The Price For An Alpha's Love

CHAPTER THREE (Panic Zone)

“That alcohol really did a thing or two for me. Werewolves are just mythical creatures from bedtime stories,” Kenzie said, cleansing her face with a toner. After her crazy dream, she took a hot shower then ate lots of pancakes soaked in honey. She had to prepare for her evening shift at the hospital, so she took another cold bath. She hoped that her mind would get rid of the werewolves and transformation thoughts that were hunting her, but she couldn’t. She finished up her evening skincare routine, slapping her face cream onto her skin.

“Snap out of it, Kenzie. I must have really thought about that guy with his weird long hair to see him in my dreams. Jeez —” she said, standing from her chair to check out her uniform in the mirror. “Pretty! Now, it’s time I showed Kelvin and that cocky b***h that they’re no match for me.”

She grabbed her bag, fitting her music player to the already filled bag. Then her phone rang.

“Ready to take on your A-game?” Ava screamed over the phone.

“You bet, girl! And stop thinking about me. I’m totally fine. Have fun and say hello to Jake. Love you,” Kenzie replied.

“Love you too,” Ava said, cutting the call.

Kenzie was out on the street since she had less than thirty minutes to make it to the hospital and start her routine. Her thoughts of her weird dream and werewolves had been replaced by questions like; What will people think of me at the hospital? Would I appear shameless if I didn’t show that I cared about giving the wrong medication? What will the patients think when they see me?

She kept contemplating and biting her fingers while walking towards the main road to get a cab. Then she noticed that she was being followed. She could feel each step grow faster whenever she hastened her steps and move slowly whenever she deliberately maintained a slow pace. She felt her muscles twitch, with sweats gathering on her forehead.

She moved quickly towards the main road, searching for her back frantically for her phone. Then the movement behind her stopped. She stood by the corner of the street with the bulbs letting out a sporadic light. It was a huge disappointment for her since a brighter and stable streetlight could offer her more clarity about the identity of the figure standing in front of her.

It was a man wearing a hoodie. His face was in the dark, so she could not picture it. However, other parts of his body along with his movements and gestures were a sign that he meant to do evil. He stood in front of her, legs separated with his arms on his sides. One hand held a spanner while the other was rolled into a fist.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Kenzie yelled. Her hands were shaking. Reaching her phone in her bag was an impossible task because she was in a serious panic mode.

“I swear I’ve got nothing on me. But — but I can give you all I have in my wallet,” she said, moving a step back while the man followed her movement. Then he smirked.

“Holy crap! He’s a serial killer. That’s how they smirk in movies,” she mumbled, rolling her eyes from here to there, hoping to figure the right, sensible line of action. Then she suddenly began to run. She cared less about wherever she was running to. The main road to the hospital was on the left, but she was headed in the other direction, screaming like she had lost a screw. Anyone listening would think she had.

The man was chasing her in the direction of the woods, an area banned for decades. Locals had narrated rumors of meeting strange and dangerous creatures when they took a stroll in it. Even when a lot of people felt the rumors were a scam, the woods were completely banned.

While she ran with all her strength, she noticed that the man was almost behind her. She picked up the pace, branching to another corner to lose him but instead, he grabbed her by the shoulder and flung her off her feet. Kenzie felt she was already on her way to the afterlife because he was weirdly strong.

“Please, don’t kill me. I swear, you’ve got the wrong girl. I can give you all that I have. Please, don’t kill me,” she cried, losing hope that she would survive before anyone came to her rescue. She had hit her back hard on the floor and sprained her ankle and wrist from his throw.

The man came closer, swinging the spanner as he approached her while she cuddled up on the floor, saying her last prayers. Then another man showed up in the dark. His face wasn’t visible to her either. He threw the other man a punch that sent him flying with a loud thud on the wall.

“Go! Run! Now!!!” her defender said, turning to face her with an anxious glare.

“You! You!!” Kenzie said, staring at the man whose memories instantly flooded her thoughts. It was Nikolai, the strange man she spent the last night with.

She attempted to get up, but her injuries stopped her. She turned her attention back to him, but he was already in a fierce combat with the other man. As they gripped each other’s arms, giving their arm muscles the exposure they needed, a howling sound pierced the silent night. Kenzie, who was getting a good look at their muscles while trying to stand, began to notice that their teeth were pulled out at great lengths from their mouths. Then their fingers pulled out, revealing sharp-pointed claws.

“Holy s**t! What the heck?” Kenzie screamed. Her head was spinning, and her mouth went dry. She gathered all her strength to pull up and run. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.