Chapter 2

“Is it her?”

My eyes snap open. I look around, confused. Where am I? What time is it? Then I remember the two werewolves from the pub, and getting into the Beta’s car. After that, I can’t remember much, except that I fell asleep.

I guess we have reached our destination. And they just left me here in the car. Alone.

A slow grin spreads across my face as I lean over and grab my pack before opening the door. The loud click of the latch echoes through the woods, and the two werewolves turn to look at the car. I quickly close my eyes and pretend to be asleep.

When I dare to peak at them again, I see the tall blonde one, Luca, looking straight at the car while he keeps talking to an even taller, dark-haired werewolf standing with his back to me. Luca puts his arm around the brunette’s shoulders and leads him away from the car.

They have their heads close together, deep in a whispered conversation. Now is my chance. I ease the door open and jump out. I pick a direction and start running. It doesn’t matter where I go, I just need to get out of their territory.

I don’t get far, but I don’t give up. I keep running, even though I can hear one of the wolves right behind me. I keep running, even when I can feel his breath in my neck. I don’t stop, I won’t stop, not until he makes me. The werewolf tackles me from behind, bringing me down.

Two things happen at once. I feel the most pleasurable cascade of electricity pass through my body, and I land with a hard thump that knocks the air from my lungs. He lies on top of me, pinning me down. “Stay,” he growls in my ear.

I can’t move anyway. The man is massive; easily three times my size. Even if I shift to my wolf form now, I’ll get nowhere fast – he’ll just run me down again. He spins me round and stares at me. I gasp. He has the most remarkable eyes – I’ve never seen anything like it. Gold. He has golden eyes. “Mate,” he whispers in a deep, dark baritone. It’s arguably the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard.

“The what now?” I ask. “You want to mate? Well forget it buddy, I don’t just throw my legs open on a male’s say-so.”

I start kicking and scratching and biting, trying to get out from under him. His response is to hold me down tighter, pushing me hard into the ground. He gives me a confused look, a small frown creasing his otherwise smooth brow. “Stop it,” he orders, “I did not say I want to mate. I said mate, as in my mate.”

I stop fighting. I’m too tired and weak to keep it up anyway. “Right.” I have no idea what he’s talking about, and I don’t care. It’s werewolf business, and wolf business has nothing to do with me. Instead, I put my hands against his chest and push as hard as I can. “Can’t breathe, buddy,” I gasp.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Lithely, he jumps to his feet, and before I can say or do anything, he picks me up and plants me feet first back on the earth. “Are you hurt?” he asks with real concern in his voice.

I can listen to him talk all day. “No.”

He keeps looking at me like he has never seen a she-wolf before. Not that I mind too much, he’s a handsome devil. In fact, he’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. Tall and broad-shouldered, with an athletic body, floppy dark brown hair that’s currently obscuring his amazing eyes. And his mouth…now that is what I call a kissable mouth.

“Edric Payne,” he says with a smile, wiping the hair out of his face with a massive hand. "Alpha of the Mountain Fire pack."

“I figured,” I answer, still staring at him. “Maya Anderson.” I might as well tell him my name, since I’m sure Luca already informed him anyway. It’s just a formality, really.

“Do you like what you see, Maya?” he asks, devils dancing mischievously in his golden eyes.

I shake myself back to reality. This is a bad idea. I can’t go falling in love. Can’t afford to get distracted. I need to get out of this pack’s territory, back to the human areas where I’ll be safer.

Edric still gazes at me, his Adam’s apple bopping up and down as he keeps swallowing. I stare at his neck, absolutely mesmerised.

And all this time, the Alpha just stands there, watching me, a smile on his full lips. God, he’s beautiful: with those high cheekbones and straight nose, perfectly framed against the light of the half-moon.

No, no, no, this is very bad. I can’t think clearly with him just standing there, looking like he can’t believe I exist. I have to get away. Leave. Right now.

Without thinking, I turn around and start running. My wolf chooses exactly this moment to make herself known.

She tries to nudge me back to Edric, begs me to turn around, and this time she won’t be ignored.

* No! * I tell her sternly. * You know what males can do to us! *

~ He is our mate, ~  she answers. ~ He won’t hurt us. Go back! ~

I have no idea what that means. Our mate. It doesn't matter, what matters is that he's a male. * He will. Be quiet.*

I’m so busy arguing with my wolf, that I don’t look where I’m going. A tree comes out of nowhere, and I run smack-bang right into it, flipping backwards, hitting my head on a rock. “Hey,” I say, dazed and confused. “Where did that tree come from?”

The last thing I see before I black out, are Edric’s golden eyes.