Chapter Two: Mate..?

ALINA

They called me a rogue. 

It didn’t matter how many times I told myself I wasn’t one—here, in this place, no one cared. I had no wolf, and that was enough for them to label me a rogue and capture me.

I had been dragged in with a group of others, all wolfless. The moment we arrived, they split us up—some to hard labour, others to… worse. It didn’t take long to figure out how things worked here. You had no wolf, you had no voice.

The thought made my stomach twist, but I wouldn’t stay trapped. I couldn’t. 

Two nights passed in restless silence. I didn’t sleep much, always half-alert, always watching, and always thinking about Malia, wondering if she was being fed at least or being made to starve. That made me grow cold with worry and guilt each time. 

I studied the guards, memorized their routines, the way they switched shifts, how they moved through the camp. My mind raced with plans, most of them falling apart as soon as I thought them through. But I kept going, kept watching, waiting for the right moment.

By the third night, I was ready. I didn’t have much of a plan—just an idea of which way to run, which corners to avoid, and how fast I could move without drawing attention.

The camp was quieter than usual. The guards seemed less vigilant, and that gave me hope. Maybe they didn’t expect anyone to try and run after what happened to the last one. I had heard the whispers—one of the rogues had tried to flee, but they’d caught him. The poor soul had turned feral when they dragged him back, his dormant wolf taking over in the face of such despair. They’d killed him on the spot.

But I wasn’t worried about that, since I never had a wolf to begin with. 

I moved quickly, ducking between tents and shadows, my heart in my throat. My legs felt like they were made of lead, every step taking more effort than the last. But I couldn’t stop. I was close—so close.

Just as I reached the edge of the camp, freedom almost within reach, I froze. A figure stepped into my path, casual but unmistakable. He wasn’t dressed like a guard, but I knew better than to relax. My breath caught in my throat, and I fought the urge to run.

He didn’t say anything at first, just stood there, watching me. My pulse raced as I prepared to plead with him, to beg him not to alert anyone. But before I could open my mouth, I felt something weird going on in my chest. It was tingling. 

Fate. The pull snapped into place, undeniable and overwhelming. He was my mate. I saw the instant recognition in his eyes too—the way his expression changed, his body tensing as if he couldn’t believe it either.

“No…” I whispered, more to myself than to him. This couldn’t be happening. Not here. Not now.

He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. “You’re my mate,” he said, his voice low, filled with disbelief.

I wanted to deny it. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that this was some terrible mistake. But I couldn’t. The bond was there, pulling at me, wrapping itself around us like a chain.

“I was just…” My voice trailed off, the words dying on my tongue. What could I say? That I was running for my life? That I didn’t belong here, trapped as a rogue?

He took another step, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re trying to escape.”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. “Please,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Don’t turn me in.”

For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, couldn’t predict what he would do. The bond between us was new, raw, but it was there. And I didn’t know if that would save me or damn me.

“I should,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “I should call the guards right now.”

My stomach twisted, dread washing over me. I took a step back, shaking my head. “Please…”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as if trying to make sense of the situation. “I can’t just let you go.”

“I’m not a rogue,” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them. “I’m not like them. I don’t belong here.”

His eyes flicked over me, doubt clouding his gaze. “You don’t have a wolf. That makes you a rogue.”

“I’m not,” I insisted, desperation creeping into my voice. “I was captured. I’m not supposed to be here.”

I tried pulling my hand from his grasp over and over again, eyes darting around nervously. 

“Please let me go, I beg of you!” I cried out, fruitlessly pulling on my arm again.

“Why should I do that? So you can scale the fence?” He questioned, his eyes narrowed and I stiffened.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but there was no malice, just confusion. He didn’t respond right away, and he still didn’t let go of my arm. The silence between us made my pulse race in fear.

“I, I mean…” I began, my throat tight but he smoothly cut me off. 

“I’m not letting you do that.”

As his response echoed within me, my first thought was to scream from frustration, but I controlled myself and forced myself to remain calm. I needed to get him to understand my predicament, and also not attract any kind of attention.

“Please, Mr stranger, just let me go and I’ll forever be indebted to you.” I pleaded desperately, eyes darting around again. If he wasn’t holding me right now, I’d have successfully escaped from this wretched place!

