Page 30 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
I eat quickly, stuffing cooked meat into my knapsack for later, all while my nerves scream that I’m being watched.
That night, I climb higher than usual in a thick-branched pine, wedging myself deep into the canopy with Luna. Sleep comes fitfully, broken by every owl call and rustling leaf.
I’m jolted awake by Luna’s angry hissing. My eyes snap open to find Henrik’s ugly face inches from mine, his breath hot against my cheek.
“Surprise, freak.” He grins before shoving me hard off the tree branch.
I crash through smaller limbs on my way down, each impact driving the breath from my lungs. I hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, my injured leg screaming in protest. I cry out in pain, rolling to absorb the impact as best I can.
Laughter echoes from above as Henrik drops down gracefully, followed by two other warriors I recognize from the pack: Denzel and a scarred brute named Kane.
“Look at her,” Kane sneers as I struggle to my feet. “She really thought she could escape.”
“Alpha Gareth sends his regards,” Denzel adds, baring his teeth at me. “You’ve caused him a lot of trouble.”
“Because of you, Harper was rejected by someone Alpha Gareth wanted for her, someone of high blood,” Henrik explains. “Did you really think you could get away with that? That any of us would let you get away with insulting her?”
My upper lip curls despite the fear twisting in my gut. “Harper got rejected because of me? Did any of you morons think that maybe she got rejected because not everyone thinks the sun shines from her ass?”
The words earn me a kick behind my knee from Kane, and I stumble to the ground. “Watch your fucking mouth!”
I land on my injury and hiss in pain.
“The Alpha said to make it look like an accident.” Henrik looks at Denzel. “We can leave her body for the wild animals to eat.”
“What fun would that be?” Kane cracks his knuckles. “I want to see the freak beg first.”
Struggling to my feet again, I draw out my knife with a shaky hand, but I know it’s useless. Three fully trained warriors against one sick woman with a barely healed leg injury?
“Stay back,” I warn them, though my voice cracks.
All three burst into laughter.
“Oh, she’s got a little knife,” Kane says mockingly. “How terrifying.”
“This’ll be fun,” Henrik says, starting to circle me. “I’ve been wanting to put you in your place for years.”
“I won’t beg,” I announce, raising my knife.
“You will,” Denzel promises. “The Alpha wants us to make you suffer.”
They spread out, surrounding me. My vision swims from lingering fever and exhaustion, but I force myself to stay upright.
“Luna, please,” I whisper desperately, looking up at where she’s still perched in the tree. “Run.”
Instead, she hisses and launches herself at Henrik’s face, claws extended.
“What the hell?!” Henrik stumbles backward as Luna’s claws rake across his cheek, drawing four parallel lines of blood. “Get it off me!” he roars, swatting at her.
“Luna, no!”
His hand connects with her small body, sending her flying across the clearing. She hits a tree trunk with a sickening thud and goes completely limp.
“Luna!” Rage explodes through me, burning away my remaining weakness from the fever. I lunge at Henrik with my knife, managing to slash his forearm before he can react. “You bastard!” I scream.
Henrik backhands me across the face. The blow sends me sprawling, my knife flying from my grip.
“Should have minded your own business, freak,” he snarls, blood dripping from his wounded arm.
