Chapter 2

"Grrrl!" He could not help the fury that seemed to boil underneath his skin. Like before, she had always been a challenge to him.

But it was the chase that sparked their connection. The thrill of dominating her stubbornness drew him to her, while the strength of her resolve earned his admiration and respect.

But more than that, she was his mate. She might be human, but fate chose her as his lifelong partner until destiny destroyed the bond that tied their lives together.

"Until now, you have not changed." He whispered, realizing that executing his plans would not be that easy. 

He watched her walk away. Or should he say run away was a better term for it? Nonetheless, it was clear that the connection between them was still more compelling than ever. 

He also felt it in her reaction to his presence as her heartbeat quickened and her blood boiled at his nearness. He concluded she still craved and burned to his touch as intensely as he did.

"You can run, Saige, but you can't hide." Of course, every nerve of his body wanted to go after her. It was his primal instinct to possess her. But he held himself back.

Like a hunter, he knew he had to be patient. He had to wait for the perfect time to catch his prey. Besides, he saw no problem finding her, especially when he knew where exactly to look.

However, he could not deny he was stunned by how his body responded to her. He thought he had stopped craving her when he had rejected her as his mate years ago.

Now? 

He was skeptical as he found himself in her presence again, feeling the same thing as he felt before. Maybe more intense than he remembered.

"What are you doing here?" Before he could analyze his feelings, he noticed another presence behind him, interrupting his thoughts. 

He did not need to turn around to see who it was. He had already sensed his friend's arrival a few minutes ago. He did not ask his friend to accompany him since he wanted to do this alone. 

He specifically told him to stay put. But he guessed his nosy friend forgot to read the memo when he decided to follow him instead. Now, he regretted telling him about his plans in the first place.

"I thought you might need some backup." He jokingly said, appearing amused with what he had witnessed.

But to make matters worse, he had to bring his security. 

Now, they looked like a pack of men in black suits, ready to hound their prey. 

"Don't say it, Doug." Xavier could already hear the "I told you so" from his friend's lips before he could open his mouth again. 

"You should not have come, Xavier, and just let me or someone else talk to her." His friend tapped him on the shoulder with a smug look on his handsome face.

He knew his friend spoke the truth, seeing the result of his encounter with his ex. Given their history, he should have expected it. 

"Shut up, man." He hated it when his friend was right. But he believed his friend meant well and always had his best interest at heart.

He had known his best friend for most of his life. They belonged to the same pack, growing up and doing almost everything together, including the good and the bad.

"But I guess you are right." He could not deny it. "Saige still has not forgotten." She hated him with good reason.

He had hoped that she might have let bygones be bygones. But apparently, he was mistaken. It had made him realize he still had his work cut out for him.

"What now?" He did not miss the mockery in his friend's tone. "Should I assemble a search party?" Again, the dry humor was evident as his friend openly ridiculed his methods. "Or should we just pack up and leave?"

Nevertheless, one failed plan would not stop him from pursuing her. No! He did not give up that easily. He had no qualms about going after her if it was the chase she wanted.

Besides, as much as he hated this ridiculous idea of reconnecting with her, his situation did not give him much of an option.

"Nah!" He shook his head while his mind came up with another approach. "I think you should leave. Take the men with you. I can handle this on my own." 

Xavier did not see the need for his friend and his security to follow him around. Besides, the hard part was over since he already found her. There was no way she could avoid him forever. 

And he had already weaved a new plan that did not include his good friend. Moreover, having men in suits following him around only attracted unwanted attention. "Fine. Your call. Your funeral." Again, his friend and his disparaging remarks. 

But he knew his friend meant it with good intentions. Doug was not just making fun of him but sending him a message. After all, they both knew the consequences if he failed.

Seconds later, he watched his friend's back disappear while he proceeded to his next task. This time, he had no plan to fail.

"Another drink!" He signaled the man behind the bar while his eyes sought her amongst the crowd.

He could still sense her strong presence and smelt her perfume despite the reeking sweat and smoke that filled the air. But the crowd and the structure blocked his view of her location.

Quickly, he moved, not wanting her out of sight a minute longer. Not only did he feel possessive of her. He also believed he could never trust the man she intended to meet.

"Damn you, Saige!" Detesting that his desire to possess her and need to protect her overpowered his hatred of her.

He should leave just like she requested, but his wolf would not let him, insisting he ensure her safety. But more than that, the beast in him wanted what was his. 

"But she is not ours, not anymore." He reminded his wolf that they already rejected her. But then again, his wolf seemed not to care as it insisted that he searched for her. 

"Not yet." His wolf insisted.

Then, his wolf reminded him that he needed her. She was the only solution to their problem. Therefore, he had no choice.

Of course, he had a profound reason to reject her as his mate years ago. He did not just do it on a whim. But he also had a desperate justification for wanting her back.

"Fuck it!" His wolf was right.

Not long after, he found her drinking with that vile man in the VIP area. Frankly, the scene was too cozy for his liking. It took everything in him to stop himself from barging into their meeting.

Eventually, he settled for stalking. He strained his ears to listen to their conversation. But he remained obscured from their view, hiding behind the shadows.

"As you can see, what I am asking for is reasonable." As she had said earlier, she was here for business. "You won't find a better investment than this."

However, he could tell that Mr. Osborne was not. The douchebag might be interested in what she offered, but he suspected the man wanted more than her business. 

He believed it was much, much more than she bargained for. But again, he thought she was too naïve to read between the lines as desperation muddled her common sense.

"I like your proposal, but I think we should continue talking more about this in the privacy of my room," Peter suggested as his hand traveled from the table down to her lap.

Of course, his instinct was to attack the man for daring to touch her. But he stopped himself, remembering that she was not his woman, at least not anymore. 

Not yet.

Finally, she realized the danger of the situation as she quickly swatted the man's hand off her skin. "I think here is just fine." She insisted while slowly moving discreetly farther from the man.

"I just thought you might like some privacy as we celebrate our partnership." He could hear the malice in the man's creepy voice.

"Don't you see how good we would be working together?" The double meaning of his words was too obvious. 

He could see that she also realized the imminent danger as panic became evident on her face. "Perhaps we should reschedule this meeting for another time."

He watched her pick up her bag, ready to leave. However, her feet seemed to wobble as she mildly lost her balance when she stood up. Eventually, she had to stop before she fell to the floor.

"That is unnecessary when we could seal the deal tonight." The man wickedly proposed as he held her on her shoulders and helped her back to her seat.

He eventually sensed her quickened heartbeat and her shallow breathing. "What is wrong with me?" She seemed distressed as her fingers held onto her temples.

"Don't worry, my darling. You are in good hands now." The slimeball assured her, followed by a wicked laugh of victory.

Slowly, the man put his hand back on her thigh and gently massaged it. Then, he gradually moved closer, gliding his other hand on her face down to her throat.

From what he could see, she was a sitting duck as her body slumped helplessly on the chair, unable to move or do anything but feebly moan as a sign of protest.

That was it.

"Osborne is a dead man."