Chapter 5

“Your highness, please get up. We are under attack.” Jackson tapped Caroline.

Caroline lazily opened her eyes. She rubbed them to get the sleep off her eyes.

“Hugh… How?” She asked

“I don’t know, let’s get out of here now. Ryu and the rest are distracting them. We have to get you to safety now.”

Caroline quickly gets up and grabs her things. Her and Jackson fled in the dark forest. The clash of swords grew fainter behind them as they fled. They ran as fast as they could.

They kept running in the dark path until Caroline missed her steps. There were so many slopes in the woods and they were very slippery.

Caroline fell down the slopes, she rolled down the slopes till she was stopped by a huge tree trunk causing her to yelp.

Jackson wasn’t anywhere close to her. She could hear the footsteps of someone approaching. She tried to steady her ragged breath. She dragged herself up and continued to run as fast as she could but her feet gave way and she fell again.

Trying to stand again, Caroline found herself between a crack of a large tree. It seemed like she luckily stumbled into a hiding place. Caroline sat in there and hid herself to the furtherest, darkest area inside the tree, covering her mouth with her hands. She wasn’t with amy weapon to protect herself so she just hid so no one could find her.

As she sat there, in a fetal position she started to hear voices.

“Did you find any one?”

“No!”

“Seems they all escaped.”

“Assholes, search everywhere, find them dead or alive or you all are done for!”

Carolines’ hand on her mouth trembled as she held it. They were just a few steps away from her. She held her breath, her heart beated loudly to her ears.

She had heard their steps getting further and further away from her so she slowly started breathing normal again as her grip on her mouth loosened.

She tried to peek outside slowly but the moment she did something jumped above her causing a loud thud in her ears. She flinched and rolled down in fear but the creature held her before she could hit her head on a stone.

“Please don’t kill me.” She begged, her voice trembling and her eyes closed.

“If you try to escape then I won’t hesitate to.” The man who held her spoke in a nonchalant voice. He dragged her out of the forest and dumped her into the back seat of his car.

He brought out his phone and swiftly dialed a number.

“Send all of them out now!” He ordered and ended the call.

He entered the driver's seat, looked at Caroline through the rear glass mirror. She looked messy. Strands of leaves were stuck in her hair and her skin was stained with mud. She was trembling a bit.

“Who are you?” Ryland asked in an intimidating voice.

Caroline didn’t respond, she kept her head low and still trembling. Trying to cover her breast since her dress was ripped and was showing some cleavage.

“Don’t make me repeat myself!”

“J_jasmine.” Caroline replied.

She was to keep her identity a secret so she told him her middle name instead since no one knew her by it except her father. She definitely wasn’t lieing to the man before her either.

“What Pack are you from? Who sent you?”

“I’m from no pack, I’m stranded.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me!” Ryland shouted, hitting the steering wheel hard causing Caroline to flinch.

“I’m not lieing sir.” She responded calmly though she was clearly shaking inside. This wasn’t the plan. She has just been out for a day and now her life is before her on the brink of death.

“Who were the men with you?”

“I don’t know them, we aren’t together.” She lied again. She didn’t want to risk blowing off her identity and putting the guards in danger. She hoped they would be safe and come later to rescue her.

Ryland glared at her to check if she was lieing or telling the truth but he couldn’t tell.

He sighed and zoomed off the car. Caroline was scared at the speed at which they were driving. Her heart was stuck in her throat yet she didn’t want to say a word not to get him more mad at her.

After a few minutes their car stopped in front of a large black gate. The gate opened up revealing a magnificent mansion.

Caroline gasped in shock. She had never seen any house bigger than the Palace house in her entire existence.

“Get down!” Ryland's authoritative voice commanded her.

She quickly opened the door to come down from the car. Her legs were still numb from all the running that she fell as she stepped her feet on the marbled floor.

She slowly carried herself up and walked a few feets apart from Ryland who had abandoned her there. She followed behind him keeping her head down.

Ryland stopped abruptly causing Caroline to bump into his shoulder with a loud thump.

“Ouch! Could you not stop like that” she groaned, rubbing her nose from the painful encounter.

Ryland turned to her, glaring down at her. His eyes were hostile, making her shrink to the floor and disappear.

It dawned on Caroline that this was her first time seeing his face clearly up close. The man before her was so damn good looking. Too good looking for his arrogant, intimidating behaviour. He was so tall that she felt so small before him. His inky black hair seemed shiny in the moonlight. He had a strong defined perfect jawline like the men she had seen in most of the magazines the maids brought her. He even looked way more good looking than them. She was utterly impressed by his good looks. No man that ever went in or out of the palace had looked this good.

“What are you doing?” Caroline flinched back from the resentment in his voice. His ice cold eyes sent shivers down her spine.

She gulped her saliva and was not sure what to respond. “Hugh???”

“What are you doing? Where are you going?” He asked again

“Oh I_I was Jüst following you.” She replied

Rylands Eyes narrowed at her. Every second that passed by without any words from them seemed like a ticking time bomb for both Caroline.

Caroline couldn’t help but bite her bottom lip. The man before her was scrutinizing her like she was some prey. She knew in one looke that he was more than dangerous.

A frail old maid suddenly appeared before them.

“Greetings Alpha Ryland.”

“Take her in!” He commanded and turned his back on Caroline.

Caroline watched him leave till the large doors were shut behind him.

She let out a deep breath she hadn’t realized she was holding for quite a while.

“Let’s go miss…” the old maid paused.

“Jasmine.” Caroline says

The old lady nods in affirmation and walks before Carolime leading the way.