Chapter- [ 4 ]

( Gemma’s pov )

“Please, let me go, I won’t come here again. I beg you.” I joined my hands in front of him. I had no hopes inside me because I was always deceived.

“We don’t show mercy unless you deserve it.” He said quietly and signalled his she-wolves to drag me along with them.

I again fell into the trap of death and twisted game of fate.

They took me to their pack and I was locked in a dark cell but it wasn’t as putrid and cold as the one I was kept in by Adrian. I was only locked and I couldn’t smell any other prisoner’s presence.

“Sadie, what should I do? I have disappointed you. I was never brave enough to make you feel proud of me.” I tried to talk to my wolf.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to blame yourself. We have to survive at any cost. We can’t let Seline and Adonis live freely after destroying our life.” She said with resentment and deep sedimented anger.

“But surviving this hell is impossible, Sadie. Alpha Axel isn’t very kind either. I can’t forget how Papa died while saving Adonis’s but he was framed as a traitor family from their attack.” I said.

“Let’s not think about negative points. We have to act confident and plan our survival. Come on, Gemma. You are a warrior, one of the best I must say. Use your skills. A warrior is always respected.” Sadie reminded me.

I shook my head with a sad smile.

“A warrior who couldn’t protect herself from the tortures.” I said.

Our monologue was interrupted by footsteps. I recognized the scent. It was the Beta.

The door opened, lights were switched on and Beta appeared in front of me. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen. Dressed properly, he could be mistaken as an Alpha. His golden eyes were now transformed into a beautiful shade of ash-grey. They flickered at me with an undecipherable emotion. He confused me.

“I am here to take you to the Alpha. I am giving you one last chance to save your life, rogue.” He spoke, again with cold indifference and I winced at the addressal.

“I am not a rogue, Beta.” I said in an incoherent voice, my head hung low.

“Then tell me who you are? Perhaps, we can help you to return to your pack. Trust me, we only punish rogues, witches and enemies.” He said. I think he heard me even if I was almost inaudible.

He knelt down in front of me, his scent was overpowering.

Enemy? I was indeed from their enemy pack.

“What should I do, Sadie?” I asked my wolf to guide me.

This man gave me cold shivers out of fear but at the same time, I wasn’t much scared of him.

No reply came from her means I had to use my own wisdom.

“I am Gemma Pristley from Blue Moon Pack and I am exiled from my pack under the charges of treason.”

I stood behind the huge frame of Beta Rowan Winters. His name is as beautiful as his personality. I was presented in front of the most ferocious Alpha in werewolf kingdom, Alpha Axel whose eyes were scrutinized at me.

“So, she is the rogue whom you captured at the pack’s border, Beta Rowan?” Alpha asked him in his cold, emotionless tone which sent a chill run down my shaking body.

“Yes, Alpha but she isn’t a rogue.” Rowan answered him.

My heartbeats raced up when Alpha’s eyes raised at me with curiosity but it was still frightening.

“Who are you?” Alpha roared at me and I flinched.

“Alpha, she is harmless, I can assure you.” Beta again said in a quiet but firm tone. He had the same regal aura as the Alpha.

“How care you be so sure of her innocence, Beta? I am curious now because you have never defended a captive before?” Alpha took predatory steps towards us.

I was almost on the verge of passing out but Rowan stood firm without flinching from his place. Was he challenging the Alpha? It’d be suicidal.

“She is my mate, Alpha.”

He said three words which left me stunned as well as others. The Alpha halted in his track, his eyes also dilated in surprise.

It was a lie! I wasn’t his mate. Neither I nor Sadie recognized him and it’s very rare to find a second chance mate. Definitely not as soon as my first mate rejected me.

“She is your mate? Rowan, I am not a mood to play jokes with you.” Alpha Axel shook his head. He looked frustrated.

