Chapter Four

My finger hovers over the alarm button.

I hesitate. Just for a second.

And in that second—his voice fills the room.

Deep. Smooth. Commanding. It coils around me like an unseen force, crawling under my skin. My breath catches in my throat. Am I hallucinating? Or is his voice real?

If it is real, how can I hear it so clearly? The air between us is thick, and yet his words slip into my mind as though whispered right against my ear. Is he capable of mind-connecting?

"Do not be scared. I do not want to hurt you."

My hand trembles, still poised over the alarm.

"Even if you call them, I will be gone before they arrive. And they will think you're hallucinating—pump you full of drugs."

He has a point. But could I trust him? An evil Alpha who had chased me just hours ago?

"Come to the window."

His voice is deeper now, heavier. It is not a request. It is a command.

A shiver runs down my spine. My legs feel weak, and my fingers tremble. Anxiety knots itself inside me, twisting like a storm. My mind screams at me to stay put. Stay rational. Stay safe.

But my heart? My heart has already betrayed me.

Somewhere deep inside, I know. I can trust him. His voice carries truth, even if my logic refuses to believe it.

So I rise.

Each step toward the window feels like a battle against my own instincts. My paranoia howls with every inch forward. What am I doing? My fingers brush the glass—cold as ice, its frosted surface predicting the harsh winter air outside. The tarnished pane fogs under my breath, and my fingertips leave imprints against it.

I can't stop myself.

Before I even realize what I'm doing, my hand moves to the window handle.

And I open it.

"Good girl."

The night air crashes into me. Cold wind slashes my skin, sharp as a blade. I instinctively take a step back—

And in the blink of an eye, he moves.

A dark blur. A sudden rush of motion.

He leaps.

Before I can react, he is inside.

A gust of icy air follows him, swirling through my room. My heart jumps into my throat. Agony wraps around me, my pulse roaring so loudly I can barely think.

My mind was right.

I should have pressed the alarm.

I stagger backward, my breath shallow and sharp. My fingers tremble over the button, ready to push down.

He stands before me now.

His presence is suffocating. Overwhelming. It fills the small space like a storm waiting to break.

"What do you want now?" My voice barely rises above a whisper.

"Don't be scared. You were never my target. Your father was."

A chill far colder than the night air rushes through me.

"W-what? Why?" I stammer.

"I've searched for you for so long. And now that I've found you, I will protect you. No one will ever harm you again. Not even your father."

"I—I don't understand..."

I shake my head, my mind spiraling into disbelief.

And then—he shifts.

The transformation is seamless, effortless. His wolf dissolves into shadow, reshaping into a man.

A massive, breathtakingly built man.

My breath catches. My pulse roars.

He is—undeniable.

Dark, stormy eyes lock onto mine, their intensity nearly suffocating. His pupils are dilated, black swallowing what little color remains. His face is sculpted, every angle sharp, as if he were carved from stone. His jawline is strong, framed by a perfectly trimmed beard. His shoulders are impossibly broad, his body towering, muscles rippling beneath his skin.

I had never seen someone as handsome as him.

I couldn't stop staring at him.

It was like looking at a perfect painting, except this was real. Too real. Every feature of his face was carved with precision, every detail impossibly flawless.

"I smelled your scent." His voice is deep, velvety, sending shivers down my spine. "I knew it was you from the very beginning. It was a rainy night. A Friday evening. I caught it in the wrestling field at Death's Seal. I couldn't finish my match. I had to find you. But a second later—you were gone. Since that day, I haven't stopped searching for you. And now, I finally found you."

My throat tightens. My heart pounds so violently I swear he can hear it.

"What do you want from me now that you've found me?"

He steps closer.

"I want you."

I swallow hard. A wildfire of emotions rages inside me. Excitement. Fear. Disbelief.

An Alpha wants me.

And he—he is X Hale.

The realization slams into me.

Not just any Alpha. The Alpha.

A name that carries nothing but victory, legend, and dominance.

Women bend at his feet. Warriors fear his name.

And yet—he wants me.

A girl with nothing. No heritage. No status. No power.

It doesn't make sense.

This must be a joke.

"Who... who are you?" I stutter.

There weren't many Alphas in the city. I had to know who he was.

My brother had always been obsessed with Alphas. He was a Beta, fighting in Death's Seal since he was a teenager.

Many times, he had fought against Alphas.

Death's Seal was a terrible place. A place I despised with every fiber of my being.

It was an underground arena that hosted wolf fights. And not just any fights—fights to the death.

There was no surrender. No mercy.

A match ended only when one participant stopped breathing.

I had spent my whole life avoiding that world. But now, I was standing before a man who embodied it.

A smirk spreads across his lips when I ask for his name, almost as if he is proud to say it.

"I'm Riven Hale."

As he pronounces his name, I realize why it feels so heavy.

His reputation precedes him.

He isn't just a fighter. He is the fighter.

The undefeated Alpha. The legend of the arena.

He boasts nothing but continuous victories in the field.

And now he is standing in my bedroom.

His name alone would make any wolf bow. But I—I cannot.

Because something else rings in my mind.

Something even more terrifying.

He said he wanted to protect me. That he wouldn't let anyone hurt me.

Not even my father.

But what if he finds out what my father has done? What he will do again?

What if Riven Hale decides to kill him?

I shake my head. I can't let that happen.

"Now tell me." His voice is low, his smirk dark.

"What were you doing at Death's Seal?"