Page 1 of Owned By Four Alphas

Chapter 1 - Selena

Dappled light danced across the hazy forest floor, shifting over the leaves that shone like jewels in shades of rich green and fiery orange. They caressed Selena’s bare feet as she walked through the warm, curling trees, her hair loose and floating slightly in the jasmine-scented breeze.

A stream. She thought she heard the bell-like tinkling of a stream up ahead, the steady flow of water over rock as soothing as a lullaby.

She walked forward, her footsteps light, her head tilted upwards to the canopy above.

This was peaceful. Beautiful.

She pushed a branch aside to reveal the stream, water tumbling down a smooth plateau of rock, branching and meandering and crystal blue.

There was a man there, sat on a tree stump, staring down into the water. He lifted his head as she stepped out of the shadows of the forest.

Not a man.

A god.

Thick horns rose high into the air, spiraling away from his angular face. He was handsome, but his silver eyes held all the sorrows of a millennia.

“Selena,” he said.

The forest broke, and raging heat engulfed her as the stream gave way to a roaring torrent of lava, the swaying trees melting into jagged black rock, the sky darkening with ash andfury. Everything was fire, the ground, the air, her skin. She opened her mouth to scream—

The forest was back. She blinked, the agony of the flames gone in an instant. Somewhere, from amongst the trees, a bird called out.

“Selena,” replied the god, unfurling to his full height, towering above her, “you’re here.”

“What was that?” she whispered, hands trembling despite the warm air.

He tilted his head, his gaze almost sorrowful. “That isn’t the right question.”

He turned away from her, and she reached out, the edges of her vision growing hazy, the end of his cape swirling into smoke. “Wait!”

The god glanced over his shoulder, his face murky.

“You’re him, aren’t you?” She tried to move forward, but her feet were sinking into the stream. “You’re the Forest God. You’re my father!”

The corner of his lip tilted up, then he turned away again.

“No, please!” she begged. “Don’t go, I have so much to ask you!”

But it was too late. The Forest God disappeared into the woods, his horns twisting amongst the branches, growing taller. She blinked and he was gone, lost amongst the trees. Part of them.

The memory of fire rushed up her limbs, engulfing her in agony. But it wasn’t a memory. The flames were back, clouding her vision, smoke choking her lungs. The last thing she sawbefore she opened her mouth to scream was a great wave of fire.

Selena bolted upright with a barely contained shout, arms rising to defend her face—

There was nothing. She was safe.

It was only a dream.

“Selena?” Ronan was upright beside her in a heartbeat, eyes narrowed and teeth bared as he glanced wildly around the room. “Selena, what is it?”

“Nothing,” she said, placing a hand on his arm to calm him, her breath still fast. “Just a dream. A nightmare. I’m sorry.”

Ronan groaned and fell back down into the soft bed, pulling her down with him to rest across his huge chest. “It’s okay, sweetness.” His arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him. “Was it Damien? Phaendar? I should have ripped those motherfuckers limb from limb—”

“It wasn’t that.” Selena curled closer to him, tracing the many scars that littered his skin. Battle scars, hard won and proudly worn by her wolf. Proof of his strength. “I do sometimes have nightmares about that, but never bad ones. No, this was…something different.”

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