Chapter 4 I Finally Found Her

• Morning came with a biting cold in the Blood Wolves pack. Alaric woke up early, even before the sun had fully risen. Sleeping curled up on his body were Bella and another woman he couldn't even remember the name of, but he could feel the warmth of their bodies on his. Despite the silence in the room, the alpha could still smell the scent of sex everywhere, reminding him of everything the two women had done to please him the night before.
• Alaric stood up with firm steps and walked over to the window of the pack's great castle. Pulling back the heavy curtain, he watched as the sky began to lighten. From there, he could see the whole pack as a village in the middle of the forest; the castle was the center, built on a small hill around it, and several houses, some more elegant and others smaller. It was a stronghold hidden in the woods that no one had the courage to go to.
• He rested his hand on his chest, the gesture he had repeated so many times, and inhaled deeply. There was no heartbeat, but how could there be?
• “My curse...” he murmured, his voice low but full of bitterness.
• He knew that there was only a year to go before the curse would come true, and he would be condemned to live without a heart, without his companion, alone, wandering the world until he died.
• As he reflected on this fate and the fruit of actions he himself had planted, something unexpected interrupted his thoughts. A sweet scent, mixed with the perfume of roses and the soft smell of ripe fruit, invaded his senses. The smell was so intense that, in an instant, it made his body shudder and left him feeling like he was going to suffocate.
• “That smell...” Alaric spoke in a tense, almost inaudible voice as his eyes widened.
• He knew, at that very moment, that he had finally found the sign he had been looking for.
• Anger rose instantly as he turned, facing the wolves, who were beginning to wake up, slyly.
• “Baby... Go back to bed,” Bella whispered, biting her lip in an attempt to sound seductive. Her long blonde hair was down around her shoulders, giving her an even more irresistible appearance.
• But that didn't affect Alaric at all, in fact, it made him even angrier.
• “Bella, leave now! And you, leave too!”
• They both opened their eyes wide and quickly got up, completely naked, and ran out the door. Who would dare defy an order from the cruel alpha? Alaric had already killed others for much less.
• The alpha sat on his bed, still choking on the sweet smell that wouldn't leave him alone for a second.
• “Mika! Come here, right now!”
• Within moments, Mika appeared, his firm posture and attentive eyes showing that he was ready to obey any order. He had been Alaric's beta for many years — not the first, after all; few wolves lived as long as their alpha, but he had the privilege, as he himself liked to say, of being the closest. Over the years, he and Alaric had become great friends.
• “Alpha, I'm here. Tell me what you need,” replied Mika, his voice controlled.
• “I smelled a sweet scent of roses and fruit. It's her perfume; I'm sure of it! She's finally appeared, the woman who can save what's left of my heart. Gather the wolves and leave immediately.”
• Mika nodded without hesitation, and together they organized some of the best warriors in the pack. The wolves gathered, their gazes determined and focused, while Alaric led the pack with the unwavering authority of an alpha.
• The journey began with the first glow of dawn, and as the wolves advanced along the trail that led into the forest, the scent became more and more intense. Alaric's keen senses guided every step.
• “We're on the right track!” the sound of the alpha's voice echoed in the minds of all the wolves, who sped up their frantic running even more.
• The trail became denser and denser; they hunted all day, and daylight gave way to dusk. The pack of wolves moved with agility and precision, guided by instinct and the desire to fulfill the mission their alpha had ordered.
• Finally, after hours of walking through the forest, the scent led them to the outskirts of a small village. There, the sound of laughter and celebrations mingled with the rustling of leaves. It was the village next to the forest, where, at that very moment, a party was taking place.
• Night had already fallen, and the festive atmosphere dominated the central square. Lanterns hanging from the houses, music, and lively voices made up a scene of peace and joy that contrasted sharply with the approaching threat.
• Mika stopped and looked around, assessing the situation.
• “Alpha, it's just a human village; are you sure this is it?” the beta asked carefully so as not to irritate the black wolf next to him even more.
• Alaric nodded, his eyes fixed on the horizon, where the party lights shone timidly.
• “LINE UP! WE WILL INVADE!” His voice echoed in the wolves' minds like a roar, and his howl was heard throughout the woods as a signal for them to advance.
