Chapter 4

Maddox. As I stepped outside, I felt Diana watching me from the windows but I didn’t bother turning around as I got into my car and zoomed out of the estate. It didn’t take long for me to reach the clearing where the other wolves were gathered. I saw Willis first, standing in the midst of the other wolves and I stopped the car, walking to meet them. At the sight of me, they all bowed in submission. “Let’s go,” I said immediately. “This human has caused a lot of problems for us. Our brothers and sisters are falling sick because of her. Her presence here is a danger to us all and just yesterday our brothers came to see her, they fell Ill. It is obvious that she is doing something to cause an uproar. And the sooner we capture her, the better.” A chorus of cheers and nods of agreement followed my conviction. I glanced at Willis, who had fierce determination in his eyes. The wolves were ready and it meant they were loyal. Without wasting much time, we got into our cars and drove in the direction of the cabin. Willis led the way and as I drove closer to her, my head swirled with possibilities and uncertainty. The humans were dangerous, once they found out about our existence that would be the end of the wolves. My thoughts raced as I thought of how she was making our pack members sick. It had to be her doing because it couldn’t be a mere coincidence. Her presence caused a rift in the order, I frowned as I stared at the sky for a second, the sun was setting casting a golden glow on the trees as cold air ruffled my hair. The drive to the cabin didn't take long. As we approached our destination, we could feel the tension in the air. The pack members in the cars around me were silent, their faces etched with determination. We had a mission, and the stakes were high. We parked a short distance from the cabin and gathered to strategize. The cold, eerie evening seemed to match the uncertainty that hung in the air. "We need to surround her house and approach cautiously. We don't know what we're dealing with. Wait for my orders," I ordered in my Alpha’s voice as my men cowered in fear, nodding submissively. Nods of agreement rippled through the group as we moved behind me and walked towards the cabin through the woods. We didn’t want to announce our approach on the road and using the woods was the safest way to blend with nature and take humans by surprise. The sunlight filtered through the trees. The forest was eerily quiet, making the men a bit nervous as I glanced around. It was as if nature itself held its breath, waiting to see what would happen next. As we got closer to the cabin, an overwhelming scent suddenly engulfed me. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was intoxicating, maddening, and for a second I froze in my spot. I didn’t know that scent, it was like it was tugging at my heart and I frowned, touching my chest as if to drive it away. “Alpha, are you ok?” I felt Willis beside me as I turned sharply to him. The other men had stopped also and their eyes were filled with worry as they glanced at me. I coughed awkwardly as I nodded before responding. “Let’s keep moving,” I ordered as they followed behind me. Willis walked by my side. “It might be overwhelming at first. The first time we approached the cabin. Drake said he felt something off about it,” my Beta said as I walked faster. It was already embarrassing enough that I slowed down and they were all worried for me. I didn’t need Willis telling me it was normal to feel that way. It sounded weak, I was the Alpha and I didn’t want my people to think it was ok. “Let’s keep moving,” I said sharply as Willis nodded. “Yes, Alpha,” he said before he went to order the men around. The cabin came to view a few minutes later and we stopped, nestled among the trees, making it a perfect hiding spot away from anyone’s eyes. The moment I saw the cabin, the feeling came again, it was a sensation that circled around me like a potent force. It was both alluring and overwhelming, unlike anything I had ever encountered. A strange scent filled my nose like a mixture of flower and vanilla. As I drew closer, the scent continued to intensify, creeping into my nostrils and filling my insides, I could feel my wolf within me, withering around as if restless. It added to my panic as I started to sweat. My hands trembled slightly and I stopped again. “Let’s spread out. Eugene and Collins over there, Fabio and Richard there. The rest of you divide yourselves into groups of two and cover the remaining areas. We don’t want to lose the human when we lead her out of her home,” Willis ordered, I noticed his eyes glancing briefly at me as he ordered the men away. He ran to me immediately. They had dispersed and I shuddered at his touch. “Are you sure you're alright, Alpha?” he asked and I shrugged him off and took a deep breath. What was wrong? I almost asked when my skin started to tingle with a sensation and it was like I could no longer control my body as I fell to my knees, my heartbeat racing in my chest as my senses were on alert. Something was calling out to me. I could feel it, taste it even as I sniffed through the air. I fought my composure to remain calm to resist but it was too strong and I knew I had lost when I started to shift. In an instant, my body transformed. After shifting for the first time at sixteen years old, the process has become easier. Black fur covered my body as my snout increased my sense of smell making the allure more evident. My vision sharpened as my bones rearranged giving room for my limbs to stretch forward. My sense of hearing increased as I heard a noise coming from the cabin and I turned in its direction. I could feel my pack around me, their heartbeats. And the one inside the cabin. I couldn’t stop myself from moving forward, driven by an irresistible force. “Alpha, wait!” I heard Willis' panicked voice behind me. But I had already lost, I had no control over myself and my body as I leapt on the cabin’s stairs. With a powerful force, I broke the door to the house, the door splintered giving way for me as I entered the house. Everything was in shades of red and I could barely make out objects around me, I followed the scent, it was filled everywhere in the house. She was here, the source of the feeling. She was standing right in front of me. The mysterious human was nothing like I had imagined. She had fiery red hair that fell in loose waves around her shoulders. Her skin was like a porcelain doll, a contrast to her bright hair. Her features were delicate and small. But what struck me the most were her eyes. They were such a brilliant shade of ocean blue, like diamonds shimmered on them, it captivated me immediately. They held a mix of fear and curiosity as they looked at me with utmost shock. I stood there for a moment, noticing tiny details like the line of tears on her soft round cheeks. Her eyes were sad and a wave of sadness enveloped her and soon found its way to me. It was like I could feel everything she was feeling at that moment. It happened in a moment. The strange feeling again slammed through my defense and it made me lose my balance and control. I staggered, feeling a surge of power coursing through my veins. Something in me snapped and I couldn’t resist it any longer as I lunged towards her without warning. I saw her take a step back from fear but I was driven with an insatiable hunger and I reached her and pushed her to the ground. She let out a scream but I ignored her, unable to stop myself as I sank my teeth into her exposed neck. The taste of her skin was strange, yet so familiar as I felt the world around me blurred. Her scent filled my nose, her screams filled my ears and she was too powerful to resist. I struggled to get a hold of myself but I couldn’t. And just as quickly as it had started, the feeling seemed to disappear around me as horror clouded my mind. What had I done? But there was no time to process my actions as my vision swirled around me and I felt myself shift back to my human before I fell to the floor, my world descending into darkness.