Chapter 02
1561 Words
The night was quiet, save for the soft ripple of the stream against my skin. I stepped out of the water as soon as I spotted my clothes folded near the edge, but my breath caught when the dark figure moved closer. I froze. Oh no. He’s coming over.
Panic rushed through me like wildfire.
I lunged for my clothes, clutching them against my chest as I backed away. A stick lay by my foot—I grabbed it without thinking, holding it out in trembling hands. “Don’t come any closer,” I warned, voice cracking. “I mean it.”
He ignored my threat and kept walking.
My heart pounded louder than the water behind me. Should I run? But where to? Times like this made me hate what I’d become. A reject. Powerless. Vulnerable. No one would protect me—not from him, not from anything.
He stopped suddenly, gaze shifting to the shadows behind me.
“Don’t come any closer, Dominic,” he said, his voice low and sharp like a blade. “Unless you want to lose your head.”
My brows furrowed. I looked over my shoulder but saw nothing but trees and darkness. Who was he talking to?
When I turned back, he was staring at me again. His eyes bore into mine, and I flinched, my fear climbing again.
He stepped into a shaft of moonlight, and that’s when I saw him clearly.
Pale skin that glowed almost silver under the moon. A sculpted jaw. And his eyes… those eyes. They were molten gold, like twin suns flickering with heat and something feral. They roamed over my body, still barely covered, and I felt the burn of his gaze like a brand.
He smirked. “I never thought I’d find something this appetizing in the mighty pack’s territory,” he said, voice mocking.
My jaw tightened. “I’m not food,” I spat.
He chuckled, slow and deliberate. “You look tastier than what usually goes in my mouth.”
I scowled. “If you’re flirting, you’re terrible at it.”
Amusement lit his face, but he didn’t deny it. “What’s your name?”
“If I tell you, will you let me leave?”
He tilted his head, pretending to consider it before giving the smallest shake.
“Fine,” I hissed. “At least turn around so I can get dressed.”
He didn’t move. Just watched me with that strange, unreadable expression.
“Just get out of my sight!” I shouted.
But he was already in front of me. One second he was a few feet away—the next, his hand gripped my arm.
I gasped. How had he moved so fast?
Now up close, I could see him better. Even in the dark, he was unnaturally beautiful. Tall. Built like something forged in war. His scent hit me—smoke and pine, dark and dangerous.
He leaned in and sniffed. “You’re a reject,” he murmured.
I swallowed hard. “So now that you know, will you let me go?”
Strangely, my fear was fading. Replaced with… curiosity? This man didn’t seem like anyone I’d ever met. And something told me he wasn’t just dangerous. He was more. Something I couldn’t yet name.
He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “If you kiss me—and I don’t like it—I might let you go.”
Might?
I stepped back, heart racing. “Over my dead body would I kiss a complete stranger?”
His fingers closed around my jaw, lifting my face to his. “Then do you prefer I kill you instead?”
My breath hitched.
This wasn’t a game. The air around him was thick with deadly promise.
I shut my eyes tightly. No one would care if I died. Not the pack. Not the other rejects. Not even the man who once called himself my father.
This was harassment. And I hated it. But I had no power. No strength. No options.
“Okay,” I whispered, barely audible.
Before I could brace myself, his mouth crashed onto mine.
It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet. It was raw and demanding. His tongue explored mine, stealing my breath as I stood frozen. I didn’t know what to do—I’d never kissed anyone before. I let him take control, praying it would end soon.
And finally, it did.
He pulled away, his golden eyes darker now, flickering with unreadable fire.
“You’re a bad kisser,” he said flatly.
I stood there, stunned. My lips tingled, and shame burned through my chest.
He turned and began to walk away.
“What?” I whispered to myself, still trying to understand what had just happened.
Before I could call him a bastard, he vanished into the woods, leaving nothing but silence and my confusion behind.
I stood there in the dark, the moonlight dancing across the water, wondering if what just happened had truly happened—or if I’d dreamed it all in a twisted nightmare.
But the bruising pressure on my lips, the heat still coiled in my stomach… those were real.
And I had the sinking feeling that whoever he was, this wouldn’t be the last time I saw him.
The cry of the baby jolted me awake the next morning, and I quickly rose to my feet, as did the others. Pamela gently took the baby and passed him to his mother to feed. I didn’t have time to linger, though—there was work to be done.
But the events of last night still clung to my thoughts, uninvited. My fingers brushed my lips instinctively, and a part of me wondered who that man really was.
I forced myself to shake off the lingering thoughts. "You were gone a while at the stream. Was the water soothing?" Tricia asked, her voice breaking my focus. I flinched at the question. "Yes... it was," I murmured, quickly wiping the sweat from my brow to distract myself.
Today, I was heading to Mr. Brandon’s bakery to clean. He was one of the few who treated me like a person—unlike the others who had no qualms about mocking me. Maybe it was because, before becoming a reject, I used to tell him how much I adored his pastries. Those little moments felt like a lifetime ago.
I walked along the road designated for the rejects, heading toward the bakery. The familiar sight of Mr. Brandon’s shop greeted me, messy as ever. Despite his kind nature, his bakery was always chaotic, and sometimes the pay didn’t seem worth the effort it took to clean the place.
"Oh, you're here, Karina," Mr. Brandon said warmly. "Make sure it’s sparkling clean, okay?" I gave him a small smile. "Of course, I’ll make sure there’s not a spot left." He smiled back and got to work as I began cleaning.
Hours passed, and just as I finished scrubbing every corner, I overheard a conversation. "I heard Alpha Bastian has angered Alpha Rican," a woman said, her voice low with concern. "The pack is in chaos now." Her mate chimed in, his tone filled with unease. "We need to be careful. We don’t want to go to war with that bloodthirsty alpha. He’s known for his ruthless killings."
The gossip continued, talking about the terror that Alpha Rican was capable of, and how, if war broke out, the rejects would be the first to suffer. Whatever Alpha Bastian had done, it was clear that angering such a merciless alpha was a mistake.
I finished my work, and Mr. Brandon handed me my payment. I gave him a quiet "thank you" and left.
The walk home was a familiar one, though it never got easier. As I passed the path for the rejects, I heard a snarl, followed by laughter. The voice was all too familiar, even after all this time.
"Well, well, if it isn’t Karina, the disgrace," came the mocking voice from the other side.
Laughter erupted, and I lowered my gaze, keeping my head down as I continued walking. One voice called out, "The beta’s daughter is so useless, isn’t she?"
The pain pierced through me. Was it really my fault I was a reject?
"I wonder how she felt when she found out the alpha’s son she had a crush on is now Daisy’s mate," another voice sneered.
Daisy. Once, I’d called her a friend. But that was before she found out I was a reject. When she shifted, everything changed. She showed me her true colors, and I will never forget the cruel words she’d spoken when I turned to her for help. I shook my head, trying to push the memory away.
But it clung to me relentlessly. My crush, too, had laughed at me when I was cast aside. Everyone did. I felt a tear slip down my cheek, but I quickly wiped it away. What’s done is done.
"Alpha, the plan to attack is in motion. Should we proceed?" Dominic asked, a sly grin tugging at his lips. I mirrored his expression, the thrill of what was to come pulsing through me.
"Yes," I replied, my voice low and filled with anticipation. "But leave the rejects. There's someone I can't get out of my mind."
- Writer
