THE ONE

“Come back, Astrid!”

My father’s voice boomed inside my head. It felt like ice cutting through my thoughts.

I dropped to the ground, my white fur shivering under the cold night air. My legs twitched and jerked. I could not control them. His power wrapped around my mind, squeezing tight like a trap I could not escape.

Tears blurred my vision, but I forced them down. I bit down a scream and whispered to myself, "I am not his pawn. I am not his pawn."

I tried to stand, but my body refused. His hold grew stronger. My paws clawed helplessly at the dirt. I felt like I was drowning.

Then, like a flash, those gray wolf-eyes appeared in my mind again.

They were soft but strong. Warm but fierce. They called to me.

Him. I have to find him.

I dug deep into myself. Somewhere far below the fear and the pain, I found a spark. A small flame that refused to die.

With a roar that tore through my throat, I broke free.

The heavy weight in my mind snapped. Air rushed back into my lungs. My legs pushed me forward without thinking.

I ran.

I ran deeper into the forest, away from the palace, away from the chains.

The trees whipped past me, and the cold wind cut my skin, but I did not care. My heart raced with a wild beat, full of hope and terror.

I was free.

For now.

And I would find him.

I had to.

I ran as fast as I could, my heart pounding loud in my ears.

With every step, the bond inside me grew stronger. It pulled at me, pushed me forward, even as my body screamed to stop.

Behind me, I heard the shouts of royal guards. I caught the sharp growls of rogue wolves too. They chased me like I was nothing more than prey.

I ducked under a low branch and leaped over a fallen log. My legs burned. My lungs felt like fire.

Still, I kept running.

But my strength faded fast.

The wounds on my side throbbed with every movement. Blood dripped onto the cold ground. My body shook harder with each step.

A sharp pain tore through me. My paws stumbled, and I crashed into the dirt.

I tried to stand again, but the pain was too much. My wolf form slipped away.

In a wave of agony, I shifted back into my human body.

Naked and shivering, I lay on the cold ground. The night air wrapped around me like ice. My skin burned from the chill, and every breath felt like it scraped my lungs.

I blinked slowly, my eyelashes heavy with moisture. The stars above me blurred into streaks of white light. I could barely tell where the sky ended and the trees began.

A few feet away, a tree stood tall, its rough bark dark against the night.

I dug my fingers into the dirt and tried to drag myself closer. The ground felt hard and wet under me. Each movement sent sharp pain through my body.

But my arms gave out.

I collapsed onto my side, gasping. My body refused to listen anymore.

I could only breathe in short, ragged bursts as the world twisted around me.

The dirt scratched at my skin, but I could not even lift my hand to brush it away.

The sharp scent of earth and blood filled my nose. I felt so small lying there, so helpless.

Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring everything even more.

I fought to keep my eyes open.

The trees around me spun, turning into dark shapes that swayed and bent.

The darkness kept pulling at me, soft and heavy like a blanket I could not escape.

I knew if I gave in now, I might never wake up again.

Just as my eyes started to close, the air shifted.

Something heavy pressed down around me, thick and sharp like a blade resting on my skin.

An Alpha.

I knew it without even seeing him.

His presence was too strong, too powerful. It filled the whole forest like a storm about to break.

I forced my head up with great effort. My neck screamed in protest, but I pushed through the pain.

A man stood over me.

He looked different from anyone I had ever seen. His gray eyes stared straight ahead, unfocused and distant, like he could not see me at all.

Yet somehow... he had come to me.

Inside my mind, my wolf cried out with joy.

"It’s him! It’s him!"

My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I wanted to reach for him, to touch him, but my arms stayed limp by my sides.

Tears slipped down my cheeks, warm against my frozen skin.

I opened my mouth, but only a broken whisper came out.

"Are you... the one I've been searching for?"

The man did not move right away. He stood still, his head tilted slightly, as if listening for something in the silence.

His gray eyes stayed blank, but I saw his body lean toward me like he could feel the bond between us.

Slowly, he moved.

Each step he took seemed careful, almost unsure, but something stronger pulled him forward.

Confusion lined his face, like he did not understand why he was here, but there was also a deep focus in his features.

Like he trusted the feeling even if he did not know what it meant.

I tried to lift my head again, but my body was too tired.

The cold bit deeper into my bones. My skin shook without control. I could barely breathe.

I gathered what little strength I had left, forcing one more breath from my broken body.

"Are you... the one I've been searching for?" I whispered again, barely more than a breath.

The man knelt down in front of me.

He reached out a hand, stopping just inches from my skin.

He hovered there, like he was afraid a single touch would shatter me.

The space between us felt alive.

The bond we shared crackled like fire in the air, raw and fierce.

My wolf whimpered with happiness inside me, her voice a soft echo in my mind.

I let my body relax.

The darkness came again, heavier this time, but I did not fight it.

I let it take me, knowing deep inside that I had finally found him.

Or maybe... he had found me.

The last thing I heard was my wolf’s happy cry, wrapping around me like a lullaby as the world faded away.