Page 31

twenty-four

. . .

Mia

I ’m out of breath as I rush out of the house.

I don’t stop until I’m completely out of the perimeter of the house.

Stepping into the late afternoon light, my breath catches.

A thick forest of trees surrounds the house on all sides.

I notice smaller buildings scattered around the main house, but I don’t head for them.

With deliberate steps, I storm into the forest. Every stride is purposeful, driven by a need to escape my racing thoughts.

The alphas lied to me. They withheld the truth, turning my life upside down and then having the gall to say it was for my own good. I worry about what the ritual means for us and whether I’ll get pregnant. The stress makes my head pound as I walk beneath the branches of the trees.

The whole time, my breaths come in shallow bursts while my mind replays Kane’s words.

You have werewolf blood . It repeats in my head over and over, each repetition stinging more than the last. But that’s ridiculous. I would know if I weren’t human... right?

As I turn it over in my mind, my frustration only grows.

My heavy footfalls crunch leaves and snap twigs as I press deeper into the unfamiliar forest. I don’t even care about getting lost. I don’t know where I’m going or if I’ll be able to find my way back, but all that matters is getting away from Kane for a while.

Despite feeling frustrated and scared, I actually enjoy the forest. Everywhere I turn, there’s a new plant I want to look up or a small forest creature skittering into the bushes. Out here, with these tall trees and life all around me, my problems feel a little smaller.

Eventually, I come across a fallen log in my path. I sit down on it, arms crossed, as I hold myself. Frustrated tears sting my eyes. I need to take a breather, try to break free from this spiral I’m in, and think things through.

Breathe , Mia. I just need to take a deep breath and figure this out. I could literally be pregnant right now.

Hands on my chest, I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. Each one comes in a ragged gasp, and my thoughts continue to race. The weight of everything—the ritual, that I’m an omega, that the alphas lied—presses down on me, and every breath feels like a struggle.

The past few weeks have been strange, to say the least. Since meeting Finn, it feels like my life has gone off the rails. I don’t know if I’d wish it back the same. But I also feel like this is all becoming too much to handle.

Why hadn’t they been honest with me from the start? Maybe I would have freaked out. But how am I ever supposed to trust them now?

I rub my eyes, frustrated tears finally spilling out. How did I get here? I recall the first time I spotted Finn in the coffee shop. It feels like a lifetime ago. It had all seemed so natural, but now I wonder how much of our interactions were designed to draw me in.

He had been watching me, biding his time, knowing I was an omega .

Had he known I worked at that coffee shop? Had he sat in my section on purpose? Suddenly, everything feels orchestrated and nefarious.

As I sit there, sniffling and miserable, I notice a stream a bit off the path. The water looks crystal clear, winding lazily through the forest.

I stumble on tree roots and loose rocks as I head toward the bank. Overhead, birds flit from the highest branches of a nearby tree and soar into the air. For a moment, I envy them.

Pulling my hood up, I sit on the bank and watch the water flow in steady, calming ripples. As I do, my mind drifts. My thoughts are no longer racing as I watch it.

Kane said the ritual would create a bond, connecting us. Even now, a part of me still longs for the alphas. The most frustrating part is that I trusted them. Part of me still wants to. But I can never feel in control of my own life after what they’ve done.

Memories of our lazy morning in the nest come back to me with perfect clarity, and my heart squeezes in my chest.

More than anything, I wish I could recapture that moment. I’m not sure I can ever go back to that kind of peace, not after finding out they had lied to me. When trust is broken, it isn’t so easily recovered.

Crack .

I turn toward the sharp noise. My chest tightens as I scan the forest for the source. Nothing but trees and shadows growing long on the forest floor.

“Probably just some animal,” I mutter to myself, brushing it off. After all, I’m in a forest.

But even as I say it, I become aware of the sudden bone-chilling silence. The birds have gone quiet, squirrels have ceased their activity, and even the leaves seem to have stilled. An eerie calm settles over the forest. It’s as if everything is holding its breath .

My nerves spike, and I lick my lips nervously. I’m suddenly doubting my decision to wander off alone. Something doesn’t feel right.

Just as I consider trying to find my way out, I hear it. A faint, distant sound. Heavy footfalls. Someone is approaching. Not only that but the footfalls are joined by a faint growl.

I turn again, scanning the shadows. My gaze locks on a pair of glowing red eyes staring at me from the underbrush.

The realization that I’m not alone shoots through me like electricity, and I stumble to my feet. Without taking time to think, I take off running into the dense foliage of the forest. My breath comes in terrified, ragged gasps as I dart between the trees, trying to escape whatever was watching me.

I need to get away. I need to find my way out of this forest and back to Kane’s pack. They’ll know what to do about this. I just need to stay ahead of it.

The footsteps behind me grow louder, and my heart thunders in my chest. This creature is fast, and it’s gaining on me.

My foot catches on a root, and I stumble.

My knees hit the dirt and dragged along the unforgiving forest floor.

Pain blooms, but I push past it, not allowing myself to stop.

I don’t even pay mind to the blood that spills from the scrape, dripping onto the forest floor.

There could be far worse pain awaiting me if I let this pursuer catch up.

I chance a look behind me and I see a large, menacing gray wolf. I’m not sure how I know, but it’s not one of the three alphas. This is something else. Those red eyes and the radiating danger tell me that this is something far worse.