Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 56: 56

POV Savannah Bowen

I woke up with a gasp, bolting upright on the soft mattress, my breathing heavy. My hair clung to the back of my sweaty neck, and my eyes were wide open.

I blinked, adjusting to the room that had been part of my routine for weeks.

Sitting up, I curled against the headboard, folding my knees and resting my chin on them, tears streaming down my face.

"It wasn’t real, just a vivid dream," I muttered, trying to convince myself.

My skin was cold as ice and pale. I pressed my trembling fingers firmly against the sheets, swallowing a deep sob.

I glanced toward the window, watching the orange dusk of late afternoon.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to shake off the vivid dream, but I couldn’t. The image of Selena, her throat being slashed by one of Hunter’s men, hit me like a knife. They kept her in the forest, killing her in front of me as a punishment for running from him and hiding in Dăneşti.

Another sob escaped my throat, shaking my shoulders.

I was a terrible older sister. Selena was somewhere, in danger, and I couldn’t do anything to protect her. Her transformation was closer than ever, and as a result, her scent was intensifying, becoming more pungent. She was alone and unprotected. They would find her eventually.

Dragging myself out of bed, I walked to the window, observing the landscape of trees ahead. It looked exactly like in my dream, so vivid it terrified me.

What if it was a vision? What if they really had my sister and my sixth sense was trying to warn me?

I brought my thumb to my lips, nervously chewing my nail.

I had to find Selena. I couldn’t wait any longer. And what about her heat? How would she handle it without the herbs? Our stolen stash had run out. They would smell her—not as strongly, because she wasn’t fully transformed into a wolf yet, but they would.

I had to find a way to track her down, to bring her back to Dăneşti quickly. As long as Selena remained unprotected, I would never have peace. Hunter knew she was my only weakness and would use her against me without a second thought.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart that buzzed in my ears. When I opened them again, I noticed the way the tall pine branches swayed in the wind, and all the control I thought I had slipped away.

It was just like in the dream. Exactly like the damned dream.

I needed to search for her, to find my sister somehow. Even if I had to flood the forest with my own blood, marking the territory with my scent. Hunter’s wolves already knew where I was—it wouldn’t make any difference to them, but for Selena, it would.

Spinning around, I ran out of the room, my heart still roaring in my chest. I descended the stairs, skipping several steps without caring about being quiet.

Nicoleta wasn’t home, nor were my babysitters, better known as Anton and Andrei. I was alone. It had to be a divine sign.

I didn’t think much as I shoved the front door open with all my strength. I ran outside, avoiding the stone path to stay out of sight.

I just wanted to investigate, leave some kind of trail, and come back before they noticed. Selena was smart enough; she would find me.

I crushed dry branches under my bare feet as I ran toward the edge of the territory. The moon was already rising to its peak, and the sky’s colors were no longer vibrant, fading into the purest darkness.

I rubbed my fingertips against the rough tree trunks. Leaves scratched the skin of my feet. I ignored everything I felt, keeping my breathing steady, calm, so Fenrir wouldn’t sense my desperation.

The cold breeze was a welcome contrast, drying the sweat on my face and neck.

As I approached the edge, the sharp stench of death hit me. The decomposing heads emitted a putrid odor, and the buzzing of flies around them churned my stomach.

I avoided one of them, not lingering too long to stare. Its eyes were white, the flesh eaten by animals, and a viscous liquid dripped from the bamboo pole pinning it to the ground.

If I’d eaten anything recently, I would have thrown it all up right then.

Fenrir had a rather… acidic sense of humor.

He wasn’t an alpha like the ones I’d known, but he was no less psychopathic than them—if not more. I couldn’t see my father, Caspian, or Hunter impaling heads and turning them into a barrier at the territory’s edge. They killed and buried the bodies, plain and simple.

I stopped halfway and rested my hands on my knees, leaning forward.

This wasn’t Dăneşti territory anymore; it was part of the forest, where Selena could easily wander and be found.

I looked down at my clothes, cursing myself for not changing into something else before running out like a lunatic. I was wearing cream-colored silk pajamas. They weren’t more revealing than the nightgowns I wore for bathing, but they didn’t hide much either.

I flared my nostrils, trying to catch scents, but the decomposing heads smelled so foul I couldn’t pick up anything else besides their rot.

I straightened my posture, extended my fangs, and brought my thumb to my mouth, breaking the skin. A drop of blood appeared. I approached the tree and smeared it onto the bark, ignoring the sting of pain.

The small wound healed quickly, so I had to repeat the process several times. Biting the skin until it broke and a drop of blood emerged. I marked every tree around me, not limiting myself to just the trunks but also the low branches and leaves where rainwater wouldn’t wash it away.

Selena must already be looking for me. She saw me running into the forest; she knew where to start searching.

Once I was done, I crossed my arms and hugged myself, trying to fight off the wave of cold. The air was mild, but without the sun to warm me, my clothes were hardly suitable for the temperature.

I spun in a full circle, scanning my surroundings.

The sky was completely dark, the silvery light of the moon reflected on me, casting my shadow in front of me.

I let out a heavy sigh, satisfied with my work, before walking back with firm steps toward the boundaries of the Dăneşti territory, where it was still safe for me.

"Well, well… Hunter won’t believe his luck when we tell him," a male voice came from my left, raising every hair on my body.

I turned toward it, spotting a tall, strong male. The moonlight highlighted his brown hair, matching his dark eyes and deep brown skin.

I took a step back, and he took one forward. I retreated while he advanced, a predator-prey dance.

"You won’t live long enough to tell him anything," I whispered through clenched teeth.

The male laughed.

"Of course we will. The bitch was alone, outside the alpha’s territory." He flared his nostrils. "And marked, no less."

"If you know I’m marked, you must also know he’ll come for me. He always knows where I am," I retorted, trying to buy time.

I needed a practical, quick solution. I had to cross back into Dăneşti territory. If I screamed and ran, they’d catch me easily.

"Oh, you little bitch, Hunter has big plans for you once you’re home," another male said behind me. "Removing that mark will be the first thing he does."

I turned slightly, watching both of them from my peripheral vision while maneuvering closer to the line of decapitated heads.

"And today is your lucky day because he’s going to make you his wife again."

I felt my brow furrow.

"And why would he do that?" I countered.

"You’ll find out when you ask him."

A third wolf appeared, this one fully transformed. The beast rose before me, standing in my path, baring its teeth. Its green eyes, with dilated pupils, locked onto mine.

I swallowed hard as panic surged through my body, gnawing at my insides.

The wolf stepped silently on the dry branches, making no noise. It was nearly my height, its beige fur glistening under the moonlight.

And it was terrifying. Far more terrifying than any threats from the alphas beside me.

The closer it got, the larger it seemed to grow.

I was used to seeing transformed wolves, but I had never been threatened by one. My legs began to tremble, and my steps became unsteady. I couldn’t focus on anything other than the animal before me.

It growled, drooling and baring its fangs.

I extended my hands, as if I could stop it with my palms. As I backed away, it advanced on me.

"Fenrir will kill every one of you," I hissed.

The first male let out a laugh.

"See that, Ethan? The bitch thinks she has power standing next to that psychopath."

"I want to watch every second of Hunter’s hands on her. It’ll be so entertaining to see him break her again and again until she realizes no one will save her from him."

Tears pricked my eyes. I shook my head, refusing to accept such a grim and meaningless fate.

"That will never happen. Never," I vowed, unsure if I was trying to convince them or myself.

The stench of decay grew stronger. I almost sighed with relief. I was close to the territory. Close enough for them to come to my aid, for me to be saved by the Dăneşti once more.