Chapter 1

 

Eleanor’s sight began to double as she tried to keep her pace running, hoping that in no time at all, maybe at the verge of death she was going to escape the territory she had slipped into to try to steal food or water to drink. She had tried to wolf out on multiple occasions, but she was way too starved and weak to be able to.

After managing to stay both alive and far enough from the guards that had been chasing her, Eleanor saw the boundary to the territory she was in, far ahead. She was happy that she soon was going to get out and find a place to rest before she hunted for somewhere else to steal food from. She kept drawing closer to the boundary, a faint smile forming on her lips as she stretched her hands forward. But, to her surprise, she noticed she wasn’t drawing closer to the boundary anymore. All she felt was a rush of wind, before she was met with pitch black.

***

“Do you not find it abnormal that the alpha doesn’t have a mate yet?” one elder said to another, while they were all sitted in the pack house conference room, around a mahogany conference table.

The other elder who was spoken to, gave a gentle nod before she replied, “It is quite abnormal that at the age of 25, the alpha still hasn’t found a mate. I wonder what the problem might be.” Above 6’ft tall, his eyes always dark, an intense energy always emitting from him; Alpha Luke walked into the conference room, causing a pin-dropping silence to fall upon the whispers filled room. Luke definitely heard the whispers that had been going on in the room before he walked in, but he had become used to it long ago. Since he had clocked the age 18 and didn’t find his mate almost immediately. People began to wonder if his mate rejected him, or if he had a fault and had to be alone all his life. Earlier, all the whispers and rumors had gotten to him when he had been younger, but the older he got the more used to it he got.

“I think what happened a while back, is happening once again,” Luke said firmly the moment he entered the room, taking his seat at the head table, no one opposite him.

The elders are the council members. They advise and guide Luke. Most of them had been there since his dad was in power, and Luke didn’t bother changing them after he lost his dad to war.

Luke didn’t stop looking at each of them so intensely as he continued, “The rogue attack is drawing closer and closer to our boundaries.”

“And we are prepared,” one of the elders replied.

Luke shook his head, frowning a bit, “Are you sure about this? How ready?” he replied.

The elders knew he had lost his dad to a rogue attack in a neighbouring pack, in which his dad’s friend was alpha and he had gone to assist them. Since then, their pack had been on consistent alert and guarding. No rogue was let to go free, as they could be a spy.

“The guards are still constantly on watch,” the youngest of the elders replied. “The warriors still train every single day, like there is war tomorrow. The safe houses are restocked and kept fresh and ready, like there is going to be an attack tomorrow. Everything, is still in motion like we know the war is going to happen tomorrow.” Her words reassured Luke, making him relax a bit as he nodded. “That would be all for today.”

With that, everyone stood up and left, while Mike – the head of the guards and Luke’s best friend, walked into the room with two guards who were holding a lifeless looking young woman in their hands.

“What is wrong?” Luke asked him without a smile.

Mike had been friends with Luke since they were very young. Their dads were best friends, which in turn made Luke and Mike spend so much time together. Mike was with Luke though his bright days, up till he became the gloomy and dark man he was.

“We saw her roaming the territory,” he told him, while the guards placed her lifeless body on the floor.

Luke stood up from where he sat, and walked to where they had let her body down. He felt something strange within him when he stared at her, but it was so faint he thought he had imagined it. He gave a gentle nod before he said, “Put her in a cell.”

The guards immediately picked her body back up and began to walk out of the room.

“Inform me, the very moment she wakes up.”

They both nodded as they took her away to her cell.

“How are you?” Mike asked him, taking his seat at the conference table.

Luke grunted. “I’m perfect.”

“I’ve known you for twenty-five years Luke, I-“

Luke didn’t let him finish talking before he changed the topic. “How have things been in the territory?”

Mike knew not to push things, so he replied to him, “Pretty well. But the issue remains that, the attack keeps drawing to our territory. I know I am trained for this, but deep down I can’t help the fright I sometimes feel.”

Luke nodded, never wanting to accept that he also felt the same fright too sometimes. He didn’t know how bad these attacked were, but he knew that for it to take out a wolf as strong as his dad down, it had to be really bad. One thing that also confused him was how a group of rogue wolves could be that strong to beat packs, which are stronger together.  “You just have to stay strong.” Mike nodded.

“The stronger and prepared we are, the more chances we have to win against the attack.”

Mike nodded again.

“How is Katrina?” Luke quickly changed the topic, asking about Mike’s mate. “I heard she is with a child, again.”

Mike lips quickly spread into a childlike smile as he looked down, using his feet to kick at what wasn’t there. “Yes,” he replied as he nodded.

“Must be lovely,” Luke said.

“Yes. And I think it could be twins this time around. I heard two heartbeats,” he informed Luke.

Luke smiled widely, patting Mike’s shoulder as he said, “That’s beautiful. I am so happy for you man.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “But Luke, aren’t you wor-” Luke knew he was about to speak about something relating to him not finding his mate, so he quickly cut him off. “That would be all for today Mike, have a lovely rest of the day.”

Mike frowned. He was worried.

“And also, you’ve been doing an excellent job as head of the guards, keep it up.”

“Luk-” Luke was saved by a guard who rushed into the room. “She has awoken sir,” he said as he composed himself, standing firm.

“Let’s go.” With that, Like began to walk out of the room, Mike and the guard following behind him.

***

The only thing familiar to Eleanor when she woke up, was the cold floor and environment. She couldn’t help stretching, as he joints felt stiff and ached a bit.

All she could remember was making it close to the boundaries. What she wasn’t sure about was if she made it out or not. She sat up slowly, taking in the environment she was in. It most definitely didn’t look like the forest. It looked more like a cage. She felt anger and anxiety began to well up in the pit of her stomach as her heart beat quickened. But, she was extremely weak and could barely make any movements. She crawled close to the bars keeping her, examining it and seeing if she could use her claws to break herself out of then. But, there were no locks on it, she let out a soundless sigh as she leaned against the railing.

She muttered to herself, “We can’t die like this. We still have to take revenge.”

The thought of fear only make her more afraid. She realized that she had been taken prisoner by the territory she had sneaked into.

“Who do you work for?” Luke asked, his voice thick and commanding.

This sent shivers down Eleanor spine, but she couldn’t help looking up at him. For the first time in both their lives, they felt a pull towards someone, to one another.

It was like the room went shut for both of them, as one word rang in their head, “MATE!”

It was an electric feeling.