Theo did not dare to fight. His body had already gone rigid, his legs too weak to move even if he wanted to.
Deep down, he knew the truth-tonight, he was not going to leave this place alive. The realization settled over him like ice and all he could hope for now was that his death would be quick.
If he was lucky, maybe the beast would show mercy and tear through his throat cleanly. Anything would be better than ending up like the rogue- mangled beyond recognition, or like Alec
He stood frozen as the large wolf began to move toward him. The air felt colder with every breath. Theo’s heart hammered painfully against his ribs, his mouth dry as sand. He could smell the faint, metallic scent of blood clinging to the wolf and it only made him more fearful.
When the wolf was close enough for him to see the glint of its silver eyes, Theo fell to his knees. He tilted his head down and bared his neck in complete surrender, his voice breaking as he began to plead. "Please... please," he whispered, his words tumbling out between gasps of fear. "I’m sorry. I had no choice. My parents... they’re under threat. I didn’t want to get into this kidnapping but I have no choice..."
His voice cracked before he could finish. He could feel tears stinging his eyes, but he didn’t dare move. He kept his head bowed, trembling uncontrollably, waiting for the end. The silence around him was deafening, broken only by the faint rustle of the wolf’s movement.
But the killing blow never came.
Confused, Theo slowly lifted his eyes and froze. The wolf had turned away from him. Instead of attacking, it was walking toward the unconscious Omega lying a few feet away. The creature’s huge paws barely made a sound as it approached her, lowering its head to sniff the air around her body.
Theo swallowed hard, unsure whether to feel relieved or terrified. His heart still pounded wildly, but now there was something else beneath the fear-a small, trembling flicker of hope.
Was the wolf not here for him?
He stared as the beast nudged the Omega’s arm gently with its snout, almost as if checking whether she was still alive. The gesture was strange and almost cautious. Theo’s mind spun with confusion.
Could it be that this wolf was after this Omega and had not come to rescue Emira?
However, as soon as the thought came to him, the wolf suddenly stiffened. Its head snapped up, ears twitching, and a low, rumbling growl rolled out of its throat. The sound made the hairs on Theo’s neck rise.
Before he could even understand what had changed, the wolf’s hackles lifted, its eyes turning cold and deadly. The air seemed to shift again as it became thick and charged with raw danger.
"W–wait!" Theo stammered, holding up his shaking hands, but it was already too late to explain.
The wolf lunged.
It moved so fast that Theo barely saw the blur of motion before a searing pain exploded across his face. The claws ripped through his skin and the the force of the blow knocked him backward. He screamed, clutching his cheek as hot blood poured through his fingers. His vision swam, the world spinning around him.
"Please! Please, I’m sorry!" he sobbed, crawling backwards through the dirt. But the beast was relentless. It advanced with a snarl, eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight.
Theo tried to get up, but his leg gave way beneath him. He didn’t even have the strength to run. All he could do was raise his arm weakly in defense, his voice cracking with panic. "I didn’t mean to! Please...don’t-"
The wolf slashed again.
Its claws tore through his chest this time, deep and fast. The impact sent Theo crashing to the ground, gasping as white-hot pain spread through his body. His breath came in short, broken cries. He could feel the warm rush of blood soaking his clothes, the dirt sticking to it.
"Please... please... I don’t want to die..." he whimpered, his words fading into incoherent sobs as his vision blurred; his body twitched from the pain.
But the wolf didn’t look at him again. It gave a sharp huff through its nose, as if dismissing him entirely. Then, with a powerful leap, it turned away.
Theo could barely lift his head, but he saw the beast sprint into the darkness fast as it vanished down the road after the car. The sound of its paws pounding against the earth grew fainter with each second, swallowed by the night.
Theo lay there, his chest heaving shallowly. His tears mixed with the blood running down his cheek. His hands trembled as he tried to hold his wounds, but his fingers slipped on the wetness.
The stars above him blurred and swirled as he whispered brokenly, "I’m sorry... Alpha... I didn’t mean to...As a young boy, he had thought that becoming friends with the Alpha’s son had been a blessing... but now he knew... it was a punishment. If he ever had a second chance..."
And on that thought, the pain grew distant, his eyes rolling back as darkness claimed him.
***
As the wolf continued to run, following the faint scent that had brought him to the woods, it knew only one thing. He needed to get to that sweetness. It frowned at the urgency he felt and the anger that someone else was taking the scent away from him. He had already chased them all the way...
But he did not stop. He could not lose her. Even as the thought came, a faint consciousness stirred within him, as if something was trying to control it. The animal ignored the call and the forceful method of someone trying to pull him back and controlling him. He only knew the urgency to reach his destination and bring that sweet scent close to him.
A command whispered in its mind again, urging it to stop and to turn back.
But the beast snarled and shook its head, rejecting the pull and continued to race ahead.