The Alpha’s Fated Bond

5

“I’m still your mate!” I remind her in a sing-song voice as I follow after her, my arms folded behind my head.

She shoots me an evil look, making me laugh.

At least she’s forgotten how upset she was.

I’m about to say something when I go still instead. The insects have fallen silent around us, as has the other wildlife. I can’t even hear the chirp of a bird right now.

“Sofia.” My voice is a warning growl.

She comes to a halt and looks over her shoulder at me, tense. “What is it?”

I scan the area around us.

“We’re no longer alone.”

Chapter 2

Sophia

The silence around us is eerie. Within it, I can hear soft footfalls on the moss growing on the forest floor. And there’s low growling coming from all sides.

I take a step nearer to Alex, unconsciously. What in the heck is that?

We’re not that far from the campsite. Shouldn’t we call the others?

I’m about to say that when Alex shakes his head, placing a finger on his lips, a gesture for me not to speak. His eyes are searching the trees. The sun is setting now, and although we can see in the lower light, we are in a very dense part of the forest.

I hear the rustling of leaves from my right, and I quickly turn toward the sound. A wolf emerges from the bushes.

It’s an animal, not a shifter. Its size gives it away. I relax, but as soon as it takes a few steps in my direction, my body begins to tingle, the same way it does around magic. This is something I realized belatedly after I left Oakrest Town. Since I’m the Silver Wolf and have the ability to use magic, I’m able to sense when I’m around magic. It’s a recent development, though, and I’m not sure I can trust it all that much.

“Alex,” I say, a warning edge in my tone. “There’s something off about these wolves. They’re not normal.”

I’ve already noticed the two wolves approaching Alex from the other side. Normal wolves aren’t a problem for shifters. Unless there are too many of them, and the shifter is attacked by a pack. The smell coming from these three is horrendous, almost like something rotting.

“I can see that,” Alex says in a low voice.

“What do you want to do?”

He doesn’t respond to my question immediately, studying the animals. “Let’s wait to see what they do first. I don’t want to attack them if they don’t plan on attacking us.”

But they are clearly up to something, I realize as they bare their teeth at us, their hackles raised. “Well, they’re not here to ask us for directions,” I mutter.

We watch them warily, and I notice something that has the hair on the back of my neck rising.

“Alex! Their eyes. Look at their eyes!”

We didn’t notice at first because of the falling darkness, but the wolves’ eyes are pitch black.

“I see them,” Alex replies grimly. “They aren’t planning to leave us alone.”

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, one of the wolves lunges at Alex. At the same time, the one closest to me jumps on me. I don’t know what Alex is doing, but I grab the wolf attacking me by the neck and toss it to the ground, on its back.

I’m not about to be a sitting duck here.

However, the wolf is back on its feet, snarling at me. I’m pretty sure I heard a c***k when it hit the ground. What is going on?

I glance over at Alex. He has shifted into his wolf form, but he’s also having a hard time with these wolves. They don’t seem to be going down. I don’t understand. They’re just wolves. They shouldn’t be a problem for us. As I shove away the other wolf circling me, I sense that this has something to do with magic. My skin is still tingling, and their eyes…Are they under some sort of magic spell?

Is that how magic works?

I’ve never met a witch before, so I don’t really have anything to base my assumptions on.

“Why won’t you just stay down?” I move sideways to avoid the animal as it jumps to his feet and tries to attack me. I don’t particularly enjoy hurting animals. And this situation is making me feel like a monster, constantly hurting these innocent beasts.

Another wolf bursts out of the trees, rushing toward me, and I hear Alex growl loudly. He makes a move in my direction. However, he’s too far away, and I’m too tangled up with the two wolves I’ve been fighting this whole time.

This is it, I realize dimly as I see the wolf approach me, its jaw wide open. I have to shift!

But my body isn’t accustomed to changing forms quickly. And the fear that is building up within me at the sight of the approaching wolf is not allowing me to establish the link with my beast to bring about the transformation.

I squeeze my eyes shut as it covers the distance between us, knowing death or a fatal injury is seconds from happening.

Then, out of nowhere, a clear voice suddenly begins shouting something in a strange language. The words pierce me, forcing my eyes open, my body shivering as the power coating those words reaches me.

Magic.

If I ever had any doubt, it’s gone now.

This feeling, this rush of power moving within me, it can only be magic. I’ve never felt something so pure and alive before.

My head swivels to the side, and I see a figure standing by the edge of the trees. The person has their hand pressed against their side as if wounded, a hooded dark cloak concealing their face and body.

But it’s a feminine voice.

She hobbles forward, her hand outstretched as she keeps chanting.

That’s when I notice that the wolves are no longer attacking us. Instead, they are on the ground, their bodies seizing. That rotting smell I had picked up before is intensifying.