Chapter 2: Destined Mate?

"Let me out of this prison! I didn't do anything wrong!"

My voice echoed inside the dark prison cell they locked me in. It was unfortunate to wake up after I had collapsed from all the encounters I had last night. I had no idea how the hell I ended up here as I lost consciousness and was imprisoned like a slave.

"Anyone, please help me!" I shouted again, but it was still the same. No one came, and no one seemed to hear me.

I was too weak, shaking, and almost couldn't stand as my knees couldn't support me. Even my inner wolf, Nila, had been too weak, almost unresponsive whenever I called her. Well, that was because I was too weak, and we had shared the same body that almost weakened her inside me.

After minutes of waiting, still no one arrived, not until the sound of the door opening did I sense help was coming. I expected it would be the prison guard I would see, but it wasn't. It was an old lady in her servant uniform, thoughtfully staring at me.

"Oh, you're finally awake. Lucky for you," said the old woman as she stood before the cell. "I mean, I heard an Alpha ordered his guards to kill you if you remain unconscious."

My heart almost stopped beating hearing her words. Why would that damn Alpha kill me?

I cleared my throat. "Can you help me, please? I just want to be out of this pack."

"How I wish I could. Unfortunately, I'm also a slave here. We have the same fate to serve them," she admitted. "By the way, I am Marga, a servant of the Alpha. And I am here to help you dress and present you to the Alpha."

"Why? Don't tell me he is going to kill me?!" I said and reached to hold his hand outside the cell. "Don't let that happen….please."

"It won't. As I said, you'll also become a slave here." Marga looked behind her after she heard two prison guards command her to bring me now to the Alpha.

Marga looked back at me. "See that? How can I help you? I'm helpless….voiceless. So for now, follow me and help you become at least presentable to meet the Alpha."

I had no other choice but to nod. I couldn't force someone to help me, especially Marga, who was already in her sixties, probably. And besides, it was my fault to be caught. Suppose I hadn't run away last night and chosen to marry the Alpha my father decided. In that case, it might have been a different encounter, a different problem I had to face.

Marga opened the prison cell and guided me out of the underground prison. As I went out, I glimpsed how wide and wonderful their pack was, but I didn't like it, as the Alpha, who I thought would be my destined mate, would only treat me here as an enslaved person.

We continued walking until we reached the servant's room. Marga lent me some of her clothes and let me take a bath inside the servant's room. Of course, the pack guards were eyeing me as if they were worried I might escape. After minutes, I was done and dressed; Marga and I headed straight to the hall, where she told me the Alpha waited for me.

"Why will the Alpha have to wait for a slave like me?" Out of the blue, I asked Marga. She halted from walking in front of the long door, reaching the ceiling, and faced me. "Am I that special to him, huh? Did he know who I am?"

"I know you're not a normal werewolf like us to be enslaved. In other packs, you might have a rank, but the Alpha doesn't care. Don't assume he will treat you special here because he won't," Marga reminded me.

She then pointed at the door, now being opened, and added, "You can go inside. Just a reminder, the Alpha is ruthless. He might hit you if he's furious, so keep him calm."

"Can't you come inside? I'm afraid…." I hadn't finished what I had to tell as she pushed me, and I only had to continue walking inside until I reached where the Alpha was standing.

"The slave has arrived, Alpha Hadar," announced someone.

Alpha Hadar, standing on the balcony, hadn't even tried turning his gaze towards me. He was dead silent while I stood in the middle and had no idea what to do.

"A—Alpha…." Finally, I dared to speak with an unfamiliar feeling surging within me. ".....Hadar, I do not deserve to be a slave."

That made Hadar turn his head towards the side as if trying to glimpse me using his peripheral view.

"What I mean is, yes, you saved me that night from the rogues, and I thank you for that. But…

"

I paused, seeing the Alpha faced me. My eyes broadened, and I blinked a few times to ensure I saw it correctly. A man with captivating handsomeness, with his broad chest and muscle, anyone wouldn't be tired of staring at her all day. Yet, I shook that thought away from my mind and kept reminding myself he was ruthless, just like what Marga said.

Hadar moved closer and stood three steps away from me. I could smell his familiar scent and couldn't help but be addicted to it.

"No one ever dared to disobey my rule here. If I tell you you will die, you will. The same goes when I said you'll be my slave," he said seriously without a hint of a smile on his face.

"I…."

"You need to repay all the goodness we have done for saving your life in the woods. If it's not for us, you'll still be in the hands of the rogues," he added. "For that, you'll become a slave for a lifetime."

This time, he smirked. He kept moving closer to me, and I was about to step backward, but my feet seemed glued to the ground. I couldn't move until he reached near me and brought his lips closer to my ear.

My heart raced, and I couldn't move my hand to push him away from me.

Hadar kept sniffing me and whispered, "Otherwise, you want to be killed instead of being my slave."

I could feel it. And I am sure that this man wasn't a total stranger, but we had a bond. Not only did I feel we were mates, a destined one, but there was also something else I couldn't pinpoint exactly.

He then moved one step back and looked me in the eyes. "What do you think, hmm?"

"You're ruthless…" The only words I could tell and even wanted to add were, 'I don't want to be mated to a ruthless Alpha like you.' But I had no strength to voice it out.

"Glad you know I am." He chuckled. "Tell me your decision now. You'll accept it, or you choose to die."

I cleared my throat. "I don't….."

"Oops, I've been mistaken. You can't say no to it. So you'll be my slave ... .do your duty, or else you'll be punished."

I was about to respond and be furious with him, but someone arrived and shouted, "Alpha Hadar, it is confirmed. Your destined mate has escaped from their pack and is nowhere to be found."

I blinked twice, oblivious to what that man who arrived meant to be.

'Does this ruthless Alpha still have a destined mate? And who is it, who escaped?'

When I realized I also escaped my pack, I pointed to myself and widened my eyes.

Oh, Moon Goddess! Tell me that I am not the Alpha's escaped destined mate! It should not be me!