Chapter 1

MORGANA 

I ran faster navigating through the rough forests afraid to look back because I didn't want to see the man of my nightmares, my fated mate, not even in the shadows. I couldn't keep up with the way he treated me. I was supposed to be his Luna but I had never for a day felt like he loved me. 

"I punish you because I love you." He would often say after the many beating he'd give me during the day. 

Of course! I wondered if that was how men like him showed love. 

I didn't know where I was going. All I knew was that I had to find a way to go farther because I wouldn't want him catching up with me. I knew it was my only chance to run, immediately he left the room to go attend a meeting with the elders. I would rather die than live with a man like Alpha Logan who only cared about his selfish desires. 

I couldn't stop even though I was running out of breath or he would catch up with me once he found out I was missing. Suddenly, I heard a sound but I still couldn't stop. I turned to see where it was coming from, then stopped abruptly when my eyes caught a figure. 

He looked like he was dead but I could sense that he was still breathing. I decided to continue with my escape plan since he wasn't dead, thinking that someone would come and rescue him. 

"H- Help me, please." He groaned in pain and then I noticed the wound on his body. 

My heart began beating rapidly as I walked closer to see his face. He was really hurt and it seemed like he was in deep pain judging from the different kinds of burns and bites on his body. It's actually a miracle that he was still alive.

"Shit." I exclaimed when I realized that I obviously wasn't going to leave him there without helping. Sometimes, I hate that I have a good heart. 

"What happened to you?" I asked him bending over to see his bruises. He was hurt all over his body. "I'm talking to you. Hey!" I asked again but I got no response, he was unconscious. 

"Oh no. Don't die now." I exclaimed then looked around for shelter. If people were truly after him, then he needed to be in a safe place where they wouldn't find him. With the little energy I had in me, I carried him even with his manly statue to a cave not too far from where I had found him. 

There, I released the last energy I had on him, healing him. Then I fell to the ground, shutting my eyes and finally giving way to the darkness. 

******

I woke up abruptly breathing heavily. I had a bad dream and it was about the Evil Alpha Logan, he had caught up with me in my dream and had tortured me. I couldn't remember what happened last night but I noticed I had a splitting headache. 

"A nightmare?" Someone asked behind me and I turned to see who it was. 

The stranger from last night. 

"You're awake?" I was quite shocked at my healing powers as I never knew they were as effective as this. I had them since I was eighteen and for four years now, no one knew about them, not even my evil step sister, Nina, who would exploit me. 

"Yes, of course. You healed me." He responded with a smile on his face. He was looking at me so intently that I couldn't even make out my next sentence. 

"Oh." That was all I could say at the moment. I looked around me to find an open space where I could run through if he tried to behave like Alpha Logan. 

"Don't worry, I won't touch you. If you don't want it, that is." He responded, handing me some smoked fish. "While you were asleep, I had to go out in search of breakfast." 

I didn't know if he did that because he was nice or because he wanted to pay my kindness back. I nodded and accepted the fish. The thought that he might have poisoned it came into my head but I didn't let it stay for long. I was hungry so I took a bite and found out that it was delicious. 

As we ate quietly, the silence between us became awkward but I was willing to start up a conversation. I hadn't forgotten my mission and the reason I was here in the first place. I had decided that I would finish up my breakfast and we'd say our goodbyes. 

"Thank you for saving me." He blurted out and suddenly interrupted my thoughts. 

I turned to him and as I took a good look at him, I discovered that he was actually very good looking but then it raised my curiosity to a 100%. 

"What were you doing in the forest and why were you hurt so badly?" I asked, unable to stop myself. 

He smirked. "I know you have so many questions but can I also ask the reason why a young woman like you was running alone into the forest at that time of the night?" 

I pursed my lips then looked away from him. How could I tell a stranger that I was running away from my fated mate, a man who was supposed to be protecting me. I didn't know when the tears fell down my face but I turned my face away from him. 

"Do you have a Mate?" He asked finally. 

"Yes. He is the reason why I'm here. He is a monster!" I let out a stifled laugh and then suddenly the tears wouldn't stop falling. 

"I'm so sorry." I apologized. "I'm not always this emotional." I said feeling really embarrassed that I had to do this in front of a stranger. 

"Come on, don't be like that. Crying makes you stronger." He sat close to me and pats my back slowly but repeatedly as I let it all out. Then he put my head on his shoulder and I felt relief wash all over me. 

We both didn't say anything more to each other. For some minutes, he continued patting me slowly at my back, with my head on his shoulder. 

"You're silent." I finally say looking up to him. 

"You too." He responded. It was at this moment that I realized that we were seated too close to each other and I could feel his breath on my face as he looked down at me. I couldn't look away from him and he seemed to be enjoying staring at me too. 

I acknowledged the fact that his hand was still at my back, this time around steadily. His eyes went to my lips and I still didn't know what came into me as I grabbed his collar and pushed him to myself. 

"Shit." He muttered as his lips touched mine.