Shadow Alpha

Chapter 4 🌙

Evelyn's POV

At the end of the bridge, where the wall slopes down, I can jump down safely and transform into my wolf, and then I'm off! Loping into the mountainous terrain. Snow, rock, ice and sleet. But no bother. I was very athletic, and proudly trained to be the best at every sport I participated in. All that dedication was paying off now. Also, there was no trace of a hunt or a chase behind me, so I was confident I had this escape planned well.

The foolish god didn't even know I went.

In fact, the Shadow Alpha probably thought I jumped out the window and died.

Yet now I am running as fast as I can to get out of this place, very alive.

I have this knowing inside me, an intuition, that there is a border back to reality close by if I keep running toward it.

As I run, I don't even stop to check direction – I'm just running in any direction.

The border had to be a circle, like the moon –

Bam.

The mountain shakes violently with an audible and earthy rattle.

I see rocks around me start to shake off the top soil and tumble down the mountain as I sprint.

That was a big ass wolf who leaped onto the trail.

So it's a race now, you never lose Evelyn!

I sprint even faster, cheering myself on, I find a boulder ahead that leads to another cliff in the mountain.

I could jump it.

That cliff then edged toward an emerald green forest, hazy with an aura as if the boundary is close.

I dare look behind me while I run – and I see a huge shadow of a wolf with a head the size of a damn house, all the way over on the other side of the mountain, where the Wraith castle was.

I could make it.

He was too far behind.

With a leap of hope in my heart, I speed up, I sprint as fast as I can for the ledge and I launch myself into the air and the wind, all four paws scrape the rock on the other cliff, but my momentum has me tumbling the rest of the way down the mountainside.

It hurts and it scratches me up, but it's no worse than being torn apart by a pack of wolves.

I roll all the way to the bottom and land on my side, inches from the hazy border.

I look behind me one last time, and at the top of the mountain trail, looking down, his blue eyes focused, fangs drooling from the giant wolf god – he sees that even with his biggest leap, which could reach me – I am still too close to escape.

I roll my wolf body across the border.

I did it.

I actually did it!

I escaped the Shadow Alpha!

The Eternal Wolf.

From a fucking virgin bride ritual.

I wake up back in reality – breath in my body, life gifted to me twice – and I'm finally free.

Ferir's POV

I arrive back on the balcony, slamming the doors shut, while the smug as shit Griffin sits on his haunches and just tilts his bird head at me.

"No luck –?"

"Shut up. I am going to mortaldom," I say it with a snarl.

"A mortal evaded captured?" Mikel had to rub it in. No doubt he watched the whole thing.

I snap the neck of the wine glass I pick up, and the shards cut my hand so I bleed red.

Mortal blood.

Where I started.

"I know you enjoy this," I tell Mikel, as I close my fist and let the blood squeeze out.

"I'll anticipate you'll be gone for a while?" he asks.

It's annoying because down there our powers waned.

I would have to blend in.

"Give me six months," I growl while looking over my red hand.

"You are to leave us for one life?" Mikel asks, throwing Lorraine's plea back in my face.

I denied her assistance for one life. Now I was captivated by one life.

"I will find a way back in, with her in tow and obedient – or a pile of bones, either, I don't care," I snarl at Mikel and he looks far too relaxed.

"You can stop saying you don't care... because you finally have something you clearly care about again."

"It's called vengeance."

"On a virgin?"

"Stop mocking me, bird. I'm awake now. I am going down to reign hell on these modern Lupines for failing to worship me. They prayed to you, revolting mutts," I shake my head, smiling with my rage, "I'll remind them of my existence. I've done it too many times to count. It'll be easy."

"Maybe try some romance this time, instead of victories," Mikel jumps onto the balcony, preparing for flight before I fight him, "She is clearly the Moon to your Star. I haven't seen you this angry in a thousand years."

Oh fuck off.

I had never received a mate in my fate.

I had accepted long ago it just wasn't going to happen.

Besides, it was a mortal thing.

I think of her.

Evelyn. Stubborn brat.

And a bad little wolf.

A Lupine nuisance.

I'd teach her a thing or two.