Ch. 3: Mate

Ryder

“Reign, we have to go,” Jerome, my Beta, says from behind me.

I should be leaving after we’ve concluded our mission here. The girls that were going to be trafficked by Jackal, we were paid to rescue them and they are already in our grasp and safely out of the underground. So why the hell am I still standing here, staring at that damn hallway?

I watch as she’s dragged out by Jackal’s men, her brother following behind, both of them helpless and terrified. Something in me twists, something I can’t explain. “It won’t be wrong to save one more person… no, two,” I mutter, my voice low but firm. “She’s desperate, and she’s good with her bike. Such skill should never be in Jackal’s hands…he’ll misuse it and ruin her. Don’t you think?”

Jerome adjusts his helmet, glancing over at me with a frown. “Still, you can’t get involved in a rogue family Jackal already has his eyes on. That’ll put the entire team in trouble, Reign. We can’t face Jackal at the moment.”

He’s right. Damn, he’s right.

My pack is a team of bikers. We started as nothing but broken warriors, men who’d lost their families and packs through war and betrayal. Instead of being sold into slavery or picked off one by one, we banded together and built something new. A crew. A brotherhood. Slowly, it became a pack…our own kind of pack. But we’re still small. Too small to go head-to-head with a man like Jackal.

And yet… something’s pulling me toward her. A strange, burning instinct that won’t keep quiet.

“You go,” I tell Jerome. “I’ll bring them. Since they’re the best riders in this area, I’m sure we’ll make it out.”

“I’m not talking about making it out, that’s obvious,” he replies, irritated. “I’m talking about Jackal attacking just to claim what’s his.”

But I’m already moving. My boots hit the metal floor, the echo of each step mixing with the distant rumble of engines. Jerome sighs behind me, but I can hear his footsteps following anyway. I knew he wouldn't be able to turn back without me.

We slipped through the dark hallway Jackal’s men took earlier. The place reeks of decay and sweat… the usual stench of underground hellholes like this. My pulse quickens as I catch sight of the girl being dragged by her arm, her legs barely moving. Her brother struggles against two men.

Before they can reach the next door, my fist connects with the first guard’s jaw. He hits the floor hard. Jerome moves at the same time, taking down another with his elbow. The third reaches for his weapon, but Jerome kicks it out of his hand before I slam him into the wall. The fourth barely manages to draw his blade before I twist his wrist and send him crashing down.

Within seconds, it’s quiet. Only the low hum of machines in the distance remains.

I turn, and my eyes land on her. She’s on the ground, her body trembling. Even through the dim light, I can tell she’s hurt badly. Probably her ribs. The crash earlier must’ve done more damage than I thought. Her brother rushes toward her, falling to his knees.

“Alice!” he yells, his voice breaking.

The sound of that name hits me like a punch to the chest.

Alice?

Ten years ago, I knew a girl with that name. She was just 13 back then. She looked up to me, trusted me, and I… I had always felt responsible for her. She was too young to act on her feelings, but we stayed up talking late into the night. I was the first to teach her how to ride a bike. The closer we became, the more I realized it would be wrong to cross that line so I treated her like a sister and promised to always protect her.

That promise ended in blood and a bullet I was never supposed to survive. After that day, she was gone. Dead or alive, I never found her again. And now I know, some wounds never heal, no matter how many years pass.

For a second, everything stops. The smell of blood and oil fades, replaced by something faint, sweet that it cuts through the air, it's intoxicating. Fuck, the place is dark, and I can’t make out her face properly, but that name…

Jerome’s voice snaps me out of it. “Reign, we’ve helped them enough. It’s up to them now to hide or disappear. Let’s go.”

I want to move. I should move. But then… I smell it again. That scent. My wolf stirs instantly, growling inside me before I can stop it. The hairs on the back of my neck rise.

My gaze drops to the girl who’s crumpled on the floor, breathing in shallow gasps, her brother trying to lift her up. Then her eyes snap to mine, the realization hits both of us like a wave.

“Mate.”

My wolf whispers the word and I freeze, my chest tightening painfully. Jerome turns to me, his eyes widening as he senses it too. “Reign…” he starts, but I can’t hear anything else.

Every part of me reacts to her scent, her broken voice, the way her fingers clutch her brother’s shirt as if she’s holding on to life itself. I can’t just walk away. Not now

“Well,” I mutter under my breath, forcing myself to move, “looks like I’m already involved.”

Jerome exhales sharply, shaking his head. “You’re insane. Jackal’s going to come for blood.”

“He can try,” I say quietly, crouching beside her. “Bring the brother to the meeting point. I’ll take her.”

Jerome doesn’t argue this time. He’s known me long enough to understand what happens once my wolf claims something. He grabs the brother who’s still yelling, confused and scared, and drags him toward the exit.

I kneel beside Alice, my chest tightening as I get closer. Her scent wraps around me fully now, intoxicating and dangerous. She’s shaking, her lips pale, her breaths uneven.

I hesitate, wondering if I should just grab her and go. The thought of holding her like this… it feels wrong, but leaving her here feels worse.

“Hey,” I say softly, trying to lift her without hurting her ribs. She winces, her eyes fluttering. “Easy. Don’t move,”

“Put me down. I can walk,” she refuses but I didn't give a damn.

Her voice comes out broken. “Who… are you?”

The question stings a little.

If she’s really who I think she is…my Alice, she will remember me. But maybe because it's dark.

“I’m getting you out of here,” I say simply, sliding one arm under her knees and the other behind her back. She groans, and I tighten my hold gently. Her head lolls against my shoulder. She tries to take in every single breath she can, she knows how to survive.

I move quickly through the corridors, dodging the few guards left conscious. She is too light in my arms and weaker than I expected. Her pulse falters as I rush toward the exit.

“Stay awake. You will slow us down if you pass out.”

“I didn't even ask you to save me,” she whispers under her breath.

“I didn’t do it for you. Don’t tell me what to do,” I said flatly, not even looking at her.

She tries to speak again but only manages a faint breath. I adjust my grip, shielding her face from the cold rain that begins to pour as we burst out into the night. The wind hits my face. Jerome’s already mounted his bike with the brother behind him, shouting something I barely hear over the storm.

I throw my jacket over her body as her eyes finally flutter shut. The last thing I see before she goes completely limp is a single tear rolling down her cheek.

My wolf growls quietly in my head, I can feel his protective instinct and rage. I force my hand to stay on the throttle instead of touching her. Taking this extent of risk for an ungrateful rogue… stupid. I should’ve left her and her brother there.

Then I swing onto my bike, holding her steady against me, and rev the engine. The sound roars through the rain, drowning out the chaos we’re leaving behind.

I don’t look back.