CHAPTER 5: The Familiar Scent

**ALEXANDER'S POV**

I did everything I could to remove my mind from Natasha, but it seems I was wasting my time as my heart keeps beating for her. The more I try to forget about her, the more I find myself longing to be with her.

"Who are you, Natasha??" I screamed, talking to myself. "I'm really going insane and I need to do something about it before it's too late."

Everything about her keeps calling me. All I want is for her to exist, nothing else. I've never experienced this kind of pull in my life. I guess this is the strongest pull one could experience. In just a few hours of knowing her, my body has really changed. I feel like I'm being haunted because her love is hunting me like a ghost.

I looked up at the moon and felt both sad and happy at the same time, unable to determine my mood.

"Moon Goddess, please help me make the right decision," I silently prayed, raising my eyes above the sky.

Once again, I looked at the healing center and felt another pull to go back there. I wanted to follow my instinct and run to the center, but I held myself back. I also knew that Jorge must be doing his work inside. I wondered what she might have told him. I knew she was running from trouble, but what I really don't understand is why she is hiding it from me. I feel like I need to protect her and proclaim war against the pack that caused the scars on her body.

"What is wrong with me? Why am I thinking about her? Why do I want to protect her? What if she becomes a problem to my kingdom and, even worse, a problem to my leadership?"

I was going to marry Cynthia, the daughter of Lord Cyrus, within a few months. Lord Cyrus would be angry if he found out that I broke her daughter's heart just because of an ordinary lone wolf. He might even plan the death of Natasha. Cynthia, on the other hand, is very beautiful. She has brown skin, black eyes, and is tall. She is from a wealthy and royal home. She is everything a vampire like myself would wish for, but she is not the desire of my heart.

Natasha has nothing. No land, no status, no family, and worst of all, she is a wolf. Yet my vampire desires her so much. My love for her keeps growing every second.

Usually, my vampire and I are always on the same page when it comes to emotions and decisions. But now, we are on different pages. My vampire wants to go for Natasha, while I wanted to go for Cynthia. I tried to convince the vampire in me that Natasha doesn't matter, but it wouldn't understand.

"She is your mate. You can delay the pull all you want, but you are only delaying the inevitable," my internal voice tried to tell me the truth I wanted to ignore.

"She can't be my mate because I don't need a mate," I said to myself.

I felt that if I repeated these words enough times, I would soon start believing that she is my mate. I don't want to believe it because of the future of my kingdom, which might turn into ashes if I do.

"Screw it," I said as I walked away from my window and headed downstairs.

It was already very early in the morning, so everybody was still sleeping. I walked through the halls quietly because I didn't want to wake anyone up.

I needed to let my vampire out so he could enjoy some fresh air, which would do him some good and calm my racing mind.

"Good morning, Lord," a guard on patrol around the house greeted me. I nodded but didn't stop. I kept walking until I passed the houses around and went behind the trees.

I turned into a vampire. I do this often, so it is one of the easiest things for me to do. I can shift from human to vampire in just a few seconds, which many vampires would find hard to do, even some vampire lords.

I ran through the forest just for exercise, but then I caught a familiar smell - Natasha's. I knew she was still in the healing center and there was no way she could get out. I had the building surrounded by guards.

I followed her intoxicating scent. Images of her filled my mind as the scent grew stronger. I ran fast to track down the location of the smell through sniffing. I ran and ran.

The closer I got to the smell, the further I went from familiar territory. I reached a spot and lifted my nose, sniffing to make sure I got the right smell. Yep, it was still her.

I sniffed around for a few seconds and then found what I was looking for - some of her blood dropped on the ground. Yes, this was where David told me they found her. After some observation, I found out that the scent was not strongest on my territory but rather on the territory belonging to the Black Vampires. This is the same territory that belongs to the woman I was supposed to marry in a few months. They are called the Black Vampires because of their skin colors - dark or brown skin with black hair.

Natasha had come through their lands?

Lord Cyrus won't be pleased. He's a pompous man who once boasted about having the most impenetrable territory of all the vampire kingdoms. If he found out that his territory has been breached, and by a lone wolf no less, his anger would be unleashed on everyone around him, including Natasha. So, this is one of the secrets I would love to keep.

David had earlier told me that Natasha was seen running from the east. I looked at the east, which is a no man's land. It has not been claimed by any vampire group, so wolves and vampire rogues move freely there.

I hate to think of Natasha as a rogue, but that's exactly what she is. In this world, rogues are not perceived in a good way. They are often members who failed to follow the rules and were exiled. Many are also traitors, murderers, and even thieves. But I couldn't imagine Natasha being one of them.

Rogues were killed on sight if they stepped into vampire territory. It was a rule that any rogue caught in vampire territory should be killed or returned to their lord or alpha. At this moment, I worry about what if Natasha has told Jorge about the pack she is from and what if I am forced to make a decision against her.

"You can't continue to deny what you already know to be true," my internal voice reprimanded me.

My vampire has been telling me the same thing, but I wasn't listening to it. I can't deny it any longer. Natasha is obviously my mate, and nothing will change that. But I just have to accept her, even though I have already become engaged to Cynthia. Turning her down might cause a war in my territory. So, I have to suppress the feelings I have for Natasha, although my Vampire won't like it.

I turned my back to leave when suddenly something caught my eyes. There were wolves on the line of the Black Vampire territory. Just like Natasha, they were white wolves, although some of them were black. I waited for them to cross over to my territory so that I could attack them, but they didn't. Instead, they stood there.

"Are these the wolves that are attacking Natasha? Are they here in search of her? And what right do wolves have to come into the vampire territory?"

I roared in anger, letting them understand my threat. Immediately, they heard my angry roar, they ran back into the forest, scared. Although they have left, I have a feeling that they won't be gone for long, and they will be back.

"Lord Cyrus, you idiot," I reprimanded my future father-in-law. "Not only has Natasha crossed your territory, but these wolves were wandering around on your border and your men did absolutely nothing. If this is the territory I will inherit soon, then some things have to change."

I then ran back to my compound. I had been awake all through the night, my mind filled with Natasha's image. Never before in my life have I been so conflicted. I want Natasha, but I know I can't have her.