Chapter 2- The encounter

I stood there, trying to comprehend what had unfolded right before my eyes, Alpha Cullen, whom I never stopped bragging to the girls at my school about how much he adored me.

My heart was shredded to pieces, I tried breathing, but it felt like I had lost my breath, and it was never coming back.

The worst part was the smirk on Lily's face, her eyes beaming with excitement like someone who had just won a lottery.

" Karen, please, I can explain! ". He held my arm, my eyes drifted to his masculine chest, which I once thought was attractive.

" Why are you pleading with her, I think it's time that she knew the truth". Lily, who had adjusted the strap of her dress, slowly strode towards me and only stopped a few inches away from me.

Her lips, which were previously painted with a red sheen, were all wiped away, and traces of it linger on Cullen's chin.

" You think you are so mighty and everyone should always bow at your feet, yet you couldn't tell that your boyfriend of four years was never in love with you".

" Lily, shut up! ". Cullen barked, his hairy arm still plunged to me.

" No! Let her speak, you are having sex with my fiancé, knowing that your father could be banished from the pack and yet, you stand here to speak to me about love, you think he loves you, it's all lust my dear".

I try to put up a strong front, my hand placed above my waist, but she rolls her eyes at me.

" Cullen adores me, even if we were banished from this pack, he will gladly accept us with open arms, I make me moan and what do you do for him, Nothing! ".

" Cullen, you are going to stand here and watch your mistress insult me".

" I am not his mistress, you are not married to him yet, Just wait and see who he gets married to! ".

" Lily, that is enough! ". Cullen growled, his eyes flickering red, and she knew that it was time to withdraw.

She took a few steps backward, I could not stand the both of them again, and I dashed out of there.

As I ran into the living room filled with people who had come for the engagement, I could no longer hold my tears.

" Karen, wait! ". Daddy called out to me, but I was unable to stand the humiliation, I dashed out of the house running as fast as I could.

I kept running for as long as I did, and I could feel myself running winded, Even as I ran, I was so mortified that I kept wishing that the earth would open and swallow me.

I only stopped running when I realized that I was in the woods, away from anyone who knew me.

Slowly, I sat on a wood beside me, I was choking, and it felt like my heart had been punctured over a million times over by pins.

Tears wailed down my eyes and I could not stop crying even if I wanted to.

I cried for so long that my eyes became heavy, and my heart was pounding until I fell asleep right there in the woods.

The sound of the wind slipping through trees and the snapping of twigs and grass woke me up. Slowly I opened my eyes which still seemed heavy from excessive crying.

But I could see shadows in the dark standing right in front of me, I tried to rub my eyes with my arm, and only then did I realize that it was chained.

" Ahhhh... ". I screamed, feeling the toxins they had injected me slowly circulating through my system.

My eyes were wide open now with each surge of pain that came through, and I could see their faces now, it was the hunters.

On several occasions, I had fought with them, but today I was caught up in a vulnerable state.

" Karen Aldoph! ". One of the men with massive height who stood in front of me wearing black pronounced my name like it sounded toxic and in the dark, I saw his lips twitch.

" You are a fierce one, I never thought that it would be so easy to capture you".

" You think that you have captured me, you come close to me, and you will have your head on a steak".

I tightened my jaws, my fist clenched behind my back while tied together. The three of them giggle before he walks closer to me again and with his wipe dosed with wolves bane.

He hit me as hard as he could on my arm, my skin shredded and the wolves bane pierced in burning deep into my skin.

I could hear it burning through my skin like someone who had just had an encounter with a burning iron.

" Ahhhhh... ". I screamed at the top of my voice, my face covered with sweat and blood.

The pain slowly sank into my heart, I whimpered while trying to take in all the pain.

" Now darling, I think that you will be ready to talk, where does your father keep the key to the factory? ".

" At… At…. ". I could feel my throat dry and thirsty…

" What are you saying, you will have to be loud because I can't hear you".

" I…. It…. ". He drew closer to me, his ear drifting closer to my lips and in one fast move, I opened my mouth and let my teeth crash through his ear.

Blood appeared on his teeth and he screamed in pain.

" You wretch… You think that you are tough, right, then let's see how tough you can be".

He opened the box he was holding, bringing forth a gun, after inserting a bullet into it, he directed the weapon to me, it made a cracking sound as his hand fiddled it.

Just then, I could hear a loud growl, a large white wolf with excessive fur, its eyes glimmering red as it moved closer to them.

" It's him… The rogue alpha! ". Slowly they drifted backward, the sound of their heartbeat pacing loudly, sweat dripping from their forehead that even the name they called out sent shivers down their spine.

" Run. ". Their leader ordered as he took to his hills not to bother turning back, but the other two weren't lucky enough.

The wolf charged towards them, grabbing them with his claws as he devoured their skin while making a loud groan sound.

They kept screaming at the top of their voice, hoping that someone would come to their aid, but no one did as blood filled the grass, their corpse devoured.

He howled as his voice echoed through the woods, Slowly he twisted his body as it related with his bones making cracking sounds and as he shifted back to his human form.

Standing before me was the most handsome creature I have ever met. His skin was fair, mostly pale white, and as he turned to stare at me,

His golden brown eyes locked with mine, his eyes were deep and expressive, and I got lost staring into them.

My eyes slowly drifted to his bare chest, they were sculpted and yet smooth, he slowly walked toward me, his height huge, and as he looked down at me, his shiny long blonde hair fizzy around his shoulder.

He was naked, which I almost forgot without realizing When my eyes drifted down there, I startled and instantly shut my eyes.

Suddenly, I felt his strong and warm arms around me, As he carried me, I was brought back to reality, my body feeling sore from all the torture I experienced, and right there, everything felt blank.

RYDER'S POV….

The day felt hectic as usual, we had just conquered another small pack, and I had lost most of my men again in the war.

My body was covered in blood and bruises, some were previous bruises that had slowly turned into scars, while some were recently acquired.

Carmel and Khai took the captives back to our camp while I stayed back searching for anything unusual.

Although the feline pack was small, they had a massive school for their kids, a factory where most pack members were employed, and a good hospital with most facilities needed.

I scrutinized the entire place, hoping to send some of our pack members there when I heard a loud wailing through the woods.

The voice echoed through the woods, piercing deep into my heart, and just then my wolf BLAZER struck my heart as he whispered; MATE.

Without a second thought, I began to run into the woods, blazer so anxious and wanting to shift form, he howled so loud from within, and I let him shift form.

He could not wait to meet our mate finally after waiting desperately for years.