Chapter 5 Five
Rhea
"Just who the hell are you?" Alaric yelled, his eyes blazing with fury. The stranger paid him no heed. And me, as for me, I kept on staring at him.
His words kept ringing in my head.
"Rhea Morwen is mine..."
I had never met him before. I was certain of it.
"Haven't you?" A quiet voice in my head whispered back, causing me to pause in shock.
Those silver eyes... My hands shook slightly, and it wasn't just from the fear. The long silver hair that was held up in a ponytail.
He didn't look like a person that one would forget in a hurry.
Then it hit me.
He was the same man I saw in my dream. The silhouette with silver hair, calling my name like some kind of divine mission.
"Well? What do you say, Rhea?"
I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn't realize he was moving down the red carpet until he came to stand in front of me.
This close, I could see him clearly. There was something about him, the perfect curve of his jaw, his piercing silver eyes that seemed to know all and yet look so young. He had an ethereal beauty to him, the type that wasn't supposed to exist.
And he just called me his, a part of my mind registered. I felt light-headed.
"Step away from our mate," one of the alpha twins glared, his voice icy.
No, I thought. The moon goddess had answered my prayers. I wasn't going to get mated to the two of them.
The stranger gazed up with a little provocative smile. "How about no?"
I heard the unmistakable sound of weapons being unsheathed following his reply.
"Who are you?" I wanted to ask, but he offered me a hand before I could open my mouth.
"You have a choice, Rhea Morwen," he said, completely ignoring the chaos around him. "I will not force you to come with me. You can remain here and get married to..."
"I'm going with you," I cut in, not waiting for him to finish. I took his hand. Immediately, I felt it. A jolt in my muscles.
My senses were heightened. I caught the faint scent of cedarwood and salt water on him.
"Mate..." My wolf purred.
I retracted my hand immediately. It was the first time my wolf ever said anything....
His eyes narrowed slightly. I couldn't tell if he felt it too. He grabbed my hand and with a single pull I fell back into his chest.
His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me against him with an iron grip. My heart hammered against my ribs.
"Hold on tight," he whispered softly, a tone that matched the steel in his eyes. But his voice was warm against my ears.
Before I could process his words, one of the twins spun to Alaric, his sword unsheathed. "This is a conspiracy! How dare you bring us to disgrace the Moonvale pack?" he thundered.
"What..." Father stepped back, his eyes flashing between me and the stranger. "That's impossible. I wouldn't..."
"Then how else would he know exactly where we are?" The other twin advanced, his eyes glowing, partially shifting.
The ballroom erupted into chaos.
The guards stepped forward, looking uncertain, not knowing who to attack. Some of them rushed towards us. Some of the guests screamed.
In the disorderliness, I couldn't spot Cassian anywhere.
The stranger—my supposed mate—didn't flinch. He simply smiled, and it was the most dangerous thing I'd ever seen.
His arm tightened around me and then, power erupted from him in waves.
Not the familiar energy of a regular werewolf, but something far more powerful. The guards closest to us were thrown back like ragdolls.
The twins stopped, turning back to us.
"Fuck, they're getting away," Alaric cursed.
The chandeliers above us swayed violently. I should have been terrified. I had a distinct feeling this wasn't going to end well, even as Alaric gave the order to his men to attack.
"Just trust me," the stranger whispered, his voice anchoring me to the moment. I looked up. His eyes met mine for a heartbeat.
Then the world tilted. Darkness swallowed us whole, and the last thing I heard was Alaric's enraged scream echoing through the halls as we disappeared into a tornado of swirling darkness. And for the second time, everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, I noticed two things.
I was out of my wedding gown. And now, I was on a soft unfamiliar bed and I could sense that the Blackstone pack was very far away.
I closed my eyes, mentally checking for injuries.
None. I was completely untouched. Good.
I glanced around. The room was basically empty. There was an ensuite bathroom and an open wardrobe.
The weight of my impromptu decision hit me.
No... No way.
I sat up quickly. In my desperation, I had agreed to go with a complete stranger, and now, I was miles from home. He could be anybody.
"I have to get out of here. Quickly," I muttered under my breath, almost cursing at myself for being so stupid.
There was a loud creak and the door was pushed open.
"You're awake." The stranger with the silver hair stepped inside.
I watched him walk over to the bed, unsure of how to react. I could feel the power radiating from him even though his eyes appeared harmless enough.
He was carrying a tray of food which he set carefully on the bedside. I noticed a folded parchment paper in his left hand.
"How are you feeling?" he asked. "The journey was a little bit intense for you."
I didn't give him a reply. Instead, I inched back as much as possible. His eyes tracked my every movement.
"How long have I been out?" I asked in what I hoped was a confident voice.
"A couple of days."
"Days?!" I gasped.
He fiddled with the note in his hands. "That's hardly important. Your father promises war on my people if I don't return you before the next full moon."
"Your people?" I shook my head, hugging my knees closer to me. "Who are you?"
"Forgive me," he sat at the edge of the bed, setting down the letter.
"I'm Lycan Theron." He leaned closer with the slightest smile. "You must have felt the mate bond."