THE ALPHA'S MOONMARKED MATE

Chapter One: The Girl on the Highway Run. That was the only thought in her mind. Run. Her shoes slapped against the wet pavement as she raced down the deserted highway, her breath coming in short, painful bursts. Rain poured from the black sky, soaking through her thin jacket and plastering her hair against her face. She didn't know how long she had been running. An hour? Two? It didn't matter. She couldn't stop. Because they were coming. Behind her, somewhere beyond the curtain of rain and darkness, came the sound she had been dreading. A howl. She stumbled. Her hands flew out to catch herself before she hit the ground. For one terrifying second, she remained frozen. Then another howl echoed through the trees. Closer this time. "No..." Her voice barely escaped her throat. She forced herself upright and kept running. The forest on both sides of the highway looked endless. Tall trees twisted toward the sky, their branches moving violently in the wind. Every shadow seemed to hide something. Every sound made her heart pound. A broken branch. Leaves rustling. A distant growl. She didn't dare look back. If she looked back, she might see them. And if she saw them, she knew she would lose the little courage she had left. Her name was Mara Vale. Twenty-two years old. No family. No home. And, until tonight, no reason to believe that monsters were real. She had been wrong. A sharp pain suddenly shot through her side. Mara gasped and slowed. Her fingers pressed against her ribs. She was exhausted. Her legs were shaking. Her lungs burned. She couldn't keep running forever. But the wolves behind her could. Another howl tore through the night. Mara's eyes filled with tears. "Please..." She didn't know who she was begging. God. The night. The people chasing her. Anyone. Just someone. Her foot caught a loose stone. She fell hard. Pain shot through her knee. For a moment, she couldn't move. Then she heard it. Footsteps. Not human footsteps. Heavy. Fast. Coming straight toward her. Mara scrambled backward. "No, no, no..." A dark shape moved between the trees. Then another. Two pairs of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. Mara stopped breathing. Wolves. But not ordinary wolves. They were enormous. Their bodies were larger than any animal she had ever seen, their eyes shining unnaturally beneath the moonless sky. One stepped onto the highway. Mara screamed. She turned and ran. She didn't care about her injured knee anymore. She didn't care about the rain. She didn't care where the road led. She only knew that if those creatures caught her, she would never see another sunrise. Then— A light appeared ahead. Headlights. Mara's heart jumped. A vehicle. Help. She stumbled toward it, waving desperately. "Help me!" The vehicle slowed. Mara almost collapsed with relief. But then she saw what it was. A motorcycle. A huge black motorcycle rolled to a stop several meters away. The rider wore a black helmet and a leather jacket. Mara froze. The rider looked at her. Then slowly turned his head toward the forest. The wolves had stopped. For the first time that night, they weren't advancing. They were watching him. Mara stared between the rider and the creatures. Something was wrong. Very wrong. The rider removed his helmet. He was young. Maybe in his late twenties. Dark hair. Sharp features. Cold gray eyes. He looked completely calm. Far too calm. "What are you doing out here?" he asked. Mara tried to speak. Nothing came out. The wolves growled. The man's expression changed. Not fear. Recognition. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. Mara backed away from him. "Please," she whispered. "I need help." His eyes returned to her. For several seconds, he simply stared. Then his nostrils flared. His face became unreadable. "What is your name?" "Mara." "Last name?" She hesitated. "Vale." Something flashed across his eyes. He stepped closer. Mara immediately stepped backward. "Don't." He stopped. "Who is chasing you?" "I don't know." A lie. He knew it was a lie. She knew it was a lie. And the wolves knew it too. The man's gaze moved toward the forest. "Those aren't ordinary wolves." Mara's stomach dropped. "You know what they are?" He looked at her again. "Unfortunately." A low growl rolled through the trees. The man sighed. "Get on." Mara stared at the motorcycle. "What?" "Get on the bike." "I don't know you." "You don't have time to know me." Another wolf stepped onto the road. The man looked at it. Then at Mara. "Choose quickly." Mara's body trembled. She looked behind her. Then at the motorcycle. Then at the stranger. She climbed onto the back. The engine roared. The wolves lunged. The motorcycle shot forward. Mara screamed as she grabbed the man's jacket. The highway became a blur. Rain struck her face. Wind screamed around them. Behind them, the wolves raced through the forest. Mara held on tighter. "Who are you?" she shouted. The man didn't answer. "Who are you?!" Finally, he spoke. "Ryder." "Ryder what?" "Just Ryder." She frowned. That wasn't an answer. But before she could ask another question, Ryder suddenly turned off the highway. Mara nearly fell from the motorcycle. "Where are we going?" "Somewhere they can't follow." "Where?" He glanced at her through the mirror. "Black Fang." Mara had never heard the name before. But the way he said it made her wish she had. Minutes later, they entered a narrow road surrounded by dense forest. There were no houses. No streetlights. Nothing. Then she saw them. Motorcycles. Dozens of them. Parked outside a large building hidden among the trees. Men stood around the entrance, all dressed in black. Some looked human. Others... Mara wasn't so sure. Ryder stopped the motorcycle. Everyone turned toward them. A tall man stepped forward. His eyes immediately landed on Mara. Then his expression hardened. "Where did you find her?" "On the highway." The man's gaze moved to Ryder. "You brought her here?" "I didn't have a choice." The tall man stepped closer. Mara instinctively moved behind Ryder. The man noticed. His jaw tightened. "She doesn't know what she is, does she?" Mara's heart stopped. "What I am?" Nobody answered. Ryder looked at the tall man. "Not yet." Mara stared at them. "What are you talking about?" Silence. Then the tall man looked directly into her eyes. "Do you know why they're hunting you?" Mara swallowed. "I thought they wanted to kill me." "They do." Her blood ran cold. "Why?" The man's expression became grim. "Because you're not who you think you are." Mara shook her head. "No." "You've been running from them for three days." Her eyes widened. "How do you know that?" He didn't answer. Instead, he looked at the small mark on her wrist. The mark she'd had since childhood. The mark she'd always believed was nothing more than a strange birthmark. His face changed. Fear. Real fear. "Where did you get that?" Mara covered her wrist. "I was born with it." The men around them exchanged nervous looks. Ryder stared at the mark. Then he whispered something that made every person around them go silent. "She's Moonmarked." Mara didn't understand. "What does that mean?" Nobody answered. Then a howl echoed from the forest. Everyone turned. Another howl followed. Then another. They had found her. Ryder's eyes darkened. He stepped in front of Mara. "Get inside." Mara stared at him. "Why?" He looked toward the forest. "Because whatever is coming for you..." His voice dropped. "...isn't here to take you home." The lights around the clubhouse suddenly went out. Darkness swallowed everything. And somewhere beyond the trees, something growled. Mara realized with horror that the chase hadn't ended. It had only just begun.