Page 22 of The Alpha's Chosen Fate

"I know you're there, Ivy," Baylor called out, his deep voice carrying through the misty forest."No use hiding from me."

The urge to attack pulsed through me, primal and urgent, as a rapid flood of memories battered my mind.But I held back, gauging and waiting.

Baylor stepped into the clearing, hands spread in a deceptively non-threatening gesture.His near-black eyes glinted."Your Alpha wants you to come home, Ivy.No more hiding."

Fury sparked through my veins.Home?To the traitorous Alpha who discarded me?I snapped my jaws in response, a clear warning.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Baylor warned, taking a measured step closer."You know this won’t end well if you resist.May as well come willingly.”

Getting myself killed felt like a better option than getting myself dragged back to Darkwood and the pack’s Alpha.

I paced at the clearing's edge, never taking my eyes off the dangerous male.If Briggs thought I'd come willingly, he was dead wrong.

"Last chance, Ivy.Come quietly and we can avoid any nastiness between us.Just think, you can go back to living under your Alpha’s care where you belong.Live in the Alpha and Luna’s cabin.Wouldn’t that be nice?"

With strength I didn’t know she had, Rieka surged forward, slamming me back into the depths of our shared consciousness.

Oh shit!I thought, suddenly a bystander watching her leap straight for Baylor's throat.

He reacted instantly, pivoting to meet the attack head-on.Rieka's jaws clamped down on Baylor's forearm, tearing through flesh.He grunted but didn't falter.

I struggled to surface, to regain control, but Rieka's rage over his suggestion to live with the Alpha couple consumed us both.

She lunged again.He dodged, delivering a brutal kick to the ribs that sent us sprawling.

With a moment of control, I rolled, stumbling until I was on all four paws.A metallic tang lingered on my tongue as I panted heavily.

Baylor circled, dark eyes assessing, calculating."Stand down," he commanded, voice laced with authority.

Rieka’s lips curled.

She pushed me for dominance once more.We were no match for Baylor but my wolf didn’t seem to accept it.

To end this we needed to escape.Gathering the last scraps of strength, I went for his Achilles, aiming to hamstring him.

Baylor proved his superiority.He stepped aside at the last second, letting my momentum carry me past him.A powerful blow struck the back of my skull.

Stars exploded across my vision.I stumbled, legs giving out beneath me.The world tilted and blurred.Rieka's presence flickered like a dying ember.

As darkness closed in, Baylor's words echoed in my fading consciousness."Sleep now, Ivy.This is for the best, trust me."

Too weak to speak, I cursed him in my mind.Then, I fell into the void.

Eventually I became aware of a distant sound, one I hadn’t heard in many months—the highway.A groan escaped my parched lips as I slowly clawed my way back to consciousness.

My head throbbed, skull feeling two sizes too small.I blinked blearily, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

The cushioned surface I was on vibrated beneath me.The rumble of an engine filled my ears.

I tried to move, to sit up, but found myself restrained.Thick ropes bit into my bare skin, chafing my wrists and ankles.The acidic tang of wolfsbane mixed with the scent of my own blood.

He bound us, Rieka snarled.

I glanced down, realizing with a start that I was back in my human form, clothed in an oversized t-shirt that definitely wasn't mine.Baylor's scent clung to the fabric, overwhelming my senses.

Rieka moved restlessly under my skin.He dares to dress us in his garments?

Would you rather I be naked?

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