Rejected and Claimed by his Best Friend, Book 1

Chapter 37: Unseen Forces (Alice's POV)

I hadn’t expected the night to feel so long. After Remi had left on patrol, I found myself pacing around the safe house, the unease in my chest growing with each passing minute. Remi had told me to stay inside, but it wasn’t his absence that bothered me. It was the sense that something was lurking, something I couldn’t quite understand.

Black, Remi’s wolf, had sensed it, too. That was why Remi had left so suddenly, why he’d been so tense before he’d gone out.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I could feel it—something was coming. Something dangerous. And it was tied to the Silvermoon pack. I could feel their presence, even from a distance. Their scent lingered, faint but distinct, like a bad memory that never quite left you.

I shook my head, trying to push away the thoughts. I needed to stay calm. I needed to be strong, not just for myself, but for Remi, too. He had enough to deal with. I didn’t want to be another burden on his shoulders.

Suddenly, I heard the faintest sound—a rustling in the trees outside. My heart skipped a beat. It was too faint to be Remi returning. This wasn’t his usual walk, the way he moved with confidence and strength.

My breath hitched in my throat. I couldn’t explain it, but something about this felt wrong.

I moved quietly to the window, pressing my palms against the cool glass. The wind howled outside, the trees swaying gently. My eyes scanned the shadows, but there was nothing there. No movement, no signs of life. Just the darkness.

Yet, that nagging feeling wouldn’t leave.

I stepped away from the window and paced the room, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts. My wolf, Winter, had been unusually quiet lately. After the bond had been made, after everything that had happened, Winter seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness, only speaking to me in short bursts.

It was as if Winter was waiting, anticipating something.

I paused. The pull. It was back.

I felt the familiar tug in my chest, like an invisible string pulling me toward something. It was faint at first, but as the minutes passed, it grew stronger.

*Alice...* Winter’s voice echoed in my mind, quiet and filled with an underlying urgency. *Something is wrong. We need to move.*

I didn’t need to be told twice. I didn’t care if I was breaking the rules. I couldn’t sit still any longer. Something was out there, and I wasn’t going to hide in the safe house while Remi was out there facing it alone.

I grabbed my jacket, slipping into the shadows of the house as I moved toward the back door. I didn’t want to make any noise, didn’t want to alert anyone to my departure. I had no idea what I was walking into, but I had to trust my instincts.

The night air was cold against my skin as I stepped into the woods. The wind whipped through the trees, the branches creaking like old bones. I walked carefully, my senses heightened, trying to pick up any clues, any sounds that might tell me what was happening.

Winter was quiet now, but I could feel the unease pulsing through her, the same way I felt it. We were both on edge.

*Stay close, Alice.* Winter’s voice was distant but firm. *Trust your instincts.*

I did. I kept moving, my steps light and swift as I navigated through the trees. Every crack of a branch, every rustle in the bushes made my heart race.

I didn’t know how far I had gone when I saw it—a shadow, flickering between the trees. The same shadow I had seen earlier when Remi left. It was a figure—tall, cloaked in darkness, moving just out of reach of the moonlight.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. I hadn’t been imagining things. Someone—or something—was out there, and it wasn’t Remi.

I stepped forward, closer, trying to stay hidden behind the trees. The figure didn’t seem to notice me, or at least didn’t acknowledge my presence. They continued to move, slowly, as if searching for something.

I had no idea who they were or what they wanted, but I had a feeling I wasn’t supposed to see this. Whoever this was, they didn’t want to be found.

Then, a voice cut through the silence.

“Well, well, well,” the voice said, smooth and calculating. “Looks like someone’s been wandering too far from the safety of the pack.”

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I didn’t recognize the voice, but the words were clear. This person knew exactly where I was, exactly what I was doing.

I took a step back, trying to retreat into the shadows, but it was too late. The figure turned, their eyes glowing in the moonlight, a smile stretching across their face.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Alice,” the figure said, their tone dripping with malice.

I couldn’t move. My body felt frozen in place, my breath caught in my throat. I was trapped.

---