Lost Alpha by Jessica Ryan

nostrils. It took everything she had not to begin retching and heaving. She held it together, choking back the bile that was forming in her throat.
    “You’re not going to get away with this,” she said.
    “Someone’s getting away with something,” he said, snickering into her ear.
    All she could do was cry as he held her there, laughing silently right beside her face. She couldn’t see Angie or the girls, but she could hear their silent sobbing.
    Just as she was about to give up hope the entire room shook and her eyes darted up from the floor to take in the sight of the monstrous werewolf bearing down on them. Fear welled up inside her as her eyes darted across his monstrous form. He was at least seven feet tall, his upper body hunched over slightly. He walked on two thick, canine back legs that didn’t seem large enough to support the mass of his upper body. The low light in the hallway framed him in shadows, but he seemed to stand out amongst them all. His head looked like that of a giant wolf, but it lacked hair in spots, making him appear close to human. His eyes remained the same orange color that she had fallen in love with; she could see Travis behind them, but they were still clouded with rage.
    He started to break his way through the doorway, forcing Paige to cry even more. She knew the trigger would be pulled at any moment, William Jr. would kill her right in front of Travis or he would make Travis stop as he threatened to kill her if he came any closer.
    She closed her eyes, expecting it at any moment. The moment never came, instead William Jr.’s breathing calmed and she heard a voice from somewhere outside the room, towards the end of the hallway.
    She opened her eyes, hardly able to see through the blur of tears. Travis had wheeled around, his back facing them now as someone at the end of the hallway spoke to him. She could barely hear what the man was saying, but whatever it was it gave Travis pause.
    The hulking wolf monster stood in the hallway, his horrific head pointed towards the ground. He turned sideways, forlornly gazing into the room like he was trying to decide something. She could definitely see Travis in his eyes now, a scared version of Travis she had never seen before.
    Past him she could see Victor Dance standing at the end of the hallway, a smug and confident look on his face. In one hand he held the staff while his other hand rested behind his back. Her eyes caught something else, something brown on the ground. As the tears fell away she realized it was Dario, broken and crumpled on the hallway floor.
    The next few moments seemed to drag until the end of time. The air was so thick she could barely breathe. It wasn’t just her, the girls had quit sobbing and William Jr. was holding his breath in anticipation. The only person that seemed in control of the situation was Victor, still standing confidently at the end of the hallway.
    Then everything snapped back to reality. The thick air, the slow motion and the silence was all gone as Travis roared and slammed his fists into the walls beside him, sending them crashing to the floor.
    He spun around barreling through the doorway. William Jr. threw her aside and lifted the pistol to defend himself, but he was too slow. Travis grabbed the hand that held the gun and pulled, ripping his arm completely off. The girls shrieked and Paige covered her face as blood splattered onto her. After she moved her arms she looked up to see Travis holding William Jr. over his head. The werewolf’s muscles popped and strained as he pulled, finally ripping the wererat in two. Blood showered the wolf’s black fur as he dropped both halves to the side.
    He roared again, driving his fists into the ceiling above them. Her eyes darted out into the hallway, Dario was struggling to stand but Victor was nowhere to be seen. Travis became even more enraged when he noticed the absence of the vampire.
    “Travis, stop!” Paige screamed, running up to the abomination.