After sprinting even faster through the woods for another ten minutes, I hoped that I had lost the wolves Roman had ordered to follow me. I stopped at a small stream and stuck my nose into the water to drink.
More tree branches snapped.
A large wolf with rich brown fur stood at the edge of the forest. I lifted my head and stared at him, wondering if he would approach me. There was a large scar that cut through his fur near his throat. I didn’t recognize his wolf or his scent.
He slowly stalked toward me, his head low like he would pounce at any moment. I growled, warning him to stay away, but he continued to advance. I lowered into a stance that resembled his, waiting for him to make a move so I could end his life.
Though he was bigger than me, I would kill him if I needed. All he had to do was leap toward me and I’d sink my canines into his neck and let the blood rain down on both of us.
After baring his teeth, he growled, the sound rumbling throughout the forest. Yet he made no move to attack. It was as if he was trying to frighten me.
Suddenly, he shifted into his human. My eyes widened, noticing the tattoo of a wolf on the back of his hand. The Lycan from practice the other day. What was he doing here? Did Roman send him to come find me and bring me back?
The man stared down at me, lips pressed into a line, and nodded. “Shift.” Voice full of authority and a presence that vied for obedience, he waited for me more patiently than Roman ever had.
I stood to my feet, shifting to my human, and covered my body with my arms.
He looked behind me. “Carrie,” he said. Another wolf walked out from behind a tree with clothing between her teeth. She placed them at his feet and bowed her head. After dismissing her, he grabbed the clothes and handed me a t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts that were oddly my exact size.
“What’s going on?” I asked, tugging on the clothes.
“I need to talk to you, Isabella.” He walked to the stream and motioned for me to follow. I furrowed my brow at him, unsure if I should trust him or not. Where did he even come from? And how did he know my name? “Are you coming?”
I pressed my lips together and followed him, trying to keep my distance. His authority over me far surpassed any wolf I had ever met, yet there was something about him that I couldn’t quite place.
“My name is Ryker,” he said. “I am the leader of the Lycans.”
“Okay…” I said, nodding my head slowly. What did this have to do with me? I couldn’t be a Lycan now that Roman had assigned me as a lousy nurse.
“You have tremendous skills. I believe that you will be a great addition to the Lycans.”
I stopped walking and gaped at him. “Me?”
When he smiled, my breath nearly caught in my throat. Despite the scar on his neck, his eyes were light and so refreshing. “Yes, you.” He chuckled and placed a hand on my back to guide me forward.
“I-I can’t,” I said. “I don’t meet the requirements.” Something else that Roman took away from me. “I’m not a warrior wolf.”
He tapped his fingers on the middle of my back, and it was soothing. “We are willing to overlook this. Based on your stats, you should’ve made the cut. You’re ranking just under Beta Cayden and if you had proper training, you’d rank higher than Alpha Roman. I’m not sure why you weren’t assigned as a warrior, but we think you’d do perfectly as one of us.”
I felt both intense anger and pride. Based on stats, I could rank higher than Cayden—the goddamn beta! I couldn’t believe it. It was crazy to think that was possible. On the other hand, I was furious that Roman assigned me as a nurse. I didn’t know why I doubted myself this morning; I didn’t know whyhedoubted me.
“Since you are not eighteen yet, we can’t extend a formal invitation to join us, but we want to invite you to our pack to have a tour and learn more information about this position. And, if you find that you enjoy who we are and how we operate, we will have you complete a test-mission on your eighteenth birthday. If all goes right, we’ll extend you an invitation to commit to us for a year. Does this sound like something that would interest you?”
“Yes! Yes!” I didn’t hesitate. This was my chance. “Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe this.” My heart was pounding against my chest. The Moon Goddess had answered my prayers. Maybe Roman assigning me as a nurse was fate. I was meant for greater things.
“Good.” He flashed me a breathtaking smile. “For now, I need you to keep this a secret between me and you. Go to your assignment at the hospital, stay off of your alpha’s radar. You are welcome to visit us in two nights from now. I will retrieve you from your pack at approximately 12AM. But if Alpha Roman finds out—”
“I know,” I said. He wouldn’t let me go. He wouldn’t even think about it. I knew exactly how he would react, so I would keep it a secret and lie to my alpha.
I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. He sure as hell didn’t mind disrespecting me on Friday.
Chapter 15
Isabella
“Isabella.” Dr. Jakkobs stood behind the hospital's front desk, lips parted in disbelief. He excused himself from his conversation with a nurse and walked toward me. “I didn’t think you’d show up.”
The hospital was a bleak white color and an eerie kind of silent, the kind that reminded me of the moments right before Roman’s father ran into the building with Luna Raya dead in his arms, desperate for someone to help him. I drew my fingers across the desk and frowned. I hadn’t been back since. Too many heartbreaking memories haunted these halls.
