“I love you, Chance.”
“I love you t–”
Chance froze, his face suddenly pale. He reached up, gripping his chest, a fearful look on his face.
“Chance? What’s wrong?!”
His eyes glazed over, the irises turning gold in an instant. He swiveled his head up toward a gap in the canopy. Following his gaze, I felt my heart sink. The sun had set without us noticing, and the sky was growing dark. Even though the last golds of the day were still visible, the full moon was already high in the sky.
“K-Kael,” Chance stammered, his voice deepening. “You have to run.”
“I’m not leaving you here!”
I felt the growl reverberate in the air around me.
“I saidrun…”
There was something about the tone of his voice that made my whole body tingle with fear. Still, I felt stuck in place, my feet glued to the ground. It wasn’t until I heard his bones begin to crack that I felt my fight or flight finally take over.
I took a few steps back, watching the nightmarish scene play out before me. Usually, shifts were smooth and took mere seconds from beginning to end. Sure, it hurt the first couple of times as a pup, but eventually, the pain went away, and shifting became just as second nature as walking or breathing. Letting the wolf out was almost a relief in most cases, giving me a break from the racing thoughts of my human mind.
But this was different. I watched as Chance’s body swelled, his muscles bulging as he strained against his own skin.Instead of shifting downward into his wolf form, his body arched backward, and his head craned up at the sky. As the last remnants of sunset faded away, they were replaced by the bright orange light of the full moon shining down upon us both. My own wolf senses surged, but nothing could pull me away as Chance’s body rearranged itself. His arms grew longer, his fingers extending into dark claws. His bones elongated, and the clothing covering his body tore away, shredding into a pile of nothing around his feet. Fur sprouted from his pores, his chest and arms thickening until it looked as if he could snap a tree in half with his bare hands. A long muzzle sprouted from his face, his gaping maw full of fangs, the tall, pointed ears accentuating his wolfish visage.
Leo hadn’t been kidding. What stood in front of me looked neither wolf nor human, but somewhere in between. Like a monster out of a Hollywood movie, Chance heaved and panted. He stood on dog-like legs, his massive paws digging into the wet leaves. He hunched forward, his knuckles nearly dragging on the ground. For a moment, he just stood there, trying to recover from the transformation.
A million thoughts raced through my head, but none of them were useful. Chance told me he was dangerous in this form, that all alphas were. He was supposed to be chained up in a safe house not too far from where we were. However, now that he was loose, there was no way I was going to stop him. It didn’t matter that I was a werewolf. I stood no chance against the beast standing in front of me. But, if I could sneak past him, I might be able to make it to the safe house in time to save myself. From there, I could call the others and warn them. At the very least, they could send help.
As gingerly as I could, I took a step. Then another. Slowly working my way around the clearing, I kept my eyes focused on Chance, his head still hanging forward with his eyes closed. Icould tell the shift had taken a lot out of him, and my heart was screaming at me to go to his aid. However, the fear held me at a distance. If Chance had nearly killed his father all those years ago, I knew it wouldn’t take much to turn me into ground beef.
I edged my way around him until I was on the other side of the clearing. Stealing a glance over my shoulder, I saw the sharp edges of the safe house between the trees. It wasn’t far off, maybe a hundred yards or so. Still, that was a lot further than I wanted to run on two legs. The only problem was, if I shifted, it was definitely going to get his attention. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to stay quiet for much longer, either.
With the utmost care, I began to peel my shirt away and sit it gently on the ground. Next, I pulled off my shoes and pants, careful not to let my belt jingle. Wrapping the pants tightly around my phone, I set them off to the side. I wasn’t the most gentle in wolf form, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t damage it while I was running. At last, I slipped off my briefs and pushed them aside. The cold nipped at my naked body, and I shivered. My teeth started to chatter, but I quickly clenched them shut. The wind cut like ice over my skin, and I tried to focus on becoming a wolf.
One sharp ear twitched, the beast in front of me slowly raising his head. His eyes flashed open, the bright gold sending a shock down to my very core. Chance’s lips lifted in a snarl, a deep growl reverberating through the trees, making the very ground shake. Slowly, he lifted himself to his full height. Five, six, then seven feet, his body outlined by the moonlight. Saliva dripped from his snarling lips as he turned to face me, his claws ready to tear me apart.
