The Alpha Addiction

The sun was setting, and the golden light filtering through the dense canopy of trees bathed everything in a warm glow. I wasn't alone this time; my friends and I had spent the better part of the day roaming the forest trails, something we'd done since we were kids.

"Ethan, you're slowing down!" James called out, balancing a large bundle of firewood on his shoulder. He was always the loudest of the group, his voice echoing through the forest like a rooster's crow.

"Yeah, you're supposed to be the responsible one," Tolu added, smirking as he adjusted the strap of his water bottle. "Grandma and Grandpa are gonna scold you if we're late again."

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Don't act like you two haven't been the reason we've been late a hundred times."

The three of us had been inseparable since we were kids. James, Tolu, and I had grown up together in this quiet part of the countryside. For as long as I could remember, these two had been my brothers in all but blood.

"Bet he's just daydreaming about some mystery girl," James teased, nudging me with his elbow.

"More like dreaming about escaping this chore," I shot back, stepping over a fallen branch.

As we walked deeper into the forest, the air changed. It was subtle at first-a faint tension, like the world was holding its breath.

"Do you guys feel that?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.

James frowned, looking around. "Feel what?"

"It's... I don't know. Quiet. Too quiet."

Tolu was the first to laugh. "Come on, Ethan. Don't tell me you're scared of the forest now. We've been coming here since we were kids."

I opened my mouth to respond when I heard it-a rustling sound, faint but distinct, coming from somewhere ahead of us.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered.

This time, they did. James and Tolu froze, their playful banter replaced with wide-eyed caution.

"What was that?" James whispered.

I didn't answer. I stepped forward, my pulse quickening. Something-someone-was out there.

The sound grew louder as we approached, and then, through the trees, I saw her.

She was sitting against the trunk of a large oak tree, her dark hair tangled around her face, her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked... out of place, like she didn't belong here.

"Who's that?" James asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know," I said, taking a cautious step closer. "But she doesn't look okay."

The girl's head snapped up, and for a moment, our eyes met. Hers were strikingly blue, wide with fear and something else I couldn't place.

"Hey," I said softly, raising my hands to show I wasn't a threat. "Are you alright?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she pushed herself back against the tree, like she was trying to disappear into the bark.

"Ethan, maybe we should just go," Tolu said nervously.

But I couldn't leave her. Something about her drew me in, like gravity pulling me closer.

"What's your name?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.

"Mia," she whispered, her voice so soft I almost missed it.

"I'm Ethan," I said, kneeling down a few feet away. "These are my friends, James and Tolu. We're not gonna hurt you, I promise."

Her eyes darted between us, her body tense like a coiled spring. "I... I don't know where I am," she said finally.

"You're safe now," I assured her. "Come with us. We'll help you figure everything out."

She hesitated, then nodded. When I offered her my hand, she took it, her fingers cold as ice.

The walk back was quiet. James and Tolu kept throwing me questioning looks, but I ignored them. My focus was on Mia and the strange, unshakable feeling that finding her was no accident.

When we reached the house, Grandma was already waiting on the porch. Her knitting needles paused mid-stitch when she saw us, her eyes narrowing.

"Ethan," she said, her tone sharper than I'd expected. "Who is this?"

"This is Mia," I said, helping her up the steps. "She was lost in the forest. I couldn't just leave her there."

Grandma's lips pressed into a thin line. "You should have left her."

Her words hit like a punch to the gut. Before I could argue, Grandpa stepped out, his face grave.

"She stays tonight," he said. "But no longer. Do you hear me, Ethan?"

I nodded reluctantly, my chest tightening. As Mia stepped inside, I caught the way Grandma looked at her-like she was something dangerous.

That night, I couldn't sleep. My mind was spinning with questions, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw Mia's face.

I didn't know it yet, but that moment in the forest had changed everything. My life would never be the same again.

The morning light filtered through the curtains as I leaned against the kitchen counter, listening to the sound of sizzling eggs. Grandma's way of coping with tension was cooking, and she'd been at it nonstop since Mia arrived.

Mia.

The name felt strange on my tongue, yet it had already begun to anchor itself in my mind. She sat quietly at the dining table, her small frame dwarfed by Grandpa's old wooden chairs. Her hands fidgeted with the corner of the tablecloth, her eyes darting around the room like she was still trying to convince herself she wasn't dreaming.

"So, Mia..." I began, sliding into the chair opposite hers. She raised her eyes to meet mine, and for a moment, I forgot what I was about to say. There was something in her gaze-something fragile and unsettling, like looking at a cracked mirror.

"Yes?" Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

I cleared my throat. "How, uh... how are you feeling this morning?"

She hesitated, then shrugged. "Better, I think. Your grandparents have been really kind. I just... I still don't know how I got there."

Mia's story-or lack of it-was as puzzling as it was unnerving. She claimed she'd woken up in the forest a few days ago with no memory of how she got there or where she came from. No family. No home. Just a vague sense of fear and a name she was sure belonged to her.

"You don't remember anything at all?" I asked, leaning forward.

Her eyes clouded over as she thought. "I remember trees. So many trees. And... a voice, I think. Someone calling my name. But when I woke up, it was just silence. I wandered for hours until I heard you and your friends."

The memory of finding her came rushing back-the way she'd stumbled out from behind that tree, pale and trembling, her eyes wide with something between fear and relief. I'd never seen someone so... lost.

"I'm glad you found us," I said before I could stop myself.

Her lips curved into a small, hesitant smile. "Me too."

Grandma interrupted our exchange, placing a plate of eggs and toast in front of Mia. "Eat, dear. You need your strength," she said, her voice warm but firm.

Mia murmured a thank you, and as she picked at her food, I caught myself watching her. There was something about her presence that unsettled me. Not in a bad way, but in a way that made my skin tingle and my thoughts scatter.

Could it be that I have fallen in love at the first sight?