3. SAVED BY HIM

~YULIA

"My head. . ." I groaned.

It was morning already sadly, and my head was banging. A reminder of all my escapades from last night.

Indeed, last night was crazy. Everything about it was wrong and I was still trying to wrap my head around it.

From the mysterious man who kissed me and caused my wolf to react as if he was the one I had been awaiting for ages.

To the strange crimson eyes in the dark, the men who tried to take me and last of all, Rogers who murdered those men like it was a habit.

Nothing made sense to me anymore.

I entered the shower and allowed the water to wash away all of my doubts.

As if that was possible.

I eventually stepped out of the bathroom, cleaned myself dry before throwing on some clean clothes. I chose a big t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I did not even bother to dry my dark hair before hurrying out of my room for breakfast.

I heard voices even before I got to the kitchen. One of them belonged to Rogers while the other belonged to Madelaine, our house keeper.

I entered the kitchen and dragged a seat while glaring daggers at Rogers. I had dozens of questions for him but I chose to wait until Madelaine was out of the kitchen.

"Morning, sweet child. I made you your favorite," she announced and placed a plate of pancakes and honey drippings.

I watched as the petite woman dressed in black went to the fridge and brought out an apple juice for me.

"Thank you," I whispered and she nodded before hurrying out of the space.

When it was just Rogers and I, I decided to face him.

"How do you have guns?" I began as my wolf came to a stop, waiting attentively to hear his response.

He smiled. "You should be grateful I have them, or you would have been taken."

I narrowed my eyes at him. This man had killed two people last night. Even if they were criminals, he looked unfazed by it, like he had done it before.

When he saw that I was still stiff, he decided to keep talking. "My father was once a Beta of this pack. So, he taught me how to use guns for protection and I am a licensed owner."

I corked my brows at him. This made more sense though. Yet I was still terrified by the fact that he was an easy killer.

"After what happened last night, I'm sure you understand why you need to be more careful and why it's important you have a powerful guardian," he said.

I frowned at him. "What are you talking about? What guardian?"

"According to Mariana, may her blessed soul rest in peace— she stated in her Will that before you can inherit any of her wealth, you need to move in with her step brother," he dropped the bomb.

I shot to my feet instantly. "What!"

My heart started hammering heavily and I gritted my teeth.

This was outrageous! This was beyond my tolerance level!

"I don't need a guardian! I can protect myself! I am eighteen! I am not twelve!" I roared.

Rogers watched me patiently, waiting for my outburst to end. And it only intensified the angry dance of my wolf.

"We all know you are eighteen, Yulia. You've never failed to remind us about it every time you get the chance to."

I gritted my teeth as I folded my arms at him. "So why do you still treat me like a child?"

He shook his head at me. "It's not about being treated like a child. It's about your safety. All we want is for you to be safe, away from the people searching for you," he announced.

"Who are they? Why do they want me?" I demanded stubbornly.

"I do not have the answer to that question," he stated.

"Then I'm not moving in with any brother of hers. There's no way I'm going to live with someone who's never come visiting my entire life," I stated, grabbed my phone and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Yulia! Wait! It's not safe for you—"

But I was already out the main door before he could finish speaking.

I made a run for the trees. I always found comfort running through the woods whenever I argued with my late mother.

Yet running now only seemed to bring me more pain as it was reminding me of her, rather than taking my mind off my problems.

Why was all of this happening to me? And why now? All at once?

It felt as if my life was falling apart!

And I—

"Aaah!"

I suddenly let out a shocked scream as I lost my footing and began to fall into a deep trench I had not noticed earlier.

The spiky woods underneath had my eyes instantly wide open and I knew that I would be meeting my end when I eventually reached the bottom.

Or so I thought, until a hand shot out of the blue— from above and grabbed my wrist!

My body stopped falling instantly and all of me clung desperately to the hand that was now holding me in place.

Whoever it was easily pulled me out and wrapped me in his arms.

"It's okay, I got you," The familiar sexy masculine voice said and I froze.

It was him!

And in shock for the millionth time today, I swiftly pulled away from him and looked up only to be met with those same forest green eyes that had the power to cripple my soul.

"You!" I cried.

He shrugged. "You'd think I'd get a thank you instead."

He smiled at me, a one sided smile that made my wolf shift with need.

"What are you doing here? Are you following me?" I demanded instead while shaking off the remains of the tremors of my near death experience.

He raised his thick dark brows. "Maybe."

I widened my eyes at him.

"I actually have unfinished business around this area and I was getting to that until I caught your scent in the air. . ." He trailed deliberately. "I just had to come after you since you left me hanging last night."

I frowned at him as I tried hard not to be affected by his entire presence.

"Last night was a mistake. I was drunk and I had no idea what I was doing!" I exclaimed.

"If all you say is true, then why can I hear your heart racing so fast?" He asked barely over a whisper.

And I froze because I noticed for the first time how my heart was pounding like crazy. How Yara had begun to dance with need. How my body had resumed his tremors—

All because of him.

I swallowed hard and staggered back until my back hit a tree, the deep trench was now far away from us and the sexy stranger did what I half expected.

He came after me.

"Are you trying to run from me?" He whispered the moment he appeared before me.

The movement had been so fast that I barely saw him move. How could he move at such speed? Who exactly was this man?

I released a shaky shudder.

"Running from you is the best thing for me. I don't want anything to do with you," I managed to say and I felt Yara growl in protest.

"Again, if what you say is true, why does Yara say otherwise?"

My eyes went wide. Did he just call my wolf's name? No one is supposed to know my wolf's name except as the many myths say— my mate.

This man couldn't possibly be my mate, could he?

"How do you know my wolf? Who are you?" I shakily asked.

And he leaned lower to my face's level, locking his now glowing forest green eyes with mine.

"I already told you before. . . I am yours," he whispered and that was when he connected our lips as one.

I had fooled myself into thinking that I would push him away if it happened again.

Yet my bones went weak under his touch. My body began to tremble with need and I wanted him to do more than kiss me.

I wanted him to undress me right here and do to me whatever was going through his mind.

Fuck! I wanted him!

I needed him!

I was burning for him.

He ran his warm left palm over my chest, down to my waist and over my hips. I released a shudder as his kisses moved to my neck and electric sensations assaulted my soul.

He lifted my thigh and I could swear that my body burned harder under the spots that he touched.

This was wrong. This was forbidden yet my body was burning with excitement.

"Homegirl!" Lana's voice suddenly tore across the woods and reached my ears.

This startled me and I jumped as I pushed him away.

"Homegirl! Where are you?" She called again.

She was close.

My heartbeat accelerated. The last thing I wanted was for Lana to catch me kissing a random stranger in the woods the day after my mother's funeral.

I looked at him helplessly and he must have sensed the struggle in my eyes because the moment I looked away toward her voice and turned back to look at him, he was gone.

Gone like he was never here to begin with.