CHAPTER 2: Found By The Wolves

I wake up to the sound of growling, a deep, menacing growl that sends chills down my spine. It's instant that I jolt awake and find myself looking at two brown wolves staring right back at me.

They're both massive, larger than the usual, with golden eyes, their fangs bared.

My heart races in my chest and my first instinct is to reach Henry. He's in the corner, sniffing and looking at the wolves, and I immediately move in front of him.

The wolves growl, stepping closer and I raise my hands, trying to show that I don't mean any harm. "Wait, stop. We mean no harm."

They continue to growl and I continue to shield Henry with my body. My wolf remains quiet. She can't help me, not when I'm this weak, and not when there's still silver in my bloodstream. The pain in my arm is dull now, but I'm sure they can smell the blood on me. They probably think I'm injured and that they can kill me easily.

A man appears from the side, coming out from the forest and he walks towards the wolves. "Is this it? Is this what we smelled?" he questions the wolves who just nod.

I try not to panic but there's a lump growing in my throat, and I'm beginning to feel nervous.

The man steps closer and the wolves follow, closing the distance between us.

"Wait, please. We were just leaving."

"Leaving?" the man chuckles. "You're in our territory. What are you doing here?"

Territory.

"We—" I glance back at my little brother and try to find the words. There's a pack here. A pack of wolves. "We're on a run from someone and we need help." My voice shakes and the wolves growl at that. I flinch at the sound and Henry grabs my hand.

The man steps closer, coming near me and looking at my face, and then at Henry's. "You're a wolf?" he asks, looking at me.

"Yes."

"Where do you come from?"

"Ashville."

"Your pack?" he asks.

"I don't—my mother was a lone wolf. She didn't belong to one, neither do I."

The man glances at Henry and asks, "And him?"

"He's my little brother."

"Not a wolf."

"Not yet."

The man turns around and looks at the wolves that are there. They're contemplating. Something is happening. At the same time, I begin to wonder how long had it been since I closed my eyes. It's still dark, but when I look to the side of the lake, I see the sky changing colors.

It's not long before the sun will rise.

The man looks at me and then at the wolves and then tells me, "You're at the borders of our pack. I don't have much choice but to take you to my Alpha. He'll decide what needs to be done."

His Alpha.

"Like?" I don't move until I'm not sure that I won't be harmed, or that Henry will be safe.

He shrugs. "Kill you. Send you running. Who knows?"

I gulp and glance back at Henry. There's nothing to do, no other way to find a pack, and this is the best I can do. It's better than nothing.

"Fine, take me to your alpha."

"You too," he says to Henry, and at that, the wolves growl.

Henry doesn't argue and the man takes the lead, walking ahead and we follow behind. The wolves, both of them, stay behind and keep their eyes on me, growling and baring their teeth whenever I look back at them.

They seem like they had been running when they found me and Henry. They probably smelled me—my wolf.

We walk for a long time, through the forest and the terrain slowly changes. We follow the trail, and it goes on, and on, and on, endlessly. The sun is beginning to rise, and I begin to worry again. But it's not about Dad anymore, I know we're far enough to not be caught. I'm worried about this pack, these wolves.

There so little I know about this world and it's easy to get overwhelmed. My mother told me the basics but there's so much I don't know. My father's line of work did teach me how to kill a wolf, how to weaken one and use that to my advantage. But that's all I know. There's nothing more.

When the trail ends, I notice buildings and houses in the distance. It's an entire town. A place. People are walking, and the sun is up. There are cars moving and everything.

The man leads us to a house. Once we're past the gates, the wolves leave and disappear into thin air. The way they run, it's like they have done this many times. I have never been good at running, at shifting, and I don't know how to control that part of me.

I was never taught.

"Wait here," the man says, stopping outside a door.

I grab Henry's arm and pull him closer to me as the man goes inside the door. A while passes and I find myself looking around the house.

"What's going to happen?" Henry asks me in a whisper.

"I'm not sure," I respond, eyes glued on the windows and the ceiling above. "But let's see." I try to sound calm and reassuring but on the inside, I'm not.

A few moments later, the door opens and the man gestures at us to follow. I walk into the room and find myself in a study. It's a nice, spacious room, and there's a man standing in front of the window.

He turns and faces us, his eyes meeting mine and my breath hitches.

It's instant that I feel something, a stir inside of me. My wolf is awake, and she's restless. She paces inside, wanting to break free.

Right away.

The man's gaze is on mine and I feel it, a connection that is not supposed to happen. He's tall, dark, and has a strong build. He stands rigidly, his shoulders tense and his jaw is set tight.

"The border patrol found them," the man beside us informs him. "Not a rogue. She claims her mother was a lone-wolf."

"And the boy?"

"I believe he has not yet turned." The man looks at us for a brief moment, eyes assessing and then he continues. "They were running from someone, that's all she told me."

At that, the man, who is probably the alpha, looks at me and asks. "Your name?"

"Aria," I answer.

"Where are you from, Aria?"

"Ashville," I take in a deep breath. "We're running from our father. He's a—a,"

I want to say it, but it feels like the words are stuck in my throat for someone. Something is happening and my wolf keeps pushing at me. I try to push her down, ignore her but she's restless.

It's then that I notice his eyes. They're golden.

"A hunter."

"A hunter?" The man questions, surprised. "And your mother?"

"She was a wolf. He killed her. And I'm afraid that he will do the same with us. We have been trying to get away for a while now, but he always catches us. He has hunters, mercenaries, who do his work."

The man, the alpha, keeps his eyes on mine and I feel a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach. I have no idea what's happening. It's a strange feeling.

"What's in your arm?" he asks.

I glance down at it. I had wrapped a cloth around it. The bleeding has stopped. But there's blood on it still and I can smell it, a faint odor that's not normal. "I was injected with silver," I tell him.

"By your father?"

I nod.

"I just need some help. My mother told me to go to a pack if anything happens to her. I've been trying to get to one for a while now. But I didn't know where to look and I—"

He stares at me for a long moment and my voice trails off. I can't speak anymore.

"I can't risk your presence in the pack house, not yet, and not when we don't know much about you. But you can stay with my Beta for the time being," He gestures at the man that bought us here—the Beta. "Darius, take the boy and give us a moment to speak privately."

My eyes go back and forth on Henry and the man. My hand releases from him and he moves away.

"I'll be with you in a moment," I tell him, reassuring him.

He's taken out by the man and once they're out, I'm left alone with the Alpha who stares at me like there's something bothering him, something is wrong.

My heart is thumping inside, and my breath is growing shallow. My eyes keep darting between the door to him.

"You'll be fine here, for as long as you don't acknowledge our mate bond." The words shock me and I almost stumble.

"What?" I whisper out, staring at his golden eyes. Mate. The word itself rings bells inside of my head, like this has something to do with what I've been feeling since I walked into the room and saw him.

It all makes sense.

I just didn't realize it.

"You heard me," he says, looking at me and then averting his gaze. "You won't speak about this with anyone. You will live your days and forget about it."

I try to understand what's going on but it's too difficult. The mate bond—there has to be more than this.

"I don't understand."

He steps forward, closer to me. "I reject you as my mate and there will be nothing between us, Aria." His voice is low, so low that I barely hear it. But I do.

"I don't—" Words get stuck in my throat. I don't understand any of this, how any of it is supposed to go.

But when he says that, there's a stab inside of me, like a needle has been pierced into me. Something inside is broken.

My wolf stops pacing and whines. And then she's quiet all over again. Like nothing happened.

There has to be more.

"You can go ahead. Darius will take care of you for the time being, until arrangements are made." The alpha says before moving aside and returning to his desk.