HER FATED ALPHA

STUMBLED UPON FATE

**Cerise Astor Gray**

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge as I watched them emerge from the shadows one by one, sick smiles plastered on their faces. There were six of them, all rogues who would kill for pleasure.

Though I had come to accept that I was one of them, killing wasn’t in my nature. I knew it was a bad idea to take this route for my morning run, but I was willing to take on anyone who got in my way. However, I wasn’t expecting to run into a group of male rogues who now eyed me like a piece of candy, ready to devour me.

It was an advantage that I was still in my wolf form, but being outnumbered worried me.

“She’s a beauty, aye?” one of them commented, a smirk on his face.

The others agreed, starting to circle me, trapping me in.

I braced myself and glanced at each of them. Their clothes were dark and nearly in shreds, hanging off their big, built bodies. They all had a scruffy appearance, so it wasn’t hard to identify them as filthy rogues who would never be accepted in a pack. They had already discovered my clothes and thrown them in a corner, out of my reach, before fully surrounding me.

“C’mon, baby! You’ve got nowhere else to run now. Shift back, then we can see you!”

“Yeah, c’mon!”

Their teasing made me furious, and the low growl I released made them even more excited. They clapped and hooted around me.

“I’ve always had a thing for dark chocolates,” the tall guy in front of me said, referring to the color of my fur.

Before he could take another step forward to lay his hand on me, I pounced on him, digging my fangs near his shoulder blade and ripping his arm out in one quick motion. That was enough for the rest of them to realize that I was no ordinary wolf.

I was the former Alpha of the South Pack, with real Alpha blood running through my veins. I was strong, but the rogues didn’t know that. In a split second, they shifted into their wolves and started attacking me one by one.

I moved quickly, defending myself with the power and strength I had. I killed the first wolf that pounced on me, snapping his neck with one bite. Then another attacked me, but I dodged his strike, bit his tail, and threw him to the side. I slammed another one against a huge rock nearby, and the sound of his bone-cracking from the impact rang in the air. I took them all out, panting in exhaustion while seeing them lying around me, blood smeared all over them and on the grass beneath them.

A sudden howl came from deep within the forest. My head snapped up, and I quickly glanced around. The injured rogue started to get up slowly, and my eyes widened in panic. I was still alone, and more could be coming if they were nearby.

Without wasting another second, I gathered my clothes in my mouth and bolted from the area, running through the forest with all my might. I didn’t feel safe anymore; I felt exposed while running through the unknown forest, with no idea where I was headed or even where I was at that moment.

All I could think of was getting to someplace safe and hiding until dawn.

Another howl pierced through the air. I froze and scanned my surroundings, letting my supernatural hearing scout out the perimeter. I could hear them coming for me, the sound of their paws hitting the ground, heading in my direction was unmistakable. I immediately shifted back to human form, quickly put my clothes on, and started running in the opposite direction.

My foot suddenly hit something big on the ground, and I nearly tripped. I quickly braced myself and swore under my breath because it completely startled me.

My eyes wandered down, and they widened in shock. I gasped and took a step back, clamping my hand over my mouth. My brain slowly registered that I hadn’t tripped over a thing but an unconscious man.

I struggled with an urge to run, but my legs were glued to the ground. I wanted to look away and pretend I didn’t see anything, but my eyes were locked on the man’s handsome face. I bit my lip with uncertainty and quickly glanced back behind me— the rogues would soon catch up to me. I had to keep running and find a secure place to hide.

But why was this unconscious guy preventing me from doing so?

“Help him!” my wolf immediately yapped in excitement.

I shook my head furiously and took a couple of steps away from the guy.

“Nope, not listening to you again. Last time this happened, I ended up out here running for my life,” I argued defensively.

“Please!” my wolf desperately persuaded. I crossed my arms and stared at him again.

“I’m not going to help him! I don’t even know him. What if he’s one of them?”

“He’s not. Help him because if you don’t, he’s going to die out here! And you know your conscience will not leave you alone if you turn your back on someone who needs your help.”

My wolf was right. It was one of the many things I hated about myself in situations like this—offering help to people even when they didn’t really need it.

“Okay, screw this.”

I mumbled under my breath in defeat, walked toward the guy, and knelt by his side.

Despite the promise I had made to myself that I would never love any man again, my wolf started to react like crazy when I got near him. My heart started to beat so fast when I slowly reached out and placed my hand on his back. A sudden electric sensation surged through my whole body just from the mere contact, bringing a new familiar feeling to me.

I had to admit he looked insanely handsome. His hair was light brown with small golden streaks, and he had a perfect nose, full lips, and a very well-defined jawline. I couldn’t help but stare at his strong bare muscles and his back. Before my eyes could wander further, I snapped out of my daze and pinned my eyes straight ahead instead.

“One peek won’t hurt,” my wolf urged teasingly.

I growled in annoyance and ripped out the edge of my long shirt. I pulled out the long material and draped it around his waist, struggling a little to wrap it underneath him because he was too heavy even for me. I repeated the process one more time before securing a knot on his back below the waistline.

Just as I was about to stand, the man suddenly groaned, startling me. Then I saw his eyes starting to move underneath his eyelids. My throat went dry, and my breath hitched when I realized that he was starting to wake up.