Damien's
Her wolf was pure white, a striking contrast to Midnight's deep black fur. I had tracked her down to the borders of the pack territory, having already informed those patrolling that side that I would handle the situation personally. They were instructed not to stop or hurt her in any way, but to let her be and leave it to me.
She was incredibly fast—faster than my beta, which was both surprising and impressive. Pride swelled within me, knowing that my mate could hold her own in such a way. If she was this quick while still recovering, how much faster would she be once fully healed and nourished with proper meals? However, no matter how swift she was, Midnight was still faster. The overwhelming drive to find our mate pushed him to dash like a possessed wolf, his determination unmatched.
It was then, as we finally caught up with her, that we saw her wolf—pure white, without a single blemish. The sight was breathtaking. I couldn't help but think how her pristine white fur would eventually turn black when I marked her and linked with her. Every wolf in my pack turned black once they linked with me and accepted me as their Alpha. It was an unusual trait, something my mother had always told me was a sign of my uniqueness. I was different from other wolves, and my golden eyes were proof of that.
As I grew older, I noticed I was more powerful, faster, and larger than the average Alpha, which made it easy to dominate other packs. After I became Alpha, following my father's death, and linked with the pack, their fur turned black, a phenomenon I had never seen or heard of before. Every grey and brown wolves in my pack turned black, although Midnight's fur remained the darkest of all.
But a white wolf? That was unheard of. I had never seen one, nor had I heard of anyone who had. As I closed in on her, I ran even faster, determined to stop her from crossing the borders. Just as I was about to pounce on her, she stopped abruptly, turning around to face me, ready to fight for her freedom. And then I saw her eyes—golden, just like mine.
As she held eye contact with me, I realized she didn't care who I was; she was prepared to fight me for her escape. Midnight, who was already head over heels in love with our mate, was desperate to stop her without resorting to force. He did something I never expected—he submitted. He lowered one knee to the ground and exposed his neck in a gesture of submission, even whimpering softly as if pleading with her.
I, too, didn't want to fight her, but the thought of submitting had never crossed my mind. Would she see us as weak, incapable of protecting her? Yet, seeing no better option, I allowed Midnight to act on his instincts, hoping that this gesture would show her we meant no harm. We wanted her to stay, not because of dominance or power, but because she was the most precious thing that had ever happened to us.
After a while, Midnight looked up to see her staring at us with a puzzled expression. She had risen from her fighting stance, her body no longer tensed for battle. This had to be a good sign, right? Midnight took the initiative and headed towards the bushes where the pack stored spare clothes, grabbing a set carefully in his mouth. He prayed she hadn't decided to flee while he was away.
When we returned, she was still there, her eyes tracking our every move with intense focus, as if expecting an attack at any moment. Midnight placed the clothes gently on her paws and nudged them toward her, encouraging her to change. She glanced at us skeptically, her gaze clearly conveying, 'You expect me to change while you're watching?'
Understanding the message behind her wary look, we retreated back to the bushes to give her some privacy while we shifted as well. I could sense Midnight's pride—he had done his part, now it was up to me to convince her with my words. 'Goddess, help me,' I thought, feeling the weight of the situation. I really didn't know where to begin as we shifted back into our human form.
A million thoughts raced through my mind, each one tangled with the next, making it difficult to form a coherent plan. 'Start with your name, idiot,' Midnight suggested, his voice tinged with urgency. 'And don't forget to introduce me,' he added, more like a demand than a suggestion.
Leslie's POV:
I knew I couldn't outrun him. He was closing in fast, and it was clear that this wolf was far quicker than I'd anticipated. I had always believed Elsie to be the fastest wolf I'd ever encountered, but in that moment, I realized how wrong I was. This alpha was something else, a force of nature that couldn't be easily shaken off. 'Do something,' I urgently told Elsie, my heart pounding with the knowledge that it was only a matter of time before he caught us.
Elsie abruptly stopped and whirled around just as he was about to pounce. She dug her paws into the ground, taking a defensive stance, her body coiled like a spring ready to unleash. She was prepared to fight this so-called alpha—who, to our shock, seemed to be another of our mates—for our freedom. The weight of that realization settled heavily on me. It was this or nothing; we had to stand our ground. But just as we braced for a brutal clash, the alpha did something entirely unexpected: he submitted.
The sight of him on one knee, baring his neck in a gesture of complete submission, sent a jolt through me. It was as if the world had turned upside down. Alphas were supposed to be dominant, commanding, the ones who made others submit. Yet here he was, lowering himself before us, offering his throat as if to say he posed no threat. It was a scene that shook us to the core, leaving us stunned and disoriented. For an alpha, I had expected him to assert his dominance, to make me submit to him, not the other way around.
