CHAPTER FOUR
1532 Words
The forest loomed ahead, its shadows dark and endless, but she did not hesitate. Anywhere
seemed better than what they were about to do to her.
Even plunging into the dark scary forest seemed like a better idea.
Behind her, she heard the snapping of bones and her stomach plummeted.
They were shifting.
A low, guttural snarl rang out through the night.
Her heart lurched.
They were faster in wolf form. Stronger.
Liora risked a glance over her shoulder—a mistake.
She never saw the tree branch in front of her.
Her body collided with it hard, pain exploding across her temple as her vision blurred.
Her knees buckled. The world spun.
She hit the ground with a dull thud.
Dark spots danced in her vision as she groggily tried to push herself up.
The wolves slowed their pace, circling her now.
Mocking her.
Liora forced herself onto her hands and knees, her breath coming in ragged, desperate gasps.
The grey wolf with white patches crouched low, muscles coiling as it prepared to lunge.
This was it.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact—for the feel of canines tearing into
her throat.
But it never came.
A sickening crunch rang through the clearing.
Followed by a pained yelp.
Liora’s eyes flew open.
And she froze.
A man stood in front of her.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Shirtless.
His back was to her, but she could see the way his muscles flexed beneath his skin, every inch
of him coiled with raw strength.
The wolf that had been about to kill her was dangling from his grip—one hand clamped around
the scruff of its neck, the other buried deep into its flesh.
A deep, furious growl rumbled from the man’s chest.
Liora’s breath hitched as she stared at the man before her.
The wolf in his grasp let out a strangled whimper, its hind legs kicking uselessly in the air as the
man’s fingers dug into its flesh.
Then—with a swift, brutal movement—he hurled the wolf to the ground.
The impact was sickening. The wolf yelped, rolling across the dirt before struggling to its feet,
ears pinned back in submission.
But the man wasn’t done.
The second wolf—larger than the first—lunged.
Teeth bared. Claws outstretched.
Liora barely had time to react before the man moved.
In a blink, he twisted his body—dodging the attack with inhuman speed. As the wolf soared past
him, its jaws snapping at empty air, he snatched its tail mid-leap and swung it like a ragdoll.
The wolf slammed into a tree with a brutal c***k.
Liora winced as it crumpled to the ground, dazed.
The first wolf—recovering quickly—snarled and charged again, its sharp teeth aiming straight
for the man’s throat.
This time, he didn’t dodge.
He caught the beast by the throat mid-air, stopping it instantly.
The wolf choked, paws scrambling uselessly against his grip.
A slow, dangerous smirk curled the man’s lips.
Then, with no hesitation, he clenched his fist—bones snapping beneath his fingers.
The wolf let out a strangled yelp, its body twitching before going completely still.
Dead.
Liora’s stomach turned.
The second wolf—still groggy from hitting the tree—shook itself off, then growled.
The man let the lifeless body drop before turning to face the final opponent.
The wolf hesitated, sensing something far more dangerous in the man before it.
But fear didn’t save it.
The moment it tried to turn and flee, the man was on it.
He was too fast.
Too strong.
With one brutal swipe, he clawed his hand across its throat, tearing through flesh, fur, and
muscle like it was nothing.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The wolf collapsed, twitching once before going still.
Silence.
Liora could barely breathe.
“Are you okay?”
His deep, velvety voice snapped Liora out of her daze.
She blinked, still struggling to process what had just happened. The bodies of the two slain
wolves lay motionless on the forest floor, their blood soaking into the damp earth.
Liora has seen blood, countless times. No chef would deny seeing blood. Their profession
demanded it. Whether it was pig’s blood or pheasant’s blood or sheep’s blood. You’d encounter
it.
But that was it. The bloods were nothing more than animal blood. Human blood though, she’d
never seen it so much. And though it was dark, it was still visible under the moonlight.
Liora could feel her breath coming out raggedly. The air seemed to be suffocating, thick with the
lingering scent of battle—sweat, adrenaline, and something unmistakably his.
Power.
She looked up at him, her breath hitching.
He was towering, his broad shoulders and sculpted chest rising and falling steadily, completely
unbothered by the fight he had just ended with ease.
His skin, kissed by the moonlight, revealed the sharp definition of muscle beneath, as if he had
been carved from stone.
His hazel eyes, oh, his eyes burned with something she hadn’t expected—concern.
"Did they hurt you before I got here?"
Liora swallowed. Her eyes darted to his outstretched hand.
Big. Strong. Calloused. A warrior’s hand.
She hesitated for just a moment before placing her trembling fingers in his.
The moment their skin touched—a jolt.
A deep, pulsing shock surged through her veins, not painful, but powerful. It was as if every
nerve in her body had suddenly awakened.
She gasped, jerking her hand away. He stiffened too, his gaze snapping to hers, wide with the
same realization.
He had felt it too.
For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke.
His brows furrowed, but instead of addressing what had just happened, he exhaled sharply and
tilted his head.
"Are you fine?" His voice was steady, but there was something beneath it—a restrained
curiosity...with a little bit of impatience this time.
An owl flew from a tree behind her, hooting as it went by.
“Y-yes.
” She managed to croak, her throat suddenly dry. The woods seemed to be spooking her
already and she wanted nothing more than to leave.
But this majestic stranger just saved her life and asides that, she felt a connection with him. Not
knowing what to make of it she gritted her teeth and faced the sky.
His gaze flickered over her face, assessing her. He wasn’t just looking at her—he was studying
her.
“Where do you stay?” His voice softened just slightly, but his tone remained firm. Commanding.
He was definitely an alpha.
“I can take you back if you're scared to go alone.
”
Liora hesitated, her mind racing. Why did he care? Who was he?
She’d lived in the castle her whole life and was not attuned to the way other packs or Alphas
behaved. She’d never been cared for by an alpha. So she didn’t know what to do or say.
It all seemed strange.
“And how,
” he continued, his eyes narrowing,
“did you come to encounter wolves like these?"
The way he asked it—it was almost like a test.
“The woods aren’t safe for a lady, no less a royal chef.
”
Liora’s eyes widened.
How did he know?
Her heart pounded as she stared at him. He had just fought off two trained guards with terrifying
ease.
He had felt the same connection she had when they touched.
And now—he knew exactly who she was.
Who was this alpha?
And more importantly...
What did he want with her?
“Hey,
” he raised his two hands in as if trying to calm a horse as he chuckled.
“You’re wearing an apron. So I just put two and two together. And you don’t have to worry, I’m
not taking you to meet the king— if you don’t want that.
”
He stared at the sky, the full moon shining bright down and the twinkling of the stars.
She’d never been in the woods this long or late before. And she was beginning to physically
shake.
“It’s getting pretty late, you can come with me if you want. My pack’s not not too far from here.
”
He gestured for her to follow him.
“Then, you can tell me everything that happened.
”
He didn’t wait for her reply before he turned and moved at a slow pace, expecting her to follow
him.
And of course, what else would she do?
Besides her wolf already seemed drawn to him.
She needed to understand why, along with the jolt too.
So Liora followed, shedding a tear at the thought of leaving her father in the dungeon, but there
was nothing she could do.
One thing was for sure though, she’d be back for him. And she’d do anything to get her father
back.
She had no one else, no one to call family but him. She’ll be damned if she lost him too.
So, quietly thinking of how to go about it, while she ignored the hunger and weariness she was
feeling, she followed the intriguing alpha.
- Writer
