Chapter 2

The tree became denser and the sun began to set as I walked further into the woods. At some point while walking I felt like someone was watching me. I looked back but I couldn't see much since the day had become darker than before and I could only see a short distance. I kept on walking, this time faster. I almost forgot why I was walking faster until I heard the snapping of a twig. I looked back but still nothing. This time I was sure I heard something so I kept looking in the wanting to figure out what it was.

After looking for a while and I decided to continue my walk, I heard the sound again. my eyes snapped in the direction of the sound and I saw it. Its large form emerges from the darkness. Its black furs look polished under the moonlight. It kept on taking menacing steps in my direction. I was shocked, out of everything I thought was hiding there I wasn't expecting an abnormally large wolf. Its eyes kept watching. I could have screamed but I wanted to be careful because any mistake and I could be its next meal.

' I thought you wanted to die ' my subconscious mocked

'uhm, yes but not like this '

I took tentative steps backward, but when I saw it crouched low ready to attack I knew it was time to run.

" Help, help" I shouted hoping someone would hear me as I ran as far as my feet to carry. I could hear its large paws hitting the ground. my heart was beating rapidly, shots of adrenaline were released In my blood, and my legs didn't stop, well at least not until I stumbled on a fallen branch and fell. I tried to scramble to my feet but it lungs at me and bit on my leg so hard I felt my bone crack and a scream tore out of my lips.

Someone tore the wolf off my leg and threw it to the nearest. Tears blurred my vision and the only thing I could make out was the silhouette of a man disarming the wolf. A black dot clouded my vision and I grew very weak, succumbing to the peace that I have always wanted and hoping I would get to heaven.

I opened my eyes only to see darkness all over, I rolled my head to the side to take a look at my surroundings with the little sunlight reflecting through the light curtain. The room was too wide, the ceiling should be at least fifty feet tall. The dark paneling on the wall made the olive-colored curtain stand out, which hung beside a ginormous window bay that was in the center of the far wall.

I sat up on the bed feeling very dizzy and weak like I was run over by a train, the moonlight was inadequate for the spacious room but it's funny how my eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and I could make out everything in the room, from the couches in the center of the room to the table in the center of the couches with a pen and dagger lying on it.

I reached out to switch on the lamp near the bedside when my attention was drawn to the voices at the other side of the door engaging in a heated conversation.

"Why the hell will you think this was the right place to bring her to?" A cold voice said.

So cold I almost shivered, my first instinct was to run but then I remembered they were the ones who saved me and if they wanted to kill me they would have done that while I was asleep, moreover, I don't even know where I am.

But they are strangers my brain scolded but my body was weak and I was tired of running.

" She was badly hurt by our kind, I could take her to a hospital but that would be at the expense of our existence leaking out."Another voice replied. " Alpha is not going to be happy about...".

" She's awake" the voice interrupted and before I could make a move to pretend to be asleep the light was switched on and I just looked at the two men as they strode in looking at me like a predator would look at his prey and I was beginning to regret why I didn't follow my instinct in the first place, but did I forget to say that this predator we're very good looking, like mouth-watering handsome. I just watched like a deer caught in headlights.

"Call Dr. Ken," said one of the men who was six feet and two inches tall with his long blonde hair packed in a small bun, a few strands of hair framed his face. He had a strong jaw with little stubble, and his blue-green eyes were wide as they looked me over in curiousness. I assume he was the one who saved me. There was this boyish charm about him that made me feel safe around him Even if his eyes were boring into my soul, watching every of my movement. The man who he was talking to earlier left immediately to call the doctor making sure to glare at me before leaving.

"How are you feeling?" He asked taking a seat beside the bed. The wound on my leg was covered with a bandage but I didn't feel any pain, the only thing am feeling now is malaise.

" I feel dizzy and weak but apart from that am okay," I said looking down at my lap picking at the shirt that had ridden up to my mid thigh, wondering who cleaned me up.

"You lost a lot of blood so I told Theresa to clean you up, your clothes were stained with blood. So I volunteered my shirt but don't worry she has gone to get you some of her spare clothes" he said answering the question in my mind. " What were you doing close to the Denali cliff" he asked softly. I bent my head further hiding the pink that dusted my cheek, I didn't know how to tell him without feeling embarrassed. "I said, what were you doing in our territory" he asked again but this time firmly and a bit louder.

Fear gripped me as I rammed my head for something to say. " I was looking for a place to stay...", "And there was no hotel around Alsaka?" He interrupted. I looked up at him as the fear embraced him, his calm demeanor disappearing as his body tensed up and his eyes fixed on my eyes like it would tell if I was lying. Maybe it did because he got angrier. Just as I opened my mouth to say something a man in his mid-forties walked through the door wearing a white lab coat, with a file in his left hand and his brown hair covering his ear where his glass rested.