• No mercy, no retreat—that was their motto, the motto of their alpha.
• In an instant, the members of the pack took up position, forming an impenetrable circle around the village, invading and trapping everyone in the square. The sound of the party was suddenly interrupted by shouts and hurried footsteps; the villagers, who had been celebrating just a few minutes ago, now found themselves surrounded and with no way out.
• In the midst of the turmoil, Eulalia watched in astonishment as confusion ensued. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of something that made her shudder: a large black wolf was walking towards her, sniffing the air with determination.
• The other wolves suppressed any movement from the villagers with growls and threats of attack, making the group cower in the middle of the square, like prey on display.
• “What's happening?” exclaimed a crying Sussi, but her cries were lost in the growing commotion.
• Tom immediately positioned himself in front of Eulalia, trying to protect her.
• “Stay behind me, Eulalia!” ordered Tom, his voice firm but full of fear.
• He wanted to be brave for her and show that he could defend her, whatever the cost.
• The big black wolf continued its approach, its steps slow and calculated. Its red eyes shone in the flickering light of the torches, and, with each step, the air seemed to get heavier. It was bigger than any ordinary wolf, bigger than a person; in fact, it was monstrous and terrifying.
• The wolf stopped a few meters away from Eulalia and, for a moment, time seemed to freeze. Then, slowly, something unbelievable began to happen: the wolf began to take on a different shape. Its paws lengthened, its posture changed, and the body of a man gradually emerged from the animal silhouette.
• Tom, his eyes wide, tried to react, but he didn't have time. The man, with a cold and cruel gaze, took complete form in front of Eulalia, completely naked. But that didn't bother hi min in fact, showing off his big, strong form was something that stroked Alaric's pride.
• There was no one better or stronger than him in the village.
• Without hesitation, he pushed Tom hard, causing him to fall heavily to the ground. Tom groaned as he tried to get up, but the man gave him no chance.
• With a harsh voice and no room for argument, he turned to Eulalia:
• “You need to come with me, now!”
• Eulalia, trembling, tried to back away, but there was nowhere to run; after all, a single step backwards made the wolves growl at everyone.
• “I... I'm not going with you! I don't even know who you are!” she stammered, her face pale with panic.
• The man, his gaze fixed and his expression hard, insisted:
• “I never said you had to accept or not.” His voice was cold, without a trace of compassion or doubt. “You're coming with me!”
• As Eulalia tried to move away, Alaric took the lead, dominating the space with his menacing presence.
• The wolves approached, slowly corralling the villagers into a smaller space, growling and threatening to attack. Eulalia saw all this with a heavy heart and looked again at the man in front of her, who was smiling cruelly.
• “You can come with me for good, or you can come after I've killed every living soul in this place... One way or another, you'll come!”
• Tom, trying to get up, stammered, trying to show courage, but speaking like a frightened little mouse:
• “You can't do that! She's my fiancée!” That was a lie that he wanted to be real; after all, that's what Tom wanted to talk to Eulalia about that night, asking her to marry him.
• Alaric looked at the fallen young man like someone looking at a worm in his boot, his lips rising in pure disgust and disdain. That little thing dared to believe that his companion belonged to him? He had always thought humans were idiots, but this one in particular amused him.
• “And who's going to stop me? You? I'll break you in half if you try human!”
• Eulalia felt her heart race. The villagers' faces turned into expressions of despair and fear, while the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her.
• “Please don't hurt anyone!” she begged, her voice weak but filled with a genuine terror that echoed throughout the square.
• Alaric looked at her with a small smile of derision, leaning his body down to stand close to her, holding his companion's chin with a certain strength:
• “It's your decision; you'll only hurt them if you resist.”
• The order was clear, and Eulalia knew he would carry out his threat if she tried to fight back. Her heart squeezed, and she saw her father, cornered by a wolf, looking at her with despair. She didn't want to lose her little girl.
• While confusion dominated the square and the villagers desperately searched for an escape route, Alaric's figure stood out with authority. His voice, cold and uncompromising, sounded like the final touch of an implacable fate.
• Eulalia, her eyes watering with tears and fear, said:
• “For everyone's sake, I'll go with you!”