Hearing the word hunt tied my stomach into tight, uncomfortable knots. I still hadn't recovered from yesterday, and now he wanted to do it again? Did Alexander really love hunting so much that he had turned it into some kind of daily ritual? I should have asked more questions before agreeing to ride with him. Maybe then I wouldn't be dragging my tired body through this forest right now.
Alexander didn't even look at me. He lookdd round his surroundings, turned away, and started walking deeper into the woods leaving me behind without a second thought.
"Where are you going? I really don't want to hunt," I called out, raising my voice just enough for him to hear. He didn't pause. He didn't respond. He just kept walking, as if my words were nothing more than the wind brushing through the trees.
Annoyance and fear twisted inside me. Still, my feet betrayed me, pushing me to follow him even though every instinct screamed otherwise. "You didn't tie the horse," I muttered, quickening my steps to catch up. "Won't it…"
He shushed me sharply before I even finished my sentence.
I froze mid-step, an uneasy chill crawling up my spine. I know that serious look on his face. If he wanted silence…true silence something wasn't right.
At that moment, a faint rustling sound drifted out from the bushes to our left.
Alexander halted instantly, his posture tensing as he turned his head toward the noise. I followed his line of sight, holding my breath as my gaze locked on the trembling leaves.
"What's that?" I whispered, but the look he shot me, a sharp side-eye that clearly meant be quiet was enough to make me snap my mouth shut. I slapped a hand over my lips instinctively, as if that would keep any other nervous sounds from escaping.
Another soft ruffle echoed through the bushes, louder this time. My heart thudded heavily, and I instinctively stepped closer to Alexander then behind him, using his tall, steady frame as a shield. I wasn't even ashamed about it. Whatever was in that bush could stay far, far away from me.
The forest seemed to grow still. Even the wind stopped moving, as if nature itself was waiting for something. My eyes remained glued to the cluster of shaking leaves, trying to prepare myself for whatever might emerge.
I noticed Alexander's stance didn't shift at all. When he wants to attack he is always slightly calm, focused, and ready but the expression on his face right now was as if he was…bored.
Then suddenly something burst out of the bushes.
I screamed. Loudly. My body jerked backward on instinct, my mind already imagining claws, teeth, some horrible creature leaping at us. I stumbled, ready to sprint in the opposite direction, when my brain finally caught up with what I was actually seeing.
It was a deer.
A deer… but not standing. Not running. Its body hit the ground in front of us with a heavy thud, lifeless and unmoving.
I stared at it, blinking rapidly, trying to process the sight. "W–What…? How did it…?"
Alexander didn't respond. He was still staring at the bushes as if waiting for something else to jump out.
I looked at the deer instinctively, confusion swirling in my mind. Who could have killed something so innocent and tossed it like it was nothing? My thoughts raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Before I could speak, another rustle sounded from the bushes.
Someone stepped out.
A woman.
A stunningly beautiful one.
She emerged gracefully, like she belonged in the forest rather than hiding in it. She had warm brown eyes framed by long lashes, and a wide, almost glowing smile spread across her small, delicate face bemaking her already striking beauty even more captivating. She wore a white crop top paired with fitted green shorts that hugged her slim figure, enhancing every curve.
The only thing more surprising than her appearance was the question that immediately shot through my mind.
Who is she? And what was she doing in the bushes?
"Not even a smile from you," she said softly, her voice sweet yet confident. Her gaze wasn't on me at all, it was locked on Alexander. As if no one else existed.
I glance at him and then her in bewilderment.
She knew him.
Not just casually, her eyes said it was something deeper. Familiar. Comfortable. Maybe even intimate.
Had he come here looking for her? Was that why he and the guys decided to ride to the forest this afternoon?
I stepped away from the safety of Alexander's back, needing to see her face clearly. The more I stared at her, the more something tugged at my memory. She looked familiar… but I couldn't remember from where. A feeling of déjà vu crawled through me.
