LETHAL MATE

RIONA'S POV 

This was my price to pay for the freedom I sought. With each step I took farther away from the Silverfang pack, the snow grew heavier hitting against my skin. I'd not prepared enough for this journey of escape with the little resource available to me. 

My feet were frozen from the piles of snow I'd had to drag them through. I didn't need to see them, to know my feet were covered with frostbite. I hugged myself, shielding half my body, which was bare from the cold as much as I could. 

A cold shiver skittered through my spine, causing my teeth to ground against each other. However, my wolf, Elara nudged Ms on. ‘Just a little while, and we'll be there. Keep going.’ She whined.

At first, Elara had been drawn to the charisma that dripped from her fated mate. But when she picked up on whom he truly was, she frowned at his attitude. 

‘I could take over, if that would make it easier.’ She offered, clawing and scratching to come to the surface. 

My hands dug into my skin, forming half moon indentations. “No!” I reiterated. I could risk her scent traveling around. It was already enough that I had no idea how much dagger lurked behind the trees covered with heavy stomps of snow. 

Elara sneered, but didn't try to fight it. She must've sensed my weak state. I’d refused to drink nor eat the mashed potato at the hospital. Well, in my defense, I was scared for my life. I couldn't trust anyone in the Silverfang pack with my life. 

So, I continued my journey. My strength seeping out of every pore in my body. My head throbbed with a terrible headache. A groan of frustration erupted from the corner of my lip. I blinked frantically to push back the wave of dizziness that clouded my vision. 

‘Riona, you can't give up now. You just can't.’ A small voice of defiance snickered in my head. I walked an extra ten minutes through the woods, and a loud gasp that took almost the entire oxygen from my lungs escaped my lips. 

I fell to the cold ground in exhaustion, staring blankly at the vast body of water spread across the horizon, farther than my eyes could go. Emotions welled in my chest. Memories, sad memories that’d haunted a better part of my childhood came flooding back. 

A pang of pain blossomed through my body. The incident with my step sister. The one that made my entire pack label me a curse, flashed through my mind. Elara raised her head up again. 

‘What are you doing, Riona? This place is dangerous for you.’ The tone of her voice was heavy with urgency. Elara continued, ‘Think of your fate if Alpha Theron catches up with you. Hahaha! I bet you already know he would present your bones to your father as a gift. Oh! Your stepmother would be delighted. At least, she didn't get to do the dirty job herself!’ 

I pressed my hand tightly over my ears, my eyes clamped shut. I bit down on my lower lips to fight back the bitter tears that threatened to spill out of my eyes. My head spun with a thousand thoughts that left a hollow in my core. 

“I can't. I can't go—” I muttered under my breath. The air around the river quickened, whistling fast. Trees swayed to the direction of the breeze, then it happened…

The air thickened with a familiar masculine scent that caused my wolf to spring out of her shell. I recognize that scent anywhere. Slowly, I whipped my head around, and I froze, when I caught sight of Aloha Theron, flanked by a handful of angry looking gamma warriors. 

No way! My pulse throbbed violently. I staggered to my feet, and ran as fast as my cold, tired legs could carry me. I didn't run for too long, when a strong hand shot out, and grabbed me by the hand. 

I shrieked. “No please. Let me go!” I let out a loud scream with my weak voice. 

A growl rattled from behind me, and a wave of fear gripped me to the ground. My legs felt stuck. I couldn't tell if it was his lethal aura, or his fierce masculinity. But, I couldn't bring my legs to do its job anymore. 

Another groan escaped my lips, Alpha Theron spun me around, and pinned me against the wall. His eyes were blazing with anger. I could tell he was at war with his wolf. 

A sly smirk lined the corner of his lips. Then the frown on his face melted away. I couldn't decipher if he was angry, or thinking of the best way to get rid of me, once and for all. 

Elara snarled, flexing her claws at him. She was seething with rage, and wouldn't bat an eyelid, before she scratched his flesh off his face. I held her back. Now was the perfect time. 

Alpha Theron inched closer to me, so his body was pressed against me. His scent became stronger, blocking my senses. I let out a soft moan, and regretted my action immediately. 

“If you think I would go easy on you, because of last time, then you have something else coming,” he drawled. “Preserving your life isn't a prerequisite for biting the finger that feeds you. You could get your mouth broken.” He reached for my hair, and tugged at it. 

I hissed, pushing his hands off. “Don't touch me!” I said in a weak protest. The damn effect of mate bond crept in, weakening my bones. 

My senses became hazy, and a warm sensation blossomed between my legs. Ugh! I hate that. Alpha Theron ran a loose finger over my face, and another moan fell out of my lips. 

“I can smell your arousal miles away. There's no need to fight it.” I could taste the sarcasm in his voice. Unease settled on the thick lines of his face. He pushed his head to the side of my neck, and sniffed on it aggressively. 

His wolf's energy crackled the air, increasing the tension between us. My cheeks turned the colour of cherry tomatoes, at the closeness between us. 

I was at the brink of caving into the sensuality that dripped from him. But Elara, disgusted by him, had other plans. 

One fleeting minute of laxity, she bolted out of the mindlock I'd subjected her to, and swiped her claws on his face.