The Alpha’s Fated Choice (Alpha's Fated Encounter Trilogy #1)

I set down my belongings and head to the kitchen to make some dinner. I can still work part of my shift if I leave now, but I don’t want to. It’s not like I’m taking advantage of Elsa’s generosity; I’ve worked multiple overtimes for her when she needed me to. I’ve also pulled double shifts when required. But lately, I haven’t been on top of my game.

There are still some sandwiches left over from Elsa’s delivery yesterday, and I take them out of the fridge. I also have some roasted chicken that I picked up the other day, which I pop into the microwave.

Standing at the counter, I munch on a sandwich, thinking about the day. Hearing the details of Nathan’s situation made me realize how terrible it must be for him. I’m no longer angry with him, as I can understand his actions much better now. To him, I was just someone getting in the way of his sister’s safety. Would I have done the same thing if I were in his shoes?

I don’t get to complete my thought process, because just then, I hear my cell phone ring. Sandwich in hand, I go out to the living room where my phone is charging. The name on the screen has me frowning.

Rita? What does she want with me at eleven o’clock at night?

I answer hesitantly. “Rita, is everything—”

“I need to see you right now.”

I’ve never heard Rita sound so scared. “What’s wrong?”

“You need to come to my house right away,” she whispers, her voice shaking. “There are a lot of things you don’t know, Sophia. I lied about the Silver Wolf. She’s not a legend. She’s very real. And there are other things you should know. You’ve been lied to. They’ve all been lying to you. Everything is a lie!”

“What are you talking about?” I feel my heart racing. “Rita, what’s going on?”

“You need to come see me right now,” Rita says urgently. “He knows. He knows! I didn’t mean to tell him.”

“Who?” I press my lips together and wait, but she doesn’t answer me. “Rita, who are you talking about? What does he know?”

I wouldn’t have a problem going to work at the bar at this time of night, but Rita’s house is all the way at the other end of town. It’ll take me forever to get there.

“I can’t tell you over the phone. He’ll find out. Don’t let anybody see you, and don’t tell anybody you’re coming here.”

“Who would I tell?” I feel like I’ve been shaken.

“Go through the woods. Don’t use the main road. And hurry! I don’t have much time.”

The call ends, and I stare at the phone for a few seconds, a shiver crawling down my spine.

Why does she want me to go through the forest? Who is she so scared of?

I stuff what’s left of my sandwich into my mouth and walk back to the kitchen to stop the microwave. After putting the chicken back in the fridge, I grab my jacket and cell phone. The battery hasn’t had much time to charge, but I might need my phone.

As I make my way down the stairs, I come to a stop on one of the landings, having caught something in my peripheral vision. I look out the window, but I see only darkness. The street lights around my building are not on tonight, for some reason.

Surely, I was just imagining things. But a gut instinct makes me stay there, watching through the landing window that overlooks the street and the patch of woods across from me. At first, I see nothing. And then, a slight movement catches my eye.

There! Two men are leaning against a tree, facing my building. They’re not conversing with each other, simply watching the entrance. I’m reminded of Orlando, Noah’s assistant. He was watching the building from the same spot the other night.

A sense of unease forms within my chest, and I consider my options. I have a strong feeling that if I leave by the front door, these men are either going to stop me or follow me.

I make my way down the rest of the stairs, but instead of moving to the front of the building, I check the back entrance. Peering through the small window there, I’m not surprised to see two other men watching this door. The whole place is under surveillance. But why?

I have a feeling Rita might know.

There is one other way out of here. I’ve used it once or twice, but it’s been a long time. I head down to the basement. This building and the one next to it share the laundry facilities down here. Both buildings belong to the same person, and the basements are connected as one large space. I walk through the laundry room and climb the stairs into the building next door. The apartments in it are mostly empty, so I’m not surprised when I don’t run into anybody. It takes me a couple minutes to find the back entrance of this other building. But when I do find it and peer through the window there, there’s nobody outside guarding it. Unfortunately, the door is padlocked.

I don’t bother picking the lock; I simply break it with a nearby brick and set it aside. But when I start to open the door, it creaks loudly. I shut it immediately.

I can’t use this exit. If I do, the people guarding the back entrance of my building will no doubt hear me.

I look for another way out and see a window with a broken latch. When I raise the window, it doesn’t make a sound. It’s small, but it might do the trick. I manage to squeeze myself through it, and once outside, I scan the area to make sure nobody has noticed me. Staying behind the bushes that line the buildings, I hurry along till I’m at a safe enough distance to dart into the woods. From there, I run.

It was so strange to see all those people watching my building. Then again, the whole town has been acting strangely lately. I’ve seen the pack security team wandering around much more often than usual. I suppose, with the appearance of the Northern wolf, there might be tension within the pack, but it feels like there has to be something more than that.