Something deep inside me stirred, and I felt the urge to place myself at his feet. I was certain it was just the pull of the Alpha, but there was something else there, too. It was primal, a mixture of the need to run and deep-seated lust like I wanted to displaymyself for him. I felt as if I should get on all fours, like a bitch in heat, and beg him to have his way with me. I didn’t understand what any of it meant, but as he growled again, taking a step in my direction, fear won out.
In a flash, I felt myself hit the ground on four paws, my dark fur blowing in the wind. At the same moment, Chance lunged forward, leaping through the air in my direction. I didn’t have time to grab the jeans that held my phone before I dodged out of the way. As his heavy form landed, I heard the sickening crunch of glass and metal, signaling that I was on my own until sunlight. My phone was trashed. Without a second thought, I fled into the woods, racing toward the safe house that was my only chance of survival.
I didn’t look back as I dodged through the trees, trying to weave my way through to throw him off the chase. There was only a brief second of silence before I heard the pounding of heavy paws behind me. Without looking, I knew he’d dropped down to all fours, his enlarged muscles thrusting his massive body through the woods. In my mind’s eye, I could almost see the glowing eyes, the gnashing teeth, and feel the hunger burning at his belly. I knew the moment he caught me, he’d tear me to shreds, leaving pieces of my body all over the forest. Or maybe he’d just eat me. My imagination was wild with fear, and anything seemed possible.
But I kept my eyes fixed ahead on the safe house that drew nearer with every passing second. As I dove around a tree, I felt a wave of relief as my eyes fell on the open door. It was metal and looked a bit rusted, but tough. There was a deadbolt, at the very least, and the exterior of the building was made of concrete. Clearly, it was meant to keep things out… or in, whichever was needed, in the situation. My heart raced as my paws dug into the soft soil, propelling me toward my only chance of survival.
Chance’s breath was loud and ragged. I could feel the heat from him on my heels. Teeth brushed my haunch as his jaws snapped together, the harsh clatter of fangs echoing off the trees. Somehow I managed to put on more speed, trying to keep ahead of him. Extending my claws, I lunged right suddenly, turning so sharply that I hear Chance slip and hit the ground behind me. Another left had me headed straight back toward the safe house.
I was only thirty yards away. The thundering paws of Chance were behind me once more. Twenty. He was gaining quickly, much more than before. Ten. He snapped and snarled, his fangs brushing against my tail. Five. I felt a paw strike my back leg, taking my feet out from under me.
In a rush of pain and leaves, I struck the ground, sliding toward the open door. Chance, over-correcting for his attack, careened to the side and collided with the building, the metal roof above rattling as it shook. I, on the other hand, skidded through the mud and over the threshold. The moment I came to a stop, I was human again, scrambling to my feet. I rushed to the door, seeing Chance’s hulking form rising up once more as he shook his head in frustration. For a brief moment, I made eye contact with him, those intense golden eyes boring into my soul. I grabbed the door handle and threw it shut, my fingers grasping the deadbolt to slide it home.
The metal latch started to turn, and I felt a rush of relief through my body. I’d made it to the safe house. I would be safe in there for the night, and in the morning, we would all do damage control. Hopefully, the others would be on high alert, and I doubted security wouldn’t notice a deranged alpha running around the preserve. They had the training and the skills to deal with it. But even without all that, I’d managed to save myself just in time.
However, the bolt never slid home.
A concussive wave of force struck the door on the other side, lifting me off my feet and throwing me across the room. I landed in a heap on the hard wooden floor and rolled to a stop near the back wall. Looking up, I saw Chance’s hulking silhouette filling the doorway. His eyes glowed in the dark, his muscles rippling as he stepped into the safe house. Getting down on all fours, he slowly crept closer, his pointed ears flat against his head as he growled so deeply it made the walls shake. His massive claws clicked against the wood as he came closer and closer.
I never took my eyes off him as I pushed myself toward the back wall. The freezing cold concrete pressed against my naked flesh, but I didn’t wince. I was too full of fear and terror to register anything else but those teeth. There was nothing in Chance’s eyes that I recognized, and I knew he didn’t know who I was, either. He kept his head low as he neared, his claws landing on either side of my legs. I leaned back as far as I could, my cheek pressed against the wall, as I began to hyperventilate. His teeth were only inches from my face, and his lips curled up into a vicious snarl. He inhaled deeply through his nose, clearly sizing up which part of me he wanted to eat first. I clenched my eyes shut, expecting him to clamp down on my neck and end my life as his nose pressed against my flesh.
Another sniff and the growling stopped.