Elsie slowly relaxed her stance, the tension in her muscles easing as curiosity took hold. What was his game? He stood up then, his golden eyes meeting ours, and it felt as though they were drawing us into some vast, uncharted realm. There was something in his gaze—a plea, perhaps? He looked at us as if begging us not to flee, his eyes a silent prayer that we stay. And then, with a swiftness that belied his earlier vulnerability, he darted into a nearby bush, as if afraid we might vanish the moment he was out of sight. When he emerged, he held a pair of clothes in his jaws, nudging them toward me with surprising gentleness.
'I think he wants us to shift back so we can talk,' Elsie's voice echoed in my mind, a note of uncertainty tinged with curiosity.
He wasn't wrong, but the idea of shifting in front of him, leaving ourselves vulnerable, made me hesitate. We weren't about to change with him watching, though, and it seemed he sensed that. With a final glance our way, he retreated back into the bush, likely to shift as well. It was clear we were going to have to talk our way out of this so-called mate bond. Maybe, since I was a rogue, I could convince him to reject me, or perhaps he would allow us to reject him. Either way, this bond needed to be severed before it took root. Well then, let's get this rejection started.
"I'm done, you can come out now," I called out, my voice steadier than I felt.
He emerged from the bushes, and I couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. Tall, with broad shoulders and a presence that filled the space around him. But it wasn't just his looks—it was the way he carried himself, the quiet intensity in his gaze that unnerved me. He had that funny look on his face again, one I couldn't quite decipher, like he was trying to piece together a puzzle he didn't fully understand.
"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," he began, his voice calm, almost soothing, as if I'd let him get that close. "I'm sorry about your miscarriage. I didn't mean for that to happen."
His words hit me like a physical blow. Miscarriage? What the hell was he talking about? Was I pregnant? My mind reeled as I struggled to make sense of what he was saying. This was definitely not where I expected this conversation to go, and the ground beneath me felt like it was shifting.
"Me? Miscarried?" I asked, my voice trembling as I tried to process his words. I had to be sure he was talking to the right person, that this wasn't some terrible mistake.
"Shit, you didn't know," he muttered, his face paling as realization dawned on him. He scratched his head, looking puzzled and guilty all at once. "Well, okay… we can talk…." He took a tentative step toward me, and I instinctively backed away, my body reacting before my mind could catch up. He stopped, giving me that funny look again, like he was trying to figure out what to do next. Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, he spoke softly, "Fine, I won't come near you. But you should come with me so we can talk further," he requested, his voice tinged with a quiet desperation.
I did want to know what he was talking about. What did he mean, miscarriage? How could I have lost something I didn't even know I had? My thoughts were spiraling, dark and chaotic, as the realization began to sink in. I hadn't slept with… oh shit. That bastard had gotten me pregnant. The thought crashed over me, leaving me breathless, and panic started to claw its way up my throat. I saw the alpha try to come closer, but as he did, I recoiled, taking another step back. The idea of a man's touch right now was unbearable, suffocating.
Seeing this, he immediately stopped, his eyes filled with concern. He didn't try to come closer again. Instead, he spoke softly, his voice the only thing anchoring me to the present. I couldn't focus on the words, but the tone was soothing, like a lifeline in the storm raging inside me.
"Breathe slowly, in and out. It's alright," he was saying, his voice steady and calm.
It took a while, but eventually, I felt the panic begin to recede. My vision cleared, and I started to hear the world around me again. I wasn't trapped in that room—I was outside, in the forest, far away from the nightmare that haunted me. When I looked at him again, I saw the sincerity in his eyes. He was genuinely worried, concerned for my well-being in a way that felt real, not manipulative. But that wasn't going to work. If he thought helping me through a panic attack would win me over, he was wrong. Even Jaden had shown me fake care, and I fell for his lies. Not this time. If this alpha wanted to prove himself, he would have to do better than that.
"Are you going to do the rejection, or should I?" I asked, my voice steady, but the turmoil beneath the surface was undeniable.
He looked at me as if I'd grown two heads. His golden eyes, wide with disbelief, searched my face for any hint of a joke. "You're kidding, right?" he asked, his voice almost pleading. The desperation in his tone was palpable, and for a moment, it almost made me hesitate.
"Can we talk about it?" he continued, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Is it because of the one who made you pregnant? Please, give me a chance. I promise you won't regret it. Do you still love him? Are you going back to him?" His questions came fast, one after the other, his panic escalating with each word.
