Chapter 0007

The events of last night were heavy on my mind and made me struggle with a lingering fear and vulnerability. Elliot’s behavior and his declaration still run through my mind. I stayed home today, surrounding myself with the familiar warmth of my house. I woke up in the morning with Adrian by my side. He stayed with me the whole night, making sure of my safety. A warm sensation spread through my body when his words rushed back to my mind.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Morana.”

Those words, the promise they held, and the way he was with me the whole night, making sure I slept without being afraid of anything, moved me in a way I couldn’t explain.

I was sitting in the living room, watching Rowan and Adrian in the backyard work on our old truck. Adrian was helping my brother with fixing it. Over these few days, Adrian’s cold exterior began slowly melting; he had been helping us with the smallest of small things. Making small conversations with us, even if they were single-word responses, still counted.

True to his word, Adrian kept last night's events a secret, though my brother kept questioning me about what happened outside last night, and I assured him nothing happened. Rowan never liked Elliot, and when he suddenly announced that he was my mate, my brother was wary of it and asked me to stay away from Elliot.

I don’t want my brother to worry about me and get in trouble with the Alpha because of me. Alpha had always supported Elliot, no matter what. That’s the reason why no one has ever gone against Elliot and his bullying. I’m confident that there has to be some kind of misunderstanding. Elliot must have mistaken me about being his mate for sure, because there’s no way that’s true. If at all it’s true, then why didn’t I feel anything towards him? I should feel some kind of pull toward him, right? Like I should feel tinglings all over my body when our skin touches, but when he kissed me, I didn’t feel anything at all. All I felt was disgust.

But.

When Adrian touched me, I felt it. The electricity, the mate bond and the pull, I know I did, but didn’t Adrian feel it too, or did I just imagine it all? I still remember the cold look he had when I looked at him, hoping that he felt it too.

My fingers held the gold chain and toyed with the moon pendant he gifted me as several questions kept rushing through my mind. I wanted to talk to him about it, but after what happened last night with Elliot, it completely slipped my mind. Is he really my mate? Didn’t he feel anything toward me? Should I talk to him about it? But what if he didn’t feel any kind of pull towards me, and I’m just going to make a fool of myself? He did save me from Elliot that should mean something, right?

But maybe he helped out of gratitude for saving his life.

I’m so confused.

What should I do?

“Hey,” I turned and saw Hazel walking inside with Liam and Jaxson.

“Hi.” I smiled at them while they sat on the couch. Liam took a chip from the chips packet on the table and threw it in his mouth.

"Hey, Mor, how are you feeling?” Jaxson asked while slapping Liam’s head and sitting beside him.

“I’m fine,” I said, and chuckled when Liam glared at Jaxson for slapping him.

“He’s so hot.” I heard Hazel’s comment and turned to her. Her eyes were fixed on Adrian, who was standing beside Rowan and talking to him, his brown-golden eyes fixed on the truck. I watched him as he rolled his sleeves up, showcasing his forearm. His movements were swift and confident. The sun's rays fell on his fair skin, his hard muscles flexing with every movement, and with his tousled dark hair and piercing gaze, he looked like a modern-day Adonis.

“Don’t you think so?” Hazel nudged me with a playful grin on her face.

I couldn’t deny it. Adrian was undeniably attractive in a way that made my heart raced in my chest. I could only nod in agreement. As if sensing our gaze, Adrian’s brown-golden eyes met mine, gazing at me for a second before returning them to the truck.

“Mor, What happened yesterday?” Jaxson asked, and his expression was pretty serious. “Elliot said, He’s your mate, and you both disappeared once you walked out. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, Morana, what happened?” Hazel asked, her brows furrowing in concern.

My heart began slamming hard against my ribcage at the mention of his name. Last night’s events rushed through my mind, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Um, yeah, I’m not sure.” I stammered, feeling unease at the mention of it.

“Actually, I think he’s lying.” Hazel said, “He’s crazy and never left an opportunity to bully you. By the look of it, even you didn’t look like you felt anything for him when he said that.”

Hazel’s words, I couldn’t help but feel a knot of unease tighten in my stomach. She was right, Elliot has always bullied me, and his unexpected declaration of me being his mate looked like an excuse to control me rather than a genuine affection.

