Alpha's Little Human Mate

Chapter 2: Emma's POV: Beasts in the Dark

All I could see were the sharp teeth, massive claws, and the sheer size of the beast. Hell, it was almost as tall as me! Its fur was dark - almost black - matted from the rain, and its eyes gleamed with predatory danger. The wolf stood tall and proud, despite the storm raging around it.

Any moment now, it will attack, and I will be dead.

But a few seconds passed, and the wolf kept looking at me, not moving a muscle. It almost seemed as if it was transfixed, surprised to see me there, just as I was. A silly thought. Still, I didn't dare move an inch either, and I had stopped breathing altogether. Some forgotten, buried instinct told me to hold still, just as I would with a rabid dog.

But while I stared at the wild animal in front of me, trying to gauge if it was indeed aggressive - or worse, hungry - I realized there was something different about this wolf. It had a certain intelligence in its eyes, a spark of something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I could almost see the thoughts and emotions whirling in the way it looked at me.

But that wasn't possible, was it? How smart were wolves anyway? Perhaps, like a dog...?

My mind raced with questions and fears as I tried to understand this strange creature that had appeared on my doorstep. But the rush of thoughts in my head stopped suddenly when the animal sniffed loudly once, twice, three times. A new wave of dread almost made my knees buckle.

Did it decide to eat me, after all? Will it attack?

I watched the wolf's face, trying to predict its intentions. However, deep down, I knew I stood no chance against a beast this big. My death will probably be slow and painful.

The wolf whined, sounding almost... pleading? Sad? What...?

It didn't really look aggressive. But what could I know? I knew nothing about wild animals and the way they communicated. Its posture was still rigid, just like mine was.

The rain kept falling, and the wolf watched me with those oddly expressive eyes. A few minutes passed, but my heart refused to calm its frantic rhythm. Then the wolf's huge head snapped sideways, ears perking.

I couldn't hear anything aside from the storm and my own heartbeat. Also, I didn't exactly want to linger to find out if the beast had friends nearby. So, I took the moment of distraction to weigh my options.

Should I attempt to escape back inside the library, or would that provoke the wolf to attack? My heart pounded in my chest as I contemplated my options, acutely aware that one wrong move could cost me my life.

In the end, foolish courage prevailed. It was now or never. So, without waiting a second longer, I turned around and bailed back inside, slamming the door shut behind me.

***

As soon as I turned the lock, a wave of nausea and weakness caused me to drop to the floor, silently shaking.

I'm alive. I'm alive. I'm alive, I kept repeating to myself, not daring to make a sound in case the animal heard it and decided to try to get to me after all.

What the f**k was that thing? It could have ended me in seconds! My mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened, of how easily the wolf could have torn me apart.

It took almost half an hour for me to calm down enough and force my muscles to start working again. I couldn't shake the lingering sensation of terror that clung to me like a cold, wet blanket.

I survived an encounter with a freaking gigantic wolf. I live to see another day, I tried to infuse some courage in me.

But someone else might not be that lucky. What if the creature went further into town in search of another victim? Panic coursed through my veins, prompting me to get up and hurry back into the front office.

Quickly, I turned the lights on and called the police. That monster was walking through the streets right now! It could be attacking someone at this very moment!

But what if it's still around? Is it watching me? I ran and switched the lights off. However, the darkness made everything so much worse. It seemed as if the beast could be lurking in any dark corner.

The dread gripped me by the throat, and I struggled to catch a breath. The fear was all too familiar - the panic, the helplessness- knowing that I could be bleeding onto the pavement, alone in the dark and rain - again - this very moment, had the wolf been quicker to attack.

Whatever deity was out there, I thanked them for sparing my life once more.

***

Twenty minutes later, the town sheriff walked into the library and took my statement. But it soon became obvious that Chief Coleman didn't believe a word I said. He kept making little skeptical noises while I was describing the wolf, interrupting me with questions that revealed his doubt.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a large dog? How well could you see in the storm?" He even had the audacity to insist it was most likely a stray that simply appeared bigger in the dark.

"It was stormy outside, after all, and you probably couldn't even see through the rain that well," he told me.

Of course, being a helpless female only made my story that more unbelievable.

"It was the fear," the Chief said. "It made you see things that were not there. Perhaps even... exaggerate a bit?" he suggested.

Still, he was a gentleman enough to offer to check around the library for any big dogs so that I would feel a bit safer. Of course, he found nothing. The Chief was even annoyed that he had to leave the station in such foul weather.

I could tell he wanted to lecture me from the way he kept his lips pressed tightly. But his good manners forced him to keep his mouth shut, so, in the end, he just offered me a ride home as it was the end of my shift anyway. I gladly took it. No way I was walking home with that monster lurking around. And there was a monster lurking, even though the Chief refused to admit it.

***

What is it even doing in the town? I wondered on the way home.

Sure, the woods surrounding my hometown seemed like a typical wolf habitat, but as far as I knew, not one wild animal entered the town. Ever. And I've lived here for twenty years. I carefully scanned the streets through the car window but saw nothing except for the darkness and rain.

And what was it doing in front of the library? That was way too far into the town. Perhaps the storm somehow threw it off, or it was chasing prey...

***

I huffed a breath of relief when I finally arrived at my apartment. No wild wolf could climb to my second-story flat. Still, it took a while before I started feeling a bit safer, the remnants of the shock slowly fading.

However, this scary encounter obviously triggered me because I kept having small panic attacks, and memories of tonight and that horrible night from two years ago kept merging together, creating my own personal brand of horror. Cold sweat would trickle down my spine, and I had to remind myself to breathe. My heart raced, and my hands shook as I tried to keep my panic at bay.

I found myself constantly peeking through the curtains to make sure the wolf hadn't somehow followed me home. The fear was all-consuming, leaving me feeling drained and helpless.

I am safe, I am safe, I repeated over and over in my head.

***

As I curled inside my bed after a long, hot shower, a thought came across my mind — the beast never actually tried to hurt me.

I pictured its oddly expressive eyes and its almost human-like intelligence. Why had it let me go? I was so grateful for whatever distracted it long enough for me to go back inside, but I was well aware that it could have killed me before I managed to do so.

Maybe it wasn't as dangerous as I thought? Maybe it was simply curious or lost?

I desperately clung to these thoughts, hoping they would bring me some comfort and peace. But the fear was relentless, a dark cloud that hung over me, refusing to dissipate.

Eventually, exhaustion began to take its toll on me. My eyes grew heavy, and I fought to keep them open, terrified that the moment I closed them, the wolf would reappear. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but wonder if the beast would haunt my dreams, turning my once peaceful slumber into a never-ending nightmare. And as I finally succumbed to sleep, the image of the wolf's intense gaze lingered in my mind, a chilling reminder of the new fear that now lived within me.