Mated To The Billionaire Alpha Pack

Chapter 2: On the Run

When I got away from Delrose I arrived in a big city. It was hard to adjust. I went from only being around one person -aside from the ones we killed- to being around crowds of people. It was overwhelming but I coped. 

Since then my main goal was not only to stay alive but to return to the home I missed so much. The home that was filled with supernatural creatures and paranormal events.

It had been six years since I came to this city. I was fifteen when I got here and now I was twenty-one.

I learned that most humans weren’t like Delrose. They weren't all the nicest but it appeared that everyone cared about someone and showed it. They were a lot more expressive and considerate. Some people who didn’t even know me showed they cared.

I still didn’t let myself get close to anyone. Not even the old woman who took me in when I was fifteen. She cared about me but that’s because she mistook me for one of her grandchildren. I showed her love even though it was an act. She deserved to be loved and cared for by a grandchild in her last years so I did that for her. It was only an act because I didn’t let myself develop a real relationship with her. I didn’t let myself actually get close or attached to her. When she died I didn’t feel much. She passed away peacefully and had a good life so it wasn’t anything to feel sad about. I hadn’t missed her either.

There was one man I almost developed a connection with. I felt the desire to get close to him and I could have gotten attached to him. You’ll hear about that soon reader but for now, I want to focus on this part of my story.

“Josie, are you hungry?” I asked my three-year-old daughter.

Josie nodded in response so I walked over to the kitchen and took out leftovers to heat up. “Not that mommy,” Josie said when she saw the food I pictured out.

 I put the food away. “Okay, okay.” I walked to the cabinet and pulled out the peanut butter.

“Yes,” Josie approved, hopping up and down.

We lived in a small apartment but it was enough for us. 

After years of researching the supernatural, I found nothing. I wanted to get home. I did research with books and the internet but I didn’t know what was fact and fiction here. 

“Girl Josie needs to eat more than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” my roommate said as she walked out of her room and into the kitchen. “You’re spoiling her.” She was in nothing but her underwear and a shirt that stopped right below her belly button. That was her normal attire.

I met her when I was staying in a homeless shelter after the old woman I was staying with died when I was eighteen. I didn’t attend high school because of the enrollment process. Delrose educated me but not to the standards of an American high school. I got my GED at eighteen but it was hard to get a job that could cover fully supporting myself with no further education or experience. I thought about going to college but again there would have been issues with the enrollment process. I wasn’t from this world and Delrose didn’t really make me a part of it. It was hard enough getting my GED but I had a few tricks for certain things. Luckily I started rooming with someone right before I was pregnant with Josie.

“The doctor said to let her eat whatever she wants. It’s important that she eats,” I said as I finished making the sandwich and handed it to my daughter. 

A big smile grew on Josie's face from seeing the sandwich and she licked her lips. “Yummy.”

My roommate twisted her mouth.“Hm I guess,” she muttered as she walked back into her room.

When I was on my way to take Josie to daycare I noticed something. I could spot a magical item anywhere and there was a man crossing the street who had one in his hand. He put it in his bag. The humans around him wouldn’t think anything of it but I knew.

I pushed Josie’s stroller as fast as I could so I could catch up to him. “Weee,” Josie cheered. “So so fast,” she giggled.

I panted and stopped right in front of the man. “You’re a witch, right?” I asked frantically.

His eyes darted around, then fell on me. “Shh, come, you look like you want to talk.” A few people looked at us because of what I asked but only for a few seconds.

It took me a while to realize the average human didn’t know about the supernatural or magic. The old woman who took me in thought I was delusional. A few other people I tried to talk to about it laughed at me. When I realized it wasn’t common knowledge here I knew getting back home wouldn’t be easy.

This wasn’t the first witch I had met. Delrose did business with two. The first one she did business with didn’t know she was a hunter. I always had to prepare the house so it wasn’t obvious. The witch didn’t support hunters. She protected the realm by trying to keep the peace. She was one of many witches who were representatives of the human world which meant she went to the paranormal world to speak for humans. Delrose told me witches like her were cowards. That didn’t spot Delrose from getting magical supplies from her to help with hunting. The witch thought we were just trying to protect ourselves.

The second witch was the opposite. He supported hunters and did business with many.

I sat down in the apartment of the witch I just met. “I’m trying to get to the other world,” I said as I sat Josie on my lap. He had a lot of candles and magical items on the shelves. 

The witch stroked his chin. “Which one?”

“Oh I didn’t… the supernatural world,” I clarified. I didn’t know there were more than two realms. I glanced at his bookshelf to see that it was filled with magic books and books about different species and the other realms.

“Of course, no one seeks out the demon realm but I quite enjoy it.” He shrugged. “I’m not powerful enough a witch to open a portal but there are magical items for it. I haven’t used that particular one in a while and don’t have it anymore. I can take you to a mage friend of mine,” he offered.

“That would be great,” I said as Josie started touching my face.

“This one isn’t human right?” He gestured to Josie.

“How do you know?” My brows drew together.

