Isabella's POV

Regardless of how hard I fought or tried to free myself, those monsters were able to bring me to the Alpha's den.

Even though it was a full moon day, there was still darkness everywhere, but the atmosphere was not quite like it was in the forest where they had abducted me.

I could hear the animalistic growls and agonizing screams, which terrified me even more.

I am not used to all of this because I have been living among humans for the past three years. They can be loud and wild at times, but not in this way. They can't match the werewolves!

The person who was still carrying me on his shoulder pushed me down to my feet, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, I tried to run. But after only a few steps, I collided with a muscled man and fell back, unable to keep my balance. As I landed on my buttocks, my eyes squeaked shut, and I hissed in pain.

When he crushed my foot with him, I yelped, and my eyes shot open. I looked up to see a tall, masculine man towering above me. He not only appeared powerful, but his aura screamed danger and authority. His eyes were cold, and his personality was dark. My skin crawled just by looking at him.

He was staring at me with a blank expression, and there was something off about him that I couldn't place. It seems like he loathes me for some reason.

Though he appeared to be powerful, I am certain he is not the Alpha. I still remember Alpha King's face, the one who heartlessly rejected me three years ago.

His aura suggests that he is the beta.

I was away from the pack for three years, and a lot has changed in that time. I have grown up, and I am sure Alpha King's appearance has changed as well.

"So, you found her!" The beast standing in front of me inquired, looking up at the monsters who brought me here.

"Yes, beta" they bowed in front of him, clearing my confusion.

"Put her in the dungeon, and one of you will come with me to inform the Alpha King about her."

"No, sir, please, at least listen to me," I almost cried. "I haven't done anything, please."

I have never begged before, but it appears to be my only option right now. They were all so big and powerful that it wouldn't take them long to crush me under their feet like a bug. I mean nothing to them, and my mate has also rejected me right in front of their eyes, so there is no respect in their eyes for me.

I don't want to have to deal with Alpha King again. I am still haunted by the way he rejected me three years ago.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and just as I thought he was about to show mercy on me, he turned around and walked away from me, shattering all my hopes.

"Listen to me..."I was dragged back into the dungeon as I hoped for assistance from these heartless monsters. I was struggling so much that it took two men to take me to that cell. I felt like puking as soon as I was pushed into a cell and inhaled a strong stench of blood.

I was still trying to break free, but the two cruel beasts simply pushed me into a dungeon and locked me from the outside. I slid down the wall and took a seat in the far corner. There was a small window through which the full moon shone, and the moonlight fell on me.

I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't stop the tears that began to fall from my eyes. I couldn't keep my emotions in check, no matter how hard I tried. I wrapped my arms around my folded knees, rested my head on them, and cried. My head began to spin, my throat became dry, the rate of my heartbeat and breathing increased, and I found it difficult to swallow.

After a few minutes, the stench of blood was replaced by a sweet, familiar scent, and my head rose on its own, but there was no one around.

My body was already feeling tired from skipping meals and running so hard. My head falls back on my knees; what else can I hope for in such a situation, other than hell?

But as the moments passed, the smell became stronger, yet I didn't move from my place. The smell felt very familiar, but my brain was too tired to consider what it could be.

It is nothing more than an illusion. How could I possibly expect anything sweet here? This place is just another hell, and I am trapped inside despite having committed no crime.

As I reflected on how unlucky I am, new tears streamed down my cheeks.

At the same time, my ears picked up on a disturbance around me, and the scent became so strong that I couldn't help but look up again. I just wanted to run to it, it was giving me peace amidst the havoc.

When I saw the person who had entered my cell, my body froze, and all the memories from three years ago came flooding back to me. And now I know why the scent felt so familiar: it belongs to Alpha King Xavier Wulfric, the one who was chosen by the Moon Goddess as my mate, but he rejected me.

I believe I can smell his scent because I didn't accept his rejection.

My eyes began to take in his frame once my brain was certain that I was looking at him.

He has grown taller, more masculine, and stronger. His eyes have deepened, and have become colder than before; his lips have filled out, and he has developed a strong jawline. His hair is now shorter, and his beard is thicker than when I last saw him.

