Free Web NovelChapter 14: Chapter 14
Riley’s POV
I don’t think. I don’t hesitate. The moment I realize she’s breathing, I grab her carefully and guide her into my car. My hands are shaking so badly I can barely fasten her seatbelt, but I force myself to focus.
"Stay awake," I tell her as I slide into the driver’s seat. "Please stay awake."
She looks at me through half-lidded eyes and nods once. She doesn’t cry. She doesn’t scream. That alone terrifies me.
I start the engine and drive.
I don’t care about speed limits right now. I don’t care about anything except getting her to the hospital alive. My heart pounds so hard it hurts. My thoughts keep colliding into each other.
I hit someone. I hit a fucking child. I could have killed her.
The hospital comes into view faster than I expect. I pull into the emergency lane and jump out of the car, shouting for help. Nurses rush out with a stretcher. A doctor follows close behind.
"She ran into the road," I say quickly, my voice unsteady. "I didn’t see her in time. Please—please help her."
They lift her gently onto the stretcher and wheel her inside. One nurse asks for my name and details, but I barely hear her. Everything feels unreal.
Then they take her away.
And I’m left alone.
I pace the hallway outside the emergency ward. Back and forth. Back and forth. My heels echo against the floor, loud and hollow. My hands keep clenching and unclenching. Every second feels stretched too long.
What if she’s badly hurt?
What if she dies?
What if this is the thing that finally breaks me?
Minutes pass. Or maybe hours. I don’t know. Time feels strange here.
Finally, a doctor steps out. He looks calm. Too very calm.
I rush toward him instantly. "What happened?" I ask breathlessly. "Is she okay?"
He smiles."Yes," he says. "She’s fine. You can see her now."
Relief hits me so hard my knees almost buckle. I press my hand to my chest and let out a shaky breath.
"Thank you," I say. "Thank you so much."
But as I look at him more closely, something about his smile feels... off. It’s not unkind. Just strange and almost amused.
I blink, unsettled, then push the feeling aside. I’m just stressed. That’s all.
He gestures down the hall. "Second room on the left."
I nod and walk away.
The ward is quiet as I reach the ward door and push it open slowly.
Inside, the girl is sitting upright on the bed.
Perfectly fine.
No oxygen mask. No bandages. No IV. Nothing.
She looks at me and smiles calm and unbothered.
"Hello," I say cautiously, stepping inside and closing the door behind me.
"Hi, Riley Grayson," she says cheerfully. "It’s nice meeting you."
I freeze.
"What?" I blink hard. "How do you know my name?"
She tilts her head slightly, studying me. Her eyes are too sharp for a child. They shine with something I can’t quite place.
"Everyone knows you," she says simply.
I take a step closer, my heart beating faster again, but this time not from fear but from confusion.
She looks... normal. Small. Slim. No older than ten. Maybe even younger.
"Are you feeling okay?" I ask. "Does anything hurt?"
She shakes her head. "I’m fine."
"That’s not possible," I say quietly. "You were hit by my car."
"I know," she replies easily.
I frown. "You should be in pain."
She smiles wider. "I heal quickly." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
I pause. "You... what?"
"I heal quickly," she repeats. Then she adds, like she’s telling me her favorite color, "I’m an Alpha."
The word hits me like ice water.
"What?" I gasp.
She nods, completely serious now. She swings her legs off the bed and stands.
My breath catches. "You shouldn’t be standing. Sit back down."
She ignores me and steps closer. She’s small, but there’s something about the way she moves. Confident. Certain.
"I’m not a normal human in crescent hollow," she says.
My pulse spikes. "This isn’t funny."
"I’m not joking," she replies.
I stare at her, searching her face for signs of lying or confusion but I find none.
"An Alpha?" I repeat slowly despite knowing what she means but then there were several Alphas in crescent Hollow "So like... what? A leader? A title?"
She shakes her head. "No, I’m a werewolf."
The room feels like it tilts.
"Huh? Then you ran into my car purposely?" I whisper.
I let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Okay. You hit your head. That explains it."
She watches me calmly. "You don’t believe me."
"Of course I don’t," I say. "You’re a child."
"And you’re married to a man who doesn’t respect you," she replies casually.
My breath catches."What did you just say?"
She shrugs. "I know things."
I feel a chill crawl up my spine and I lower my voice. "Who are you?"
She looks up at me. "My name is Summer."
"Summer," I repeat. "Where are your parents?"
She smiles faintly. "They sent me."
"That’s not an answer."
"They’re very powerful," she continues. "They need you."
My chest tightens. "For what?"
She steps closer until she’s standing right in front of me. I notice now that her eyes aren’t brown like I first thought. They’re something else. Gold. Very faint, but unmistakable.
"I want you to come somewhere with me," she says.
I stiffen. "Absolutely not happening."
She blinks. "Why?"
"Because you’re a child I just hit with my car, and this conversation is insane," I reply. "I’m calling the nurse."
I reach for the door.
"Wait," she says quickly. "You asked earlier if it was why I ran into your car."
I stop and turn back slowly. "What?"
She nods. "Yes."
My stomach drops. "You did it on purpose?"
"Yes."
"What the hell?" I whisper. "Are you serious?"
She smiles again. "It was the fastest way."
"The fastest way to what?" I demand.
"To meet you."
My heart starts racing. "You could have been killed for goodness sake"
"I wouldn’t have been," she says confidently.
"That’s not something you gamble with," I snap at once, feeling frustrated.
She looks at me closely. "You’re angry."
"Yes," I say sharply. "I am."
"And scared," she adds.
I don’t respond.
She sighs softly, like she’s far older than she looks. "You’re standing at a turning point, Riley Grayson. Whether you know it or not."
I swallow. "You don’t get to talk like that."
She steps back and gestures toward the window. "You feel trapped. Your marriage. Your company. Your life. You keep carrying everything alone."
My throat tightens."You don’t know me enough to say that young woman," I say.
"I do," she insists.
"Enough."I shake my head. "This is crazy." I say..
Silence stretches between us as I take a deep breath. "Even if any of this were true, which it isn’t, I’m not going anywhere with you."
She studies me for a long moment.
"Then I’ll make it simple," she says. "If you don’t come willingly, things will happen around you. Accidents. Losses. Pressure."
My eyes widen. "Is that a threat?"
"It’s a warning," she says calmly.
My chest pounds. "Who the hell are you and who sent you?"
She hesitates then says, "Someone who’s very interested in you." freēwēbnovel.com
I let out a shaky breath. "You expect me to believe a ten-year-old werewolf just threatened my life?"
She corrects gently, "I’m older than you think."
I stare at her, my mind spinning. "What happens if I say no?" I ask quietly.
She meets my gaze without blinking. "Then you stay human and unprotected, crescent hollow is more dangerous than you think once they set their eyes on a potential prey whom they’ve never noticed before"
