8 Chapter Eight: Bambi Is Attacked By A Shadowy Wolf?

Bambi had been following behind the Alpha for what seemed like hours. He couldn't help but notice that she seemed to know exactly where she was going, despite the fact that she was leading him to the one place she had warned him to avoid - the woods, which was also the one place that she told him to avoid as well. 

He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as he watched her confidently march through the trees, his curiosity and fear warring inside him. One thing that had always struck him as odd about the post-apocalyptic world they now lived in was the strange effect the virus or meteor had on all living organisms - except for plants and trees. They seemed to be completely unaffected, still bearing leaves and fruits despite the chaos surrounding them.

Oh, if only he knew why.

As they walked, Bambi couldn't resist making a small quip. "I gotta say, I'm putting a lot of trust in an Alpha who hasn't even introduced herself yet," he said, trying to keep his tone light despite the tension in the air.

The Alpha didn't respond, instead continuing to lead him through the woods. Bambi couldn't help but wonder who this mysterious woman was, and what her role was before the apocalypse happened. He had so many questions, and he couldn't help but voice them to the Alpha, hoping to break the silence.

"Soo. . .why are you taking me through the woods when you literally told me to avoid them?" Bambi blurted out suddenly, ducking from a branch that would have hit him in the forehead. "And, what's the deal with all the mystery?"

"Your name too please, while you're at it," Bambi said, before feeling a bit annoyed at the lack of information he had about this Alpha who seemed to know so much about him. 

"Most importantly, how the hell do you even know who I am?"

"Are you a stalker?"

The Alpha finally stopped walking, causing Bambi to bump into her back. She slowly turned around, her scarlet red hair and eyes visible even though they were covered by a mask and hoodie but he could definitely see the age in the little skin revealed through the tiny gaps between her mask. 

For a brief moment, the two of them engaged in a tense staring contest. Bambi couldn't quite read the Alpha's expression, but he could sense that she was sizing him up.

Finally, she let out a sigh and spoke. "I've never met such a yapping, little Omega before," she said, her tone laced with a hint of amusement. "Your first question, what was it?"

"Your name?" Bambi rolled his eyes. 

Cleo stood at her full height, and she stood so that the sun was angled perfectly behind her head, making it seem like she was wearing the sun on her head as a crown. Bambi gulped. Damn Alphas and their show-boating.

"My name's Cleo," Cleo said, before turning around. "And, I told you that a little Omega like you wouldn't survive in the woods alone." She chuckled softly. 

"Are you alone right now?"

Bambi was taken aback by her response. Was she that arrogant that she can just brazenly walk across the woods even though it was inhabited by god-knows what type of mutants? Or, was she that confident because she simply had the skills to back up her talk?

Which brought Bambi to a simple question. How powerful is Cleo? No, make that two questions. Was she more powerful than Apollo?

For a second, hope bloomed in his chest. 

Unlike Apollo, Cleo looked more experienced, and was very simple-worded, only saying a few words here and there. From the few moments they conversed, he could already tell that she was the type to lead by example. She was probably some big corporation project manager or something in her previous life since Bambi had only ever met that type of confidence in older, experienced people. 

Also, on that note, he had never met an Alpha who didn't like to boast about their achievements or at least try to impress an Omega, especially a rare male Omega like him. But Cleo seemed different, confident and uninterested in showing off. That intrigued Bambi even more.

But then, Cleo dropped a bombshell on him. "I'm mated," she said, not even looking at him.

Those words were like a bucket of cold water being dumped on Bambi's head. He couldn't believe it. He actually felt a lot safer immediately, knowing that most mated Alphas focused all of their lust on their partner and were resistant to the pheromones of other Omegas during their heat. 

"Seriously, do you have telepathy as your trait or something?" Bambi asked, before a relaxed smile spread across his plump, red lips. "So, who's the lucky guy? Or girl?" he asked, a playful smirk on his lips. 

"I don't judge," he added, laughing at his own joke. Cleo just stayed silent and Bambi continued to tease her and annoy her, completley unaware of how much danger he was in. 

Cleo bit her lips under her mask, as she gripped her fists. She was mated, and yet, even then she still felt a sense of danger around Bambi. Even though she was mated, she still felt a strong desire to claim Bambi for herself, and it was taking all of her willpower to resist.

'Resist.' Cleo chastised herself. 'What would your wife and daughter think?'

But as Bambi continued talking, he couldn't help but wonder why Cleo was being so mysterious if she was already mated. "So, how on earth did you know me? Like, why are you watching me, if you're already mated?" he asked, genuinely curious. 

"And why all the need to be mysterious?"

Cleo let out a sigh and brushed the leaves off her face. She paused for a moment before saying, "My daughter, Alexandria. . ." she trailed off, but before Cleo could continue, a menacing growl interrupted them.

Her instincts kicked in as she realized they were under attack. Her body tensed, ready to defend herself and Bambi. She turned to the source of the growl and her eyes widened in surprise. In the few seconds before it lunged, she could see that she had attracted an annoying bunch. 

A wolf, or rather a mutated wolf. Its form was shrouded in shadows, except for its bright red eyes that glowed with an otherworldly energy. Its fangs were bared as it lunged towards them in what appeared to be under a second but found itself confused since it's fangs seemed to be stuck on something. . .invisible.

"Woah, what the fuck?!" Bambi finally noticed the wolf, falling back on his butt. "Wait, what's going o-"

"We're being attacked obviously," Cleo said, sighing, looking at the wolf with disinterest in her eyes. She glanced back to see that Bambi had fallen back in shock, but his eyes didn't contain as much fear as she thought. Surprising.

"Lucky I erected a barrier beforehand," Cleo muttered. 

"A barrier?"

"A trait of mine," Cleo said, before her ears twitched. She sighed. ". . .Of course, the wolf isn't alone," she said through gritted teeth, her voice barely audible over the growls and snarls of the wolf.

Bambi's heart was pounding when a bunch of other Wolves, smaller though they may be, stepped forward from the bushes as he realized that they were outnumbered. The only reason he wasn't outright preparing for death was due to the fact that Cleo barely looked affected by the situation. No, she was outright handling the situation with a cool confidence that impressed him. 

But of course, in the slight scenario her confidence was false, Bambi was already devising a plan to escape with his life. 

"Looks like I'll be a little late for lunch," Cleo snapped her fingers, and the Wolf in front of her yelped like a little bitch as the barrier expanded in a second, throwing it hurling back at a tree.