Chapter 002

Vivica’s POV

“You are my…mate, Jason. What are you doing with her?!” I blurted in a fit of rage. 

The hall instantly erupted with loud whispers and sniggers. In no time everyone had encircled us—me, Jason and Betty.

My friend, Celia, tried to pull me away. “Viv, let’s go” she whispered, reaching for my hand, but I shook off her grip.

Jason remained as still as rock. His eyes were calm and unreadable, as if  he wasn’t the one I was talking to.

Betty, on the other hand, started by laughing the situation off. “What did you just say?”

“I’m not talking to you, so stay out of this!” I dismissed her and turned to Jason.

“You promised we’d be together, whether the pack approved of it or not. So what are you doing with her?! Why did you give her a ring?!” I snapped, tears freely dripping down my cheeks.

Jason scoffed, then stepped forward. “I don’t owe you any explanation.”

“No, you do! You have to explain to me why you waited for me to get my wolf all these years, just to turn around and be with Betty.”

Betty chuckled wildly at that. “He was waiting for me, not you, dumb ass.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“What?!”

“She’s right. Now step back in the crowd and stop interrupting the party,” he  snarled it.

His words pierced through me like a double edged knife to the heart —sharp, suffocating, and painful.

“So you’ve been toying with me all this time?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Who in their right mind would want anything to do with you?”

“It’s because of my father, isn’t it? If my father wasn’t a…traitor, would you have—”

“No! Betty is the ideal woman for me,” he pulled Betty to his side. “You are unfit to be my mate, Hale. I sever whatever bond there is between us,” he announced with  a tone of finality. 

His declaration ripped through me, wrecking the last sliver of hope I was clinging to.My teary eyes blurred everything around me, making it impossible to find my way out. My legs buckled as I moved aimlessly, until I finally crashed to the ground.

As soon as Jason discarded me and pulled Betty to the seats reserved for them, the pack members swarmed around me like flies perching on a corpse.

“How stupid of her to think she stood a chance with the Alpha,” a girl said,kicking me. 

“I know right? The same way her father thought he could overthrow the late Alpha, just because the pack celebrated every battle he won.”

They continued to chatter, saying all manner of inhumane things about me and my late father.I remained on the floor, absorbing every word. The best I could do was remain calm; eventually, they’d get tired and leave—then I could finally  run away from this place.

The murmurs suddenly died down, as if a god had suddenly landed on earth.The eerie silence lingered, followed by the faint sound of approaching footsteps.  Since my head was down and I couldn’t bring myself to look up in sheer embarrassment, I listened instead.

“It’s Alpha Adrian,” I heard them whisper in frantic, hushed tones.

Adrian Danegan? My mind raced. Before I could look up, a pair of sleek black leather boots came into view.

My heart was doing it again—the same rapid beat, the same heat crawling through my bones, the sudden burst of energy from my wolf. What kind of joke was this?

I crawled back, my face tilting up to meet his gaze; intense hazel orbs with glistening gold flecks.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Adrian Danegan, Jason’s long-lost step brother, squatted in front of me.

Unable to control myself, I nodded.

He stretched out an arm.“Then come with me. Let’s get you out of this hellhole.”

For the first time in my life, I was hesitant about leaving the pack. Questions raced through my mind. What if this was a trap? What if he was only uprooting me here only to put me in a more cruel place? Has he forgotten who my  father was?

I looked through the crowd, as if any of them could tell me wrong from right. That was when I saw Celia, smiling sweetly at me.She nodded and I instinctively reached for his big sturdy hand—slow, unsure, but willing to take the risk.

“Don’t you dare!”Jason's voice slit through the silence just as my hand was about to settle in Adrian’s.

I stopped, turning to look at him.Jason’s eyes were dark and furious, but I caught a flash of regret in them before it quickly switched back to resentment.

“You belong to this pack! You’ll serve and cater to the needs of my people until your last breath. That is the only way to atone for your father’s sin!” 

“Not on my watch,” Adrian snarled, his well-carved  lips stretching in a deadly smile that made my blood run cold.

Jason’s face twitched. His fingers balled into fists on his sides, but he didn’t move. 

“Let the whore go, my love. She’s of no use to our pack, anyway. Alpha Adrian will regret this decision sooner or later,” Betty said, curling her hands around Jason’s, her sinister signature smile dancing on her lips.

“One more word from you and I’ll have your head chopped off!” Adrian snapped and everyone stepped back in terror.

He placed both hands on my shoulders and carefully pulled me up with him.

“Let’s go home” he cooed, tucking a stray lock of  hair away from my face. 

For the first time in twenty years, I trusted someone other than Jason. I took his hand, and we walked towards the exit, the crowd parting  without being told. 

“Guards?!” Jason shouted, and a swarm of soldiers ran forward. “Seize her!”

The men took their first steps, but as soon as Adrian’s gaze fell on them, they stopped in their tracks as if pinned in the spot. As his gaze lingered, they began dragging their feet backwards, their bodies trembling in defeat.

***

Adrian held my hand until we reached  the parking lot of Jason's  pack—Red-Bone pack. A  sleek, black  Mercedes-Benz was waiting for us.The driver scurried out of the car to get the door, but Adrian stopped him with a gesture , and opened it for me himself. I hopped in, and he slid in next to me.

As the engine purred to life, I peered out the car window, still finding it hard to believe I was finally leaving the walls of Red-Bone pack. The pack members hovered in every corner—the garden, the balconies, even the gate. They were just as shocked as I was; “Adrian and Vivica”  in the same sentence was something no one ever saw coming, especially considering how influential and arrogant drian was rumored to be.

Adrian had left the pack years ago  after he was denied his legacy as Alpha.  Since then, we had  only heard rumors about him when the news outlets covered his achievements. Those stories were often told with narratives that seemed a little too exaggerated, but his appearance today proved they were all true. Adrian was not only successful, he possessed an undeniable power that everyone bowed to without even realizing.

We drove out of Red-Bone, I let out a sigh of relief, closing my eyes to savor the fresh air brushing against my face. So this was what peace felt like? 

When I opened my eyes again, he was staring, intently.

I fidgeted, adjusting in my seat to put a little distance between us. “You haven't told me what you want in return?” I stated.Then subtly mumbled, “It’s not like I have anything to offer,  anyway.”

“You have everything to  offer, but  I want nothing in return,” he said with a soft smile—not the cold, unfeeling one he had  given Jason earlier.

Nothing? Now, that was something to be scared about. 

“I don’t believe you.”

He leaned closer and my heart jumped.

“We are mate’s, Vivica. Isn’t it normal that we are together?” he whispered, his gaze dropping  down to my lips like he wanted to kiss them.

I blinked repeatedly, unable to wrap my head around what was happening. I snapped out of it instantly and cleared my throat.

This man must think I’m a fool.Adrian Danegan would never be a damaged girl like me.

What was he really  up to?