Here are the first few paragraphs to Alpha. I hope you enjoy this small prelude into the story. The snow falls through the dense thatch of pines. I remain warm within my mantle of fur. The wind carries the pungent aroma of the prey to be. It smells distinctly of a doe. I stand here, searching out the direction of the doe with my nose, while I wait for the others with me to catch up. I am unable to complete the hunt on my own. The first to arrive at my side is my loyal mate, the dominant female for the alpha male. The next to arrive at my other side is my subservient comrade. There is but one more to catch up; this one I would prefer to keep in front of me, but I will not follow him for any reason. He is envious of my dominance as the alpha male. If not for his superior skill in hunting and the sheer power that he contains within his body, I would have exiled him from the pack a long time ago. I must constantly be on my guard to avoid being caught with my defenses dropped. At last, he emerges into the thicket of saplings, under the protection of towering pines. He gives me a look of anticipation for the times to come. I pay the look no mind because my thoughts rest upon acquiring food to replenish the strength used in the hunt thus far. With a last look at my three companions, I trudge forward to begin to close the distance between the pack and our intended meal. The snow is deep enough to rub against my chest, causing the trek to be slow and strenuous, draining even more precious energy from the pack. As we move onward the aroma of the prey intensifies, allowing us to more accurately locate it. t seems to take forever, but finally we come close enough to see a lone doe nibbling on frozen branches of a maple sapling. With a snarl to my companions, the pack starts the slow process of our hunting ring. My mate and my comrade take the two closet sides, while the envious one takes the spot opposite from me. The three of them have to move away from the doe, to prevent spooking her. This causes the process to be slow. Once the envious one is in position, he howls, and the four of us take off running towards the doe. As soon as she realizes that we are close she takes off running, showing the white of her tail. We automatically turn and take up the pursuit. My mate and my comrade run along the doe’s sides, to keep her from veering off. The envious one stays behind her, so she can not slow down to slip the enclosure. I take off running at full speed, dodging trees and rocks that are in my path, so I can get in front of her to cut her off. Luckily for the pack, the doe heads towards me. As she runs close enough I lunge for her throat, latching on and dragging her to the ground.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 22:13:01 +0000