Not My Alpha (Completed)

Chapter Sixty-Two - A Disgrace

I broke through the treeline and fell into a meadow. The grass went up to my knees and the moon cast a harsh light upon it. A small patch of water pooled near the treeline with rocks glistening around the edges. Shadows stretched from the center of the clearing, leading to a small truck that sat parked on the grass. 

A triumphant smile graced my lips and for several moments, I thought I was hallucinating. Only when I staggered to the door and threw myself inside did I believe that what I was experiencing was real. My hands ran along the steering wheel as I sunk into the carpeted seats. Blood soaked into the cloth and dripped onto the floor, and for a moment, the weight of my injuries threatened to overwhelm me. I stared at the blood as more and more of it escaped my body, entranced by how much was running down my legs. Then, I shook my head, that moment passed, and I was shifting the car into gear. 

Once the car had started, I let out a cry of victory. It was short-lived because as soon as the sound escaped, my thoughts caught up to me. I couldn't drive back to Will; there was no path. I couldn't leave him, because there was no guarantee he would survive long enough for me to get help. Here I was, on the verge of turning the tides and surviving, but at an utter loss as to what I could do to make it happen. 

My hands hovered over the steering wheel,  my feet rested on the pedals. There was a small path leading out of the meadow that I knew would take me away from here; away from Bray, away from the danger, but also, away from Will. 

I scanned the trees once again, hesitating for a small moment. That moment was cut short when a figure in the side of my vision emerged from the trees. It was a wolf, unlike any I'd ever seen, lingering just behind the entrance of the meadow. Its fur was gray with white tipped ears and eyes black as the sky. We stared at each other as another identical wolf emerged, stopping next to the first. The second tilted its head and narrowed its eyes, taking a small step toward me.

My heart leaped into my throat as a scream threatened to erupt. As my panic grew, the scene around me shifted. Trees on the other side of the clearing snapped in half as two more wolves came crashing into the grass. They stumbled over one another, biting, clawing, and drawing as much blood as they could manage.  When their frenzied attacks paused long enough for me to search their eyes, I recognized Bray standing tall with a wounded Will cringing before him.

Will's wolf limped away as Bray stalked forward. His attack was slow and calculated, whereas Will was struggling for survival. When he tripped over his limbs and Bray drew back to lunge, I didn't hesitate. I ignored the foreign wolves and went straight to the threat. My feet floored the gas pedal and the car lurched toward Payton Bray.

The horn blared as I tried to warn Will away. He looked back just in time to yelp and dive to the side, stumbling out of the car's reach. Bray had more time to react and was turning away before I came close to running into him. I didn't let that deter me. When I reached the edge of the meadow, I whipped around and barrelled straight for the black wolf, once more. 

Mud and grass flew as the tires fought for traction. When the car was facing Bray again, he was standing stationary at the other end of the clearing, staring at me with determination. My face twisted into a scowl as I slammed down on the pedal and barrelled forward. Bray matched the movements of the car, running at top speed. He kept his eyes trained on me as his feet flew across the grass. The distance between us grew rapidly smaller. The moment I braced myself to crush him, Bray let out a harrowing snarl. He leaped toward the truck and flew through the air, aiming his massive body straight for the windshield.

I didn't have time to scream. My hands flew to protect my face as I watched the black wolf soar through the air. Time came to a standstill. My feet slammed on the breaks. I closed my eyes and tensed for shards of glass to cut through my skin and end my life. Bray would heal from the impact, but I would not.