CHAPTER 12
1253 Words
I couldn’t stand it any longer.
The days of waiting for news about my father had stretched on like an endless abyss, and the silence only grew heavier with every passing hour. I was trapped in a cage of uncertainty, my mind spinning with endless questions and fears. What happened to him? Where was he? Why hadn’t he contacted me, like he always promised he would?
The letter he left behind only deepened the mystery. It spoke of allies—people who could help me, who knew more than I did about whatever danger he was facing—but it gave me nothing concrete. No names, no addresses, just vague instructions to seek out these allies if I wanted answers. How was I supposed to find them with nothing but a cryptic message and a burning sense of panic?
I couldn’t stay here anymore. Waiting, hoping that someone would come to tell me that he was okay—it wasn’t working. My father had always been the one to protect me, to guide me, but now it was my turn. I had to find him. I had to do whatever it took.
I grabbed the letter once again, scanning the lines with renewed desperation. Find the allies. They’ll know what to do. It didn’t offer any clues as to where I should start, but I couldn’t keep sitting around, waiting for fate to decide what would happen. I had to take control, even if I didn’t know exactly how.
I couldn’t go back to the Springcrest Pack. The thought of returning there made my stomach churn with a mixture of guilt, anger, and shame. The rejection from Alpha Keith—the man I had once called my mate—still stung, a fresh wound that never quite healed. The pack had cast me aside the moment my wolf disappeared, leaving me broken and powerless. I couldn’t risk returning to that place. Not now. Not after everything.
So, I would do this on my own.
I had one lead—the allies my father had mentioned. But where to start? I didn’t know any of them, and they certainly wouldn’t be expecting me. I needed someone who could help me discreetly, someone who could get information without making waves. Someone I could trust to get the job done without anyone else finding out.
That’s when I remembered him.
I reached for my phone and hesitated for a moment. Could I really do this? Could I trust him with such an important task? I didn’t have much of a choice. He was the only one I knew who could move in the shadows, someone with connections I could rely on.
After a brief conversation, we set up a meeting in the downtown district. I gave him a time and place, and we agreed to meet in a quieter part of the city where we wouldn’t be disturbed. It was the only option I had left, and I couldn’t afford to waste time.
I slipped out of the apartment, locking the door behind me. The weight of the world pressed on my shoulders as I walked through the crowded streets, the noise and chaos of the city offering little comfort. My thoughts were consumed by the uncertainty of it all. The letter, the allies, my father’s disappearance—all of it was too much for me to handle alone.
But as I neared the alley that would take me to the meeting spot, something changed.
A strange heat began to rise within me, slowly at first, then quickly building into an uncomfortable fire that burned under my skin. My breath quickened, my pulse racing in sync with the heat that spread through my veins. It was happening again.
I cursed under my breath as my body betrayed me. The time of year had come again—the time when every she-wolf in the world would feel the pull of their heat cycle. The pheromones would begin to leak from me, uncontrolled, a force I could neither fight nor ignore.
No. No, this couldn’t be happening now. Not when I had so much to do. I needed to keep my head clear, focus on my mission. But the heat—it was relentless. The desire, the hunger, the need—it overwhelmed me, clouding my thoughts, making my body ache with a longing I couldn’t fight.
I cursed again, my fingers clenching into fists. I could feel the heat rising within me, the pheromones already starting to escape, drifting into the air. They would be a problem. I knew it. The rogues in this area, the dangerous wolves that lurked in the shadows—they’d be drawn to me in an instant.
I had to leave. I had to get home, shut myself in, wait for the heat to pass. But before I could even make it back, I heard footsteps.
Heavy, quick, and unmistakably approaching.
I froze, my heart hammering in my chest. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t prepared for what was coming.
From the shadows of the alley, three figures emerged, moving with an unsettling fluidity. They were rogues—wolves, yes, but not like any I’d ever encountered. They were dangerous, feral, their eyes glowing with the hunger of creatures who hadn’t tasted civilization in far too long.
And then, there it was—the unmistakable look in their eyes. The hunger. The lust. The way their eyes locked onto me, taking in the scent of my pheromones and immediately recognizing me as prey.
I felt my throat tighten, panic rising as they approached. I couldn’t fight them. I had no wolf. I couldn’t shift. I was powerless in this body, a human once more, a she-wolf with no pack, no protection. I tried to step back, but the alley was narrow, and there was nowhere to run.
“Look at this,” one of them said with a low, hungry chuckle. “A sweet little thing all on her own.”
I swallowed hard, my breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. “Please,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Just leave me alone.”
They didn’t listen. They never did.
Another rogue stepped forward, his lips curling into a grin that sent shivers down my spine. “No can do, sweetheart,” he said. “You smell too good to leave alone.”
I stumbled backward, desperately trying to put some distance between us. But they were too fast, too strong. Their hands were on me before I could even react, gripping me tight, pulling me closer. One of them laughed darkly, clearly enjoying the fear in my eyes as they surrounded me.
“Stop,” I pleaded, my voice trembling. “Please, just stop. I’m begging you.”
But they didn’t stop. They moved in closer, their bodies pressing against mine. I was trapped. There was nowhere to go. No way to escape.
And just when I thought I was lost, when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, a voice rang out—loud, firm, and filled with fury.
“How dare you touch my prey, you sons of bitches?”
The rogues froze, their eyes snapping toward the voice. A figure stepped into the alley, and I felt a wave of recognition wash over me.
Zero. My heart skipped a beat for some reason. And weird as it may seem, I felt relieved he was here. Zero—was he here to save me?
- Writer
