Saved by my mate

We were heading back home when Riley, my friend halted me, crossing her hands to block my passage. I thought it was her jokes when she played being a soldier to the throne, a role we had always wanted all our lives. I shoved her hands, and continued walking. She dragged my dress, I turned, her face looked serious, her eyes dilated. "What's happening?" I whispered, my heartbeat had started spiking. I went behind her, we hid beside the last tree trunk. "I don't know yet, but something is not right, there's a different smell in the city, and I can hear distant cries, and growls. My mate is calling out for me." "What's he saying?" I'm not sure my voice was heard, my mouth was dry. I felt my hands shiever. I have never liked moments like this. "Riley please tell me you are joking." I looked in her face again to confirm her curiosity. She was scared, too. "Come on let's go check." She led the way, walking quickly in the slightest way we would not attract attention. The last time I was this afraid was two years ago when I hid behind the refrigerator and watched my dad shot by a man, a soldier which I only saw his boots. I started to have a bad feeling. The city was in an uproar, I heard the distance wailing and the smell of smoke as we got closer to the city. "ANNA! RUN." Riley held my hand and we ran back towards the woods. As we sped through the trees, I heard heavy thudding of boots and rustling of leaves behind us. Three men chased after us. I couldn't run as fast as Riley, she couldn't shift in to wolf form, because she had to drag me in human form, she had always protected me from the pack bullys and I hoped she would again. I focused ahead, running as fast as I could. I felt something crossing over my head, and before I landed my next step a brown wolf dropped in front of us. He snarled, his eyes peering in to us. My feet could no longer carry me, I was already tired running, and now there's no way to run to. Riley growled back at the wolf, while I looked at the men who were coming towards us with a stick I picked up immediately we halted. Two men caught us from the back, landing us in kneeling position. We tried to fight through. I struggled as much as I could, our strength were no match for trained soldiers. "Which of you is Anna?" The taller soldier asked, his voice, deep like a growl. My heart was already completing a race of its own, now I could feel it want to pop out my chest. I looked at Riley and she returned, I knew this was going to be bad, we were both panting. I gave him the once-over look. "I'm Anna." I mumbled through struggling for breaths. What would they need me for? I've been in peace since I lost my family, what could this be about? He dragged a sword off it's sheath, and held it under Riley's neck. "Then she'll not be part of the party. Take her away." He nodded towards me. I stood up in front of Riley. "You want me, you can take me, leaver her alone." My voice was commanding. I'd die for Riley if I could, she'd do the same, I won't let her die because of me. The other soldier carried me, my feet's hung in the air and I kicked them while struggling to set myself free from the grip. "RILEY." I screamed as the man raised the sword up. I struggled in the grip of the soldier, I arrived late, the sword had done it's work, I grabbed unto my friend's headless body. I wailed loud and tears mixed with the sweat on my cheeks. The soldiers dragged me out of the SUV, led me through a set of stairs, with my face covered, I hit the tip of my toes intermittently moving along the stairs. Memories of Riley, how we met and the things we have fought through pierced my thoughts. I'll avenge this death I promised myself. "Alpha, we got her." One of the men beside me removed the clothing that covered my face. A bald man relaxing on a couch and eating an apple with a dagger was in front of me. "Anna." He c****d a brow, smiled and descended towards me. "Finally, you are here. After all these years." He brushed my cheek with the back of his fingers. My hands were laced behind me. My face furrowed, my jaws clenched. I jerked my head out of his reach. What alpha would stay back and let soldiers go hunt a girl who has no connection with a wolf. I wanted to spit at him, but that wouldn't be a good decision. "What do you want with me?" My voice came through my clenched teeth. "I didn't do anything." He laughed, moving around me, like he was inspecting me. "Let's make it easy then," he stopped in front of me. "You'll be my wife." He cupped my face and I took my face off immediately. "That'll never happen." My anger had touched the ceiling. "You'll never have me. I'd rather die." He laughed with his deep voice again, his shoulders jerked along. "I know how to break tough ones like you." Dad and Beta Carol had taught me about being a wolf, especially with an alpha blood. I know a wolf has to be mated to another by the moon goddess. I know the feels of discovering a mate, and this big-for-nothing alpha is not my mate. "I am not your f*****g mate." I was more frustrated that he was very calm, and confident, especially that I didn't have connections with my wolf any more. "You know nothing about mates. Your parents didn't teach you well? Is Laguna pack that useless?" His face was frowned, and his olive green eyes were seen through slits. The moron doesn't even know I'm not from Laguna pack. He didn't even know I'm an alpha blood. My dad would tear him up in a snap. And he should keep my parents out of his mouth. "I'll break you gradually until you become mine." He was crushing the apple, his eyes firm on my chest. "Get her out of here, before I lose my temper." He takes up his phone and alerts the person that he's finally found me. Why did he need me? He'd go the extent of burning a pack just to find me so he would marry me? There's more to this and there was no way to find out. These thoughts clouded my head as I lay in a small bedroom. Memories of my eighteenth birthday, the same night that brought the horror of my dad's death filled my head. Two years now since my dad died, my mom was captured, and it still feels like yesterday each time I close my eyes. But this night, seeing Riley's head rolled out of her body was part of the memories that accompanied me to sleep. When I left my pack, I arrived Laguna pack, Riley took me in as her sister, ensured I had a job, and since then we have lived like sisters. A huge splash of water on my face took me out of sleep. I looked around, and it didn't seem familiar. When I saw the alpha beside me, I remembered I was no more a free being. "Get up wife." He scowled. When I was hesitant, he pulled me up with my dress, and placed me on my feet. "Lazy pack you come from. They don't let omegas work?" His face furious, his teeth clenched. Whatever this was, he wasn't completely informed. Probably he has the wrong person and I would do nothing to let him know I'm not the person he wants, probably another Anna from Laguna pack. I checked through my dress and most of the thread loosed from the grip and the pull. "My dress is torn cause of you." My fists were already clenched, and my brows raised. I threw punches into his chest, but he doesn't flinch. He grapped both my hands with one of his, and drops his free hand on my face, almost at my eyes, and spat. I lowered my face, he didn't let go of my hands, and I wouldn't want him to see how weak I was, he wouldn't see me cry. "Are you going to marry me or not?" He roared. His eyes piercing through my gown which was sticking to my skin. I spat, and looked in to his olive green eyes. "f*****g No. Go find your mate." My voice barely left through my clenched front teeth. Still holding me, he drops another punch on my other cheek. "These will be your fate until you agree to be mine. Next time you do this, you'll see the worst of me." He dropped my hands and turns to leave. "I want her broken pieces by pieces." He pats Elijah on his shoulder. Elijah dragged me by my hands into the large living room of the pack house. "Sweep and dust it thoroughly. The Beta is returning." His voice was commanding. He pushed me into the dusty house, which had been forsaken for ages. I pushed the door after he left and it banged, I kicked it and the pain came back to my leg. I didn't know where to start arranging from, I dropped on the dirty floor, my hands hugging my legs to my chest. Finding my mom, would lead me to the person who murdered my father, I'll skin life out of him, who ever he may be. Now there's this alpha, I can't wait to get my hands on him, I'll slit his throat as his soldiers did to Rita. For now, I have to figure how I'll clean this mess, not get myself into much trouble. Why would there be a special event for a beta's visit, Beta Carol and her husband were always in the pack house, assisting mum and dad, if there's a party, I'd use that moment to escape.