Seraphina's POV
"Damn it," I cursed under my breath. How was it possible to fall from one disaster straight into another? First, my dress was torn, then I discovered my mate was my father's killer, and now, a rogue was hunting me through the forest.
What's next? A personal meeting with the Moon Goddess herself?
Behind me, I could hear the rogue wolf recovering, its growls growing louder and more vicious. I'd bought myself time, but not much. I needed to find shelter, or help, or something—anything—before it caught up with me again.
The jungle stretched endlessly ahead of me, dark and full of unknown dangers. I ran deeper into the darkness, but in my panic, I wasn't watching where I was going carefully enough.
My foot caught on something—a root, a rock, I couldn't tell. I stumbled forward, crashing hard into a low-hanging branch. Pain shot through my head, and I cried out, feeling warm blood begin to trickle down my forehead.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
As I tried to get back up, a sharp, excruciating pain shot through my left leg. I looked down in horror to see my leg caught in a metal trap—the kind set to catch rogue wolves.
The steel teeth had bitten deep into my flesh, and blood was already pooling around the cruel metal. Now it wasn't even possible to run.
I was trapped, injured, and completely helpless.
Well, this was just fantastic. From nightmarish mate to rogue attack to bear trap. This night was just getting better...
The metallic scent of my own blood filled the air, and I knew I was in trouble. A low, menacing growl echoed through the trees, sending chills down my spine.
I didn't need to look up to know what was there—I could feel those predatory eyes boring into me, could practically taste the hunger radiating from the rogue.
Saliva dripped from its yellowed fangs as it caught the scent of my blood, and those wild, hungry eyes locked onto me like I was the most delicious meal it had encountered in months.
Maybe I was.
The rogue's lips pulled back in what could only be described as a grin, revealing rows of razor-sharp, yellowed teeth. It took a slow, deliberate step towards me. My heart sank.
After everything I'd survived, after finally standing up to my tormentors, was this how I was going to die?
No, I refused to accept this reality!
Fighting against the dizziness that was creeping in from the blood loss, I frantically clawed at the bear trap. The metal teeth bit deeper with every movement, sending fresh waves of agony through my body, but I didn't care.
I had to get free.
The rogue's growl deepened, and the madness in his wild eyes grew as it approached me. And then, without warning, it lunged. My heart dropped to my stomach as I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut and bracing for the inevitable pain.
This was it. This was how I was going to die—not because of the abuse or the beatings, but as a midnight snack for a rabid wolf in the middle of nowhere.
But the pain never came.
Instead, I heard the most incredible sound—a low, powerful growl that seemed to shake the very air around us. Then came the sickening thud of something hitting the ground, followed by a high-pitched whimper of pain.
My eyes flew open, and I gasped.
Standing directly in front of me, like some kind of dark guardian angel, was the most magnificent black wolf I had ever seen. It was massive—easily twice the size of the rogue—with fur so dark it seemed to absorb the moonlight.
Every muscle in its powerful frame was coiled and ready for battle. But it was the eyes that made my breath catch in my throat. Those mesmerizing brown eyes with flecks of gold turned back to look at me, and instant recognition hit me like a physical blow.
My eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"No way," I breathed.
It was him. Alpha Adrian Blackwood.
The rogue wolf scrambled to its feet, shaking off the impact and baring its teeth in a vicious snarl. But if it thought it could intimidate the black wolf—Adrian—it was sadly mistaken.
Adrian's response was nothing short of terrifying. His lips curled back in a snarl that made the rogue's growl sound like a whimper, and when he turned to face his opponent, I could practically feel the deadly intent radiating from him.
The two wolves circled each other for a moment, and I found myself completely mesmerized despite the pain and fear. There was something almost hypnotic about watching Adrian move—every step was calculated, every movement purposeful.
Even in wolf form, he exuded that same cold, dominating presence that had made me want to either submit or flee back at the ball. Then they clashed.
The fight was brutal and swift. Adrian's fighting style was exactly what I would have expected from him—cold, deadly, and absolutely dominating.
He moved with the precision of a trained killer, each attack calculated to cause maximum damage. The rogue wolf, despite its size and ferocity, was completely outmatched.
I watched in horrified fascination as Adrian systematically dismantled his opponent. There was no mercy in his movements, no hesitation. He was a predator in every sense of the word, and watching him fight was like witnessing death itself in action.
The rogue tried to fight back, snapping and clawing desperately, but Adrian was always one step ahead. He anticipated every move, countered every attack, and slowly but surely wore down his opponent until the rogue was nothing more than a bloody, broken mess.
My vision started to blur from the blood loss, but I couldn't look away. Not even when Adrian's powerful jaws clamped down on the rogue's neck and—
Crack.
The sickening sound of breaking bone echoed through the forest, and then everything went silent except for the sound of my own ragged breathing.
Adrian stood over the lifeless body of the rogue and threw back his head, releasing a victory howl that sent chills racing down my spine. The sound was primal, powerful, and absolutely terrifying. It was the howl of an alpha who had just proven his dominance in the most brutal way possible.