“Yeah, I don’t-” My words were cut off when the calm atmosphere suddenly broke into chaos. The sounds of boots hitting the ground and shouts echoed in the air in the backyard. A group of men, dressed in similar green and black clothes, with a green mask covering their lower faces, stormed into the backyard of our house. A chill ran down my spine as they made their way, their eyes fixed on Adrian.

Panic surged through my system, threatening to swallow me whole as realization hit me like a thunderclap. It was clear that they were here for Adrian as they moved forward with menacing intent. Fear gripped me as I watched Adrian stand still, his posture unwavering and his steely gaze fixed on them. He faced our attackers with the steely determination of an experienced warrior.

“Morana, Hide.” I heard my brother screaming from the backyard as those men attacked. Jaxson and Liam grabbed me and Hazel and hid behind the couches. My heart was pounding in my chest as I watched the scene unfold before me with mounting dread. Adrian launched himself into action, his movements were so fast and fluid as he fought the attackers using his bare hands.

The collision of steel and flesh, the rapid exchange of blows in a deadly movement of conflict, was a sight to witness. Adrian moved like a predator, gracefully dodging the attacker’s strikes and counterattacking with deadly ferocity. Every move he made was calculated and anticipated as he skillfully dodged the attacker’s blows.

Beside him, I saw Rowan join the fight, his fists flying as he lent Adrian his strength. I watched in awe as Adrian fought, he moved like a Viking warrior engaged in battle. He looked like he possessed an innate understanding of combat, his instincts honed by a lifetime of hardship and struggle. Even though he was outnumbered, he held his ground with unwavering determination, refusing to back down to the onslaught of his attackers.

All of a sudden, a cry broke out through all the bloodshed.

It was from me—the voice of my wolf.

“Our mate is in danger.” It cried out, and a primal instant of protection rushed through me. I stood up, my legs shaking and my heart slamming against my ribcage as my wolf took over my body, my eyes fixed on Adrian.

Suddenly, one of the attackers grabbed my hair from behind and dragged me out. I clawed at his hands and said, “Let go of me.” I kept yelling and fighting.

“Alpha King, Surrender now, or she dies.” He yelled at Adrian while holding me captive. My body stilled at his words.

Alpha King?

My breath got stuck in my throat, fear gripping my heart. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as Adrian turned to face us, his eyes locking with mine in a silent exchange that spoke volumes. In that instant, I saw the fear reflected in his gaze—the fear of losing me, the fear of failing to protect the one he cared for most.

Adrian reached for a nearby sword with lightning speed and threw it through the air. The sword moved past me, its edge brushing my flesh lightly before reaching its mark, and time seemed to slow. The man who was holding me was stunned and disbelieving as blood spurted from the wound as the blade made a horrific thud and dug deep into his chest. A scream escaped my lips as he fell to the ground.

I felt Adrian's fingers under my chin and pushed my face to meet his brown-golden eyes. His fingers wiped my tears, and I felt electricity shoot through my body. I stilled, my breath stuck in my throat, and my heart was pounding against my chest.

“Mate.” My lips moved on their own as my eyes met his. At that moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, he would respond this time. But when I noticed the storm raging in his eyes, fear settled inside me, clawing at my heart. I saw a whirlwind of emotions in those eyes, threatening to consume him whole.

Adrian’s hand fell away from my chin, and he took a step back, as if my very touch and my presence had burned him.

“I, Alpha King, Adrian Blackthrone, reject you, Morana Ambrose, as my mate." His voice as it came was hard and cold, each word a dagger that pierced my heart with such pain that I felt like I was dying.

“What?” I stumbled back like I was hit by a lightning bolt, my head reeling from the gravity of what he had said. The pain that followed was beyond anything I had ever felt; it was a burning agony that seemed to be consuming me from the inside out, leaving me gasping for air as darkness began appearing in front of my eyes. I fought to cling to my consciousness as my legs gave out and I fell on my knees.

My wolf was howling inside, her pained cries filling my ears. My hands flew to my chest as I felt someone stabbing into my heart over and over again. The pain was too much. Through my blurry vision, I saw him walking away without a single glance at me, leaving me alone in the wake of his devastating rejection.