THE MOST WANTED ROGUE

CHAPTER TWO

~DIANE~

I glanced around, noticing the tension that grew thick in the air within seconds. A few wolves pushed past me, running through the alleyway to get to the banquet hall. I tried running alongside them, but my speed was nothing compared to their wolf speed. In a matter of minutes, everywhere was eerily quiet.

Torn between running back home or risking it to the banquet, I decided to do the latter. No matter what, I must make it to the event and find my mate.

I continued running with as much speed as I could summon.

A loud growl erupted from behind me. Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. It was after me…

Adrenaline shot through me like a lightning bolt. Panic settled in, and the fear of losing my life almost made me break down.

I couldn’t die. Not now. Not when I promised my father I’d do whatever it took to survive. Not when I had yet to get my revenge on the wolf that killed him that day.

Anger, frustration, anxiety, and dread burst through every part of my body as I ran for survival.

I risked a glance back, and what I saw made my blood run cold.

The rogue wolf stood over me. A rogue the pack had always spoken about—one they put a huge reward on for anyone who successfully caught it.

It had been serving as a great threat to the pack for almost two years now. It moved as swift as a cheetah, as stealthy as a leopard, and as quiet as the air.

I knew I had to act fast and run before it decided to tear my head from my throat.

And it was exactly at this moment that something stirred within me.

My transformation.

I felt weak. An excruciating pain shot through me. Bones cracked and shifted, muscles bulged, and fur sprouted from every inch of my skin. I let out an anguished cry.

“Why now?”

Amidst the pain, I could see the rogue, poised for attack.

I could not move, escape, or act. I simply lay there, my wolf scrawny and whining. I waited for what was to come.

Just at the last moment, the rogue turned away and left, disappearing into thin air.

The shock was still all over me when I got to the banquet. Strangely, everything seemed normal. They smiled, drank, and conversed. It was as though nothing had really happened, and if not for the shock I still felt, I would have concluded it all happened in my head.

Not long after, I saw Hailey and my parents. They were unfazed like the others, simply enjoying the event.

Every young person in attendance looked their best, and I could tell it wasn’t just me who was desperate for a mate.

The hall was colorfully decorated. The food laid out was mouthwatering, and anyone could have whatever they wanted.

Since there was nobody to talk to at the banquet—unlike the others whose friends had gotten hold of them—I made my way to the food table.

I felt their stares burn into my back. I didn’t let that bother me. My first stop was the dessert table. Reaching out for a plate, a sweet scent subtly clouded my nostrils.

I ignored it and placed a cake on my plate. It came again, stronger this time. I sensed the awakening of my wolf until I became restless. I searched the room, looking for something… perhaps someone responsible for this feeling.

“Mate.” My wolf panted.

A gasp escaped my throat as I registered my wolf’s call.

My mate is here, and he is calling to me.

Excitement surged through me.

Following the scent, I walked past the crowd standing in the way. Anxious to meet the one person who would help me live freely and maybe… just maybe, I would eventually have a dream then.

My heart skipped a beat the moment I saw him.

For a second, I almost believed he was searching for me too. Our eyes locked. He was tall, blonde, with a clear dimple that showed even when he wasn’t fully smiling. I knew right then that I didn’t want anyone else. He walked with a proud, confident gait.

Everything about him looked expensive. Noble. Untouchable.

Then he stopped in front of me.

“Mate?” he asked.

His voice sounded like music to my ears.

I nodded, staring up at him like he was something out of a dream.

“Yes,” I said, my tone full of hope. “This is me.”

His eyes moved over me in pure scrutiny and I noticed the way his jaw hardened before he opened his mouth to speak..

Before he said anything, a girl my age pulled him toward her and kissed him hard.

The smile on my face died instantly. My heart dropped.

I stood there, frozen, trying to understand what I was seeing. People around us had stopped talking. Everyone was watching.

When the kiss finally ended, he looked down at me. The warmth that had been in his eyes seconds ago was gone. All that remained was coldness… and pure disgust.

My wolf cowered. So did I.

He took a step closer, irritation written all over his face.

“Let this be the last time you try to claim me as yours. I do not want you. You are beneath me..”

My legs almost gave out.

“Are you… rejecting me?” I managed to ask.

Silence.

The girl beside him giggled. Her eyes flashed for a second.

“Are you that slow?” she said, looking me up and down. “He is rejecting your scrawny, ugly self. Move on.”

Something inside me tore.

I pressed a hand to my chest as pain ripped through me. Tears burned my eyes. A broken sound escaped my throat before I could stop it.

What was the Moon Goddess doing to me? Hadn’t I suffered enough?

I hugged myself tightly and glanced around the room. My eyes met Levi and Renee’s. Of course they had seen everything. They looked thrilled. Another reason to torture me.

Then I looked toward my adoptive parents. They were still watching me too, though they tried to pretend they weren’t.

Tears stung harder.

This was supposed to be my chance at freedom.

Now it is gone.

I stumbled toward the nearest chair and dropped into it, throwing my head back so the tears wouldn’t fall in front of everyone.

I’m cursed, I thought bitterly. Freedom was never meant for me.

Small chatter and light clapping pulled me out of my thoughts. In the center of the hall stood Alpha Asher… and him. The blonde. My mate.

Alpha Asher introduced him as Xavier, Alpha of the Stealth Pack.

I was too numb to react.

When the formalities finally ended, I left for home.

My “family” was already waiting for me, each of them wearing the same ugly smile. They already knew.

“Sit, Diane,” Stewart said, his voice unusually calm. “I want to have a word with you.”

I sat down slowly, already knowing what was coming.

“It’s obvious you didn’t find your mate. Am I wrong?”

I shook my head. They had seen everything. There was no use lying about it anymore.

“Good. Then nothing changes. You’ll be sent to the Stealth Pack tomorrow. You’ll serve as a maid in the Alpha’s household.”

My mind went blank.

Stealth Pack.

Serving the same man who had just publicly rejected me. The one who said he never wanted to see me again.

Fear crawled up my spine.

“Father… please,” I whispered. “I don’t want to go there. Let me stay and serve Alpha Asher instead.”

“You have no say in this,” Abigail snapped. “This family took you in for ten years. It’s time you paid us back.”

I snapped.

I stood up, chest heaving.

“You should have left me on the streets that day,” I said, my voice shaking. “You never took me in out of kindness. You only wanted someone to use.”

I didn’t wait for their reply.

I ran to the tiny storeroom, locked the door, and collapsed onto the bed. For a long time, I just cried.

Then, slowly, I made a decision.

For three years I had been saving every little bit of money I earned from odd jobs. I pulled out the trousers where I kept it, emptied the pockets, and counted.

It was enough.

Enough to leave the pack. Enough to start over somewhere else.

My wolf let out a quiet, sad growl at the thought of leaving Xavier behind. Even after everything.

I curled up on the bed and waited for midnight.

Tonight, I was going to run before they wheel me away to an Alpha that despises me.