Chapter 4: A Fresh Start

Situated deep within the forest where the sun hardly made it through the thickets was my grandmother's Packhouse , it was so small but I remembered it was so cozy and all that.

The scent was a combination of cedarwood and the little traces of my mom's favorite lavender oil, so she does visit here frequently.

The place still felt like her even though no one had lived here for years

 As I rubbed my fingers across the old and almost cracked wooden table, I was transported back to my early years. 

I had come here during the holidays when I was very little before my parents had died.

Here she taught me how to bake bread, braid my hair and maintain my self-confidence in the face of anger or trouble .

But I was not prepared for the rejection I had experienced by any of those lessons. 

It had come suddenly and left me wounded.

"This is it." I said, my voice shaking as tears were threatening to spill out." I'll start over here. "

It felt like a hollow promise that I might not be able to fulfill. A promise I had made to myself, comforted myself even though I know it might be difficult for me to move on.

But I had no other option. Staying back and dwelling on my past wasn't what I should do now.

Fixing and cleaning took up the first few days. Dust was everywhere in the Packhouse and whenever it rained the roof would leak. I had nowhere else to go and this was my little haven now.

I rearranged furniture ,patched holes and cleaned the floors in an effort to distract myself from the pain of rejection and betrayal.

I thought about Liam, only the moon goddess knows what might have happened at the pack.

I'm quite sure that Liam could be shocked and surprised when he realized that I was gone.

But the loneliness began to creep in at night when I didn't want it to and it made me sad and quite angry.

The quiet was overwhelming and I couldn't stop seeing  him in my head.

 Days ran into weeks and sometimes I wonder if I had done the right thing by leaving. 

I was haunted by his piercing eyes, the way his lips curled into a smirk and the warmth of his touch.

 

" No Serena.You must stop thinking about him. "I shook my head and muttered to myself.

But it was impossible to stop doing so,to stop thinking about him even though I had seen him with Sophia and heard everything they had said to each other.

I recalled how he pleaded with me to believe that he still cared the night he kissed me. 

Then I remembered the hurtful things he said to me and how he made fun of me in front of the pack. 

Everything was  tugging and pushing was too much to handle. 

I didn't realize something was amiss until a week later.

 I initially thought it to be stress. I was no longer hungry and I felt queasy most mornings.

 But when the illness persisted, I became very concerned. 

Missing my cycle was the last hint. I looked at the calendar on the wall. "No, this isn't possible." I muttered, fear catching in my voice.

But in my heart though I knew.

I bought a pregnancy test when I went into town the following morning. 

As I held the little stick and waited for the results , my hands shook. 

With my heart thumping in my chest the seconds seemed like hours.

 Upon seeing the two pink lines my legs buckled under me

 I was expecting a child. My mind was racing as I gripped the test, tears streaming down my face. 

I couldn't decide if I should be happy or sad. Although a baby brought complications, it also brought hope. How would I manage to raise a child by myself? 

Then came the most dreaded question of all: who was the father? 

I buried my face in my hands as I tried to remember that night with Liam. But I could also hear the faint echoes of my mate's voice 

I had spent the night in Liam's room.

 I was terrified and confused  by everything but I knew that this baby was my life and everything.

I was so focused on creating a life for us that I threw myself into getting ready for the baby. 

I organized the nursery after getting the materials and even began cultivating a tiny garden outside the cabin. 

Though it wasn't much it was mine.

 One day when I had gone to the pack grocery store,bI heard something that chilled me to the bones.

 Another customer was whispering to the shopkeeper .

"Alpha Liam has been looking for her. . He has been requesting information and offering rewards to anyone who 

finds her."

 I gripped the basket of veggies tightly as I froze. 

The other woman asked inquisitively, "Why would he do that?"

 The store owner gave a shrug." Who knows? Perhaps he feels bad about turning her down."

Despite my racing heart I forced a smile and hurriedly paid for my purchases.

Did he know about the baby? Why was he searching for me?

 I was horrified by the idea. Liam had humiliated me in front of the pack after rejecting me once. I couldn't allow him the opportunity to repeat it.

 I left the cabin that night after packing my bag. 

As I moved through the streets, my heart was thumping and I knew I had nowhere else to go.

 Even though I knew it was the right thing to do, my heart was heavy. 

 I froze when I heard twigs snapping behind me as I was walking.

" Who's there?"I yelled, my voice shaking. 

I got chills from the growl that responded. 

Out of the darkness a pack of rogue wolves appeared, gleaming with evil intent. 

My stomach dropped and I knew I was in deep trouble.

I had no wolf ,so how was I supposed to defend myself from these rogue wolves?

One of them curled into a sarcastic smile and sneered .

"Well, well. Who do we have here ?" He said taking a step closer.

 

"Leave me alone."I said, trembling but firmly.

 They circled me like predators laughing.

"An omega alone in the woods?"Another one mockingly said .

"You're only inviting trouble." I moved back clutching my bag.

" I don't want  any trouble. let  me go."

The first one smiled and said .

"Let you go? Where exactly?"

It was funny and the rest burst into laughter.

Without saying another word, I turned and fled as they lunged at me. 

The branches scratched my face and arms as I ran through the trees, my heart thumping in my chest.

 I knew I couldn't outrun them as their growls got closer and louder.

And suddenly a loud roar sounded through the forest just as I thought it was over. 

The rogues halted in their tracks, their terrified eyes widening. 

"Leave her alone ." Someone said, The voice was deep and authoritative.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the rogues withdrew into the darkness, tucking their tails between their legs. 

He turned to me with anger and fear heaving in his chest. 

"Why are you in this place?" His gaze was fixed on me and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.

The man standing before me wasn't just shirtless, he was devastatingly handsome and I swallowed hard.

"I...I was just." 

But the words were stuck in my throat.

"Come with me." He said.

"Who are you?" I asked in a shaky tone .

He turned to me, his amber eyes boring holes into mine.

"Call me The Lord Of The Night."