Chapter 7
667 Words
Ryker's grip tightened around the phone.
The rogue's smile lingered for only a second before he disappeared into the crowd, blending effortlessly with the afternoon rush.
"Damn it."
Ryker hurried across the street, weaving through pedestrians as he followed the direction the man had gone.
"Excuse me!"
He pushed past a group of tourists and reached the corner.
Empty.
The rogue had vanished.
Ryker scanned every alley, every parked car, every rooftop.
Nothing.
It was as if the man had melted into thin air.
His phone vibrated.
"Report," Kael's deep voice ordered.
"I lost him."
Silence.
Ryker hated disappointing his Alpha.
"He knew I was watching him," Ryker continued. "He looked straight at me before disappearing."
Kael's tone remained calm, but Ryker knew him well enough to hear the warning beneath it.
"Return to the café."
"You think he'll come back?"
"No."
Kael stared out the window of his office toward the distant forest.
"I think that was a message."
~~~
The rest of Elena's shift passed without incident.
Still, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling left by the mysterious customer.
As she wiped the last table before closing, her coworker, Lily, nudged her playfully.
"You've been spacing out all day."
Elena forced a smile.
"Have I?"
"You have."
Lily folded her arms.
"Ever since you got lost in Graywood Forest."
"I'm just tired."
"Tired people don't stare out windows every five minutes."
Elena laughed softly.
"Maybe I'm becoming paranoid."
"I would be too if I'd been chased by wolves."
Mrs. Benson looked up from the register.
"Girls, don't forget to lock up before you leave."
"We won't," Lily replied.
A few minutes later, the café closed.
Lily waved goodbye and headed toward the bus stop.
"You coming?"
"I'll leave in a minute."
"Don't stay too late."
"I won't."
Soon, Elena was alone.
She gathered her belongings and switched off the lights before stepping outside.
The evening air was cool.
Streetlights flickered to life one by one, casting long shadows across the sidewalks.
She pulled her jacket tighter around herself and started the short walk home.
Halfway down the street...
She heard footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Behind her.
She stopped.
The footsteps stopped too.
A nervous laugh escaped her lips.
"You're imagining things."
She continued walking.
The footsteps returned.
This time they were closer.
Much closer.
Her heartbeat quickened.
She turned sharply.
The sidewalk was empty.
Only a few parked cars lined the street.
"No one's there."
She tried to convince herself.
Then she caught a glimpse of movement in the reflection of a shop window.
A tall figure.
Standing perfectly still.
Watching her.
She spun around.
Again...
Nothing.
A cold shiver raced down her spine.
Without thinking, she quickened her pace.
~~~
From the rooftop of a nearby building, Ryker watched everything unfold.
The rogue had returned.
Not openly.
He was keeping his distance, moving from shadow to shadow with practiced patience.
Ryker pressed a finger against the small communication earpiece hidden beneath his hair.
"I've got eyes on him."
Kael's voice answered immediately.
"And Elena?"
"She's heading home."
"Stay between them."
Ryker nodded.
"Already moving."
He leaped silently onto the next rooftop.
~~~
The rogue smiled to himself.
"So..."
"The Alpha really is protecting her."
He slipped one hand into his coat and withdrew a small silver pendant engraved with the image of a crescent moon.
Its surface glowed faintly.
"The prophecy is waking."
His smile widened.
"Everything is happening exactly as predicted."
He closed his hand around the pendant.
"But she remembers nothing."
"For now."
~~~
Elena reached her apartment building and quickly unlocked the main entrance.
The moment she stepped inside, she let out a shaky breath.
"I'm safe."
Or so she thought.
As the elevator doors began to close...
A black-gloved hand suddenly stopped them.
Elena's heart lurched.
The doors slid open once more.
Standing outside was the same mysterious man who had ordered coffee that afternoon.
He smiled politely.
"Good evening, Miss Hart."
"I believe..."
We have something very important to discuss.
- Writer
