The Alpha’s forbidden mate

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

ONE OF THEM.

~EMMA’S POV~

I stared at him in shock as his grip on my arms tightened, and to my horror, his eyes shifted from a cold blue to a disturbing shade of red. Ridgehaven was getting weirder by the minute.

And so were the people in it.

“You… you’re hurting me,” I managed to say, the words escaping my lips as a desperate plea.

All I wanted was to go home. I had already lost something important in this town, and I couldn't afford to lose more. He slowly released me, as if he had just realized what he was doing.

I rubbed my sore arms and stepped back to create some distance between us.

“We should be out of the woods soon,” Kael said, his gaze averted as he turned to continue leading the way.

I sighed, knowing I had no other choice than to follow him; he seemed to navigate the forest like he owned it.

A loud howl suddenly pierced through the air, causing me to glance over my shoulder.

“This town must be a breeding ground for wolves. Are they responsible for the recent deaths?” I asked Kael, desperate for an answer.

He remained silent, ignoring my question as he pressed on through the trees. “You know I’m known to be quite chatty. Trust me, I could go on all night… so it would be best if you answered me,” I said, hoping to provoke a response.

“Would answering you make you shut up?” Kael shot back, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I smiled mischievously. “Well… yes, if I get my answers.”

Kael paused suddenly, causing me to stumble into him. His back felt like a wall as I rubbed my forehead in irritation. He could have at least warned me before coming to a halt.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice laced with annoyance.

“Quite” Kael ordered.

Who does he think he is? Why does he have to talk to me like that? I questioned inwardly.

I opened my mouth to rebel. A low, deep growl cut through the air before I could.

My body froze as the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. The sound was deep, menacing, and entirely too close

My eyes looked at Kael’s face. He wasn’t looking at me anymore. His gaze had shifted to something behind me, something that had his features taut with Anger.

“Don’t turn,” Kael said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I wanted to obey, I truly did, but my body betrayed me. Slowly, as though forced by some stupid curiosity, I turned my head.

My breath hitched as my eyes landed on a massive wolf just a few steps away. Its size outlawed anything I had ever seen—far larger than the wolf that had attacked me earlier.

This one was lean and muscular. Its coat was thick and dark. And its eyes glow with a feral intensity that scares me.

“It…it’s huge,” I stammered, barely able to find my voice.

“Get behind me,” Kael commanded, shoving me behind his back.

“Rogue wolf,” he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to me.

“What?” I asked, confused, my voice shaking.

“Step back while I handle this,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He began pushing me backward, his movements steady and intentional.

Handle this? Was he serious? Was he planning to fight that thing? This wolf could tear him apart in seconds!

“Wait, are you insane?” I blurted out, panic rising in my chest.

Kael didn’t answer me. His focus was locked on the wolf, his entire body coiled and ready to fight.

I grabbed his arm before he was able to charge forward. My fingers, tightening around him with a desperation I couldn’t explain.

“Don’t, let’s run!” I cried, my voice trembling.

He paused, his head whipping toward me. His eyes glowed an eerie, crimson red, just like they had before.

I should have been terrified.

For all reason, I should have been screaming and running the other way. But I wasn’t. Something about him, even in this strange, primal state, calmed me in a way I couldn’t understand.

“Please…” I whispered, my voice breaking. My grip on his arm tightened as I met his intense gaze. “Don’t get yourself killed.”

For a moment, His gaze softened ever so slightly, but it was enough to send a wave of something unspeakable through me.

Was I finally losing my mind? Or was I just scared of seeing him get hurt?

Kael's gaze softened for a moment, but then it darkened as though he was wrestling with something deep inside him.

The huge wolf let out another deep growl, its claw scraping the ground as it prepared to pounce. But Kael didn't move. Instead, he turns to me, his voice low and steady.

“Emma, listen carefully. Whatever happens, don't Run.”

“What? Are you insane? That thing will kill us….”

“It won't kill us. But you need to trust me. Just Don’t. Run.”

Before I could argue, Kael released my arm and stepped forward, his shoulder broad and commanding.

I stood frozen as the wolf growled, Saliva dripping from its bare fangs. But what happened next destroyed my understanding of reality.

Kael began to change.

At first, it was fine….his body tensed, and his movements became unnaturally fluid, almost predatory.

Then his muscles rippled beneath his skin, his spine arching as a wild growl escaped his throat. His hand….no, claws…extended, sharp and deadly, and dark fur grew along his arms.

I moved backward, my heart pounding as I watched Kael shift into something not quite human and not entirely wolf.

What was wrong with this town?

When he turned to look at me, his face stretched out, his sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight. His eyes still burned red, but now they were wild and unearthly.

“What…what are you?” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.

Kael didn't respond.

Instead, he turns back to the rogue wolf and lets out a deafening roar that echoes through the woods. The Rogue wolf paused as if scared of Kael, it stepped back a little but Kael pounced at it with inhuman speed.

The two wolves crashed in a forceful blur of claws and teeth, their growls and yelps piercing the night.

I stood frozen, unable to tear my gaze away from the confusion.

Kael quickly defeated the rogue wolf. With a final, bone-crunching bite, the rogue stilled, its lifeless body collapsing to the ground.

It transformed into a man in front of me.

Kael stood over the body, his chest heaving, Blood dripping from his fangs. For a moment, I thought he might turn on me next.

My leg begged me to run, but his earlier warning echoed in my mind.

Then, as quickly as it had begun, the transformation switched. The fur reduced, his claws shortened, and his body shifted back into its human form.

Kael stood before me, his shirt in tatters, his chest bare, but otherwise unharmed.

“You…you’re like them,” I stammered, my voice trembling.

“No,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “I am worst”

I stared at him, my mind racing. He wasn't human…..he never had been. And now, standing in the middle of these dark woods with a lifeless body at our feet.

I realized something.

I wasn't just an outsider in Ridgehaven. I was a prey in a town ruled by Predators.

And Kael? He was not my savior. He was my Captor