Run

Stormy grey eyes with specks of red forming into rings look down at me in bewilderment that almost rivals mine. I stand in a trance, unable to move or pull away from the gaze even when it hardens in recognition and then finally possessiveness. My head feels funny and elation sings in my veins as I let myself study the appearance of the man that carries the scent and eyes of my mate.

His face is angular, sharp striking features cut into perfection with unrealistically high cheekbones and a defined jaw to match. Dark straight brows crown those intense eyes and a narrow Roman nose leads to a sculpted mouth now holding an expression between a pout and frown. He's tall, way taller than me at least, bigger and stronger, and masculine in every way.

Our perfect mate; my wolf swoons and that's what finally breaks my trance, causing me to step out of the man's arms immediately.

Only now do I notice the power that oozes from the creature, thick in riveting waves like an aura of sorts. I furrow my brows in confusion when I note the four men dressed in black standing behind him, looking ready to strike if I do one wrong move.

Who is this male?

He's a wolf, that much I'm certain. It isn't like werewolves can't have other supernaturals as mates. But the way my wolf is wagging her tail happily in my head and calling for alpha proves his wolf status. I can almost feel the mate bond coming into place between us but what else?

He's certainly not only wolf.

Is this man a hybrid? Hellhound? Might be someone of high status in the Underworld but what is he doing in the Human realm?

My confusion is quickly answered when someone runs up to my mate, huffing as if he had to run a long distance to get to him. He's an elf, a professor from what I can gather just from his scent that is laden with the smell of books and the ink stains on his fingertips. A clumsy professor. But what leaves his mouth has me looking at my mate incredulously before bolting out of there.

"My King, why did you leave so abruptly?"

I don't look back in my hurry to get out of there, not stopping once until I'm out of the campus entirely. The incredibility of the situation makes me want to puke. Why did the Moon Goddess pair me with the King of Wolves? I mentally facepalm, cursing my luck and hoping the King couldn't recognize me with the magic running in my veins. I can feel sweat dot across my brow and scalp when I think of the consequences of being found by supernaturals. Of course, it's not uncommon for supernaturals to come to the human realm but my mother's magic prevents them from detecting my wolf scent. To them, I come across as an ordinary human girl.

In the last four years that I've spent in the Human Realm, I've come across many beasts. Vampires are the most common species that I've crossed paths with as blood is their source of food. And they say human blood tastes the best. So many a few find their way above the surface to hunt unsuspecting humans. They don't drain them enough to kill unlike humans like to believe.

Of course, or their existence would be out to the world.

The underworld has laws to safeguard the secrecy of supernaturals. We can't just come and go whenever we like. Every beast that sets foot out of the Underworld must have acquired the permission of the council of elders. They're like a security council of sorts.

The permission is a sort of tracker spell that binds them to the Underworld, like a twisted form of visa. Then they are closely monitored by soldier fairies and elves to make sure they don't break any law while in the human realm.

One of those laws is that a supernatural can't choose to reside outside the Underworld's boundary for more than a week, the tracker spell makes certain that the supernatural is sent back to the Underworld the moment the time is up. Running away from the Underworld is a great crime, almost like treason in the human world but bigger. It results in the most brutal capital punishment in the Underworld.

A crime that I committed at a very young age. Something that makes me worthy of being chained in Carcere until my bones melt under the chains and my body deforms, death never comes quickly.

I shiver when I think of it. I can't go back. If I go there, they'll kill me... that is if my mate doesn't decide to kill me first.

I curse my bad luck. Like really, what kind of fate did the Moon Goddess decide for me? First, my family was hellbent on killing me, then out of nowhere, I was being chased to be murdered by Vampires and Demons alike. And now that I've run away from all that, now that my mother has sacrificed her life to save mine. I have a mate... that too, the King of Wolves. The strongest man in the Underworld.

Just my luck.

I huff out a breath as I hastily climb up the stairs to my apartment, clutching my book bag against my chest and looking back every once in a while to confirm that no one is following me. I breathe a sigh of relief when I make it to my floor.

Gulping when my treacherous heart still doesn't calm down from its rapid tempo. I shake involuntarily as I make it to my door. But my breath catches in my throat, palms becoming clammy when I find my door unlocked.

A knot is lodged in my throat, threatening to choke me as I push the door open, finding nothing but a dark hallway. Half of me wants to step into my apartment, assuring myself that I must have left the door unlocked while leaving in the morning. But the other half just wants me to bolt out of there. I don't want to be one of the girls in those human horror movies who walk right into the haunted house knowing they are about to get killed.

