The Silent Billionaire Alpha

Flipping the sign to "Closed" and locking the door, Tessa Moonridge heard the bell above the door chime one last time. Via the crevice at the bottom of the door, the chilly night air with a hint of jasmine and urban grime drifted. The burden of her day weighed down on her shoulders like a thick blanket as she groaned and briefly leaned her face against the glass.

The warm glow of the fairy lights she had strung along the shelves of vibrant flowers was the only light in the dimly lit flower shop inside. As she went, her small bursts of life, daisies, peonies, and roses, seemed to watch. But no matter how colorful the flowers were, they were unable to relieve the knot of worry that was always tightening in her chest.

After dealing with dirt and thorns for a long time, Tessa's hands were rough, so she flicked out the final light. She racked her brain. There were bills piling up on the counter at home, and if she didn't find the money to fix her inheritance a dilapidated Victorian home on the outskirts of town it might collapse. Her haven and source of income, the flower store, was barely surviving.

After grabbing her luggage and coat, she made her way to the rear exit. The shadows stretched excessively long between buildings, and the streetlights threw faint halos onto the broken pavement. Her uneasiness began as a prickling sensation at the nape of her neck that she was unable to completely get rid of. She squeezed her bag harder and inhaled deeply.

Behind her, there was a faint echo of footsteps. Her heart pounded as she froze. "Probably nothing," she whispered as she pushed herself to continue moving. But every instinct in her told her that she wasn't alone, and her heartbeat raced.

She halted suddenly and whirled around. Behind her, the street was deserted but for the faint rustle of leaves and a flickering streetlamp. The shadows appeared to move and breathe, as though they were living things.

She muttered, "Get a grip, Tessa," as she attempted to control her growing panic. The feeling of being watched, however, intensified. Her gaze darted to every nook and cranny, to every glimmer of movement as she examined the darkness.

She fumbled with the keys in her shaking hands as she arrived at her car, the metal jangling. It stuck to her like a second skin and didn't go away. She swearing she saw a figure vanish into the alley behind her shop, she looked into the rearview mirror as she climbed into the driver's seat. Despite the car's heated inside, she felt cold as a chill went down her spine.

She grasped the steering wheel, wishing her heart would slow down, her knuckles turning white. She waited for something or someone to appear, gazing at the shop's darkened windows instead of driving away right away. The streets, however, were still silent, and she felt the weight of that silence.

Finally shifting the automobile into gear, she whispered, "You're dreaming." But even as she drove home, she couldn't get rid of the sensation that something or someone was out there, hiding just outside her field of vision.

Tessa was shocked by the slight crunch of gravel when she got out of her automobile. In order to retrieve a forgotten ledger, she had merely parked in the tiny lot behind her store. Her headlights' gentle radiance hardly broke through the dense darkness that gathered around her.

"Tessa Moonridge," a harsh, authoritative masculine voice yelled.

With her heart bouncing into her throat, she spun around. From the shadows, three figures appeared, moving with ease yet purpose. The attire they wore was black and unremarkable, blending in with the darkness. She could feel the intensity of their glances, which made her blood chill.

"Who is asking?" Even as the cold horror seeped into her veins, she answered in a firm voice. She stepped back, analyzing her surroundings swiftly, her mind racing. No one was around to hear her cry, her car was blocked, and the alley was too small to flee across.

The tallest member in the gang moved forward, his lips curled into a sly smirk. His magnetic presence bordered on predatory. "We are known to you. Stop being a fool, witch.

Instinctively, she snarled as the term struck her like a slap. She stated, "You've got the wrong person," in a firmer tone. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The man's gaze grew strained. Don't tell us lies. You have been in our sights. You have been hiding here, acting like you're not. Of all things, selling flowers. He spoke in a contemptuous tone. "But your true identity is known to us."

Tessa felt her heart pounding in her ears. "I'm just a florist; I'm not sure what kind of fantasy you're following. Now, if it's okay with you, I'm going out. With harsh, uncompromising faces, the two others barred her way as she turned.

The leader's smile got bigger. Not so quickly. You don't have to perform. Our goal is to make sure you can't harm anyone else.

Her breath caught. Injured anybody else? How in heck were they discussing this? She frantically tried to think of a way out. I believe you have made a mistake. "I'm not who you think I am," she continued, attempting to sound composed in spite of her voice trembling.

The second man, who was stockier and shorter, produced a slender blade that shone in the dim light. "Enough discourse," he snarled. "She is squandering our time."

Though there was nowhere to go, Tessa's instincts begged her to flee. She felt a rush of adrenaline, and her fingers balled into fists. She refused to be defeated easily.

She remarked in a low voice, "You've chosen the wrong woman. I don't know who you think I am."

There was a grim, humorless chuckle from the leader. "Well, let's check on that."

The slight buzz of electricity in her ears and an unexplainable warmth arose inside her as the man brandishing the sword approached. For a moment, the world appeared to slow down as her vision became sharper. Tessa didn't have time to think about what was going on, so she followed her instincts.

