Chapter - [ 2 ]

[ Celeste ]

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself among tall trees and a dark sky studded with stars. I was lying on the ground, my body aching with pain and having no energy after running miles for an aimless direction, avoiding to step into another pack’s territory, I didn’t know when my paws got stuck in a tree trunk and hit my head on the rocky ground. I lost my consciousness.

I tried to sit with great difficulty. My head was spinning but I could smell other wolves in the air which means only two things. Either I was at a pack or there might be rouges around me. Both are the worst scenarios for a lonely wolf.

I coughed dirt and decided to leave the forest as soon as possible. Although, I am an Alpha’s daughter, my body was weak due to the rejection and I had pushed my mourning wolf out of her limits.

I don’t know whether it was the darkness, or the crickets noise in the air or overpowering smell of woods or the scent of strangers, I felt uneasy and every single cell in my brain yelled at me to run if I didn’t want to die by the hands of some rogues. I was susceptible to anything deadly.

Suddenly, twigs snapped and I heard growls from all the directions. My heartbeats quickened and fear enveloped me.

“Run Kyra.” I shouted at my wolf but she didn’t respond.

I wasn’t able to see the approaching figures but I could tell, they were strong males, perhaps warriors. Soon, five pairs of golden eyes illuminated in the pitch dark woods. I fell back on the ground and crawled back. They shifted into their human form, tall, muscular males looking down at me with their claws out.

“Who are you?”

I couldn’t answer as I was shaking badly.

“I won’t repeat my question. Who are you? We won’t give you another chance so speak or die.” One of the asked me in a commanding tone. It was very powerful but didn’t belong to an Alpha.

“I..I..am…lost.” I somehow spoke. I couldn’t tell them about my identity before knowing where I have landed.

“Are you a rogue?” He asked me again, the others were still growling, standing very close to me.

“No..no.” I shook my head.

“Then tell us who are you? Our Alpha is not as generous as I am to you.” He said.

“I am lost. Please, let me go. I won’t come here again.” I begged him because I had no other choice. My death was just a few meters away from me.

“Beta, we can’t trust her. Some female rogues were caught in different packs making same excuses like her and when they were spared, they killed innocents including kids. Let’s take her to our Alpha.” Another wolf, who looked next to the previous one, said. He looked equally mad.

“Take her to the pack house. She will definitely speak when Alpha Darius will skin her alive for a slow and painful death.” The Beta said and before I could understand what he meant, two men came forward and grabbed my hands.

“Please, leave me. I am not a rogue. Please…I beg you. Let…let me go.” I cried and pleaded them but they turned deaf ears to my pleads and dragged me on the rocky ground all their way to God knows where. I prayed the Goddess to spare my life after snatching everything from me. The palpable darkness and this new predicament made me surrender to my fate.

Thirty minutes later, they entered into a dark place which smelled putrid, stench of blood and burnt flesh made me gag. The coldness kissed my scratched skin. I looked around, it was the worst nightmare of a wolf, it was a dungeon.

They threw me in a dark, very small cellar. I cried when my hand touched a cold metal but my skin burnt. It was a silver shackle that they locked around my wrists.

“Our Alpha will deal with you in some time, bitch!” The young male who dragged me in there said with a disgusted glare before they all went out. The temperature was freezing. I could hear gut wrenching yelps and cries of other prisoners.

I folded my knees and buried my face in my hands, my tears also dried up, I wasted them on Jesper. Kyra was silent. I think she accepted her defeat.

Soon, I heard deep footstep slicing the awful noises. My heart hammered against my chest. It was a very strong male scent that I have ever smelled, it was an intoxicating scent. Kyra became uneasy all of a sudden when a very tall figure’s shadow fell on me.

I dared to lift my heavy eyelids and a pair of forest green eyes met mine. My heart skipped a beat as a sensation passed through my body. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen with short brown hairs and sharp jaws. His muscles flexed under his fitted shirt.

I felt his wolf calling out to mine.

That’s when I heard Kyra saying ‘mate’ in my head.

Blood froze into my veins. It couldn’t be true.

“Who are you?” I heard his powerful Alpha voice, enough to sent tremors in my body.

“I…I…am lost.” I repeated the same statement, still in my daze. It couldn’t be true. I was living another dream.

“Your name, do not test my patience or be ready to die because if I find out you are one of those rogues who kills innocents, trust me you’ll rather prefer to die than bearing my punishment.” He said passively without any emotion.

He can’t be my mate otherwise he’d not have threatened me. My heart is dead now. It can’t beat for anyone.

“Celeste, he is our mate.” Kyra howled in my mind, I could feel his wolf to connect us but he restricted his wolf without batting his eyelashes.

“SPEAK UP!” He roared, his eyes turning dark.

“I am Celeste Miller, daughter of Alpha Paul of Riverside Pack.” I told him about my maiden identity.

“What were you doing in my pack? You know the punishment of trespassing another pack’s territory without their permission? An Alpha daughter must know everything yet you were foolish to roam foolishly at such hour.” He said blankly. He looked pissed off.

“I accidentally fell and hurt myself. Please, let me go. I won’t ever set my feet on your pack.” I joined my hand in front of him with teary eyes but he kept staring at me with emptiness.

For a few moments, we continue to look at each other. Kyra again howled, she was desperate to connect with his wolf which left zero confusion for me to doubt. He was my mate undoubtedly. I couldn’t believe this twist of fate. My first bond broke only a few hours ago and now I found another mate, an Alpha. He was Alpha Darius Lockwood of Black Woods Pack, the largest and most dangerous pack. I looked into his eyes, I saw his wolf but he blinked his eyes and it disappeared.

Instead of loving and warm eyes, I met with the cold depths of his eyes. His face held no emotions. Hadn’t he realized the same as I did?

He tore his gaze from me and turned to his Beta, “Keith, lock her here and call Alpha Paul to ask whether she is telling us the truth. If she is his daughter, ask him to come tomorrow and take her with him. Until then, she is just a trespasser, treat her like one.”

With these firm words, he stormed out of the living hell of a place without sparing another glance at me.

I kept rooted there, processing everything when the door were shut and I met with pitch black darkness.