Chapter 6

Damon 

It was my daily routine to check the area around my place. I didn't have my pack members around here to patrol around the cottage so it was one of my habits to run through the woods in my wolf form.

Today I decided to do a little hunting but all of a sudden my step halted as I came to a screeching stop when an intoxicating scent reached my nostrils.

My wolf Hawk became restless all of a sudden urging me to follow this sweet floral scent. It was so strong and potent. So fucking delicious and alluring. I've never smelled such a bewitching scent before and now as I tracked the scent I couldn't help but think to whom this exquisite scent belonged.

I walked through the bushes and came to a dead stop when I saw a small girl on the floor. It was evident that she was badly beaten and bruised.

Her ocean-blue eyes met mine and for a second I stopped breathing as a surge of current ran down my spine.

"MATE!" Hawk growled inside my head like a crazed beast. He was in charge at the moment. I was in my wolf form in front of my mate who was a human.

I stepped forward but she whimpered, scooting back. She looked petrified looking at us and Hawk paused. I could feel him trying to control. We both didn't want to scare our mate.

Not a second later her head lolled to the side and she went unconscious. I moved towards her and stopped right beside her.

I shifted back to my human form as I moved forward. My fingers gently caressed her swollen cheek and a zap of current ran down my spine. 

Sparks!

She is my mate but someone has hurt her, that person has beaten her badly. She was on a run, it was clear as day.

Moving away from her I walked into the woods and a minute later I came back wearing my shorts while breathing heavily.

I crouched down and picked up her fragile body in my arms in a bridal style. She weighs like a baby. She was so thin as if malnourished. My blood boiled in fury and my heart ached for my mate.

I walked fast back into my cottage. I took her straight to my room. Placing her down on my bed, I checked her foot, she has sprained her ankle pretty badly.

As I live alone I'm pretty much aware of the basic first aid necessities. I treated her foot and then I cleaned the blood from her forehead and treated her wound.

Hawk was a growling beast inside me. He was angry to find their mate all beaten and bruised. "She's so small," Hawk said and I couldn't help but nod. 

"She looks so young," Hawk muttered as I cleaned her wounds.

Cautiously I pulled her shirt up to check if she had any bleeding there but my stomach twisted at the sight. She has dark blue and purple bruises, they were fresh as if given just a few hours ago. My hands clenched into fists as Hawk growled inside me in rage. All I saw was red. I wanted to bathe in the blood of those bastards who dared to lay their hands on my precious Angel.

"I want to kill the bastard who hurt our mate." Hawk gritted, pacing in my head not being able to look at her like this.

"I want the same," I affirmed as I covered her stomach.

She was in pain as she winced in her sleep in the slightest of movement.

Covering her body with sheets, I walked out of my room and into my study. 

I was angry. Way too much anger. And next thing I toppled the couch over and growled maddeningly as my claws were extending out and my eyes were changing to golden.

I never thought that I would find my mate. In all these years I thought the moon Goddess didn't create a mate for me. Because I did everything in my will to search for my mate but never in a million years did I think my mate would come running in to me, and on top, I never thought my mate would be a human.

A shudder ran down my spine even at the thought of her being killed. She was running for her life and the moon Goddess wanted me to meet her in this way. 

Opening my laptop I thought to do a background check on her so I could get to know something about the one who hurt her but I didn't even know her name.

I paced my study. My body was restless so I went back into my room and sat on the couch as I watched her. Just her scent that wafted through my room brought peace and serenity to me.

"We will protect our mate," Hawk said and I agreed to him completely. “I will bring the whole damn world on her feet,” I muttered feeling pain in my heart to see my mate in this condition. If only I could found her earlier, I could’ve saved her.

Now that I have found her, I would make sure that no harm would come to her. I will protect her with my life.

I left the room when I realized she was about to wake up. I went to the kitchen to get something for her to eat because I knew she would get scared. When I got back she squealed and stared at me with those big doe eyes of hers. She looked at me keenly, I was expecting her to be afraid but no she was all calm. But when I told her how I found her she became cautious and a wall appeared over her as she hid back in her shell.

She told me her name. Riley. Her name was sweet just like her. I noticed how she ate such a small amount. The thought that someone might have kept her starved made my inside boil in fury. 

I left her alone. I know she needed some alone time. I didn’t know which trauma she had faced and she was human, completely unaware of the existence of werewolves, I can’t just tell her what I am. I need to handle the whole situation carefully.

I stayed awake all night trying to find something on Riley from the name towns and cities but I just couldn't find anything.

She was sleeping soundly when I placed clothes for her on the couch and left, not before stealing a glance at her. I came back to get her out of the room but she was in the restroom.

I turned around when she came out and my eyes like a magnet lowered down to her smooth bare legs. "Smooth," Hawk grumbled and I put him at the back of my head.

I asked her if I could carry her but no she wanted to try on her own so when she winced twice, I couldn't help it. I picked her up, going rigid for a second feeling sparks where my arm touched her thighs and her small delicate hands around my neck, her floral scent. I clenched my jaw in control and helped her sit on the stool. She looked so alluring in my shirt. So small yet so beautiful.

I again tried to get her to tell me who hurt her but she looked scared and changed the subject so I didn't push her further.

She was surprised to see me cooking. The little girl was going to get a lot of surprises from now on. I sat in front of her and watched as she looked at pancakes like they were diamonds. My stomach twisted by looking at that look on her face. She looked so thankful for the food. My gaze was making her a lot nervous and she wasn't eating properly so I just took out my phone and was scrolling through the news on the website when something got my attention.

I walked into the hall, my strides fast as I turned on the LED and there the news was showing.

"College student Riley Miller on a run after murdering her classmate.." The news anchor said.