Through the Eyes of My Alpha (Black Shadow Pack #5)

Chapter 1

NADIA.

Iincreased the speed of the motorcycle I was riding through the forest while reveling in the feeling of the fresh air on my skin and the wind blowing against my hair.

Freedom. I can almost feel it.

My name is Nadia Morrison. I am a shifter. At least that I know. All the other things about me or my real family, I have no idea.

I’d heard things about my father, but I didn’t bother to find out more.

It was enough that I knew that he didn’t want me and had abandoned my mother while she was pregnant.

My mother died giving birth to me, and the man who took care of me when I was a baby left me with my uncle and aunt when I was five years old.

My aunt was my mother’s sister, but it didn’t feel like that. From the moment they took me in, they had groomed me so they could one day make money out of me. But I would never allow them to do that.

I planned to get away from them—away from the life that they were pushing me into.

I approached the spot where I needed to stop. I stopped the engine and jumped off the motorcycle, dragging it behind the bushes.

I instructed Tyson, one of my friends, to pick up the bike tomorrow and return it to Katarina, our Alpha’s sister and one of my closest friends.

From here, I had to walk for approximately five hours through the neutral forest until I reached a road where I could catch a ride with someone who could transport me to the city. Then, I would take the train and leave this place to start a new life within human territory.

I had been planning to run away since I turned eighteen but never had the courage to do so. But with my impending marriage to a man thirty years my senior by the next full moon, I couldn’t delay this any longer.

I needed to save myself, as no one else would do it for me.

I sighed deeply and slung my backpack over my shoulder before I began my journey, treading the ground not usually used for walking. I researched for months and found this path where I would most likely be unseen.

I had to go unnoticed. If I make it out of the neutral city, transferring from city to city and finding a place I like would be easier.

I didn’t have much money, just enough to survive for a month or two, but I could work. Katarina helped me with my fake credentials so I could apply for a job under a different name. I hope it was enough to hide my identity so my uncle couldn’t find me.

My wolf, Arrow, wasn’t pleased with my decision to live with humans, but she didn’t stop me. Being with humans was way better than being married to an old man who smelled of strong tobacco and alcohol.

He had been eyeing me since I was seventeen, and after four years of negotiating for the right amount to buy me, my greedy uncle decided I was only worth $50,000 and sold me to him.

But I knew my worth. I was worth more than that. Besides, I didn’t want my life wasted being used for pleasure by some old, dirty pervert. I needed to escape the fate they had set for me. I knew I could do and achieve more with my life.

The full moon was at its peak, and with my aunt in heat, she and my uncle would be preoccupied with pleasing each other and would be oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t home. Hopefully, I would be long gone by the time they noticed my absence.

I stopped and leaned my back on the big tree, panting as I thought of my next move.

I knew there was a small cave somewhere, and I could rest there for a few minutes before I continued with my journey.

I didn’t want to summon my wolf yet. I would let her out when my feet could no longer carry me.

So, I just let her rest in the back of my mind, not letting her share her energy with me.

I was about to resume my walk when I heard the sound of twigs snapping and dry leaves rustling as large paws padded the earth. The sound got louder as seconds passed, making my heart pound harder.

Did someone discover I was gone and start searching for me? Or worse, did a rogue smell me?

The sound was surely heading my way, so I began running without looking back. I prepared Arrow to shift while trying to focus on where I should be heading.

My heart constricted as the color drained out of my face. Whoever was running behind me was surely aiming for me.

Please, please don’t be a rogue. I begged Selene.

My hands balled into tight fists as I sprang faster. I sniffed the air, checking if I could smell it. But I knew it was impossible to catch a whiff of whoever it was because I was at the front, and the wind was blowing from the opposite direction.

But then the scent hit me. Instead of the rotten, disgusting smell that I was expecting, my nose was hit by the most delicious scent I had ever smelled.

The scent of a musky forest blends perfectly with the smell of mint and coffee.

It was intoxicating. Mouthwatering. Exhilarating.