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” He responded easily after a few moments and I took my time to peer at his face, trying to understand why he wasn’t letting me go– or hurriedly rejecting me as well, like my past mates had done in the past.

“Is this because you want to reject me first? Fine, you can reject me quickly so I can escape.” I tried again and this time, he rolled his eyes and then he stepped closer to me, making my heartbeat start to accelerate.

“I don’t plan on rejecting you either.” He informed me as his eyes slowly dragged over my face and I was too stunned to speak.

My mind reeled as I tried to understand. He wasn’t rejecting me? No one had ever said those words to me before. Everyone I’ve met, everyone I had been matched with by the moon goddess, rejected me the moment they realized I didn’t have a wolf. And yet, here he was, telling me he wouldn’t.

I could barely manage to speak. “I… I don’t understand.”

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze searching my eyes like he was searching for something. I expected him to laugh, to say this was a joke. But the longer he stood there, the more real it became.

“I’m going to accept you,” he finally said, his voice low.

Shock rolled through me, and I shook my head, taking a step back. “That doesn’t make any sense. You’re going to accept me? Me? Why? I don’t even have a wolf.”

“I don’t care,” he replied, his voice firm. “You’re my mate. I won’t reject you.”

Before I could respond, I heard footsteps—guards, approaching fast. Panic shot through me. They’d see me, a rogue, wandering where I didn’t belong. I’d be dragged back, maybe worse because I could get killed for attempting to escape. Without thinking, I inched closer to him, desperation rising in my chest.

“Please,” I whispered urgently, my second hand brushing against his. “Help me. They’ll need an explanation, or they’ll take me away.”

He didn’t pull away from me, his expression unreadable. But when the guards arrived, something strange happened.

The moment they spotted him, they stopped dead in their tracks, their expressions shifting from suspicion to respect. They bowed low, their voices filled with respect.

“Your highness,” one of them said. Prince Damien!”

My mind instantly went blank. Your highness? Prince Damien? I blinked rapidly, staring up at the man who had just told me he wouldn’t reject me. He was the popular prince Damien?!!

Prince Damien– nicknamed The golden prince of all princes, was so popular, his reputation preceded him far and wide. It was said that he was the youngest person ever to defeat a crowned king in history, when he accompanied his father to a war, two years ago. At such a young age, he had achieved feats so many crowned kings hadn't been able to. 

The guards’ eyes flicked to me, suspicion in their gazes. “What’s she doing here?” one of them asked, glancing nervously between me and this prince Damien. “We apologize if her presence has caused you any trouble, your highness.”

I could feel the tension rising. They were moments away from dragging me off, and everything inside me screamed to run, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. The prince was still standing beside me, his calm presence unnerving.

Before the guards could step forward, he held up a hand, stopping them. “I’ve got her,” he said, his voice cool and commanding. “There’s no need for concern.”

The guards exchanged confused glances but didn’t question him further. With another bow, they stepped back, retreating into the night. My breath came out in a shaky exhale, relief flooding me for a brief moment.

But that moment vanished as soon as I tried to step away.

Before I could take more than a single step, the prince’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping firmly around my wrist. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I froze, staring down at where his hand held me. “I… I thought—”

“You’re not running off again,” he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. His grip tightened slightly, not painfully, but enough to remind me that he was in control of the situation. “You’re coming with me.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I fought to keep my voice steady. “What? You can’t just take me. And you’re yet to drop my arm.”

“I’m your mate,” he replied simply, and then the side of his lips twitched in amusement. “And I’m a prince. I can do whatever I want. Besides, I want to discuss further with you, that’s why. If you don’t willingly come with me, I might have to give you up to the guards as a rogue attempting to flee.”

The way he said it, so matter-of-factly, so absolute, made me realise I wasn’t in a position to argue. 

Still, I couldn’t just give in. “But I seriously need to leave, I beg of you.”

His eyes softened just a bit, though his grip on my wrist didn’t loosen. “You don’t have a choice.”

I swallowed hard, realizing how trapped I was. But I didn’t want to be, I needed to return back home as fast as I could, because of Malia.

I bristled before I could stop myself. “Why the hell not? Why not just let me go? You don’t even know me!”

For a moment, he didn’t answer. His gaze flicked over me, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, more thoughtful. “Because you’re mine.”

Those words settled deep in my chest, making it harder to breathe.