

‘I … I didn’t know,’ I said, my eyes wide. ‘I swear it-’

‘I know,’ he said, bowing his head. ‘I suppose I should have known. I realize now how small the creature was that attacked me that night – far smaller than
my
alternate form. A child werewolf.’

‘Is that why you left me there in the forest?’ I asked, dreading the answer.

He sighed. ‘For six years I’ve imagined myself coming face to face with the … the
thing
that changed me. I’ve pictured every scenario in my head, and they all end the same.’

‘Killing me?’ I asked without hesitation.

‘I fantasized about tracking down the person who did this to me, and putting a bullet through their brain. How was I to know it was you, Rose?’

‘I’m sorry, Tom,’ I said, my throat tight. ‘I’m sorry I did that to you.’

‘You know the stories, Rose, I’m sure? That the curse can be reversed if the alpha is killed?’

I stared at Mr. Stone. Did he believe it like my mother?

‘I’ve heard it,’ I said, my breath stuttering. ‘I don’t believe it though.’

‘I’ve always vowed for revenge, and hoped, on the off-chance, that the rumors might be true - that I might be freed if the one who attacked me was killed. I’ve lived the last six years hanging onto that hope, Rose – that I would come face to face with my attacker.’

‘You don’t mean-’ I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Had he really wanted to kill me whilst I slept peacefully on the forest floor?

He chuckled lightly. ‘Realizing it was you, Rose … I was forced to … re-evaluate my life. The only reason I was able to accept my affliction was because I was so certain there would be a way to reverse it. It was only a matter of time before I met my attacker.’

‘And you met me,’ I said, rather hoarse.

‘I went for a walk while you slept. I needed to think … it was so much to take in. But then I remembered how amazing that night had been – with you. I was whole. I’d never been so happy in my entire life, even before the attack. I decided there and then that we were meant to be – that I had been attacked by you so I would later be drawn toward you.’

A smiled played his lips.

‘Really?’ I asked, my own smile returning.

‘Of course. How could I ever wish harm upon you? You’re my girl, Rose. My Alpha girl. No wonder I’ve had such a hard time going against you.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Haven’t you noticed? I was barely aware of it myself, but it’s damn near impossible for me to say no to you. All of those times you told me to kiss you, or touch you … I obeyed.’

I leaned against Mr. Stone’s chest and breathed deeply. I could feel my wounded heart slowly beginning to heal at his words. I looked up at him. ‘But why didn’t you come back for me?’

‘I was gone maybe fifteen minutes, and when I returned you weren’t there. I called your name, but you didn’t reply, so I went looking for you.’

‘You were looking for me?’

He nodded. ‘I followed your scent, but I was too late.’

‘If I’d only stayed put.’ I was furious with myself.

‘What’s done is done,’ he said, kissing my forehead.

‘Aren’t you … aren’t you
mad
about being here?’ I asked him.

‘Of course, it isn’t ideal. But I’ll wait a hundred years to be with you.’

‘Oh, Tom.’ My throat felt tight.

‘Will you wait for me, Rose? I know eight years is a long time, but-’

‘Of course!’ I said a little too loud. ‘Of – of course.’

Mr. Stone smiled sadly. ‘There is a problem, however.’

‘A problem?’ I repeated.

‘I fear I won’t make it another two weeks.’

‘What? Why?’

‘Rose, the full moon is drawing near.’

I nodded. ‘I know.’

‘I fear that … that I may try to escape during my transformation. It is highly likely that the guards will shoot to kill.’

I gasped audibly, before clapping my hands over my mouth. ‘You don’t mean-’

‘Rose, the probability of my death is … overwhelming to say the least. Perhaps it is for the best. I may hurt many people while confined here. I never did well in cages, you know that.’

‘No,’ I choked. ‘M-Maybe we can talk to the warden – have you put in solitary, or – or-’

‘And tell them what, Rose? That every full moon I change into a crazed monster? No one in their right mind would believe me.’

‘What else can you do to be put in solitary?’ I asked desperately.

Mr. Stone chuckled, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Well I can always throw my own feces at the guards, or perhaps stab someone with a fragment of metal.’

I closed my eyes and tried to block out the mental images. Tears slid down my cheeks. What would the guards do when they came face to face with a fully-fledged werewolf?

Naturally, they’d shoot on sight.

‘Rose,’ Mr. Stone wiped the tears from my eyes. ‘Please don’t be sad.’

‘How can I not be? What if something happens to you? I’ll never forgive myself.’

‘It’s not your fault,’ he whispered, pressing his forehead against mind. ‘None of this is your fault.’

‘But it is,’ I said thickly. ‘It’s my fault you’re a – a werewolf, and it’s my fault you’re in here.’

‘And I wouldn’t change a thing, my love.’

‘Why?’

‘Because then I wouldn’t have met you, and we wouldn’t have shared that amazing night together.’

I nodded, tears now streaming down my face. How could I live with the guilt if he were to die here?

‘Five minutes,’ the guard barked at us from the corner.

‘Oh no,’ I cried, gripping Mr. Stone frantically. ‘Is there anything I can do?’

He looked at me sadly, before cupping my face and kissing my lips softly. ‘Live,’ he said.

‘How can I, without you? My mother is taking me to live in the city with her. That’s no place for a werewolf.’

The corner of Mr. Stone’s mouth hitched in a slight smile. ‘You called yourself a werewolf,’ he said.

‘Yes. Ever since that night … I’ve been okay with it.’

‘I’m glad,’ he said. ‘I’d give anything to be with you, Rose. I want it more than my next breath.’

I sniffed back fresh tears. ‘Please don’t die,’ I whispered.

‘I’ll try,’ he promised. ‘Just remember that I love you.’

‘I love you too.’

Sunday – 0 days to go