Gathering the non-existent courage within me, I clutch the fabric of my dress as step into my apartment. Instantly I'm met with darkness and I release the breath I was holding because I clearly left that door unlocked, didn't I?

Shaking my head, I make my way to the living room to turn on the lights. I drop my bag on the table next to the door before I turn on the lights of my apartment, bathing it in a fluorescent glow.

Well, that was a bad idea.

I stop dead in my tracks when my eyes fall upon the creature lazily lounging on my couch. His long legs enclasped in black tailored pants, stretched in front of him. My heart start shaking when I realise just how fast he must be to come here before me when I didn't even pause once during my rush home.

Speed is power, Annabelle. My wolf swoons and I want to slap her.

Well, he's the King of Wolves. Obviously, he's powerful, you dumb chick.

You're the dumb one here for thinking you can outrun him. My wolf replies, always the snappier one between the two of us.

The gorgeous man in front of me studies me as if in boredom with his hand pressed against his lips and his expression stoic and I've never been more terrified yet captivated in my life.

His eyes glint a cruel silver, the blue nowhere in sight as he stands from the couch. His presence feels far too large in my small apartment, too big for my little heart to handle without falling to my knees under the sheer dominance that oozes from him in waves. And suddenly, I don't know what to do, my feet feel like they are made of lead and my body seems stuck in place no matter how hard I command it to leave. The way my heart hurts, and aches, to be closer to him doesn't help one bit.

So I do what I should have done the moment I recognized him, I drop to my knees in surrender. Because now there is nothing I can do to prevent my forthcoming fate. He's the King of Wolves, I can't outrun him. No matter how hard I try, I know he will find me. Now thinking back on my actions of the last hour, I want to slap myself.

Running away was stupid.

I show him my neck in submission when a deadly rumble rises from his chest, the sound making the hairs at the back of my neck stand in fear and alarm. I can feel my "fight and flight" getting activated but I try to calm myself, not wanting to enrage the powerful wolf any further.

"So now you choose to behave, little wolf?" His voice is deep, so deep it makes my heart do weird little summersaults. And I clutch the fabric of my dress to prevent myself from keening.

Shut up, dumb wolf. I scold my wolf when she urges me to purr in his presence.

Dumb you, Belle. She doesn't ever hold back, does she?

Regaining my senses and trying to shake the nerves off as they make me shake in fear, I clear my throat to speak. My throat feels a little too dry thanks to the mad dash across town but I manage to keep my voice steady nonetheless, keeping my eyes on the ground still.

"I apologize, My King. I'm ready to accept any punishment you see fit for me," I grit my teeth to stop the tears of frustration from welling up in my eyes as I wait for him to speak. I can't help but feel like a failure. All my efforts, all my mother's efforts, and her sacrifice to keep me alive are going to fall into the drain after this.

"Stand," His voice lacks warmth but also rage, a neutral tone that has my wolf whining within me at the indifference with which our mate treats us. I push myself to stand up on wobbly knees anyway as he approaches me.

So close, I can smell the distinct notes of rain in his pine scent and it makes me feel dizzy.

"Annabelle Swanpool, the only female child of Alpha Hades and Luna Candice died alongside her mother four years ago in a car crash. I personally sent your coffin into the Sea of Wolves," His tone holds accusation as he speaks and I just want to drown somewhere, "Tell me, Annabelle. How did a girl of merely seventeen years of age manage to fool the Underworld? Are you aware of the severity of your crime, little wolf?" Suddenly he's turning his back to me and I can finally breathe, now that I'm no longer under his watchful gaze.

This time, I can't help the tears that fall from my eyes, my heart hurting from the effort it takes for me to hold in my tears. "I-I can defend myself, My King. P-please don't kill me," The fear of death clogs my pores and I don't know how I managed to hold up for so long around him without hyperventilating.

"Nonsense, you know the Underworld never speaks judgment without giving a chance to the accused to defend themself. You will be taken to the Royal Court where you will have the liberty to defend yourself properly," He speaks like I'm stupid and although I'm thankful for the chance I'm given to change my fate, I would like him to at least give me a little bit of acknowledgment as his mate now cause the mate bond is starting to hurt me with its one-sided rope.

Why is our mate so indifferent to us?

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