Remember me..

1. The big bad alpha!

My heart pounded violently in my chest, and the forest blurred around me as I sprinted, dodging low-hanging branches that whipped past my face, and vaulting over rocks as if the very earth were trying to trip me. I couldn't afford to hesitate, not when every step had to be swift and precise. Thankfully, I knew these woods, each dip, root, and shadow, as well as I knew my own hands. Still a sprained ankle now would be the end for me. The thundering paws, hitting the ground behind me grew louder. He was close.

I was approaching a small river, and I knew the water would mask my scent long enough to throw him off. Gritting my teeth, I followed its winding path, my eyes scanning for the perfect crossing point, a spot difficult enough to mislead him, but one I could navigate without slowing down. When I reached a suitable section, I plunged in without hesitation. The icy water surged up to my knees, but I barely felt it, my body thrumming with adrenaline. My feet knew where to step, and I crossed with barely a splash, hoping he wouldn't realize I'd gone this far downstream. On the opposite bank, I paused, heart hammering in my throat, straining to listen. The forest was unnaturally quiet, the kind of silence that promised danger.

He was close. Too close.

I picked up the pace again and started running, following the river just a little longer before bolting into the forest again. Pushing through the thick underbrush, I knew the border wasn't far now. Just a little further...

Suddenly, something massive and dark slammed into me from the side, knocking the air from my lungs. My body sailed through the air, weightless for a brief second, before crashing into a wall of muscle. He twisted mid-air, taking the brunt of the impact as we hit the ground together, his heavy frame cushioning my fall. In the blink of an eye, he had me pinned beneath him, his massive paws pressing me into the earth. A low growl rumbled from his throat, vibrating through my bones.

'Got you, princess,' his voice purred through the mind link, dripping with playful triumph.

"Yeah, yeah, get your fat wolf off me," I huffed aloud, trying to push him away. "And stop calling me princess!"

A pitiful whimper escaped him, and his golden and red eyes glimmered with exaggerated hurt as if I'd wounded his pride. For such a powerful Alpha, he really did love his theatrics.

I couldn't help the small laugh that bubbled up. "You are such a drama queen," I teased, shaking my head.

'As you wish, my princess,' he responded, his voice dripping with teasing formality as if he were bowing to some regal authority. But then, in one swift motion, he leaned forward and gave my face a lick, his massive tongue wet and warm.

I squealed, trying to push him off, laughing. "Erik! How can you, the big bad Alpha, be such a goof?"

'You love it,' his voice teased in my mind, full of mischief.

I rolled my eyes, wiping the slobber off my cheek. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

He settled beside me, his massive body curling protectively around mine as he rested his head in my lap. Despite his size and fearsome reputation, the sound of a contented purr rumbled from him, startling a giggle from me. How was it possible that the rest of the world feared this bloodthirsty Alpha, while here he lay, acting like a giant puppy?

Beneath the reputation, Erik was far more complex than the rumours suggested. He was fair and kind, though his hands were stained with blood. Two dead Alphas, his father among them, marked his rise to power.

For a moment, I let myself bask in the lightness of it all—the playfulness, the banter. But beneath that, I could feel the bond between us thrumming with his unspoken emotions. Beneath the teasing, there was always something deeper. Tension between us.