I couldn't help it; a bubble of laughter escaped me, catching him off guard. This guy really thought I loved Jaden and was planning on going back to him. The absurdity of it all hit me like a wave, and I laughed again, this time harder. He was panicking because he thought I was in love with another. Well, he'd probably have a heart attack if he knew I had another mate.
"I didn't get your name," I said, once my laughter subsided, my curiosity piqued by this strange, anxious alpha.
He looked at me squarely, a calculating glint in his eyes. "I won't tell you," he said, his tone resolute. "Not until I know you won't reject me." He wasn't stupid, that much was clear. It was as if he'd read my mind because, truthfully, I had planned to reject him the moment I knew his name.
"Why don't we go talk somewhere civilized?" he suggested, his voice softening. "I won't do anything to hurt you, I promise."
After a long moment of contemplation, I nodded, deciding to go along with him. Maybe I could get a free meal out of this before I disappeared again. Life as a rogue meant you ate when you had the chance, never knowing when or where the next meal might come from. As we walked, a question gnawed at me, so I asked Elsie, 'Did you know we were pregnant?' Her response was hesitant; she admitted she had suspected but wasn't certain, and that's why she hadn't told me. She didn't want to say anything that might hurt me, especially when she wasn't sure.
The thought of the miscarriage made my chest tighten. I knew it had affected Elsie deeply; after all, it was her pup too. But maybe it was for the best, wasn't it? Would I have been able to care for a child? Or would it have been a constant reminder of what its father had done to me? My thoughts spiraled further. Would I have treated it like my father had treated me, as a burden, a painful reminder of his suffering? No, no one deserved the life I had lived. I wouldn't have wished it on my worst enemy, much less on my own child. Even if the child had looked like him, I don't think I'd have the heart to hurt it. I would have loved it with everything I had, despite everything.
I tried to shake off the thoughts before they pulled me under, refocusing on the alpha. His eyes were still pleading, full of unspoken emotions. Nothing harmful could come from just talking, right? Sighing, I agreed to his request, all the while thinking of how I'd let him down gently. I wasn't going to be tied down by any wolf, especially not an alpha.
"Lead the way," I said, keeping my distance as I followed him a few steps behind. As we walked, I noticed him frequently glancing back, as if to make sure I hadn't vanished. The nervousness in his actions made me chuckle; this wolf was really insecure, wasn't he?
But then I abruptly stopped when I saw where he was leading me—the pack house. My heart rate skyrocketed as memories of the trauma I had endured in the last pack house resurfaced. The mere sight of it made my chest tighten, and I could already feel the edges of a panic attack closing in.
He noticed I had stopped, my eyes locked onto the building, my breath coming in short, sharp bursts. Seeing my distress, he turned around and started walking in another direction, casting worried glances back at me to see if I would follow. And I did, though every step was a battle against the rising panic.
We finally stopped in front of a small, cozy-looking cottage. It was a beautiful little place, with a small garden on the side and a path leading to the door, decorated with tiny white pebbles. He moved aside, gesturing towards the house with his hands raised, indicating he had no intention of touching me. Relieved, I bypassed him and walked onto the porch. But as I was climbing the steps, my foot caught on something, and I started to fall.
In a flash, he was there, catching me before I hit the ground. The moment his hands touched me, I felt an electric tingle shoot through my body, and then panic took over. I froze, my mind shutting down as the terror seized me.
I froze, my mind locking up in panic as his touch sent me spiraling into a frenzy. The door to the cottage swung open, and suddenly, Ann was there, moving swiftly to my side. She pushed the alpha away with surprising force, her presence a lifeline as I felt his touch leave my skin. The moment his hands were gone, the panic began to recede, but the tears started flowing freely down my cheeks. Jaden had ruined me—he had utterly destroyed me—so much so that a simple touch from a man could send me into a full-blown panic.
Ann quickly ushered me inside, slamming the door behind us with a sharp click that felt like a barrier between me and the outside world. "Serves him right for scaring you like that," she muttered under her breath, casting a quick glance back at the door.
"Tell me, dear, what that son of mine did to you so I can teach him some manners. I swear I taught him better than this. He knows how to treat girls right, especially his mate. Go on, tell me everything, and I'll whip his ass, alpha or not. I'm still his mother," she rambled on, her voice a mixture of concern and indignation. She was already planning out how she'd reprimand him, promising to make him regret any harm he'd caused me.
It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did, it hit me like a ton of bricks. She was his mother! Ann was his fucking mother! The realization sent a fresh wave of shock through me, momentarily eclipsing everything else. The warmth and concern she was showering on me now came from the same person who had raised the alpha standing outside. The same man who had just set off my panic attack was her son.