Healing the alpha

Chapter three

Claire’s fingers drummed against the steering wheel as she sat in her car outside the clinic. The chill of the evening pressed against the windshield, fogging the edges. She’d barely made it through the town meeting, her thoughts stuck on the man who had walked in halfway through. Who was he? And why had he made her feel as though she was being watched?

With a deep breath, Claire shook her head and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life, but before she could put the car in drive, her phone buzzed on the passenger seat. She glanced down, her heart skipping when she saw an unknown number flash across the screen. Hesitant, she picked it up and answered.

“Hello?”

There was silence on the other end for a moment, then a voice she recognized instantly.

“Claire. It’s Ethan.”

Her grip tightened on the phone. “Ethan? How did you get my number?”

“I have my ways,” he said, his tone low but almost apologetic. “Listen, I need to see you.”

“See me? Ethan, you walked out of my clinic barely patched up. You shouldn’t even be standing right now, let alone calling me like this.”

“I’m fine,” he said quickly, but there was an urgency in his voice that made her stomach knot. “It’s important, Claire. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t.”

She hesitated, glancing out at the darkened streets. Everything in her screamed that she should say no, that she should distance herself from the man who had stumbled into her life with blood on his hands and secrets in his eyes. But something else—something deeper—urged her to agree.

“Where?” she asked finally.

He gave her an address on the outskirts of town, near the edge of the forest. “Come alone,” he added before the line went dead.

Claire stared at her phone, her pulse pounding in her ears. Against her better judgment, she put the car in drive and headed toward the address.

---

The forest loomed tall and dark as Claire pulled onto a gravel road. Her headlights carved a narrow path through the trees, the beams catching glimpses of movement that could have been nothing more than the wind. She parked near a clearing, her heart thundering as she stepped out of the car.

Ethan was waiting, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. Even in the dim moonlight, he looked stronger than he had the night before, his wounds seemingly less severe. It made no sense, and yet here he was, standing tall as if nothing had happened.

“You came,” he said, his voice carrying a note of relief.

“I shouldn’t have,” she replied, crossing her arms to ward off the cold. “What’s going on, Ethan? Why did you drag me out here?”

He straightened, his expression turning serious. “Because you’re in danger.”

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. “Danger? From what?”

“Not what. Who.” He stepped closer, his eyes piercing in the moonlight. “The man at the meeting tonight. You saw him, didn’t you?”

Claire frowned. “You mean the one who came in late? He looked at me, but I don’t even know who he is.”

“His name is Lucas,” Ethan said grimly. “And he’s not here by accident. He’s after me. And now, because you helped me, he’s after you too.”

Claire’s blood ran cold. “Why? Who is he?”

“He’s a rogue,” Ethan said, his jaw tightening. “A wolf who’s lost his pack and turned violent. He’s been tracking me for weeks, looking for a chance to strike. When I came to you for help, I thought I could throw him off. But he must have followed my trail to town.”

Claire stared at him, her mind struggling to process what he was saying. “A rogue wolf? Ethan, this sounds… insane.”

Ethan’s gaze didn’t waver. “I know how it sounds, but you’ve seen enough to know something’s not normal. My wounds. The prints outside your clinic. You’re smart, Claire. You’ve already started putting it together.”

Her breath hitched. She thought of the paw print she’d seen that morning, the size and weight of it. And Ethan—his rapid healing, the wildness in his eyes.

“You’re not…” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“I am,” he said quietly. “I’m a wolf. An alpha. And now you’re caught in the middle of a fight you didn’t ask for.”

Claire took a step back, her instincts screaming at her to run. But Ethan’s expression stopped her. There was no threat in his eyes, only a quiet plea.

“I’ll protect you,” he said, his voice steady. “But you have to trust me.”

Claire’s heart raced as she looked at him, torn between fear and something she couldn’t quite name. Trust him? A part of her wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. But another part—a deeper part—knew she already did.