Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

Ella

When I realized I was being chased, I threw off my cape and veered off in another direction, hoping that the wolves weren’t close enough to see me yet. If I’mucky maybe I can throw them off my trail, if only for a moment. I throw down the lantern too. The moonlight is so bright that I can see the forest well enough, and the snow is so deep that I don’t have to worry about trodding on rocks or sticks.

I take up the skirts of my dress in both hands, running as fast as l can – faster than I’ve ever run before. I see a narrow creek on my right, a steady stream of water flowing along the banks, releasing steam into the air. I realize the stream must be thermal, like the pools around the stone circle. I momentarily debate jumping into the waters, both craving the warmth and knowing the water will disguise my scent.

But what if l have to get back out into the snow? fret. I could die from hypothermia faster than the wolves could catch me.

I don’t think so. The voice in my head answers. The wolves will catch you first unless you find a way to throw them of. It’s not even like you can climb a tree – they can shift and climb true.

You better be right about this. I moan internally, jumping down into the streambed. The water comes up to my wa!st, and warmth quickly seeps through my dress. I dive beneath the surface, knowing I’l be faster swimming than running. I don’t pause to try and track my pursuers, I simply go as fast as I can, praying this crazy plan will have worked – praying that Sinclair is out there somewhere, coming to help me.

I hate being dependent on anyone else and I hate feeling helpless, but I know that’s exactly what I am in this situation. I’m at the mercy of these wolves and Sinclair’s swiftness, and that would hurt badly enough even without knowing my weakness is threatening my baby’s life as well.

I swim until the water becomes too shallow, jumping back into the snow and taking off again. I hear a roar behind me, and | know I’ve failed. I didn’t throw them off at all, I probably just kept them at bay a while. I scan the forest ahead of me, searching for anything that might help me. Belatedly I realize I should have kept my lantern and set the bastards on fire, but then hindsight is always 20/20.

I zero in on some boulders, catching sight of a narrow crevice between the huge stones. I know it’s my only chance. For once being tiny might help me, but only if the wolves aren’t strong enough to break through rock. A month ago I would have thought this was a given, but now

I wriggled into the tight space that a huge weight crashes into the rock. Snarls

is that I don’t wet myself, but I certainly whimper and whine like

lot more. This time it won’t only be my life that’s lost. I might be able to

won’t care about me, but hoping she’ll care

Sinclair

wolf howls with delight. Of course she’s

mean she’s not going to stop. My wolf clarifies, loping around in my

taken all my willpower to wait the full five minutes to give my mischievous little human her head start, and as I prepare to shift, I wonder if my wolf knows something l don’t. Surely he’s just getting ahead of himself.

situation. l’d much rather take Ella to bed when I’m in full control, and I know as soon as

worry will disappear as soon as I give my wolf free reign, so I give him one last order before transforming. We

all, his job is just to catch her, all the rest comes after I’ve shifted back again. Even so, I know from experience that the haze of the

into the night. The howl is mostly for show – Ella might hear it, but she won’t feel it the way a she-wolf does. She won’t be temporarily frozen in place, struggling to fight my power over her, my demand that she answer my call. She won’t understand that this is her first chance to submit, that raising her own voice into the air

thrill of excitement pulsing through my body as I think about everything l’m going to do once l’ve caught her. Will she protect herself like she should and stop running, or will she provoke me? Does she want to be with me as badly as I want to be with her? Will her base instincts