Chapter 2 - Caught In The Act

Samantha's Pov

“Sammie?” Panic laces Xander’s voice the second his eyes find me. He shoves the man off him, scrambles off the table, and snatches his trousers from the floor. He fumbles into them, desperate to salvage whatever dignity he thinks he has left. “I can explain, Sammie. This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Oh, really?” I feel rage build up within me as I stare at him. “Then explain to me what I saw, Xander.”

“He was just helping me get a prostate massage-”

“A prostate massage by fucking you? That’s still cheating, Xander. If you’re gay, you could’ve just said so instead of playing with my feelings.” My voice cracks as I force back the tears burning at the corners of my eyes. “We’re done. Over.”

“Please don't leave, Sammie.”

“Well at least now I know why your stroke game is so weak and I had to fake an orgasm each time we had sex.”

I turn to leave, but Xander grabs my leg, collapsing onto his knees with tears streaming down his face. “I’m so sorry, Sammie. I never planned for this to happen, but please don’t tell anyone.”

“Even though you're the one who cheated on me, I'm still the one who has to do you a favor?” I scoff. 

The sharp scent of cigarette smoke reaches me, and that’s when I really look at the man Xander cheated with. He’s sprawled on the table, utterly unbothered, still naked, legs spread casually as he takes a drag. His dirty blond hair falls into his dark green eyes, eyes that make my skin crawl. There’s a tattoo on his torso, one that resembles a wolf howling at a full moon. 

Shit. It can’t be… right?

‘He’s just like us, Sammie,’ Tania says through our mind link, making her presence known. ‘but he’s different. He has the blood of the cursed one.’

‘The cursed one?’ I reply through the mind link.

‘We need to beware. I'll tell you all about it, but for now you need to leave because he's dangerous,’ Tania warns before reclining once again.

The man’s gaze locks on mine, and a slow, predatory smirk spreads across his face. “Figured it out already?” His voice is low, taunting, his canines flashing sharp. “You are just like me, aren't you, little kitty?”

A werewolf in Hunter Bridge aside from my parents and me? I would've doubted it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes. And the aura emanating from the man is just like Tania had warned. It's dangerous. Nothing but pure darkness. 

I kick Xander away from me and bolt out of his office, ignoring his frantic calls. I just need to get away from whoever that man is. 

I rush into my car and drive out of the bar premises, hoping to never come across Xander and that man again. 

As I make a sharp turn at the intersection of my street, my car sputters, jerks, and then completely dies.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I mutter, slamming my fist against the steering wheel before going out into the night to check what's wrong with it. I still had it checked at the mechanic place just last week. 

I open the bonnet and I'm suddenly welcomed with smoke that makes my eyes sting and sends me into a fit of coughs. 

Great.

Just fucking great. First, my boss groped me and fired me. Then I caught my boyfriend cheating with a werewolf. Now my car decides to die in the middle of the night.

I wave my hand in front of my face to clear the smoke, cursing under my breath. This is the last thing I need right now, and I'm already running on fumes after everything that happened today. I close the bonnet, muttering to myself about how ridiculous this is. Of course, my car would break down in a moment like this. It's like the universe is against me.

“Fuck my life,” I mutter bitterly, kicking the front tire. Hard.

The street is deserted, and I wonder if I'll be able to get a mechanic to come over by this time of the night. Although I'm pretty sure I won't. So, I decided to just call over a tow truck and walk what's left to my apartment.

Just as I am about to reach for my phone in the car, Tania growls softly in the back of my mind, a low warning rippling through me. My wolf’s senses are always heightened, especially in moments of stress. But it isn’t the car trouble or everything I'd gone through today that has her on edge. It’s the sharp, distinct scent that cuts through the air. It’s faint at first, like a gentle rustle of the leaves, but then it becomes undeniable.

The scent of blood. Fresh blood.

I stiffen, my body tensing.

‘He’s nearby, Sammie,’ Tania whimpers, anxious and alert.

“Who?” I ask, confused. “Xander? Was he tailing me?”

‘Not that douchebag.’

“The werewolf?”

‘Not him either. Just move and follow the scent,’ She urges me. I can tell it's not just the blood, it’s the scent of whoever is around that has her on edge.

My heart stutters in my chest, and my breath catches as the realization hits me like a jolt of electricity. The scent is undeniable now. In fact, it should be impossible. “It can't be. Is it…” I let the question hang for a moment.

Without hesitating, I grab my bag off the passenger seat, switch on the torch of my phone and begin walking toward the dark alleyway at the end of the street, drawn in by the scent that grows stronger the closer I get.

My senses sharpen, and every sound around me becomes louder; my own breath, the rustle of leaves, the distant hum of the city. The scent of blood gets stronger with every step, and something in my chest tightens. Whoever this is… 

I round the corner into the alley, and that’s when I see the person.

A man, slumped against the grimy wall, blood trickling from a deep gash on his neck and staining his clothes. His eyes are half-closed, as if he’s lost consciousness. His breathing is shallow, ragged. Blonde hair falls across his forehead.

And then I smell it… his scent, unmistakably mine. 

“My mate?”

‘Yes,’ Tania confirms, purring inside my mind. ‘Mate.’