Hide Kitten Hide!

Aimee’s P.O.V

Sounds of waves lapping against rocks reached my ears, followed by the fresh scent of the stream. When I finally burst out through the dense woods, a weak smile pulled at my lips as I saw the sparkling water. 

It was just as magical as the first time I’d laid my eyes on it. Sparkling and shimmering, I could almost convince my young mind that fairies came out here at night and this was their spot. Who knew? I could be right.

‘I should take a swim,’ I thought, grabbing the hem of my dress. ‘It might help take my mind away from…’ Oh, Jake. His name stabbed my heart like a knife, and I doubled over, choking on my tears. 

Oh, It hurt so much. 

The nature around me had blocked him out of my mind, but now all I could hear were his words on the stage and how Jessica was wrapped around him like a leech, kissing what belonged to me. 

Then he’d slapped me. Why?

No, I couldn't swim. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I settled on my favorite spot, gathering stones to toss into the waters. 

I didn’t deserve any of this. All I did was love Jake with all my heart, even going against my father’s wishes to be his. 

A bitter smile twisted my lips as I remembered the first time I’d met him. It'd been–

“Aimee?” 

The soft, whispery voice made me jump. Heart thumping, I whirled around to see who it was.

Oh. “Nana." My voice was barely audible.

A smile graced her never-aging face as she nodded, approaching me. “I perceived your scent at my door, and when I didn’t hear you come in, I simply knew where to find you.”

“Right.” I sat back on the rock, wrapping my arms around my knees.

Her hands felt soothing as she rubbed them on my back. “Talk to me, child. What is it?”

“Jake…He chose someone else.” I choked, wrapping my arms around her knees, burying my face into her clothes. “Jake doesn’t love me. Nobody does.”

My shoulders shook as sobs racked through me. We stood like that for a long minute, the only sound being the gentle splash of the stream and the rustle of the leaves. 

“Come…Come with me, child.” She patted my hair after my tears stopped. “You’ll sit by a warm fire while I make you tea.”

Those simple words felt like a cloak being lifted off my shoulders, and I raised my head, nodding gratefully.

 Nana was right: tea and a warm fire would make everything better. They always had.

 “You know I’ve always thought you were too good for him,” said Nana, an hour after we’d settled into the cottage.

Taking a long sip of my tea, I remained silent, watching the glowing embers of the fireplace. Maybe she was right. Or Maybe father was right, and a lowly wolf like myself didn’t deserve… 

Cedar, woodlands....and leather... Suddenly, I remembered that scent…I’d totally forgotten. My wolf sat up in my subconscious, growling softly.

“What is it?” Nana asked instantly, sensing my discomfort.

“I…” Sucking in a deep breath, I messily told her I'd gone after the scent like a starved animal…the ache and tugging in my gut when I finally found him.

Nana was quiet, slowly sipping her tea. Soon, her cup ran empty, and she reached over for the tea jug, only to find barely a drop of the honey-sweetened tea.

Sighing, she looked at me and offered me her hand, which I took without question. It was warm…and slightly coarse.

She smiled. “What you felt was the mate bond.”

My mouth fell open, and shock bolted through me like lightning.

What? Mate. He was my...mate? 

I withdrew my hands from hers, racking my brain for that masculine face. Then it hit me like a flash of light, and I felt that excitement again. 

Maybe this was compensation for my hurt.

But then another image came to mind.  I’d seen him at the hall's entrance

He was one of the three men who cornered that poor girl! I shuddered at the idea of being his mate. That sick, twisted Alpha Logan.

Crossing my fingers, I prayed to the goddess. "Please don't let him be my mate, please!" I couldn't bear being bound to that cruel Alpha who may have killed my mother.

However, as I sipped on the tea, the landline rang loudly, breaking the silence of the cottage. "Nana, don't worry. I'll get the phone."

“Okay, sweetie.” Nana hummed, and I stood from the resting room.

On my way to the living area, I caught my reflection in the mirror and winced. My right cheek was still swollen from Jake's slap. I sighed, pushing him out of my mind. He didn't deserve any more tears from me.

