Chapter 4

Mira's POV.

"Does it matter?" The stranger growled. Slowly, he began to approach me, and I was forced to crane my neck to look in his face.

He stopped before me, towering over me like a light-wielding giant. The sun behind this stranger cast beams all over him: from his golden-coloured hair, to his fair skin.

I blinked, caught off guard by his reaction. And the first mistake I made was catching this man's gaze.

For a fleeting moment, and as our gazes locked, my world seemed to shift. His eyes seemed to hold me in a silent conversation, an inexplicable connection humming between us. It was as if something ancient and primal had stirred within me, recognizing him as someone significant.

Someone integral to my being.

My....mate?

Before I could comprehend the strange sensation, I felt a surge of conflicting emotions—confusion, vulnerability, and a longing that I couldn't decipher. Instinctively, I withdrew, breaking the mesmerizing eye contact.

In my mind, a whirlwind of thoughts swirled. I couldn't fathom this connection or the sudden surge of emotions, not when my world had just shattered moments ago. I couldn't allow myself to feel anything for another man, especially after Luca's betrayal.

I couldn't allow this.

Immediately, I staggered to my feet, and a hot wave of dizziness washed over me. I had no idea I was bleeding from my leg, and the sight of so much blood made me feel even more dizzy.

"Whoa....!" Slowly, I staggered back, and somehow found myself on the ground again.

A shadow darkened the area before me, and I glanced up to see this blonde stranger glaring down at me. With steady steps, he began to approach me. Like a deer caught in the glare of a predator's gaze, I shuffled backwards on my behind, trying to escape this man's intense gaze.

However, he caught up to me and stopped, mere inches away from me. I caught his scent; it filled up my nose and made me even more disoriented than I was.

Suddenly, the man reached out and grabbed my shoulders, pulling me up. I gasped with pain, and my head swam for a while. 

"You're hurt," he murmured. Then he turned to the left, and yelled. "Oi! Send two guards this way! I found an injured woman!"

As the blonde stranger steadied me, a rustling erupted from the dense forest to their left. Branches snapped, and two figures emerged, sprinting towards us. 

The first guard, a burly man with a scar running across his cheek, skidded to a halt. "What's happened here, Alpha?" he asked, taking in the scene.

"I found her like this," the blonde man replied, gesturing to my disheveled form. "She needs help. Take her to my caravan!"

I watched, detached, as the guards swiftly orchestrated a makeshift stretcher using their cloaks. With practiced efficiency, they carefully hoisted me onto it. 

As they maneuvered through the trees with me between them, my eyes fluttered weakly before closing again. My breaths came in shallow gasps, the trauma weighing heavily upon me.

The pain was so acute that I didn't fight the next wave of unconsciousness that came over me. Anything that would take my mind off the pain was welcome.

********

Roland's POV

I stood outside the room, my hand hovering over the gate, uncertain of the best course of action. My thoughts were filled with thoughts of the woman on the other end.

I could not shake off the inexplicable connection I felt when our paths collided in the forest, even though it was a day since it happened. What was this strange pull drawing me to her? 

Shaking the thoughts off, I steeled myself and pushed open the gate, stepping into the room.

The woman was lying on a low bed, in the far corner of the room. The moment she saw me, she jumped up, her eyes wide with apprehension. 

"Where am I? Why are you holding me?" Her voice, laced with distrust, sliced through the air.

"Sit back down," I ordered, my voice firm. "You injured yourself back in the forest. You're still healing; you shouldn't strain yourself."

She eyed me suspiciously, but complied, perching on the edge of the bed. Her posture remained guarded, like a defensive shield against the unknown.

She looked like she had been through a fair share of trauma.

And my wolf was screaming for her.

Her strong, cinnamon scent hit my nostrils again, and I turned my head, trying to hold back my urges. The connection was even stronger between us than it had ever been; it felt as though any movement I made would bring my world crashing around my ears.

"What is your name?" I asked.

Her frown deepened. "Mira. Why?"

"I only want to talk," I continued, my voice steady but tinged with uncertainty. "I found you injured in the forest, right by the border of my pack."

"Who are you?" She growled, slowly standing to her feet. "You're here to finish what Luca's soldiers started, aren't you? Well, then, get it over with. Either way, my life and my suffering ends."

She took a step forward, panting slightly. I could see fear and desolation etched in every inch of her face. Her voice was shaky, and her eyes were full of tears.

"I am Alpha Roland, of the Bloodstone Pack!" I announced.

The colour drained from her face. "Alpha Roland...."

"Answer my questions!" I snapped back. "Who were you running from, and why? Who were those guards who were planning to kill you? I need answers!"

"Well, how am I sure I can trust you?" She retorted. The woman turned, pacing the dark room, then walked back to me. "You Alphas are the same, all of you! Just kill me if you want ti do it. Do it!"

I could not believe the absolute gall of this woman! The fact that she had the confidence to speak to an Alpha this way absolutely floored me.

Anger spiralled within me, and I surged forward. "And who said anything about killing you?"

The woman stopped pacing and stared at me with deadset eyes. "What are you going to do to me, then?" She asked, softly.

And my wolf lost all control.

I threw all caution to the wind. Surging forward, I covered the distance between us. I grabbed the back of her neck, leaned down and captured her lips in mine.