Chapter four

The realization that the handsome man before me isn't Alpha Damon, the leader of the Black Pack, hits me like a block of ice. I jolt, gulp, and blink, before shaking my head in disbelief.

“But how come you–” I quickly bite the inside of my mouth to prevent myself from saying my next word. What if he wants this to be like a secret?

What if he is my mate but he can't tell me because the Black Pack Alpha threatens him?

“Thank you for helping me out earlier, I owe you a favor,” I say after controlling my thoughts. I should still thank him for rescuing me from those horrible batshit crazy maids first, before bombarding him with questions.

“You’re welcome, but you need to be careful. You are not in the Red Pack where you are invincible. In case you don’t know you are in the Black Pack’s Alpha mansion, and you have to be obedient.” Hunter reveals to me before ordering a maid to bring the first aid box.

I want to ask him how I got here because the last thing I recall was mounted men in masks circling me a few miles from the Cyan Pack border, but the maid is already back with the emergency kit.

“How come you are so battered?” Hunter grumbles under his breath as he rips a strip from his white formal shirt.

I watch him in a dream state as he grabs the small vial of antiseptic from the box and pours a bit on the piece of fabric before gently pressing it against my bleeding cheek.

The pain sends a jolt to my brain and I wince. “Ah, be careful..” I cry out.

He chuckles softly. “Oh, so you know pain? You should have yelled out for help when the maids were bullying you.” He rebukes before he carefully applies the sterile dressing, its surface like a whispered promise against my wounded skin.

His eyes and face are so close… close enough to steal a kiss and make it seem like an accident.

“What the hell am I thinking?” I say out loud as I abruptly push him away from me, my face red like a fresh tomato as my impure thoughts spiral in my mind.

I must be crazy. He isn't the first handsome man I will lay my eyes on. So why am I acting like an infatuated teenager?

“What? Are you alright?” Hunter's deep voice penetrates my ear and I briefly close my eyes as I swallow hungrily.

“I…am, I'm alright, it's just—” It's the mate scent.

That's why he smells so good. Oh my goodness, this isn't what I am here for. I haven't even met my so-called mate, the Black Pack Alpha, and I'm craving to properly sniff another man. I must be out of my damned mind.

“It’s just what?” Hunter raises another question and I shake my head.

“It’s nothing.” I reply, my breath caught in my throat as I look at him.

“You have beautiful eyes, Princess Lana,” he mutters, gently rubbing my broken lip with his thumb as he stares intensely into my eyes.

In the vast terrain of my thoughts, I find myself obsessing over his flawless and somewhat cold face like he hides a tornado beneath it. Butterflies dance in my tummy as he tenderly treats my broken lip too.

His presence seems so magical and I feel my heart beating fast as I stare foolishly at him. Wait, he complimented me just now, didn't he?

“Oh, uh, thanks. It's, um…” words slip through the grasp of my thoughts, and suddenly, the warmth in the room becomes suffocating.

Realizing that he's done treating my wounds, and I'm just staring like a lonely woman, I exhale quickly and create a hasty distance between us.

Hunter also rises, he lets out an awkward cough punctuating the uncomfortable silence. “I must leave now. I'll arrange for new maids. Let me if you need anything,” he hurriedly declares, ready to exit.

As he moves to leave, my clarity returns and I quickly stop him. “Hunter, wait!”

He turns around and lifts a solemn gaze at me. His expression is still gentle, very gentle like he can't bear to see my wounded face.

I feel my heart racing just by looking at his stunning countenance.

“What is it? Do you need anything?” Hunter asks and I gradually move closer to him.

“Your scent? Why does it smell so comforting?” I inquire, gazing up at him, hoping he will give a good reply that will bring me out of my current distress.

But all he offers is a fleeting smile as he strolls out of the room, leaving my question suspended in the stillness of the air.

My brows furrow upon realizing that I am right after all. There is a mysterious and unspoken reason that prevents him from revealing the truth to me.

Having recognized Hunter as my mate, the need to await another meeting with the Black Pack’s Alpha slowly dissipates in me. Until I recall my brother’s words again. “He says if I oppose, and don't send you to him in two days, he will randomly send his troops to any Packs.”

What day is it? Has it been two days already?

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath, discovering that I have lost my sense of time. I can't tell if it's been a few hours since I left my Pack, or if it's been a few days.

Anyway, I am glad that Hunter replaced the maids, but soon, I discovered that they are also a bunch of bullies, and whenever I eat the food they bring, I somehow lose consciousness.

This has been happening for days, and I always feel pale and tired anytime I wake up from a deep slumber.

Anytime I attempt to report this incident to Hunter, they will threaten to poison me, so I keep my miseries to myself and never tell anyone about it.

This confusing predicament persisted for several days, and throughout these dreadful moments, I never once laid my eyes on Alpha Damon. At some point, I entertained the notion that he had left the Pack, only to overhear from one of the maids that he is currently by his supposed Luna's side in the mansion.

Despite my resentment toward him for forcing me to go through hardships and bullying, I maintain a glimmer of hope that I will cross paths with him. I am eager to know why he sent that letter to my brother.

