Alphaçade

Chapter 1: The Ride

Ten sets of different-colored eyes followed me as they reflected the light from the underground rail entrance. Tesak wasn't a city for humans, and the leery stares I'd often receive were constant reminders of that. Even though the SMA-3 bioweapon spread seven decades ago, we had only recently started studying the generations that carried the resulting mutations.

They were a different species now; not a trace of humanity in any of them except their abilities to think rationally… most of the time. Though these man-animals known as Meliorans made up a twentieth of the world's population, they slowly integrated into our society over the last thirty years, affecting everything from how we raised food to how designed our cities or elected government officials. It even changed how we practiced medicine. Tesak was one of the last places of segregation—though there was still a lot of prejudice from both sides—and it showed in the dilapidated infrastructure wherever I turned.

I gripped the rails and stepped down into the tunnel, taking a moment to glance at my watch, which read fifteen minutes past eight. The train wouldn't arrive for another ten minutes. I hated getting anywhere too early, and as expected, the station was full. It smelled God-awful in there with so many _people _packed on top of one another, a bit like an overcrowded kennel. There was a distinct canine odor, as well as other, more pungent scents. It wouldn't have been so bad had it not been in stifling mid-July humidity that evening.

Even though I kept my eyes forward as the minutes passed, I couldn't help but look around at the creatures that towered over me. Though they'd integrated back into human society in other places, there were none where I came from. I'd been studying their anatomy for years in school, and even saw them on television; however, nothing could prepare me for seeing them in person. I wasn't short by any means, being six-foot-three, but some of these creatures stood nearly two feet higher or more. It didn't feel right going from being one of the tallest people in the room to being the smallest in an entire city.

The surrounding crowd condensed to the center as the sound of squealing reverberated through the tunnels, and a pale-yellow glow brightened when the train approached. Before I knew it, a hyena's back pressed into my chest while a wolf and jaguar shoved me from behind. The train hissed to a stop, and the doors slid open.

As the Meliorans pushed their way aboard, I had second thoughts about joining them. It wasn't as though I was shy or afraid, but the heat and smell were so overwhelming I didn't want to sit like that for fifteen minutes. I broke through the crowd to the wall at the back of the station, getting the usual growls of annoyance as I disrupted the flow of traffic. This was the first time I'd gotten to the station so late, but it was also my third day of residency—a day that had me reconsidering every decision I'd made.

All the train doors shut in unison, and after the initial noise of wheelsets on rails clanked and screeched further into the distance, the once bustling station went silent, save for the hum of fluorescent lighting and an off-rhythm buzz of loose electric wires throughout the tunnel. While it was nice to breathe fresher air again, the eerie atmosphere of the old station made me regret staying behind.

Two gruff voices got louder as they approached the tunnel entrance. It almost sounded like they were trying to whisper but failing at it.

“I can't believe what I saw you doing. If your father—"

“He won't find out," came another, deeper voice. There was a slight shuffling before a stifled thud lightly rattled the wall of the stairway. “Right, Vic?"

“I ain't sayin' nothin'." The voice had a slight tremble to it. “There's no way in hell I'm tellin' the boss his son's a—"

Another thud followed by a whimper.

“The next word that comes out of your mouth had better be… alpha."

I shuffled uncomfortably as I leaned against the wall, eying the dull, hulking shadows from the entrance.

“Thought you didn't like that title," the other voice said. It had a shaky tone but still sounded defiant. “And why the fuck are we here?"

“Privacy." The voice fell to a whisper, followed by rapid sniffing. “Or I thought. Go back home."

“But how are you gonna—"

“It's not that far." The sniffing intensified. “I wanna be alone."

One shadow shrank as it ascended the stairway. “What do I tell him when he sees you're not in the car?"

“He ain't there." A distinct, clawed pattering of footsteps descended into the tunnel.

“God damn it. You're gonna get yourself killed one day if you don't start falling in line with your role."

Silence broke again as I stared forward at the far wall. The footsteps faded, and I finally let go of the breath I was holding.

