7- The Encounter with Edric
POV Lunara Grimwald:
After minutes that felt like hours, and after pushing so deep into the forest—far enough that no other wolf could smell Elowen—I finally stopped.
A powerful wave of heat struck me, and I felt my pupils dilate. I released an intense scent, calling to any alpha in the area, unable to control it anymore.
I collapsed to my knees on the ground, scraping my palms against the rough stones, and let out a soft moan mixed with a faint purr.
Gods, this was so much worse than I had imagined.
I lifted my face, lips parting in a gasp. My eyes glowed, taking on an emerald-green hue.
Every damn bone in my body seemed to ache, as if I were melting from the inside out, dissolving.
I exhaled more pheromone.
I tried to stand, but I couldn’t. I needed to find a river nearby so I could bathe in the cold water. Maybe it would help suppress the heat seeping through me.
I sharpened my hearing, focusing on what I wanted to find—just as that bastard Alessio had taught me one day, right after I shifted.
I heard the sound of running water.
To the left, farther than I had imagined, but close enough that I could make it if I tried hard enough.
I tried to get up again, using every bit of strength I had left. My knees trembled, the muscles in my legs felt gelatinous.
I took a step, as if my limbs weighed a thousand tons.
Then another, and another.
I was too focused on the water to notice someone approaching. Too distracted to realize I was no longer alone.
The first thing I noticed was his scent. Fresh pine and damp earth, evoking the density of the forest surrounding me.
My eyes darted around, my heart collapsing in my chest so hard it felt like it might burst through my mouth.
I inhaled deeply, absorbing that scent again… familiar?!
But I didn’t know him. I was certain of that. His scent was nothing like any of the alphas I had ever inhaled.
It was different, unique, ancient.
Even though I couldn’t see him, I felt in the depths of my bones the absolute certainty that he was an alpha.
A branch snapped to my right. I turned quickly, taking on a predatory stance, letting my wolf instincts dominate me.
A deep, raspy laugh cut through the air, carried on the wind. He seemed to be mocking me, mocking the defensive stance I had taken. And that irritated me.
But in that moment, more than irritation, I was aroused—so much so that I felt I was about to die from sheer lust.
I gasped, arching my back under another wave of searing heat. He growled, still hidden behind the wide trunk of one of the trees surrounding us.
"Who… who are you?" I panted, struggling even to breathe.
Silence.
I rested my hands on my knees and let out a loud purr. My body was calling him to me, forcing him to come closer. I exhaled an even stronger scent, sweet as red roses.
He groaned, half growl, half moan. Then he stepped out from behind the tree.
His scent hit me even harder. He was an alpha. And not just any alpha—a powerful one.
As if my wolf approved of him, my core throbbed and my panties soaked through.
My eyes roamed over him—bare feet, long and toned legs covered by worn jeans that clung to his muscles as he prowled around me with silent, predatory steps. He wore a fitted white linen shirt stretched over a sculpted chest and broad, defined arms. His hands were strong and firm, veins running down from his wrists into his forearms.
"I’m the one asking—who are you?" he hissed. His voice was firm, strong, authoritative—it made me tremble.
I lifted my gaze.
He was… breathtaking.
The faint moonlight highlighted the rebellious waves of light brown hair framing a face of strong lines, a sharp jaw, and sun-kissed skin dusted with barely visible freckles. His eyes, a mix of deep blue at the edges and stormy gray at the center, fused into a piercing, captivating gaze.
Thick, well-shaped brows. A straight nose. Lips perfectly defined. The stubble on his jaw and around his mouth made him even sexier.
He was tall—much taller and broader than me. And he radiated raw power.
And his scent… God, divine.
My insides pulsed even harder, reacting on their own to the dominant presence of the powerful alpha. I let my backpack slide off my arms, dropping it to the ground.
He inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring.
"What are you doing in my territory?" he growled, as if restraining himself with great effort.
My knees gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground again, crushing the leaves beneath my weight.
"Your… your territory?" I panted, running my tongue over my dry lips. His sharp gaze followed the movement.
His pupils dilated, the silver mixing with the stormy color of his eyes.
He took a step closer, as though his body were being pulled toward me against his will.
"Who are you?" he snarled, repeating the question so loudly that I felt the vibration of his voice reverberate through my bones.
A wave of desire so intense hit me that I couldn’t contain it. I let out a low howl, filled with pain and torment. The alpha reacted, moving closer.
I was dying. It was the only explanation for what I felt.
Every fiber, every bone, every muscle in my body throbbed.
"Who are you?" I snapped back through clenched teeth, unable to think of anything more coherent to ask.
My body released a scent so intense that his faded in comparison, overtaken by mine, spreading through the air as if it were part of the forest itself.
In the blink of an eye, moving so fast I could hardly follow, he knelt in front of me.
"Edric," he growled.
I raised my sweaty face, strands of hair sticking to my forehead and neck, and then our eyes met.
And in that instant, I could feel that he wasn’t just looking at me—he was seeing everything I was.