Craving for the Alpha I hate

Alethea's POV

The wind howled through the trees, a mournful cry that echoed off the jagged cliffs surrounding Silverwood. I’d always loved the forest, but tonight, something felt different.

The air was thick with tension, as though the very earth beneath my feet was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

I walked along the edge of the woods, my boots crunching over the frost-covered ground, my breath misting in the cold night air.

The shadows seemed to stretch longer than usual, and the moon, full and high, bathed the world in a silvery glow.

But the beauty of it didn’t soothe me tonight. It never did anymore. The moon had always been my curse, my constant reminder of what I had lost.

Silverwood had been my refuge, my sanctuary from the horrors of my past. A place where I could forget, or at least try to, the bloodshed and betrayals that had torn apart my family.

I’d buried my memories deep, but they never stayed hidden for long. And tonight, they were clawing their way to the surface, pulling at my mind like an invisible force.

I stopped walking, suddenly aware of the oppressive silence around me. No wind. No rustling leaves. Not even the distant howl of a wolf. Just stillness, too thick, too unnatural.

“Alethea.”

The voice was deep, commanding, and instantly familiar. My blood ran cold, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

Ryker Moonblade.

I had sworn to myself I would never let this man get close again, but there he stood, as if summoned by my very thoughts. The Alpha of Midnight Fang.

I pivoted on my heel, narrowing my eyes as I faced him. He was just standing there, his figure tall and imposing against the backdrop of the moonlit forest, his dark eyes glinting with that same unreadable intensity that always made my pulse quicken despite myself.

His black leather jacket was tight across his broad shoulders, his aura a magnetic pull I couldn’t ignore, even if I tried. His presence was enough to make the air feel thick and heavy.

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here,” I said, my voice icy, cutting through the tension between us like a blade.

Ryker’s lips curled into a half-smirk. “I don’t need your permission to be here, Alethea. This is still pack territory, whether you like it or not.”

I clenched my fists at my sides. “I swore I’d never get involved with pack politics again. You can keep your territory. I want nothing to do with it.”

The bitterness in my words was sharp, the reminder of what happened to my family still fresh despite the years that had passed.

The Midnight Fang pack—Ryker’s pack—had been the cause of it all. The war between them and the other packs had torn my life apart, leaving me with nothing but scars and memories I couldn’t shake.

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, isn’t it?” Ryker’s tone was smooth, almost teasing, as he took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. “You’re already involved. You always were.”

I took a step back, my heart pounding harder. “I don’t belong in this world anymore. I’m not a part of your pack. You—you are the reason everything was destroyed.”

Ryker’s expression shifted for a fraction of a second, a flash of something I couldn’t place flickering in his eyes. It was gone before I could fully register it, replaced by the cold, calculating Alpha I knew too well.

“I didn’t destroy anything, Alethea. I didn’t start the war. But I will end it.” His voice was like gravel, rough and unyielding. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to unite the packs. The bloodshed has to stop.”

I shook my head, my chest tightening with a mix of anger and fear. “And you think you can do that? After everything you’ve done?”

Ryker’s jaw clenched, and I could feel the raw power beneath the surface, the beast inside him clawing to get free. But there was something else, something darker in his eyes that made me feel uneasy. He wasn’t just a wolf, not anymore. He was a force—a storm ready to tear through everything in its path.

“I don’t need your approval, Alethea,” he said, his voice dangerously calm. “But I do need your help.”

I stiffened. “Help? I’m not helping you with anything.”

“I’m not asking,” Ryker’s tone was firm, commanding, but there was a hint of something softer beneath it—something desperate, if only for a moment. “I’m telling you. You’re tied to this world, whether you like it or not. And I will not let you walk away from it.”

“I don’t want any part of it!” I shouted, the anger bubbling up inside me, sharp and hot. My hands trembled with the urge to lash out at him. “You think I want to go back to the pack, to the bloodshed and the lies? I’ve buried that part of me, Ryker. It’s over.”

His eyes darkened, the air around us thickening with the weight of his presence. He took another step forward, his voice low, almost too soft. “You think you can outrun this, Alethea? You think your powers, your heritage—your magic—will just disappear?”

I froze, every muscle in my body locking up. “What are you talking about?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Ryker’s lips parted, but he didn’t say anything more. The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. He wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot.

Suddenly, a distant howl echoed through the trees, followed by a low growl that sent a chill down my spine. It was close. Too close. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and instinctively, I stepped back, my senses sharpening.

Ryker’s face remained unreadable, but his body tensed, his posture shifting into one of alertness. “It’s not just the pack you have to worry about, Alethea,” he said, his voice tight. “There’s something else out there.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, a knot forming in my stomach. I could feel it too now—a presence, something dangerous lurking just beyond the trees. My heartbeat quickened as the air seemed to grow heavier by the second.

“I’m not the only one who’s been watching you,” Ryker said, his voice cold as steel. “There are forces in the forest. And they’re coming for you.”

The growl grew louder, closer, and I felt the unmistakable pull of something dark. It wasn’t just the wolves. This was something else—something ancient, something malevolent.

“I told you to stay away from the pack, Alethea,” Ryker said, his voice taking on an edge of urgency. “But now... now I’m telling you to run.”

Before I could respond, a shadow darted between the trees, too fast for me to follow. The growl grew louder, more aggressive, and my stomach churned with a primal fear I couldn’t ignore.

“Run!” Ryker shouted, and before I could even react, he grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the safety of the town.

But as we ran, my mind raced. What the hell is out there?

And why the hell is Ryker lying to me about the danger?