Page 14 of The Forbidden Dragon King
Unexpectedly, a low growl makes me spin around in shock.
A giant black wolf prowls stealthily out of the darkness behind me along the path.
An Alpha elite.
“Oh, shit.” My eyes widen with terror.
The wolf is woven out of shadows that trail from her fur like nightmarish questing fingers, which is why I didn’t notice her before. It’s what makes Shadow Wolves deadly hunters at night. They’re such dangerous predators because they can camouflage.
Plus, they often hunt in packs.
Terrified, I scan behind her but I can’t see any other wolves. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other shifters there, however, waiting their turn to tear out my throat.
The wolf’s eyes blaze crimson.
She must be one of the elite. The King’s bully gang.
Trembling, I sniff, as she takes a step toward me, and I take a step closer to the cliff edge.
The scent of wet forest.
The wolf is Hilda, the Alpha who has tormented me for years.
My shoulders straighten.
If I’m going to bleed out tonight, then it’s not going to be on the fangs of the wolf who has made a game of shoving my head into buckets of dirty water, slapping me for meeting her eye, or tripping me down steps in front of Bard, only to laugh at me.
Bard never laughed at my humiliation. Yet he never helped me either.
Who needs an Alpha to save them? I choose my own path.
When Hilda stalks closer, I glance behind myself, swallowing as the heels of my feet touch the crumbling edge of the cliff. I glance over my shoulder at the wood far below.
Then my expression becomes determined, and I turn back to Hilda.
I raise my spear in front of me. “I know that I’m one hot Omega with the tightest ass in Orm, but we’re just not a good match. Sorry if I’ve broken your heart. Why don’t you turn your fluffy ass around and go find another Omega to mate?”
Hilda bares her fangs, snarling in fury.
I smirk. “I know that you’re disappointed. Can’t we just be friends?”
Hilda leaps at me. Shadows arc from her, winding around me and dragging my legs out from underneath me.
I hit the ground with an agonizing crunch to my hip, driving the air out of me.
I hold onto the spear with a wild desperation.
Don’t drop it, don’t fucking drop it, Spark.
I clench my teeth, forcing myself to flip around onto my stomach. Before I can push myself up to my knees, the wolf’s jaws snap around the bottom of my long cloak and yank me from side to side like I’m a doll.
I scream as I’m scraped against the rocks.
“I’m not your chew toy.” Panicked, I kick back with my feet, trying to hit Hilda and make her let go.
Finally, I boot her in the nose, and she yelps.
I let out of a breath of relief, pushing myself painfullyto my knees. But then, I howl, as Hilda’s jaws clamp around my left ankle.