I wondered why all of them had long hair and were all good-looking. " Beta Evan could you please suspend your questions for another day when she is better and not trying to survive the shift, my patient is already under as much stress as it is" the doctor I presume said giving me a pitiful smile. Beta Evan, so that was his name.

He just looked at me and smiled. " We will finish this later" that was all he said before he stood up and left. Though I was happy, I was no longer interrogated but I still didn't understand what the doctor meant by shift. " So how are you? you lost so much blood but we tried our best to stop the blood and dress the wound. You've been out for a while, but the wound is already covered, it may leave a small scar there. Otherwise, you are healing very fast due to the changes occurring in your body system. You should be okay before the full moon" he finished.

" For how long have I been out," I asked the doctor. " Not too long, just two days," he said matter-of-fact

" JUST TWO DAYS," I said raising my voice.

How are you feeling?" The doctor asked.

" I am fine " I whispered still shaken from the incident and now the interrogation. Am I fine ?, I am running from my boyfriend and tried to commit suicide, almost got eaten up by a wolf almost the size of a horse for dinner, fell into the hands of mafias or whoever these people are, and instead of them to take me to a hospital, they called in their doctor because they are hiding something from the public.

Maybe they are into dirty business and they are afraid the government sent me to spy on them. Shift, shift maybe they want me to choose between the government or them and agree not to expose them.... "Very vague" he said signing, checking my pulse rate and other vital signs, and then scribbling on the file in his hands.

"You were in so much pain when you fell unconscious, you kept writhing and moaning mentioning a name ...I think Denver, so we gave analgesic before anything which would be the cause of your dizziness. All you have to do this week is to eat and sleep. Please don't stress the leg or do any strenuous work. You need to regain the blood you lost." He said closing the file and giving me that pitiful smile before he left. Come on, I am not crippled neither are my legs amputated so why does he keep looking at me like that. I winced as pain shot through my legs just from touching it.

" Be careful there, I know you are eager to walk but it will take a while." A woman said walking in through the open door where a man was standing. He closed the just immediately after she entered. I looked at the woman who had her dark hair in a loose bun. Her blue eyes watched my hand calmly as it returned to its previous position. She was dressed in a blue sundress that complimented her eyes. She was stunning, I was beginning to wonder if these people were human because they were unearthly beautiful.

She dropped the pile of clothes that were folded neatly in her arms on the bed. " I don't have much in my closet, manage this," she said as she moved to open a door, it was only after she opened the door that I realized it was a bathroom. Looking from ten feet away the only thing I could see was white tiles glistening from the light it reflected making the bathroom brighter than the room, It was almost blinding. I could perceive a faint scent of lavender and Cinnamon, and hear the sound of water running as she prepared a bath for me. She came out looking like she just remembered something important.

" Don't mind my rude manner, the name is Theresa". Before I could introduce myself she went back into the bathroom. I should thank her for cleaning me up. I just sat down there looking at how things turned out, though I worried he might find me but somehow I felt safe in this unknown place surrounded by strange good-looking people. It didn't take long before she emerged from the bathroom and helped me into the bathtub. I felt ashamed to reveal my nakedness with all its scars to her but she didn't say a word she just looked at it curiously. She helped me slip into the bathtub slowly while telling me to raise my left leg to prevent water from entering it. I washed myself up while she helped me redress the wound not saying a word.

After I was done with bathing and dressing, she grabbed a bathrobe neatly folded in a cabinet and handed it over to me. I wrapped it around myself. Just as she assisted me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in " Theresa called out while I looked at myself to check if I was decent.

"Excuse us," he told her as he walked towards the bed, she didn't move instead they exchanged looks as if they were communicating with their eyes. While I sat there looking at them hoping she wasn't going to leave me alone with him, the energy that rolled off of him made my toes curl. After a minute she left and I was left with a muscular and lanky blonde man, who for some reason is glaring at me.

He took his time to grab a chair at the corner of the room to the bed. I recognized him as the one who saved me and I remember I hadn't thanked him for it. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened to me if he hadn't come to my rescue that night. Before I could show my gratitude he spoke.

"What is your name?" He asked. "Alaia" I answered. "Alaia" he repeated.

" Thank you for saving me," I said looking up at him.

" Don't thank me yet, I know I saved you but you are still going to die " he said indifferently. Was he the one that saved me?

" Please don't kill me. I promise am not a spy and I won't tell anyone about...".

" What you will become, or is it what you might become?" He said raising an eyebrow at me, with a smirk on his face.

"I don't want to join the mafia and I promise I won't..." I was interrupted again. Very rude.

"Did.. you just say mafia? Is that what you think this is?" He asked looking shocked for a minute and then laughing the next. His laughter resonated throughout the spacious room, if I wasn't confused about what this was then I would have smiled at how boyish and carefree he looked while laughing.

" Welcome to the world of werewolves"