The Alpha King's Claimed Breeder

Chapter 1

The road to my house was utterly deserted, windows shuttered tight against the wall. Everything was so quiet except for the drumming of the rain and the squelch of my boots in the mud. I held my bags close to my chest and quickened my pace, my heart thudding painfully. Home wasn't far off. Just a few more blocks and I'd be safe inside, windows closed and doors bolted.

A sudden rustling sounded behind me, barely audible over the downpour. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Slowly, I forced myself to turn around and stare into the darkness. Nothing. Just the deserted road glistening wetly in the lamplight.

"Get a grip, Freya," I muttered to myself, shaking my head. "It's just your imagination playing tricks."

But as I faced forward again to resume walking, I couldn't shake the prickling sensation on the back of my neck, the uncanny feeling of being watched. Of no longer being alone out here in the dark and the rain. Swallowing hard, I broke into a run, my bags banging against my legs as I ran for home, praying I was just being paranoid. Praying it was all in my head. Because in this town, you never knew what might be lurking in the shadows. And you never, ever wanted to find out.

My lungs burned and my legs ached as I ran, but I didn't dare slow down. The weird feeling of being pursued only intensified with each splashing footfall. I risked a glance over my shoulder and my blood turned to ice. Something huge and dark was bounding after me-it was massive, tall, and I couldn't decipher the color of whatever was chasing me. It closed the distance with terrifying speed.

A scream rose in my throat but got trapped there, choked off by sheer terror. And then it dawned on me. I was being chased by a werewolf. I had heard of wolves who seek after weak ones like me, especially at dawn.

"I see you, little girl," I heard an eerie whisper.

The hairs on my neck tangled up in terror. Faster, I had to run faster! But my feet tangled together and I went sprawling onto a bunch of logs, my bags flying. Winded and stunned, I rolled over with a gasp.

The beast loomed over me, its dark eyes causing a shiver to run through my body, its terrifying form blocking out the lamplight. A werewolf, covered in shaggy black fur. My body racked with fear so intense you could see my breath shaking and my heart beating so fast it might burst.

"You don't work alone late at night, weak little girl," I heard the wolf whisper. I could see the snarl that emitted from his razor-sharp teeth, which gleamed as his lips peeled back in a menacing grin.

It probably knew I was wolfless and could not fight it. Oh my God.

I opened my mouth to scream again but only a strangled croak emerged. This was it. I was going to die here, torn apart by a monster, my blood mingling with the rain. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling as the werewolf brushed its claws against my face, which made me shiver, bracing for the killing blow.

But it never came.

A thunderous roar shook the air and the weight of the beast vanished from my chest. My eyes flew open to see an even larger wolf, more massive than the first, barreling into the black one in a furious tangle of fangs and claws. They rolled across the street in a vicious blur of combat, snarling and snapping. The big newcomer seemed to have the upper hand, using its superior size to pin the black wolf down. I heard the snap of bones, a high yelp of pain. The black wolf struggled frantically, but the larger one was too strong.

The larger wolf stood victorious over the smaller one, who was whimpering painfully, chest heaving, his huge form dark against the stormy sky. Power rippled through every line of its body, raw and barely contained. I could feel the force of its presence pressing against my skin like a physical thing. I didn't know how I could feel his sheer strength, but it was happening-his aura all but encompassed me, forcing me to want to go closer to him.

Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet, never taking my eyes from the beast. I knew I should run, but fear and fascination held me in place. Some primal part of me sensed that this was no ordinary werewolf. The energy crackling around it was ancient, almost god-like in its potency.

As if drawn by my gaze, the wolf's head swiftly turned in my direction. Even through the gloom and rain, I could see its eyes-twin pools of blood red, boring into mine with laser intensity. The breath seized in my lungs. I felt stripped bare, my soul laid open and vulnerable beneath that hard stare. Time seemed to stop, the world narrowing down to that single burning point of contact. The wolf's eyes held me in thrall, drowning me in depths of wildness and something else I couldn't name. Something almost... human.

A flash of lightning shattered the moment, jolting me back to myself. Gasping, I wrenched my eyes away from the wolf's, a scream building in my throat. I whirled and ran, not daring to look back. I raced through the empty streets, the wolf's presence searing my back long after I left it behind.

My mind whirled as I ran, trying desperately to process what I'd witnessed. The first wolf had almost killed me, but somehow, impossibly, I'd been saved. The huge wolf couldn't have known me, but he had saved me. It still felt surreal.

My mind cleared as I reached the familiar premises of my house. The lights were turned on, signaling that people were inside. I sighed as trepidation washed through me. It was time to face the nightmare I called family.