The Mystery Man

Chapter Two

Elsa's POV

I sat up on the bed after a long sleep and everywhere was already dark. Judging from the sounds of the crickets, I could tell it was already midnight; the perfect time for me to make my move.

I looked across to the other areas in the room and I noticed that all the maids were fast asleep, including Maggie.

I tiptoed to her bed and tapped her but she wouldn't respond. She was already far gone in her sleep and it was going to take more than a gentle tap to get her to wake up.

"Maggie," I whispered, trying not to make the others wake up as it was going to ruin my plans.

The Alpha had left the Pack earlier that day to visit a neighbouring Pack with some of the guards, leaving the Royal Castle with fewer guards than usual. There was probably no better time for me to escape.

I left Maggie's side and walked straight to the place where I kept my bag which I already packed earlier before I slept off. I thought about taking off the blue nightgown that I had on and wearing something better but I had no such time. I just picked up the bag and began to walk toward the door.

As I opened the door, I looked back one last time to Maggie, who still hadn't moved at all. I knew she was going to be so mad when she'd wake up to see that I was gone. I had no choice.

I tiptoed down the hallway, making sure that no one would hear me. My heart kept pounding away with every step I took, not knowing if I was going to be caught.

I had almost walked past the main door when I suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. I sprang to my feet as quickly as I could and walked out of the house, slowly shutting the main door with my right hand and holding my chest with the other.

Thankfully, I heard no footsteps. No one seemed to have noticed that someone had left the building and I was out in the open, the cool breeze tickling my ears as my tongue began to taste my freedom.

"You're really leaving?" Wolf asked again, just as she did earlier in the day and I just nodded and began to take slow, gentle strides toward the Pack borders.

She tried so hard to convince me otherwise but I wasn't having it. I had made up my mind already. Besides, I had already gone too far to go back. I needed to run away from the Runway Pack. 

I had almost gotten to the Pack borders when I felt like I was being followed. I had a strong feeling that someone or some people were watching me and the sweat on my palms was proof of my panic.

It didn't take long for me to hear footsteps slowly approaching me as I froze, my legs rooted to the ground and unable to move.

I felt like my legs quiver as my hands shook in fear. I looked around but I could see no one. It seemed to me like I was being haunted by the shadows and I feared the worst.

"Who do we have here?" Said a voice behind me with a clap of the hands.

 I turned around to see a huge, bald man, a few metres away from where I stood. "I'm not afraid of you," I voiced defiantly, pointing my index finger at him.

"Maybe, you should, red hair," said another, who approached me from the right, forcing me to quickly alternate my gaze between both men.

"S- Stay away from me!" I yelled with shaky lips, doing my best to keep Wolf in check, as she threatened to break free.

"Let me out!" She yelled from within. "I can handle them both, Elsa. Let me."

I narrowed my brows, doing my best to conceal my fear. I either had to fight or die and as much as I knew that it was a fight I was never going to win, despite Wolf's insinuations. I wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"You could let us have you instead," said yet another one of them, who approached me from my left. "We wouldn't have to kill you as we have done to several other members of your Pack."

I was surrounded. From what he said I knew exactly who they were. Rogues; the very people I wanted to join. I looked at all three of them and spat on the floor. I had made a grave mistake and only the goddess could save me from ending up in the grave as I was prepared to die before I'd let any of those morons touch me.

I quickly charged at the first man and before he could dodge, I hit him hard on his face with my right fist and he fell to the ground. "Nice shot," Wolf hailed me and I let out a little smile.

Oops!

I was hoisted up into the air by the second rogue and before I could land, he kicked me hard on my stomach. I fell with a loud thud and was met with several punches to my face.

"Stop," the first man halted him, walking to me with a very angry look. "Leave her to me. I'll teach her the lesson of her life."

The other men stepped aside as he placed his leg on my stomach, looking down at my bloodied face. My heart kept racing as I panted in fatigue.

"You know, I'd have just had them kill you immediately, but what's the fun in that?" He asked, with a cheeky smile on his face. "I'm going to have fun with you first."

My claws immediately shot out on hearing that as I looked to get up and slice through his throat but I was held down by the other men, who pinned my hands to the floor. "Not so fast, young lady."

The baldie grabbed my hair and licked his lips, as I tried in vain to shake him off. He had almost planted his lips on mine when his eyes suddenly went wide open and I felt his blood dripping onto my dress.

A tall, lanky man with bright green eyes that glowed in the dark appeared from behind him and my wolf leapt at that instant. The men, who were taken by surprise, charged at him but he dug his claws straight into their chests at the same time, bringing out their hearts as they fell to the ground.

I'd never seen such viciousness and his physique did little to suggest that. Yet, three rogues were no match for him. I wondered who he was and why he was outside at that time.

"Thank you," I said to him, grateful that he had saved my life but he just walked past me.

"Go home. This place isn't safe," he said as he kept walking.

Something about him was different. I couldn't help but want to draw closer to him. His smell was different. It was alluring. I felt so drawn to him and so did my wolf. 

"Hold on," I called out to him, standing to my feet. "Let me go with you. Let me follow you to your Pack, please."

"You can't do that, young woman…"

"I'm Elsa…"

"I'm not who you think I am," he continued, turning to face me. "You cannot go home with me. Stay in your Pack or you'll just end up like those men. These lands aren't safe."

As he spoke, I could see in his eyes that he did want me to hang around. Yet, something held him back and I couldn't tell what it was.

"At least, you could tell me who you are?" I asked, raising my brows.

"Go home. Don't make me say that again to you," he warned with a stern look and then moved over to the corpses, picking them up one after the other and dropping them on his right shoulder.

Scared, I turned around and began to walk home as quickly as I could, only pausing after a while to steal a glance at him but he was already gone.

"Who is this man?" I kept asking myself.