The Alpha's False Mate

CHAPTER 9: The Unexpected Nightmare

A werewolf? I squeeze my eyes tight, hoping,… begging even, that everything that’s happening is nothing but a dreadful dream.

“This isn’t real. This isn’t real,” I mumble through my jagged breaths and hot tears.

The more I force this lie to myself, the more the apprehension pummels me to death. The sweat that’s dripping down my skin, the intense pain in my bleeding leg, the thuds of footsteps getting closer to me and the snigger filling the firm air are as real as the horribly slow and weak beats of my heart. A yelp escapes me when a strong quick hand tugs my hair. It forces me to angle my face upward and inch an eye open. In front of me, hunkering down with all pride in his disgusting n.aked body, is the man whom I loathe to see.

“Did you enjoy my show?” he asks.

Show? You call all these a show? There’s no other word that comes to mind to describe Kobe Chua but ‘monster’. The word befits not only his evilness but also him being half human and half...

He interrupts my thoughts when he yanks my hair harder. He says with an apparent threat in his tone,

“Soon, you’ll become like me, and you’ll be my mate.”

Mate? What the f***k is he talking about?! And hell no! I’ll never be as immoral as him! Just when I attempt to open my mouth to convert my thoughts into words, a rusty metallic taste coasts to my tongue. Without releasing my hair, he begins unbuttoning my uniform using his free hand. I wiggle but strength has been drained from me moments ago. I can’t move much mainly because of my throbbing back and leg. I can’t scream nor speak, my throat is so dry that it hurts even just to swallow. The least I could do is to spit the blood off my mouth straight to his stomach-churning face.

“Urgh!” he grunts.

He wipes his face with the back of his hand, stares at my blood and saliva for a second then slaps his rough palm on my cheek. A pulsating sensation crawls quickly to the entire half of my face which is soon followed by an appalling headache. My vision blurs and my breaths weaken.

“How dare you disrespect me? I’ve been very patient with you all these times but you keep disregarding my feelings for you,” he snarls then proceeds with a much calmer voice, “You know what my plan for us is? I’ll be an alpha and you’ll be my luna and together, we’ll form our own pack.”

None of his words make sense. Alpha? Luna? Pack? What in the hell this monster is saying? My aspiration to live, now that I finally have the reasons to, grapples against my frail body. While pushing the words from my throat, my stomach contracts. I hold my breath as I speak.

“L-let me g-go, p-please.”

A broad mischievous smug on his face confirms the worst. He won’t listen to my plea and will continue with his wicked desire. He uhands my hair and lays me flat on the floor. I gasp. Angst veils my trembling and numbing body when the monster starts massaging my b.reasts. Tears unmanageably cascade from my already swollen eyes while the word ‘please’ relentlessly flees from my cracked lips. He leers at my chest as he excitingly rips my uniform. I close my eyes and sob, understanding well that I’m powerless to stop him. Fusion of different negative thoughts and emotions smothers me. Just in the nick of time before my b.reasts get fully exposed, a forceful screech then a loud bang echo. I open my eyes the instant I no longer feel the hands of the monster anywhere on my body. The next thing that takes shape in my still hazy vision are two furry animals brawling near me. I don’t need to see them well to figure out what they are - wolves. There’s no question that the one with the black fur is Kobe Chua. But why is there another wolf in here? The thudding of their bodies, the breaking of glasses and their menacing growls pervade the heart-stopping ambiance. This goes on for a good amount of time. In the heat of the moment, a familiar voice from the outside shouts,

“What’s going on here?!”

The door squeals. Finally! A possible help! My expectation sets off when my landlord, Mrs. Lolit, screams then distractedly shuts the door close when the two untamed huge wolves appear on her face.

“Call the cops! There are wolves in my building!” she yells, calling the attentions of the neighbors.

A guttural sound from one of the wolves overpowers any other noise around. It says, "We’ll meet again, Alpha Lavine. And the next time we do, you’re dead.”

Alpha… Lavine?

The black wolf breaks free through the door. Series of gasping and screaming resound from the outside. I angle my view from the now opened door to the other wolf in front of me. At this point, I can’t say if there are any more fears my heart could feel. When the gray wolf strides towards me, I say,

“I-if you’re g-gonna e-eat me, make it f-fast and l-less painful.”

“I don’t eat humans. I’m here to save you.”

