The Feral Alpha’s Hybrid Mate

Chapter 1 The rain came down so hard I could barely see the road. I leaned closer to the windshield and wiped the fog with my sleeve. My phone had died a long time ago. No maps. No signal. Just endless dark trees and the sound of water hitting the roof like stones. I should never have taken this shortcut. A black shape suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. I slammed the brakes. The car skidded sideways. Tires screamed. Something heavy slammed into the front with a loud crack. My body jerked forward hard against the seatbelt. Pain shot through my shoulder. For a second I just sat there breathing fast. Then I pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold rain. Water soaked my clothes in seconds. My legs felt weak as I walked around to the front of the car. A huge black wolf lay on the wet road. Blood mixed with rain under its body. Its sides moved slowly with each breath. Golden eyes stared straight at me. They looked too aware. Too human. I took a step back. “Oh my god,” I whispered. The wolf’s body started to shake. Bones cracked loud enough to hear over the rain. Fur pulled back into skin. Legs stretched and changed shape. The long muzzle shortened. In less than a minute the animal was gone. A man knelt on the road where the wolf had been. I froze. My mouth opened but no sound came out. My heart slammed so hard I felt dizzy. This could not be real. Wolves did not turn into men. That only happened in movies. He slowly lifted his head. Long dark hair stuck to his face and neck. Blood and dirt covered his chest and arms. Deep scars cut across his skin. He wore nothing but ripped jeans that hung low on his hips. When his golden eyes met mine something strange pulled hard inside my chest. Heat rushed through my whole body. My knees almost gave out. I stumbled backward. “What the hell are you?” His voice came out rough and low, like he had not spoken in years. “You hit me.” I kept moving back until my legs hit the car. “Stay away from me.” He stood up. He was tall. Much taller than me. Rain ran down the hard lines of his body as he took one step closer. “You’re human,” he said. It sounded like he was confirming it to himself. “Of course I’m human! What are you?” He did not answer right away. His eyes moved over my face, my wet clothes, the way my hands shook. That strange pull in my chest got stronger. I hated it. I did not understand it. “Get in the car,” he said. “No.” My voice cracked. “I’m leaving. I’m calling the police. This is not real.” He moved faster than I expected. One moment he stood a few feet away. The next his hand closed around my wrist. His skin felt burning hot against mine. I tried to pull free. “Let go of me!” “Stop.” His grip stayed firm but not painful. “It’s not safe here.” “Not safe from what? You’re the one who just turned from a wolf!” His jaw tightened. For a second something wild flashed in his eyes. Then he looked away like the sight of me made him angry. “I don’t have time to explain,” he muttered. “You’re coming with me.” “I’m not going anywhere with you!” I swung my free hand at his chest. He caught it easily and held both my wrists. His body heat soaked into my skin. That strange pull between us only got stronger. I felt like I could not breathe properly. “Listen to me,” he said, voice low and rough. “There are things out here that will kill you without thinking twice. I am the only reason you are still standing.” “I don’t even know your name!” He was quiet for a moment. Rain poured down both of us. Finally he spoke. “Kane.” “I don’t care what your name is. Let me go.” He stared at me for a long time. His eyes searched my face like he was looking for something. Whatever he found made his expression darker. “You should not exist,” he said quietly. Before I could ask what that meant, a long howl cut through the forest. It was deep. Close. And it did not sound friendly. Kane’s whole body went still. His grip on my wrists tightened. When he looked back at me his eyes glowed brighter in the dark. “They’re already here,” he said. He pulled me hard toward the trees. I tried to dig my feet into the mud but he was too strong. The car lights faded behind us as the forest closed in. Another howl answered the first one. Closer this time. Kane glanced over his shoulder, face hard. “If you want to live,” he said, “you will stop fighting me right now.” Then he dragged me deeper into the dark, and the sound of heavy paws started following us through the rain.