Page 52 of Cruel Alpha: Season One

He’s no angel, I know, but I’ve also come to know him as a man of his word. If he promised to take care of my auntand uncle, in exchange for my willingness to be his mate, that promise may as well be etched in stone.

The engine revs, and I’ve admittedly never driven anything quite this powerful. Or this sporty. With all of Cas’s staff aware of my freedom within the estate, no one batted an eye when I borrowed the keys to a white two-seater, then left the property without explanation.

The tires hug the tight curves of the winding road that’s already taken me halfway down the steep hill, atop which the estate sits. The village below draws closer, and I’m filled with nostalgia, remembering when the most I could ever hope for was to get aglimpseof the High Chamber, a glaring symbol of regality as a row of bright lights illuminated it in the night sky. Never in a million years could I have imagined that fate would spin such a twisted path.

A path that ultimately led me here.

To Cas.

My fingers grip the steering wheel as I exhale, unable to ignore that my circumstances are twofold. There were definite, tangible losses that came with my being brought to Cas as his mate. While I can no longer say it’s all been bad, I certainly can’t pretend it’s all been good, either.

For instance, if I were still living at home, if no one saw me as anything other than Annalise Breedlove—a girl from noble yet hardworking stock—I don’t believe my family would be in danger. Which means, if anything happens to them, I’m to blame.

In the short time since I’ve left the estate, I’ve come up with a plan. It’s thin and full of holes, but it’s a plan nonetheless. A plan that starts and ends with bringing my aunt and uncle to the High Chamber where Cas’s status and resources can protect them. Despite Elizabeth’s concerns, it’s the safest place they could possibly be.

A sharp gasp leaves me when the car suddenly jerks, followed by the distinct sound of rubber flapping over pavement.

“Shit. Not now.”

Of all the times to get a flat, this is possibly the worst. Just as I ease off the gas, preparing to pull off onto the shoulder of the road, another sharp jolt pulls the steering wheel right out of my hands, and I lose control. Loud screeching fills the air as I slam on the brakes when desperation sets in. I’m headed straight for the ravine, and all that awaits me beyond the tree line is jagged rock, and a fifty-foot drop that could quite possibly kill me.

A guardrail meant to prevent drivers from falling to certain death has the opposite effect. At such a high speed, and with so little control, the reinforced steel doesn’t stop the car when I slam into it, but instead causes it to flip. And as the world topples, and metal twists and collapses around me, my wolf is present, using her strength to protect me.

After what feels like forever, the car finally comes to a stop, and smoke billows from the engine as it hisses. It serves as a hint as to just how bad the damage is, but somehow—likely thanks to my wolf—I’m alive.

Although, as the pain sets in, I’m not sure I’m happy about that part.

“Shit!”

A loud cry leaves me as I land on my shoulder when I undo my seatbelt, letting my weight fall to the hood of the upside-down scrap heap that used to be a car. My arm is definitely broken, but I’m sure that’s just one of many body parts I’ve mangled.

I scan the dense forest surrounding me, fighting a spell of dizziness that’s closing in, but the edges of my vision are already going dark. I can’t black out, though. Not here, where no one will know where to look for me. And seeing as how Elizabeth and a few random staff members are the only people who know I’veleft the estate, who knows when someone would even know I’m in danger.

“You’re strong, Annalise. Act like it,” I say, taunting myself with hope that I can at least make it out of the car. And almost as soon as the words leave my mouth, a bright orange glow, and the smell of gasoline, make my escape that much more urgent.

A whimper leaves me as glass crunches beneath my palms when I attempt to move, but it’s no use. It feels like the bones in both legs are shattered. Like the car, I’m mangled.

The small space that used to be the passenger side window is the only viable exit, but I don’t think I can make it. A fact made more dire by a loud popping sound just as the flames begin to spread. I’ll be damned if I survived that fall only to burn to death in this expensive, metal coffin.

“Help!”

The odds of someone being in earshot are slim to none, but it’s my only chance. I fight the urge to rack my brain, play back the last few minutes to sort out how I missed whatever debris lie in the road that led me here, but it doesn’t really matter now.

“Help!” I yell again, giving up hope as the car begins to heat, and my wolf makes a desperate attempt to heal my broken bones, but there’s too much damage. I think I can heal myself, just not as quickly as I need to.

Not quickly enough to get myself out of this.

“Can anybody hear me?”

My throat is raw, and I cough when smoke fills my lungs. Every thought that enters my head is bleak, but that all changes when I spot a pair of dark boots trudging through the dead leaves and sticks lying on the forest floor. My heart pounds, and I try to move again, only making it a few inches.

“Help! Please! I’m—I’m stuck! I need help!”

I’m desperate, and I blame that desperation for my eyes playing tricks on me. It seems as though whoever had just beenmoving swiftly in my direction has suddenly slowed their pace after hearing my voice.

After realizing I’m alive.

“Please, you have to help me!”

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