Chapter 7:Mine
690 Words
Craig's POV
"Find her."
The command left my mouth before anyone could stop me.
Within seconds, my warriors scattered across the sacred forest.
Mason appeared beside me, his expression grim.
"You shouldn't be chasing her."
"I know."
"So why are we?"
I didn't answer.
Because I already knew.
Every instinct inside me was screaming the same word.
Mate.
I hated it.
I had spent years convincing myself that I didn't need one.
That I didn't deserve one.
Yet the moment Sofia ran...
It felt as though someone had ripped a part of me away.
I clenched my fists.
"This changes nothing."
Mason looked at me.
"Keep telling yourself that."
A young warrior sprinted toward us.
"Alpha!"
"What is it?"
"We found rogue tracks leading toward Black Cliff."
My eyes narrowed.
"How many?"
"At least six."
Six.
My wolf snarled.
They're hunting her.
I was already moving before the warrior finished speaking.
The wind roared in my ears as I raced through the forest.
Trees blurred past me.
Branches snapped beneath my boots.
Every second that passed tightened the invisible knot in my chest.
I had ignored the bond once.
I wouldn't ignore it again.
---
Sofia's POV
The rogues closed in slowly.
There were five of them.
No...
Six.
Their clothes were torn.
Their eyes glowed an unnatural yellow.
The smell of blood clung to them.
One of them licked his lips.
"An omega."
Another laughed.
"And an unclaimed one."
"I'm not..." My voice trembled.
"I don't want any trouble."
The largest rogue grinned.
"Too late."
He lunged.
I screamed and stumbled backward.
The loose stones beneath my feet crumbled.
For one terrifying moment...
The world disappeared beneath me.
I was falling.
The river rushed up to meet me.
Then—
Strong arms wrapped around my waist.
The impact knocked the air from my lungs.
Instead of crashing into the river, I found myself pressed against a solid chest.
The scent of rain, pine, and something dark surrounded me.
Craig.
He landed on a narrow ledge carved into the cliffside, shielding my body with his own.
Above us, the rogues peered over the edge.
"There they are!"
Craig didn't even look up.
"Can you stand?"
I nodded shakily.
"I... I think so."
He helped me to my feet.
His hands left me almost immediately, as though he was afraid to hold me longer than necessary.
A strange flicker of disappointment settled in my chest.
Why?
I barely knew this man.
"You shouldn't have run," he said quietly.
"I was scared."
"I know."
His answer surprised me.
There was no anger.
Only understanding.
A roar echoed from above.
The rogues had found a path down.
Craig sighed.
"They never learn."
He stepped in front of me.
"Stay behind me."
"I don't want you getting hurt because of me."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"For you?"
His expression remained unreadable.
"I've faced worse."
The first rogue charged.
He never reached us.
Craig caught him by the throat and slammed him into the rock wall with enough force to crack the stone.
The rogue collapsed instantly.
The second attacked from the side.
Craig spun, driving his elbow into the man's jaw before sending him over the edge of the cliff.
His scream disappeared into the rushing river below.
The remaining rogues hesitated.
Fear spread across their faces.
One whispered the name I'd heard all my life.
"...The Devil Alpha."
Craig's crimson eyes glowed brighter.
"Leave."
None of them moved.
"I won't repeat myself."
The largest rogue snarled and shifted into his wolf.
The others followed.
Five massive wolves surrounded us.
My heart pounded.
Craig slowly rolled back his shoulders.
A dark aura rippled around him.
For a split second...
The shadows at his feet twisted unnaturally, as if they were alive.
Then they disappeared.
Had I imagined it?
Craig looked at me one last time.
His voice was calm.
"Close your eyes."
"W-Why?"
"Because what happens next..."
His crimson gaze locked onto the wolves.
"...isn't something I want my mate to remember."
The word hit me harder than the wind.
My mate.
Before I could respond—
Craig shifted.
And the forest shook.
- Writer
