Mate in the Woods

Ella's POV

I could feel them. They were coming.

I ran as fast as I could desperate to get out of the woods but the further I ran, the deeper I found myself amongst the trees.

My heart was thumping hard as panic and fear seeped into me. The fear of what those rogues would do to me if they got me, increased by every pace I took.

I tried to reach deep within me for my wolf. I tried to call out to her, but as always there was no response.

"I am going to die. I am going to die." I sang like a madman's mantra as I moved through the trees hoping to see the village ahead of me but I could only find more trees.

"You can't keep running from us, Ella. We are going to find you and we will get what we want..." I heard their leader's voice behind me and my heart sank.

His voice was too close and I knew it would only be a matter of time before his wishes and that of his friends came true.

Tears brimmed in my eyes as I searched for a place to hide. I refused to give up. If my wolf was never going to come out and rescue us, then I had to find a place to hide. That was the only option I had.

It was the only thing I did all my life, protect myself.

No one loved me. Nothing I did was ever sufficient to earn any love from anyone.

Not even my stepmother, Helen, or step-sister, Anna. I was a burden to them because I was twenty years already, yet I couldn't find myself a mate or a job. No one wanted me around them. I was like a plague and that was why no one cared that a bunch of rogues were chasing after me.

Even if I got to the village, no one was going to stop them. My best bet would be to hide.

"Ella!" Their cries echoed behind me and I made the mistake of looking to check how close they were.

My heart jumped out of my chest as I saw the shrubs behind me moving violently.

They were close.

"If you are in my head somewhere, please come out now!" I cried out desperately to my wolf.

My heart was swelling as my emotions overwhelmed me but I refused to give up.

As much as people mocked me for not having a wolf, I could feel her. She was in my head somewhere. She never said a word, but she was there.

"If you don't come out now, we are both going to die!" I yelled.

My feet stopped moving as pain pricked my very soul.

"Oh goddess please help me..." I whispered as my eyes searched around for a good place to hide.

I refused to let those rogues touch me. I refused to be raped and left to die by other wolves. The only one who could touch me was my mate and I would protect my body until I found him.

With my heart now in my throat, I turned around and I found the answer to my prayer —an exquisite villa right in front of me.

Without thinking about what such a luxurious place was doing in the middle of nowhere, I dashed through the gates just as the heavy boots of the rogues filled the air.

Quickly, I crossed the courtyard and luckily, the front door was opened. I ran inside and hid behind a wall.

The sound of their boots was now the only thing my ears could pick up. I glued myself to the wall, calming my racing heart. If they followed me in here, I had to make sure I stayed as quiet as possible.

The sound of the boots suddenly stopped and my brows raised as I feared what they could be doing. I slipped quietly to the window closest to me and I peeked through the curtains.

The five men that were after me, stood in front of the gates.

The frown on my face deepened as I wondered why they had stopped. I looked closely and I noticed that they had no intention of coming into the villa at all.

An uneasy feeling was sweet through me and a thousand questions danced through my head.

Didn't they see me? The gate was not locked, why were they stopping? Why didn't they come inside?

Suddenly one of the men —the bulky one I had guessed as their leader looked in my direction as if he had sensed me.

My heart dropped to my stomach as I was certain he had seen me.

Quickly, I ran further into the house, hoping to find someone who could help me. I wanted to call out for help, but I feared the rogues outside would hear me. The only way would be to hide and when they left, then I would find someone to help me get back to the village.

I took the large stairs in front of me and ran through the corridors. I pulled open the first room I could find and slipped in. This time, I locked the door behind me.

As soon as I had secured the door, a strange scent filled my nostrils and for the first time, my wolf jumped in my head. She didn't say anything but she pushed me in the direction of the scent.

It was a strong sandalwood scent that melted my bones and brought warmth to my stomach, all at once.

Tingles spread within me and I looked around the dark room, trying to figure out what it was because the more I inhaled this scent, the stronger my connection to my wolf —the more alive she felt.

Driven by my wolf, I started feeling around the dark room, moving closer to the source of the sweet alluring smell that teased my soul.

Suddenly, my heart touched something warm. My brows furrowed and rather than move away, I felt around the object further until I realized what I was touching was actually a person!

I yelped in fear, trying to get away but the person grabbed my hand and returned them where they had been —on their body.

"Hmm, that feels so good..." A deep baritone voice moaned and my wolf grew even more agitated despite the dire situation before us.

I tried to move away once again, but his strong arms suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into what felt like a bed.

"Let me go!" I struggled, trying to get out of the man's hold but I was not strong enough. He pinned me down and started sniffing around my body.

"Hmmm... Where have you been all along?" He said in that same voice of his.

I wanted to scream for help. I wanted to run but I found my body doing the opposite of what my brain commanded it to do.

My body was melting into this man and as I stopped struggling, I realized that the smell I had been drawn to was coming from him.

The sweet sandalwood scent was him.

Then suddenly, a growl filled the room but it wasn't coming from just the man. For the first time, my wolf had also spoken.

"Mate!" She growled.