Chapter 4

As we entered the town, I immediately realized I was the center of attention; several people watched me with curiosity. The man walked with firm steps toward one of the wooden houses that adorned the long main street. As soon as I climbed the porch steps, a shiver ran down my spine. I tried to take a deep breath and regain my confidence, but after walking down a small hallway and hearing the man sigh before knocking on a door, my courage dropped to an all-time low. The man accompanying me gave me a side-glance and a mock bow—a clear signal for me to enter first.

Without showing fear, I assumed a haughty and determined posture and strode inside. I was immediately met with the wonderful sight of a marble fireplace, flanked by two imposing, powerful wolf sculptures. Although the house looked simple from the outside, the interior was meticulously decorated. It was a comfortable living room with three huge, modern sofas arranged on a large, plush rug, and a medium-sized desk strategically placed against one wall. It was at that moment that I stopped admiring the beauty of the room to focus on something even more fascinating: a harsh, authoritative voice.

"I see you’ve found her." Ulysses was still focused on his papers when he sensed his Beta had arrived with Liliana. Smiling victoriously, he prepared to confront the female who had tried to leave the territory, but his smile died on his lips the moment he looked at those present. Growling, he glared at his Beta. "Bernardo, can you explain to me what is going on here?"

"As you can see, we didn't find who you wanted," Bernardo grimaced as he looked at Cassandra. "I don't know what they were planning, but it seems it worked."

"I don't know what you're talking about..." I tried to sound firm before catching my breath upon hearing the man's powerful, dominant voice directly in front of me. When my eyes met his, my body vibrated, and my mind immediately started fantasizing.

My God! I was saving Liliana from a marriage to this "Adonis"? Please, condemn me instead; I wouldn't mind at all.

The man had green eyes in a very masculine, square-jawed face with rugged lines that made him extremely attractive. His light brown, shoulder-length hair, pulled back, gave him an even more dominant air. A naughty thought immediately struck me before I could stop it:

Heavens! He could dominate me whenever he wanted.

Almost groaning, I tried to clear my throat, but it only drew more attention to me, making him stare even more intensely for a few seconds.

"Bernardo!" Ulysses glared at the human and then at his Beta, both surprised and irritated. "Where is she?"

"I haven't the slightest idea." Bernardo looked at the girl, who was blushing at that moment. "We caught her scent and followed the trail... but this is what we found..." Bernardo smiled as he pointed at me.

"I am not an object..." I huffed, glaring at the leader of the wolves, but as his gaze shifted to mine, I immediately noticed his eyes change color—a sign that perhaps I should stay silent for a while.

What is she thinking?

Ulysses felt a shiver down his spine when his eyes met those of the human, but waves of anger rose within him because he couldn't understand Liliana’s intentions behind that attitude. Irritated, he punched the desk, splitting it in two. Frustrated, he took a deep breath, facing Bernardo again. "I don't understand... we had already talked about this."

"Heavens..." I covered my mouth to muffle a low gasp. Now I had changed my mind! Being dominated by that brute? Not a chance. The man was violence personified. Suddenly, fear washed over me, especially when he looked at me again. He stared at me for a few seconds with a face hardened by rage before turning back to Bernardo.

"I'm going for a run," Ulysses muttered, heading to the door. As angry as he was, he didn't want to frighten this human female. "Take care of her; I need to calm down," he ordered his Beta, exiting abruptly.

"Alright!" Bernardo nodded to his Alpha, then immediately offered a smile in my direction. "Come..." He pointed to the hallway. "You will be our guest for the night."

"Well... since you insist so much," I declared, even though I wasn't as confident as before. I knew they wouldn't let me go easily, but I still wasn't very comfortable with the idea of being surrounded by wolves, especially one who was quite furious with me. Sighing, I moved toward his outstretched hand and spoke in defeat, "I accept."

"Don't be afraid." Bernardo offered a sincere smile, sensing the young woman’s fear. "My Alpha can be blunt, but he would never hurt you."

"Are you sure?" I looked at him very doubtfully after that display of rage.

"We are wolves, but we are not savages," Bernardo affirmed proudly.

"It’s normal. Ulysses has trouble dealing with frustration," Bernardo declared, amused. "But it’s always the furniture or the walls that pay the price."

"I see..." I tried to smile too, but I didn't find it all that funny.

Bernardo finally said goodbye, leaving me alone in the room where I would be staying. I immediately looked for the bathroom; I was desperate. When I had stopped to rest in the forest, I had thought about relieving myself right there, but just the thought of being watched by a pack of wolves in the brush made me prefer to wet my pants if necessary. Sighing with relief once I finished, I threw myself onto the soft bed and stared at the ceiling. I grew pensive as I analyzed what had happened so far. Bernardo seemed quite friendly and calm, which set him apart significantly from his pack leader. That man was very arrogant, antisocial, and an idiot. He had ignored me completely; a truly ill-mannered male.

Walking to the door, I tried to peek outside, but I soon realized it was locked. Furious, I pulled on the handle several times, but with no success.

"Am I locked in?" I muttered, glaring at the bedroom door. "Does he think I’m going to risk running away at night?" Raising my voice, I made sure to declare to the idiot who had locked me in, "If you haven't realized it yet, I came here entirely of my own free will." I had never been good with directions, so if I risked going out, I would probably end up falling right into the wolf's mouth like Little Red Riding Hood. The worst part was that if I went into the mouth of that attractive wolf with emerald eyes, I might even risk asking him to eat me. My body immediately shuddered, and I gasped, shaking my head.

What on earth was I thinking?

Sighing, I headed back to the bathroom. A shower would feel wonderful. After the shower, I decided to put the same clothes back on; sleeping in jeans wasn't very appealing, but I had no idea who might have access to that room, so I would remain fully dressed.

"Locked in!!!!" I huffed again, staring at the door. I looked at the clock: 7:30 PM. Had they forgotten about dinner? Since I was a guest, they should treat me well.

Damn it!

If I had known I would go without dinner, I would have had a better lunch. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and was starving; it seemed the only solution was to try to sleep.

I took a deep breath; I was tired. The adrenaline and the run through the forest had drained me. Stretching out on the bed, I realized I was more exhausted than I thought, and I drifted off to sleep immediately.

I hadn't even been asleep for minutes when my consciousness began to fade. As I slipped into the world of dreams, something occurred in my mind that felt very real.

I was running through the forest with wolves behind me, but these were much more hostile. They all pursued me with growls and sharp teeth. Their paws were so powerful that as they ran, they struck the earth with such impact that my whole body trembled. Even after managing to escape them all, I still felt my body shaking from the vibration of the fierce wolves' powerful paws. Opening my eyes, I gasped in terror, realizing the trembling wasn't just a dream.