“Hey, babe, shit’s storming in!!” Lily’s voice followed the static, and I felt the hairs at the back of my neck tingle.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice trembling.

I heard her harsh intake of breath before she began talking. “Just right after you left, Alpha Logan finished his speech and went batshit on Jake.”

I gasped, feeling my heart slam against my ribcage. “Wait…Are…Are you saying the man on the stage was Alpha Logan?”

“That’s not the point.” She snapped at me, and I flinched. “Listen to me, babe.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, so he made Jake gather all the omegas in the pack and began sniffing like he was some rabid dog!” her voice rose with panic. “I don’t know what the asshole wanted, but none of us was what he was looking for."

 She took a breather, then continued. "After sniffing all the omegas, he attacked Jake—which he deserved. I wish he broke his nose—and then Jessica  blurted that you were the only Omega missing, and now every single wolf in our pack is on your search, and from the way things are going…babe, I’m fucking terrified, but I think they are going to hand to you over to Alpha Logan.”

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead as her words sank in. The phone slipped from my hands and crashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces.

The sound drew Nana, and she hurried towards me, wrapping her arms around me. “What’s going on, sweets? Tell me!"

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. I couldn't breathe. Fire burned in my lungs with every breath. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest; the world around me blurry and darkened. I couldn't think clearly or make sense of anything. All I could hear was Lily's voice echoing in my head, telling me I was doomed and would be handed over to a monster who killed women for sports.

"Aimee? Aimee!" Nana's voice sounded distant and muffled as if she was speaking from underwater.

"Aimee, look at me!" She gently lifted my chin and made me look into her eyes. They were warm.

"Sweets, you're having a panic attack. It's okay. You are safe. Just breathe." Her voice was soothing as she guided me to sit on a nearby couch. "In through your nose and out through your mouth. Just like that."

Gradually, my chest loosened up, and I sucked in oxygen like a whale out of water. "Nana, Alpha Logan is looking for me… My voice cracked, gratefully accepting the glass of water she passed me.  

Nana held me tight, stroking my hair.

“Listen to me, Aimee.” She whispered, cupping my face. “Fate dictates the life of werewolves, my dear, and if the moon goddess has made you the fated mate of Alpha Logan, then it’s for the best. My lovely, I’ll advise you to take it as it comes.”

Her words calmed me a little, but I still felt a knot of dread in my stomach. How could I be the mate of a cruel alpha who may have killed my mother? How could I leave my father and Nana behind?

I decided to head back home and at least talk to my father about everything. Nana nodded in agreement and gave me her blessings.

But no sooner had I stepped out of the door than a squad of wolves immediately surrounded me, and in front of them stood Alpha Logan.

He stared down at me.

I stared up at him.

Fuck. My breathing seized.

Although we were meters apart, my knees grew weak at the force of desire that shot through me, and I gulped in his scent like I’d been starved for days, blushing madly as slick flooded my panties.

The light from the moon outlined his physique, and I almost cried at the sheer masculinity oozing from him. His blazer was gone, and all that was left was his black silk shirt that stuck to his rippling muscles. Through blurry eyes, I noticed that the first few buttons were opened, exposing his strong collarbone and toned abs.

His facial muscles tightened so that his skin was stretched taut over his cheekbones, and that simple act confirmed that he felt it too. Oh, goddess, Alpha Logan is my fated mate.

“Take her.” He barked to his Beta standing by his side, and that was enough to snap me out of the haze of lust. My cheeks heated with annoyance.

“Don’t touch me!” I hissed, lunging at the man with my claws, but I merely swiped the air. “I’m not just an object you can take! Who do you think you are?”

The cold fury in his eyes caused me to shiver, and I realized Alpha Logan was nearing the tail of his patience, but I couldn’t give a flying fuck. After how Jake treated me, I wouldn’t let any other man try to control me.

Just then, my father arrived, and relief washed through me as he and my brother stood on either side of me, protecting me.

"Are you okay?" Ty whispered, and I nodded, sliding my fingers between his. "We won't let him take you away, Aimee. I promise."

