The Heart Has Chosen

stop running 3

Chapter 3

Sammy POV

My heart slammed against my ribs.

“Sal…”

“I know.”

I stepped away from the window immediately, letting the curtain fall back into place. Every instinct inside me screamed to run.

Pack wolves never traveled alone. If one found me, others wouldn’t be far behind. Maybe he was just passing through. Maybe he didn’t know who I was. Maybe….

“No,” Sal growled. “He knows.”

I swallowed hard and forced myself to think clearly.

Panicking got people killed. Quickly, I grabbed my bag and unzipped it, checking my weapons. Two silver daggers. One regular blade. Cash. Fake IDs. Extra clothes. Enough to disappear again.

The smart thing would be to leave now. But something about him bothered me. If he already knew who I was, running immediately would only confirm it. I needed information first.

Slowly, I moved back toward the window and peeked through the curtain again. The man was gone. My stomach dropped.

“Where did he go?”

Sal paced anxiously inside my head.

“I can’t scent him anymore.”

That was worse. Much worse. I backed away from the window, my senses fully alert now. Every small sound suddenly felt too loud. The rain. The buzzing lights outside. The old air conditioner rattling beside the window. Then…A knock at the door. Three slow taps.

I froze. Another knock followed.

“Ma’am?” a male voice called calmly. “Front desk sent me over. Said your bathroom is leaking into the room below.”

Liar…The old woman at the desk would never send maintenance during a storm this late at night. Quietly, I pulled one of my silver daggers free. The knocking stopped. Silence filled the room.

Then his voice came again, lower this time.

“I know you’re in there, Sammy.”

Ice flooded my veins. Nobody had called me that name in years.

I stepped back slowly, keeping my breathing controlled.

“How do you know that name?” I asked through the door.

For several seconds, he said nothing. Then…

“Because an Alpha has been looking for you.”

My chest tightened painfully. After all these years? Why now?

“What does he want?” I demanded.

A soft chuckle came from the other side of the door.

“You really think I’m going to explain everything through cheap motel wood?”

I glanced toward the window. Second floor. Possible jump.

Painful, but survivable.

“Sammy,” Sal warned carefully, “there’s another scent outside.”

My pulse spiked.

“There’s two of them?”

“At least.”

Of course there was. I moved silently toward the bathroom, my mind racing. Most motels had small windows. Tight fit, but manageable.

Another knock sounded at the door…This time harder.

“Open the door,” the man ordered calmly. “We’re not here to hurt you.”

I almost laughed at that.

“That’s usually what people say before trying to kill me.”

A pause. “Fair enough.”

I climbed onto the bathroom sink, forcing the tiny window upward. Rain immediately poured inside, soaking my sleeves.

“Sammy,” Sal snapped suddenly.

Too late. The motel room door exploded inward.

I spun around instantly, dagger raised. The wolf from outside stood in the broken doorway, rain dripping from his dark hair and black hoodie. Behind him stood another man, slightly shorter but just as dangerous. Neither looked surprised to see me halfway out the bathroom window. The taller one sighed heavily.

“You’re making this difficult.”

I jumped. The ground hit hard beneath me, pain shooting through my ankle as I landed badly in the mud. I stumbled but forced myself forward, sprinting toward the woods behind the motel.

Rain hammered against my face while thunder cracked overhead.

Behind me, I heard shouting. Then footsteps. They were chasing me. Of course they were. I shifted partially while running, letting Sal strengthen my legs and senses without fully taking over. My nails sharpened into claws while my speed increased. The woods blurred around me.

Faster…Faster. But they were gaining. I could hear them crashing through the trees behind me.

“Left!” Sal barked.

I turned sharply just as another wolf lunged from the darkness. His claws barely missed my throat…Three. There were three of them.

I slashed at him with my dagger, catching his shoulder before running again.

“Stop running!” someone shouted behind me.

Not happening. Branches tore at my clothes while mud slipped beneath my boots. My injured ankle screamed with every step, but adrenaline kept me moving. Then suddenly, A deep growl echoed through the forest. Everything stopped. The wolves behind me froze instantly. Even Sal went silent. Slowly, I turned toward the darkness ahead. Two glowing golden eyes stared back at me from between the trees. Massive. Deadly. Alpha.