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

Another person appears in my fuzzy line of sight.

Alex!

What is that expression on his face?

I can’t stop my eyes from closing as I finally pass out from the pain.

*** **

My whole body is tingling when I come to. I’ve felt this sensation twice before in my life. Once when I was at the orphanage and I killed those boys. And the second time was when I first started fighting for Mathew.

Growing up, my strength was on the same level as that of humans. I never really felt my wolf’s presence, and I was always told that I had been born with a dormant wolf, hence the label of latent shifter. But that day when the boys in the orphanage attacked me, I felt a new source of strength inside me, something vicious and indomitable. I chalked it off as adrenaline, as I was fighting to survive. I was sent to this town after that, and when I started fighting for Mathew with this newfound strength, I felt the presence of a beast inside me, an intelligent creature. But even after all these years, I have never come close to shifting forms.

Not that I think this was the transformation taking hold of me. It felt more like my beast trying to get out. But something was holding it in. I could feel something restricting it.

I open my eyes and stare at the green ceiling of Elsa’s office. My wolf is quiet now, calm and slumbering.

Did Elsa bring me here from the forest? Did I imagine seeing Alex there?

I move my body hesitantly, not wanting a repeat performance of that pain, but when I sit up, my muscles are relaxed, and I feel completely normal.

The door opens as I’m placing my feet on the ground. Elsa walks in and blinks. “You’re awake.”

I stretch my arms above my head. “Yeah. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

Elsa doesn’t say anything, watching me quietly.

Her silence troubles me. “What?”

“You don’t remember?” Elsa asks softly.

“Remember what?”

Elsa sits down on the visitor chair and begins speaking. But the moment she does, I grip my head, a loud buzzing in my head drowning out her voice.

I feel her hands on my shoulders, and suddenly, the buzzing is gone. Breathing hard, I stare down at the tiled floor. What the heck was that?

“I see,” Elsa murmurs as she helps me straighten up.

“What do you see?” A wave of nausea washes over me, and I reach out to grab the wastebasket a few inches from me. I heave into it, but aside from spit, nothing comes out. I groan, leaning back against the couch. “I’m getting really sick of this.”

“Easy there.” She pours a glass of water and hands it to me.

I sip it, feeling relief as the cold liquid pushes the nausea back and gets rid of the disgusting taste in my mouth.

“I’m either going crazy,” I say heavily, “or I’m inches away from exploding.”

“It’s neither,” Elsa reassures me.

I quickly look at her. “You know what’s wrong with me?”

She tilts her head to one side as she answers. “Yes, but there’s no point in telling you.”

“Why not?”

“Because—”

The strange buzzing sound begins again, but it vanishes almost instantly when Elsa stops talking.