Destined for the Alpha

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

My heart hammers against my chest, a frenzied drumbeat that drowns out the sounds of the night. I burst through the thick line of trees, stumbling into the clearing where the festival's warm light spills like honey through the darkness.

"Help!" My voice cracks as I hurl myself into the open space, arms flailing, eyes wild with terror. "Please, somebody help me!"

The celebration grinds to a halt. The music, a vibrant thread weaving through the evening air, falls silent. Dozens of pairs of eyes—flickering in shades of yellow and green under the glow of the bonfire—turn towards me. I stand there, panting, my black hair clinging to my sweat-drenched forehead.

Moments ago, the woods were alive with the snarls of pursuit. But now, as I scan the treeline for the wolf that chased me—the beast with eyes as merciless as the winter frost—I find nothing. No shadow moves among the trees, no growl ripples through the stillness. The monster is gone.

"Grace?" Lucas's voice cuts through the murmurs, steady and concerned. He pushes his way through the crowd, his stature commanding even amongst our kind. As the pack's Gamma, Lucas exudes a calm strength that makes my heartbeat stutter, not from fear but something far more complicated.

"Lucas," I gasp, relief flooding me at the sight of his familiar face, softening the harsh edges of panic. "There was a wolf... in the woods. It chased me here."

His brow furrows, the lines etched between his eyes speaking volumes of his worry. He steps closer, his presence wrapping around me like a protective cloak. "Are you hurt?" he asks, scanning me for injuries.

I shake my head, feeling small and exposed under the scrutiny of the pack. They don't understand what it's like to be me—to be without the gift of shifting, to be seen as less than, weak. But Lucas, he's always been different. He looks at me as if I'm more than the sum of my flaws.

"You’re safe now," he says, his hand finding mine, warmth seeping from his skin to mine.

But the absence of my pursuer gnaws at me, an uneasy twist in my gut. How could the wolf have vanished so completely? The forest, once a sanctuary, suddenly feels like a vast, unforgiving maze, shadows lurking behind every tree.

"Thank you," I manage to whisper, though my throat tightens with unshed tears born of frustration and fear. Fear of being attacked, yes—but also fear of remaining forever on the fringes of this world I so desperately want to belong to.

"Always, Grace," Lucas replies, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand in a gesture that sends a surge of warmth through my cold veins. It's a simple touch, but it speaks louder than words ever could; it tells me that at least to him, I am not invisible.

And as much as I wish to deny it, his attention stirs something within me, an ember that refuses to be smothered.

"Want me to take you inside?” Lucas asks.

I shake my head, aware of the malicious grins on our pack mates faces. Even our Alpha, Kade, looks annoyed.

“No, thank you,” I whisper.

Someone calls Lucas’ name, and he slips away too soon, leaving me alone.

The laughter slices through the night, sharp and mocking, as I stand in the center of the clearing, my chest heaving with exertion and fear. My plea for help still echoes in the air, but it's quickly smothered by the disdainful chuckles of my packmates.

"Really, Grace? You expect us to believe that old tale again?" sneers Derek, one of the brawnier wolves who never fails to remind me of my shortcomings. His voice is loud enough to draw more eyes, more smirks.

"Maybe she just wanted to be the center of attention at the festival," chides another, a sleek she-wolf named Tanya whose gleaming amber eyes roll in exaggerated disbelief.

Their words are like claws raking down my spine, and I can't help but feel that familiar sting of inadequacy. They don't believe me—why would they? I'm the girl who can't shift, the orphan who lingers on the edges of this tight-knit community. To them, I am nothing more than a source of amusement, a joke that never gets old.

"Enough," I try to muster courage that I don't feel. "I'm not lying. Something chased me through the woods."

"Sure, and I'm the Easter Bunny," Derek retorts, and a fresh wave of laughter ripples through the crowd.

"Didn't see any wolf, Gracie." Tanya tilts her head, feigning concern. "Are you sure you weren't just seeing shadows? It is pretty dark out."

They circle around me, a pack within the pack, their jibes forming a barrier I can't penetrate. In their eyes, I'm the weak link, and no amount of pleading will change that perception.

"Maybe we should give her a flashlight next time," someone quips, and the suggestion sparks another burst of mirth.

My cheeks burn with humiliation, and I bite down hard on my lower lip to keep from showing just how much their words cut. I want to shout, to scream that I'm not some pathetic little girl crying wolf, but the lump in my throat holds me prisoner.

Lucas is nowhere to be seen now, his earlier comfort replaced by the cold reality of my place within the pack.

"Come on, Grace, give it up," Derek prods, stepping closer, and I shrink back, feeling smaller than ever. "We all know you're just trying to get Lucas's attention."

"Or the Alpha's," Tanya adds slyly, glancing towards where Jackson had been.

I swallow hard, the ember that Lucas's attention had ignited now smothered under the weight of their scorn. The realization dawns bitter on my tongue—I am alone, surrounded by those who are meant to be my family.

I always have been, and I always will be.