0001: I Died For Love

LAYLA

"Get her! " I heard as an arrow whizzed passed my left check drawing out blood.

Branches slapped against my face as I sprinted through the forest, lungs burning with each breath. The footsteps behind me were getting closer. Whoever they were , they weren't stopping and neither would I.

The wind howled through the trees, but I could still hear them.Heavy, relentless footsteps , closing in on me.

I had to keep running. I had to get to him.

My mate . My Alpha. Drake

He was the only one who could help me, the only one who would protect me. I stumbled over a fallen log , nearly crashing to the ground, but my legs kept moving, powdered by adrenaline .

My wolf growled in frustration , begging to shift but I couldn't.

Not now ,not when I was so close.

The Packhouse was just ahead, beyond the clearing. If I could make it there ,I had be safe. I knew that Drake would be there . He had to be.

I burst through the treeline panting hard . Relief surged through me at the sight of the Pack's lights glowing in the distance. But something was wrong . The usual guards weren't at the border. Instead, there was laughter....music ?

I froze for half a second, confusion and fear colliding in my mind. What's happening?

The footsteps behind me snapped me back to reality. No time to think. I bolted across the clearing,my heart hammering. Whatever celebration was going on, it didn't matter. I needed Drake. He would stop whoever was chasing me.

I could barely hear my own thoughts over the pounding of my heart as I pushed past the edge of the trees and into the Pack's territory.

The lights were brighter now, the music louder. Voices floated through the air —cheerful, carefree voices that didn't fit in with the terror gripping my soul.

I stumbled into the Pack's courtyard, gasping for air. A few pack members glanced my way ,their smiles faltering a bit when they saw the state I was in. But no one stopped, no one questioned me.

My head spun as I took in the scene before me.

It wasn't just any celebration. It was ...grand . Decorations hung from every corner, table lined with food and drinks.

The pack members, talking, laughing ,dancing oblivious of the danger I had just escaped.

My stomach twisted as dread clawed at me ? Why wasn't anyone on guard? Why was everyone acting like this was a festival ?

I pushed through the crowd , ignoring the curious stares , my eyes scanning for him. For my Drake.

I needed to find him. He had to say something to me. He had to help me.

Suddenly, a young man stepped in my way, concern flickering across his face. "Are you okay ? You look like —"

"I'm fine." I snapped, pushing him aside before he could finish. I didn't have time to explain. I didn't have time for anything except for Drake.

The further I went,the louder the laughter grew, the more uneasy I felt. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong.

I rounded the corner towards the main hall, my breath coming out in short, ragged bursts. The large doors were open ,light spilling out into the courtyard. My heart pounded in my ears as I stepped inside,the voices inside growing louder.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

It was a —

Gracious moon goddess,this just can't be happening.

I felt like I was in the wrong place.

It was a Mating ceremony.

No....it couldn't be.

I stood there frozen ,my body refusing to move as I took in the scene before me.

People were gathered in elegant dresses, sharp suits, their attention fixed on the stage at the front of the hall.

I stood there, frozen, my body refusing to move as I took in the scene before me. People were gathered in elegant dresses and sharp suits, their attention fixed on the stage at the front of the hall.

And there , standing beneath the arch of roses,was ... Drake.

My mate .My Alpha. The only man I had given my heart and virginity to.

But he wasn't alone.

Beside him, holding his hand and smiling up at him , like she was the center of his universe was her.

Sophia.

The woman he said he had no connection with.

The woman everyone saw as his Luna. Everyone except me.

I blinked ,my heart shattering into a thousand jagged pieces as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. My legs refused to move. My voice caught in my throat. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think . I couldn't feel anything.

All I could do was stand there and watch, as my mate, the man I had been running to for safety, stood with another woman, preparing to make her his Luna.

The ceremony had already started.

The truth hit me like a tidal wave, drowning me in it's cold , merciless reality.

Drake had chosen someone else.

I took a step back ,my mind reeling ,heart racing as the betrayal washed over me.

It was like I had been struck by lightning, every nerve in my body was on fire. How could he ? How could he do this?

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back.

No. I wouldn't cry. Not here. Not in front of them.

I turned to leave ,but my feet felt like lead. I couldn't move, couldn't escape the burning sensation of my world crumbling around me.

I had come here for help, for him and instead I had walked into the worst moment of my life.

"Drake," I whispered,though no one heard me.

But then, from the corner of my eye,I saw him move.

Drake turned slightly and for a brief agonizing second,our eyes met. His expression unreadable,his jaw tight. But he didn't say anything. He didn't stop the ceremony. He didn't come to me.

And that was when I knew .

It was over.

Everything I had believed, about mates , about destiny, about us was a lie.

My knees buckled,and the weight of betrayal was too much to bear.

"Why?" I whispered,my voice lost in the noise of the celebration.

But no one answered.

He looked at me. Drake .

His eyes fixed on me.

"Layla." He said a smirk on his lips. " What are you doing here?"