Chapter 3
"The Beast That Chose Me"
The growls grew louder.
Closer.
Surrounding us from every direction.
My breath came out in shallow bursts as fear wrapped around my chest like a tightening noose.
There was no escape.
No way out.
I could feel them now.
Circling.
Hunting.
Waiting.
"Stay behind me."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it wasn't a request either.
It was a command.
And somehow… my body obeyed before my mind could even process it.
I moved.
Just a step.
But enough to place him between me and the shadows closing in around us.
Why was I listening to him?
Why did I feel… safer?
That didn't make sense.
Nothing about this situation made sense.
Another growl ripped through the silence.
This time—right in front of us.
And then they appeared.
One by one.
Stepping out of the darkness.
Eyes glowing.
Bodies tense.
Wolves.
But not like him.
There was something off about them.
Something wild.
Uncontrolled.
Their movements were sharper. More aggressive.
More… hungry.
My fingers curled into my shawl as panic surged through me.
"There's too many…" I whispered.
He didn't respond.
Didn't even move.
But I saw it.
The shift in his stance.
The way his shoulders straightened.
The way the air around him changed.
He wasn't worried.
Not even a little.
( His POV )
Fools.
They had crossed into my territory.
Broke my rules.
And now—
They would pay for it.
My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless and eager.
Not because of them.
Because of her.
The human behind me.
I could feel her presence.
Her fear.
Her heartbeat.
And it was driving my instincts into something dangerously close to losing control.
That had never happened before.
Not once.
"Leave," I said coldly, my voice cutting through the night.
The wolves didn't move.
Instead—
One of them stepped forward.
Larger.
Stronger.
Its eyes locked onto me with something that looked almost like mockery.
A low, challenging growl left its throat.
I narrowed my eyes.
So that was how it was going to be.
( Back to her POV )
My heart dropped.
"They're not listening…" I whispered.
"No," he said quietly.
"They're not."
Something about the way he said it—
Calm.
Cold.
Certain.
—made a chill run down my spine.
And then—
He moved.
It happened so fast I barely saw it.
One second he was standing in front of me.
The next—
He was gone.
A blur of movement.
Power.
Violence.
A loud snarl tore through the forest as he slammed into one of the wolves, sending it crashing into the ground.
The sound of bones cracking echoed in the air.
I gasped.
What…?
That was—
That wasn't normal.
That wasn't even close.
The rest of the wolves lunged at him at once.
But he didn't hesitate.
Didn't falter.
He moved like a storm.
Fast.
Precise.
Deadly.
Claws flashed.
Growls clashed.
The forest erupted into chaos.
I stumbled back, my heart racing as I watched the fight unfold in front of me.
He wasn't just strong.
He was terrifying.
Every movement was controlled.
Every strike intentional.
He wasn't fighting to survive.
He was hunting them.
One wolf leapt toward him from the side—
But he caught it mid-air.
His grip tightened around its throat.
And with one brutal movement—
He threw it across the clearing like it weighed nothing.
My breath caught.
This…
This was the creature I had been standing in front of.
The one who had touched me so gently just moments ago.
A scream tore through my throat as another wolf suddenly broke away from the fight—
Running straight toward me.
My body froze.
I couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
All I could see were its glowing eyes—
Locked onto me.
Hungry.
It lunged.
"NO—"
But before it could reach me—
Something slammed into it mid-air.
A blur.
A force.
A monster.
He.
The wolf was thrown aside with a violent crash.
A low, furious growl ripped from his chest as he stood between me and the attack once again.
This time—
There was no calm.
No control.
His eyes burned brighter.
Wilder.
"Stay. Behind. Me."
Each word came out sharp.
Dangerous.
Barely restrained.
I nodded quickly, my entire body shaking.
"I—I am…"
But my voice faltered.
Because something was wrong.
The air shifted.
Again.
But this time—
It felt heavier.
Darker.
More dangerous than before.
The remaining wolves suddenly stopped.
Backed away.
Not from me.
From him.
A strange silence fell over the clearing.
Even the wind seemed to disappear.
"What's happening…?" I whispered.
He didn't answer.
His body had gone completely still.
Too still.
And then I saw it.
His hands.
They were shaking.
My breath hitched.
"What—"
A low, pained growl escaped his throat.
Not directed at the wolves.
Not at me.
At himself.
( His POV )
No.
Not now.
Not here.
The change was coming.
And I couldn't stop it.
Her scent.
Her presence.
The way she looked at me—
It was triggering something deep inside me.
Something I had buried.
Controlled.
For years.
My wolf was no longer listening.
It wanted out.
( Back to her POV )
I stared at him, fear and confusion crashing inside me.
"What's happening to you?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
He turned his head slightly.
Just enough for me to see his face.
And what I saw—
Made my blood run cold.
His eyes…
They weren't just glowing anymore.
They were changing.
Darkening.
Burning.
Becoming something far more dangerous.
"Run."
The word came out low.
Rough.
Strained.
My heart skipped.
"What?"
"RUN!"
This time it was a roar.
And for the first time since I met him—
I felt it.
Not just fear.
But danger.
From him.
"RUN!"
The word hit me like a physical force.