He has matured into a fully grown man capable of killing ten people at once.

Because of the generous amount of moonlight coming from that window, which wasn't large enough for me to escape, I was able to make out his features. Everything about him was so perfect that I forgot where I was and got lost in his charm.

His body radiated raw power as he looked me in the eyes with confidence. He appears to be both attractive and intimidating.

We are meeting again, but it appears that this is our first meeting. After the rejection, I didn't expect to meet him this way.

He was taking deep breaths, and his lips mumbled as if he were saying something. I couldn't figure out what it was, but I was certain that the word that slipped out of my lips was,

"Mate"

But the word came out inaudible, and Alpha Xavier, standing in front of me, was so lost in my eyes that he didn't notice the movement of my lips.

One of the men from behind told him something I couldn't hear because my whole focus was on him. The Alpha King asked them to be quiet and leave us alone. He spoke in a low, menacing voice that sent shivers down my spine, and his words were laced with a subtle threat that left no doubt as to his intentions.

As we were left alone, the fear again crippled my veins, and I stood up with the support of the wall. But my body froze when he turned his head again to look at me.

The last time we met, his eyes were blank and unreadable, but this time it was not the case.

There was palpable darkness in him, like a storm brewing on the horizon. You could feel it in the air around him, a sense of impending danger that made my skin crawl.

Everything about him screamed danger, from how he held himself to how he walked. He was a man who had seen and done things that most people could never imagine, and his eyes held a darkness that spoke of a past that was better left unexplored.

My head was constantly moving from left to right, asking him not to move towards me, but whom am I kidding?

Alpha King never listens to anyone; how is he supposed to care what I want?

He was walking towards me as a hunter walks towards their prey, and this reminded me of the day he walked down the stairs with his eyes set on me and his mind determined to reject me. Within a few seconds, he was standing in front of me.

My hands moved back and clung to the wall as if I just wanted the wall to swallow me whole right now.

Without taking his gaze away from me, he leaned forward, his gaze falling on my trembling lips. I bit my lower lip to keep it from moving unnecessarily, while he took a deep and sharp breath as if he were controlling his desires.

When his arms moved up and his palms slammed on both sides of my form, caging me, I scrunched up even more against the wall.

His face came even closer to mine. I couldn't move even a muscle when I wanted to push him away and ask him to just let me go. I didn't know that I would meet him again in such a situation. I could actually feel a magnetic attraction that was pulling me toward him when I should be making things clear between us before he makes my life even more miserable.

His head moved down to the crook of my neck, and he inhaled deeply. His mouth was so close to my ear that I could hear the pleasurable moan leaving his lips. His breath fanned my skin.

I have never come so close to a man. Nothing other than his hot breath was touching me, yet I felt so turned on that my knees became weak. When he blew a breath up and down the curve of my neck, I lost my balance, my knees buckled, and I was about to fall forward when he caught me in his arms.

He lifted me off the ground by wrapping one of his arms around my waist and the other around my shoulders. When our chests collided, I could hear his heartbeat. I am sure he could hear my heart thumping in my chest as loud as a drum.

At that precise moment, I felt safe and complete. I had the impression that I was not alone in this world. I have someone I can turn to for assistance.

But then I remembered the day he turned me down. Why is he behaving so strangely? Has he changed, or is he just messing with me?

When his arms tightened around my body, my head, which was resting on his shoulder, shifted back.

He lowered his gaze to mine. His gray eyes clash with my sea-blue eyes. His face was illuminated by the moonlight. The world became blurry as silence surrounded us; only two of us were there at the time. This time, his gaze shifted to my features, lingering on one in particular for longer than necessary, as if he were looking for changes in me over the last three years, and I stayed frozen in my position.

"Mate"

He whispered, and I could hear the word loud and clear.

"Mate"

I repeated it with the same clarity.

~~~~~

Don't forget to share the story :-)

From now on all the chapters that I would upload would be unedited 😅 Right now I am focusing on writing. I would edit them afterwards.

Happy Reading