The Highlands Wolves
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Cynthia Foley
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3,4M
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42
PROLOGUE
I felt it—the irresistible pull of the mate bond leading me forward. I rushed through the academy halls, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm inside my chest. I bumped into someone who threw a curse at me, but I didn’t pay them any attention. I forged on, letting the pull of the mate bond lead the way, lead me to the one destined for me. As I kept walking, my wolf jumped inside me with excitement. I realized I had reached the male dormitories. Any other time, it would cause me unease, but now I felt safe as my feet hit the marble floors. Here, the scent of my mate grew potent. I breathed it in, letting it wash over me, committing it to memory. Cold sweat trickled down my spine as nervous energy flooded my system. I ignored it. Every muscle in my body screamed that I should find my mate. It was what I had dreamed of for so long. To be loved and cherished by someone who belonged to me alone.
I stopped near a door, my limbs shaking as my heart slapped against my rib cage. The scent of fresh mountain air and pine filled my nostrils. It called to me, begged me to get closer to it. I breathed it in, and the trembling stopped, replaced with a sense of security. Gathering my courage, I knocked on the door. There was a gruff reply that sent a jolt of pleasure down my spine. I took my time opening the door, and when I did. I came face to face with him.
He sat in a chair near the window, his face hidden in the shadows the setting sun cast over the room. For some seconds, I watched his profile, my heart leaping in my chest. A warm feeling shot into my heart.
Slowly, he turned his dark gaze to me. He sighed, getting up from the chair and walking towards me. I noticed his every move. He walked with precision, every step filled with power. His muscles flexed with each step. Alaric Payne stopped in front of me, looked me over, and assessed me, and with the way his eyes moved across my body, I knew how unimpressed he was.
Did he feel this burning connection between us, or was it just me?
“Come with me,” he said, his deep voice sending a shiver of pure ecstasy down my spine. In seconds, he was out of the door. I followed him out of the dormitories, down the academy grounds, to the forest that surrounded us.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, and no reply came. That should’ve sent alarms blaring through my head, but somehow I ignored it. With him, I felt safe, like nothing in this world could ever hurt me.
We kept walking. Once we were deep in the trees, he stopped and faced me. Streaks of sunlight illuminated the forest, some streaks falling on his face. I noticed how dark his eyes were as if his wolf was fighting to come out.
“This is what will happen here. I will reject you, and you will accept it,” he said, his voice carrying an undertone of authority. He wasn’t using his position in the pack to bring me to my knees, but I felt inclined to bow my head in submission. For a second, I thought he was joking until I spotted the seriousness in his gaze. His eyes darkened even further; they matched the black colour of his t-shirt.
“What are you…” He didn’t let me finish before he continued.
“I, Alaric Payne, reject you, Laika, as my fated mate…” His voice, after those words, sounded like a distant, unpleasant echo thrumming through my ears. Pain sliced through my chest, leaving behind a gaping wound. The world tilted on its axis, my legs giving out from beneath me.
He took a step forward, catching me before I hit the forest floor. “Say the words, Laika, and all this pain will be over.” He uttered my name like a lover’s caress like he cared. But how could he when he was shredding my entire world to pieces like this?
I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. Pain held my body in a chokehold. Tears blurred my vision, and the roar of my beating heart prevented me from hearing anything. It was an agony I had never felt before. It coiled inside me, taking all the warmth I had remaining with it. Leaving me cold as an empty vessel.
A hand caressed my cheeks, wiping the tears away. It couldn’t be. My mind had to be playing tricks on me to lessen the pain. I turned my head, and through the curtain of my tears, I saw a large figure approaching us. I tried to move, but my strength to do that bled out. My vision blurred until everything turned dark.
