Chapter Five

I didn't know when I got crossed the borders into the BloodMoon pack. I had been so focused on the rabbit ahead of me that I totally lost track of my surroundings. Until I stepped on something and a loud wail filled the air.

They had appeared from nowhere, silent and fast and deadly, and had seized me as I began to struggle. 

I landed a kick to one's chin and another kick to another one's nether region. I almost sprang free from their hands but someone gave me a blow to my face and I went reeling.

Another blow, and I lost consciousness.

I had woken up in this cell, with this other girls. Some of them seemed to have been here for days, some of them weeks.

We all became alert as we heard footsteps and the girl beside me began to shake.

“T-They're coming to choose. They're coming to “-choose someone again.” She stammered.

The door cells opened and they appeared. The first man that entered was no doubt an important person. It was in his bearing and in his dressing.

He was huge, dressed in winter's furs. He had long than that was tied together at the nape of his neck and a long black beard. 

I placed who he was immiediately. He was Djurek, the great leader of the winter wolves who resided in the North.

He entered into the cell fully, stroking his beard thoughtfully, his eyes on my face.

“How do you do,” he asked me.

“None of your business.” I retorted. I was not in the mood to be toyed with.

He smiled, the corner of his eyes wrinkling. He ran his eyes all over me then he turned to the two men that had flanked me. They were part of the two that had captured me. “I want this one,” he said, pointing at me.

Bastard.

The two men bowed. “She'll be brought to your kingdom as soon as she's ready.”

Djurek left without another word.

I was done.

*****

ALPHA DANTE'S POV

As the cell doors were pulled open, I was faced with a teeming mass of girls all over.

At the sight of my warriors and I, they began wailing.

This was what these barbarians had done to them. It was taking all of my control not to burn the BloodMoon pack to the ground.

Daniel, my beta, came to me. “We've searched everywhere, Alpha. She's not here.”

We were on a search for my Gamma's sister. She had purportedly ran away with the son of the bastard that ran the BloodMoon pack, because she knew no one in her family was bless such union.

Foolish young lovers.

“The Alpha is under watch. What should we do with these girls?”

“Release them.” Then I shook my head. Where would they go to if they were released? Some of them had been here for years.

“They go with us to the pack,” I told Daniel. “We'll sort them out there.”

Daniel bowed. “Yes, Sir.”

The first girl that moved past me did not look like she was scared of what she had been through. Unlike the other girls, her eyes weren't wet or red, a sign that she hadn't been crying.

I watched as she moved towards the guards my men had 

captured, pulled her fist backwards and slammed it into each of their noses. I hear her say, “That's payment for punching me, you bastards.”

I raised an eyebrow. She turned and our eyes met. Hers were a very deep blue I hadn't seen anywhere in a long time. I quickly ran my eyes over her. It seemed she hadn't been here long. She still looked healthy, compared to the other girls.

“What's your name?” I heard Daniel ask her.

“My name is Aurelia.”

Daniel chuckled. “I like your spirit, Aurelia. Do you remember your pack?”

“Yes, I do.”

“When were you stolen?”

“I wasn't stolen. I crossed into their borders by mistake.”

Daniel frowned. “How?”

“I'm on Exile. I'm a rogue wolf.”

My head whipped up at that. A female rogue? How had she managed to survive this long? Why had she been exiled? I didn't have time to dwell so much on that thought as a scent engulfed me. It was so strong that I almost choked.

“Mate,”I said involuntarily. Before I could check myself, it 

came back again, “Mate.”

She turned to me in surprise, eyes wide and unbelieving. “What do you mean? What are you saying?”

“You're my mate.” I choked out.

“No,” she shook her head, moving back. “You're not my mate.” Her mate was Nicolas. Nicolas who was back at home. Nicolas who had rejected her.

I was still frozen, rooted in shock, when one of my men came running in. 

“We have another party of warriors coming in from the north. Conrad sighted them.”

That snapped me out of my shock, fast.

“Any inkling on who they are?”

“No,” answered my man, breathing hard.

“We destabilized them. How could they have called for backup?”

“It could be they had a backup of warriors away from home at the time of the attack.”

I stooped up from the process of replying when a huge man came into view, warriors behind him.

It was Djurek, the bastard and cruel leader of the northern wolves.

What was he doing here? 

He came in smiling, and I did all I could not to punch it off his face, but I tried not to let him get to me. He and I history that couldn't be washed away.

He was still smiling as he said, “I see you decided to free the girls as well,” he waved an hand. 

“What do you want, Djurek?” I asked. “You have no place here.”

“Neither do you, friend. Neither do you. Now, I couldn't care less about your attack and the freedom you've granted these girls, but you see this one, right here?” He pointed to Aurelia. “She's mine. Paid for her in cash.”

“She's not going anywhere with you.” I growled protectively, stepping in front of her. I would rather die than let Djurek have access to a woman I have a claim on. Not after what had happen last time. “If you want to get to her, you'll need to pass through me first.”

The smile stayed on Djurek's face as he slowly took of his furs. “With all pleasure.”