chapter 2

Renova turned to the right and swayed her phone flashlight. The moon was shinning brightly down on them and the more Renova noticed this, the more she sensed they were in danger.

"I can't protect you if they decide to eat you". Renova said for the last time.

"God!" Cara groaned behind her.

"Just reminding you". She muttered as she turned right. She walked a bit and squinted her eyes to catch a glimpse of what was ahead before looking up. "We're there". The words fell off her lips. "The trees are tall and—" She pointed the light to the ground. "—there's hardly any leaf on the ground." She turned to Cara. "Let's start searching".

Cara shot her arm under Nova's nose. "Smell me".

Nova sighed and slapped Cara's arm away. "I've been with you for over two years. I know your scent more than I know mine". She turned and gathered her focus on the ground. Cara went Eastward and Nova went Northward, fervently searching the ground.

After a while, a sharp smell flashed across her nose and she knew the wristwatch was somewhere close. She bent down, hoping to catch the smell again and when she finally did, she followed it.

"Nov..no... Nova". Cara stammered behind her as she retracted her steps. She had probably seen an insect she was scared of.

"I warned you. Now stay away, I need to focus on your wristwatch".

"Nova...Nova".

"What!" Nova stood straight and turned. "Now you're scared. I told—". Nova swallowed the next word at the sight in front of her. She pulled Cara behind her quickly and they stepped back. Her heart started beating loudly in her chest and she swallowed repeatedly to control her breathing.

Her palm came to her chest to hold the necklace her late grandma said would protect her. If she was feeling this way, how was Cara feeling? She couldn't breathe. The thought of losing her friend scared her.

There were five werewolves in front of them and honestly, they didn't look nice. They sneered at the smell of a human as they moved closer.

Nova stood in front of Cara who grabbed her top with shaky hands, muttering a prayer.

"Please. Don't hurt us. We'll leave quietly and I promise she'll never say anything about your existence". Renova begged.

They growled adamantly and that tightened Cara's grip on her. The wolves were only an inch away from grabbing Cara off her back and tearing her skin when they stopped. All at once. They all retracted their steps and Faraway, Nova saw another wolf coming. He must have linked them to stop.

All of the sudden, an alluring smell which caused goosebumps all over her skin hit her nostrils. Her eyes flashed wide as they came in contact with the bright green eyes in front of her. Her mate?!

She stepped back with Cara in disbelief. Her racing heart paused when she noticed another different thing. The aura around him was strong..really strong and commanding. Could it be....could he be...

"Alpha?" The words fell off her lips abruptly. She was mated to an alpha?! "No no. This can't be real. It's all...probably..probably just...a misunderstanding". She shook her head as she stuttered. She couldn't be mated to an alpha! She had planned to flee to another country if she ever found her mate but wouldn't an alpha find her no matter where she went?

Her world shattered when she realised he wasn't just an ordinary alpha. He was Devian. He could only be Devian. He was surely Devian. Fuck!

Her hand came to cover her mouth as she stumbled back. The wolf kept coming close as she kept fighting the bond that wanted her to stay still.

"No no. This can't be real". She watched as her mate's green eyes saddened. "I'm so sorry..I can't do...I can't...oh no". She turned and held confused Cara, roughly pulling her out of the scene. On her way, her eyes caught cara's watch and she picked it up hurriedly. She felt something she assumed was a stone under her feet but she ran off with cara when she saw her mate behind them. She had to leave. Faraway.

••

Renova paced back and forth in her room while constantly running her fingers through her hair, muttering a curse every second.

"Let me get this straight. That wolf who saved my skin is your mate. And he's the youngest and the most vicious Alpha in the state. And he's your mate. And you ran away". She spoke, putting a pause between every sentence. She demonstrated with her hand while holding a cup of water with the other hand. She was probably still shocked.

"I told you. I warned you to let it be tomorrow. Carasson, you dragged me into this shit!"

"Hey". She dropped the cup and stood up. "Finding your mate is shitty? The fact that he let me go, the fact that he didn't tell the other wolves to drag you down to his territory when you were running away means he's different. You know how much you guys feel when you find your mate but he still let you go. Renova, think!"

"Yes. I'm thinking! And do you know what I just concluded. I'm leaving. I have to leave". Nova walked to her wardrobe.

"What? You must be kidding. What about your job? What about our plans? What about me?"

"Look Cara, he's devian. And he'll hunt me down no matter what. I have to leave as early as possible". She started throwing her clothes out to her bed.

"No you'll not". She packed all the clothes and shoved it back into her wardrobe. "You'll be with Devian and that's it!"

"I said no!"

"Stop! Just stop it! Do I have to fucking remind you what they did to me? In my own pack, I was treated like nothing because I don't have the wolf gene in me. My Grandma who was the only one by my side died and my drunk ass uncle turned me into a fucking punch bag. He lied against me and without a chance, I was thrown out of my pack. I blamed myself for years. I wished I had died and when I thought I'd found a place to stay, the same damn thing happened!" Renova screamed, her face wet with her own tears.

Cara who felt bad for letting Nova's old wound bleed embraced her and Pat her back slowly. "I'm sorry". She whispered.

Nova pulled out of the hug after a while and wiped her tears, sniffing in a bit. "It's fine". She managed to say.

"But am sure he knows you're a non-shifter". She continued.

"Cara!"

Cara shot her arms up in surrender like she was expecting Nova to scream at her. "Sorry". She turned and sat on her bed.

Nova sighed, thinking of what she'd do. Cara wouldn't let her run away and she couldn't take Cara with her because she was the only one taking care of her grandma.

She fell on her bed and let her mind drift back to the green eyes she saw under the moonlight. His wolf was big and dangerously black. So beautiful she wanted run her hands through his fur.

But how could she of all losers be mated to Devian? There were lots of female shape shifters but why her? She hated to admit it but a part of her was thrilled to have Devian as her mate while a part of her hated it because of the rumors she had heard.

She lifted her hand to touch her necklace but flew up from her bed when she didn't feel her necklace on her neck. She peeped into her top but still didn't find anything. "Fuck!"

"Your necklace?"

Nova closed her eyes and flicked them open when an image of her stepping on something after she picked Cara's wristwatch flashed across her eyes. "Shit! That was my necklace!" She stomped her feet on the floor repeatedly and threw herself on her bed when another thought of him picking it up crossed her mind.

She had to find her necklace!