4: FOUND BY AN ENEMY

The maid’s scream drew the king’s attention. A second later, he flung the room’s door open, exuding the commanding presence of a mighty alpha. Yet, he appeared undisturbed by Kaliyah’s proximity to the edge, showing no concern that she might fall or jump. Instead, those gray eyes looked at her with the coldest stare, making her feel like she was doing something stupid again.

You’re nothing but a pretty face. His words echoed inside her head.

Haunted by the thought of him making love to another woman while she was in the room next door, she reached a firm decision. She closed her eyes and took the leap, jumping from the balcony. From the third floor of the palace, she fell with nothing embracing her but the freezing wind.

But upon landing, she found herself unharmed, resting on the soft fur of a brown werewolf. This creature was one of the secret guards who had protected her for decades. She knew they’d save her. Fenris, too, had been aware of this certainty.     

She rose to her feet, and the wolf mirrored her actions, standing tall beside her. Extending her hand, she gently caressed the creature’s furry cheeks. “Thank you for protecting me all these years,” she whispered tenderly. With her soothing words, the guard’s attention wavered momentarily. Kaliyah seized the chance to swiftly incapacitate him, employing the same technique she had utilized on her opponents during the test.     

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to the wolf as he fell to the ground.

Then she looked up at the balcony and gazed into the eyes of her once beloved mate, whom she now hated. A precious tear, a pearl of emotion, cascaded down her cheek. With Allison by his side, her agony only intensified. The sight of them together was too much to bear.

She had waited for him for years, thinking their mate bond would be enough, believing she would have a family who would love and protect her. But she had been wrong all along. She had been a fool to believe that lie.

In the freezing night, she sprinted toward the dense forest, burdened by wounds, pain, and betrayal. No one tried to pursue her or bring her back. That abandonment inflicted even more profound anguish than witnessing her mate’s infidelity. She had no one but herself. She was truly all alone.

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“What a fool.” Fenris gritted his teeth as he watched Kaliyah race toward the forest at the back of the palace. White shone on his knuckles as he clenched at the railings of the balcony.

With a triumphant grin, Allison left him at the balcony while his beta, Derian joined him.

“Make sure to bring her back after she calms down,” Fenris said. “She’s poisoned.”

Derian nodded, then sighed as he watched the small figure running away. “Her secret guards are already following her closely, Your Majesty. But may I ask a question… as a friend and your beta?”   

Fenris turned toward him, his gray eyes sharp. “Go ahead.”

“You’re showing her you don’t want her as your mate. But yet you still keep her close? She’s hurting so much already, Fenris.”

Groaning, Fenris clenched his jaw and squeezed Derian’s shoulder hard, almost as though he might break some bones. He leaned toward Derian’s ear and spoke with his voice deep and cold. “Because she’s still my Luna. She’s mine.”

He set him free and turned to leave. However, as he strode away, Derian said, “Fenris, that was unjust to her!” enraging the Alpha King even more.

Nonetheless, the king remained unyielding, clenching his teeth in his fury.

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Kaliyah recalled a technique she had read in a book about employing a special type of grass called lover’s poison to throw off pursuers. So when she spotted some, she quickly rubbed it all over herself to mislead the guards. A few minutes later, the guards could no longer follow her scent. From there, she traveled for hours.

But as she ventured into the depths of the dark, lonely forest, she felt lost. Then tales of dreadful creatures lurking in the forest's depth surfaced in her mind. Additionally, because the forest marked the boundary between two kingdoms, she had to avoid treacherous snares capable of killing anyone.

Eventually, she grew wary, and her loss of strength made her realize she couldn’t even defeat a single enemy if one attacked her. Not to mention her countless wounds screamed in pain. However, she continued wandering, ignoring the pain, the fear, and the strange noises surrounding her.

But then her dress got caught up in some thorn weeds and ripped. The cold kissed the bare skin of her legs. She looked up but saw nothing other than the canopy of enormous, tall trees hiding the moon from her view.

Still, she spoke to its goddess. “Moon Goddess and Goddess of Mates, everyone claimed you were the force that unites mates. Yet, I don’t understand. Why would you make him my mate when he doesn’t want a weak Luna like me? You knew it, didn’t you? You knew it! Then why make him my mate and hurt me like this? Why are you so cruel?”

