HER ALPHA WOLF

ABBY POV.

*I can’t stop! I have to keep running! I said to myself as I tried to not trip over my own feet. My heart was pounding. My lungs were burning, and my knees were aching, but I couldn’t slow down. I couldn’t! or they would get me. Keep running. Keep running! I chant to myself over and over again. I have to keep running. I have to stay ahead of the wolves who are practically snapping at my heels. I hear them growling, their paws hitting the ground, nails digging into the dirt. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, but I have to keep going or they will tear me apart.

I knew I should not have, but I made the mistake of looking back. I looked over my shoulder to see how close they were and then I tripped, landing with a hard thud as my head hit the dirt-covered forest floor. I bite back the scream of pain, both from my head and my leg. A quick touch to my forehead revealed blood on my fingers and I swallowed down nausea. I didn’t like the sight of blood, neither mine nor others. I growl alerted me to my situation and I whipped around, sitting on my ass in the dirt and staring up into a pair of bright golden eyes. There were four of them… no five… I think. I couldn’t think as my mind was starting to run into panic mode. The wolves moved in around me, caging me in, crouched down and ready to attack, growling, snapping their jaws at me. The biggest of the lot was a large black wolf. His eyes locked directly onto mine and for a moment I thought that there was something almost human in them… but that couldn’t be. My panicking state was starting to make me see things.

This was it. I thought to myself as I swallowed audibly. This was it. This was how I was going to die. I take another shaky breath and close my eyes. Waiting for the first to attack. I could not believe how quickly things escalated since a few days ago. The day I met Marcus.*

FEW DAYS AGO

What the hell was I doing? I shouldn’t be alone, not while my heart felt like it was breaking all over again. Or at least it did… I took a swig of vodka straight out of the bottle as I sat on a rock boulder at a waterfall that I came across. I had no idea where I was, but I was glad that I stumbled across this place. The water crashed loudly against the different-sized rocks at the bottom, showering the area with a cooling mist that felt wonderful in this hot afternoon.

I just arrived at a party with Lilly. If I had known what or for whom the party was for… I would not have come. I closed my eyes as I took another drink from the bottle and the liquid burned down my throat as I thought back to the precise moment when that bitch announced her engagement to everyone! She didn’t even belong to my group of friends, but she had wiggled herself in quite nicely ever since she snagged Joshua out from under my nose, and I was hurt to see that many of them were there as well. Everyone I considered to have been my friends were so shocked at the news, that no one tried to stop me when I turned and ran out, but not before grabbing a bottle of vodka that stood closest to me from one of the tables. I looked at the half-empty bottle in my hands. The liquid sloshed around lazily as I turned the glass bottle in my hands, and I found myself mesmerized as the setting sun danced different colors in it.

I suddenly got angry again as my emotions came rushing forward like a wave and I got up hastily. Swaying slightly but managed to keep my footing. I looked out throughout the water and out of anger, I threw the bottle as hard and far as I could. The liquid went flying everywhere before it dropped into the water, and I screamed. I let out everything that I was feeling at that moment and pushed it all out through my lungs. I dropped to my knees when I couldn’t scream anymore. Suddenly I felt better. The tears still fell over my cheek, but I felt better. It was like something had come over me. Like a calming presence entered my personal space.

“Are you all, right?” A voice asked. It was a man’s voice. It was soothing and for some reason I wasn’t surprised to hear him behind me or scared to be alone out here with him. I sigh calmly and close my eyes when I hear feet stepping onto the rocks behind me until a shadow falls over my face. When I opened my green eyes, I saw a tall form standing over me. The setting sun was at his back so seeing his face was impossible, but my heart suddenly skipped a beat by his closeness. He extended a hand towards me and without even thinking about it, I took his hand and allowed him to help me up. His touch was warm and tickled my skin pleasantly. When I looked up at him, I was shocked to see how tall he was still. He was firm and muscularly built. He was standing shirtless in a pair of shorts and I swallowed as something twisted deep down in my stomach. He was at least two feet taller than me. Short-cut black hair and chocolate brown eyes. My eyes fell to his lips, and I suddenly felt like kissing him to feel if it was as soft as they looked and when I looked into his eyes again, I could see amusement there as though he knew what I was thinking. The smirk on his soft-looking lips made him look charming and a bit devilish and I suddenly felt a jolt of adrenalin run through my body to deep down in my stomach. Looking at this tall dark stranger didn’t scare me at all. For some reason, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, and I felt safe. I haven’t felt safe in a very long time.

My eyes traveled over his face again and then to his bare chest and shorts and bare feet. I suddenly felt grateful for the warm afternoon. “Are you alright?” He asked again and I realized that I never answered him and that I had been ogling him this entire time I suddenly felt embarrassed, my cheeks flaring red. It must be the vodka. I thought but there was something oddly comforting to have him here. It was like I would be able to tell him anything and I knew that he would listen. "No… I mean yes, I am now.” I sighed as I looked up at the man who still held my hand from when he offered to help me up. “I’m sorry. I am a bit of a mess.” I said sniffling and wiping away the rogue tears that fell. “My fiancé dumped me a month ago for some skank and I got tricked into coming to their engagement party.” I said, but my head snapped up to the stranger’s face. I swear I just heard a growl. I thought as I looked into his dark blue eyes. Something strange shone in his eyes but I got distracted when he rubbed his thumb over the top of my hand.

"Maybe what you need is a distraction," The man said before motioning for me to come with him. His touch was warm, and there were those soft tingles again when he interlocked his fingers with mine as we started to walk away from the waterfall. He must be from around here because he found a path that I hadn’t seen before, and we started to walk on it through the trees. It was getting darker as the sun was setting and yet I still wasn’t afraid of him. Here I was in the forest with a stranger, and it was going to be dark soon.

“Who are you?” I asked when my last train of thought made me realize that I didn’t even know his name. “Marcus.” He replied as he looked down at me. He really was sexy. I could see that he was older than me and I briefly wondered how a man like him could still be single. At least I hoped he was single because of the way that he held my hand… why was he holding my hand again?” I asked myself but forgot all about that when he spoke. “So, what is your name?” He asked and I realised once again that I didn’t even introduce myself. “Oh, I am Abbigail, but my friends just call me Abby.” I said and he nodded. “So, this engagement party… are all your friends still there?” He asked and nodded before looking away sadly. How could they show up knowing that Josh dumped me for that fake bitch. “And you say that you didn’t know about it?” He enquired and I looked ahead of me and sighed. “No, I didn’t. I would not have come if I knew.” I said and I felt more tears start to well up in my eyes as my emotions started to emerge again. “Catching them together in my bed was enough for me, I don’t need to see them acting lovey-dovey in front of everyone. As far as I am concerned, Joshua Jefferson is dead to me.” I said bitterly and he nodded. When I briefly looked up at him, I swear I saw a satisfied look cross his face, but then again, it could just be the vodka making me see things.