CHAPTER FIVE

Third Person POV

“Mate?“ she questioned her sanity. Could it really be that simple? Was the moon goddess playing a joke on me? Hadn't I suffered enough? More so, the man looked terrifying. Whatever had I done to the moon goddess? All these emotions went through her head, but she didn't dare to say anything.

“Everyone, get out!“ The man yelled, and she whimpered lowly in her throat. She couldn't let him hear her for fear that would warrant a whipping. She thought he wanted to be alone with her to punish her, but the Alpha couldn't bear the thought of any other man perceiving her sweet scent.

The Beta gave his Alpha a sideways glance, but he obeyed his orders anyway. He and the other men left the area. He didn't take his eyes off her for a moment. Not once. He was not even blinking while she was looking everywhere other than at him. He looked terrifying. The way he stood there blocking the light couldn't even let her see his features clearly because he was backing the light and his broad chest blocked her view.

“MATE!“ His wolf howled painfully in his head, but he decided to tune it out. The girl was obviously terrified, but he was excited.

“Couldn't she see that we were in danger for a second time?“ Aria chided her wolf softly.

“Look up!“ he commanded, snapping me out of my reverie. She did as he asked fearfully. She was shivering so much. Her brain reasoned that if they were going to harm her, they would have done that already, but my body didn't get that message with how much I was shivering.

He slowly reached out to touch her exposed skin, and it felt like he had been ignited, a delicious feeling pulsed through him, which only made him more protective.

She knew she was supposed to be scared of this man, but the sweet feeling that just went through her at one touch from him. “He could hurt me even more than Alpha Kane because I was in his territory. He could even kill me if he wanted to.“ She quickly thought to herself and instantly wriggled away from him.

He looked pissed off for that action. She was sure he was going to have her whipped now.

“Why are you shying away from me, little mate?“ He questioned softly in spite of the anger he was feeling. She was not going to be fooled by his softness. She had once heard that the softest-looking things sting more. This was one of those examples.

Her eyes widened when he called her mate. Did he also feel the connection she just felt? She wasn't alone in this, right? Was it possible to have a one-sided mate?“

“We… we're mates?“ She said softly, not wanting to arouse his anger. Too soft that he never wanted anyone else to hear her voice.

“Yes, little mate. I'm your soulmate.“ She wrapped her arms around herself. Was this a dream? She even pinched myself all to no avail.

“Wow.“ She managed to whisper.

“Aren't you excited?“ He asked. Does she have someone else she was hoping to get mated to? I hoped to the goddess that she was just shocked. Not repulsed.

“I am.“ She sure doesn't look it. Maybe she was just confused. To be fair, she was running from something or someone. Finding a mate would be the last thing on her mind.

“Shocked. I don't think it's possible.“ Does she think she doesn't deserve a mate? That wasn't possible. Even the cruelest men he had met all had mates.

“What's your name, little mate?“ He decided that he would call her that until she understood that they were bound together forever.

“Aria.“ She said softly. Everything about this woman was beautiful and sweet, he thought to himself.

“Hello, Aria. I'm Lucas. Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, and most importantly, I'm your mate.“ He squatted so he was face to face with her. He didn't think it was possible, but she even looked more terrified after his introduction.

“Please get away from me.“ She tried to put more distance between them, but she was already against the wall. The only way to get away from this man, who she was sure would break her into pieces, was through the door. She didn't have to be told that running through the man was a suicide mission. Even if he let her through, she wouldn't make three feet before she got caught by the several guards.

“Aria,” he said lowly and calmly, which was very much unlike him. “Please calm down. I'm not going to lay a hand on you.“

He meant it to assure her, but it had the opposite effect on the hysterical girl who had scrambled up in front of him. Of course, she didn't expect the Alpha to hurt her personally. He would have people tie her down and beat her while others watched. That was how her Alpha Kane would do it, so she didn't expect him to be any different.

“Please get away from me.“ She pleaded with tears streaming down her face. “Please let me go.“

“Let you go?“ He questioned in confusion. Why would his mate want him to leave her alone? He looked at her swollen ankles. She was clearly going through a lot of pain for daring to stand on those ankles. His heart clenched painfully at her pain. Ordinarily, a pain of this level wouldn't even faze him. He had once killed three men with two broken ankles, but somehow, the pain that coursed through him was as if he was being stabbed repeatedly with a silver stake.

“Please,” she was now hopping on one foot. “Don't hurt me.“

“You're my little mate, Aria.“ He loved how smoothly her name rolled off his lips. This woman would be the end of him, yet she wanted him to let her go.

"Please stay still so I can assess your injuries. I'm not going to hurt you.“ He promised. He wanted to go after whoever was responsible for his mate's injuries.

“I'm fine. There must be a mistake. I can't be your mate.“ She rushed out, hoping he would change his mind and set her free.

“Where would you even go?“ Was she going to go back to whoever had done this to her?

“Anywhere, please.“ She couldn't stop crying from the pain in her ankle and the pain this new Alpha was going to cause her.

The Alpha questioned if he was that repulsive that his mate was willing to go anywhere else out in the woods so she could be free of him. I didn't even do anything to her yet, she thought.

Deciding to stop her from hurting herself so much, he took a tentative step near her, but she screamed so loudly as if she were burning her.

“Aria, stop it. I just want to look at your ankles.“ He scooted down, but she made the mistake of walking backwards on her ankle. She couldn't take the pain anymore and collapsed in pain. Lucas quickly caught her before she reached the ground.

“Cole, get the car!“