Footsteps echoed in the darkness as the young woman ran for her life. Her legs trembled with exhaustion, her breath came in ragged gasps—but she didn’t dare stop. No, not now. Not when death was chasing her with every step. She had to keep going... no matter what.

The forest around her was thick with shadows, and the night had swallowed the path whole. She didn’t see the log lying in her way until it was too late. Her foot caught on it, and she crashed to the ground with a cry. Pain shot through her, but adrenaline pushed her forward. She scrambled to her feet and kept running.

“Please... no... God, don’t let me die like this,” she whispered through her tears, her voice trembling. “Someone... anyone... please help me…”

A deep, monstrous roar ripped through the night, cutting through the silence like a blade—and it was the last sound she heard before everything went black.

The beast emerged from the shadows, towering and feral. It approached her fallen body slowly, then paused. Sniffing the air, it bent down and gently scooped her up into its arms—cradling her like something precious.

Its glowing eyes studied her face. Then, with its head tilted toward the sky, it howled—long and powerful—at the full moon above.

The howl echoed through the forest like a declaration, primal and fierce. The beast inhaled her scent once more, something shifting in its gaze. And then it let out another roar—deeper, more commanding.

This time, it wasn’t just a sound.

It was the roar of an Alpha.