CHAPTER 3: WHO IS SHE

THREE YEARS AGO

I heard the sound of breaking glass from a distance and the shouts of people outside. It was chaos. I hurried inside to where my husband was sleeping before I left. What I saw almost made me faint. I saw my husband lying lifeless on the ground in a pool of his own blood. I cried and screamed in pain, but it didn't change the fact that my husband was already dead.

At first, I thought it was a dream, but after several attempts to help him, he remained lifeless. I knew this wasn't a dream.

Alpha Damien took over immediately and started selling the Omegas into slave trading. Other omegas were kept to serve him and help him with his evil plans.

He sent his evil Omegas to forcefully bring other little Omegas and kill their parents if they resisted. Then, he would sell these little Omegas into slave trade.

In our werewolf packs, the wealth was measured by the number of slaves one had, so slave trading became prevalent.

Parents were being killed and houses were being burnt down. I could hear the cries of the innocent without anyone to fight for them.

I stood there, confused and unsure of what to do, until my mom took me and hid me from the Alpha. However, this decision ended her life and I ended up running into the woods.

In the woods, I tried to mind link my mother, hoping that somehow she had managed to escape the pack village. "Mom?? Can you hear me??" I waited for an answer, but none came.

The mind link only worked within a certain distance, so I was most likely out of range. It was easier to believe that than to face the alternative answer.

Suddenly, everything went black and the only words I could remember were my mom's last words. Her voice echoed in my head.

*********

"Are you alright?" Lord Alexander's voice brought me back to reality.

I took a few shaky breaths, trying to center myself. I was okay. I wasn't back there, I was here. I was safe, at least for now.

I had been fighting this memory for years, but it kept coming back like a terrifying nightmare.

Then I noticed that Desmond and Lord Alexander were staring at me.

"What is your name?" Lord Alexander asked with authority.

"Um, I'm Natasha," I replied, stumbling over my words.

"Natasha," he tested my name on his own lips.

I would be lying if I said I didn't like the way my name sounded on his lips.

"Natasha, which pack are you from?" He asked me again.

Once again, I felt like telling him the truth, but I didn't trust him enough, so I decided to keep it a secret.

"I'm a lone wolf and I have been living in the woods," I lied. I wasn't good at lying, but I could tell that this lie was better than any other lie I had ever told. Judging from his expression, I could tell he didn't believe me.

"I don't believe you," he finally said it out loud.

"Are you ready to talk now peacefully, or shall I make you talk later by force?" He asked, expecting an answer. But I had already made up my mind to keep my identity a secret.

I ignored him and didn't say anything. He stood up and left the room.

My wolf longed for his presence as he left.

*************

***ALEXANDER'S POV**

I entered my office feeling frustrated. She lied to me - I knew she did. There was something strange about Natasha, and she was hiding something from me.

I walked over to my table and picked up one of my favorite novels to try and distract myself. I tried reading the first line five times, but my mind couldn't focus. All I could think about was a girl with blue eyes - Natasha. Her image kept appearing in my mind.

"Damn it," I cursed.

I stood up from my chair and walked to the large windows overlooking the kingdom. I could see the healing center in the distance, and there was a familiar pull urging me to go and see her. But I fought against it.

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. "What is going on with me? My vampire feels so restless inside me. He is pacing and on edge, but I can't understand why. There is no imminent danger, and I am physically fine, so why am I feeling restless?"

I couldn't understand the feeling as I was being drawn to Natasha.

"Maybe it's the mate pull," I said to myself, shaking my head at the impossibility.

How could a vampire have a mate pull for a low-ranked werewolf claiming to be a lone wolf?

What would my kingdom think of me? My ancestors have forbidden marriages like this, and I will not be the one to fall victim to it.

For over 350 years, I have been searching for a mate, but none have come. Even the ones my father brought to me were rejected because I didn't feel that special connection with them.

I would be lying if I said I hadn't searched for a mate and didn't understand why fate hasn't brought us together. As a vampire lord, I needed a queen to assist me in ruling.

That's where my parents come in. They decided to arrange a marriage for me. They helped me get engaged to Cynthia, the daughter of Lord Cyrus. I never wanted this marriage, but I had to do it if I wanted to keep the kingship in my lineage. Lord Cyrus is the leader of the neighboring kingdom, and marrying his daughter would not only make me rich but also the strongest lord in the vampire world. Marrying Cynthia would reunite the two kingdoms, and I would be the lord over both.

But now, I didn't know what was happening in my mind. Natasha had invaded my thoughts without even trying. I didn't even know her last name, but she was all I could think about.

"Who are you, Natasha? and why are you making me feel like this?"

I needed answers, and I needed them now. I still didn't understand why she hadn't told me the truth yet. I couldn't work with half-truths. There was one man I knew who could get the answers I needed from her.

"Jorge, I need you in my office," I called my second-in-command through the mind link.

Jorge had been my second since the day I became a lord. He was serious and dedicated to his work, always helping me rule the vampires peacefully. He might be stubborn at times, but he was obedient to me.

Unlike me, he had participated in several wars between wolves and vampires and had great hatred for the wolves. He was also one of the few vampires who could walk in the day, known as the Daywalkers. I was also a Daywalker, which was why I was a lord.

I poured myself a glass of wine and took a sip as I waited for Judge to arrive.

He knocked on the door, and I invited him in. He always addressed me as Lord Alexander and rarely used my first name.

"Are you aware of the wolf the patrol team caught trying to trespass into our territory?" I asked him.

"Yes, Lord," he nodded, showing that he knew.

"I need information about her. I believe she is hiding something from me, but I'm sure she is not a threat," I said.

"How can we be sure, Lord?" he questioned.

"I just know," I replied, taking another sip from my wine.

From the expression on his face, it was evident that Jorge appeared to be confused. Jorge does not believe in concepts such as love, companionship, or destiny. He considers all of these to be childish notions. Instead, he is devoted to his work, which revolves around seeking truth and dealing with factual information.

He was older than me, having lived for 600 years, and in all those years, he never believed in love or sought a mate.

"Jorge, there is something about her that I think might be good," I said, hoping to end his confusion.

"Something about her? But Lord, she is just a common rogue," he stated.

"Jorge, I don't see her as a common rogue. She..." I tried to speak, but he frowned.

"Lord, may I speak freely?" he asked.

"Yes, you may," I replied, taking another sip of my wine.

"If you believe she is hiding something from you, why not lock her up or even kill her?" he asked seriously.

I didn't know what to say.

"Lord, why is she in the hospital instead of a cell?" he added, knowing I didn't have an answer.

Those were all valid questions, but if it had been any other wolf, I would have fed her blood to the lower-ranked vampires, as she would not be worthy of my bite.

"I wish I had the answers myself," I muttered to myself, taking one more sip from my wine.

"Excuse me, Lord?"

"No, I was just speaking to myself," I cleared my throat. "Just do as I said, Jorge, and question her. Do whatever you need to do to get answers from her."

He clenched his jaw but didn't say anything else.

He turned to leave but paused with his hand on the doorknob.

"Lord?"

"Yes?"

"Consider yourself lucky. Your parents have chosen a suitable mate for you after you spent many years single."

I was shocked to hear him speak like that, as he had never shown any interest in love or mates before.

I observed as he left and closed the door behind him.

"Jorge, you truly have no idea how mistaken you are with the words you just uttered," I said, finally finishing my wine.