Chapter 26
Lilith
My face grew ashen with numbed horror, and my eyes bulged from the sockets.
My mouth flew open in a silent scream as confusion clung to me like a second skin.
Alpha Casper was my mate?!
No! It can’t be.
That cold-hearted beast can’t be my mate!
This must be some sort of confusion.
The moon goddess can’t pair me with that arrogant jerk.
“Is everything okay?” Anna’s worrisome voice jolted me out of my long train of thought. I forced a smile at her, trying to mask my emotions.
I couldn’t tell Anna. Especially when that Marina girl was still active in Casper’s life, even if I didn’t know where she was currently.
But I was certain that she and Casper were in some sort of entanglement.
“Everything is fine. I just feel this is not right. We could be mistaken.” I smiled nervously, trying to convince her.
“There is no mistake. Whenever we meet our mates as werewolves, we feel a sort of connection and spark. That is how they can be differentiated from random guys. Then our wolves recognize them. Did your wolf recognize him?” She asked. Her large eyes were boring into mine.
“No. I don’t have a wolf yet.” I shook my head, heaving a sigh of relief.
“Then I can’t confirm if you guys are mates then. Maybe you are just crushing on him. So tell me who it is.” She grinned eagerly.
“It’s no one,” I replied flatly, standing to my feet before vanishing into my room.
I spent the rest of the day in my room, ignoring and avoiding Alpha Casper.
“You don’t quit, I dump you!”
His words resurfaced in my head, rekindling my anger.
He doesn’t own me. I would make that clear to him tonight.
I lay on the bed, planning my escape.
Luckily, he doesn’t know anything about me, not even where I live.
By the time he wakes, I will be long gone.
There was no way he would find me.
He just made empty threats to trap me in his house and fill my head with fear.
But I was not that kind of girl.
A sad sigh erupted from my lips as Anna’s image appeared in my head.
She would be worried about my sudden disappearance.
I would miss everything about her. She made my stay in this horrible place delightful.
But my mental health was going down the drain.
Nothing would stop me from leaving this house tonight.
My eyes darted around, looking for what to take. Luckily, I had not brought any of my belongings except the clothes I wore the day I came. It would only make my escape easy.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, setting the alarm to 10 pm.
I took a short nap, dreaming of my freedom.
Hours passed swiftly, and the sound of the alarm pierced the night.
I flustered my eyes open, turning the alarm off to avoid drawing attention before jumping off the bed.
I took long strides to the window, parting the curtains slightly apart before scanning the environment.
As usual, everywhere was covered in pitch darkness, and the path was lonely and dead quiet, save for the noise of creaking insects.
I got clad in my gown, wrapping the few belongings I had in my blazer and switching my torchlight on.
I walked to the door, stopping briefly before planting my ear on the surface, trying to pick up any sound.
Satisfied with the silence, I turned the knob, pushing the door open before shutting it as quietly as possible to avoid making noise.
I tiptoed along the dark hallway, making sure not to collide with anything.
My heart bubbled in excitement as I made my way downstairs without being noticed. Thankfully, the entrance door hadn’t been locked.
The moment I stepped outside, I was hit by the chilling breeze of the night.
I navigated my way out of the estate before slipping into the darkness.
Happiness ran wild in me as I let out a burst of laughter, running along the empty road.
I was free!
I couldn’t wait to go home and sleep in my old bed. It was more peaceful than breathing the same air as Alpha Casper.
“Fuck!” I cursed, scolding myself inwardly.
He knew my address.
I cringed inwardly, clenching my jaws as muttered swear words. How could I make such a mistake?!
Retrieving my phone, I dialed Daphne’s number, hoping I could crash at her place for a few days until all this was over.
But then, ruffling sounds filled the air.
I halted, spinning rapidly to scan the environment.
When I was satisfied that I was the only one on the road, I turned back, increasing my pace as I burrowed further into the thick darkness, using the light from the crescent-shaped moon as a source of illumination.
After minutes of walking aimlessly, tiredness hit me like a ton of bricks, causing me to pant hard.
I stopped walking, resting my hands on my knees for some minutes to gather strength before I continued.
I groaned inwardly after dialing Daphne’s number but got no response. She was probably asleep.
How the fuck was I supposed to get out of here.
I didn’t recognize the way leading to the human world.
Fear started to consume me and sweat broke on my forehead.
I wished I hadn’t left the house. I won’t be confused and stranded in the middle of nowhere.
But I couldn’t give up.
I was close to the human world.
I hadn’t gone far before I noticed rustling in the leaves.
Afraid to look back, I started running as I was desperate to leave the location, but the movement in the leaves increased.
Before I could process what was happening, I was waylaid by 5 mean-looking men.
Terrified, I started to run in the direction of the estate but 5 more men jumped out of nowhere, blocking my only chance to escape.
My life flashed before my eyes when I noticed a long shiny knife in one of the men’s hands.
They gawked at me and I could sense their predatory instincts.
My heart jumped to my throat as fear cloaked me like a garment.
I could hear my pulse beating in my ears.
They encircled me, staring at my helpless figure with lust evident in their eyes.
Aware of the danger before me, I wrapped my blazer around my body. My eyes darted around as I was afraid of their next move.
“What are you doing alone in the woods?” One of the men broke the silence as he strode towards me.
“Are you running away from your pack? Seems you are a Rogue.” The one with the long knife concluded. I didn’t know when my legs started to move backward, but when I felt my back against one of the men, I shifted from him.
The circle got smaller and they began to push me amongst themselves before letting out hysterical laughter.
“Smells like a virgin.” Another man said. His nose flared as he sniffed the air in pleasure.
“Leave me alone, I wasn’t bothering you,” I yelled when I found my voice before bursting into tears.
I was in trouble. And no one was coming to save me.
My mind reflected on my dying mum and my sister. They were oblivious to the danger I was in.
“Since you are a Rogue, no one would miss you that much. I can’t imagine how much money we will get selling a virgin off.” The man with the knife spoke to his partner before sneering.
“We will have loads of money.”
“We are rich!”
They all burst into a series of throaty laughter.
Seeing that they were distracted, I took that as an opportunity to run, but one of the men blocked my path before throwing me a devilish grin.
Fuck!
I was about to be sold by human traffickers.
“Pretty girl, leaving so soon.” I froze on the spot, trembling in fear before cringing inwardly as his fingers brushed against my hair.
“Come to us!” They demanded, grabbing me roughly before dragging me along the bushy part.
“No! Leave me alone! Help!” I screamed in tears, dropping my blazer on the floor before struggling to escape, but they overpowered me.
“Get away from me!”
One of the men held me down, stretching my hands for his friend to bond it with a rope.
My strength failed me, but I didn’t stop throwing my head backward and kicking him with my legs.
“Quit being stubborn before we knock you out!” the man with the knife threatened, shoving it at my face to instill fear in me. “This knife would go into you if you don’t keep your mouth shut.
“Let her go!” A terrifying voice tore through the blanket of the night, reverberating throughout the woods.