HER SECOND CHANCE : A CURSED ALPHA

CHAPTER FIVE : MATE!

ALINA’S POV

“Those are enough, please pack them up,” I said to the lady behind the register. She shot me a disdainful look for no reason at all, all the while printing my bill.

My hands moved in my pockets, a sigh leaving my lips as I stretched my phone out ready to pay.

But just at that moment, the sound of my ringtone filled the air around the mall. I was tempted to reject the call, but I knew that would be stupid.

I had only one number stored in my new phone after we left the werewolf realm three months ago, and that was Yulia.

Worry filled me, wondering why on earth she was calling me. I gave the cashier an apologetic smile as I quickly moved out of the line that had formed behind me to answer her call. But not before I heard the cashier hiss, ‘broke b***h,’ at me.

Her voice was low, but my werewolf senses were akin to heavenly compared to the normal human hearing, so I heard her just perfectly.

It took every will in me to ignore her words knowing retorting might draw attention towards me. And that was the last thing I needed right now, most especially when my father and Marcel were still searching for me.

The last information I could gather was that they had placed a bounty on Yulia's and my heads. But not before spreading rumors about me being a traitor to the pack and slut, claiming that was the reason I ran.

The moment I moved far enough from the cash register, I answered her call.

“Yulia, what’s…”

“Oh my, you have to come home immediately, Alina,” Yulia yelled in panic, cutting me off.

“What? Why? I’m still getting…”

“Forget the things Alina, please come home immediately.

I found a suspicious man lurking around our apartment. Luckily, I managed to knock him out.

But now, he’s not responding, I don’t know if he’s dead.

Do you think your father sent him?” Yulia rambled, fear seeping in her voice, and it took everything in me to remain calm.

“It’s okay, Yulia, I’m on my way there now. Don’t worry.

I think it’s better if he remains unconscious for now, we don’t know if my father actually sent him yet,” I breathed, ending the call immediately as I booked a ride home.

I basically ran into my apartment after paying the cab driver, and Yulia’s wide eyes and sweaty face were the first thing my eyes landed on.

I barely had time to process everything or ask where he was because she dragged me towards the unconscious body of a man lying in our kitchen. A rather large man of around six feet four.

And his smell, he smelled like…

“He’s a wolf?” I gasped, amazed to actually see another of our kind in the human world, and Yulia nodded frantically at my words.

“He has been passed out for a long time now, Alina.

What if I killed him?” She said anxiously, sounding rather worried for the man as she swallowed.

I saw the way she eyed him on the floor with a look I found hard to comprehend, but I dismissed the thought.

Giving her a reassuring smile, I bent to the floor as I muttered, “I’ll heal him.”

My hands hovered around his body as I took in a deep calm breath. Then, I called out to my wolf through our link. The second I felt her respond, I channeled her power through my body; just like I have been taught to do from a young age.

My gaze snapped open, as a white film of light emitted from my hands, and flowed into the man’s body. And I could feel my energy radiating through him and moving through his pores.

Almost instantly, he breathed loudly. His eyes opened groggily, as his hands moved to his head, while he struggled to sit.

The moment his eyes snapped open completely, I watched in amazement as his nose flared, and he completely disregarded me who still knelt at his side, and his gaze filtered to one person only…Yulia.

And then, he groaned petulantly, “You're my Mate! If you don't want me, you could have just rejected me. Why did you have to hit me with a pan? You could have killed me!”

There was not a hint of anger in his tone, only hurt flickered through his eyes as he stared intently at Yulia, as if I barely existed.

Yulia gnawed on her lips, guilt wracking through her. I parted my lips wanting to intervene, but Yulia beat me to it as she ranted in panic finally regaining her voice.

“I’m sorry I did not mean to hit you that hard. I thought Alpha Zane had sent you to take us back.

I acted out of instinct,” the words slipped out of her lips in alarm.

The man’s brows twisted in confusion as he stared at her, “Alpha Zane, why would he send me?” He asked.

“Because we are on the run. If he finds us, he’ll kill me first and then…” Yulia blurted out, and I openly face-palmed myself.

I should have known she was a big mouth.

The man went still almost immediately, as his shoulder curled in tension and he growled, “I’ll die before I let him touch a strand of your hair.” His eyes flashed pure black for a minute as his iris disappeared.

And his words were enough to snap Yulia out of whatever panic state of spill our identity she was stuck in, because the next second, her hands immediately clasped around her lips in shock and fear as she looked towards where I stood with wide eyes.

I gave her a hard glare, ignoring her apologetic gaze, wanting guilt to eat her up for giving out our identity to a stranger.

“I’ll protect you,” the man said, and I snapped my attention back to him, but his gaze was on Yulia.

I watched as a blush rose on Yulia’s cheeks when his heated gaze refused to drift away from hers for even a second.

“I can protect you from the people after you,” he said more seriously this time.

“How?” I asked, my brows raised in question as I regarded him.

Only then, did his head snap towards where I stood, as his eyes widened as if just realizing that I stood there all along.

His hands moved through his black locks of hair, as he spoke. “You are the one who healed me right? I felt your energy running through me.”

I regarded him for a while before I finally spoke. “Yes,” I replied as he gave a ‘hmm,’ his gaze thoughtful.

“My Alpha owns ‘Quilox,” he started only to pause with one of his brows drawn up, “You must have heard of it? And he is currently hiring a healer.

You can apply there. If you can get a position as an employee in his company, you become under his protection,” he said, but then, his gaze had already shifted back to Yulia. And knowing she was his mate, I said nothing.

“How is that going to protect Yulia?” I said, seeing so many potholes in his so-called protection plan.

He stared at me like I had gone mad, “Yulia is mine, I’ll protect her. You both look close, and I can’t leave my mate sad knowing her friend or probably sibling, was in danger all the time.

How was she going to focus on me then?” He scoffed like I was stupid for not seeing it through his point of view.

“I said you should apply for the healer job. My alpha would protect you, and then Yulia can be with me peacefully, without having to worry about your safety,” he said like it was the most obvious thing.

I wanted to retort, but seeing the way Yulia melted at his words, I could only roll my eyes in exasperation.

‘Oh, Yulia. You are a fool for love already,’ I groaned. But she looked genuinely happy for the first time. And I did not want to ruin it for her.

Giving a forced smile to the man, knowing he was right.

Yulia would never fully give into their mate bond if she knew we were still in danger every minute, so I agreed. “Fine, I’ll meet your Alpha and apply.”