The Alpha’s Shadow

Chapter 2

Anne’s POV

They didn’t even give me the time to stand, they grabbed me and pulled me, my arm hurt, it hurt so badly.

My wolf whimpered within me, that was the only sound she seemed to be making these days. We barely talked anymore.

My poor wolf, I wanted to protect her, to shield her from a world where everyone was against us. I was prepared to fight for her......or I’d lose her.

And as an omega I didn’t really have much, save for her.

The sunlight burned my eyes as we walked out of the guards’ secretariat that was just behind the pack house, the cells were beneath the stone building.

They threw me onto the gravel floor, I landed on frail looking boy, whose flesh was so dried up, his bones pricked me.

“Sorry, sorry....” I scrambled off him while he hissed in pain, he had many sores on his body so I knew he must be going through a lot

I looked around me with squinted eyes, we were many, slowly dying omegas, all clustered together, waiting to be sold.

I scanned through the female faces, searching for her, like I would recognize her if I were to see her.

But then I saw the guard walk out the building and throw a caramel skinned lady towards my direction, and I thought: she’s the one.

She adjusted herself into a sitting position and turned her neck to stare at me, I stared back. She had dark, piercing green eyes.

We just seemed to stare at each other, as though we were communicating telepathically. Then she nodded, once. And that confirmed that she was the one, the lady who knew things I didn’t, the lady who I had begun to admire, the lady who didn’t know she made me feel safe in a way.

And then I proceeded to ask; “where are they taking us now?”

But she just shook her head at me, telling me it’d be wiser if we didn’t speak.

Not too long after, the guards went around tying up our wrists together, with thick brown ropes. It stung.

“Stand omegas!” a voice bellowed, “Move!” we all scrambled to obey.

I saw the fleet of cars before we even got to the side of the pack house, where a truck was waiting for us.

Many omegas were before me, including her. We were walking slowly towards the truck, my eyes were wandering and somehow, they landed on a group of powerful he-wolves, standing few feet from the truck, with their noses buried in some paperwork.

They suddenly looked up and stood aright when another powerful wolf went to announce to them that ‘He’ was coming.

Curious, I scanned their surrounding for who was coming.

Till I discovered someone walking towards the group, having just alighted from one of the cars.

He was so tall, despite the fact that they were many meters away from me, he still seemed so huge. What was even more shocking was the fact that I could smell him, his rich wood and spicy scent danced into my nostrils. Sure, wolves have heightened senses, but this, this....

His hair, midnight black and flowing down his back. His eyes, black as his hair. His aura said so much about him, about why he was so feared, about why I shouldn’t even be looking at him if I still wanted to live.

But she was stirring within me, she couldn’t keep still, which is weird because she was as still and silent as night a minute ago.

“what’s wrong Anne?” I asked her in my head.

And my wolf answered, her voice soft and giddy, she was excited. “Mate.”

My eyes went big as saucers, and they flew towards his direction again, no, no no!

I didn’t want a mate, not when I was already a bit close to freedom. And I sure as hell didn’t want a man that scary to be my mate.

But as though the universe secretly wanted me dead, my eyes met his and I almost died, well I was sure I was going to die soon though.

He didn’t look away, and my brain must’ve stopped working, otherwise it would’ve directed my eyes away, didn’t he know I was his mate? He probably did.

Has the goddess always been this cruel?

Suddenly I felt a pinch on my thigh, it was the wise lady who knew so much, “Why are you staring at Alpha Jonathan?”

And then, I almost died again.

“That....that is the alpha we’re being sold off to?” I croaked out, staring hard at the ground. But yet, I still felt his gaze on me.

“Yes! And you should try as much as possible not to draw attention to yourself!” she admonished through her teeth.

This just solidified my decision to escape, it overshadowed any doubt I may have been having and upped my determination to run away. I can’t be alpha Jonathan’s mate, he was going to reject me anyway, I might as well make it easier for him.

Then I began to loosen the bulky rope binding my wrists together (with a little trick my dear father taught me how to do), just as we moved closer and closer to the truck.

Omegas were climbing in without protest, my lousy weapon stayed cold against my skin, adrenaline flowed faster through my veins, my heartbeat accelerated, my senses heightened, my wolf still stirring within me, and before it got to my turn to climb onto the truck, I took off.

I would later realize that this was not my smartest decision, but at that moment nothing mattered, I ran as fast as my wobbly legs could carry me, I even left the wise girl who talked me into escaping.

But few seconds in, scalding heat started to sear through the muscles of my legs and behind my ribcage, I didn’t have the energy for stunt I was about to pull. I had not eaten anything in days and my big toe was in a horrible state.

Still, I pushed, I pushed and ran till my ear lobes picked up the sound of footsteps behind me, slow, calculated footsteps. Someone was following me; they weren’t chasing but they were following me.

The sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears; I started to panic.

‘you’re going to die; you’re going to die!’ my brain kept telling me even as my speed reduced gradually, my legs a semi-liquid mess beneath me and they decided to give up.

With a thud, I fell painfully to the sandy ground. I had made it past pack grounds, crossed the scarcely busy road and ended up in the woods, surrounded by thick trees that obstructed the sunlight.

Breathing in the dust, I heard the footsteps get closer and I pulled out my weapon, it was my last resort, the singular object between me and death.

And I waited, I waited and waited till the footsteps got to where I was and I looked up into the cold, dark eyes of Alpha Jonathan.

Time

Stilled.

Even the forest creatures didn’t dare make sound.

My entire being froze, including my thoughts.

His peculiar scent wafted up my nostrils.

Why did he have to come after me? What happened to the numerous guards out there?

Squatting to my level, he silently stared. But in his stare, I found lust, pure, raw, unbridled lust.

And that glare of his did quite alot of things to me.

“Mate!” she purred and I really wanted to smack her.

This man doesn’t care that we are his mate, even if we weren’t his mates, he was probably buying us to make us his s*x slaves. That's what many alphas did, many of them saw us as mere toys to satisfy their desires, the Alpha Edward of the pack I belonged to had many of those. Thank goddess I wasn’t part of them.

And I was sure all this man saw was what I could offer him. He never would properly regard me as his mate.

With that in my mind and from a place of rage and deep hurt at what life had dealt me with so far, I lifted my hand and buried the rusty steel weapon in his arm.