The Alpha's Unusual Mate

Chapter 8

***Rose POV***

I had slowed down to a walk quite some time ago as it was impossible for me to keep running through the woods. Besides all the tripping hazards, I was not nearly fit enough to run for any extended period.

Although it was pointless keeping my wet socks on, as they were not providing me with any warmth or protection, I plundered on, my feet slipping and sliding in them.

My cheeks were flushed pink from the unwelcome exercise, but I was still cold. The trees grew so dense, hardly any sunlight penetrated the canopy above. Still, the woods were beautiful, and I found solace walking among their large trunks.

I could hear the distant rumble of a brook and there were birds chatting with each other, but other than that, it was silent. I was not used to such utter silence, living close to the city. There you were always surrounded by the humming of machines and the roaring of engines.

Deciding to change course, I went in the direction of the sound of water flowing over rocks. I knew the stream would be clear, and I was desperate for a drink of water. Plodging along, I soon reached a gap in the trees as they made way for a small river to flow.

Bending down, I took my socks off and rolled up the sweatpants, exposing my ankles and calves. Gingerly, I made my way over the small smooth stones on the bank and dipped my feet into the water. The water was frigid and bit at my skin, but it felt fresh.

Turning upstream, I bent down to cup some water into my mouth. When I had drunk my fill and straightened up again, I froze.

On the other side of the small river stood a wolf. Its fur was reddish brown but matted. It was big, much bigger than what I thought a wolf would be.

I had never before seen a wolf in real life, but knew they were about the size of large dogs. This wolf was more the size of a large pony than a large dog. What’s more, it looked feral. It was baring its teeth and I expected it wanted me to be its next meal. In fact, it looked like it could do with a meal. I had no idea what to do.

Even though the wolf was on the far side of the river, I knew it could reach me in a few short strides. The river was, after all, more of a stream. Slowly, I straightened to my full height, trying to make myself look bigger. Maybe the wolf would realize I was too big to eat. Hopefully.

When I looked into its eyes, a low growl escaped its lips and goosebumps broke out on my arms and legs. This was not just a wolf.

This was a deadly predator that could tear my throat open in a heartbeat.

A loud howl pierced the air and the wolf’s head snapped in the direction where the sound came from.

‘Oh shit.’ The words left me as I realized the wolf was not alone.

Obviously. Wolves travel in packs. I knew my fate was sealed then. This wolf and all its buddies would soon surround me, and I would become lunch very quickly.

An even larger wolf came into view. This one was on my side of the river and looked much better fed. His light-colored fur was shiny and beautiful, reminding me of a Labrador. That was where the similarities stopped, however. His ears were pulled tight against his head as he bared his teeth and growled at the other wolf. They were clearly not friends.

As he crept forward, he got closer and closer to me, but stopped about twelve feet away. Then he did the most peculiar thing. He turned his back on me completely, widening his stance almost like he was protecting me.

Hope kindled in my chest again and my erratic heartbeat slowed slightly. For a moment, the brown wolf looked like he would challenge my defender, but his attention was drawn to the same break in the trees from where the tan wolf had come.

Another massive wolf leaped from the treeline, closely followed by a smaller gray wolf. I was immediately drawn to the eyes of the black wolf, who was easily the size of a small horse. The eyes almost completely disappeared among the black fur as they, too, were inky black. If it weren’t for the sunlight reflecting off them, one might easily have overlooked them entirely. The effect was grisly.

It made the massive animal look like he was sent from hell and not just a creature of the earth. His white teeth were bared at the rabid-looking wolf across the stream, and his black fur framed them beautifully.

I was vaguely aware I had just thought this animal’s teeth were beautiful when I should be terrified when everything seemed to happen at once. The reddish-brown wolf leaped in my direction when the black wolf, with impossible speed, leaped at my attacker.

They collided in midair and went tumbling into the water. Soon the water still flowing over my feet and around my ankles were tinged red as the clearly much stronger black wolf sank his teeth into the neck of his opponent.

The now dead wolf was lying just feet away from me and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. That was until I heard another growl and my head snapped up to take in the black wolf that was now much closer than I wanted him to be.

Some disturbance in the air caught my eye and I turned my head just in time to see the dead wolf somehow transform into a naked, dead man. That made no sense to me. I could feel the cogs turning in my head, trying to rationalize what I just saw, but it came out blank.

It was all too much. My body was tired from lack of sleep, lack of food and of running way too damn much. I could feel the blood draining from my face, and knew I was going to lose consciousness soon.

For some reason, I wanted to look at the black wolf again. I wanted the sight of him to be the last thing I saw before I passed out and the wolves ate me.

***Alpha Black POV***

When the mind-link came from Dimitri saying a rogue was threatening Rose, Black lost it.

He was still in his office when he shifted, shredding his clothes and sending the furniture flying. Barreling through the door, he had taken a chunk of the wall out as well, as he was too big to fit through a standard door. That was no matter, however. The only thing he could think of was to make sure Rose was safe and, for the first time since he laid eyes on her, his wolf was in full agreement with him.

There was no time to savor the feel of being on four legs again and feeling the surge of power as he ran at top speed through the woods. He knew where they were as Dimitri had told him, but it was easy for his wolf to pick up Rose’s sweet scent in the damp forest.

As he neared the clearing in the trees where the stream was, he could smell the change in Rose’s scent. The smell of her fear poisoned the surrounding air, and he wanted to claw, bite and rip apart anything and anyone who was responsible for tarnishing her scent.

Dimitri’s wolf was standing with his back towards Rose, protecting her, but he was too close to her for Black’s liking.

Black could see the moment the rogue decided to pounce as the muscles in his legs bunched, ready to launch himself. Black could not understand why the rogue would attack Rose if it were clear his pack was protecting her. Even if it were only Dimitri, Alex and himself that were there.

No rogue could take on one wolf with the strength of a pack behind him, never mind three. It was therefore easy for Black to intercept the rogue, even if he was not near Rose. It was even easier to tackle him to the ground and rip his throat open.

Some Alphas would have let the rogue explain himself, but Black was not like everyone else. He knew what it was like fighting to keep his family safe. A faint hum went through his body at his wolf’s satisfaction in taking out the threat and protecting Rose. He protected her with the same fierceness he would protect his family.

Could it be his wolf had finally found someone he could connect with? It would make sense, then, that Black didn't notice this immediately as Rose was human. She had no wolf that could connect with his. It explained why his behavior was so unpredictable. Quiet one moment and raging the next. The growl that started in his throat confirmed this. His wolf didn't like seeing Rose looking at another wolf, even if that wolf was dead.

Her eyes drew Black in. For a moment he was not aware he was still in wolf form. All he could think of was going to her and rubbing his scent all over her, but something drew her attention, and she was looking at the wolf again. She was looking at him when he shifted into his human form again, like all wolves do when they die in their wolf form.

Black could see her eyes darting back and forth as if she were trying to calculate something, clearly trying to figure out what it was she just witnessed.

He also saw when the blood drained from her face, leaving her impossibly pale. For a moment she turned back to Black, then her eyes rolled back in her head.

Rose’s unconscious body went limp and dropped into the water. Thankfully, the stream was only ankle deep where she had been standing. Black’s shift back into human form was just as quick as his sudden shift had been in his office.

With inhuman speed, he reached Rose and lifted her limp body out of the frigid water and drew her to his bare chest.