The Heart Has Chosen

another Alpha great 4

Chapter 4

Sammy POV

The forest went completely silent. Even the rain suddenly seemed quieter. Every instinct inside me screamed danger. The three wolves behind me stopped chasing me immediately, their breathing heavy as they stared into the darkness ahead. At the same time, those glowing golden eyes remained locked on me. Watching…Waiting. Then he stepped forward. My breath caught in my throat.

Huge. That was the first thought that hit me. The wolf that emerged from the shadows was massive, far larger than any wolf I had ever seen before. Black fur glistened beneath the rain, muscles rippling beneath his coat as he moved slowly between the trees. Power rolled off him in waves. Pure Alpha power. Sal instinctively lowered herself inside my mind.

“Sammy…” she whispered nervously.

I understood. An Alpha strong enough to make other wolves submit without speaking was dangerous. Very dangerous. The wolves behind me lowered their heads immediately. One of them spoke carefully.

“Alpha…”

So he was theirs. Perfect. Just perfect. The massive wolf’s golden eyes stayed fixed on me before slowly shifting toward the male I had stabbed earlier in the woods. The injured wolf quickly stepped back.

“He attacked first,” the man muttered.

The Alpha growled low. The sound vibrated through the entire forest. Silence followed instantly. Then the Alpha looked back at me. And slowly…He shifted. I forced myself not to react as bones cracked loudly beneath the storm. Fur disappeared while the massive wolf transformed into a man. A very large man. Dark hair hung wet around his face while rain rolled down tan skin covered in scars. He wore nothing, completely unbothered by it, like most wolves during shifts.

But it wasn’t his body that caught my attention. It was his eyes.

Golden. Sharp. Dangerous. And completely focused on me.

“You run a lot,” he said calmly.

His voice was deep enough to send chills down my spine.

I tightened my grip on the dagger still in my hand.

“You hunt people a lot.”

One of the wolves behind him growled angrily at my tone, but the Alpha lifted his hand slightly, silencing him instantly….Interesting.

“You killed one of Kane’s old warriors tonight,” he stated.

Not a question. I lifted my chin slightly.

“He broke into my house.”

“And you dumped his body in the river.”

I froze…How the hell did he know that? The Alpha studied my expression carefully before speaking again.

“We’ve been tracking him for days. We arrived right after you left the bridge.”

So they weren’t tracking me originally. Relief flickered through me briefly before disappearing. That still didn’t explain why they were here now.

“You worked for Kane? I asked carefully.

Something unreadable crossed his face. “No.”

That single word surprised me enough to make Sal pause.

“But his brother knows you’re alive,” he continued. “And several packs are starting to ask questions.”

Damn it. I knew this day would come eventually. You can only disappear for so long before someone notices patterns.

“You should’ve stayed hidden better,” one of the wolves behind him muttered. I glared at him instantly.

“Maybe if wolves learned how to mind their own business, I wouldn’t have to keep running.”

The younger wolf took a threatening step forward. The Alpha growled softly…Instant silence again.. Definitely powerful.

His eyes returned to me.

“What’s your name?”

I almost laughed. “That depends who’s asking.”

A small smirk touched his mouth. “Alpha Maddox.”

I didn’t recognize the name. Which honestly made me more nervous. Most powerful Alphas were known everywhere.

If I hadn’t heard of him, then either he stayed isolated… Or he was new. Neither option made me feel better.

“And what pack are you from, Alpha Maddox?”

The second the words left my mouth, the air shifted strangely.

The wolves behind him exchanged quick looks. Maddox’s expression darkened slightly.

“I don’t have one.”

That caught me completely off guard. An Alpha without a pack?

That almost never happened. Sal stirred uneasily.

“Careful,” she warned.

I stayed quiet for a moment before lowering my dagger slightly.

“If you’re not working for Kane's brother, then why are you following me?”

Maddox stepped closer. Not threatening. Almost cautious.

“Kane wasn’t the only one hunting you.”

Cold dread settled into my stomach.

“What does that mean?”

His golden eyes locked onto mine. “It means somebody put a price on your head, Sammy.”

The rain poured harder around us. And suddenly… Running didn’t feel like enough anymore.