The Runaway Mate

1. No escape

The chill evening air in Wolf Town brushes my pale almost white hair but that does not bother me even for a second. I take in a harsh load of breath, my frail arms hanging around my lithe body shakily. I then steal a quick glance at my father, the Alpha of the Blood Pack. The old man looked like he could collapse any minute if Rowan, the Alpha of the High Pack, stared at him a moment longer.

I want to reach out, pat my father's shoulder just to reassure him everything was alright but I'm still very angry at him. No angry is an understatement. I'm raving mad. My gaze snaps at Rowan watching his every move. He eventually moves, slowly making his way towards me in short calculating steps.

An air of command whirls around his silhouette frame like he rules the whole damn world. His face is a blanket of blankness but news of his cruelty had preceded him by far. He stops in front of me as I struggle to breathe. Shaken, I avert my gaze to the ground, suddenly finding interest on the patch of green on the ground. I feel his sleek fingers ice their way all the way from my right cheek, brushing my right jaw before he tilts my chin up to face him but I'm a trembling mess inside.

"Look at me,"He orders softly but my eyes remain shut.

"I said, look at me!" His voice thunders, shaking me up. I snap my eyes open staring at his cold green ones. He leans in, his jaw brushing my cheek as he whispers, "Good because you will be seeing this face until the moment you draw your last breath,"

More tremors chill down my spine as I try not to tremble visibly. He strides away, a satisfactory smirk on his lips.

"It looks like my mate and I are leaving now," the order resounds in the pin-drop silence outside the house.

"But she is only eighteen. Shouldn't you wait till she is a little older?" My father tries but one glare from Rowan is enough to shut him up.

Dread is the only thing filling my mind. Just why could I not have been born a normal person with a normal life?

My mother quickly whisks me inside the mansion to my bedroom. My whole body is numb with fear as I watch her rushing about my room, pushing neatly arranged clothes in the two huge brown leather suitcases. I can't stop shaking even for a minute. I grip my mum's arm, staring at her eyes that are of the deepest shade of blue just like mine.

"Mum please don't let him take me away," I plead and for a moment her eyes soften.

"You know I can't honey,"

"But you can. Help me escape then," her eyes go wide for a moment but then she slaps me hard on the right cheek.

"How dare you!" She spats venomously, chest heaving.

I slowly look back at her, my lower lip dipped down in shock while my palm rested on the spot her hand had connected on my right cheek.

"Mum..." I dawdle as the first tears gather at the slit ends of my eyes.

"You have a duty to the pack just like I did when I married your father. You are not going to bring shame to our family Maddison!"  She strides across the room, her heels clicking on the white marble floor.

The last ounce of energy is drained out of my body by her statement. Feeling all my hopes crushed, I sink to the floor unable to control the stream of tears on my cheeks.

My mate.

It sounds like a joke but that is what fate seems to have in store for me. An hour later, I'm still sitting on the floor, cussing my life and my parents. The door creaks open but I don't look up.

"Your mother says you want to run away," Father says in a surprisingly low voice.

"Why do you care?" I snap finally looking at him.

"Because you are my daughter and I may be your Alpha but you know as much as I, that I have no say when it comes to your mate. He is your mate dear and you cannot really escape your destiny," he sounds defeated.

"But father you've heard the rumors too. They say only last year he married a girl almost sixteen and tortured her to death. I'm only eighteen father. Do you really want that to happen to me too?" I clasp his slightly wrinkled palms in mine, seeking a bit of compassion from his eyes.

"I heard the rumors but rumors will always be rumors, not the truth. People are bound to talk honey,"

"But what about school? We are opening in three days' times," I try again. There has to be a way I could avoid this; avoid Rowan.

"You'll go to the same school as him. He has promised that and even though he might be...well, a little strict but he always keeps his promise," He tries to make me understand.

"Strict? He is a monster. Please, father, revoke this. Let me at least go away," More tears brim the edges of my eyes.

"He is not a monster. It looks like the words of jealous people who want your position, have gotten into your head. Stop listening to other people dear," he urges.

"Dad, I'm your only daughter and you are willing to just give me away?" I state embittered.

"Enough! I have had enough of this Maddison. Now, Rowan expects you in thirty minutes. You don't want to keep your Alpha waiting," He detaches his palms from mine and pauses by the door on his way out," oh, by the way. Don't even think about escaping. Alphas don't like that," he bangs the door after him.

Reality slaps me hard on the face. My fate was sealed and the people I thought loved me apparently preferred their status over my life.