For a second—just one second—my body refused to move.
Run?
From him?
But he had just—
Saved me.
Protected me.
Another low, guttural growl tore from his chest.
This time it wasn't controlled.
It wasn't calm.
It was… breaking.
My heart slammed against my ribs as I stared at him.
Something was terribly wrong.
His body trembled.
Not with fear.
Not with weakness.
But with something far more dangerous.
Change.
I stumbled back, my legs shaking.
"I… I don't understand—"
"GO!" he roared again.
The force in his voice snapped something inside me.
And this time—
I ran.
Branches whipped against my skin as I pushed myself forward, my breath coming in uneven gasps.
I didn't look back.
I couldn't.
But I could hear it.
The sound.
Bones shifting.
Cracking.
Reforming.
A scream built in my throat, but I swallowed it down, forcing myself to keep moving.
Faster.
Further.
Anywhere but here.
But then—
The forest went silent again.
Too silent.
My steps slowed.
My heart pounded louder.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
A presence filled the air.
Heavy.
Dominating.
Unavoidable.
And before I could react—
A shadow dropped in front of me.
I froze.
Slowly… painfully…
I lifted my gaze.
And what I saw—
Made my blood run cold.
It wasn't him.
Not completely.
A massive wolf stood before me.
Larger than anything I had ever seen.
Its fur was dark as night, blending into the shadows around it.
Its eyes—
Those same golden eyes—
Locked onto mine.
Recognition hit me like lightning.
Him.
My breath caught.
"N-no…"
This was what he was trying to protect me from.
Not the other wolves.
Himself.
The wolf took a step toward me.
Slow.
Controlled.
But there was nothing calm about the energy radiating from him.
It was wild.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
My body refused to move.
Fear rooted me to the spot.
"Please…" I whispered.
"I didn't mean to—"
The wolf growled.
Low.
Deep.
And something inside me—
Shifted.
Not fear.
Not entirely.
Something else.
A strange pull.
A connection I couldn't explain.
My heart began to beat faster.
Not just from terror…
But from something far more confusing.
"What… are you?" I whispered.
The wolf stilled.
For a moment—
Everything stopped.
Then—
He moved again.
Closer.
I should have run.
I should have screamed.
But I didn't.
Because those eyes—
They weren't just dangerous.
They were…
Familiar.
( His POV )
Control.
I needed control.
But it was slipping.
Fast.
The moment I shifted, I knew something was wrong.
This wasn't a normal transformation.
It was stronger.
More violent.
More… unstable.
And it was because of her.
The human.
Ava.
Her scent still lingered in the air.
Pulling me.
Calling me.
Driving my wolf closer to the edge.
Dangerous.
This was dangerous.
I had told her to run.
I had given her a chance.
So why—
Why was she still here?
My gaze locked onto her again.
Standing there.
Frozen.
Watching me like she didn't know whether to be afraid… or something else.
My wolf growled softly.
Not a threat.
Not this time.
Something else.
Claim.
( Back to her POV )
The wolf was right in front of me now.
Close enough that I could feel its breath.
Warm.
Heavy.
My heart pounded wildly as I stared into those golden eyes.
"Him…" I whispered.
I don't know why I said it.
Or how I knew.
But I did.
This wasn't just a beast.
This was him.
The Alpha.
And somehow—
That made it even more terrifying.
Because now I knew—
He wasn't just dangerous.
He was trying not to be.
The wolf lowered its head slightly.
Its gaze never leaving mine.
My breath hitched.
"What do you want…?" I asked softly.
For a second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Slowly…
It stepped closer.
Too close.
My back hit a tree.
I had nowhere left to go.
The wolf leaned in.
Its nose brushing lightly against my neck.
I froze.
A sharp, electric sensation shot through me again.
Stronger this time.
My breath hitched.
"What… is this…?" I whispered.
The wolf growled again.
Low.
Possessive.
And that's when I felt it.
Not fear.
Something else.
Something that made my heart race in a completely different way.
Something that shouldn't exist between a human and a monster.
( His POV )
Mine.
The word echoed inside my head.
Louder.
Stronger.
Impossible to ignore.
No.
She wasn't.
She couldn't be.
A human.
Weak.
Fragile.
Not meant for me.
And yet—
Every instinct screamed the same thing.
Mine.
I pulled back abruptly, a frustrated growl ripping from my chest.
This wasn't right.
This shouldn't be happening.
( Back to her POV )
The wolf suddenly stepped back.
As if something had snapped inside him.
The connection broke.
And just like that—
The warmth disappeared.
Leaving behind only confusion.
And fear.
"What… was that?" I whispered.
The wolf stared at me for a long moment.
Silent.
Intense.
And then—
Something unexpected happened.
The air shifted again.
But this time—
It wasn't him.
It was something else.
Something new.
A scent.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Unfamiliar.
The wolf's entire body tensed instantly.
His head snapped toward the trees.
A low, warning growl left his throat.
My heart dropped.
"What now…?" I whispered.
And then—
From the shadows—
A voice.
Cold.
Mocking.
"Well… this is interesting."
My blood ran cold.
Because this time—
It wasn't him who said it.