“You realize there aren't any more trains tonight, right?"

I jumped and looked to my left to see a tall figure standing next to me with his arms crossed, looking straight ahead at the same wall. He was a wolf, and a large one at that. Black with black clothing. A cloth mask with a bloody, red pentagram sketched into it covered his maw, and the tall collar of the same color leather trench coat obscured the lower side of his face. From what I could see, he was broad, solid, and intimidating—a stoic wall of muscle. There was something slightly softer in his gaze as brilliant green eyes shifted toward me.

“Really?" I hadn't considered that the trains actually stopped running after a certain hour. Where I came from, they never did. With a drawn-out sigh, I pushed myself from the wall, stepping away. “Damn it."

A rough hand grabbed onto my arm and pulled. “Hey."

“What?" Being touched by strangers always upset me, and around here, if you let them do that, it could turn really bad really fast. It was especially true for the wolves. I stood straighter and stared him down, but he didn't seem fazed by the reaction.

“What's your name?" he asked, his low tone rough but muffled through the fabric. The wolf released me and crossed his arms again, revealing an expensive-looking gold watch on his left wrist. Though the trench coat hid most of his clothing, the pants he wore had that business look about them. No one wore shoes in this city since all of its inhabitants had padded paws. This guy was no different, but his pawed feet were so much bigger than normal. Now that I was close enough to size him up, I'd never seen a wolf like him before.

I hesitated for a moment as I looked up at his masked face. It was unsettling not being able to see what expression he wore. “Elijah. Yours?"

“Dice."

A light snort left my nose when I heard that name. It was involuntary, and I regretted it soon after. But Dice?

“What the hell's so funny about that?"

“I wasn't laughing." I cleared the lump in my throat, trying not to avert my gaze from his face but failing as the concrete floor rolled into view. God, he was intimidating.

The wolf grunted and leaned against the wall. “Why are you here?"

I raised a brow and looked over at the empty tracks. “I was hoping to catch a boat."

A light chortle shook his throat, but even that sounded threatening. “I guess I should have been more specific," Dice said, reaching for the mask covering his snout. His eyes darted both ways before slipping it off, and his thin, black lips curled upward into a jagged grin. Even though he had sharp canines, it was nice to finally see more of his face. For a wolf man, he was quite handsome. Perhaps it was the smile and the eyes that admittedly made me a tad weak-in-the-knee. “What are you doing in Tesak?"

“I'm here on a grant from the state. This city has a doctor shortage and—"

“You're a doctor?" His eyes widened enough in amazement for me to find the reaction rather insulting.

“No," I said. “Close though. I'm an NP."

“Oh." His response was sharp and seemed slightly dismissive.

“I'll have you know it took eight years of study to get here, and I was top of my class," I said, my voice growing louder as I inched up to him. “Do you know how long it takes to learn—"

“Chill," Dice said, lightly pushing me away. “I didn't mean it like that."

“Oh." I said, mimicking the tone of his voice from earlier.

“Listen," the wolf said. The guttural timbre was enough to make me wince, and his brows furrowed before softening into a more friendly gaze. “You wanna ride home?"

“Uh," I said, a little taken aback by his sudden offer after that outburst. However, I was at least thirteen miles from home, and it would be nice to not have to pay for a taxi. “Okay, sure, if you don't mind. I just moved here three days ago, so these public transit schedules are odd."

Dice reached into his coat and grabbed a phone before tapping his large, clawed forefinger against the screen as he nodded. “The city doesn't have the funds to keep the trains going all day."

“Well, that would explain the doctor shortage," I said as we walked toward the stairway, him close to my left side. “It's a shame this place is run by criminals. The city would get more support if it weren't for the mob bosses." He shuffled next to me, and I watched him through my peripheral. He grabbed the mask he wore earlier from his jacket and placed it over his muzzle, hooking the straps behind both ears.

“Heh, yeah," he muttered, not looking over at me. “Got a question for you."

“Shoot."

The wolf turned to face me as we walked, his eyes serious. “You're not scared of me?"