I looked into his eyes, my heart breaking when I saw the veiled fear in their depths. He wasn't sure.

"Why did you come to the party after I warned you not to?" My father's harshly spoken words brought tears to my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to see Jake." My voice broke. "I thought–"

To my right, my brother cut in with a hiss. "And where is he right now? If you had stayed home, this guy wouldn't have seen you!"

"It's stupid to weep over spilled milk, son." My father silenced him with a look. "Let me handle this."

That said, he turned to face the crowd.

“I am not giving my child to you, Alpha Logan.” My father glowered at him, but I could see his wolf quivering at the sight of Logan’s killer glare. I hated how he intimidated people with his aura.

Snorting, he crossed his arms, and I was appalled to feel my nipples bead against my gown as I watched his muscles bunch through his shirt.

Focus! Focus, Aimee!

He threw a slight smirk my way, and I flushed bright red, realizing that he had seen my arousal and reaction to him.

Finally, he said to Father. “I wasn’t asking.” His jaw was clenched tightly like a coiled snake, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. “If you do not give her over to me, I will nullify the truce agreement. Maybe tomorrow, declare war on the crescent pack.”

My paled expression mirrored the rest of the pack members as they all began murmuring amongst each other while pointing at my family.

Dread coiled in my belly when the first voice spoke up. “Please, James, you have to surrender your daughter, or it’ll be your fault that we go into another century of war with the New Ridge pack.”

That birthed more pleas and protests from the crowd. Before long, they were all yelling at my family to give me up.

"Take me instead!" My brother yelled, and the air went silent. "I will be a slave to the New Ridge pack, but please leave my little sister."

"No." I never knew that word held so much power until Alpha Logan said it.

"Please…" Ty begged, falling to his knees.

Tears formed in my eyes as I glanced at my father and caught his wobbling resolve. I didn’t hate him, though. I mean, too much was at stake, which could destroy the whole pack.

I felt Nana’s hand on my shoulder as she kissed my head, whispering. “Fate, dearie.”

I allowed the first pearl drop before drying my eyes and stepped away from the half-circle my family had formed around me.

Clearing my throat, I yelled on top of my voice to catch everyone’s attention.

“I would go with Alpha Logan as long as he allowed me to visit my family at any time I wished and to continue my education.” I jutted my chin in defiance, staring at the formidable man gazing at me through hooded eyes like he could see through me.

Fear tightened like a fist around my heart as the silence dragged on. And I was almost certain he was going to refuse when he shrugged. “Okay.”

Half an hour later, my temper was at boiling point. Alpha Logan seemed to think he could just waltz into my life and take over.

“I am not taking your coat,” I repeated for the tenth time as I followed him across the driveway in front of the pack-house.  His Beta slid into another car with that collar girl.

Rain began falling while I was packing my stuff and bidding my family goodbye. So that was why he’d been trying to get me to wear his jacket, but I'd rather catch pneumonia.

With his hair slicked back from his face and his black brows lowered in an ominous scowl, Alpha Logan looked more gorgeous than ever. And that was enough conviction for me to restrain my lovestruck wolf from letting her affection for this so-called mate overflow.

Because beneath his good looks, he was mean, moody, and not to mention: the most arrogant, overbearing man I had ever met. Not like I’d met many men but still…

“Get in the car.” He snapped testily, jolting me from my thoughts when I continued to stand outside in the rain. “It’s a long way to my pack, and we’ve wasted enough time as is it.”

Glowering at him, I reluctantly climbed into the limo. My heart thumped painfully in my chest, and I wished I had the nerve to snatch my bag and run.

The torrential rain, the mate bond, and the bitter knowledge that Alpha Logan could effortlessly outmatch me in speed and strength let me stay put, but I edged as far away as possible from him once inside the car and stared pointedly out of the window.

I pressed my head to the glass, watching the landscape of my pack territory fade away, and felt tears brimming in my eyes.

This wasn’t over. I wouldn’t go down without a fight and let this evil man add me to his harem. Even if I never get a chance to escape, I’d make him regret ever being mated to Aimee Moore.

I’d never be yours, Alpha.