The Mage and Her Men

QUINN "Help me!" a bloodcurdling voice screamed, immediately waking me up from sleep. I sprang to my feet, throwing a scarf over my neck to keep the cold away. I knew too well whose voice was that. It was Anna, my maid. My heart beat frantically as I ran into the woods. What could have made her scream so loud? Could it be rogue wolves or…? I discarded the thoughts as soon as they came, doubling my speed. Yesterday, I had assigned her the task of crossing our pack's borders and finding a particular herb that I had been told could help me find my mate if I took it. But I hadn't told her to go this early. It was barely dawn. The security patrol guards could have caught her and mistook her for a thief trying to sneak out of the pack. Or maybe not, I thought as my gaze fell on Anna's little figure, lying helplessly on the bare ground with a blood-stained shirt. Rage boiled in me as I got to where she was. "Who did this to you?" I bellowed, fuming with anger. "It was…” She choked on her words and broke into tears. "Go away, my lady!" she suddenly screamed. Before I could react or ask any questions, I felt a tight pull at my hair as I was being yanked up. I spun around to look at the face of my attacker only to find four pairs of menacing eyes boring straight into mine. I knew them too well. They were the daughters of different elders in the pack's ruling council and my bullies! They had always bullied me and called me weak and cursed because I hadn't found my mate when every other girl my age in the pack had. I had always endured their insults and humiliation, but hurting my maid was too much. They had gone too far! "What the hell do you think you're doing? How dare you put your filthy hands on the Alpha's daughter?" I hollered furiously. They burst into a peal of laughter and the one fisting my hair suddenly pushed me so that I fell flat on my butt. I winced as the pain shot to my head. "Did you hear what she said?" the first girl who I guess was their leader asked the others as a wicked grin spread her lips. "She says she's the Alpha's daughter. Are you talking about the same Alpha who doesn't care if you die or not? Who cares about an Alpha's daughter who has been cursed by the Moon Goddess to remain mateless forever? "Does she even have a wolf?" another one who was standing beside the leader asked and they all burst out laughing again. "Do you want to know why the Blood Moon pack is struggling financially? It's because of that f*****g curse on your head!" "My lady, please leave them be and just go. I'll sort myself out. You don't have to…" Before Anna could complete her words, a resounding slap caught her across her face. "A cursed Alpha's daughter and a freaky maid? You two make a good match. But how dare you talk while I'm talking?" She stooped to Anna's level and grabbed her chin roughly, and a soft whimper tore out of her throat. I had had enough already. I sprang to my feet and yanked the girl by her hair, pushing her towards her friend so that they both staggered backward and toppled over. A look of shock registered on their faces as they fell to the ground. I was a bit shocked too. I hadn't even realized I possessed such energy. Suddenly, I felt something boiling in my guts and I staggered backward from the impact. It felt as though a hot fluid was flowing into my veins. The same thing I had felt last week. If it was that same thing, then I could really hurt them. But that was an understatement. I could kill them with a snap of my finger. My pupils constricted as I felt my bones twisting, contracting, and threatening to snap out of my flesh. My vision had turned blurry but I could still hazily see the girls' faces as they struggled to rise to their feet. "You freak!" their leader screamed as she lunged towards me. My legs chose this very moment to betray me. It was as though I was glued to a spot. My knees had gone weak and my legs were too heavy to move. I glimpsed the girl's hand as it descended slowly toward my face. Left with no other option, I squeezed my eyes closed, waiting for the slap to land on my face. Only, it didn't. As I opened my eyes, my gaze fell on light green eyes that regarded me with curiosity and fascination. Before I could process the man's features, he twisted the girl's arms and pushed her roughly. "You are lucky I don't beat women!" he growled, pointing at the four girls. "If you ever lay a finger on her ever again, then I'll be tempted to crack your skulls open!" His voice was frosty and his aura was domineering. I couldn't stop the shiver that ran down my spine as my eyes trailed over his perfectly sculpted face. He had black dreads that draped over his forehead, making his light green eyes even more pronounced. I cleared my throat awkwardly when he fixed me a stare. "Thank you for your help!" I helped Anna up and threw the girls a warning glare at the same time. The man's voice stopped me in my tracks and a frown creased my forehead immediately. "I think thanking me isn't going to cut it. You should at least let me know your name!" I let out a silent sigh. "I don't think that will be necessary. Thanks for the help. I really am grateful." With that, I left, feeling his sharp stare at my back. After directing the royal physician to tend to Anna, I went upstairs, to my room. Dad's voice drifted from the living room and made me freeze in my tracks. "I'm more than happy that you considered my daughter to be the Luna of the Red Mountain pack," he was saying. Luna? If he was talking about his daughter, then that should be me. Wait a minute. Was Dad trying to marry me off? With a burst of anger, I barged in, taking both Dad and his guest by surprise. I trained my eyes on the man, noticing his grey hair and the wrinkles that perfectly sat around the corner of his eyes. "It's rude to walk in on adults! How many times do I have to tell you that?” Dad chided. I shrugged it off. "Dad, are you trying to marry me off?" "That's not the point,” he replied instead. "You shouldn't be here. Go out!" "No, Dad!" I stood my ground even as the consequences of my actions were clear. "I won't let you discuss something concerning my life behind my back. I’m not going to agree to this." Father raked a hand through his hair in frustration as he approached me. I expected him to be angry but he wasn't. He had a worried expression on his face. He cupped my face. "Quinn, I understand you don't want this, but I'm doing it for your own good. Trust me, the White Dove pack is where you can be safe. Alpha Stephen over there will protect you with everything he has!" Wait a bloody minute! The old man was the Alpha whom my father wanted me to marry. I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry. How could he do this to me? "For a moment, I almost believed you really cared about my safety, but you want to sell me off to an old man? A man that is old enough to be my father! How could you do this!" I hollered furiously. Dad took a deep sigh of frustration. "Listen to me, Quinn. There's something you need to know about yourself. You are…” I cut him off sharply. "Dad, don't give me that lecture today! To hell with your protection!" I didn't wait for his reaction as I yanked the door open. I stormed out only to slam into a hard-muscled chest. Slowly, I raised my head and a soft gasp tore out of my throat immediately I saw who it was. He was none other than the handsome stranger who had helped me earlier. I shoved past him but suddenly felt a strong pair of arms around my waist just as I was whisked off the ground effortlessly. I tried wriggling out of his arms but his strong hands held me in place. "Shush, little princess," he whispered softly as a wicked grin spread across his face. He took me back to the living room and placed me on the chair. Dad's face changed the moment he saw him. Even the old Alpha seated beside him immediately stood and together, they bowed curtly to the young man. "Alpha Xavier!" they both greeted him. "It's been a long time, Alpha Kale. I'm here for the long overdue debt that you owe me,” Alpha Xavier started. "You could pay in cash…” He trailed off, fixing me a stare. "Or choose to pay in kind!" He let out a maniacal laughter and I felt my heart freeze.