Seraphina's POV
For years, I'd bottled up every cruel word, every humiliation, every moment of abuse. To finally let it all out, to see their faces crumble as I spoke the truth... it was intoxicating.
Maybe if I'd had the opportunity to slap their faces a few times, then maybe the anger in my heart would be completely released. But this would have to do for now. This was enough.
I was so lost in my thoughts, replaying every delicious moment of their humiliation, that I didn't notice the figure standing directly in my path until it was too late.
I walked straight into him.
A startled gasp left my lips as I stumbled backward. I was about to fall, but strong hands shot out instinctively, catching me around the waist and pulling me steady.
A strange electric current ran through my body as time seemed to stop. Our eyes met, and everything around us disappeared. The sounds of the gala faded away, the world narrowed to just this moment, just us.
I found myself staring into the most intense pair of brown eyes I'd ever seen—dark, powerful, and filled with something that made my heart race for entirely different reasons than it had moments before.
His grip on my waist tightened slightly, and I felt something electric pass between us. Something that made my breath catch and my knees weak.
Finally, a single word escaped his lips, spoken so quietly I almost missed it, but it hit me like a thunderbolt:
"Mine."
I stood there, completely stunned. My mind had gone blank, unable to process what had just happened. The word "Mine" echoed in my head like a bell that wouldn't stop ringing.
I looked up at the man holding me, really looked at him for the first time. And God, he was absolutely gorgeous. Devastatingly handsome in a way that made my breath catch in my throat.
His black hair was slightly tousled, like he'd just run his fingers through it. Those brown eyes that had captured mine were deep and intense, like liquid chocolate with flecks of gold. His lips were full and perfectly shaped—the kind that made you wonder what they would feel like against yours.
He stood there in his perfectly tailored black suit, and power radiated from every inch of him. There was an aura about him that screamed dominance, strength, and authority.
He had a natural magnetism that drew you in, but his presence was commanding in a way that made you want to either submit or flee. There was no warmth in his beauty, only sharp edges and icy control.
He was even more handsome than Alpha Kane, but where Kane had that playboyish warmth, this man was all cold danger. The kind of man who could destroy you with a single look.
But then reality crashed down on me like a bucket of ice water. My eyes widened as recognition hit me, and my blood turned to ice in my veins.
This was him—the man who had killed my father.
And now, he was my mate.
"No, no, no," I whispered, stumbling backward. This couldn't be happening. This had to be some kind of cruel joke from the Moon Goddess.
He was watching me with confusion and disbelief. But when he noticed the change in my expression, he asked, "Are you alright?"
Oh God, his voice was so deep and husky. It should have sent butterflies dancing in my stomach, but instead it filled me with pure horror. I was anything but alright. I was in complete shock.
"I refuse!" I yelled, my voice cracking with panic and desperation.
Before he could understand what I meant, before he could react, I spun around and bolted. Not toward the pack house—toward the jungle. I needed to get out of there. Away from him, from the bond, from this sick twist of fate.
That was Alpha Adrian Blackwood. The man who hated my family. The man who despised the royal blood flowing through my veins. And I had turned out to be his mate.
If I stayed, I knew exactly what would happen. He would kill me, just like he killed my father. The same hatred that burned in his veins would ignite the moment he realized who I was.
My feet carried me swiftly through the pack territory, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. I headed for the secret path I'd discovered years ago—a hidden route through the pack boundaries where there were no guards.
It was my escape route, the one I'd planned to use tonight.
I plunged into the jungle, holding my torn gown up with one hand as I ran. Branches caught at my dress and hair, but I didn't care. My only thought was to get far away from that man who might kill me. The man who was supposed to be my other half turned into my worst nightmare.
My mind spun in a thousand directions, trying to comprehend how fate could be so cruel. How could the Moon Goddess bond me to him? To the one man who would take one look at me and wish me dead?
Tears blurred my vision, but I kept going. The jungle was dark and full of shadows, but I pressed deeper. Panic filled my face as I stumbled over roots and pushed through thick vegetation.
My breathing was ragged, and my heart hammered against my ribs. Suddenly, a wolfish howl echoed through the trees.
For a moment, my body froze. My eyes widened as I looked around in panic, spinning in circles as I tried to locate the source of the sound. That howl sounded weird; it was wild and feral. That wasn't a normal wolf—it was something else entirely.
Not caring about anything else, I ran desperately. But without warning, a massive wolf burst from the bushes and tackled me to the ground. At first, I thought it was Alpha Adrian coming after me. But as the creature pinned me down, a rotten, sickening smell filled my nostrils. The scent was wrong—like blood and death.
My heart beat wildly in panic as I realized what this was.
Rogues.
The exiled wolves who had lost their humanity, who couldn't shift and lived like wild beasts in the forest. My body trembled as it snarled in my face, its yellowed teeth dangerously close to my neck.
No! Not like this. I was not dying like this!
My hand moved frantically across the ground until I found a nearby stone. Without hesitation, I grabbed it and smashed it against the rogue wolf's head with all my strength.
He groaned in pain and growled at me, his yellow eyes flashing with fury. Blood spilled from the wound, but it only made him angrier. He growled louder.
"Get off me!" I screamed, kicking and thrashing.
With one final shove, I pushed him off balance just enough to squirm free. I scrambled to my feet and ran with all my strength, ignoring the burning in my lungs, the pain in my limbs, and the torn state of my gown.
I was running for my life.
Fleeing from death.
Escaping from a bond I didn't ask for.
And now, being hunted by a rogue wolf.