Chapter 4 : Wake Up!

Milana

The clashing sound of metal woke me from sleep. I squinted as blinding sunlight pierced my eyes. The light came from a small window high on one side of the wall. A musty smell interrupted my sense of smell, and I realized I was in a damp and stuffy place.

My whole body ached, and I tried to sit on the edge of the bed, only to realize that I was behind bars. Am I being held here? But why?

I saw two huge, bulky men behind the bars. Their looks and gazes added to the creepiness that scared me. One of them was carrying an iron rod. Apparently, he was the one hitting the bars, probably to get me up.

"Who are you, and which pack did you come from?" asked the black one. His damp, curly, brown hair bobbed with his every move.

I didn't open my mouth, as I was too stunned by this situation.

"Oy! Are you mute?!" yelled the blonde man with the iron rod after a few seconds of not getting an answer from me.

"I think I hit my head. Let's ask her again later," said his friend before they turned around and were about to leave.

"W-wait!" I said. "Where am I?"

"Oh, now she talks," scoffed the blonde as he turned around and looked at me with a smug face.

"Springcrest Prowlers packs land," the curly said without turning around and continued walking away.

Why am I here, and how did I end up being here?

Then I remembered maybe my body rolled into their territory when I rolled off the cliff.

"Please, let me go. I was going to Halyn town and accidentally fell off the cliff. I really accidentally ended up in your territory-"

"Do you think we're stupid?! No intruder will admit that they're an intruder! You'll never get out of here!" snapped the blonde, cutting off my plea. His glaring eyes made me clench my mouth shut tightly, regretting that I had asked for something impossible for them to grant.

"We've already reported about the female intruder to the Alpha. Don't expect you to be pardoned," he taunted before turning around and catching up with his friend.

No. No, no, no. This pack is famous for its brutality, as well as its ruthless Alpha. I'm really unlucky, wanting a better life away from my pack and ending up here instead. The possibility of my life ending is far greater than dying while falling off a cliff. Really, what should I do now?

My reverie was interrupted when I heard a sudden buzz. That's when I felt uneasy for no apparent reason. My heart beat faster, and I felt jittery.

From the direction of the disappearance of the two big men, someone walked closer to my cell. The dim lighting made it impossible for me to identify his appearance until he was close enough to the iron bars that held me behind them. The light from the tall, square window fell on the man, and I saw his eyes glaring at me, almond-shaped eyes with black orbs that looked cold. His mullet and jet-black hair completed his sharp exterior, and honestly, I felt that my life might be in this man's hands.

However, the words that came out of his mouth were completely unexpected, "Release her!"

The two guards, just now, stumbled over and stopped behind him.

"But, Alpha. She could be dangerous," the blonde argued.

The man called Alpha didn't answer, and his gaze remained fixed on me.

"Andrew might be right, Alpha. He could be an intruder-"

A low growl erupted from the Alpha's throat, cutting off the blonde's words.

He looked annoyed, then turned around to face them.

"How dare you keep your future, Luna!" he boomed with his baritone voice, sending the two guards into silence, though their shocked faces could not be hidden.

What now? Was he just recognizing me as his mate? Is he making this up? I didn't feel any attraction towards this man; I could not even find his scent prominent - just like Magnus's scent before we rejected each other. We had never even met before.

With shame plastered on his previously smug face, the blonde muscly man rushed to unlock my cell, no longer protesting or saying anything. Soon after the bars opened, the Alpha entered my cell. He looked me over from head to toe before scooping my sore body into his arms, lifting me bridal-style like I weighed nothing.

He led me down the prisoner hallway, passing cell after cell on either side that was almost entirely filled with prisoners. We turned a corner, and he climbed a flight of stone stairs, at the end of which was an exit guarded by another bulky man. Once outside the prison, I was finally able to breathe more freely in the clean, fresh morning air.

For a few minutes, we walked along the deserted streets of pack-land, probably because it was still early—I could tell from the position of the sun that it was not yet high—until we finally entered a house, the largest among the others and located at a distance from the others.

The Alpha kicked open the door to a luxurious room and placed my body slowly on a king-sized bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, and we stared at each other in silence. I felt awkward with the way he looked at me. I didn't even know this man, and fear began to haunt me, making me break eye contact and look down in a submissive gesture. 

"I'm sorry if my presence disturbs the peace of your pack, Alpha. I... really didn't mean to," I whispered. "I'd be very grateful if you'd let me go. I won't come back here, I promise."

He did not reply, and I still felt his gaze pierce my head. I'm not used to being watched like this. It was like being an object being observed with a microscope, and this made me feel even more uncomfortable.

"I'm not a spy, let alone an intruder. I don't have that skill and accidentally found myself in your territory by falling off a cliff. Please, let me go," I added.

His fingers gently touched my cheek, startling me, and I had no time to escape his touch. His hands soon cupped my face and lifted it, making me look at him once again. Only now did I realize his straight nose and high cheekbones, complemented by his hawk-like gaze, made him look extremely handsome. I felt a blush creep onto my face. This was the first time someone had treated me like this.

He looked at me softly, silently, for a few moments before saying, "I'll make you my luna, and you will bear my child."