Mate

Chapter 2

I didn’t know how long I ran, it could could have been minutes or even hours. But I ran so far away with the baby in my arms that the war began to sound far away.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief, dragging air into my aching lungs, as i held on to my torn dress and tried to tie both edges together to give it a semblance of decency. 

My feet were red and bloody, and full of wounds, but at least I was safe and all alone. No one had followed us while I ran. Not even Alpha Cassian. 

It was just me and the baby. I looked at him, covered in blood that wasn’t his, but at least he was safe . I was safe. Broken, hurt and alone, but safe… Finally…

I was about to thank the moon goddess for finally answering my earlier prayers when I heard a twig snap from behind me. It sounded too damn close to be a coincidence. Way too close to me.

My pulse stuttered as I held the whimpering baby closer to my chest.

Then the scent of another wolf hit me. I did not recognise the scent. It was not a Wolfsbane warrior. And it was definitely not from my pack either.

The smell kept getting closer and closer as I stood still, scanning the trees. it was a very awful stench which meant only one thing... There was a rogue wolf close by.

Fear gripped me, my already weak body going into fight or flight mode. I barely shifted in time.

My wolf exploded out of me with a furious snarl, but I was too exhausted, too slow, and had I had lost way too much blood. 

But I could not wait or stop to think, not when I could hear the rogues running steps pounding on the ground headed for me. I grabbed the baby between my teeth and broke into a run again.

The rogue wolf crashed into me from the side, and I looked up just in time to see the wolf grab the baby by his neck and shake. Everything around me blurred. I shifted back to my human form, angry and raging, ready to save the baby with my last strength. 

But then the baby fell from his lips with a deep wound, gushing out blood.

“Noo...NO...” My voice cracked as I screamed, running towards the baby. “Please... please...please... no"

I dropped to my knees, reaching for the tiny, motionless body even as the rogue lunged again.

His teeth sank into my shoulder, ripping a scream out of me. But the pain didn’t matter. None of it mattered. The baby wasn’t breathing. His little chest wasn’t moving.

I screamed, as the rogue sank his teeth into my shoulder again. The poison of his rogue bite instantly spreading in my veins. 

My heart banged over and over in my chest as my fear mixed with anxiety and anger. I remembered all the lessons and warnings my father had given me about encountering a rogue.

Rogues didn’t just carry venom in their teeth and fangs. The pain from their venom alone had the ability to drive another werewolf to madness. This wasn’t just venom. This was madness, and the effect started immediately so no one could really fight it.

My mind began to slip sideways. Everything was spinning, even in my wolf form, my vision became blurry, but I was still Lilith. And I would not die without a fight.

I ripped my claws across his throat again, and again. Hot blood sprayed across the trees as he fell, twitching and bleeding.

I didn’t wait to check if he was dead, I began running again, staggering and loosing focus.

I shifted back from my wolf form while still running, my skin steaming and burning even in the cold air which meant the poison was kicking in fully. I had no real destination in mind, but I kept running. I was naked, shaking, bleeding and slowly dying.

My leg buckled and I landed back on the floor from pain and exhaustion. 

“No…no no please, goddess no. I can’t die like this. I won’t. I refuse to die like this. Please. Please help me” I knew it was useless to pray, but I was on my very last leg of hope, the baby died, of course she did not think I was important enough to live.

The bite mark throbbed and burned my skin, making the wound deeper while the venom settled inside my blood like insects crawling under my skin.

I tried to crawl. Tried to breathe.

But the forest spun. The sky tilted. My wolf faded back into the dark.

And I passed out beneath a pine tree with blood between my thighs and ash in my hair.

“Please…” my voice croaked, slowly fading away. “… please send help. I don’t want to die…”

My eyes closed instinctively, the tiredness and blood loss finally winning.

I continued to wait for something, anything to come by. Even if it was the rogue who had come back to finish what he started. 

“Fine…you bitch…” I whispered. “…If you want me to come over there so quickly, fine. I will. But just know, I’ll be burning down your entire throne room or whatever spirit world you live in just like my pack was burnt down!” 

I knew it was probably not a good idea to be threatening the moon goddess a few minutes before I died, but I was done caring. If she wanted me dead, fine. But she needed to know how I felt about it.

But then, in the distance, I heard footsteps coming closer, like they were slowly walking towards me.

I couldn’t move, I couldn’t open my eyes. My limbs were like lead. My heart fluttered in my chest as I felt the presence come so close to me I could almost smell them.

I felt a calloused hand brushed hair from my face. The fingers were cold and careful, like he was trying hard not to wake me up.

“She’s alive.” That voice... I knew that voice...

“That bite wound is nasty. A rogue bit her good. Too bad she won’t last the night.” Another voice grunted.

“She’s not dying. Carry her.” That voice... Alpha Cassian. Rage radiated all over my body. Him? Of all people, him? 

Was this what the moon goddess meant by saving me? Leading the murderer of my pack and destroyer of my life to me? For what?

"Carry her" I heard him order again. I wanted to tell them to leave me alone for death. I would rather die than be saved by Alpha Cassian.i would rather be raped over and over than have him boast about saving me after killing my father. If he took me, I would be nothing liee than spoil of war, and nothing more. 

I heard a shuffle of boots, meaning the person he had spoken to was deciding against it. I almost thanked them for disagreeing, but I could only manage a strangled groan.

“Never mind. I’ll carry her.” Alpha Cassian said, then I felt strong arms sliding under me, lifting me up. I was immediately engulfed with the scent of war, blood, and earth, and everything him.

His chest was solid against mine. His heartbeat sounded rapidly in my ears. I wanted to speak, curse him so he would have no choice but to abandon me, but instead, my wolf spoke for me...

"Mate"

Oh hell no!! I tried to do anything to say anything, anything at all, but the darkness claimed me.