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

Wait, what is she doing? My body stiffens.

Even the most inexperienced fighter knows that once an opponent goes down, you’re not supposed to attack them.

The Beaver is no longer moving. And the other fighter is still beating her ruthlessly.

She’s going to kill her!

I take a step forward to intervene when I realize it’s too late. Horror courses through me.

From the way the Beaver’s body is jerking with each punch, I can see that she’s already long gone. Her mask has slipped off, and her eyes are open and faded. She’s not reacting anymore, but the woman wearing my mask is not stopping. A tense silence is falling over the crowd. They’re seeing the same thing as I am.

Why isn’t Mathew doing anything?!

“Somebody stop her!” a voice screams from the crowd.

“She’s killed her!”

“What the hell is going on?!”

Why would Mathew—

Suddenly, it hits me why I found the fighter’s movements so familiar. It’s the same shifter who was in the cage with me last time. I warned Mathew not to let her back in. There was something deranged about her attacks.

“Stop her!” People are shrieking now, some trying to open one of the doors to the cage. They finally succeed.

But the fighter with my mask rushes out of the cage, heading straight toward me. She sees me, and I try to stop her, but she unsheathes her claws, swiping at me. I jump out of the way, and she runs past me. As she does, I hear laughter coming from her.

Stunned and shocked, I stay put after she disappears into the corridor.

“There she is!”

I recognize the voice as Mathew’s, and my head swivels toward the crowd of people approaching me. Mathew is leading them, glee in his eyes.

What is he doing? Why is he pointing at me?

“It’s her!” he shouts. “She’s just standing there! Grab her!”

Instinct is telling me to run, but I’m frozen in place.

No! He knows it’s me! Why is he leading them toward me?

And why is he smiling like that?

What have I gotten myself into?

My head feels groggy now. My tongue is thick in my mouth, and all my senses are turning dull.

The crowd is making its way toward me, and fear strikes me in the heart. Why aren’t my legs moving? I need to run!

Two figures wearing cloaks dart out from the crowd at a speed a normal human eye cannot detect. One of them grabs my hand and pulls me along with him. The other person runs alongside us.

“Somebody stop them!” Mathew screams, sounding furious now. “They’re getting away! Stop that murderer!”

I can hear the stampede behind us, and I’m trembling uncontrollably. But the man pulling me along with him isn’t stopping.

“Get her things!” he orders his companion, and my head jerks up to look at him.

Alex?