Chapter 4 Caught & Bitten!

Dora's POV

I bolted from the hall, the deafening howl ringing in my ears. I didn't dare look back, certain I'd see men chasing after me. But as I ran headlong into the night, the only sound was my frantic footsteps. 

Finally I had to stop, gasping for breath.

"Hopefully he won't look for me."

I pressed myself into a shadowed doorway, praying I had put enough distance between myself and that strange hall of thugs. But I knew staying in the city was impossible now. 

As my heartbeat slowed, I became aware of the chill rain still falling. The storm seemed reluctant to release the city from its dreary grasp. Shivering, I hunched deeper into the scant shelter of the doorway. 

"Where could I go now?"

The streets were mostly empty in the late hour. I began walking again, aimless but unable to bear remaining still. At every corner, I glanced over my shoulder nervously. The city was unfamiliar to me, but I had to keep moving. 

At a street crossing I bumped into a man, mumbling an apology. When I met his eyes, my blood turned to ice - it was the Alpha King. 

"Argh!" I shrieked, stumbling back. How had he found me so quickly?

King's eyes bored into mine, rooting me to the spot. "You won't get far, little one. This chase is futile." His tone was calm but his gaze smoldered. 

I wrenched my eyes away, breaking into a panicked run. The streets blurred around me as I wove between alleys and side streets, seeking only to escape. Exhaustion weakened my strides but I couldn't stop. 

Rounding a corner, I literally collided with a police officer walking his beat. I sobbed in relief - finally, someone who could help me get away from the dangerous people pursuing me! 

"Excuse me, si..." I started.

But as the officer turned around, dread sank through me like a stone. It wasn't a cop, it was the Alpha again. He wore a uniform now and an officer's cap shaded his intense eyes, but there was no disguising the predatory grace with which he moved. 

"Stay away from me!" My voice broke as I backpedaled. King observed me with a hint of a smirk playing about his mouth. 

"Running is pointless, little one. You'll understand soon."

Nearly crying with frustration and fear, I fled blindly once more. The labyrinthine streets taunted me, every turn looking the same, the rain obscuring all landmarks. I had no idea if I was going in circles. But I knew King was out there somewhere, toying with me. 

By chance I stumbled into a small park, the trees bare and glistening with rain. It provided some illusion of shelter, though I felt horribly exposed crossing the open grass. I longed to curl up somewhere hidden, but settled for crouching beneath a tree, trying to steady my ragged breathing. 

The clouds shifted and anemic moonlight filtered through the branches. As I huddled there, I sensed eyes on me. I told myself it was just paranoia. But turning slowly, I glimpsed a large silhouette at the woods' edge. Two eyes glowed silver in the shadows, fixed unblinkingly upon me. 

"This isn't happening."

Fear jolted through me anew. I took a faltering step back, prompting the wolf to slip forward, as if responding to fleeing prey. Moving stiffly, I began walking away, fighting the urge to run. Somehow I knew that would be a fatal mistake. 

The tense stalemate lasted only a moment before my nerve broke. I sprinted blindly across the grass, panic overriding reason. Behind me came a savage snarl and then a heavy weight crashed into me, driving me to the wet ground. 

I struggled futilely for a few terrified seconds. My mind emptied of thought, animal instinct taking over. But no killing strike came. Instead I felt a warm, rough tongue rasp across my neck in a bizarrely tender gesture. 

Confused, I went still. The massive wolf above me whined softly. As my pulse slowed, I dared to look at it directly. Shaggy black fur was plastered to its heaving flanks by the rain. I glimpsed the same intelligent gray eyes I had seen on King. Impossibly, they were one and the same.

"There you are," said a mild voice. 

The wolf backed away from me reluctantly. I looked up to see the bouncer, Derek, approaching. He wore no raincoat, seemingly impervious to the weather. 

"Please save me…" I whimpered.

Derek clucked his tongue reprovingly at the wolf. "You know better than to frighten her in this state." The wolf snarled in return and Derek shook his head before turning to me.

"Come along, miss. Let's get you out of this rain." He scooped me up easily. Too exhausted to resist, I let my head loll against his broad chest. A black SUV idled nearby and Derek deposited me onto the leather backseat.

"No, no, no…" He is kidnapping me!

I had only a moment to process being inside the dry, warm vehicle before I became aware of the other passenger. The Alpha King sat there, like a demon popping up everywhere. His hair was damp and his clothing relatively unruffled compared to my own soaked, mud-spattered dress. 

He looked murderous. 

"Why won't you leave me alone?"

Instinctively I shrank back against the opposite door. King's eyes blazed blue fire as he stared at me. I flinched as he leaned forward.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" King bit out the words, anger clear despite his even tone. "I've had to restrain my wolf since the chase started. And now shut in this enclosed space with you, it's taking all my control not to mark you right this instant."

I shook my head mutely, not fully comprehending but terrified at the mention of marking. King raked a hand through his hair in a sharply frustrated movement. 

"Your scent, your nearness - you've stirred my wolf. We're connected now. Running is not only foolish but futile. You cannot escape what you're becoming."

The SUV accelerated through the rainy streets. I considered throwing myself from the moving vehicle, but fresh fear pinned me in place as King stared at me with unconcealed hunger. This chase had affected him greatly though I didn't understand why. I shut my eyes, hoping to wake up from this nightmare. But instead, King's arm snaked around me, pulling me to his chest.

Looking up, I found myself nose-to-nose with King. Up close, his rugged features and intense eyes stole my breath away. 

"Unless you want to be slapped again, let me go this instance!"

Those eyes narrowed dangerously at my proximity. "Do not fight me, little mate. You will regret it," he warned in a low tone. His large hand gripped my waist, holding me immobile atop him.

I fought down panic and tried to wriggle free, but his steely arm only tightened. We struggled against each other as the SUV sped through the dark city. 

Finally, with a growl of frustration, the Alpha struck. His head dipped down to the juncture of my neck and shoulder. There was a flash of pain as his teeth broke skin. 

"What the heck..."

Shock reverberated through me at the bite. Darkness tunneled my vision. But King merely exhaled harshly, the unnatural amber fading from his eyes.

"I'm trying to protect you, you little fool," he bit out, before a sharp pain. 

His words meant nothing. Blackness crept into the edges of my vision as delayed shock set in. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was the king's deep sea blue eyes staring down at me with a turbulence of emotion I could not begin to unravel.