Chapter 4 The Family

• Beta's POV
• The forest, the wolves, your mother, it’s all connected. But don’t worry, I’m here to make sure you don’t get lost in it.”
• I felt my breath catch in my throat, my anger now mixed with something else, something darker. “I don’t need your help,” I spat, my voice low and dangerous.
• Kade raised an eyebrow, his smile twisting into something darker. “You sure about that? Because it looks to me like you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
• His words left me reeling. What the hell was going on? Who was he? And how did he know so much about me?
• Before I could respond, Kade turned, his back to me as he began walking into the forest. “Follow me, Beta. If you want answers, you need to come with me. But be warned, once you step into this world, there’s no going back.”
• He didn’t wait for a reply. Just kept walking, disappearing into the trees without another glance.
• I stood there, frozen in place, the weight of my confusion and fear pressing down on me. Should I follow him? Was it a trap? What if I was making the biggest mistake of my life?
• Before I could make up my mind, the ground beneath me rumbled, and a deep growl echoed from the depths of the forest. The sound sent an icy shiver through my body.
• My breath quickened. The growl grew louder, closer. My chest tightened.
• Something was coming.
• I froze, my instincts screaming at me to run, to get away from whatever was out there, but I couldn’t move. Not with Kade disappearing into the shadows, not with the growl getting closer, vibrating through the ground beneath my feet.
• And then, through the trees, a pair of glowing eyes appeared.
• They grew larger, coming into focus. The outline of a massive wolf emerged from the shadows. Its body was tense, muscles rippling as it stepped closer, its eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my skin crawl.
• This wasn’t just any wolf.
• It was one of them.
• One of the wolves.
• My heart raced. The memories of that night, my father, the blood, the screams, flooded my mind in an instant.
• What the hell is happening?
• Before I could even react, the wolf lunged.
• I needed to escape, but my feet felt heavy. I broke into a run, the wet earth slipping beneath me, the rain hammering against my face, making it hard to see.
• My mind screamed at me to keep moving, but the sound of a low growl pierced the air. My blood ran cold.
• I froze.
• The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and a cold shiver crawled down my spine. Through the sheets of rain, I saw them, eyes. Glowing in the distance, gleaming from the shadows. Wolves.
• More Wolves..
• A sickening knot twisted in my stomach as they began to creep forward. Their bodies slipped in and out of the darkness like shadows, their eyes locked on me, predatory and unwavering. I couldn’t breathe.
• I couldn’t move.
• My heart hammered against my ribs, and every muscle in my body screamed at me to run, but my feet were cemented to the ground. The growls grew louder, the sound vibrating through the trees, through the earth, shaking me to my core.
• I backed up slowly, my breath coming in shallow gasps, but the wolves only inched closer. Their growls were low, ominous. The rain felt heavier, the world felt smaller. My vision blurred. I swallowed hard, fighting the panic creeping up my throat.
• Then, through the pack, a figure emerged, tall, unmistakable.
• Kade!.
• He strode forward, calm and unbothered, like the wolves weren’t closing in on me. The pack parted as if they were his to command. His lips curled into that unsettling smile as he stopped right in front of me.
• “I told you to follow me, Beta,” Kade said softly, his voice almost soothing, yet there was something dark beneath it.
• My chest tightened, the fear flooding my veins. “What do you want from me?” My voice was shaky, barely a whisper above the roar of the rain.
• Kade’s smile widened,
• “You’re already here, aren’t you? What else do you need?”
• I looked at the wolves, their eyes fixed on me, the growls vibrating through the air. My heart hammered against my ribs. “I don’t... this is crazy. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
• Kade’s expression shifted, the dark amusement never leaving his face. “You’ve always been on the outside looking in, Beta. Now, you’re finally where you belong.”
• The words hit me like a punch. Where I belong?
• Before I could respond, Kade gave a subtle tilt of his head. “Come with me. It’s time to meet the pack.”
• My feet felt like lead, my body froze in place. The rain pelted down harder. Something magnetic in Kade’s presence, something I couldn’t ignore. Like I was being drawn in, like I was already too far gone to turn back.
• I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself, trying to fight the rising panic. “I’m not—”
• Kade’s eyes flashed, something dark flickering in them, and he took a step closer. His voice dropped to a whisper, almost like a warning. “You don’t get to decide anymore, Beta.”
• His words hit me like a jolt of electricity, and I felt it, there was no escaping.
• There was no turning back.
• I swallowed hard, my breath catching in my throat. “I’m coming,” I whispered to myself, almost as if I had no control over it, before stepping forward toward Kade.
• As I took that first step, the wolves fell in line behind me, moving silently, like shadows in the night. They were with me now, following me, their eyes burning into my back as I walked.
• The pack led me deeper into the forest, Kade walking beside me, the sound of his footsteps too calm, too controlled. Every once in a while, he would glance over at me, that same unsettling smile still tugging at his lips.
• I wasn’t sure where I was headed or what I had just agreed to, but my feet moved, and the wolves moved with me.
• There was a silence that settled between us, one that felt heavy, suffocating. My mind raced.
• " What the hell is happening?"
• Then, ahead, the trees opened up. A clearing. And the moment I saw it, the knot in my stomach tightened.
• Kade stopped, and so did I.
• “Welcome to our home,” he said softly,