Chapter three:

Slowly, Karen unfurls her eyes to a new environment, a room painted lemon and brown. The room was diminutive compared to any room at her pack house because Crystal Moon was considered the largest pack in Maple Town with vast territories.

She arched to her left to get a good view of where she was and could see a white leather couch beside the bed where she lay by the bedside was a lamp

As she sat upright, her eyes drifted to the door by the right which she could guess was the bathroom.

The previous event before she passed out slowly flooded her mind, the thought of Cullen wrapped around Lilly or how everyone at the park would be searching for her.

Just then, the front door clicked open, and he snarled and charged forth towards whoever it was.

Serena seeing an aggressive Karen charging towards her for no reason at all immediately blocked her attack with her claws.

Karen drew backward, her protective instinct Charging out on whoever it was. Serena, seeing how feisty Karen was, quickly sped out of the door, shutting it behind her.

She could not fathom where she was or what they were ready to do to her, but she growled ready for whatever came through that door.

After a few minutes, the door clicked open and as she charged forward towards whoever was coming in, a male voice roared so loud that his voice echoed through the room.

His eyes turned Silver, his gaze dark and intense as it sent a shiver down her spine.

Slowly, she drifted backward and shrieked to a corner, he was not her Alpha, but Karen felt strange seeing that his voice had the same authority on her as that of her alpha.

“ How dare you be so violent to the same people who saved your life”. He roared at her and she was now able to recall the face that had shredded those hunters back in the woods.

“ What? ”.

“ You were attacked by the hunters, do you remember? ”. His gaze pinned her, slowly she could recall those brown eyes and the effect they had on me.

“ Yes… You murdered those hunters”.

“ Yes, you were badly injured with wolfsbane, our Nurse here was able to treat your wounds, We are not the enemy, so calm down”.

Karen knew he could hear her heartbeat calm as his eyes rested on her, The nurse and another man stood there.

He was also taller than usual and had a broad and chiseled chest, his eyes dark while piercing at her

“ How are you feeling? ”. She nodded in response, still trying to adapt to their violent gaze on her.

“ I am Alpha Ryder, this is Beta Kai, what pack are you from? ”.

“ Bay moon pack, I will be married to their Alpha soon”.

Their eyes drifted to her dress, Karen had almost forgotten that she still had her engagement dress on when she flew off.

“ I am Serena, what is your name? ”.

“ I am Karen, Thank you for your help, Serena”.

“It's my job, why were you in the woods dressed like this? ”.

“ I was at a party at Crystal Moon Moon I decided to come to get some air, and that was when I was attacked”.

“ You can freshen up, some neat clothes will be sent over to you while Carmel prepares something for you to eat”. Alpha Ryder expressed coldly while avoiding her gaze.

She nodded her head in response and they slowly departed from the room.

“ Seems like she is getting married to someone else. What're you going to do about it? ”. Kai asked as soon as they were outside the room.

“ I guess that is my fate, to live without a mate for the rest of my life”.

“ You do understand that she won't proceed with the wedding if she realizes that you are her mate? ”.

“ If she is getting married, then that can only mean she loves him and I won't stop her from getting happiness wherever she can find it”.

Kai pats his shoulder as a form of consolation, but he groans, his eyes dark as usual.

“ Kai! Regarding the attack tomorrow, we wait and see what happens, Send some men to go scout out the territory and figure out if there is anything unusual that goes on there”.

“ Yes Alpha, I do believe that is a better plan”.

Once Karen had freshened up and had a change of clothes, she was directed to the dining room by Serena where Ryder sat waiting for her.

“ Have a seat”. He ordered, although his voice calm, it still begged authority, Karen complied, taking the seat opposite his. A plate of steak and mashed potatoes was presented before her.

“ If it is not to your taste, I can ask the kitchen to make you something else”.

“ No, it's fine”. She replied calmly, both their eyes and heart hearts together.

Karen could feel her tingling sensation in her heart, so drawn to this stranger and yet she could not fathom why.

“ So you are the Alpha here? ”. He nodded in reply, his eyes still pinned to her.

“ Thanks for saving me, I was careless tonight, but believe me, I am not usually like that”.

“ You are pretty”. He let the word slip out of his mouth out of the blue and she almost choked while coughing out loud.

“ I am sorry, have some water, Did I startle you? ”.

“ Yes you did, you do not just say that to a woman and can you stop flirting with me, I told you that I am engaged”.

“ Yes you did, but is he your mate? ”.

“ He is, I have been told all my life that he is my mate and what the mate bonds feel like”.

“ So you have no wolf yet? ”.

“ I will, when I am eighteen”.

“ And he is your mate because you are told so? ”.

“ Because he has met his wolf and can identify the mate, I might not have felt what the mate bond is, but I know what it is like”.

A chuckle immediately slipped out of his mouth.

“ What is funny? ”.

“ You think that you can understand the mate bond just because you were told what it should feel like, it might be slapping you in your heart now and you still won't recognize it”.

“ What is all this talk about mate bond like you have known me”.

“ That is what it feels like to have known you all my life”. His hand slowly trails to hers and creates it, her heart almost startled at the sensation she feels.