“I am not lying. She is my mate. I found her at the pack’s borders, she had lost her way and when u approached her, my wolf recognized her. I can’t be mistaken. She is my mate and now, she’ll live with me.” He responded bravely.

What the hell was he doing? We’ll be dead if the Alpha catches his lies only to save because I confined my secret with him inside the cellar. I told him everything. My identity, my pack and what Adrian did to me and how I survived and escaped from another danger, everything. I told him everything because I was ready to take my last bet.

“Alright, if you are very sure of it then you must prove it in front of all of us. You and your mate must mark each other, right now, right here if you want me to believe you and spare her life.” Alpha said after a moment of silence and my eyes almost popped out of my sockets.

“Okay.”

Rowan’s voice was declarative but I wasn’t ready for this sick game. He turned to face me, his ash-grey eyes flickering with many emotions but I begged him not to commit such sin. It’ll be against the will of the Goddess.

He held my arms, I was shivering under his warm touch. He leaned closer, I could feel his breath, listen to his loud heartbeats.

“You have to cooperate with me, Gemma. Trust me, I am hating this as much as you but we have no other way to save you from Axel’s wrath.” He whispered in my ear and softly sunk his teeth in my flesh, it was just a faint mark.

I looked at him with teary eyes when he lifted his face and wiped his lips which had my blood.

“It’s your turn, Gemma.” He said to me. I felt some kind of tenderness in his tone.

My heart seemed to leap out of my chest. The feeling was overwhelming. I was surrounded by an enemy pack’s members.

I placed my hands on his chest, the beta looked at me, he gave me an assuring nod. I didn’t know if it was the right thing to do or I was again drifted to a bigger danger. I closed my eyes and for the last time, I left everything on my fate. Perhaps, this time something good might happen with me.

I marked him symbolically. His body shook, our wolves tried to recognize each other. It was wrong. They hadn’t chosen each other but I and Rowan imposed it on them.

If I could trust a despicable man like Adonis Maslow then trusting a stranger was no different.

I felt a connection with Rowan as soon as we were done marking each other. It wasn’t bad either.

“Interesting, I thought Rowan was again trying to save someone again but I guess I was wrong this time.” Alpha took a few steps back from us. His face had amusement.

“I never lie, Alpha.” Rowan said.

“May I know your name now since my Beta marked you. I don’t think you are a threat to me.” Axel said but I knew, it was another tactic to put an opponent under pressure so they could make a mistake.

It was a part of my training as a warrior.

“I am Gemma Pristley. I am an orphan and used to work as a professional warrior for packs.” I partially lied about my identity.

He wasn’t the Alpha when war happened between our packs so there was no way he could get suspicious of me so I didn’t hide my real name from him.

“Oh, so you are a warrior? I will be glad if you join our warriors’ team. We are almost on the verge of a war with Blue Moon and I’d be glad if you help us to bring them down to ashes. My father spared those bastards but I am not as kind as him.” Alpha said with maliciousness.

My heart shook with fear. As much as I wanted to bring Adrian down and take my revenge on him. My mother was still there. I have to save her.

“It will be an honour for me, Alpha.” I bowed masking my uneasiness with a polite expression.

Rowan circled his arm around me, “Alpha, I want your permission to take Gemma to my house. May I leave now?” He asked the Alpha.

I was feeling giddiness inside me as his touch left tingles on my skin.

“Sure, but your mate will be under my watch until I dig into her background and if I find out that she’s lying, you know what are the consequences for such liars.” Alpha gave one last warning to me before waving his hand in dismissal.

Rowan took me to his house, a small two-storey house built with woods and stones. He opened the door for me. It smelled like him but what shocked me even more. I saw the walls filled with photo frames of him and another woman.

They were close, intimate and undoubtedly filled with love.

“Who..is she?” I pointed my finger at those pictures. My heart beating rapidly and mind filled with doubts. I could see history repeating itself.

A sad, painful expression sat on his face.

“She was my mate and the only love of my life.”