The Alpha’s Rebel Mate

Wayward Wolves

Stormy POV

Breath filled my lungs and it felt as good as when Turner opened the trunk of his SUV. My mouth was dry and my head hurt. I took one hell of a fall worse than that I’d been shot.

D*mn, I’d been shot!

My attempts to sit up were met with resistance from the rope around my wrists.

“What the hell?”

Both my arms are strapped down. My arms, wrists and legs. Panic kicked in and I struggled to break free. The room was dark except for a small spot of light shining through from the window.

“You’re awake Ms Adler,” An old rusty voice said.

“Who are you?” I snapped.

A man with salt and pepper hair and a slight hunch came into view. He had a wicked smile. He smoothed the syringe in his hand as he looked down at me.

“You can call me Salazar. No one would call me a friend.”

I shifted and the leather straps clenched around my body.

“Where am I?” I demanded.

“Welcome to the McGregor Institute for Wayward Wolves.”

“Wolves?” I gawked at him.

He moved closer and his smile got sickening.

“We haven’t had a mutt in a long time. You are special creatures, your ignorance and innocence are amusing.”

Did he just call me a mutt? I glared at him. My temper boiled over but there was nothing I could do. I normally wouldn’t beat up an old man but there was something about this man that was strange, odd and dangerous.

“But you might not be that special or strong. You’ve been asleep for two days.”

I gasped. “Two days?”

“Yes,” he said, lifting the syringe to the small light in the room.

I couldn’t quite make out his eyes but they felt brown or a dark shade of green.

“That buffoon sent to deliver you wasn’t very bright. He tried to shoot our wolves. Ended up dead himself.”

Blood drained from my face. I fought to get away but it wasn’t enough. Turner was dead it wasn’t supposed to end like this I just wanted to free myself. This was the place Walter wanted to send me to in the first place. What was this place some sort of government lab? What were they going to do to me? I wasn’t as dangerous as Walter said. I wouldn’t hurt anyone… anyone who didn’t deserve it.

But I hadn’t done anything!

“Let me go! I don’t belong here.”

Salazar laughed deeply. “I’m just going to borrow some blood.”

“You’re not going to give it back!”

“That should be the least of your worries, little one.”

He stuck the needle into my arm. I winced and looked away. Okay, things were getting weird. This man looked like a scientist, he called me a mutt and spoke about wolves. He wasn’t making a scene. This didn’t look like any government lab I’d seen in the movies so the only logical conclusion I could come up with was this man was insane and I needed to bust out.

“I must admit I was impressed when I heard you left the man in pieces. I was convinced we found another Alpha female. They’re incredibly rare.”

“I didn’t hurt anyone,” I ground out.

“That’s why you’re here. You ripped a man to shreds. Your wolf needs to be punished before we can think about rehabilitating it, but I had a few better ideas,” he smirked.

Bile rose in my throat and he came closer.

“No! Let me go!” I screamed and battled against the leather straps.

“Fight all you want. You’re not getting out of here. Not anytime soon.”

I had to get away. I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t a murderer. I couldn’t be a monster.

Salazar laughed. It crushed my hope but enraged me too. The metal bed I was on shook violently. Salazar stepped back. It was like something possessed me. As long as it got me out of here it could have me.

“Betas!”

My right leg broke free then my left arm. I sat up and struggled with the other straps.

“Betas, d*mn it!” Salazar shouted.

***

“She’s fast,” one of the men chasing me shouted.

I knew I was fast but I’d never been this fast. It must have come with a thirst to get away. I still had a bedsheet around me well half of one. I’d run through a dense forest with branches clawing at the material and ripping it to pieces. If I dropped it I would be running around naked.

The manly shouts to capture me turned to vicious loud barks. They had dogs? I thought as I ducked under branches and jumped over rocks. I didn’t know where I was going I was hoping to get to a road where a kind driver would pick me up. Instead, I came to a clearing with short vibrant green grass and skinnier trees. I heard the sound of rushing water.

“A river,” I stopped.

Dogs couldn’t follow scent into the water.

“Perfect.” I took a step forward but froze when I heard a deep growl.

I turned to find a jet-black wolf ten times my size staring at me.

“Creepers,” I whispered and stepped back.

It tilted its head to the right and walked towards me. Wolves aren’t supposed to be this big!

“Stay back!” I shouted.

It growled and walked forward. I looked around for a rock or a branch. There were men out there chasing me with dogs that would be here any moment. I was outnumbered.

I spotted a branch that I couldn’t possibly carry but I was pumped with adrenaline I reached out for the branch and aimed it at the wolf. His blue eyes held calmness and not an ounce of fear. It was like the wolf drew me in. I shook my head it was large and dangerous.

I tightened my grip on the branch and swung. The wolf jumped forward and I screamed.

The branch never made contact though. A six-foot-three man stood in place of the black wolf with deep blue eyes. He held the branch above my head and yanked it from my grip.

Now I know I’ve lost my mind.

“What the f*ck do you think you’re doing?” he barked.

He talks too?

I blinked a few times. My knees turned to jelly and my heart was beating too loud for me to hear. If things couldn’t get any weirder. He was completely naked.

I couldn’t take it anymore. My world was ripped from under me.