Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A deep growl reverberated through the air as I rolled onto the ground with a thud. His strength and scent enveloped me, alerting me to my impending capture.

Derrick was standing in my mess, and he was really angry. I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he started to change into his frightening wolf form. It was my first time witnessing his monstrous shape, and it was amazing to watch how his body twisted in such an amazing way. Nothing could detract from his formidable appearance, not even the three stories separating us. He was every bit the alpha king he had claimed to be, looking at his wolf.

My wolf howled against the hatred and pain we could hear within the howl as it tore through the atmosphere.

My skin was being rubbed raw with indecision, and my heart was thumping loudly in my chest. He shouldn't have locked me in that room if he'd intended me to stay. My wolf was starting to sense the need to surrender, but it had lain dormant during most of the trauma I had received at the hands of my mother.

What if, as my mother frequently seemed to do, he became tired of me and wasn't as understanding the next time?

My reasonable side would probably have prevented me from running.

I had already completed the necessary tasks, and Derrick was already upset with me. I would have to face consequences if I had left when he had specifically warned me not to, and penalties for defying an alpha were never pleasant. During my early years of adjusting to pack life, I had experienced quite a bit, and Alpha Knight had never shown me any mercy.

My primary objective had been to escape the chamber he had imprisoned me in, but the need to flee was still pressing at my bones. I forced my wolf to turn away from him with terrible determination, but now that I was within her, I had much more trouble suppressing her instincts. My wolf attempted to resist, but I was adamant about what I wanted. We continued to run away from what we had done, and my paws started to pound the ground hard.

My decision was made, and I was aware that our mate would take far more harsh action than simply locking us in a room if he discovered us again.

Running was what I knew to keep us safe, so it was vital.

My heart was like jelly as the line of trees drew nearer to me; every step I took away from him seemed wrong, and the excruciating sensation was pulsing through me, yet I persisted. Even though my wolf was faster than an average omega, I hadn't given her much time to hone her abilities—I hadn't allowed my wolf to go free for weeks, and I could feel the pain spread throughout my bones.

Even though it was still dark outside, I was moving quickly through the openings in the trees, seeing everything clearly in front of me. My heart was pounding from the effort of my limbs and my desire to enjoy the beauty of nature rather than fleeing from someone my wolf hadn't identified as a threat.

Despite my instincts telling me to run away from my partner, I forced myself to resist the need to give in to him. I needed to take advantage of my lead as I knew he would follow me as an alpha.

I could feel him closing in on my wolf, and although the stubbornness was clinging to my skin as my paws slapped the mud quicker and harder, I could also feel his presence growing stronger. With every beat of freedom that blew through my fur, I could taste his rage—it wasn't something that lasted long though.

My wolf would never be faster than an alpha, not even with a head start.

My wolf and Derrick's collided fiercely, sending me flying to the woodland floor.

My wolf went on the defense, and I could feel my bones rattling in my ears. Derrick used his entire body to stifle me in his massive, suffocating wolf form. I could feel his hind legs digging into my hips as his wolfness enveloped my entire body. I fought against his grasp, slashing my claws at each area of his body that he allowed me to get close to. He didn't move, and that infuriated me even more as my sharpened nails gathered his blood. He was not pleased with me when I hissed up at him.

In response, he barked his teeth at me, and as his menacing snarl reverberated within me, my entire body trembled. I felt his rage resonate through him with every breath, and I whimpered as he pressed his massive head closer to my body.

His mouth was creeping up to my throat, making my own breathing unsteady. He was waiting for me to yield to him, for me to expose my neck by turning my head to the side. He wanted me to realize that he was the one with the power—just the two of us on this forest floor. As his fangs sank into my fur, I let him have what he wanted and whimpered once again. His tongue lapped at my neck with a possessiveness that made him growl with ecstasy.

I felt his body start to change when he was content with his aroma on me. He was still able to hold me down while in his human shape, but I was no longer paying attention to how he was shackling my limbs.

My wolf was licking his nudeness as it gleamed in the moonlight.

Derrick waited for me to do the same, cocking his head to the side. Especially with the way he was holding me, there's no way he thought I would freely change in front of him. I bit him with my teeth, and his lips formed another angry line.

"Shift." I fought to resist his demand as it swapped into my being, but he held more control over me than I did over myself.

My body shrank as my wolf form started to retreat. I felt the hardness of his body pressing into my soft parts, our nudity meshing together. I was very conscious of our personal relationship and understood that a single misstep may result in something none of us was prepared for.

Even though I was naked on the forest floor in the middle of the night and he was staring at me with his blackened gaze, all I could seem to focus on was the sensation of his length against the inside of my thighs. The ground felt cold against my back, and I could feel the twigs and stones scraping against my skin.

"What the hell were you thinking, you could have seriously hurt yourself?" I whimpered beneath him as rage flared in his eyes.

It felt like he was going to hurt me because he was so filled with hatred and vengeance. I fought against his grip once again, but he released me from my arms and clamped down hard on my shoulders, pinning me to the forest floor. His eyes hadn't left my face, which surprised me, but the idea of him looking over my nude body made me feel even more afraid.

"Please—" I was breathing heavily as I struggled to control my negative thoughts. I whispered, "Please don't hurt me," as the air around us seemed to pause and his hands seemed to tighten on my body. He looked at my face, the anger in his eyes fading, and he retreated from me as if I had burned him.