Chosen To Be The Alpha's Surrogate

**I Penelope I**

The forest surrounds me, a living, breathing entity. Moonlight filters through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. I'm lying on a bed, incongruous in this wild setting, the soft sheets a stark contrast to the earthy scent of moss and pine.

The air is thick with magic, pulsing with an energy I can almost taste. Fireflies dance between the trees, their soft glow creating a mesmerizing light show. In the distance, I hear the haunting call of a wolf, answered by its pack. The sound sends a shiver down my spine, not of fear, but of belonging.

I sit up, the cool night air caressing my skin. The forest floor beneath the bed is carpeted with wildflowers, their delicate petals glowing faintly in the moonlight. As I swing my legs over the side of the bed, the flowers seem to reach for me, their stems curling around my ankles in a gentle embrace.

A rustle in the underbrush draws my attention. My heart quickens as Malachi emerges from the shadows, naked and magnificent. His eyes, gleaming with an otherworldly light, are fixed on me with an intensity that steals my breath. In this dreamscape, he seems larger than life, more wolf than man, power radiating from him in palpable waves.

He approaches slowly, each step deliberate, predatory. I feel like prey, but not in a frightening way. It's exhilarating. As he reaches the bed, I reach for him, drawn by an irresistible force.

Our bodies come together in a tangle of limbs and heated skin. His touch ignites a fire within me, every caress leaving a trail of sparks in its wake. I lose myself in the sensation, in the taste of his lips, the feel of his hands exploring my body. The forest around us seems to respond to our passion, the trees swaying in a nonexistent breeze, the fireflies swirling in dizzying patterns.

Malachi's kisses trail down my neck, and I gasp as I feel the scrape of fangs against my skin. The wolf is close to the surface, I can feel it in the coiled power of his muscles, see it in the feral gleam of his eyes. But I'm not afraid. This is Malachi, my mate, my other half.

I run my hands down his back, marveling at the way his skin seems to ripple beneath my touch, as if the wolf is trying to break free. The air around us grows heavy, charged with an energy that makes my skin tingle and my heart race. Just as we're about to join, to become one in the most intimate way, something shifts. The forest goes silent, the fireflies blinking out one by one. Malachi suddenly pulls away, his eyes, moments ago dark with desire, now shine with an unreadable emotion.

"We can't," he says, his voice rough and pained. But it sounds like an echo, and I realize with a start that this is a dream as he adds, "Not like this."

Confusion and frustration war within me. "Why?" I ask, but it's as if I'm not really in my body, reaching for him again. The flowers at my feet, once so welcoming, now seem to wilt and fade.

Malachi moves away, each step taking him further into the shadows of the forest. The trees seem to bend towards him, their branches reaching out like grasping fingers. "It's not safe," he says, his voice carried on the wind. "You're not ready." "Ready for what?" I call out, struggling to my feet. The bed beneath me dissolves into mist, leaving me standing barefoot on the forest floor. "Malachi, wait!"

But my voice is swallowed by the night. The forest around me begins to blur, the trees melting into each other, the ground beneath my feet becoming insubstantial. I try to run after Malachi, but it's like moving through water, each step requiring immense effort.

The wolf's howl sounds again, closer this time. But it's not Malachi's voice I hear in it. This howl is different, ancient and powerful. It resonates through me, calling to something deep inside that I don't understand.

As the dream world dissolves around me, I catch one last glimpse of Malachi. He's standing at the edge of a clearing, his form halfway between man and wolf. His eyes meet mine, filled with a mixture of love, fear, and something else...

*Expectation.*

"Remember," his voice echoes in my mind as the dream fades. "Remember who you are..."

I jolt awake, my heart racing, body flushed with unfulfilled desire. For a moment, I'm disoriented, the line between dream and reality blurred. The feel of the sheets against my skin, the familiar scent of our bedroom, slowly grounds me. As my eyes adjust to the dim light, I realize I'm not alone. Malachi is beside me, propped up on one elbow, watching me intently. There's something in his gaze, a mixture of concern and... is that awe?

"Mal?" I murmur, my voice still thick with sleep. "What's going on?"

He doesn't answer immediately, his eyes searching my face as if looking for something. When he finally speaks, his question catches me completely off guard.

"How long have you been having dreams of being in the forest?"

I blink, shock jolting me fully awake. "What? How did you...?" I trail off, mind reeling. I've never told him about these dreams. They'd stopped for months, and I'd almost forgotten about them. Until tonight.

Malachi waits patiently as I gather my thoughts, his hand coming to rest on my hip, a warm, grounding presence.

"They... they started a while ago," I admit, struggling to piece together the timeline. "But they stopped. This is the first one I've had in months."

His thumb traces soothing circles on my skin, but I can feel the tension in his body. "Why didn't you tell me about them?" he asks, his voice carefully neutral.

I shrug, suddenly feeling defensive. "I didn't think they were important. Just weird pregnancy dreams, you know? And then they stopped, so..." I trail off, a new thought occurring to me. "Mal, how do you know about the dreams?"

He's quiet for a long moment, his gaze intense. I can almost see the wheels turning in his head, like he's weighing his words carefully. The silence stretches between us, thick with unspoken questions.

I find myself holding my breath, waiting for his answer. The way he's looking at me, it's like he's seeing me for the first time. Or maybe seeing something in me that I can't see myself.

Finally, he takes a deep breath, his eyes locking with mine.

"Because you summoned me to yours.