Chapter 5 Chapter 5
Sabrina’s Perspective
I cowered in the corner, trembling.
Two bodies lay on the ground. The smell of blood was overwhelming. The enormous black wolf stood in the center of the alley, its fur dark in the moonlight.
Derek had found me.
It was the only thought in my head. He sent someone to get me. He was going to take Abigail away from me.
No. No, no, no.
I would rather die than go back to that cage!
Suddenly, the black wolf began to change.
The sound of bones rearranging made my skin crawl. The black fur receded, muscles reshaping. Seconds later, a man stood there.
Completely naked.
Under the dim streetlight, I saw his face.
Tall, at least six-foot-three. His muscles were clearly defined, not the kind from a gym, but honed from real combat. Scars littered his torso and arms.
His face was handsome, with a strong jaw, a high-bridged nose, and dark brown hair that fell messily to his shoulders.
And his eyes.
Gray. Unfocused.
He was blind, I guessed?
My gaze drifted down uncontrollably. He was completely naked, utterly unconcerned. And his... lower body... was huge.
My cheeks burned, and I quickly looked away.
He said nothing, turning to walk toward the alley's exit.
I was stunned. He was leaving? Just like that?
"Who are you?" I blurted out. "Why did you save me?"
He didn't stop. Didn't answer.
"Wait!" I struggled to my feet, my legs still weak. "Tell me who you are!"
"Not necessary." His voice was deep, devoid of warmth.
He continued walking, his bare feet hitting the cold concrete.
I bit my lip. For some reason, this man felt... familiar.
"Have... have we met somewhere before?"
The man stopped. But he didn't turn around.
"Ten years ago, by the lake on the border of the Stillwater Pack." His voice was frighteningly calm. "You saved a dying rogue."
I gasped.
The memory hit me like lightning.
The summer I was thirteen. I was walking by the lake and found a man collapsed on the shore. Covered in blood, barely breathing. I was terrified, but I still brought him water and food. I took care of him in a small cabin in the woods for a few days until he could move on his own.
Then he disappeared.
"It was you... You're alive..." I murmured.
"Yes." His voice was still cold. "I'm alive. And now, we're even."
He started to walk away.
"Wait!" I called out again. "What do you mean, 'we're even'? You don't owe me anything. I just... I just did what I thought was right."
The man turned. His eyes were still unfocused, but I could feel them lock onto me.
"In my world, a life saved is a debt that must be repaid. I saved you tonight. We owe each other nothing."
"But—"
"Stop following me," the man cut me off coolly. "You don't want to know who I am, and you don't want to be involved in my world. Go back to your child and stay out of trouble."
With that, he vanished into the night.
I stood there, staring in the direction he had left.
Police sirens wailed in the distance. I snapped back to reality, glanced at the two bodies in the alley, and quickly ran in the opposite direction.
---
It was almost dawn when I got home.
Mrs. Campbell was asleep on the sofa, holding Abigail. I gently lifted my daughter and placed her in our bed.
"Thank you," I said to Mrs. Campbell.
"It's nothing, dear," she yawned. "You look exhausted. Did something happen?"
"Just a busy night," I lied.
She didn't press, returning to her own apartment.
I locked the door, leaning against it and closing my eyes.
That man. How was he in that alley? How did he know I had a child?
And why was he so cold?
I shook my head. None of it mattered. He was right. We owed each other nothing.
I climbed into bed. Abigail rolled over beside me, her small hand gripping my shirt.
"Mama..." she mumbled.
"Shh." I kissed her forehead. "Mama's here."
I closed my eyes, but the images from the alley kept replaying in my mind.
The bodies. The blood. The black wolf.
And, of course, the naked body of that man, his cold, gray eyes.
---
The police came the next afternoon.
Two officers stood at my door. One young, one old.
"Miss Sabrina Gentry?" the older officer asked.
"That's me."
"We'd like to ask you a few questions. About what happened last night in the alley off Oak Street."
My heart sank.
They took me to the station. The interrogation room was small, with gray walls. One table, three chairs.
"Tell us what happened last night," the young officer said.
"I finished my shift at the bar and was walking home through that alley," my voice was steady. "Three thugs stopped me. One of them was my former manager, Mike. They wanted to... assault me."
"And then?"
"I don't know, I fainted," I continued to lie.
The older officer stared at me. "You fainted?"
"Yes."
"You didn't see who killed them?"
"No."
They exchanged a look.
"Miss Gentry," the young officer said, "the wounds on those two men were... unusual. Like they were mauled by a large animal."
I feigned fear. "I really don't know anything. Those three men tried to rape me, and I passed out from fear."
They asked many more questions. But I covered my tracks well.
Finally, they let me go. But the older officer said, "We may contact you again. Don't leave the city."
"I'm not going anywhere," I said.
My legs were shaking as I walked out of the police station, but I didn't have time for fear. I had a daughter to raise.
I hurried home, looked after Abigail, and when evening came, I went back to work at the bar.
As I expected, Mike didn't show up. I heard from a coworker that Mike had quit last night. Apparently, he "ran into trouble and had to leave town."
"I heard the police are looking for him," a waitress whispered. "Something to do with that murder case."
I didn't join the conversation.
At 9:00 PM, the bar started to get busy. I was behind the counter, mechanically mixing drinks, pouring shots, and collecting tips.
At 9:30, the bar door pushed open.
A man in a leather jacket walked in, followed by two men who were clearly enforcers.
My body tensed immediately.
Werewolves.
They were werewolves.
I could feel it. That energy, that oppressive presence.
The man sat down at the bar, his gaze lingering on me for far too long.
"Whiskey, neat," he said, then suddenly sniffed the air.
My hand trembled, nearly knocking over a bottle.
The man gave a playful smile. "Don't be nervous, little thing. I'm just passing through. But... a rejected she-wolf, all alone, smelling of a child... Do you know what that means?"
My face went pale.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about," I tried to play dumb.
The man laughed. "Stop acting. You still have the faint trace of an Alpha's mark on you. It's weak, but I can smell it." He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Derek of the Stillwater Pack, right? You're that abandoned waste?"
I gripped the bottle in my hand.
The man continued, "My boss is very interested in collecting... special rogues. Especially those with secrets. Tell me, wouldn'A Derek's former Luna know some valuable information?"
"I don't know anything," I said through gritted teeth.
"What about your child, then?" The man's words made me freeze instantly. "An Alpha's child, even a rejected one, is very valuable, isn't it?"
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