Seizing the Hierarchy {Pup Book 1)

CHAPTER 4

Nathan's strong fingers curled around my hind legs, grip tightening as he pulled out of the log with a loud yelp. Beneath him, I was nothing. An insect in the eyes of a wolf so powerful that my fur involuntarily shook when our eyes met.

"You call this a marking?" Nathan scoffed as he released my legs, referring to the color of my fur. It was a strange mix. Instead of being monotoned, there was an unusual mix of three colors, black, brown, and white, wrapped around my body in an irregular pattern. Just another thing about me that stood out. 

I growled back at him in response. Not so smart, considering he had the upper hand, which he didn't hesitate to enforce by growling back at me through bared teeth. My tail lowered and hid between my legs—a sign of submission that I involuntarily displayed in response to Nathan's authoritative actions.

He smiled, holding his right hand to Sean, who then pushed something familiar into it. "Here," he said, turning the objects in my direction. "You can change into this, and then we'll continue our chat."

The cunning smile on Nathan's face was infuriating. I couldn't stand the way he looked down on me. Talking to me like he owned me and like I had to do anything that he'd ordered. Cool new room aside, I wasn't Nathan's property, and I sure as hell wasn't a part of his pack. I fought against the urge I had to shift back and do what he said—watching his muscular forearm as he continued to hold out my shirt and lunged after it.

The bite connected better than I'd thought. Nathan was on his back from the unforeseen attack, and I took a split second of pleasure to snarl at his shocked expression before taking off farther into the woods.

To say I was pleased with myself was an understatement. I was more than satisfied. I deserved an award, and I didn't waste time gloating as I pranced over large tree roots and other debris on the forest floor.

I was riding that high until I heard the menacing growl that sent shivers shooting up my spine and raising the fur on my back.

It was Nathan. I was sure of it. But there was no way to know for sure without his smell to identify.

I picked up speed to lose him, but the growls grew louder, closer, more terrifying. There was a clearing up ahead, and I looked to it for the fighting advantage because I had no doubt there would be a fight. I needed to know where he was coming from. See him before he could get the jump on me.

My tired body turned continuously. My head darted in every direction as I waited for him to approach me. I asked myself countless times why I was doing something so stupid—questioning why I felt the need to break this bit of trust I'd been awarded by the Alpha. And that was just it. I didn't want to have anything just because Nathan said so, because after his show of power over me more than once, I figured a life there meant that I had nothing.

Not even my own secrets.

The world around me went silent as I continued to wait for Nathan, baring my teeth at random points to show that I was fierce enough to take him on. I wanted nothing more than to run into Dane's arms and beg him to escape this newfound prison with me. To take me away and go back to the falls where I was free. But those were just baseless thoughts that left me even more disappointed as the sudden attack from the large silver wolf threw me into the side of a pine tree. 

He'd come out of nowhere, literally. I hadn't seen him, or any movement to indicate anything was there, watching me.

I angrily whined as I struggled to pull my body up. The back of my skull had hit the tree so hard that I could barely see straight in my wolf's eyes. Nathan's blurry form stepped eloquently to me. Head lowered in a warning as he approached his injured prey.