Kaliyah resumed walking, but struggled to maintain her balance as she traversed the damp and murky ground of the forest. Amidst the vast expanse of ancient trees, her sorrowful cries filled the air, echoing pain, torment, and profound sadness. The intensity of her anguish was such that even the lurking monsters in the shadows seemed to feel a twinge of sympathy. However, Kaliyah knew that her mate would never do the same, for he was bound not to love her.

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“Your Highness! Please stop!” Beta Terry said to Alpha Ruan. “You’re entering Eldon Kingdom’s territory!” Terry grumbled in frustration as his alpha made yet another attempt to violate a rule, this time an attempt to cross into their rival kingdom’s territory. “Your Highness!” Terry shouted, though he felt his loyalty waver with the alpha’s reckless behavior. Yet he still obediently followed. “Your Highness! Your High—Ruan Dark!”

The black werewolf alpha halted, lending an ear to his beta’s scolding. They stood just one step away from the territory of the Eldon Kingdom. Alpha Ruan turned his head, surveying his beta, gamma, and the other men who had transformed into wolves. Exhausted, they all panted heavily, their eyes reflecting a mixture of fear and unease, unsure of what action he might take next. His unpredictable nature posed a constant threat, one that could cause the end of their lives at any moment. Yet, he was having fun in the situation.      

“Terry,” Ruan spoke through their mind link, making no effort to conceal the dangerous mischievousness in his voice. “You’re my beta, so you’ll follow me wherever I go, yes?”

“What are you trying to do, Ruan?” Terry asked, with great trepidation and blatant concern.

A prolonged silence ensued as they stared at one another. Their companions grew increasingly anxious, anticipating the impending calamity their alpha would cause this time.

Terry and Ruan calculated each other’s minds as they gazed at one another. A few seconds later, an evil grin formed on Ruan’s lips, and his beta already knew his plans.

With that grin, Ruan turned and jumped without hesitation. Though disappointed, his men could only express their frustration through howls as he ventured across the border into the territory of the rival kingdom.

“Don’t wait for me,” he commanded, his voice holding the full authority of his position. “Proceed to the palace immediately. I shall return before the night concludes.”

Even Terry, who was about to chase after him, had to stop before he jumped across the border. He, along with the others, watched helplessly as their alpha disappeared behind the shadows of hundreds of trees. Though it dismayed Terry that Alpha had broken another rule, he was sure he did it for a reason, a reason only his alpha knew.

“You know he does things differently,” Terry said as he glanced at Gray, the pack’s dark brown gamma werewolf who stood beside him, the only other wolf who possessed a deep understanding of their alpha. His ash eyes glimmered under the moonlight rays. “I’m sure he has a reason for going there,” Terry said.

Gray nodded in agreement, and they led the rest of the pack back to the palace as their alpha had commanded.

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Ruan had caught a subtle, pleasant fragrance wafting through the air. Though faint, it was so addictive that his wolf growled inside him. Minutes after catching the scent, he reverted to his human form. Despite that, he found himself behaving like a dog, diligently sniffing out the origin of the fragrance, much to his displeasure.

The forest was dense and cold. However, his body was hotter than usual because of that scent. Though he couldn’t comprehend why, it evoked a peculiar sensation within him. The inexplicable feeling compelled him to trace its origin. Then he stopped, directing his gaze toward the ground, where a woman lay.

Asleep or lifeless?

Judging by her condition, it seemed probable she was approaching the end of her life. Her body, covered in untreated wounds and bruises, trembled in the cold. Despite that, though, her skin glowed underneath her transparent wet dress, and she had the most alluring face Ruan had ever seen.

He clenched his jaw as he bent, scooping her into his arms without effort. With her body close and their skin touching, her sweet, addictive scent was even better than before. He was certain it could steal anyone’s attention.

Ruan drew loose strands of hair back from her face and stared at her intently, carefully memorizing every feature. “I can’t believe I risk my life for this little girl.”

Then he grinned mischievously as he stared at her luscious lips. Overwhelmed by her scent, he leaned forward and inhaled. As he breathed her in, his grin grew wider. “Marked, yet still untouched. What an interesting girl.”

Sensing a group of werewolves rushing in their direction, his eyes shifted toward the dense forest to the east. “Don’t be naughty. I found her first. So she’s mine.”

With a tight grip on her, Ruan fled.