RALPH
When the council left, I strodded to my office and furiously punched the wall, drawing blood on my knuckles. Bitter grimace contorted my features as I sank onto the edge of my desk, the weight of disappointment settling heavily on my shoulders. The disapproving stares of the pack members towards me when the council made an official declaration of Keilah being a member of this pack pricked my skin, leaving an invisible mark.
The fact that I don’t like this but have to obey my leaders is a huge blow in the gut. The happiest one in all this was my wolf. I could feel his excitement within me.
Interrupting my tempestuous thoughts, the door creaked open, revealing Zac with a smirk that grated against my raw nerves. “Not now, Zac,” I growled, my tone curt.
“I came in peace,” he quipped, unperturbed by my hostility. “Just wanted to make sure my alpha is alright.”
I gave him a pointed glare, expressing my disapproval.
“Trust me, Ralph, I genuinely care about you.
I understand how difficult it must be for you to be mated to your greatest enemy. It’s a massive problem that we need to address. Okay, I’m just curious about how you plan to handle her so that she doesn’t pose a threat to us. Yes, she may be your mate, but she is still human. We all know that humans are not always trustworthy. We’ve been living in fear, unable to sleep at night, constantly on
edge, thinking that at any moment she may…
“Zac, enough,” I interrupted, rising from my seat.
“I’m not in the mood for this conversation.” As I made my way towards the door, Dahlia abruptly burst into the office, nearly colliding with me. Her expression carried a mix of alarm and unease, setting off warning bells in my mind.
“What’s wrong?” My concern was immediate.
“It’s your mate,” she answered, her gaze skittering away from mine. “She’s not in the house. I think she’s escaped.”
Impossible, I thought, my heart beginning to race. I instinctively reached for my phone, swiftly accessing the CCTV footage of the house. What I saw left me stunned and furious. Without a word, I bolted out of the mansion. I shifted in my wolf form and dashed into the woods. My paws pounded against the forest floor, the leaves crunching beneath me as I tore through the dense underbrush. Anger surged within me, eclipsing the concern that had initially gripped my mind. How could she have done this? Right after the council accepted her, she decided to run off? As I sprinted through the woods, every sinew in my body tensed with determination, I couldn’t help but admit that the intensity of my emotions held a threatening edge. The idea of catching her sent a shiver down my spine, not of fear, but of the potential consequences of my unbridled anger. But at that moment, the only thing I could focus on was finding her, and whatever came after, well… that remained to be seen.
It wasn’t so long when I got a whiff of her scent. In a quick sprint, I spotted her, seemingly lost in thoughts.
Where did she find the courage to escape? Can’t she see danger lurking around her? I seethed with anger.
I leapt in front of her, causing a startled scream to escape her lips. Ignoring my wolf’s pleas to hear her out, I shifted into my human form and delivered a forceful punch to her face, rendering her unconscious. Swiftly catching her before she hit the ground, I hoisted her onto my shoulder and began making my way back to the pack house.
Once I emerged from the trees, I found the pack gathered outside while others cautiously observed from their room windows. Zac strolled from behind, expressing satisfaction as if he was having a good time.
I told you your mate is up to something. He started. The fact that she escaped shows that she was going to tell other humans about us. He said, making the pack members start a wild commotion.
Quiet, everyone. I raised my voice. Everyone went quiet, throwing glances at the human on my shoulder.
I will investigate and address whatever just happened. After examining how she managed to pass through the gate, which is constantly patrolled 24/7, I will provide you with an update. For now, I order you all to get back to whatever you were doing. I looked from Zac, whose expression changed, and to Dahlia biting her nails looking uneasy.
Frustration boiling within me, I forcefully guided the human back to her designated room, tossing her onto the bed in a fit of irritation. If she continues to be a pain in the ass, I swear I will kill her with my own hands.
Isabella entered with a small bowel in her hands that had a strong unpleasant smell.
“I don’t know why you brought that stinging thing here, but I’d appreciate it if you left it outside until I leave,” I stated. Ignoring me, she casually strolled past me, placing the offending bowl on the bedside table. Recoiling from the noxious aroma, I couldn’t help but express my repulsion.
“What the hell did you make that out of to make it smell like that?” I demanded, putting some distance between myself and the offensive bowl.
“My instincts told me you’ve hit that poor woman, so I brought the herbs to apply on her so that she doesn’t wake up with bruises,” she explained while examining the unconscious human. I scoffed at her assertion.
“I don’t think she was running,” she muttered, prompting disbelief on my part.
“What do you call what she was doing then?” I asked through gritted teeth. There was silence. To avoid unleashing my anger on her, I chose to exit the room.
“Her aunt was arrested. It was because of you,” Isabella uttered, causing me to abruptly stop. She continued, “The guy you attacked made a report toward you through her.
How do you know that?” I inquired. She sighed heavily and turned to face me.
“Because the guilt was killing me, so I got someone to watch over her aunt. He was the one who gave me the information.”
Without uttering another word, I left the room, crossing to mine through a concealed door known only to me.
Upon arriving at my office, I swiftly powered up my computer and delved into the surveillance footage where I watched everyone getting inside the house as if they were on a mission. I clenched my hands into fists as I watched the guys patrolling the territories, stealthily avoiding detection by the human who was sneaking out.
A sense of foreboding gnawed at me, for it was evident that Zac was the one behind all this. The burning question echoed in my mind: How did he know the human will escape?
I quickly grabbed my phone and made a call to secure the release of the human’s aunt.
After the call, I headed to Zac’s office in search of him, but he was nowhere to be found. I searched every place I thought he might be, opening doors to the unmated wolves’ rooms he often associates with, but he was not in any of there.
“Zac, where the fuck are you?” I demanded through the mind link, growing increasingly frustrated.
His response echoed with a derisive laugh, exacerbating my annoyance. “I knew you’d be
looking for me,” he taunted. “I’m up in your mate’s room.” The unsettling revelation sent a shiver down my spine.
Without a moment of hesitation, I stormed through the corridors, my strides purposeful and fueled by a potent rage. The gravity of the situation heightened as I hastily ascended the stairs.
Upon reaching the door, I hesitated for a fraction of a second, gathering my composure before forcefully pushing it open. My eyes instinctively landed on the human before turning them on Zac.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I barked, my eyes narrowing with suspicion.
His eyes gleamed with amusement as he leaned back, propped up on my mate’s bed.” Just enjoying the view,” he smirked, gesturing towards the human.
I clenched my jaw, suppressing the urge to unleash my frustration physically. Zac, what’s going on in that big damn head of yours. What the fuck do you think your doing? What do you want?
His smirk widened, a glint of mischief in his eyes. She’s beautiful. I never thought humans could physically be this beautiful.
My patience wore thin, and with a swift motion, I seized him by the collar, yanking him to his feet as the simmering anger within me approached its boiling point.
He chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the confrontation. “Why so mad?” he quipped. “We both know you’re not interested in her. So, why not let me have some fun? She could warm my bed for a while-”
Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden surge of primal rage coursed through me, and in an instant, I shifted into my wolf form, ready to lunge at him. However, he was just as quick to react, shifting himself, the impact shattering the window into a cascade of shards.
“She’s mine,” I snarled, the declaration echoing through the room.