Chapter 2

Eleanor had lost all hope of finding a mate. She had only clocked 18, when her family pack was attacked by rogues. The attack wiped them out, leaving only her and that was because her mother had hidden her when the attack had happened. When she came out of where she had been hiding, she saw that everyone, her boyfriend at that time and all her friends had been killed. Eleanor had been fully convinced that her boyfriend was going to be her mate, so when she had seen his body lying lifeless on the floor, she had come to the conclusion that she was never going to have a mate for the rest of her life.

She had considered letting her life go on many grounds, but the face her mom had when the attacked happened and she was hiding her, kept her going. She was fully convinced that her mom had kept her safe for a reason, which made her owe her life to her mom. She had to live to take revenge.

Luke couldn’t help frowning as he stared down at her. It was such a foreign feeling to him, that made him both anxious and angry. He had completely given up on finding a mate and was perfectly happy with only leading. Though the rumors and talking behind his back, kept him up at night sometimes, he had still managed to gain happiness in all those instances. But, seeing his mate sitting in a cell he had commanded them to put her, changed everything.

Now all the happiness he believed he had, all seemed like a lucid dream, a make believe, a lie even. “Who do you work for?” he asked with a deep frown, trying to stay firm even though he felt like protecting the absolute stranger that was in front of him.

Eleanor felt her eyes begin to water. It was all too much for her, and she was at her peak. She was not only weak, but also stressed. She hadn't had a real place to lay her head for about two years, constantly being on the run. “I work for no one,” she muttered.

“I said, who do you work for?” Luke voice came out firmer than he had intended and seeing her eyes water in the dimly lit prison, he felt so bad. He wanted to pick her up, reassure her that all was going to be alright and protect her from that day on.

“I do not work for anyone,” she said louder than she had said before. “I am a lone wolf.”

Luke felt his heart sink. “And do you know what happens to lone wolves?”

Eleanor nodded. “They die.”

“Exactly! But I cannot,” she had begun to gain a bit of confidence, even though she still was at the very edge of having a mental breakout worse than the little tears she had let out earlier. Luke looked at her strangely. “I cannot die,” she said again. “I have to avenge the death of my entire pack. I was rid of them two years ago by a rogue attack, and I must take revenge for them.”

“What information do you have about these rogues?” Luke asked. “Because honestly speaking, you are also a rogue.”

Eleanor couldn’t resist rolling her eyes.

“I have no information on them,” she replied.

Luke sighed. He knew he had a soft spot for her, but trying not to show it only got harder and harder. “Follow me,” he said to Mike as he walked out of the prison. “I want her freshened up and kept in the guest room next to my room,” he said as he began to walk away.

Mike chuckled awkwardly. “Do you really believe her? That is a rogue Luke. Do you know how possibly dangerous she is? What if she was sent to come and spy on us?”

Luke sighed. “Did you see the same woman I saw? There is no way she is a threat.”

Mike looked at Luke like he had gone absolutely mad. “Why are you being so calm right now and making rash decisions?”

Luke shrugged. “She is mostly after the same group of rogues we are patiently staying ready and on guard for. She has no information about them and obviously has no skill whatsoever. One more day in the forest and she might die. She has to live to avenge her pack that was stolen from her.”

Mike scoffed in disbelief, throwing his hands in the air. “Is there something more to this that you aren't telling me?” Mike asked Luke. “Because that is a rogue in there, who could be a potential spy, and you are instructing us to give her princess treatments? It is like I am the only one who’s thinking here.”

“Are you questioning my orders with me right now?” Luke gave Mike a stern look. “Are you perhaps the new alpha?”

Mike shook his head, feeling his anger slip off as he let out a low sigh, “Why are you being so calm?”

“She is my mate.”

It was as though there was a glass table, and that glass table got shattered that moment. Mike’s could hear the cracks as his mouth dropped open, staring at Luke. His heart races. He didn’t know if he was excited for him, scared for him, or confused for him.

“Seriously?” he asked, his mouth still agape.

Luke nodded as he looked away. “I’m still very conflicted by it all, but I cannot help the sense of protecting I feel. I just- I just want to make sure she is constantly safe and happy. It bites my heart to see her cry. Almost like I am the one in her position,” he told Mike. “Yes, I have lost all sense of reasoning, and I can’t help it.”

Mike nodded. “I totally understand you. That was exactly how I felt for my Katrina too.”

Luke nodded. “I’ll be in my office.”

Mike nodded as they both parted ways. Luke went to his office and Mike went back to his position.

Luke couldn’t help getting lost in thought. He began to wonder if Mike was the only one who had his eyes clear in all the situation. Why was he so quick to believe her? Why was he desperate to help her? To protect her? To do everything for her. Luke sighed out loud as he put his head on his desk, letting his worried thoughts go through his mind over and over again.

Luke’s office was one of the biggest places in the pack house. The pack house on its own was the biggest place in the territory, a little attention drawing. It was mostly the first place people saw whenever they got into the territory. Luke’s office itself, had everything and more than everything. It was a wide space, that had three to four windows that made it super bright during the day time.

Everything in it was made out of wood. Far at the opposite end of the door to the office, Luke’s desk was there, a wide desk that had documents scattered all over and his desktop computer, his keyboard, mouse and the CPU close to the desk on the floor. This chair was a wooden chair, with foam on it, which made it comfortable. He also had a bookshelf that was at the opposite side of his desk, to the right. It consisted of mostly educational books and mythological books that spoke about werewolves. The rest of the office was really just space.

Luke was still going through crisis, his head down on his desk, when his sister Leana walked in. “Tell me this is a joke!” She shouted excitedly as she skipped towards Luke’s desk.

Luke lifted his head gently, looking a bit down. “What?” He tried to put on a frown, but Leana could see through him.

“You found your mate,” she said a lot calmer than she had been when she entered.

Luke sighed. “Great, the rumor has gone around again.”

“What’s wrong?” She asked with worry as she sat in Luke’s desk, looking him up and down.

“Go away,” Luke said as he looked away from her, acting like he had something to do on his computer.

Leana shook her head as she laid on his desk, looking at his face, so she could monitor his change in facial expressions. “What is wrong? She isn't your type?”

Luke frowned a bit, before he scoffed. Eleanor was definitely his type, and even if she wasn’t, all what he felt within him, made the term ‘type’ seem stupid. He didn’t care if her skin was broken or smooth, he didn’t care if she was bald or had long hair, he didn’t care if she was tall or short. He didn’t care about whatever. All he knew was that he thought he might be in love with her. He didn’t know her well enough, but he was sure what he felt for that absolute stranger was love.

“Oh, you like her,” Leana said with a smile. “She is your type.”

“Go away Leana.”

She shook her head. “No. I want to know all about her. Is she someone I know?” Leana could see Luke’s mind get crowded with worry, with only a frown.

“Just go away Leana. I am not saying anything to you.”

Leana scoffed as she sat up, picking a book from his desk as she skipped through the pages, “Well, mom said I should tell you to meet her at the resolution room, no questions asked.” With that, she hopped down from his desk and skipped away.

Luke immediately knew why his mother asked that of him. He had only told Mike about the rogue being his mate, but he also knew that the walls at the pack house had ears. He was fully convinced it wasn’t Mike who told anyone. He got up, heading straight to the resolution room.