The man's blade touched her coat as she ducked his attack. She spun on her heel and snatched up a discarded wooden board that was leaned against the structure, swinging it as hard as she could. The alley reverberated with the harsh snap of wood meeting flesh as the man with the blade staggered back, gripping his arm and cursing.

A expression of icy resolve took the place of the leader's smile. "You just made a huge error," he growled.

He lunged at her faster than she believed she could, before she could react. Tessa's heart pounded as she fought against his hold as his palm clamped around her wrist like a vice. As though something inside of her was awakening, the warmth blazed up again, stronger this time.

The lighting overhead flickered and exploded, leaving the alley in complete darkness just as she was ready to lose it. The hunters froze, the sparks briefly lighting their features as an odd, electric tension permeated the air.

Tessa lurched back, wrenching her wrist free, her breathing labored. She had gained a moment from whatever had just transpired. She spun around and fled, afraid to turn around as the darkness threatened to engulf her.

With their shadows looming larger than life in the alley's dim, broken light, the hunters closed in. Tessa's coat scraped across the cold brick wall when her back struck it. She breathed quickly and shallowly, her thoughts scrambling for an escape that was nonexistent.

"You have no other choice," the commander snarled, his sword glinting in the dim light of a streetlamp in the distance. "It's over."

Fear swept in like a tidal rush. She felt as though her heart may explode from the intensity of its beating. "I told you that I'm not who you think I am," she stated in a trembling yet resolute voice.

Her gut churned at the grating sound of the shorter hunter laughing. "Remain calm. We've already heard every excuse.

The words escaped her lips before she could stop them: "You don't know what you're doing." She could feel the slight vibration in her bones as the air around her appeared to throb. The feeling was odd, alien, yet familiar in some way as if it had always been there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting.

"Oh," the leader said, advancing a step, "we know exactly what we're doing." "This town is being saved from a monster by us."

She was slapped by the word monster. Her anxiety blended with anger until it was impossible to distinguish between the two. Her hands at her sides, balled into fists, started to tingle. A feeling of warmth began to radiate from her chest, filling her limbs with an energy she was unable to describe.

She murmured, "Get away from me," in a low, tremulous voice that suddenly carried a warning.

The boss didn't pay attention. With his blade pointed directly at her heart, he lunged. Tessa didn't consider it. She didn't make any plans. She merely responded.

It felt like the world exploded. From her came a dazzling light and a thunderclap that sounded like thunder crashing straight overhead. The hunters were knocked off their feet by the force of it and sprawled across the sidewalk. Scrambling to his knees, the leader's face a mask of astonishment and fear, his blade clattered away, forgotten.

As she gazed at her hands, Tessa noticed that they were now glowing dimly, with light strands moving along them like flames. The adrenaline pumping through her started to fade, causing her chest to heave and her vision to swam.

What exactly did you do? With a shaky voice, one of the hunters stumbled and slid backward, away from her.

"I'm not sure," Tessa said in a barely audible whisper. The leader's look halted her in her tracks as she took a tentative step forward.

His voice was full of hatred as he growled, "This isn't over." You'll be sorry, witch.

They ran away, vanishing like specters into the darkness, leaving Tessa alone in the eerie alley solitude. The warmth left her palms and was replaced by a cold coldness that crept into her bones.

She went to her knees, trembling, as the realization of the magnitude of what had just transpired set in. Although the ground felt stable beneath her, everything in her universe had changed. Her life had been saved by whatever had just transpired whatever she had done. However, at what price?

Through Tessa's fog, the sound of labored breathing and shuffling feet could be heard. She spotted them when her head snapped up two hunters who had not run away with the rest. They moved more slowly but were still a threat as they approached warily.

One of them whispered, "We can still finish this," but his voice faltered with doubt. The other person nodded while holding a crossbow firmly, the bolt pointed straight at her chest.

Tessa's legs felt like lead, and she was exhausted. Even if she wanted to, she was unable to call up the weird power once more. She couldn't even stand as her body begged her to flee. She had no choice but to sit there and look down at her assailants with a mix of desperation and defiance.

Then she heard it a growl that seemed like it was coming from the ground itself, low and guttural. The hunters halted, their gazes flitting to the noise's origin. With its eyes shining with a hungry glare and its fur bristling, a huge brown wolf emerged from the shadows. It moved slowly, purposefully, and with a scary assurance.

"What on earth?" One of the hunters took a step back and breathed. The wolf's snarl intensified, and it flashed its teeth, its sharp fangs gleaming with saliva.

Despite raising his weapon, the hunter with the crossbow was never able to fire. The wolf lunged, a haze of strength and rage. It knocked the man to the ground with the force of a freight train. The man let out a spine-tingling scream as the wolf bit into his shoulder, causing the crossbow to flutter away.

Hunter number two didn't wait. He spun around and dashed, his footsteps resonating through the deserted alley. There was no wolf to pursue him. As though daring him to move, it stood over the dead hunter, snarling low in its throat. Cradling his damaged shoulder, the man sobbed but made no sound