CHAPTER 2

Iona’s POV

I walk alone mindlessly. I was not aware of my surroundings until I bumped into someone. I landed on the muddy ground. A loud squeal pulled me out of my daze. I turned around and how surprised I was after realizing who I had just bumped into.

“Oh my gosh, this is disgusting!” Lottie screamed loudly. The girl was sitting in the mud.

I immediately got up and helped her stand. “I'm really sorry. I didn't see you coming.”

“Are you blind?!” Lottie yelled at me. She stared at me with a scowl, “Oh. You're the failing future Luna. You did this on purpose, didn't you? You still can't accept that I'm Vincent's fate mate?!” she scoffed.

I was surprised by the way Lottie called me. Did she just call me a failing future Luna? I stared at her in disbelief. How can a future mocking other people?

“Why are you staring at me like that? It’s true, right? Geez, now my only dress is getting dirty. You should take responsibility for this.” She tried to clean her dress, but it was useless. 

“I know. I am sorry for my carelessness. Let me help you get changed. I have some dresses you can wear,” I apologized to her.

We arrived at my cabin. I handed Lottie a pink floral dress, and it fit perfectly on her body. She seemed pleased to see her reflection in the mirror.

Lottie looks around at my cabin. “Shouldn’t you leave this cabin? It should be mine now since I will be the future Luna,” she said. 

My heart felt like it had just been squeezed. I stared at the room I had lived in for the past six months since coming to the Winterhide pack as Vincent’s soon-to-be mate.

“Yes. I will pack my belongings and leave,” I replied.

She smirked. “Of course, as it should be,” she said. She stopped at my dressing table and opened my jewellery box. "You sure have a lot of nice stuff,” she said, taking out my beaded chain.

“Stop, it’s mine! Just because I was trying to be nice to you doesn’t mean I can tolerate your rudeness,” I snapped at her.

“So this is your true color? What would Vincent and Alpha say if I said you’re bullying me? You know they’re on my side now,” she gripped my beaded chain so hard.

“What do you want?” I said in a cold tone.

“What if I say I want you to vanish?” she smirked.

“What's all the fuss?! “ Vincent opened the door suddenly, surprising me and Lottie.

Lottie released her grip on the beaded chain, which caused me to lose my balance and fall. Likewise, my beaded chain fell and hit the floor, scattering. 

“You!“ I shouted in frustration at Lottie, who was now running towards Vincent.

“I just wanted to try on her jewellery. But she pushed me instead,” Lottie said to Vincent with a sweetly poisonous voice and a sad face.

Vincent sighed heavily. “Clean up this mess. I'll take you to your parent's cabin,” he said before leaving the room with Lottie.

Lottie looked at me with a grin on her face.

It felt so suffocating. I couldn't hold back my tears and cried out in my room.

It was already late at night when I finished packing my belongings. I stared at my room for the last time before I closed the door. I didn't wait for Vincent to take me back to my parent's cabin. He must have been busy with his soon-to-be mate. I dragged my suitcase with my remaining energy. 

The streets were completely quiet. Of course, people had definitely gone to bed at this hour.

Rain makes the streets muddy and slippery. I have to be extra careful when taking steps. But my body was too tired, and then I slipped. I had no energy to balance my body and resigned myself to falling on the dirt.

But my body didn't touch the ground. Instead, a muscular arm grabbed my waist and pulled me into a sturdy and firm chest. The first breath I took was filled with a thicker smell of the ocean with an underlying layer of musk. I was disoriented for a moment before I composed myself and stared into a pair of bright red eyes, which disappeared when he blinked.

"Be careful, little one. You might hurt your head," he said with his deep voice.

I observed his features, his face was unfamiliar to me. He has a sharp jaw that could cut. His black and doe eyes were as dark as a starry night sky, and they would appear innocent if not for their slight dark and predatory glint. His raven hair was quite long, and he tied it in a messy bun at the back of his head. His honeyed skin was a stark contrast with my pale skin. Did he not belong to Winterhide Pack? But why is he wandering alone here? 

"You're carrying quite a big stuff for your tiny body," he said mockingly. Luckily he also managed to save my suitcase. He carried it with one hand, showing off his toned arms, as if the suitcase’s weight meant nothing to him.

I felt a tingling sensation inside my belly. This was the first time my wolf reacted to a man. I couldn't help but purr softly. Then I could feel my slick running down my thigh as if I was on a preheat. He lowered his head and breathed on my neck, taking in my sweet pheromones right from its source. It made my blood rush and made my body feel hot. I had the urge to kiss him and drown myself in his pheromones.

He growled. "You don't know what I could do to a young lady like you who bared their neck to every wolf they just had met, do you?" he said in a threatening tone as he tightened his hold on my waist. 

Finally, I realize our current position. Unmated wolves were dangerously intimate in an open area, which is extremely inappropriate. I try to break away, but his iron grip is not letting me go. "Please," I mumbled softly. 

Something in the man’s eyes snapped, bringing him back to his senses. He let go of me quickly with a grumble as if his hand had just been burned.

“Iona!“ another man's voice startled me. I turned and saw Vincent running towards me. "I was looking for you. Didn't I say to inform me after you are done packing your things?" said Vincent, who was now running towards me.

Did Vincent see what I did before with that strange man?

“What's wrong? Why do you seem like you are just seeing a ghost?” Vincent asked.

I turned back and was surprised to find that the man who had just helped me had disappeared. I am sure he was still standing behind me a moment ago. “I… nothing,” I pursed my lips.

“You dropped this,” Vincent put my ornaments on the ground. I didn’t realize I dropped it. “Let me help you,” he said as he put it back on my hair.

But I held his hand and took the ornaments, not sure why I did it.

Vincent cleared his throat and pulled his hand. “Come on, I'll take you to your parent's cabin. It's getting too late at night to walk around by yourself,” he said as he picked up my suitcase.

I followed Vincent's steps in silence. I looked back to make sure of the stranger I had just met. There's no way it's a ghost. I was so sure it was a man. I could feel his body and even still could smell his pheromones on me.