Stupefied at what I just witnessed, my eyes widen. It talks too?! Does that mean it’s half human half wolf like that monster!? I didn’t hit my head, only my back. Therefore, I couldn’t be paranoid. Werewolves exist! Aside from the pain on my leg, my bewilderment is too much to deal with. Authorizing my exhaustion to fully consume me, I close my eyes until darkness takes over my consciousness.

It’s already evening when I wake up. I blankly stare at the floor-to-ceiling transparent window to my side. The sky is calm and starless. Its silver crescent moon boastfully takes its throne and shines without competition. When I move around to get back to sleep, I notice the cozy feeling the bed underneath is giving me. It’s soft and big and produces an off-gassing odor. It’s not my bed! I quickly rise into a sitting position and glance around. It’s not my room either! I toss the warm silk blanket off me but before I could roll out of bed, another puzzlement squirms in my head. My left leg doesn’t hurt. Reluctantly, I clutch the skirt of the white nightgown I’m wearing, which I also don’t own, and pull it up to expose my leg. I jolt when I get a glimpse of my unwounded perfectly-looking leg. Relief navigates through me.

“Thank goodness, it’s just a dream.”

“It’s not,” a voice says from behind the door.

Without the need to see who that voice belongs to, I know it’s Mr. Lavine Acosta's. I cover my nose when his subtle nutmeg scent which is muffled by a strong peppermint one swirls in my nostrils. Mr. Acosta knocks on the door first, and without waiting for my reply, enters. He strides to the foot-end of the bed. Oddly, the impulse of wanting to touch him charges through me. I try to avoid looking at his lips but I couldn’t. The thirst of wanting to kiss him dehydrates any form of my innocence. What are these strange feelings? I know that I like him but I never feel this… l.ustful towards him. Why the sudden change?

“You’ll get used to it,” he says.

I squint my eyes and lower my hand from my nose to my lap then ask, “What do you mean?”

He doesn’t respond but instead walks closer then sits on the couch beside the bed, opposite to the huge window. With him inches away from me, I’m struggling to hold back these foreign emotions.

“What am I doing here?” I ask, trying to distract myself.

Again, he doesn’t say anything. Irritation soon controls my body to get out of the bed.

“I need to go home. I overstay my welcome here.”

Before I could take a step forward, he commands,

“Sit down, let’s talk.”

Still with squinted eyes, I stare at him. He gestures for me to sit on the bed, facing him. My curiosity about what happened earlier jousts against my anxiety to do something unnecessary towards him. Ultimately, my desperation to know what happened and what’s happening suppresses that anxiety. I sit on the bed across from him. Without a delay, he speaks,

“You’re not safe living alone in your apartment. Kobe Chua might attack you again. You need to learn some skills to defend yourself so you could live alone anywhere you prefer.”

Instead of clarifications, more questions muddle my head. I’m starting to lose my patience.

“Please, make everything simple. I’m not as smart as you think I am.”

Straightaway, he says without any trace of hesitation, “You’re now one of us, a werewolf.”

Rationality overtakes my confusion. I laugh like I never did before. That’s probably the most hilarious joke that’s ever thrown at me. What makes it more laughable, is the absolute seriousness of his piercing red eyes. As I try to lay a hold of the possibility that I might still be asleep and dreaming, a light bloody smell of fresh red meat from somewhere below the bedroom teases me. I sniffle with great satisfaction. My stomach grumbles and my mouth salivates.

“Do you smell what I smell?” he asks.

Still dumbfounded, my head is adamant to believe him but my heart says otherwise.

“I don’t.”

My words betray my expression. I don’t sound nor look assertive.

“It’s alright, I’ll have one of my omegas help you transition to your new life.”

I fight the tears back as I say with firmness, “No, stop this b.ullshit. I’ll go home.”

Not wanting to hear anything from him anymore, I stand up from the bed then trudge towards the door but before my hand could reach the door knob, Mr. Acosta manages to grab my wrist then pulls me around to face him. His action sends my back to the door. His face is an inch away from mine. His breath mixes with mine while his skin burns mine. The strong attraction that’s drawing me to him since I woke up is k.illing me. I lift my hand to caress his jaw. His eyes twitch at my action. I then tip my toes to close the gap between his lips and mine. I can’t help myself but to… to be wanted by him.