Page 41 of Whisper of an Alpha
Without hesitation, I head toward the forest, my heart pounding with every step. I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.
As we move deeper into the trees, the shadows seem to close in around us. The air is thick with tension, and I can hear the rustle of leaves underfoot, the sound echoing in the stillness. I feel the warrior close behind me, his presence a constant reminder of the betrayal that has sparked this nightmare.
“Keep your eyes open,” I warn, glancing back at him. “If you’re lying to me, I swear?—”
“I’m not!” he interrupts, panic rising in his voice. “I just want to help! I don’t want to die!”
“Don’t worry,” Dalton says, his voice calm despite the chaos. “You’ll get out of this alive if you lead us to her.”
We continue our search, moving through the thick underbrush, each shadow feeling like a lurking threat. My heart races as I push forward, desperate to find any trace of her.
Suddenly, something catches my eye — a flash of white fabric caught on a low branch. I rush forward, my breath hitching in my throat as I see it’s another piece of her gown, stained with more blood.
“No,” I whisper, dread pooling in my stomach. “No, no, no.”
“Wyatt,” Dalton calls, moving to my side as he takes in the scene. “We have to keep going. We can’t stop now.”
I nod, but panic is clawing at my chest, suffocating me. I can’t allow myself to think of what could’ve happened. I can’t let the fear take hold.
We push deeper into the forest, the darkness closing around us. I can feel the weight of the world on my shoulders as I search for her, the fear of losing her threatening to consume me whole.
Octavia
In the chaos that follows, everything feels surreal. The last thing I remember is the laughter echoing around the pack house, the happiness of the day because it was supposed to be my Luna Ceremony. But now, here I am, bound and gagged, being dragged through the underbrush by Rachel. The moon filters through the trees, illuminating her face, twisted with a mixture of satisfaction and rage. I can barely focus on the details of the forest around me, the pine needles crunching underfoot, the cool night air filled with the scent of damp earth and pine.
I can feel my wolf, a restless energy thrumming beneath my skin. She whimpers, a soft sound that resonates in the cage of my heart. We both know Wyatt is out there, searching for me, but the gnawing fear in my gut tells me he might be too late. I can’t help but wonder, what does Rachel want? Why now and how did she escape her cell? My mind races, piecing together the fragments of conversation I overheard just before everything went dark.
Rachel’s voice breaks through my thoughts, sharp as a knife. "You think you’re special, don’t you, Octavia? The chosen one, destined to be Wyatt’s Luna. But you’re not. Not anymore." Shepauses, her grip tightening on my arm, forcing me to walk faster. “I’ll show you what it means to be discarded.”
My heart races as I struggle against the ropes that bind my wrists. “Rachel, let me go!” I manage to shout through the gag, my voice muffled and desperate. “You don’t have to do this!”
She laughs, a sound devoid of any warmth. “Oh, but I do. You see, Wyatt will never choose you. He’s too busy playing the hero, trying to save you from me.” Her eyes glint with malice in the moonlight. “But I have a plan, and you’re a part of it.”
The forest closes in around us as we near the abandoned cabin. It looms ahead, a dark silhouette against the starry sky, its windows shattered like broken dreams. Panic surges within me, and I feel the urge to fight, to scream, to claw my way out of this nightmare. But I know deep down that it won't matter if I don't get free soon. Rachel has always been cunning and manipulative, and now she wields that power like a weapon against me.
As we reach the cabin, she pushes me through the door, and I stumble, falling to the floor. The cold, hard ground is unyielding beneath me, and I wince as the ropes dig into my wrists. Rachel kicks the door shut behind us, the sound echoing in the empty space. I look up to find her standing over me, her expression a mix of triumph and something darker.
“This is where your story ends, Octavia,” she says, her voice low and taunting. “Wyatt can’t save you now. No one can.”
I scramble backward, my heart pounding in my chest. “You’re wrong! He’ll come for me! He loves me!” The words spill from my lips like a desperate prayer, a plea for belief in my own truth.
Rachel rolls her eyes, her patience wearing thin. “Love? That’s a joke. You think Wyatt loves you? He’s just using you to fulfill some ridiculous destiny. You’re nothing but a means to an end.” She leans down, her face inches from mine. “But I’m going to change that. You’ll see.”
Before I can respond, she yanks the gag from my mouth, and I take a deep breath, ready to shout for help, to call for Wyatt. But Rachel, anticipating my move, slaps her hand over my mouth, her eyes wild with rage. “You scream, and I’ll make sure he finds only your lifeless body. Do you understand?”
I nod, dread pooling in my stomach. The wildness in her eyes frightens me more than anything else. I’ve seen Rachel angry before, but this is something else entirely — a darkness that seems to consume her.
“Good,” she says, straightening up. “Now, let’s make ourselves comfortable, shall we?”
She drags a chair toward me and forces me to sit in it, tying my ankles to the legs, ensuring there’s no chance of escape. I watch helplessly as she moves around the cabin, her movements frantic yet purposeful. She rummages through drawers, tossing aside old, dusty items that were once someone’s memories.
“Wyatt will come,” I say again, my voice steadier now, fueled by a stubborn hope. “He’ll find me. You can’t keep me here forever.”
Rachel whips around, her face flushed with anger. “You think I don’t know that? I know he’s out there, but I also know he’s going to be too late. He’ll waste precious time looking for you in the wrong places.” She pauses, her expression shifting to something almost contemplative. “And when he does find you, he’ll be too late to save you from what I have planned.”
My heart sinks, the weight of her words crashing down on me. What does she mean? What plan could she possibly have that would ensure my doom? My mind races, trying to devise a way out of this nightmare. I can’t let Rachel win; I won’t be another victim in her twisted game.
As she continues her frantic search, I take a moment to breathe, to focus on the bond I share with Wyatt. I close my eyes, reaching out to him in my mind, hoping he can feel me, hopinghe knows I’m in danger. The connection we share is strong, a tether that binds our hearts and souls. If he is out there, he must feel my fear, my desperation.
