Marked by the Alphas

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Elara POV

I am standing on all fours, crouching low, baring my teeth, and growling at the stranger. His scent is overwhelming, but I try to ignore it and remain alert. If I learnt anything from this morning, it would be to trust no one.

“Well, hello there, gorgeous,” he smiles, and immediately, I am captivated.

“He smells delicious,” Lily purrs in my head.

“Shh,” I reply harshly, even though I cannot argue the fact. “Now’s not the time to be sniffing out dinner.”

“Not that kind of delicious ...” Lily murmurs.

I know exactly what she means, and it irks me. What is wrong with me that I am attracted to the wrong men? Because this guy has my mouth watering.

He takes a step closer, and I growl even lower and more aggressively.

Who the hell is this guy, and what is wrong with him? Nobody walks toward a growling wolf.

His green eyes glimmer with something like amusement as he walks toward me, and I suspiciously glare at him. He is dressed in blue jeans, a white T-shirt with a flannel shirt over it, and Timberland hiking boots. He is not as big as Kane and Axel, but there is a lot of lean muscle, and I have no doubt he is strong. His black hair is expertly cut and styled, with slightly longer strands hanging over his forehead in a deliberately messy way.

Chiselled does not even begin to describe his face and jawline. If I had seen him walking down the street, I definitely would have taken a second look. A third, even.

And I hate it. I hate that I find him attractive and captivating. It is as if his appearance is a superpower – it pulls you in, forcing you to like him.

He takes another step toward me, this time holding his hand out, palm up.

I keep my teeth bare and resist the urge to back up. I refuse to show any weakness. freewebnσvel.cøm

The leaves crunch under his weight, and his scent drifts around me as he flashes a disarming smile, showing perfect white teeth.

I growl another warning. I cannot make any promises that I will not defend myself if he comes any closer. And since we were on wolf territory, well ... I hope he does not have any loved ones who would miss him when he mysteriously disappears. I might be in shit right now with Kane and Axel, but wolves take care of their own no matter what when it comes to trespassers.

“It’s okay,” he stops in front of me, squatting down as all the thoughts in my mind freeze. “I know what you are, love.”

That takes the wind right out of me. What did he say? And what gives him the right to call me love?

“Shh.” He holds out his hand again. “I mean you no harm. I was taking a walk through the woods, and I smelled you.”

He smelled me? Again. What. The. Fuck.

Lily takes over and cocks my head to the side, her inquisitive nature coming through loud and clear.

“Ah, shit,” he chuckles, and the sound sends shivers down my spine. “I get what’s going on. You can’t shift back and talk to me because you don’t have any clothes nearby.”

“Lily, no,” I hiss when she tries to nod at him that he is right.

“But ...”

“But nothing,” I interrupt her. “We don’t know anything about him. He’s not a wolf. For fuck’s sake, we don’t even know what he is. We have enough troubles as is, we don’t need more.”

He stands up, unbuttons his flannel shirt, and takes it off. Revealing under the fabric exactly what I expected - a lean, muscular body. It is hard to tell if it came naturally or from hours in the gym.

“Here,” he gently places the flannel shirt on the grass in front of me and turns around. “Shift and put this on. I’ll turn my back to you, and I pinky promise I won’t peek. Not even a little one.”

I am frozen to the spot as my heart beats rapidly. I stare at the shirt, then his back, and back to the shirt.

“Do it,” Lily commands.

“What did I just say?” I hiss. Maybe today’s events prove too much for Lily because she never wants to shift back to human.

“Just do it,” she insists. “The only way to get your answers is to ask. Besides, you’re a wolf. If he’s a threat, we’ll take care of it. If not, at least you’ll find out who and what he is.”

I stare at the man, considering Lily’s words until I decide to trust my wolf and shift back. Hurriedly, I grab the shirt, yanking it on and buttoning it as fast as my shaking fingers can manage.

Great, I groan inwardly. Now I am covered in his scent.

“Safe?” Mister Dangerous inquires.

“That depends on your definition of safe,” I reply, placing both hands on my hips in a warrior stance. I trust Lily, not him. I might not be as big as him, but I am powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with him, and my stance needs to reflect that. Plus, if he shows any danger, I can easily shift back into my wolf form and rip his throat out.

Man versus wolf was never a fair match-up.

He turns, crossing his muscular forearms over his chest, looking me up and down. “You look good in my flannel,” he says, looking at me with smouldering eyes. “It matches your eyes.”

I remain silent, roll my eyes, and give him a boring look. I do not care how sexy he is – I have had enough of men and their betrayal.

“I’m Braden,” he says, sticking his hand out. “And you are?”

“Not shaking your hand.” I keep my hands on my hips.

“How did you know what I am?” I demand.

“Like I said, I scented you,” he shrugs nonchalantly. “I haven’t been around any wolf shifters since the Great War, so once I smelled one, I had to find it.”