Chapter 3

Gasping for breath, I fled from Lycan Steven, his utterance of the word 'mate' laced with a deadly passion scared me to death. He had been finding me for centuries, and now, as I stood before him, his eyes showed no hint of remorse, only an unexplainable desire to end my life.

My escape was abruptly halted as I tripped over a large root, sending me tumbling to my knees.

I cursed multiple times and endured the pain. Looking upwards, the night had fallen; the towering trees cast dancing shadows in the dim light. Pain shot through me, but I had no choice but to rise and sprinted with renewed urgency quickly.

Glancing over my shoulder, I witnessed a chilling transformation.

Lycan Steven, in a fluid motion, morphed into his wolf form, leaping with predatory grace. His silver fur gleamed in the moonlight, a mesmerizing yet terrifying sight.

As I ran, his growl echoed behind me, a haunting reminder of the danger I was in. Tears blurred my vision, a testament to the harrowing journey I had endured.

The irony was bitter; I had once saved him, and now, he is here trying to kill me.

I hastily wiped my tears with the back of my hand and scurried up a tree upon spotting a potential hiding place.

Pressing both hands over my mouth, I tried to silence my sobs, but then the sound of rustling leaves and Lycan Steven's sniffing reached my ears.

"You can't hide from me. Your scent betrays you," he called out, his voice disturbingly near.

The tranquil chirping of birds under the moon's glow starkly contrasted with my own terror.

I remained as still as possible, praying that the shadows and thick foliage would conceal me.

Please, I hope he doesn't hurt me.

The forest's ambient sounds were now deafening – leaves rustling, an owl hooting in the distance, and my labored breathing.

The atmosphere was charged with tension.

Could this be my final moment?

In the moonlight, Lycan Steven's fur shimmered silver, merging with the darkness. I risked a glance back and saw his eyes, fierce and glowing, as he scrutinized the area for any hint of me.

Escape was futile; his senses were too acute, his wolf form too formidable.

I am just a mere human compared to a huge creature like him.

As he drew nearer, I noticed the internal battle raging within him.

"Come out now, little girl!" he called mockingly. I stifled a whimper, alerting him to my presence. Just as I prepared to flee, he spotted me and pounced in his wolf form.

I screamed in agony when he clawed at my clothes and seized my neck, then hurled me against a large tree. Pain wracked my body, and blood spilled from my mouth.

"You should not have helped me when I was dying! Look what I'm doing to you right now," Lycan Steven snarled through clenched teeth after assaulting me. It was so painful that my head hurt.

"Mates don't harm each other," I whispered weakly, coughing up blood. My words seemed to strike a chord in him, but instead of calming, he grew more enraged and threw me to the ground.

"I despise the matebond!" he bellowed furiously.

I shook my head, pleading with him in the eyes. "Please, don't hurt me. I am your mate..." I whispered at him, even though it was no use.

He has already hurt me physically.

"I don't want a mate in my life," Lycan Steven responded and kneeled in front of me. He shifted into his human form now and gripped my chin to make me stare at him. He was struggling and fighting the mate bond.

Despite the pain and fear he instilled in me, I couldn't deny my longing for him. Beyond mere desire, I felt a deep-seated need for his presence. His touch, though filled with danger, sent involuntary shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes tightly as he intensified his grip on my neck.

"N-No, p-please, spare me," I pleaded.

His disdainful words stung me deeply. "I've searched for my mate for ages, only to find a fragile human like you," he sneered, his words like venom.

His cruel remarks wounded me more than any physical blow could.

My heart ached at his scorn, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone struck Lycan Steven, sending him reeling.

"Ah! That hit the spot," a new, mocking voice boasted. The stranger, bearing a striking resemblance to Lycan Steven but with a noticeable stubble, was not alone. Beside him stood a blonde, about five feet six inches tall, with curly hair.

I winced in sympathy as my mate hit the ground, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected assault.

"W-Who are you?" I stammered at the newcomers. They were looking at me with curious eyes.

The man replied mockingly, "Oh, what's the matter, kid? No gratitude for saving you, huh?" His tone dripped with sarcasm, and the blonde chuckled, eyeing me. "You're the future Lycan King's mate? Such a disappointment."

"Hey!" he chided his companion, his brows knitting together. "Don't mention that title. I'm the future Lycan King! My brother is no longer part of our pack, remember?"

The blonde rolled her eyes at the man and didn't say anything.

Confusion swirled within me, trying to make sense of their conversation. Seizing the opportunity, I attempted to escape, but the man was quick to intercept me, his voice menacing. "Where do you think you're going?"

I didn't notice that the blonde was now in front of me. My heart raced as she cruelly dug her fingernails into my cheeks, drawing blood. "You're hardly a Luna material for the Silver Pack. I wouldn't let an ugly duckling like you take my position," she sneered.

I don't know what position they were talking about! It's clear that both of them don't want me alive, too.

The cruel idea of them wanting me dead hit my realization and I started pleading with them.