Alexander's expression didn't change. Not even a flicker. "Are you done with your hide-and-seek game?" he asked, his voice flat and emotionless.
"I wasn't hiding," she replied instantly, placing a hand on her hip. "I came yesterday night without a gift and decided to come back with one today." She pointed proudly at the lifeless deer lying before us. That smile still didn't leave her face.
Gift?
My stomach tightened.
"You weren't supposed to arrive until next week," Alexander said, though his voice didn't show surprise.
The girl's smile widened, like his words were exactly what she wanted to hear. "I couldn't help myself," she said with a flirtatious tilt of her head. "I had to run down the moment you called for me. You know how irresistible you are."
My breath caught.
She was flirting. Openly. Boldly. And she was perfectly good at it.
Alexander didn't return her smile. "You were lucky I didn't catch you last night."
Last night?
My eyes widened as the realization hit me.
So I wasn't imagining things. I did hear something yesterday night.
Had he disappeared because she had intruded into the pack house.
Ezekiel had told me not to worry, said it was nothing but Ezekiel must have lied. Or covered for him.
"I would've loved it if you caught me," she said, her voice dropping into a low, tempting whisper. Even though it wasn't loud, my sensitive ears picked up every word clearly.
Even without my wolf, I still had heightened senses. Strength. Awareness. But I felt useless, small even with my werewolf abilities lingering in me
Her gaze on Alexander never wavered. Her posture, her tone, her smile everything about her seemed to be crafted specifically for him.
Meanwhile, I stood there like a forgotten leaf on the forest floor.
I curled my fingers into fists, I wasn't the one she was flirting with but I was the one feeling the heat.
Alexander, however, seemed to be fighting a different kind of reaction. His body remained still, firm, unreadable yet something about the air shifted. A tension I couldn't quite understand.
The girl took a step forward, her brown eyes gleaming with amusement. "You look surprised to see me," she teased.
"I'm not," Alexander replied. "It's good you came."
She shrugged playfully. "I know you definitely missed me."
I couldn't help but stare at her trying to remember where I'd seen her.
Her gaze settled on me for the first time since she arrived making me look away immediately, hopefully she didn't catch me staring.
Then, with slow, deliberate steps, she came to stand directly in front of me.
"I've seen you before," she said.
A shiver crawled up my spine. So it wasn't just me. I knew there was something familiar, something I couldn't place.
She clicked her tongue softly as if rummaging through memories. Then her fingers snapped.
"Yes! You were the little girl who caught Alexander and me making out." She said it with a dramatic gasp, like she had just discovered a hidden treasure.
My eyes flew wide open. Heat rushed up my neck all the way to my ears. The memory hit me fast …me, twelve years old, wandering where I wasn't supposed to, and stumbling into something awkward and confusing. I had never run so fast in my life.
Now I remembered her face clearly. And honestly? I felt more embarrassed than the two people I had accidentally witnessed back then.
"I was twelve," I murmured, still trying to recover. "And Alexander must've been… eighteen? Seventeen?"
She only smiled, stepping closer. "I couldn't forget because of your eyes. Those green orbs… they're rare." Her gaze locked on mine, too intense. "Very pretty then and you haven't changed much."
I stepped back instinctively. Something in her tone had shifted…soft, low, and layered with something I couldn't understand. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she wasn't hiding the way she was looking at me.
"It seems like you remember me a little too well," I said carefully. My eyes darted anywhere else, her shoes, the floor, a tree but not her. She looked at me like a predator sizing up prey, and I didn't know what to do with that.
"It wasn't only for a brief moment," she replied calmly.
I froze. "What do you mean?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gave a slow, knowing smile, one that made my stomach twist. After a moment, she finally continued. "I also saw you the day Alexander mated me."
My mind blanked.
What?
My lips parted, but nothing came out. I stared at her, trying to piece her words together.
When Alexander mated her?
Does that mean… they're mates?