CHAPTER THREE: A Scent He Can’t Ignore
791 Words
I didn’t stop running.
Not when my lungs burned.
Not when my legs threatened to give out.
Not even when the world around me blurred into nothing but shadows and noise.
Because one thought kept repeating in my head
He knows.
I pushed through the streets, past strangers, past lights, past safety that wasn’t really safety at all.
I had to get away.
Far away.
Anywhere he couldn’t find me.
But deep down…
I already knew the truth.
That kind of Alpha?
You don’t escape him.
I stumbled into a narrow alley, my breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. My hands shook as I pressed myself against the cold wall, trying to steady the storm raging inside me.
Focus.
Think.
Hide.
My heat was still there.
Still burning.
Still dangerous.
Still betraying me.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe slower, quieter.
If I could just stay here long enough…
If I could just control it.
Then maybe—
A sudden breeze brushed past me.
And with it—
That scent.
My entire body went rigid.
No.
That’s impossible.
I turned slowly, scanning the empty alley.
Nothing.
No one.
Just silence.
But the scent lingered.
Dark.
Heavy.
Unmistakable.
Him.
My heart began to pound violently.
He couldn’t be here.
I ran.
I made sure of it.
There’s no way—
“You’re not very good at hiding.”
The voice came from the shadows.
My breath stopped.
I spun around—
But no one was there.
Panic surged through me as I backed away, my eyes darting everywhere, searching, desperate.
“Show yourself!” I snapped, my voice breaking despite my attempt to sound strong.
A low chuckle echoed softly.
Too close.
Far too close.
“I can hear your heartbeat from across the street,” he said.
“And your scent…”
A pause.
A slow inhale.
“…is impossible to ignore.”
My chest tightened.
He was here.
Somewhere.
Watching.
Waiting.
I turned again, faster this time—
And froze.
He stepped out of the darkness like he had always been there.
No footsteps.
No warning.
Just suddenly—
Him.
My back hit the wall before I even realized I had moved.
“How—how did you find me?” I demanded, my voice trembling.
His gaze swept over me, slow and deliberate, like he was savoring every second of my fear.
“You left a trail,” he said simply.
A trail?
His eyes darkened slightly.
“Your scent lingers,” he continued. “On the air. On the ground.”
Another step closer.
“On me.”
My breath hitched.
“That’s not possible,” I whispered.
His lips curved faintly.
“You’re learning the hard way that everything about you…”
His gaze dropped briefly, then returned to mine.
“…is a problem.”
My stomach twisted.
I pushed myself away from the wall, trying to create distance.
“I won’t let you take me,” I said, even though my voice lacked conviction.
His expression didn’t change.
But something in the air shifted.
“You think this is about taking you?” he asked quietly.
I hesitated.
Because suddenly…
I wasn’t sure anymore.
He stepped closer again.
Close enough that I could feel the heat of his body.
Close enough that my own heat responded instantly.
My breath faltered.
“You ran,” he said.
“Good.”
I blinked, confused.
“But it doesn’t matter.”
My heart skipped.
“Because no matter how far you go…”
His voice dropped, softer now.
More dangerous.
“I will always find you.”
A chill ran down my spine.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze.
“Why?” I whispered.
For a moment—
Just a moment—
Something flickered in his eyes.
Not cruelty.
Not dominance.
Something darker.
Something deeper.
But then it was gone.
His expression hardened again.
“You don’t understand what you are yet,” he said.
My chest tightened.
“And that’s exactly why…”
He stepped back.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
“…everyone else will come for you.”
My blood ran cold.
Everyone?
“What do you mean?” I demanded, panic rising again.
But he didn’t answer.
Instead, he turned away.
Just like that.
Leaving me there.
Breathing hard.
Confused.
Terrified.
Alone.
Or so I thought.
Because a second later—
I felt it.
That same feeling from before.
Eyes.
Watching me.
From somewhere beyond the alley.
From the rooftops.
From the shadows.
Not just one presence.
Multiple.
My breath caught in my throat.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
I turned.
And for the first time—
I realized something far worse than being hunted by him.
I wasn’t just being tracked.
I was being surrounded.
- Writer
