Chapter 2

Rose’s POV

The word mate echoed inside my head like thunder.

For a moment, I thought I was imagining things.

First Alpha Sunny had rejected me in front of the entire pack… and now a complete stranger was standing in the forest, looking at me like I belonged to him.

This had to be some cruel joke from the Moon Goddess.

I slowly pushed myself up from the ground, my legs still trembling from the pain of the broken mate bond.

The stranger didn’t move.

He simply stood there, watching me with those piercing golden eyes.

Something about him was… terrifying.

Not the kind of fear that made you want to run away.

But the kind that made your entire body instinctively recognize power.

Raw.

Ancient.

Dominant.

Even the wind around him felt heavier.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asked calmly.

His deep voice sent a strange shiver down my spine.

“I…” My voice cracked slightly. “You must be mistaken.”

His eyebrow lifted.

“Mistaken?”

“Yes,” I said quickly, wiping the tears from my face. “I’m not your mate.”

He let out a low chuckle.

It wasn’t mocking.

But it definitely wasn’t amused either.

“That’s interesting,” he murmured, taking another step toward me.

My heart immediately started racing again.

Instinctively, I stepped back.

“Don’t come closer,” I warned.

His eyes darkened slightly.

“And why not?”

“Because I don’t even know you,” I replied, trying to sound braver than I felt.

He stopped walking.

For a moment, the forest became completely silent.

Then he tilted his head slightly, studying me like I was some kind of puzzle.

“You’re right,” he said finally.

“You don’t know me.”

Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.

The air around him suddenly shifted.

A powerful wave of energy spread through the forest, making my knees feel weak.

My wolf stirred restlessly inside me again.

The stranger’s lips curved into a faint smile.

“But I know you.”

My breath caught.

“How…?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he took a slow breath, as if enjoying the scent of the air around us.

Then his golden eyes sharpened.

“The scent of a mate is something no wolf could ever mistake.”

My chest tightened painfully.

Mate.

The word still felt wrong.

Sunny had already rejected me.

The mate bond had shattered.

I was supposed to be free now.

Right?

“So you’re wrong,” I whispered.

His gaze snapped back to my face.

“I already had a mate,” I continued quietly. “And he rejected me tonight.”

For the first time since I met him, the stranger’s expression changed.

His smile disappeared.

A dangerous darkness flashed in his eyes.

“Rejected you?”

The temperature of the air seemed to drop instantly.

I nodded weakly.

“Yes.”

Silence fell between us.

The stranger slowly clenched his fists.

A terrifying aura exploded around him.

The trees nearby rustled violently as if reacting to his anger.

“Who?” he asked coldly.

The single word sent chills down my spine.

I swallowed nervously.

“Alpha Sunny of the Blood Moon Pack.”

For a moment, the stranger didn’t move.

Then suddenly—

He laughed.

But there was no humor in that laugh.

It was dark.

Cold.

Deadly.

“That idiot Alpha rejected you?” he muttered.

Confusion flashed through me.

Why did he sound so… angry?

“You don’t understand,” I said quickly. “He was right. I’m just an omega.”

His gaze snapped back to me.

The intensity of his eyes made my heart skip a beat.

“Say that again.”

“I said I’m just—”

Before I could finish, he suddenly appeared in front of me.

I gasped.

One second he had been several feet away.

The next second he was standing right in front of me.

So close I could feel the heat of his body.

My breath hitched.

His hand suddenly lifted my chin, forcing me to look directly into his golden eyes.

“Never call yourself just anything,” he said quietly.

The authority in his voice was overwhelming.

For some reason, I couldn’t look away.

My heart was beating wildly again.

Up close, he was even more intimidating.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

Sharp features that made him look almost unreal under the moonlight.

And his scent…

It was strange.

Wild.

Dangerous.

Yet strangely comforting at the same time.

“You don’t understand what you are,” he murmured softly.

My brows frowned.

“What do you mean?”

He stared at me for a long moment.

Then he slowly released my chin.

The moment his touch disappeared, I felt something strange.

Disappointment.

Which made absolutely no sense.

“You really don’t know,” he said quietly.

“Know what?”

Instead of answering, he suddenly asked another question.

“What’s your name?”

“Rose.”

His lips moved slightly as he repeated it under his breath.

“Rose…”

The way he said my name made my cheeks feel warm.

Then he straightened his posture.

“My name is Sunny.”

I blinked.

“What?”

“Yes,” he said calmly.

“My name is Sunny.”

My brain struggled to process that.

“That’s impossible.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Because my former mate’s name is Sunny,” I replied.

The stranger smirked slightly.

“Well… that’s unfortunate for him.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

There was something strangely confident about him.

As if the world itself revolved around him.

“Who exactly are you?” I asked carefully.

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward the bright moon hanging above the forest.

For a moment, he looked almost… thoughtful.

Then he looked back at me.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

That was definitely not the answer I wanted.

“You can’t just appear in the forest, call yourself my mate, and refuse to explain anything!” I protested.

His eyes sparkled with amusement.

“I just did.”

My mouth opened slightly.

This man was impossible.

Just when I was about to argue again, his expression suddenly turned serious.

“Rose,” he said quietly.

“Yes?”

“Come with me.”

My eyes widened.

“What?”

“You can’t stay here.”

“And why not?”

“Because the Alpha who rejected you…” his voice lowered slightly.

“…is going to regret it very soon.”

A strange chill ran down my spine.

“What are you talking about?”

Instead of answering, he suddenly stepped closer again.

His golden eyes locked onto mine.

And for a brief moment, I felt something powerful moving