The Alpha's Second Chance

The thick drops of water falling from the sky felt like slaps directly onto her cheeks. The wind was so uncontrollable that the old, tall trees of the forest collided with each other, screaming like a ferocious animal. Lily's steps were no longer moving. She simply dragged her body forward through the mud. The soles of her bare feet were torn in places by the impact of stones and thorny bushes. The thick, hot blood oozing from her feet mixed with the cold rainwater and spread on the ground, but at this moment, she felt no pain in any part of her body. Only one fear lingered in her mind—the hell she had left behind, that tribe. Remembering what happened to the women in the dark cells of that cruel tribe of 'Blood River' made her spittle dry in her throat. They had kept Lily chained between pieces of iron for years, all because she had no one to call her own in this world. Tonight, when the guards were completely drunk on local liquor, she made the biggest decision of her life. She ran away. She had no direction, no destination, and no support. But she knew that dying of hunger in this dangerous, cold forest was a million times better than suffocating in captivity. If she were caught, they wouldn't let her go alive this time. The thought sent a chill through her body. As she ran, her lungs were now yearning for every breath. With each breath, she felt a sharp, searing burn deep within her chest. Dark, blurry spots began to flash before her eyes. Suddenly, her foot entangled in a thick root protruding from the ground, and she fell straight down the slope in front of her. Her face sank into the cold, rotten leaves and mud. She tried to get up, but her fingers seemed to stop working. The remaining strength in her muscles had given way. Lily lay on her back and looked up at the dark sky. Cold showers fell directly into her open eyes, causing tears and rainwater to mix and run down her cheeks and behind her ears. She clenched her fingers tightly, her nails sinking into the wet soil. She slowly closed her eyes. There was only one solace in her heart—at least she wasn't breathing her last breath between those iron bars. She was completely unaware that with this fall, she had crossed the border of the Midnight tribe, where any outsider's footsteps were a direct invitation to death. Amid the crackling thunder, there was a heavy sound of dry leaves and twigs breaking. Something enormous was moving towards her. Lily's entire body went numb. She mustered up the courage to lift her heavy eyelids. Amidst the darkness and fog, three pairs of bright, yellow eyes surrounded her. They weren't ordinary wolves; they were twice the size of a human. The hot, putrid breath from their snouts evaporated in the cold air. Lily pulled her knees close to her chest, waiting for the searing pain that would come as those ferocious teeth pierced her flesh. That's it; it was all over now. She covered her face with her frail palms. But the attack never came. The wild creatures' growls suddenly turned into a low, heavy whimper. They retracted their large, sharp claws and bowed their heads to the ground with a strange, utter respect. Just then, a shadow emerged from the thick trees. Tall, broad, and deep, like the silence of the night. The man wore a long, heavy black coat, on which water droplets glittered like pearls. His presence seemed heavier and more powerful than the storm itself. He was Jacques, the uncrowned king of this entire region. A name that would make distant tribes close their doors. After losing his first companion years ago, he had harbored only a deep, stony silence within his heart. His features were so stern that no one could know his state of mind by looking at him. Jacques stopped beside the helpless woman. Amid the sudden dampness of the rain in the air, a very delicate, sweet scent of vanilla and wild roses began to waft. The scent, like an ancient magic, penetrated his lungs straight to his soul. Jacques's heart, which had been as quiet as a grave for years, suddenly began to pound within his chest. The wild being sleeping within her cried out with a strange madness—" This is it! "This is your soulmate! Fate had given her a second chance at life. Lily slowly peered through the window between her fingers. Jacques' eyes glowed like gold, but when he saw the woman's helplessness and the blood flowing from her torn legs, the fierce anger in his eyes vanished in an instant. His clenched fists loosened. Unmindful of the mud and filth, the powerful man knelt down on the ground. "Wait... You're safe now." Jacques's heavy, deep, resonant voice held a strange pause, seemingly drowning out all the noise of the forest for a moment. He didn't ask any unnecessary questions; he didn't ask who she was or why she was there. He quietly took off his warm coat and placed it on the woman's shivering, cold shoulders. As his warm fingers touched Lily's cold skin, an unseen feeling ran through them both. A strange warmth ran down Lily's spine, and all her fear seemed to melt away in the comfort of that touch. Her trembling breaths, which had been unstoppable, slowly began to calm. Without wasting a moment, Jacques put his strong arms under the woman's back and knees and lifted her up easily, as if she were a straw. Lily was so exhausted that no thought of resistance crossed her mind. Her entire body went limp. She simply rested her heavy, exhausted head on his broad chest, where a quiet, pounding heartbeat reminded her that she was still alive. The scent of dry wood and mint emanating from Jacques's body slowly clouded her consciousness, and whatever remaining fear lingered in her mind faded. Jacques looked at his guards. His voice had regained its stern command, capable of shattering stone. "Go to the palace. Wake the physician immediately. This woman is my life partner, and from today, the new Luna of this entire region." The guards were completely stunned. They looked at each other, as they had never seen their stern leader melt or yield to a stranger like this. But a sharp, cold look in Jacques' eyes made them bow their heads respectfully. Holding the woman tightly in his arms, Jacques took long strides through the dark paths, sharp stones, and thorny bushes. Lily, falling asleep, clutched the fabric of his shirt a little more tightly in her weak fingers. Now the storm was over in the outside world, but within her everything had calmed down. She had reached her destination.