“I know exactly how to disable you if you tried anything funny." I flashed him a confident smile. “So no. Got no reason to be."

The wolf cocked his head to the side before letting out a single grunted laugh. “Yeah, okay."

Another dismissive tone, but this time he was right to doubt me. That was a big fat bluff on my part, and he hadn't exactly called it, yet. As long as he thought I had something up my sleeve, it was enough to keep a wolf from getting too dominant with me. At least I hoped. It was one thing to study their behavior, but another to experience it.

We walked along the street together, neither of us saying a word. It was probably the most awkward moment I'd had since college. Why was it always up to me to start any kind of conversation? There were times it felt as though I had to force people to talk to me.

A siren blared in the distance before fading, and scurrying rats squeaked while rummaging through stinking bags of garbage in the alleyways. The buildings here were a hodgepodge of residential and commercial. There were markets selling questionable meat hanging from clothes lines while shadowed tenants with reflective animal eyes and glowing cigarettes eerily dotted the windows above.

There was something off about the way the Meliorans reacted to our presence in the area. It was both disgust and fear, and I knew this wasn't because of me. I had to say something.

“Y—"

“We can wait here. The driver should be close."

It was as though we both had the same idea, but he didn't stop to let me finished what I was saying.

“Okay," I replied.

Headlights rounded the corner, and they were bright enough to shroud the rest of the vehicle in pitch blackness. As the car approached and became more visible, I let out a slight gasp.

“A—a limo?" I stepped up to the needlessly long black vehicle, but Dice pulled me back as a center door rose by itself. The tint was so dark that until the door opened, I couldn't see the rave of purple and blue LED lights glimmering from inside.

“Never been in one before?" Dice asked, placing his hand on my back, prodding me forward.

I stepped in, lowering my head as I walked along the carpeted floors to the rear plush-style leather seat.

“No." It was hard to find the words to say as I continued looking around. In front of me and all along the other side of the limo was a bar that had pink and purple glowing strips following the edge of a wavy-cut black granite countertop. The bar held several revolving chillers, each of those holding a carousel of gold-label bottles surrounded by crystal wine glasses and champagne flutes.

After I took my place at the rear, Dice sat perpendicular to me on the more rounded seat directly in front of the bar. He removed his mask and glanced down at his phone. The lighting in here somehow made him even more handsome, the way it reflected his dark, chiseled features. He had a powerful jaw, and the confident way he held himself even while sitting seemed to command respect without needing to say a word.

As he tapped out a message, he looked up at me. “Where do you live?"

“Seven eighty-two east Park Ridge Road," I replied, trying but failing to seem more nonchalant.

He finished his message before slipping the phone back into his pocket, and the limo rolled forward. Dice stared at me as if he expected something, but I kept my eyes on the window as the street lights flitted by.

“So," he said. “You work at the hospital?"

I turned toward him and nodded. “Yeah." My hands nervously clutched the sides of the seat. “It's… a rough place."

He let out a half-hearted chuckle. “It's what happens when you put a bunch of different beasts together in a crumbling city."

“Run by four different mobs," I added. “These are turf wars. I've never seen injuries like that."

“Claws and teeth are much worse than bullets." The limo was tall, but Dice's ears rubbed against the ceiling. He got down on one knee and slid open a compartment under the bar. “What's your pleasure?"

“Two shredded black men in thongs serving me margaritas by a resort swimming pool."

Dice paused and eyed me, his nose wrinkling into what I thought was a snarl. Was that too much? My stomach dropped for a moment before a half grin slipped across his face as he pulled out a cubed bottle of clear brown liquid.

“Would you settle for a shredded black wolf serving you a bourbon in a limo instead?"

A heat spread from the top of my head to my neck. What I thought left my mouth next was a laugh, but it was little more than a giggle when it hit my ears. I needed that drink before I made a complete fool of myself.

“Sure, that'll do," I said softly through my teeth. I couldn't believe what was happening to me the longer I was around him. I'd always taken an interest in Melioran anatomy, but it never strayed beyond curiosity. Now I was having a drink in one's limousine while picturing him shirtless.

