The Pull

The forest swallowed me whole. Branches tore at my arms and the stupid white dress, ripping it higher up my thighs with every step. My feet pounded the dirt but I barely felt the pain. Everything inside me was too loud. Too alive.

I kept running. Lungs burning. Heart slamming against my ribs. One rejection. One fucking sentence and everything I built just exploded. Twenty-two years of waking up before dawn, grinding those herbs, forcing them down even when they made me sick. All so I could stay small. Stay hidden. And Marcus threw it away like it was nothing.

A sharp cramp twisted low in my stomach. Not just pain. Heat. Heavy and pulsing between my legs. My wolf surged forward so hard my vision sharpened. I leaped over a fallen log without thinking. Landed clean. The move felt good. Too good. Like I had been starving her for years and she was finally free to stretch.

Then the hunger hit.

It came deep. A low, aching pull that made my mouth water. I could hear heartbeats. Rabbits scattering in the brush. A deer two ridges away. Even the distant thunder of Frost Pack wolves chasing me. Their blood smelled warm. Rich. I pressed my tongue hard against my teeth and kept moving. No. You are not turning into that. But my gums throbbed anyway. The vampire part wanted to chase. To bite. To taste.

Witch memories flashed behind my eyes. Quick and violent. An old woman with my nose mixing the same herbs I used. A pale man disappearing into shadows with a smile that felt too familiar. Words in a language I never learned sat heavy on my tongue. I muttered some without meaning to. The air around me crackled. Ozone mixed with wildflowers.

I hated it. All of it.

The trees got thicker. I crossed a small stream. Cold water splashed up my legs and soaked the bottom of what was left of my dress. That was when I felt the shift in the air. The border. I had crossed into Ironveil territory. Brecken Holt’s land. Everyone knew you did not come here unless you wanted trouble.

I slowed near a cluster of big boulders. Leaned against the largest one. The stone felt cool against my back. My hands would not stop shaking. Faint blue sparks still danced under my skin. My scent poured out of me. Pine and storm. Dark copper. Burning ozone and wildflowers all tangled together. I knew it was loud. Dangerous. Like a signal fire in the middle of the night.

Another cramp hit. Harder this time. I doubled over. The heat between my legs grew thicker. A heavy knot of want that made no sense. My thighs pressed together on their own. What the hell is wrong with me?

Footsteps. Heavy. Sure.

I froze.

He stepped out from between the trees like he had been waiting for me. Tall. Shoulders built for violence. Dark hair messy from running. His eyes caught the moonlight. Gold ringing the edges. His wolf right at the surface.

Brecken Holt.

His scent hit me full force. Pure pine and raw storm. Alpha. Strong. It wrapped around my three natures at once. My wolf pushed hard against my ribs. Wanting to meet him. Challenge him. The heat low in my belly twisted tighter. A deep, throbbing pull that made my breath catch. The vampire hunger noticed the strong pulse in his neck. The witch part whispered something about anchors and storms.

I straightened up. Tried to look steady even though my legs felt weak. “You.”

He took two steps closer. Nose flared. He smelled all of me. I watched his jaw tighten. His hands flexed at his sides. “Tribrid,” he said. Voice rough like gravel. “In my territory. Bleeding power everywhere like you own the fucking place.”

“Not on purpose.” My voice came out dry. But inside my body was betraying me. Skin too warm. That heavy knot between my legs refusing to settle. My wolf wanted to step closer. Push against him. See what he would do.

Brecken stared hard. “Frost Pack is losing their minds. Marcus is screaming for your blood. Others want to cut you open and see what makes a freak like you tick.”

I swallowed. The hunger spiked at the word blood. I dug my nails into my palms. “And you? Here to kill me? Drag me back?”

He did not answer right away. Just kept looking. His scent got stronger. It made my pulse beat heavy and low. I shifted my weight. Pressed my thighs tighter together. The heat would not leave.

His eyes dropped for half a second. Like he could feel what was happening to me. When he looked back up his gaze had gone darker. Hungrier. “My wolf caught your scent the second you crossed the line. He has not shut up since. Pine and storm first. Then the rest. All of it.” He took another step. Close enough that I felt the heat coming off his body. “He thinks you are his.”

I laughed once. Short and tired. “Tell him I belong to no one. Not after what Marcus just did.”

Another cramp rolled through me. Stronger. I gasped softly and leaned harder into the boulder. The three parts cycled fast. Wolf rage. Vampire hunger. Witch flashes. It was getting worse.

Brecken moved fast. His hand caught my arm. Firm. Warm. The touch sent sparks straight through me. I felt a flash of him. Raw want. Protectiveness. Confusion. The partial bond thing. My body answered hard. Heat flooded low and deep. The knot tightened so much I had to bite my lip.

He noticed. His fingers flexed on my skin. “You are cycling bad. All three at once. You will tear yourself apart out here alone.”

I yanked my arm away. Or tried to. My body did not really want to leave his touch. “I do not need your help.”

“Bullshit.” His voice dropped lower. Rougher. “Come with me. Ironveil camp. At least until you stop glowing like a damn beacon.”

Behind us I heard the distant howls. Frost wolves. Getting closer. They had picked up my trail.

Brecken glanced over his shoulder. Then back at me. His eyes locked on mine. Gold and intense. That heavy pull between us thickened the air.

I stared at him. Enemy alpha. Looking at me like I was both problem and prize. My mind screamed to run. My body. All three parts. Screamed to stay.

“Fine,” I said. Voice barely above a whisper. “But only because I am tired of running.”

He gave one short nod. But his eyes stayed hungry. Like he already knew this was not going to be simple.

We started moving deeper into his territory. Him in front. Me close behind. Every step made the heat in my body worse. The knot low in my belly refused to loosen.

And I already knew.

This alpha was only the beginning.

More were coming.

And when they did, the fire inside me was going to burn everything down.