He glanced at me and lifted his brows. “When I learned to cast spells through siphoning mana it boosted my awareness of my magical surroundings.” He circled his hands through the space around him. “I can sense that she has a magical aura. Humans don’t have that. Different species have auras that are different from each other. I’m not good at telling what species someone is right away though.”

For some reason, I felt validation from him pointing out that Josie wasn’t human. She was half-human but the other half was from me. That confirmed to me that I wasn’t human. I was starting to doubt my guardian before Delrose.

“Do you sense that from me?” I asked hopefully.

“I don’t but I’m not that skilled a witch as I said. What are you two?”

I pressed my lips together in a hard line. “I don’t know...”

We left so he could take me to his friend, the mage. When we got to the house Josie was getting frustrated but I wasn’t sure why. I picked her up out of her stroller and put her down beside me so she could walk.

We walked to the door and the witch introduced me to the mage. “Good luck on your journey,” the witch said to me before he teleported away.

“Why do you seek the supernatural realm?” She asked as I followed her to her living room. Her house was big and even more magical than the witch’s.“I want to get back home.” I sighed. “Do you sense anything from me?”

She nodded. “Yes, but your magical aura is very small. As if it’s been suppressed.” What could have suppressed it? 

There were a lot of pictures of non-humans on the wall but my eyes were drawn to a portrait of a werewolf. They were in their giant wolf form and the mage was beside them.

“That’s an old friend of mine,” she said as she looked at the portrait my eyes were fixated on. “The former Luna of the Night Shadow pack.” She smiled fondly. “I’ll be back. I’d love to give you a few things for your travels.” 

When she left for the back yard I pulled my phone out and called my roommate. “What’s up?” she answered. 

“I’m moving out.”

“Now?”

“Yes, you won’t see me again,” I said as I watched Josie walk around. She was mesmerized as she looked around at the magical items.

“What the hell Ally? I need you,” I could hear the distress in her tone. “I can’t afford any place on my own.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll send my half of the rent for the next few months,” I reassured her.

“That’s better than nothing. Maybe I can find a new roommate before you stop sending rent.” Relief washed over her. “You did warn me you didn’t plan on staying in this city for long. The last few years have been fun. I’ll miss little Josie.”

“She’ll miss you too,” I said softly because Josie really did love her.

“When are you coming to get your things?” she asked.

“Maybe next month,” I answered unsurely. “Maybe never.”

“Good luck then and hey I know we were never close but I helped with Josie when I could so I feel close to her.” She was great with Josie. She knew a lot more about babies and children so she taught me a lot of things. “Can you promise me something?”

“What?”

“Let yourself feel a real connection with someone wherever you go next,” she said.

“Maybe…” I hung up.

I sent up automatic monthly payments to my roommate for rent while I waited. I wouldn’t use this bank account anymore anyway and there was enough for the next four months. When I was done I waited but as time grew I was worried. I went to the backyard and my eyes widened at the sight and I took a few steps back.

Josie followed me and stood at the sliding glass door. I don’t think she saw it.

The mage was dead. There was a strand of red hair lying next to her. I grabbed Josie and started running. I turned my head to look behind me and I saw a figure. I wasn’t seeing things this time. Delrose had found me.

How did Delrose kill a mage?? She always taught me that mages had incredible power. I thought we didn’t hunt them because we couldn’t overpower them if we tried. Maybe six years was enough time for Delrose to become that powerful. She was a bigger threat to me now, to me and Josie.

I ran through the woods with my daughter in my arms. She tried to talk to me but I didn’t process a word she said. I tripped and I protected her from the impact of the fall but she still cried.

I got up onto my knees and a hand was in front of my face. I looked up to see who was extending their hand to me. I hoped it wasn’t Delrose.

“Hey,” he said as my eyes laid on him. 

“Who are you?” I asked and got up on my own and tried to calm down Josie.

“You’re running from something.” He frowned when he noticed Josie but dropped the expression soon after. 

I didn’t say anything.

“I hurt Mommy,” Josie said.

I rubbed her back. “It’s okay.”

“What are you running from?” The man asked but I didn’t answer. “I can help you hide from whoever you’re running from.” He looked impatient and annoyed.

“Where?”

“I’ll make this fast. I’m a werewolf and I have a magical item that can open portals. Could they find you in the supernatural realm?” he asked.

I couldn’t believe it. I was finally going to go home. I thought my last hope was killed by Delrose. “They couldn’t.” Delrose never used portals, she didn’t even talk about them. Her focus was ridding the human world of the supernatural, aside from witches. She wouldn’t think to look for me in a paranormal world. She might not care enough to go where she hates.

“I can bring you back to my packhouse,” he offered.

“And the catch is?”

“Be with me. You know about werewolves and realms but do you know about mates because that’s what we are. I’m Nick,” he introduced himself.

“I’m Yue,” if I was returning to my world I wanted to return with my true name.

I remember hearing the word mate when I was younger in my hometown but I didn’t remember any details. All I remembered was that mates were couples. I might have to pretend to be with this man for my and Josie’s survival.