Page 4 of Alpha Marked

"What are they doing here?" said another mate shakily.

"They weren't invited," another whispered.

"Screw invited," said a fourth woman. "They make the rules. They can go where they want."

"We need to get the Alpha," said the first.

River's heart beat louder, and her wolf stood. What the hell? The scent grew more potent, and one of the women yanked River away from the back door.

When had she walked to the back door?

River's wolf lurched forward, and River doubled over, pain ripping through her. She screamed and gripped the potato peeler so hard she thought it might jam through her hand.

"River? River, what's wrong?" asked someone in a faraway voice.

River panted, and pain ripped through her again.

"I… I think River is shifting," someone called.

A woman knelt next to River, and through bleary eyes, River barely made out her Luna, Kawli.

No. No. No.Her mom would kill her. She needed to get out of there. Needed to get away. They couldn't see her. Cherry would kill her if they saw her shift.

"Everyone in the pantry," Kawli yelled.

"River, come on." Kawli dragged her backward.

The ripple stopped, and River took a breath. "I need to go home."

"No time," said Kawli. "They are coming. You need to hide. You are unmated, River."

Who? Who's coming?

The fragrance grew more potent, and River's wolf shook her head. River experienced her wolf's confusion. A mix of recognition swirled with fear.

Fear? Great.Her wolf decided to wake up just to be afraid.Lovely.

The women hurried into the pantry, dragging River with them. As they began closing the door, the back door's handle turned, and the wood swung inward.

The women huddled in the corner behind heavy metal shelves, but River couldn't bring herself to. She looked from them to the door and back again. Why were they so scared? She practically saw their heads hung and tails secured between their legs. Even Kawli moved to join the other women.

Her gaze swung back to the door, and her wolf growled. A ripple tugged at her gut again, but River quashed it. There was something else, though… something her wolf couldn't quite place. That scent… honey and amber… so invading, so masculine, so…

Heavy footsteps prowled to the pantry door.

"Ron," one of the women whispered into her phone. The woman whined. "Ronny."

A growl sounded through the phone, followed by yelling from the other end. Ron, one of the pack's Betas, let out an emergency danger howl that cut through the night outside.

What the hell was going on?

River's wolf scratched to be loose, but River refused to let the bitch take over. No way her wolf was emerging because of some male.

Something sharp dragged across the pantry door, and the handle turned. The door creaked open.

River's wolf paced back and forth, becoming more and more agitated. A second later, the door opened fully, flooding the dark room with light and silhouetting the largest male River had seen. In wolf form, he stood almost five feet tall. His dark fur held patches of red, and his yellow eyes remained alert and terrifying.

A rogue.It had to be a rogue. But she'd never seen one so enormous before. He sniffed before growling.

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