Desperation filled my voice as I knelt in front of them, both of my hands in a praying position. "Please! Let me go! I don't know any of you! If you let me go, I won't interfere in your businesses anymore!" My cries were filled with terror and confusion.

"Lycan Steven!" The woman screamed at the top of her lungs. My mate has lunged himself towards her and to the man. I saw Steven fighting them, and everything became blurry after that.

The moment I woke up, I was already panting and pleading to Lycan Steven. This was different than the previous ones. I could feel pleasure seeping through my bones as his skin touched mine.

I didn't know what happened right after that scene in the forest. We were now entangled with each other's arms.

I figured it was the mate bond. We couldn't control it.

"Please," I whispered, and his fingers were buried inside of me a second later. A deep groan had come from him as I moaned at the intense sensation of him touching me so intimately.

Steven was moving his hand, pushing his fingers in and out of me, as I clung to him. I could feel my first orgasm coming, gasping and moaning under my mate's touch.

My body arched up to him and I moaned his name as it rolled through my body. Steven let out a low growl and then his mouth was on mine.  I felt him tugging my legs apart. Then, he was inside me.

With one hard thrust in, I cried out in pain as he took me. Steven was looking at me with gritted teeth as if he didn't want to do this, but he desired to. Now, he's doing it. Suddenly, he came down at me as his mouth was on my lips once more. He started moving, taking me slowly at first.

He was so big that I could feel my insides stretching completely. Steven's mouth moved to my neck as he tasted my skin, and slid his tongue right over my mark spot.

I could feel my whole body burning hot like it was on fire. His sharp teeth dug on the spot between my neck and collarbones. It stings like hell, but that didn't stop me from wanting him even more.

"Steven..." I cried out his name and thrust my hips up to meet his, pleasure finally taking over me. I begged him all over again to not stop. His body moved harder and faster, giving me what I had asked for. I could barely gasp for air and cry out as a wave of ecstasy hit me. My orgasm was ripping me until I was screaming in pure bliss.

I felt a jolt through my body as I called out his name, a final cry of surrender. In that moment, he reached a peak of intensity, his breath ragged above me. His weight pressed down on me, a tangible reminder of the connection we shared.

I sensed his struggle to catch his breath, to find some semblance of calm after the storm of passion.

Exhaustion crept over me, my eyelids heavy and unyielding. I succumbed to the overwhelming sensations, letting the darkness gently pull me into unconsciousness.

When I awoke, the room was bathed in the soft light of dawn. I found myself alone, the warmth of his presence now just a lingering memory in the cool sheets.

Confusion and a sense of loss twined around my heart.

Where had he gone? Why had he left without a word?

I sat up, my mind a whirl of emotions – longing, sadness, a touch of fear. The night's events replayed in my mind, vivid and yet somehow distant, like a dream fading upon waking.

Drawing a deep breath, I was about to rise from the bed when Lycan Steven entered the room.

Clad only in a white towel wrapped low around his waist, he was fastening an elegant wristwatch, his gaze fixed on me.

"You're awake," he noted. I blinked repeatedly, half-expecting this to be a dream. His next words, however, confirmed the harsh reality. "We need to visit the Moon Goddess's Temple."

My heart pounded erratically, a sense of foreboding washing over me. I had an inkling of what awaited us there. Steven seemed indifferent to my turmoil, his mind evidently elsewhere.

Subconsciously, my hand brushed the mark on my neck, a permanent reminder of our bond. His jaw tensed visibly at the gesture. "Don't harbor any illusions about us," he said coldly. "We have no future, Nathalie. I intend to reject you."

Before I could process his words, we were on our way to the temple.

In the sacred space, Steven's voice was devoid of emotion.

"I, Lycan Steven Styles, reject you Nathalie Salem Bentley, as my human mate,” he said while glaring at me with those intense hazel-green eyes. He was supposed to kill me. He has been traveling around the world for centuries just to find his mate to kill her—but he didn’t kill me… yet.

"I, Nathalie Salem Bentley, accept your rejection, Lycan Steven," I said, holding onto the blanket, shielding my bare body from his eyes full of hunger.

He couldn’t wait to reject me after our passionate night that we immediately went to the Moon Goddess’s Temple to do the ceremony. This is what I get from saving his dying body… to be rejected and having my heart broken into pieces.

My cheeks dampen with my tears. Since meeting him, I kept on crying. I'm so tired of it.

“Can you at least tell me why you don’t want a mate in your life?” I implored, seeking some understanding in his icy gaze.

He just looked at me with cold and stone-like eyes. "I refuse to become like my father."

That was his reason? For all the pain and heartache, it boiled down to a fear of becoming like his father?

I felt a surge of resentment.

One day, he would regret his actions.

One day, he would beg on my knees to come back to him.

One day... I will make him pay for what he did, so with the two other werewolves who came with him in the forest.

Lycan Steven exhaled deeply, his expression softening slightly as he caught sight of my distress.

He looked away as he said, "Run, Nathalie. I'm giving you the chance to escape," he growled, a hint of urgency in his tone.