Destined for the Alpha

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

The forest breathes around me, a symphony of rustling leaves and distant laughter from the festival where my pack celebrates without me. I am not there amidst the revelry and the firelight; instead, I wander alone through the darkening woods, my heart heavy with a loneliness that clings like the damp earth beneath my feet.

Lucas's kind smile flits through my mind, a beacon of warmth in the cool twilight. He never treats me like I'm weak, like I'm less than what a she-wolf of our pack should be. But even his gentle encouragement can't stitch up the raw edges of feeling out of place, of being an orphan who can't shift, who can't seem to belong.

I pause, a shiver of unease trickling down my spine. The sensation of being watched is sudden and pressing, like unseen eyes boring into my back. I turn slowly, my gaze searching the dim spaces between the gnarled trunks and whispering foliage. "Hello?" My voice is a tentative murmur swallowed by the encroaching shadows. Silence answers me, but it's a loaded silence, one that promises I am not alone.

With hesitant steps, I move deeper into the woods, away from the path that leads back to the festival. There's a strange pull compelling me forward, as if I'm connected by an invisible thread to whatever watches me. It's madness, I know, especially for someone like me, who should be wary of the dangers lurking in these woods, but I can't help it. My curiosity is a living thing inside me, chasing away the remnants of fear.

Then I see him.

He's massive, this wolf, with fur like the midnight sky and eyes that glint like stars caught in an earthly form. Our gazes lock, and something ancient and wild stirs within me, a recognition that defies all logic. This wolf is no ordinary creature; he's more, so much more, and he regards me with an intensity that feels like a caress against my skin.

"Are you lost?" I ask, though it's clear this is his domain, that every tree and stone here knows the touch of his paws. His silence is an answer in itself, a wordless communication that thrums between us. I take a step closer, drawn by the magnetic force of his presence, wondering if he's friend or foe, wondering why he stares at me with such focused attention.

"Or are you watching over me?" The question is bold, fueled by a mixture of fascination and the reckless bravery that comes from years of being underestimated. His head tilts slightly, as if considering my words, and then his large tongue lolls out in what could almost pass for a wolfish grin.

"Either way," I continue, my voice gaining strength, "you're not very good at hiding." I offer him a tentative smile, an olive branch extended into the unknown. This moment, shared with a strange and beautiful wolf under the canopy of an indifferent sky, feels like a turning point, and I stand at its edge, waiting to fall or to fly.

He takes a step forward, and I realize this werewolf isn’t friendly. He’s watching me with a glint in his eye, like I’m a prize to be one at the festival.

Or a meal to be caught.

Panic seizes my chest, a cold vice that clutches at my heart as the wolf's eyes continue to bore into me. There's a wildness there, untamed and fierce, that I can't begin to understand – and it terrifies me. The stillness between us breaks like thin ice beneath heavy boots, and instinct screams within me to run.

"Stay back," I manage, my voice quivering as I take a trembling step backward. My mind races, thinking of Lucas and how he'd stand before me, unafraid. But Lucas isn't here, and I am painfully alone.

The wolf doesn't heed my warning. Instead, with a fluid grace that belies his size, he steps from the shadows. It's enough. I turn on my heel and bolt, leaves crunching underfoot, branches whipping past my face, stinging my skin. The air is thick with the scent of pine and fear, my breaths coming in short, sharp gasps.

I hear him behind me, the powerful rhythm of his paws against the forest floor. He's gaining on me, and panic gives wings to my feet. I push harder, muscles burning, lungs screaming. Why is he chasing me? What does he want?

I hear his heavy paws thudding on the ground, hear his breath coming out fast and hot. This stranger—obviously from another pack—is almost on me…

And once he catches me, what will he do?