It was my time to find confidence. Colton had told me I could stay here, and I didn’t have any reason to think that wasn’t true. And even if it wasn’t? It all meant I would never have to return to that horrible pack ever again. I would never have to be sold into the trades again either. I wasn’t exactly keen on selling myself as a breeder, and this pack seemed against it.
A branch snapped under my feet, and I watched the leaves sway in the wind. Could I mate for the sake of being safe? I think there were certainly worse things in this life.
The dress flowed around me with every step and the sounds of the forest spoke to my soul.
After everything, even the uncertainty I didn’t truly believe that I would have to sell myself for safety.
What was it here that made me feel so safe? There was something with Devon and I think in his own way he’d already told me he was willing to sabotage it all. Kissing him did something to my body, and all I had to do was get my wolf onboard. Kissing him made my wolf react.
Maybe it was okay for me to want something and I was motivated to take it.
I picked up my pace trying to make this a game worthy of an alpha, the best I could in this human form.
I heard them all around me. Howls and yips of what I had to assume were males finding their female. I’d never been a part of this before. I wasn’t entirely sure what any of this meant, but the adrenaline inside me made it more intriguing. Even without my wolf fully healed, I could tell that she approved of being out here in the forest. The human side of me liked the feel of the freedom and the chase. What did that say about me? It said I’d found my place.
What made me want to be caught I didn’t know? No, I did. Instinct made me want him to catch me.
Instinct drove me even without my wolf. I wanted the strongest male as my mate and he would have to prove it to me. I smiled. I wanted Devon to prove himself to me.
A wolf ran in front of me, and I skidded to a halt. It turned, its eyes meeting mine. I stopped, only slightly more out of breath than I should have been if I were healthy. Frozen in place I assessed the wolf in front of me. It was a male, and something about him seemed familiar.
His eyes ran a chill down my spine.
“Don’t you come any closer,” I said. I forced any waver in my voice to stop and make me sound confident.
The eyes were familiar. I’d just been sitting across from the male that they belonged to.
My old alpha, captor, stared back at me. He stalked towards me and I back peddled.
Maybe I shouldn’t have decided to run this far. This had to be a coincidence that he found me first, but still. I should have been more careful. The idea of running had just seemed so damn tempting.
I kept backing up trying to keep down the fear.
I tripped over a branch protruding from the ground, but found my way up to my feet quicker than he could stalk me.
He was playing with me. The beatings had always come from someone lesser, someone beneath him but the alpha of the Cripple Creek pack was the one to make it all acceptable. It was okay with him and worse it was okay with him if his daughter willed it.
I licked my bottom lip trying to think. Something scratched over my leg but I didn’t dare look down at it. I was alone here and mostly defenseless.
“Don’t come any closer,” I said.
I reached my hands behind me, feeling for trees and ready to keep me from going down like a log. A quick glance around the area told me we were alone at least, for now. I didn’t want to see Nessa.
She by far was the worst of the wolves I’d ever had to endure. I looked around again wondering if she was here. Her complaints about me were the reason I was drugged on time all the time. She couldn’t live without me she claimed and when I’d tried to run that last time, she’d pleaded to her father how much I meant to her. Meant for her to torture I assume.
I breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t here, not that I could see.
Come on girl, please wake up.
I pleaded with my wolf. She was trying, I could feel the strength within me, but she was still just out of reach.
My eyesight was better, that had to be a good sign. Little things here and there were coming back to me.
The surrounding area had loose brush and small plants everywhere. All I wanted to find was a weapon. I saw a long stick and then a large rock, both of which I could use to defend myself a bit. No one had taught me how to defend myself, but I had peeked at trainings here and there. I’d practiced enough because I never wanted to be a victim. I laughed. Yeah, not only was I always a victim they’d tried to sell me.
I laughed.
The wolf snarled, apparently not enjoying my private joke.