MY REJECTED MATE’S OBSESSION

CHAPTER THREE

MY SAVIOR

Lucia’s POV

I struggled to keep my head straight but everything around me was getting blurry. My vision shook every time I blinked and it felt like the world was turning upside down. My throat was dry and it burned as if I had swallowed fire. My whole body was sticky with sweat and dirt, and every part of me felt bruised. I had been walking and limping all day in search of my mother, calling her name until my voice became weak, but no matter how hard I tried, there was no trace of her. No scent, no clue, nothing. It was almost like the ground had swallowed her.

Could she be dead? The thought alone made my chest tighten. I did not want to believe it but what other explanation was there? And the crazy part was that now, in this moment when my life felt like it was hanging by a thread, I did not think I would mind if something finally knocked the life out of me. I was tired. Truly tired.

After all, I had lost everyone and everything. My family, my home, my dignity, everything I used to hold close. So losing my life felt like the last thing on the list. Maybe it would even be a relief. Maybe I would reunite with my family wherever they were.

My leg hit a tree root I did not see and I stumbled. I could not stop myself from falling. I dropped helplessly to the ground and landed hard on my side. The dirt felt cold on my skin. Tears filled my eyes, and when they dropped, they burned my cheeks like hot water. I cried harder because it felt like life had turned its back on me. How cruel could life really be to someone like me?

I had never been wicked to anyone. Not even to people who hated me for no reason. I might have been weak, I might have been wolfless and a limping omega, but I had always tried to be good. I loved everyone equally and tried to be nice, even when they treated me like trash. I respected the people I was meant to respect. I was a good daughter to the people who gave birth to me. I had never wished evil on anyone. So why did life repay me with this much pain? What had I done to deserve this?

My eyes gradually began to close. My breathing turned slow and uneven, and I felt myself slipping away. But right before everything went dark, I faintly saw a tall figure walking toward me. I tried to make out what he looked like, but my eyes were too weak to hold focus. The only thing I saw clearly was his piercing silver grey eyes staring right at me before I passed out.

*******

“Where am I?” I asked as I sat weakly on the wooden bed. My voice sounded rough and dry. I looked around the room with quick, confused glances. Nothing was familiar. The wooden walls, the strange smell, the dim light from the small lantern in the corner, none of it looked like anything I had ever seen. And the men standing around me did not look familiar either.

“You are awake,” one of them said. He stepped forward and reached out like he wanted to help me sit better.

I moved away from him fast. My heart beat loudly. I was scared, confused and uncomfortable. Were these people kidnappers? Hunters? Terra’s men? Or Kaine’s?

“You may leave now,” I heard a voice say from afar. The voice grew clearer as the owner walked closer. When he finally stepped into the light, I saw his eyes properly. The same piercing silver grey eyes I saw before I passed out.

The men around me bowed and walked out. All except one, who seemed to be the leader among them. His posture alone showed that he answered only to the one who had just entered.

The stranger gave a small, faint smile with the corner of his lips. “I am safe. Please, leave,” he said to him.

The man bowed and left, shutting the door.

I looked away immediately because the stranger was staring straight at me. I could not hold his gaze. I felt something strange inside me, like something was reacting to his presence. A strange pull spread through my chest and it made me feel uneasy. It almost felt like a wolf trying to wake up inside me, even though I had no wolf. It was weird enough to make me wonder if he also felt it. His face looked confused, too. Who was this man? And what was happening to me?

“Lucia…” he called.

I jumped a little. How did he know my name? My heart started beating faster.

“Do you feel any better?” he asked.

I stared at him without saying anything. I wanted to answer, but that was not my biggest problem right now. I needed to know where I was and why I was here.

“Did Alpha Terra send you to kill me? Or did Kaine send you to abduct me?” I asked. My voice was shaky. I prayed I had not just said something that would anger him. I did not know him. I did not know if he was dangerous. I could only hope he was not the type who liked to torture his victims slowly before killing them.

When I mentioned their names, his face changed. His expression tightened like those names meant something to him. My eyes narrowed. Maybe he knew something. Maybe this was not a coincidence. Maybe Terra had truly sent him.

“Go on,” I said, pretending to be brave. “Kill me. I have lost the zeal to live anyway.”

He let out a short laugh. It shocked me. He laughed like I had said something funny.

“Relax. You are too guarded, Lucia. Not everyone is out to get you,” he said.

“You might not be one of them but I know many people who want me dead,” I replied.

He sighed. “Your bruises are gone.”

“I noticed,” I said quickly.

“And?” he asked again.

“Thank you,” I muttered.

He raised his brows. “I did not hear that.”

I breathed out. “I said thank you.”

He smiled. “You are welcome.”

I wanted to say something but he spoke again before I could.

“This will be your chamber. Whatever you might need is inside. You are free to stay here as long as you want.”

My eyes widened. “What? I am?” I whispered. I cleared my throat. “What do I give in return?”

“Your safety and sanity,” he answered.

“Who are you?” I asked again. I squinted my eyes a little because something about him felt too strange to ignore.

He stood in front of me. He was tall. Around six foot four. “I am Ronan Grey, a rogue leader of my team. And you are safe with us.” He brushed his ash brown hair back with his hand.

A team? Not a pack? They all felt like werewolves yet they did not belong to a pack? That was strange. But at least I could tell they were not creatures like Lady Merin or something worse.

I nodded slowly. My throat felt tight. “Thank you,” I said. And this time it came from a real place. Maybe the moon goddess wanted this for me. Maybe she wanted me to have another chance at life. Maybe she wanted me to let go of my past. But did staying here mean I was a rogue now? A weak, limping, wolfless omega turned rogue. What a joke.

Ronan stepped closer and placed his hand gently on mine. “You are welcome,” he said.

But his voice became faint to me because suddenly everything around me changed. I started hearing different sounds. Voices. Footsteps. Heartbeats. It felt like my ears had turned into something sharp and powerful. My heart was beating too fast. My nose picked up every scent around me, even the ones far outside. I felt strange soft hairs rise on my skin. My fingers stretched and felt longer than normal. Something was happening to me and I could see fear and concern in Ronan’s eyes. He knew something. I could tell. But he did not say anything.

I pulled my hand away from his and just like that, the sounds went quiet again. But my body felt weak. Too weak. Before I could steady myself, my strength failed me and I fell back on the bed as darkness swallowed me.