is it love when we've given up

before we tried?

I took one last look at their bodies, before pulling my mask back up and sheathing Hellper.

"Hey! What are you doing?" someone yelled. I looked over my shoulder to see four bulky Reds walking my way.

One of them whistled. "Looks like we found ourselves a nice little doll to play with," he said.

Doll? Was there a single rogue in the Red pack with manners?

"Hey, isn't that Charlie and Seth?" another questioned, looking at the two dead bodies behind me.

"Well, well, well. I guess our doll is going to die tonight," the first one grinned.

I had to get out of there. Judging by their build, these men were trained in fighting so I knew I wouldn't easily win in a fight against all four of them.

But I could still run like hell.

And I did.

Within seconds they were sprinting after me. I didn't shift into my wolf because it was a dead giveaway that I was of royal blood, but that didn't matter because I had trained my human form to be just as fast as my wolf.

I tore through the forest, not really knowing where I was running. I glanced over my shoulder to see that all four had shifted into their wolves and were starting to gain on me. I started to run faster, pumping my legs as hard as I could. The trees blurred as I flew by. I could hear the vicious snarls of the rogues that were hot on my trail and the wind rushing past my ears.

I needed to lose them.

I veered right and ran in that direction for a few minutes until I switched to running left. I zig-zagged for a while until there was only one rogue left in my pursuit.

I willed myself to go faster.

Within another minute, I had lost the last rogue. I kept running even then, to make sure I had completely lost them all. Once I was sure I was alone, I slowed to a stop.

I took a look at my surroundings and sharply inhaled when I realized I had crossed into a different pack territory.

Shit.

I needed to figure out how to get home and fast. If one of the pack members caught me, I was going to be in a lot of trouble.

I was pretty sure I ran from the rogues in the opposite direction of where my pack was in relation to Crescent Moon. My pack lied on the east side of Crescent Moon, meaning I ran west.

The only pack to the west of Crescent Moon was ...

My gut dropped.

The Shadow Pack.

The Shadow Pack was the most ruthless pack of all. Alpha Rowan was notoriously known for being cruel, unforgiving, and heartless. He took over as Alpha at the mere age of 16 and became the youngest, but most impressive, Alpha in history. He ruled the only pack that the Reds were not in control of; all others had given in to the Reds within the first year of their rule, but Alpha Rowan had stood his ground.

And he still held it.

Terrible rumors were spoken about him.

He killed his father.

He imprisoned his mother.

He abuses his pack members.

He slaughters everyone that comes on his territory - even kids.

He defeats packs in minutes.

He eats hearts for breakfast.

I was pretty sure the last one was fake. But nonetheless, his reputation was well-established. The Shadow pack itself was spoken about long before he came into power. Many rumors about his parents had also circulated the werewolf world before him; the most significant one being about his mother, the Mad Luna.

She was labeled that when she started exhibiting abnormal behaviour many years ago. Uncle Eddie told me about many of her unexplainable breakdowns at meetings, how she would frantically scream at nothing in particular, and the way she would quietly whisper to herself in the presence of other people.

It was rumoured that Alpha Rowan tossed her in a cell to lock away all of her craziness.

I didn't know how much of anything was true, but I did know that I needed to leave before my presence was known. My wolf was on edge; I could feel her tension in the back of mind as she evaluated our situation.

Werewolves weren't able to talk directly with their wolves, but we could communicate with them through emotion. I had learned to read my wolf's emotions through our bond, just as she became more in tune with mine. Her presence was always there, constantly observing and relaying her inner feelings and instincts.

I was about to start running back when I felt the hairs on my neck rise. A breeze picked up, wafting the most divine smell up my nostrils. The aroma was woodsy, mixed with leather and musk as well as a hint of peppermint. The scent dripped with raw power, wrapping itself around me, igniting every fibre in my body. Everything about it was pure and utter man, and it shook me to my core. I felt passion, hunger, desire.

It only took one breath for me to realize this scent owned me.

My wolf was basking in pure ecstasy. Her happiness and excitement was contagious, spreading all throughout me. And that was how I knew.

I had found my mate.

I had found the soul that was created entirely for me. The soul that completed mine. The soul that would cherish me and love me for the rest of our lives. The one that was mine and mine alone.

A mate was something I had never been crazy about before, but in that one moment it all changed.

I wanted him more than anything.

I was succumbed by emotion, the anticipation of facing my mate had sent my body into overdrive. My heart beated erratically as my body singed with pleasure from the blanket of his scent.

I felt light, like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest. Never before had I felt this kind of joy.

Inhaling the smell once more, I slowly turned around. The largest wolf I had ever seen stood in front of me, further ahead. His beautiful fur coat was striking black, shining as the moonlight danced off the hairs on his body. I wanted nothing more than to comb my fingers through it for hours on end. Power oozed out of him, demanding respect and submission. Any other wolf would have kneeled right there, but I stayed standing as his power washed over me. Whether it was my royal ranking or the mate bond, I didn't know. I did know that my mate was of high rank, and judging by his aura, he was definitely an Alpha.

