Page 3 of Taken By the Alpha Priest

But as I deal the second hand, a chill brushes the back of my neck, sharp and insistent.

The air shifts.

At first, it’s nothing—a faint breeze, barely noticeable over the shuffle of cards and the low hum of Grant and Will’s banter. But then it hits me.

Blackberries. Sweet and ripe, their sugary tang sharp against the night air. Leather, warm and rich, like a well-worn saddle.

I freeze.

The scent wraps around me, cutting through every rational thought, tearing down every wall I’ve built to keep my wolf caged. It’s not just a smell—it’s a command, a summons that pierces through my senses and drags my instincts to the surface.

The cards slip from my hands, forgotten, fluttering to the floor. My chest tightens, my breath catching as the wolf surges forward, clawing to get out.

A low growl rumbles through me, vibrating in my ribs.

It’s her.

I don’t know how I know, but I do. The scent ishers–who, I have no idea, even if my wolf is certain she’s important–and it calls to every primal part of me. My wolf howls inside, his hunger raw and insistent. He doesn’t just want to find her; he wants to claim her. To mark her. To make sure the entire world knows she’s his.

She’s mine.

The thought crashes through me, hot and undeniable. My hands flex, nails lengthening into claws as my wolf pushes harder, desperate to take control.

“Reyes?” Will’s voice cuts through the haze, but it’s distant, like it’s coming from underwater.

I can’t answer him. I can’t think. All I can do is inhale, pulling that intoxicating scent deeper into my lungs. It’s everything—wild and untamed, sweet and dark, like berries crushed into wine.

The leather grounds it, gives it weight. A rich, earthy undertone that anchors the sweetness and makes it impossible to ignore. It’s a perfect contradiction, sharp and soft, light and heavy.

It’s her.

And with her…hoofbeats.

The rhythmic pound of hooves on dirt slices through the air–distant enough that any ordinary person couldn’t hear it, but getting closer. My wolf snarls, a warning growl that I barely manage to keep from spilling out of my throat.

“Get your fucking guns,” I snap, my voice rough, already on my feet.

Will’s up in a flash, but Grant lags. “How the hell do you?—”

“You don’t hear it?” Will says, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. “Shit. They must know we’re vulnerable tonight.”

“Or maybe we’re just sloppy because we’re all so damn horny,” Grant mutters.

I don’t wait to hear the rest. My feet hit the ladder, and I’m sliding down, landing in the grass with a thud. I shrug out of my collar, my shirt, my pants. My limbs start to twist and contort, the Alpha Prime pushing to the surface as I sprint for the perimeter.

“Reyes, wait!” Will shouts.

But I’m already scaling the wall, claws digging into the wood.

Blackberries. Leather. Her.

I drop into the field, the tall grass whispering against my legs as I push through, barely aware of the world around me. The moonlight streaks across the landscape, painting the crumbling asphalt road ahead in pale silver. It snakes its way into the forest, a dark tunnel of trees that seems alive, breathing, waiting.

She’s there. I can feel it.

The wolf inside me is pacing, snarling, his hunger bleeding into my own. He knows what’s waiting in the shadows. He can taste it, smell it, feel it. Her scent is everywhere now, invading every thought.

It’s maddening.

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