The Alpha

"No!" 

Hope cried out in panic as she lunged toward Albus, driven by fear and instinct. She wasn't fast enough for the bullet, but she realized only a moment later that she didn't need to be.

The bullet hovered mid-air a foot in front of Albus' nose.

While his hand was held in the air, stopping the bullet with wandless magic, his eyes cut through the woman who had pulled the trigger.

Though she didn't retreat, her gaze wavered as they stared each other down. Hope often forgot Albus's power, given that he never made a spectacle of his abilities. Sweet relief was replaced with cruel anger almost instantaneously.

If Albus had been any average Wizard, he'd be dead on the forest floor. Her chest tightened as her breathing became more ragged.

"Hope…" Albus sounded distant as Hope approached the woman, her gait filled with conviction as she closed the distance.

The blonde lunged forward, towering herself over Hope, eyes yellow as she bared blunt teeth. "On your knees." Hope sensed a rush of power emanating from her, and it was evident at that moment she was trying to use her Alpha status to make Hope obey.

A snarl suddenly ripped up Hope's throat, fangs extending as she pushed forward, forcing her face into the blonde. Dry lightning cracks across the sky as the trees sway under a sudden gust of wind.

The blonde sank to her knees with a gasp, eyes wide with a sudden understanding of fear as she looked up at her. It had been so long since Hope had let herself give into the Alpha strength hidden deep within her soul, but just scraping the surface felt so good she could moan.

Hope snatched the woman's hair, yanking her head back to expose her throat. She didn't fight; she just panted as tears filled her eyes. The taste of her fear was like a fine dessert.

"I'm not an Alpha," Hope murmured in a low voice, "I'm the Alpha." 

She trembled as Hope traced a finger along her jugular vein, the rest of her pack frozen in place. "And I believe I made you a promise."

"Please," the woman began to beg, tears dripping off her lips, "please, I'm sorry. Please." She pinched her eyes closed.

Hope was only vaguely aware of Albus taking hold of Newt's arm and pulling him toward the car. She'd thank him later for it. This wasn't exactly something she wanted either of them to witness, least of all Newt.

"You tried to take what is mine," Hope stroked her jaw lightly, her grin broadening, "in return I'll do the same to you."

Hope looked up, her eyes locked on the surrounding pack members. All of them were inching back, debating if they should leave their Alpha behind.

"Go! Run!" The blonde yelled out to them.

They took off running without hesitation, but they didn't get far. As Hope watched them, and after a moment of concentration, they fell to the forest floor. Screaming in agony as they held their heads. The blonde cried out, hearing their suffering but unable to help them.

Their screams suddenly stopped, and the woman sobbing was the only sound in the forest.

"It's only justice when it's at your hand, hm?" Hope asked with a sly smirk, fang poking at her bottom lip, "and then cruel when it's at the hand of someone else?" She slowly shook her head. "You're lucky only their hearts exploded because you, I have a different fate in mind for you."

Hope took her face in her hands, looked into her eyes, and grinned maliciously as her pupils dilated. "You'll sit here. In the spot your pack died. You won't eat. You won't drink. When animals come to pick you off, you won't defend yourself. You will die slowly, painfully, and most importantly, you'll remember you could have prevented all of this. You pulled your trigger; now I'm pulling mine."

The woman blinked, her breath shuddering as Hope stroked her cheeks softly. Smiling at her before suddenly gouging her thumbs into her eye sockets. The woman screamed horrifically and kept shrieking until her throat was hoarse. Hope moved her thumbs in a circular motion, destroying the soft tissue within the sockets.

The screams continued even as Hope removed her hands and wiped the mess of blood and fluids on the grass. She smiled as she watched the woman writhe, holding her hand to her face as she wept.

She turned on her heels, still smiling with the new electricity of power, but found herself facing Newt and Albus. They hadn't retreated to the car as she thought. No, they stood there staring at her, their faces stricken with pale fear.

Their fear was acidic on her tongue, and for a moment, guilt tried to feed on her, but she pushed that down immediately.

"Hm," Hope murmured as she walked toward them, ignoring the sobs of the woman behind her, "I've told you once before, and I'll tell you again." She paused when she reached them. They didn't move away from her, only stared in shock. 

"Anyone who hurts the people I love deserves to die." 

Hope pressed a soft, lingering kiss to both of their cheeks. "I might be a little psycho," she then whispered softly, "but I'm a psycho that loves you."

Their shivers sent a new kind of euphoria through her. 

"Did you find your wands?" She asked, to which they slowly nodded. 

"Good. Pack up, we're leaving."