An Alpha. On Shadow territory. I didn't want to believe it. Was this Alpha Rowan? There was no way I could be mated to a cruel beast.

My gaze flickered up to meet his eyes and the second I did, I was entranced. His golden orbs swirled, a blend of honey and caramel reigning me in as I fell deeper into them. They were beautiful and I knew I wanted to wake up to them everyday for the rest of my life. As I stared into them, I felt something deep inside of me awaken, as if I had resurrected a dead part of myself. I decided right then that it didn't matter if he was Alpha Rowan of the Shadow pack; I would give him a chance.

A smile graced my lips as I shook my head, pulling myself back to reality. With my mind once focused again, I looked back into my mate's eyes, expecting my emotions to be reflected back at me.

But instead, they held nothing but pure disgust and anger.

And just like that, my heart shattered into a million pieces.

All the happiness I had felt dissipated as quickly as it had come.

Did he not want me?

The thought broke me in half, my heart squeezing as if trying to close itself off from the hurt.

I inhaled deeply and shoved my feelings aside so I could think rationally. I was going to try and salvage whatever there was between us, even if it seemed like he was felt otherwise. Perhaps we had simply gotten off on the wrong foot? Afterall, I did trespass on his land. Maybe he thought I was a rogue, or that I was going to attack his pack. That would explain his hostility because as an Alpha, it was his job to protect his pack and for all he knew, I could be a major threat.

I took a step forward, extending my hand in effort to settle the misunderstanding. "Hello -"

He cut me off with a vicious snarl, baring his canines at me. He crouched lower, getting into a fighting stance.

A million thoughts swirled in my head. Why would he want to attack me? Did he not feel the mate bond like I did? Or was he resisting it?

"Please, can we talk? I don't mean you or your pack any harm," I spoke quietly, hoping to calm him down a bit.

He growled lowly, his expression hardening, before charging in my direction. I had only seconds before he reached me, and judging by the murderous glint in his eyes, he would rip my throat out as soon as he got the chance. The way I saw it, I had three options: fight, run, or die.

I couldn't bear the thought of hurting my mate, so I knew there was no way I was attacking back. However, running would mean I might not see him again and I didn't want to lose the biggest gift the Moon Goddess had given me.

I had also promised Uncle Eddie that I would be safe tonight, so dying wasn't exactly on my agenda.

I nudged my wolf, asking for her guidance. From our bond I could feel her pain from our mate's hostile behaviour, and like me, she was unsure of what to do next.

Before we could decide on our next move, our mate leaped toward us, extending his claws in an attempt to slash our body. I immediately ducked and moved out of the way, but he quickly turned and lunged at us once again. He was faster than any wolf I had ever seen.

"Stop!" I shrieked, as I sidestepped away from another one of his attempts to bite me.

Unfortunately, this caused him to attack even harder. We continued like this for a while; he would attack and I would dodge, never once attacking him in return. It was like a dance, our movements in complete harmony. It would've been nice if it weren't for the fact that he was trying to kill me.

I could tell he was getting angrier, probably because I hadn't submitted to him yet, but I was getting tired. Running from the Reds earlier had already drained a lot of my energy, and fighting the most skilled Alpha was only making it worse.

He looked at me once more and growled harshly before snapping his teeth at me. My defense was becoming sluggish, and I wasn't able to move my arm in time. His canines sunk into the flesh of my shoulder, clamping down harder as I yelped in pain. I tried shaking him off, but his grip only tightened, sending another wave of pain coursing through my body.

I was about to give up when I remembered the two vials Uncle Eddie had given me. Using my other arm, I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the potion for the blinding fog. Without wasting another second, I quickly unscrewed the cap and poured the contents of the vial onto my mate.

BOOM

A loud explosion resounded within the forest, causing my mate to release his teeth from my arm as a large green substance descended upon my mate and I.

Damn it, I thought. Eddie had mixed up the potions, having instead given me the one he had been working on earlier.

My mate stood there stunned from confusion at what had happened. His fur was covered in green, and his cute snout glistened a beautiful emerald. He let out a wolfie sneeze as the particles from Uncle Eddie's failed invention filled his nostrils. He huffed in annoyance and tried to attack me again, but was halted by a second sneeze.

He looked adorable.

My wolf nudged me from within, indicating she had come to a decision. I could feel her thoughts, urging me to run home. Her mate disappointed her, and she wanted nothing to do with someone so hellbent on hurting us.

I took one last look at my mate, who was suffering from a sneezing fit, before turning my back despite every fibre in my body telling me not to.

I ran back the way I came, my heart breaking with each step. There was a stinging behind my eyes, but I refused to shed even one tear.

I had lived without parents, friends, or a supportive pack.

If my mate didn't want me, then I'd learn to live without him too.

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A/N

I've got 500 reads! Thank you so much to everyone that has read, voted, and commented!! I truly appreciate your support and kind words, they really bring a smile to my face :)

I hope you liked this chapter so let me know what your thoughts are on anything and everything! 

Why do you think Freya's mate was so harsh? Do you think she should've given in to his attack, or did she do the right thing by running?

This isn't the end of their story however, it's only the beginning ...

Until next time xo