The Trespass

The forest swallowed sounds whole. 

Lena Carter knew this, yet she still cursed under her breath when her boot snapped a twig. The noise echoed like gunshot in the silent pines. She froze, her pulse hammering against her throat as she scanned the shadows. 

Just the wind. Just -

A low growl rumbled through the trees. 

Not the wind. Never the wind, she said. 

 

Her flashlight trembled in her grip as she swung it toward the sound. The beam caught golden eyes-high up, too high-glowing from the branches of an oak. 

"Oh God." 

The wolf dropped. 

It landed in a crouch, muscles coiled beneath a pelt so black it swallowed the light. Lena stumbled back, her heel catching a root. The wolf's muzzle wrinkled, revealing fangs longer than her finger

Run. 

She spun, but a second wolf emerged from the bush- then a third. They circled her, saliva dripping onto the fallen leaves. 

Then he appeared.

Taller, broader, human. 

At least, he looked human until the moonlight hit his eyes. Gold, burning. 

"You're trespassing," he said, his voice gravel and velvet. 

Lena lifted her chin, "I'm leaving."

He stepped closer. The wolves parted for him like shadows for flame. 

"You don't walk out of Blackwood." His nostrils flared. "Not after what you've seen."

Her stomach lurches. He knew. 

She'd watched a man shift an hour ago, his bones cracking, fur erupting from his skin. She'd vomited behind a log, then pulled out her camera. 

Big mistake. 

"Delete the footage." He held out a hand. "Now."

Lena clutched the camera to her chest. "Or what?"

A slow dangerous Anike curved his lips. "Or I let my wolves decide." 

One of the beasts snarled, edging closer.

It's breath reeked of raw meat.

Her fingers shook as she fumbled with the camera. The Alpha watched, arms crossed, until she smashed the device against a rock. 

"Satisfied?" She spat. 

He stepped so close she had to tilt her head back. Up close he was all hard lines- sharp jaw, broad shoulders, a scar cutting through his left brow. His scent flooded her lungs: pine, smoke and something wild.

"No." His hand snapped out, gripping her wrist. "You smell like fear." He dragged his nose up her throat, making her shudder. "And something else."

 Lena jerked away. "Get off-" 

A howl cut through the night. Distant, but closing in. 

The Alpha went rigid. "Rogues." He shoved Lena behind him as the wolves bristled. "Run. Now." 

She didn't argue.

Lena's lungs burned as she sprinted through the underbrush. Behind her, snarls and screams tore through the night. 

Faster. Faster.

 She skidded to a stop at the riverbank. The water churned black, too wide to jump.

 A wolf crashed through the trees-not one of the Alpha's. This one was mangy, its ribs visible beneath patchy fur. Blood streaked its muzzle. 

Oh God.

 It lunged.

 Lena screamed, throwing up her arms- 

A black blur slammed into the rogue, teeth ripping out its throat. The Alpha. He shifted mid-leap, landing in human form, blood streaking his bare chest. "Climb." He hauled her into the branches of an oak.

 Lena scrambled up, bark biting her palms. Below, rogues circled, snapping at the trunk.

 The Alpha crouched beside her, his body radiating heat. "You led them here."

 "Me?" She gaped at him. "You're the one they're after!" 

His eyes flashed. "They want you now." He gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Your scent's changed. It's... mine."

 Lena's breath hitched. "What?"

 A rogue leaped, claws scraping the branch. The Alpha snarled, shoving Lena behind him- 

Teeth sank into his shoulder.

 He roared, wrenching free, but blood sheeted down his arm. More rogues gathered below. Too many.

 The Alpha turned to Lena, his gaze feral. "Only one way out."

 Before she could react, he yanked her against his chest and bit her 

. Pain exploded in her neck-white-hot, blinding. Lena screamed, but his arms locked around her, his tongue lapping at the wound. Fire spread through her veins, pooling low in her belly. 

The rogues howled... then fled. 

The Alpha pulled back, his lips stained crimson. "Mine," he growled. Lena's vision swam. The world tilted- Then darkness.

Lena woke to heat.

 Not just the fire crackling in the hearth. Him. The Alpha-kade sat shirtless in a chair beside the bed, stitching his own wound. 

She bolted upright. "You bit me!" 

Kade didn't look up. "I saved you." 

Lena touched her neck. The skin was smooth. Impossible. "What did you do?" 

He finally met her eyes. "Marked you."

 Her stomach dropped. "As...?" 

"Mine." The word vibrated with possession. 

Lena kicked off the furs. "I'm leaving." 

Kade moved faster than she could blink, pinning her to the bed. His weight pressed her down, his breath hot on her lips. 

"The mark's in your blood now. Rogues will hunt you. The pack will reject you." His thumb traced her jaw. "Only I can keep you safe."

 Lena's heart pounded, but not from fear. The place where he'd bitten her throbbed. 

Kade smirked, sensing her body's betrayal. "You feel it. The pull." 

She shoved at his chest. "I feel nothing." She didn't want to admit the truth about what she felt.

A lie. His scent was everywhere, intoxicating. Her skin burned where he touched her. 

Kade leaned down, his voice a whisper. "I'll make you scream the truth soon enough." 

Then he left her-aching, furious, and alive.