I came to a complete halt from running. My lashes fluttered before my eyes closed, and I reveled in the scent swirling around me, putting me in a complete daze, only to be jolted back into reality when a loud growl ripped through the thin air.

My eyes snapped open, and slowly, I turned around, ready to meet the owner of the intoxicating scent, only to be met by the deep, dark, black eyes of a big black wolf glaring down at me.

Definitely not a rogue. He was too beautiful, and his aura was strong–too strong.

My eyes softened as I looked at him, and I could feel my core starting to throb. I found my mate.

But then the wolf snarled, baring its fangs at me.

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped as fear coursed through my whole body at how he stared at me.

Is he mad at me? What did I do wrong?

I inched backward, and a protruding root caught my foot, causing me to fall on my ass.

I gasped as the wolf lowered his head to my level, his eyes were glowering, his fangs still out for me to see.

I didn’t have time to think. I scrambled on my ass and leaped onto my feet. I began running away in panic.

I knew I would never be able to get away from him, but I didn’t want to stay there either and wait for him to tear me into pieces.

So I ran, but I was not even a meter away when I felt pain digging into my hip bone before I felt his fangs digging deeper and piercing into my skin.

“Aaahhhh!” A scream ripped from my throat as I tumbled and fell face flat on the ground. The big black wolf was still behind me, his fangs still attached to my back.

“Please, stop...” I begged, my eyes closing, trying to control the excruciating pain coursing through my body. “Please...”

The wolf was my mate. He was supposed to take care of me, but why is he doing this?

I didn’t want to die yet. I trembled from the intense pain as tears trickled down my face. I asked Arrow to heal me. She was also dumbfounded by our mate’s actions. She was doing her best to help me, but the wolf wasn’t letting go of my body.

“Please...” Soft sobs escaped my throat as my tears continued to fall. The pain was too much. It was paralyzing my senses. “Stop, please...”

I didn’t know when I stopped begging him, but I knew my body was already numb.

“Fuck!” A loud, deep growl came from behind me. His voice, despite the roar, was so alluring that, for a moment, I forgot the pain I was in.

I got curious, so I tilted my head to see him, but he was on the other side, and I couldn’t move.

Is he the wolf? Did he shift to his human?

The voice I heard was so sexy! Or was it a sign I was hallucinating and about to die?

“Don’t move. I need to heal you.” His deep baritone voice came again.

Despite hearing him clearly, his words failed to register in my mind. All I knew was that, despite the pain in my back, I felt tingles spreading between my thighs, and my desire to have at least a glance at him was growing.

I wanted to see him, but before I could think of anything, sparks ran through my whole body as something wet came into contact with my hip bone.

“What... are you... doing?” I gasped for air before a wanton moan escaped my lips.

“Goddess!” I cried in pleasure as his tongue continued to lap and suck my hip bone. Was he licking the area where his wolf bit me?

My senses were starting to cloud, and I was beginning to get lost in the ecstasy of his action. Shivers of pleasure and sparks were everywhere, and I felt a gush of wetness seeping through my underwear.

Before I knew it, he had gently lifted my body up and flipped me over, and by the time I opened my eyes, I was already straddling him as I sat on his lap.

My hands flew to his naked chest, and my eyes caught sight of a hard dick pointing upward in my direction.

Oh, Goddess! That is a huge one.

I closed my eyes and tried to control myself, but my stupid heart and my throbbing core were making it hard.

There was complete silence between us except for his labored breathing.

I slowly opened my eyes and tilted my head up.

It was then that I saw the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen.

I felt a mate bond snap into place as my gaze zeroed in on him.

The whole universe around us vanished. It was just him and me.

And as crazy as it sounds, for the first time, I felt secure. And complete.

“Mate...” His voice snapped me back to the present.

He really had a sexy voice, but I wish he would smile. His face showed no emotions at all, but regardless of that, his hands on my back—under my shirt—gently caressed my skin.

A slow smile crept onto my lips as my head tilted backward. I reveled in the sensual way he was touching me. I closed my eyes and let the sparks he was giving me rule my whole being until I couldn’t hold back my whimpers anymore. “Mate... Mine.”