“Get this thing off of me! I have to go see if she’s okay!” Alexa declared as she tried removing the vine from around her legs. But it didn’t work. It tightened even more, making her frustration and anger grow.

“F*ck this!” She screamed into the quiet night air and used her strength to break it off.

Julia lay on the ground, her eyes closed, and her body limp.

She was exhausted from her encounter with the Moon Goddess, yet nothing would prepare her for her new transformation.

Slowly, the magic that circled her had dissipated, leaving her unconscious on the ground. Then, out of nowhere, her body started convulsing.

Her breathing was slow and ragged, a sorrowful sight for Alexa.

“Oh, my poor friend. What did they do to you? I wish I could help her in some way.” She whispered under her breath despite her exhaustion.

Alexa continued to fight to get closer to Julia, knowing that nothing would stand in her way.

Come on, I have to get over there at any cost. She is f*cking unconscious, how did that happen? She wondered as she struggled against the vine gripping around her leg.

As if by some magical force, it slithered away, like it wasn’t even there. Confused by this, Alexa peered from left to right, her mind racing over everything that just happened.

That’s weird. It was only a moment ago when I was stuck here. Now, I’m free to move around. How could that be? She thought as she started inching toward Julia with slow, deliberate steps.

Before she could move any further, the sound of leaves rustling broke through the silence of the night. And her heart started beating rapidly.

I’m scared that the person or animal could be an enemy on our packlands. She pondered as her body started shaking. Not wanting whoever was there to notice, she bit down on her tongue in hopes of calming herself down.

“Who’s there?” Alexa stated, her voice trembling with each word.

Once again, the forest was quiet. There was nothing, only the sound of the wind and their hearts beating rapidly against their ribcage.

Not thinking much of it, she stood off the ground and inched closer to Julia. As she made her way closer, tears started to form in her eyes.

“Moon Goddess, please tell me she’s okay. I don’t know what I would do if she died.” She pleaded silently, hoping that they would answer her prayer.

“Grrr… Who dares step near my mate?” A stranger growled, their voice reverberating through the desolate forest.

As the voice lingered in the air, Alexa’s snout dropped open in shock. The way he spoke sent shivers spiraling down her spine.

His words held authority that no one, not even Julia, held, yet she couldn’t stop herself from obeying.

But she didn’t know how to react to his sudden possessiveness of Julia. The only person who acted like that toward her was Alpha Dimitri, Julia’s mate who had died five years ago.

I can’t believe it! Who is this person claiming to be Julia’s mate? I need to get closer to investigate it. She thought while stepping closer to him, then her eyes widened as she took in the man who stood protectively in front of her.

He had an ethereal complexion that glistened in the moonlight, and his hair stood up on end.

“Don’t come any closer!” The man spoke, his voice low and commanding. Which caused her to stop mid-way.

She raised her hands in the air, a sign of loyalty. But deep down in her heart, she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

Alexa breathed deeply, letting the cool night air calm her down.

For some reason, this stranger has this strange effect on me. Yet, there’s nothing I can do since he holds immense power over me, and probably other people.

“I… I don’t mean to intrude, but who are you? And what do you want with her?” Alexa stuttered, her voice trembling with fear.

The man looked at her, and understanding flitted across his eyes. Then he softened his facial expression.

I see where she’s coming from. But since I’m the Alpha King, she has no right to question me. The strange man thought as he kneeled in front of Alexa.

He paused and let her words sink into his heart. Hmm. She seems scared of me. I must find a way to show her she doesn’t have to be. He thought while observing Alexa, his eyes scanning her up and down.

Then, as he started walking further, the leaves under his feet crunched. A nice contrast to the serenity of the forest.

And then he stopped right in front of her and placed his right hand over his chest.

“Let me introduce myself before you judge me for my actions.” He declared, then continued. “My name is Alpha King Damien, and I’m sorry to cause you any type of distress.”

Alexa scoffed before returning to her human form. I don’t care who he is. How dare he come onto our lands with this type of authority? She thought as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“I know that you may not fully believe me. But I need to carry her back inside the house so her transformation can finish.” Damien spoke quietly as he bent down to gingerly pick Julia up.

But as he did that, the color of his eyes changed from blue to amber for a split second.

“You can’t do this right now. You’re not allowed to transform in front of us. She needs your help. So, keep your wolf at bay.” Alexa whispered in his ear, trying to stop him from causing irreparable damage to his reputation.

She’s right, I have to keep my emotions in check. He sighed, silently agreeing with her despite their stark differences.

“Come on baby. I know you will survive this.” He whispered in Julia’s ear as he opened the sliding door to the room.