Attracted to the Alpha

CHAPTER 3

ARYA'S POV

I could hear the faint sound of howls in my ears. I haven't heard this much howling in years, at least not in my part of town. Where I lived, my neighbors barely owned dogs, they had cats, birds and owned other sorts of pets. It was mostly a quiet neighborhood and I wondered where the howls were coming from.

I rolled where I was and found the surface very rough and hard. It didn't quite feel comfortable like the bed I was used to. My nostrils seemed to agree with me too, it smelt like the leaves in the fall. I was lying face up as I slowly opened my eyes.

"Where am I?" I muttered, feeling very tired. I was literally struggling to keep my eyes half opened. The strong leafy smell of my surrounding, was the only indication that my sense of smell was properly working.

I could see a little moonlight dispersed in the dark. Other than that there wasn't much to see in the darkness surrounding me. It took my eyes a few more more seconds for it to take in more moonlight and adjust fully to the darkness and then I could see where I was for the first time.

"What am I doing out in the woods?!" I was alarmed as I sat up. It didn't make any sense, I was supposed to be back home with my family but somehow I was out in the woods at night.

I couldn't remember how I ended up here, my head was still rebooting as I placed my left hand on my forehead. It was warm and I wasn't having a headache, it meant I didn't have a hang over and had not been drunk.

"I have to remember, I have to remember". I urged myself, as I closed my eyes to force my mind to recall today's events.

I had closed from work at 5 PM like I always did and said goodbye to Mary and Thelma. Mary was going to stay behind and work overtime with Margaret who had just arrived. I bid them all goodnight, as I stepped out with Thelma. Thelma and I weren't going the same way as she got into her car at the parking lot and drove off. I likewise got into my car and drove off too in the opposite direction. The journey home was about 30 minutes and I was listening to Katy Perry on my way home when my car suddenly started to slow down. I wondered what must have been wrong with it and then saw I the indicator light on the dashboard blinking for low gas. It didn't make sense because I had almost a full tank this morning when I left home for work. The car stopped by the road side and I got a jerry can from the trunk to go buy some gas from the gas station. It was about a 5 minutes work and when I started, suddenly everything went suddenly dark.

"What really happened out there?" I scratched my head confused and puzzled.

I pulled myself up slowly from the ground I was sitting on and got up on my feet. I could feel my feet wobble underneath me, I wasn't yet back to myself.

"Okay, I am in the woods but where is home?". I whispered underneath my breath. I was lost, unsure where I was in the woods.

"My phone! Where is my phone?!" I said remembering it was on me when I stepped out of my car.

"If I can find it, I can use the GPS on it to find my way home!" I was searching all over me for my phone but it was nowhere to be found. I bent on the ground I had just stood up from to search if I could find my phone there but it was gone.

"Damn it!" I poured out in frustration. There was no indication of the way home, as I was surrounded by trees in all directions.

I was contemplating my way home when I was reminded of the howls I had heard while I was asleep on the ground. This time around I heard them loud and clear.

"WOLVES!" It sent shivers down my spine, as I looked behind me in the direction the sound of the howls had come from. They were in the distance but I didn't have time to contemplate my way home. I ran off in fear in the opposite direction, away from the howls.

My loud exclamation must have alerted the wolves to my position, as I soon heard bark-howls in my direction, racing towards me.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" I panicked. I knew I had given away my position as I ran a short distance but my legs were still wobbly to support my weight. I crashed face down into the ground but my fall was cushioned by heaps of rotting leaves.

I had just waken up from a deep sleep and my body wasn't fully charged for such a sprint. At this rate, I was not going to make it - I needed a miracle!

"Why didn't I take science classes very seriously in school?" I asked almost in tears. I would have figured out how to navigate with the stars or hide my scent or do something to defend myself from the wolves.

I wasn't even sure about the little I knew about wolves. I think I read somewhere that they hardly give up a chase when they are locked on to the scent of their prey. They could even go for days tracking it down. The thought of that gave me goosebumps. Whatever the truth was, I was in grave danger and I needed to find a place to shelter quickly from them.

I was crawling on the dirt ground when I suddenly found my strength. I could feel my arms and legs grow stronger as I sprang up from the ground. It was perfect timing with the barks of the wolves drawing nearer. This time around, I ran with my new found strength without stumbling.

I couldn't tell how long I had been running but it seemed as though I wasn't running fast enough from the wolves. Their barks and howls were getting louder and I could tell they were gaining in on me, just then I caught a glimmer of hope.

"A house!" I cried in excitement. I could not have imagined I would run into one. The lights were on, drawing my attention to it.

"If I can get there, I would be saved!"

I could not believe my good fortune as I ran as fast as I could towards it. I banged on the front door of the cottage as loudly as I could, as I stopped running. I was panting but finally there was hope in the air. The house looked to be inhabited with the lights on. It was a small house, so whosoever was inside could hear my loud bangs.

I tried not to look behind me into the night but I knew I was running out of time. I soon heard footsteps inside the house walking towards the front door. I tried to smile, not to appear threatening, although I was too pretty and innocent to hurt a fly.

The front door opened suddenly with the lights coming from the inside temporarily blinding me.

"How can I help you and why are you here?" I heard the stranger ask me in an unfriendly tone. His voice sounded very familiar and I could have sworn I heard it somewhere today. Well I worked only at a coffee shop and that was where I must have heard it.

"Arthur Mason?" I stared at his face again, as my eyes adjusted to the bright light coming from inside of the house.

"It is really you, from the coffee shop earlier today!" I said in pure excitement as I recognized his handsome face. We had just met today and I was strongly attracted to him like no other but he gave me no attention. He had been running through my mind all day at work. I never knew I would run into him again under this circumstance.

"It is me; Arya Miles from the coffee shop, remember?"

"Are you stalking me? Why are you here?" He asked coldly again. I remembered he had not been friendly at the coffee shop and now he was still the same towards me - I wondered what wrong I had done to him?

I was about to respond to his questions when I heard the howls of the wolves drawing closer in the woods.

"Please help me Arthur!" I was frightened, lost in the woods so late with wolves on my heels as I embraced him for protection. Arthur ignored my plea, as he sniffed the air surrounding me like he was a dog or something of sort.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHY HAVE YOU LED THEM HERE WITH YOUR SCENT ON?!" I could see the look of anger in his eyes as I became alarmed. He held me by my shoulders. I had done nothing wrong, I had only come to the cottage to seek help.

"YOU ARE NOT WELCOMED HERE, WEREWOLVES ARE NOT WELCOMED HERE!" He raged with his dark eyes suddenly turning red. That was not normal, was it? Arthur was human, was he not? I screamed out of fear as I slipped out from his grip onto the hard wooden floor. He was a werewolf, otherwise he wouldn't know exactly what was out there.

I picked up myself and ran out into the yard.

"HELP! HELP ME!" I screamed for help but I felt his strong hand wrapped against my mouth as he grabbed hold off me. I was being kidnapped by Arthur and he was preventing me from screaming, the stress of the whole ordeal made me light headed as I passed out.