He passed me a glass of booze, and I immediately put it to my lips, sucking in a larger-than-wise mouthful. I tried to hold back a grimace, but bourbon was not a favorite of mine. At the moment, though, anything with a proof higher than forty was my salvation.

Dice smiled again and crawled back to his seat before nursing his own glass.

“So, what do you do for a living?" That probably wasn't the politest way to word that, but the guy obviously had money, which in this city wasn't a common thing.

“I help run the family business," he said, taking another larger swallow of his bourbon, the ball of ice clinking against the glass. The wolf said nothing after that, and I was about to prod him further until I heard a muffled ringtone from his jacket pocket.

“Excuse me," he said, holding up a clawed finger as he grabbed his phone. He looked down at the screen and his face twisted into a snarl as he rejected the call.

“Warranty on the limo expiring soon? Final notice?" I was getting just the right amount of buzz to quell the anxiety that pounded me earlier.

Dice let out a louder laugh. That one was more genuine, and his eyes seemed to sparkle. “Something like that," he said, taking another sip. The phone rang again, and this time he turned it off.

“So?" I asked, picking up where I left off from earlier. “What is this family business?"

The brightness of his eyes faded back to blank.

“I, uh," he muttered, taking another drink. “We can talk about that some other time."

“Are you implying there's gonna be another time?" The grin returned to his face, and it had just enough teeth to make him seem predacious in all the right ways.

“M—maybe."

For someone who exuded power, he was awfully coy about this. Perhaps I needed to be more direct. I took another swallow and silently prayed this would go in my favor.

“You and me, Saturday, the park," I said, my words coming out in quick slurs. “I'll make something, so bring your appetite."

Dice's facial expression changed little, but his tail beat rapidly into the seat behind him. That was a good sign. “I don't care much for the park. It's… too public."

Well, there went whatever mood I thought he was creating. “Too public?"

“Uh…" He nervously scratched at the thicker fur along his chin. “What I mean is—"

“This is what I think it is, right?" I asked, staring into his eyes this time. “Are you into me?"

Dice's expression went wide, and he nodded.

“Are you… not out?"

“Listen, it's—"

I put up a hand to silence him. “I think I've heard this one before." The vehicle slowed, and I looked out the window to see my apartment complex. “I don't wanna be with someone in secret. I'm too old for this shit."

“This is complicated, Elijah," he said, his stare pleading. I didn't want to hear it.

“It always is," I said, sliding off my seat as the door to the limo folded out with a pneumatic hiss. I stood and held the glass, wiggling it with my fingers before setting it on the bar. “Thanks for the drink and the ride."

I stepped out, but felt the weight of the vehicle shift behind me as Dice emerged.

“Elijah," he grunted, grabbing onto my hand. “How about this: I'll come to your place and we can spend the day together. I'll explain then." God, those eyes were hard to resist. Maybe it was the booze. “Okay?"

I folded my arms and stumbled a bit. “Against every bit of fucking common sense I have, I'll take you up on the offer, wolf man." My finger pointed at his face, or I thought it was his face. There were a couple of faces and they both seemed to get further away. When had I become such a lightweight? “But this is not in invitation for some onetime hookup, understand?"

“Yeah."

I squinted and stared at him through the sides of my eyes. “Hopefully you talk more on Saturday than you did on the way here."

His ears fell to the sides of his head. Another unexpected reaction. “Sure."

As I turned to leave, I wanted to try something. Though I was loose thanks to the alcohol, I had to see if this felt weird. I stopped and turned back around, extending my hand. He grabbed onto it, his tail swaying from side-to-side. I then stepped closer before wrapping both arms around him.

“Wait…" he whispered, trying to push me away, but it was too late. I was already up against him, and I felt a stiffness that the bulky trench coat hid from sight. Though he locked up at first, he returned the embrace. The scent of him was amazing and subtle. The cologne he wore mixed well with a more heady, masculine aroma, and what I thought would feel strange ended up being more natural than I had expected.

I pulled away and smiled. “I'll see you Saturday."