Her Revenge Contract

Chapter 3 - Where am I

Katherine's POV

I gasped for air, feeling a large amount of water blocking my airway and forcing me to sink to the bottom.

Was this how I was going to die?

I jolted awake with a scream, opening my eyes to the blinding sunlight outside the window, seeing thin white curtains moving in the breeze.

Unfamiliar curtains, unfamiliar decor, unfamiliar bed...

Startled, I sat upright.

"Where am I?" 

At that very second, the bedroom door opened slowly, revealing a man so beautifully muscular that my heart stopped for a second and my eyes widened. 

As his intoxicated scent of forest and pinewood hit my nostrils, my heart trembled for him.

I had never smelled such a unique fragrance before. Could he be my mate?

"You are finally awake!" he said, pinning my gaze, and a soft smile played at the corner of his lips.

"I…" I croaked, barely able to form words.

He held out a hand and gestured to me to keep quiet and he calmly turned and walked towards a table in the corner of the room.

"Here?" he handed me a glass.

I scrunched my eyebrows, remaining particularly cautious in this unfamiliar environment.

"It is water, not poison," he reassured, seemingly sensing my concern. To put me at ease, he took a sip first.

I took the glass and cautiously took a sip of the water. Instantly, the moistness in my throat felt like redemption in the desert, and I gulped down the rest of the water.

"Thanks…" I said, and he stepped closer and took the glass from me.

My gaze moved over his perfect face. In an instant, the proximity between us felt as if we could sense each other's breaths.

"Who are you?" I asked in a soft voice.

"I am Xavier Black, from…"

"Black Umbrella Tribe?"As soon as I heard his name, thoughts of this tribe came to mind, and I eagerly picked up on his words.

"You know me?" he looked at me with joy, his shimmering eyes revealing delight.

It was really him!

I swallowed hard against the knot in my throat. Who would have thought that I was mated to the rival tribe's alpha!

"Kathrine…"

"Kate," I cut him off. How did he know my name?

Xavier turned around and retrieved a medical kit from the cabinet, walking calmly to the side of my bed.

"Now your back needs some medication. The doctor said it will help you heal faster," he said gently.

I nodded and took off my shirt, revealing my back which was covered in scars and scabs.

"I'll be gentle, but if it hurts, feel free to bite me," he joked.

Once again, I caught a whiff of his forest scent that belonged only to me. It seemed to act as a natural sedative, soothing my pain.

As he carefully cleaned the scabs near my wounds, he spoke, "You know, when I first saw you, I could already smell that unique scent on you, the one that belongs only to me."

When his fingers accidentally brushed against my skin, I suddenly felt an electric current surge through my body, a tingling sensation dancing across my senses.

I had never experienced such an unknown and irresistible touch before.

After applying the medication, Xavier helped me put my clothes back on with great care.

"Kate, I believe you must have sensed it too. We will be mates."

After I finished dressing, Xavier turned back to face me, looking at me with deep affection.

I knew that from the moment I laid eyes on him, I felt the suppressed excitement coursing through my veins.

Seeing me hesitate and remain silent, he continued, "You're seriously injured, and I don't know what you've been through," his voice filled with concern, "but now you have nothing to fear. As long as you become my mate, I can always protect you, and no one will be able to harm you."

A wave of warmth surged in my heart, and I finally had a mate of my own. I would no longer be alone.

"Xavier, I would be incredibly happy to be your mate," I couldn't hide my excitement, and my lips involuntarily curled up.

"That's fantastic, Kate! Thank you for accepting me!" Xavier beamed with joy, pacing up and down in my room.

My eyes followed his footsteps, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Go to hell, Kate!" Suddenly, an image flashed in my mind of my aunt throwing me off a cliff.

As my brain throbbed with pain, a sense of fear engulfed me.

No, it couldn't be...

As the alpha of the tribe, he certainly had that kind of power. But once he started acting, it would inevitably involve more than just a few people; the entire tribe would be implicated, and innocent pack members would die because of me.

Just the thought of it made the corners of my mouth droop.

"Xavier, wait. I..." I had no choice but to rain on his parade. My heart felt like it was being pricked by needles, as if someone was cutting into my flesh with a blade, preventing me from saying anything that would hurt him.

"I can't..." I took a deep breath.

My brain kept telling me that I wanted to, that I wanted to be his mate, to be with him...

But I had to painfully say, "I can't be your mate."

Xavier's eyes widened, and he staggered back in astonishment.

"Why? No! Kate! Why would you say that?" He suddenly pressed his chest, furrowing his brow and veins bulging on his forehead. It was where his heart was, and he was clearly in agony. "Don't you feel the heart-wrenching pain?"

I caught another whiff of his unique scent, but this time it was particularly strong.

"Xavier! This isn't that simple. I hope you can understand." I fought against the urge to possess him, my body and mind locked in a struggle, tangled with each other.

"Do you think I, as an alpha, am incapable of protecting my own mate?" Xavier grew somewhat angry, his eyes revealing pure gold, and his teeth gradually sharpening.

"No, it's precisely because you're so powerful that I can't be your mate," I shook my head. I couldn't involve him in the conspiracy of my family. I had to end this on my own. "I'm sorry, Xavier. I can't make you any promises."

When I rejected him, it felt like my heart was bleeding.

But he didn't seem discouraged. He continued with unwavering determination, saying, "My mate is in trouble, and you expect me to stand by and watch? I won't compromise. I want to share your pain. I want to accept all of you! Please tell me what happened!"

Xavier stared at me with a hint of anger. "Is it related to those who hurt you?"

He had guessed correctly.

"No matter what happens, I'm willing to face it with you. Even if it means risking my life, I swear to the Moon Goddess. Tell me," he reassured me once again.

I couldn't help but be deeply captivated by his sincere and passionate emotions.

"Well then, okay."

After much consideration, I decided to tell him what had happened to me—the physical and emotional torment I had endured.

"Kate," unexpectedly, Xavier embraced me, his body warm and comforting like sunlight on a snowy mountain. "I had no idea you had suffered so much pain."

His tone carried heartache and fury.

"Xavier... don't you understand? I don't know if I'll be lucky enough to survive like this again. I can't even imagine the terrible things that would happen to you if I were to die unexpectedly."

In my memories, the wolves whose mates died gradually became insane, unable to accept reality, and ultimately embraced death in solitude.

"If it means you going through something like that, I'd rather never become your mate," I spoke cruel words, but the faint ache in my heart seemed to punish my selfishness.

Xavier clenched his teeth, experiencing the same pain as me.

"Why do we meet only to be forced apart? We're so compatible!"

In a rage, he turned the phone to show me a news clip. "Katherine King's death is confirmed, and relatives are in agony!"

"Are these the people who hurt you?" a beastly growl rumbled deep in Xavier's throat.

I grabbed onto Xavier's wrist and pulled the phone towards me to have a better look, then clicked on the video attached to the news bulletin.

Journalists and the media were scrambling towards a man with dark brown hair… I immediately recognized that it was my uncle.

Anger boiled up in me as I spotted my aunt who was acting like she was crying her heart out.

"It's them! These animals!!" I growled under my breath, "they are the murderers!"

Xavier silently watched me, then raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Kate," he said, his voice filled with contemplation, "believe me, I won't let them get away with it."