Page 8 of Alpha Wild

For a heartbeat, we simply regard each other, two wolves standing at the crossroads of something I can’t understand. Then, with a slight dip of his head, he turns and trots away, his movements fluid and effortless. He starts to run.

Without a second thought, I follow.

What the hell are you doing??

But I can’t help myself. My eyes are fixed on the muscular haunches ahead that are bunching and stretching with each earth-eating stride that he makes. I speed up to pull up alongside him. There’s a moment in which he glances over at me, and then he’s surging forward again. I keep up.

Side by side, we bound through the forest, our paws striking the ground in perfect rhythm. The trees blur past as I let myself relax into the steady lope, tongue lolling out as I take in great lungfuls of cool evening air.

With each stride, the weight that has burdened me for so long lifts, replaced by a sense of freedom and exhilaration I haven’t felt in ages. The wind rushes through my fur, carrying with it the scents of the wild. Something wells up inside me; a sensation that is undefinable yet achingly familiar.

In this moment, I am no longer alone.

The feeling warms inside me. I move closer, our shoulders almost gliding against each other as we gallop between the heavy trunks. When he begins to slow, I match his pace until we come down to a halt. We’ve reached the edge of the treeline. The field beyond is dark and threatening, and I recoil without thinking.

I turn my head at the sound beside me. The silver wolf is moving toward a fallen tree.

What’s he doing?

I hesitate, not wanting to leave the haven of the trees. Overcoming my fear, I raise a paw, poised to move forward, when he turns to face me. There’s a flicker in his eyes… regret?

I watch with rapt attention as the silver wolf before me begins to shift and contort. His body ripples, and his limbs elongate, the fur receding to reveal pale skin beneath. It’s a mesmerizing transformation, almost too fast for my eyes to follow.

In mere moments, the wolf is gone, and the tall, muscular man stands in its place. The moonlight casts a soft glow over his bare skin, and I can’t help but stare at the sight of him. He’s as breathtaking in his human form as he is as a wolf. Strong, rugged features, a chiseled jawline with a touch of stubble. His hair is streaked with the same silver as his coat, but I sense that it’s not due to age. Although the smile lines around a surprisingly sensuous mouth tell me that he’s not a boy either.

My eyes drop below his chin to the broad shoulders and chest beneath…and then further down, over a tautly muscled belly and…

I look back up at his face. He reaches out a hand. I narrow my eyes on it.

“I have to go.” His voice is surprisingly gentle, but I’m not soothed by it. A pang of dismay shoots through me as I realize that this is not the companion I had hoped for. I wanted the wolf, the kindred spirit that had drawn me in. Now, faced with this man, I feel a deep disappointment welling up inside me.

He takes a step forward, and I resist the urge to retreat. “There is something I must do. It can’t wait,” he says, his voice low and cautious. “But I’m coming back.”

His words only add to my confusion. Why is he leaving? Where is he going? And why does he feel the need to reassure me that he’ll return? I struggle to make sense of it all, my mind racing with questions I’m unable to ask.

He drops his hand as I take a step back. The regret is now clear in his eyes. Does he feel the same pull? I can’t figure out what’s going on between us, but I sense that he does. There’s no way to find out. Not now. Maybe not ever.

Go!

I give in to the instinct to run.

Without a word, I turn and dart back into the forest, the trees, as I feel the sting of tears in my eyes. I don’t understand what’s happening, why this stranger has such a profound effect on me. All I know is that I need to get away, to find comfort in the familiar embrace of the wilderness.

As I run, I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever see him again. And in spite of all my better instincts, I pray that I will.

Chapter 4

Barrett

I’m almost chewing my nails with frustration when morning arrives. By the time I’d reached my belongings, my damn phone had gone flat, and I spent several hours finding a place to charge up. I’m sitting in a little diner, eyeballing a cooling cup of coffee with distaste.

Goddammit!

I feel so damned powerless! Without thinking, I thump the diner table with my fist, making the cutlery rattle. The other patrons shoot me dirty looks, but I don’t care. My mind is a whirlwind after last night’s events in the woods.

That massive golden wolf blazes into my thoughts again, setting my pulse racing. The force of her stare had punched through me, leaving me breathless and unsettled in a way I can’t explain. And then she’d turned tail and fled, leaving me with more questions than answers.

And I have even more questions about what I’d seen in that facility. I scrub a hand over my face, feeling the rasp of stubble.

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