6

I took a small step backward. I really needed to get a good look at her face. She looked very young,

probably the exact same age as me. Her bright blonde hair fell in perfect, bouncy waves around her shoulders. She was very beautiful. She easily stood out from the other girls standing behind her.

I shook my head slowly, feeling completely confused. I do not understand what you are talking about. I do not even know who you are.

Her face turned a nasty shade of red. Her eyes narrowed into tiny, mean slits. Well, you will definitely know exactly who I am by the time I am done handling you.

A smaller girl standing beside her quickly grabbed her arm. Lucy, wait. Not yet. She is brand new here.

Lucy yanked her arm away, crossing her hands tight over her chest.

Then maybe the brand new people should learn not to steal other people's boyfriends.

My eyebrows pulled together in pure shock. What boyfriend are you even talking about?

Lucy blinked twice. A very weird, surprised look crossed her face. She turned her head, looking at her quiet friends as if I had just grown a second head.

She turned back to me, a wicked sneer on her lips. Wow. You are way more tricky than I thought.

I was standing right there with the Alpha. He left me all alone just to come running after you. He completely ignored every single word I said, all because of you.

She took a threatening step forward, pointing a sharp finger right at my chest. I do not have much time to waste on you. But you better stay far away from him. Go ahead and ask around this pack. Ask anyone at all about Lucy.

They will gladly tell you exactly what happens when people cross me. When I say something, I mean it.

She turned her back, her blonde hair whipping through the air. She stopped and threw one last deadly glare over her shoulder.

I will be watching your every move. If I ever see you anywhere near him, I will end your life.

On any normal day in my past, I would have yelled right back at her face. I probably would have slapped her very hard. But my body was still weak and recovering.

Plus, I just escaped my own terrible heartbreak a few hours ago. The very last thing I ever wanted to do right now was fight another girl over a man.

I rubbed my tired eyes. Who was this Alpha anyway? The way these girls were ready to fight for him made him sound like some kind of perfect god.

I walked away from them and headed straight for the huge metal gates. Two massive guards blocked the entrance.

Anastasia sent me to see him, I whispered softly.

The two big men looked at each other in total silence. Without a single word, they grabbed the heavy handles and pulled the giant gates wide open.

I walked slowly into the grand castle. My mouth fell open slightly. The beautiful decorations were way more modern than Stefan's dark palace.

I could easily tell this pack was much richer and far more developed. Every single corner of this bright place screamed pure beauty and wealth.

I kept walking down the long hallways, but the place was too huge. I quickly became completely lost. I wandered into a side passage. Many maids in neat uniforms were rushing around, cleaning and doing their daily jobs.

They all looked incredibly busy, but the hallway was perfectly quiet. They moved silently, just like totally controlled machines.

I reached out and gently touched the shoulder of a passing maid. Excuse me, please. Can you tell me where the Alpha's room is?

The young maid gasped. She looked at me with huge, wide eyes. Pure fear washed completely over her pale face. Why in the world are you asking that?

I offered a small, polite smile.

I really need to see him.

She shook her head fast, hugging her cleaning tray to her chest. Absolutely no one goes to see him unless he calls for you himself.

I cleared my dry throat, feeling a little awkward. Oh. Well, I am brand new here. He actually did summon me.

Her shaking hand slowly raised in the air. She pointed a frightened finger straight down the long hallway. At the very end stood a massive door made entirely of bright, shining gold.

Three large, scary wolves were carved deep into the expensive metal. The door was so incredibly huge it almost looked like a city gate.

I swallowed my fear and walked slowly down the hall toward the golden door. I raised my fist and knocked softly on the metal. Complete silence answered me. I took a deep breath, grabbed the heavy handle, and pushed the door open very slowly. I stepped inside the room.

The space was absolutely massive. The rich furniture and dark colors inside looked even better than the rest of the grand castle. I could not even find the right simple words to explain how breathtaking and powerful this room felt.

My eyes moved to the very center of the large room. There he sat behind a huge, dark wooden table. He had no shirt on. His broad, muscular back faced me. Deep, healed cuts and dark, scary tattoos covered every inch of his warm skin.

He did not even turn his head around to look at me. His deep, rumbling voice echoed off the quiet walls. I have been waiting for you.

A long pause filled the air before he spoke again.

"Fedora"

My entire body froze completely solid. My breath hitched in my throat. How did he know my exact name? How was that even possible?

I opened my mouth to ask him, but his heavy, powerful energy totally terrified me. No words would come out.

He pushed his chair back slowly and stood up to his full height. He finally turned his body to face me. His strong chest and hard stomach looked absolutely perfect, covered in beautiful dark ink. But my eyes quickly flew up to look at his face.

My heart completely dropped. I had definitely seen this handsome, scary face before.

It was the terrifying Lycan King. Alpha Michael. The whole world feared him as a ruthless killer. But much worse than that, he was Alpha Stefan's older brother. He was Stefan's absolute worst enemy in the entire world.

I had just run away to escape Stefan's cruel betrayal. But somehow, twisty fate had dragged me right into the arms of someone far more dangerous and terrifying than he could ever be.