But after enduring days of bullying, succumbing to sudden unconsciousness post-meals, and waking with a lingering sense of drowsiness, the idea of escaping the Black Pack’s Alpha's mansion starts to take root in my mind.

I've come to terms with the fact that I may never get to see Alpha Damon, and I can't wait to escape the hell I find myself in.

Since that day that I woke up in this room, Hunter hasn't visited either, not even once.

I have an intense desire building within me to share my escape plans with him. It might seem foolish, but I sense a shared struggle in his eyes, though he might not be abducted like me into the Black Pack’s mansion, as he’s the chief guard Beta, I can still discern a restrained turmoil nonetheless.

I've been confined to this room ever since that day. The maids don't let me go out. They take care of my bath and my other necessities, but today, I plan to rebel, so I can go out and find Hunter.

I swallow and harden my resolve as I watch the two maids assigned to me enter, holding the usual big bowl full of water and white towel respectfully.

I leap before the door closes, and run out of the door before they realize what's going on.

I rush along the huge walls of the mansion, my hurried footsteps echoing through the halls, its opulent decor now a mere blur as urgency fuels my stride. I sprint forward without glancing back, my heart fluttering like a caged bird tasting freedom as frantic beats echo through my chest. The realization that the maids are chasing after me feels like impending doom settling in my chest.

An anxious knot tightens in the pit of my stomach, fear coursing through me until I unexpectedly collide with a solid frame. Strong hands instinctively wrap around me, enclosing me in a reassuring embrace.

“Hey, are you okay? Where are you running off to?”

Lifting my head to identify the person who has me wrapped in their arms, I am not surprised to find out that it's Hunter.

“Hunter, please help me out of here. I really need your help, I don't think I can stay in this mansion any longer.” I assert in haste, glancing back frantically as if pursued by unseen specters.

“Calm down, why? What happened?” Hunter asks, has keen eyes roaming about. “You know what, my chamber is the fourth room by your right, hide there first there and I will join you soon.” He says gently pushing me, and whispers, “run now,”

Upon entering Hunter’s chamber, I am amazed to see it devoid of decoration. Even with the light on, it feels dark and lonely. The room is painted in black and white, showcasing only a single king-size bed and a desk. It exudes the ambiance of a prison rather than a bedroom.

He appears a few moments later, and I turn to see his aggravated expression. “What the hell did you mean by your words earlier? There’s no way you can leave this mansion alive, Lana.” Hunter retorts, his gentle eyes holding a touch of helplessness as he walks closer to me.

“That's why I'm asking for your help. I know you can help me. I haven't even had a proper bath in days! I don't even know if it's weeks or months. I'm going crazy, Hunter.” I ramble off as I hold his shirt and cry in his arms.

“Please help me out of here. I want to escape with you, but it's fine if you don't want to leave me, just…please help me out of here.” I beg, unable to keep the desperation to escape this torment out of my broken voice.

All of a sudden, Hunter lifts my face and leans to kiss me, but I push him away. “Hunter, we shouldn't…” I shake my head, refusing his intimate actions.

He grunts in a low voice, frustration evident in his voice as he presses my body to his rigid one. “I know we shouldn't be doing this, but you are leaving, and this may be the last I will be seeing you.” His gentle gaze locks onto mine with intensity, and it sparks a rush of desire in me.

Foolishly, I find myself pressing against his thigh, to seek relief from the sudden ache arousing in me.

I can see that Hunter is trying his best not to take the first move again, so I took the initiative to lean and taste his lips. He groans as our lips connect, his hands firmly wrapped around my small waist. A hot sensation jolts down my core when he touches me and I temporarily forget about my plan to escape, letting his tongue swirl in my mouth as he roughly grabs my ass.

We remove each other's clothes quickly like this will be our last, and stumble towards the bed with a nipple in his mouth as he groans under his breath, trying to pull off my underwear.

“You taste and smell so good,” Hunter grunts lowly in my mouth as we hit the bed, his bulge pressing against my inner thigh.

I lift my eyes to stare into his eyes and it suddenly feels wrong.

I know it's wrong, absolutely wrong, I can feel it in my soul, but I can't stop myself from moaning and biting his bottom lip to subdue my wanton moans.

It must feel wrong because it's my first time, and he isn't who I believe my mate to be. But, with Hunter, it feels so good. He’s so gentle and deliberate with his touch.

The unmistakable mate scent doesn't linger in the room, or on him at the moment, but does it really matter, then?

“Please, take me, please,” I moan, my words incoherent while I run my fingers through Hunter’s long, black hair.

He is about to thrust inside me when we suddenly hear repeated knocks coming from the door.

A moment later, the door pushes open, unveiling a tall, ruggedly stunning man exuding authority by his stance. His commanding presence is accompanied by striking beauty, yet his penetrating cold gaze as he looks at me is what etches itself into my memory before his roar fills the silent room.

Hunter quickly falls to his knees before the man I assume is the Black Pack Alpha, Damon Blackthorne.

“Alpha, I—”

“What the hell do you think you are doing!” He says in a thunderous, deep, cold, and dangerous voice that sends shivers down my spine.