Chapter 3

ELIAS

My paws flex in the snow, itching to run closer to her scent. It has been years since I’ve stepped foot in my hometown, preferring to keep my distance. Weaving in and out of the pines, I watch my bike become a mere blip behind me as I run deeper into the woods, giving into a temptation I have no right to have. Her.

The moment I caught wind that Davina was coming back, I sped here with nothing but the clothes on my back and my phone. Likely not my best idea, but I’m here now, prowling around in my wolf form for the first time since I last saw her, my midnight fur a stark difference to the white snow beneath my paws.

Being off at training, there have been times I’ve shifted, sure. It’s necessary to learn fighting techniques and how to hold our own against a pack. It’s something I relish in, the fight and carnage, sinking my teeth into opponents, feeling their flitting heartbeat beneath my shifted form. It helps to center me, the racing thoughts too much most days. Outside training, though, it has been years since I allowed myself the freedom, too caught up in the flooding memories.

Her scent filters through my senses as I approach the cabin, stopping me in my tracks the moment she looks out the window. It’s dark enough that she shouldn’t be able to see me if I can manage to stay nice and still. Lowering myself, I hover just above the snow, my muscles pulsing under the weight.

Fuck, she’s beautiful. Her dark, brown hair is in a messy bun, with small bits framing her face. She leans closer to the window, those blue eyes lingering a little too long on my hiding spot.

Tense seconds tick by, the hairs along the ridge of my spine standing at the attention she’s giving me without knowing it. Every fiber of my being is pulling me closer, entrapping me within her sweet, vanilla scent. My canines lengthen, now longer than ever, claws raking through the pillowy snow beneath my feet. What I wouldn’t give to sink my teeth into her again, to mark every inch of her as mine.

She severs the spell with a shake of her head, shutting the thick curtains and disappearing deeper into the cabin. This structure is new, and she seems to be the only one occupying it, which is good to know. Maybe I can visit her every night, get her slowly used to my scent without even trying.

I tentatively step closer, one foot in front of the other until there is nothing but the log cabin walls separating us. Inhaling deeply, an unexpected groan works its way up my throat, coming out as a growl. That strong, sickly sweet omega scent has me just about ready to break her fucking window and roll myself over everything she has ever touched.

Plenty of omegas throw themselves at me, have done since I was a teen, wanting to get in with the next group of alphas to take our fathers’ place. They would primp and preen, push their tits out and bat their overly extended lashes at me. It was pathetic really, considering they would have felt it if we were fated. None of them ever were.

But Davina… She was always something else, something confusing, terrorizing my wolf to no end when we were younger. It made me possessive and impulsive, trying to tamper down the instinct to chase her, the need to feel her flesh beneath my teeth. I still remember the taste of her blooming across my tongue the day my control slipped. I’d chased her through the woods, snapping at her heels. I wonder if she still has the scars.

It takes everything for me to walk away, physical pain spreading across my skin quicker than I can run. It’s as though physical rope is hauling me back, my body fighting to push it forward. These next few days are going to be fucking rough, but my omega is worth every hit of pain.

Making my way back to the pile of clothes I left at the treeline, I force my shift forward, waiting for the heat to tear through my skin. Within seconds, I'm back on two feet, pulling my now damp jeans over my thighs, when I hear a throat clearing up ahead. The trees are too dense to see who it is, but someone is waiting for me back at my bike. Great.

I slip my boots on quickly, hauling my black tee over my head as I walk closer to the noise. Sure enough, one of her asshole brothers is standing with his ass up against my bike, a smirk across his face. The last time I saw this asshole, he was digging his steel cap boot into my ribs while my brothers stood back and watched. He looks a little harsher now, but otherwise, he hasn’t changed at all.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Ledger?” I snap, strolling up to him so we’re an arm's length apart. He may have had the upper hand all those years ago, but that was because he was allowed that courtesy. Putting his hands on an alpha was a brave move back then with the protection of my brothers, but right now, he has no fucking chance.

“You think I would just leave her out here without protection?” he snaps back, clenching his teeth. His arms are crossed over his chest, giving an air of confidence, but I can see straight through it. The slight tremble of his hands, the slowly climbing rate of his heart belting his ribcage, even the slight tinge of sweat filtering through my nose, slowly dousing the scent of her—this motherfucker. Would it hurt her too much if he died?

“I can see that, waiting out by my bike while I was watching your sweet, innocent sister through the window. That pretty little omega stared right at me before running off to make her nest. Her scent made my dick ache.”

It’s no word of a lie, my cock still painfully hard against the metal teeth of my zipper, and it gave me the exact reaction I was looking for. Ledger steps closer, his slightly shorter frame chest to chest with mine. It would be nice to let off a little steam before I make my presence known with my family, and this fucker has it coming after the beating he gave me.

“Stay the fuck away, Elias. I don’t give a fuck who you are or where you sit in the pack,” he snarls, putting his hands on my chest and pushing with all his strength. I will give it to him: all those years of training and teaching football have filled him out, but my feet stay planted on the ground, completely unmoving despite his best efforts. A slow grin spreads across my face as I watch the frustration warp his features, twisting them into something much more menacing than the beta he is. His bravery and hero complex will get him killed if he’s not careful.

“Didn’t your besties tell you? Those boys need a lesson in loyalty on all fronts it seems. Your sister is ours, asshole. Just you wait until they catch her scent too.”

He takes a swing at me, catching my lower lip with his knuckles. I push him back, laughing as he stumbles and falls to the ground, landing hard on his ass. The metallic taste of blood blooms on my tongue from the split, dripping down my chin and onto my hand. Lowering myself down until my eyes are level with his, I tap his cheek with my bloodied hand, leaving a delightful red mark on his face. I hope he has to scrub it bloody to get the scent of me off him. Serves him right.

“That was your last free shot, Ledger. Try again, and you will be making it back home on a fucking stretcher.”

With that, I stand and throw my leg over the bike, straightening it up before kicking the stand into the body. I can hear him muttering curses, but it's easy enough to block out when the bike roars to life beneath me. With the throttle on full, I let go of the brakes and kick the back end out, the rear tire almost hitting him before speeding off into the darkness.

I may have been gone for a few years, but I’ve learned a lot in that time. If he thinks puffing his chest is going to keep me away from her, he has another thing coming, and if my brothers decide to side with their friends, they can get fucked too. There’s no line I am unwilling to cross when it comes to righting my wrongs and claiming my mate in the process.