Chapter 5

Reyana paced the dark woods in panic as she prayed earnestly for things to go as planned. She couldn't help but feel worried.

She looked around her anxiously but there was still no sign of Aldric. She was scared. She was far away from the pack and she felt a bit vulnerable. Out here in the woods, a young girl like her could be a victim of rogues who wander around at night looking for wolves to pry on.

"Reyana..." A little worried voice called out to her from within, "Are you sure we are making the right decision? I am worried," Mia, her wolf asked with concern.

"Yes, Mia. This is the best we can do for now. Else, we'll die at the hands of the Alpha," Reyana replied, convincing herself.

"But you also have some doubts in your heart. Why don't we do the bidding of the moon goddess and see what fate has for us?" Mia suggested.

"No, Mia. What if fate wills us to die at the hands of our mate? We can change that fate," she reassured.

"But you know it isn't as easy as you think. We have been mated to one of the most powerful Alphas to ever live. Running away won't change our destiny. As long as the Alpha hasn't rejected us yet, we still belong to him and we can never be mated to anyone else unless we severe the bond. You know this, don't you?" Mia cautioned, hoping to bring Reyana back to her senses.

Reyana was silent as she pondered over this. Mia is right. She can only be mated to another man when her bond with the Alpha has been broken. And even if the Alpha is being stubborn about it, only an Alpha stronger than Randall can claim her, with or without Randall's rejection.

This only meant one thing... No matter how far they run, she can never be mated to the man she loves.

She didn't have enough time to process the risk of all she just thought about when she finally heard footsteps from afar, followed by the loud cry of a twig.

Reyana quickly hid behind the large Oak tree, waiting to see who it was. Even though she thought it was Aldric, she had to be extra careful.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, but strangely, it wasn't coming in her direction.

"That's weird," she thought as she peeped from behind the tree to see who it was.

She felt her heart stop for a moment when she saw the figure approaching the small path that led to the border. It was a feminine figure covered with a long black cloak.

The figure moved hastily, as if she was in a hurry to catch up with something.

"Who could that be?" Reyana wondered, her gaze following the figure until she walked passed the Oak tree where Reyanna hid.

Reyana made sure not to make a sound. Although she didn't know whom it was, but whoever that person was, was definitely from the Blood Crescent pack and was definitely up to no good.

Her curiousity got the best of her and she decided to follow the strange person to see where it all ends.

Reyana had always been the brave one among all her peers. She was a risk taker and she had the strength of a hundred women. Some people thought she was special, but others thought she was just favoured by the Moon Goddess. But in all she does, she was sure never to let her strength and abilities be known to so many people. She never wanted to be recruited into the pack army.

Reyana stopped abruptly in her tracks when the strange woman also stopped. She quickly hid behind a small tree, hoping she hadn't been found out yet.

She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. By the time she opened her eyes, the strange woman was gone.

Reyana looked around in horror, "Something isn't right," she said to Mia.

"I felt a dark energy around that stranger, Reya. Let's leave, now," Mia urged.

Just as Reyana turned around to run off, she saw a figure standing behind her - the strange woman.

Reyana panicked, "Who... Who are you?" She managed to ask, her eyes wide in horror but the woman was silent, her entire body, including her face was well covered that you could never tell who it was.

"You should have just hid behind that Oak tree, Reyana," the woman said, her voice was as cold as anything Reyana had ever felt. It was almost as if she was standing before a supreme being.

The woman's lips began to move slightly as she began to mutter some words in a strange language.

Reyana tried to run away but her legs were stuck to the ground. She found herself gradually falling down to the ground,struggling for breath.

She instinctively pulled out a double-edged dagger she had in the sheath of her boot, and with the last strength she could muster, she aimed for the woman's stomach but she doubted it had any effect on the woman before falling unconscious to the ground.

***

The silence was defeaning as Aldric searched for the perfect explanation to give to Alpha Randall but he couldn't find one.

Alpha Randall had always been a man who was slow to action, and that's because his actions can be very deadly. So, he waited patiently for Aldric to answer his question.

"Yes, Alpha. I..." this would be another time when he'd have to be selfish yet again, just to save his skin. He was going to damn every consequence.

"Aldric?" Randall was beginning to lose his patience.

"Reyana is trying to run away from the pack. I have been out here looking all around for her," His chest twisted with guilt as he thought about how betrayed Reyana would feel about this. But then, it's for the best. He had to save his own life, because, no matter what, the Alpha would never be able to kill his mate.

"Aldric? What did you just say?" Randall felt his blood boiling with rage, fear, panic... His eyes were bloodshot red as he took a step closer to Aldric.

Aldric took a step back, his heart pumping faster than it should, "you heard me right, Alpha Randall. We must hurry now before she goes too far," he said and made to leave but Randall held him back.

"And how would you know that?" A part of him hoped this wasn't true... For Reyana's sake, he hoped Aldric was lying.

"I saw her earlier today and she told me she couldn't endure the torture you had in store for her, so she decided to run away," Aldric began his convincing tale, "I tried talking her out of it but she said it's better to die running than to die in your hands," he added, shooting a glare at Randall.

Randall felt a whirlwind of emotions but he couldn't tell if it was anger or pain. All he wanted was to find her and stop her from leaving.

"I went to her chambers to see her, to make sure she was fine, then I found out she was gone," he said, "You've scared her away, Randall. And I hope nothing happens to her, else, I'll never forgive you." Aldric said through gritted teeth as he walked past him into the woods.

Randall let out a loud, threatening growl that made the ground tremble as he transformed into his gigantic black wolf, running past Aldric with the speed of light.

Aldric immediately transformed into his big brown wolf, running in the same direction as the Alpha. He couldn't let Randall get to Reyana before him.

He had already told a lie that'd cost Reyana so much pain. The least he can do now is to get to her first and give her a heads up.

***

Reyana winced in pain as she struggled to open her eyes. Her lids fluttered open as she squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the excessive brightness of the room.

"Ahh..." Her head felt so hot and heavy as she carefully looked around her, observing the familiar environment she was in. "No... Not again," she jerked up from the wooden bed where she lay, struggling to stand to her feet.

"I keep telling you this, Reya, you can not run away from me," the familiar voice which had become a torment to her, echoed in her head.

"What do you want from me? Stay away from me!" The fright in her voice only earned her a burst of cold, sinister laughter from the person talking to her, who had his back turned against her.

The tall, imposing figure turned around, facing her. As usual, she couldn't see his face, except for his usual forest green eyes which always sent a chilling sense of familiarity coarsing through her vein. The only difference is that this particular pair of forest green eyes had an icy depth of darkness and mischief.

"You will always find your way back to me, Reya," The voice said as it faded into her subconscious.

Reyana felt subdued that she struggled to run but she couldn't. She closed her eyes and tried to scream but her lips felt heavy.

Just then, her eyes snapped open and she found herself in a whole new reality entirely, one different from the one she was in a few seconds ago... It was a nightmare... Same old nightmare she's been having since she turned eleven.

She frantically looked around, her breath heavy and her body covered in sweat. Her eyes fell on some familiar faces that made her feel safe... Not until she locked gazes with the angry eyes of the one person that made her wish she never woke up to this harsh reality... Alpha Randall.