Taken by the Alpha

Clarice Mont

Her auburn hair danced wildly in the wind. The dark strands shimmered like fire under the bright moonlight, whipped around by the gusts.

The sound of her footfalls echoed through the silent woods, a rhythmic crunching of twigs, fallen leaves, and branches.

Despite the pain and exhaustion, she forced her small body to keep moving. She ran until she felt a sense of satisfaction, a sense of contentment.

Her eyes, two glowing orbs in the darkness, darted around as she darted through the thick branches and vines.

A whirlwind of emotions swirled within her. A challenge. Despair.

The challenge was a battle between her human side and her wolf side. The human side fought against the primal pull, but the wolf side was stronger.

The despair was for the sorrow that filled her as she ran. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, the throbbing pain on her face keeping time with it.

She despised the overprotectiveness, the coddling. She felt suffocated by the metaphorical bubble wrap her parents had wrapped her in, but she was too kind to confront them.

That's why she ran. She couldn't bear to lash out at her parents, the two people she loved most in the world.

Deep down, she also despised him. She hated the rejection, the knowledge that he didn't want her. She hated feeling weak.

Hell, she even hated the act of hating.

She skidded to a halt when she realized how far she'd run. She was surrounded by thick trees and bushes, lost in the middle of nowhere.

She clutched her heaving chest, panting heavily. Despite being half-wolf, her body wasn't accustomed to this level of exertion.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she grimaced, the burning pain on her face intensifying with each pant—her nose throbbed.

Tears that had been swept away by the wind and her running now welled up again, and she cried without restraint.

She bit her bottom lip to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape, desperate to remain silent and unnoticed.

But who would hear her? She was deep in the woods, far beyond her territory—which she hadn't yet realized—with no one else around.

She swallowed hard, then opened her eyes. With shaky hands, she wiped away her tears, wincing at the pain in her nose before she lowered her hands and hugged herself tightly.

She calmly surveyed the trees before her, then spun around to examine the dense enclosure she found herself in. Her breathing quickened once more. The thick branches and leaves around her obscured any view beyond.

Slowly, she wiped her tear-streaked eyes, trying to focus her vision—allowing her wolf instincts to take over in that aspect. Her eyes lightened to an unusual degree. It was strange; they should have darkened, not lightened.

She attempted to still her trembling body, but fear had a firm grip on her. Only now did she realize how deep she had ventured into the woods. She began to move forward tentatively, but direction seemed meaningless. Which way was forward and which way was back?

She covered her downturned lips with her hand, stifling a frightened cry at the sound of a twig snapping. She convinced herself that she was the cause, but when she looked down, all she saw was dirt and fallen leaves.

“I’m such an idiot,” she muttered to herself, pushing branches away from her face and swatting at vines that reached her hips. Her legs began to wobble as she walked—on and on, only to find more trees.

Hours passed, her vision gradually fading. The constant crying was draining her. The throbbing in her face had reached her temples, and a pounding headache set in. Tears continued to well up in her eyes, and helpless whimpers escaped her lips as she tried to stop crying.

She swayed, struggling to maintain her balance. She found herself leaning against a tree trunk, using it to support her weight. Her body was exhausted. The day’s events had taken a toll on her, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open.

She blinked slowly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, no, please no. You can do this, Claire. You got this. Keep pushing,” she encouraged herself between deep breaths.

She pushed off the tree trunk, wiping her face—ignoring the fresh wave of pain that ignited in her nose. She struggled to breathe as she moved forward. The moment she took a step, her body gave way, and she didn’t have the strength to stop the fall.

She barely registered the sensation of her forearm scraping against the rough bark of the tree. Warm blood trickled down her arm, and when her head hit the ground, she lost consciousness. Alone and deep in the woods, with no one in sight for miles.

Except for one group lurking nearby.

Beyond the trees and slightly downhill, large figures were huddled together, discussing plans. But the largest among them was finding it hard to concentrate on the conversation. A familiar scent invaded his nostrils, causing his broad shoulders to tense.

However, it was the sudden smell of metallic blood that darkened his eyes to the color of coal.