Mated to the Devil Alpha

CHAPTER 4

As the carriage rattled through the forest, the air felt heavy and thick with the smell of damp leaves and earth. Though they were now closer, the howls could still be heard in the distance. It appeared as though the tension that had already descended upon the carriage had extended to the surrounding woods.

It was a promise rather than merely a warning. The convoy travelled steadily, but the air felt oppressive because my heart was beating so quickly. The eerie silence of the woods had taken the place of the howls.

I couldn't get rid of the sensation that something was waiting and watching us. Then, suddenly, it occurred. Before I could react, the carriage lurched violently as a shadow crossed the path too quickly for my eyes to follow. The guards jumped to action, yelling commands I couldn't quite make out as the horses screamed in terror, their hooves scuffing the ground.

Rogues rushed from the trees with a ferocity equal to the storm itself, and the attack was swift. Their snarls filled the air like a dark storm that had come to drown us, and they suddenly appeared, hungry and wild-eyed. Dorian started to move before I could even comprehend what was happening. With a terrifying speed, a blur of raw power and dark movement, he rushed out of his seat.

At first, I hadn't even noticed him change, but then I noticed it as the temperature dropped. He was no longer human. Dorian's wolf appeared in a flash, but it wasn't the one I had thought of.

This was not the regal, arrogant monster of legend. No, this was something warped, hideous—a beast that was uncontrollable and irrational. Its eyes still had that eerie amethyst glow, but now they had a darker, more savage edge. Under its midnight fur, the wolf's muscles protruded, and as it lunged at the closest outlaw, its fangs gleamed in the gloom like daggers, ripping through flesh with a savage force that made my stomach turn.

I momentarily froze as I watched in horror as Dorian's wolf ripped through the assailants. The cracking of bones and the sudden silencing of screams reverberated through the trees.

The sight of it was so overwhelming and terrifying that I was having trouble breathing. He took on the monstrous shape of a storm, a nighttime creature capable of destroying everything in its path.

As I watched the rogues and wolves crumble under his might, my chest constricted. They couldn't even compete with him. He could not be stopped. One of the outlaws yelled in rage, "Cursed bastard!" in a shrill voice that was hardly audible over the mayhem.

The acknowledgement of Dorian's curse made the words sting with hatred. The world feared him because he was an Alpha and a beast. The air seemed to tremble as Dorian's wolf tore through the enemies, his claws swiping with such force.

His actions lacked mercy and were motivated solely by a desire to control and destroy. The outlaw who uttered the curse attempted to defend himself, but Dorian was quicker and more powerful.

The Alpha's rage caused the rogue to be knocked aside in a single, strong move, his body crumpling like a rag doll. It was done. Before they had even started, they were done.

As Dorian moved between the remaining attackers with ease, I shook myself out of my reverie. In the silent aftermath, the sound of flesh tearing echoed as his fangs dug into another rogue. Then it was over in an instant. There was silence in the forest.

Dorian stood among the fallen, his chest heaving, his eyes still glimmering with that frightful light, and I stared in shock. The air felt charged as if it hadn't settled yet, even though the battle was over. With the adrenaline from the chaos still pumping through me, my legs swayed under me.

My breath caught in my throat as I gazed at Dorian's wolf form. He possessed a great deal of strength and raw force, but there was more. Something is broken.

My heart skipped a beat when his amethyst eyes met mine.

Slowly, almost painfully, he was repositioning himself, but his form was different. Even though Dorian's wolf was now reverting to his human form, he still had that unadulterated strength and that perilous edge that seemed like it might break at any second.

Then I noticed it. Blood. The same unsettling light was still shining in his eyes, but it wasn't the only thing that caught my eye. Blood was leaking from his eyes in the form of crimson streaks that were falling down his cheeks like tears. Even though they were still visible, his fangs appeared more pronounced than before. Not only was it frightening to see him now, but it was also eerie.

With my heart pounding, I stepped closer to him. "Dorian," I muttered, my voice barely audible above the roar of my blood in my ears. He turned slowly, his luminous eyes meeting mine with a ferocity that seemed to pierce the very fabric of the world. He stood in front of me, his form trembling slightly, his chest rising and falling, as if he was fighting to subdue the beast inside of him. His mouth opened to speak, but instead, he let out a low, guttural growl that sent shivers down my spine.

However, it was something more broken and desperate than the typical Alpha's warning growl. He wiped the blood from his eyes, but it only made them smeared more, and said softly, his voice rough with frustration,

"I can't control it."

The blood felt different, as if it were a part of him, something in his blood, and it wasn't just from the fight. Before I could react, I heard the howls coming from all around us once more, louder this time.

They were more numerous. More outlaws. Once more, Dorian's wolf gave a low, menacing growl.

Even though he was still half-human, his body changed, but there was no denying the untamed beast underneath. As the transformation became ingrained in him, the light in his eyes flickered. The transformation's pulse and the wolf's attempt to break free from the man were almost palpable to me.

With a gravelly voice and tense muscles, Dorian muttered under his breath, "We have to go." He was resisting it—restraining himself from allowing the wolf to fully devour him. I glanced around, glancing at the trees. The howls were approaching. And it wasn't merely a warning this time.

The rogues committed to stay until they got what they came for. As Dorian transformed once more, this time completely into his wolf form, his enormous body rippling with power and his claws digging into the ground, his fangs gleamed.

My pulse accelerated as I retreated. "What will we do?"

I knew the answer before I even asked. Make it through. A roar split the air before Dorian could respond.

We had been discovered by a group of outlaws. We were also outnumbered.