Page 16 of Forced Alpha Bride
“Maybe with his reputation, it shouldn’t have been a surprise.”
Krista looks up at me with wide, frightened eyes. “I think you’re right, Winnie. Nobody really thought this through. Still, the council couldn’t refuse the challenge, no matter how much of a criminal he is.”
That word sends chills down my spine, and all the rumors I’ve ever heard about Damon crowd into my mind again.
“Did you know he burned down a school building?” Krista says. “A whole block. Apparently, he did it because a teacher gave him a bad grade.”
I shake my head. “No. I heard about the robberies, though.”
Krista’s mouth twists, and anger flares in her eyes. “Yes, he was very good at that. First, just small items that he could carry, then eventually moving on to stealing literal truckloads from businesses and factories. He and his thugs would show up at the warehouses at the quietest times and subdue the workers to take half the stock.”
“How was he never arrested?”
“He was, a few times. But they couldn’t make the charges stick, and he always got out.”
“And what about…” My voice fails me as I try to get the next words through my tight throat. “What about… the fights?”
Krista nods slowly. “Constant fights. At school, at bars, and on the street. He’s just an extremely violent person.”
“I can’t marry him!” I blurt.
“I know.”
A sudden, sharp banging sounds through the halls. It’s still distant, but I know who it has to be.
“Damon,” Krista whispers. “You have to go, Winnie!”
“Okay,” I gasp, tying the straps of the bag into a knot so I can easily loop it across my chest when I’m in my wolf shape. “Help me get out the window.”
My hands are trembling so badly, I can’t grip the sill. Tears are running down my face, and my lungs feel like they’re about to burst.
“He’s coming,” Krista whispers fearfully. “Just get to the cabin as quickly as you can, and I’ll call Galen. He can help.”
“Yes,” I agree, sliding across the ledge out the open window. “Call Galen. Tell him where I am.”
Before we can have a tearful goodbye, Krista shoves me out and slams the window behind me. Even though I fall face-first into the snow, I don’t mind. I heard footsteps in the hall, and if Krista hadn’t shoved me, I might not have jumped.
Jogging through the trees, I angle through the grounds, slipping between huge hedges and following the courtyards towards the woods that lead up to the mountain. I know these gardens well. I’ve played in them my whole life.
It’s the woods I don’t know.
The neat bushes and fences fall away as the tall, dark trees of the forest begin to close around me. My heart leaps into my throat, and I realize my fear of the forest is almost as great as my fear of Damon.
Almost, but not quite.
I pause at the edge of the trees, reaching out to touch the cold, rough bark. There’s been a recent snowfall, and a light covering of snow dusts the ground, thinning the further I get into the trees.
I have to keep moving. They’ll be less likely to see my footprints if I get into the underbrush.
The trees close around me, and fear makes me shiver. I’ve never spent much time as my wolf, and I’ve never gone into the wilderness alone. The wildest thing I’ve ever done is go for an occasional full-moon run, but accompanied by a great big pack on a well-known trail.
On those nights, there was no way I could get lost, and I wasn’t scared in a group. I also knew we were running home to roaring fires and huge mugs of hot chocolate.
Taking a deep breath, I try to settle my nerves. The only other choice here is to turn around and marry Damon—and I’m not going to do that.
I strip, hooking my pack across my chest as I shift so the bag falls lightly on my shoulder. Immediately, I start to run through the forest, angling upward to head towards the peak.
The cabin is in the next valley. Halfway up the mountain, I’ll find a trail leading to the other side. All I have to do is stay ahead of him!
