Chapter 2

Chloe's POV.

With my heart beating lightly, I looked up at the man who stood a few inches taller than I was and was immediately smitten by his beauty. He was the most beautiful man I had seen, so much so that I had the strong urge to avert my gaze and focus on anything else instead.

I didn't want to look like a coward if I looked away so I held his stare. When he spoke, his tone was as polite as his face, it was the sweetest voice I had ever heard. My wolf growled inside me and screamed "MATE" but I was too scared to ask if he felt the same way. This was all new to me and I wasn't sure I could stomach a rejection, especially not from this handsome man that stood on front of me.

“Are you fine?" He asked, gripping me by the shoulders to steady me.

In a way his indifferent voice ran down my spine, leaving a strange thrill in its wake. I could feel that bolt of electricity crawling right from our point of contact to my heart. I stood there smitten by his beauty, unable to say a word.

"Chloe?"

My heartbeats collided with a crash at that fact, I could merely bring myself to nod my head in acceptance of a name I had thought I hated all my life.

He said my name in a way no one ever had, sparking life into it as it rolled off his tongue.

I stiffened beside where he stood, still with his hands clasped with mine and a smile plastered across his face.

"King… That's my name." He muttered.

"I've heard a lot of the famous Chloe but no one said anything about you being mute."

Heat rushed to my cheeks and I blinked, this man had actually found out about everything, rumors or not. I thought of what view he had of me even as anxiety clawed at my chest. Everybody knew me as an orphan and I couldn't start to think of what lies Raven had spread about me.

"I am not dumb." I said in a low tone not having enough guts to look into his eyes.

He pulled a hand out of his pocket and ran his hands through his hair, he looked impressed that he had my attention.

As he tightened his hands around me, a cold shiver ran through my bloodstream.

He looked back at that party. "Do you want to come for the dance or hang around here?" He asked.

I shrugged. "This is my first moon dance, it is why I snuck out. "

His fingers tightened as they fell on my lower back, and he spoke in my ear, “Then don't let me make you miss it. "

My heartbeat drummed as he led me through the path covering the distances left to the dance. He was like the devil stealing my soul away, if that made any sense at all, but the truth was I didn't mind.

There was something about him that felt so compelling, from his voice that had this peculiarity about it, to his personality, every bit of it stirred a reaction in my body.

"Damn that's my cousin, I don't want to see her." I said immediately my eyes came in contact with Raven who was flirting with two of the guys present, not surprisingly.

"Raven?" He asked with a look of shock.

"Yes?" Thought you did your findings.

"Well not really, never knew you two were close." He looked around again. "Do you still want to hang around or come with me?"

“We're not close and yes, I'd come with you." I said in a rather too strong view that earned me a confused look from him.

It was still a few hours till the moon passed in the lunar ritual, but I would rather have it with this man than have it get ruined by Raven.

I didn’t realize how tightly he’d been holding me until we stepped out of the fold and then he let go of me. We were standing directly away from the rest of the pack by now.

As the long-awaited moon approached, I watched as King's hands slipped out of his pockets and his gaze fell down my body. It was a movement that was hardly less observant, as he did it slowly as though watching if I was edible or if I would move.

His eyes narrowed on my dress as five words fell from his lips. "Do you feel it too? The mate bond, I mean."

My heart fluttered at his words, I was glad he felt it too and it made me feel less of a fool. I couldn't be more glad I snuck out tonight, meeting my mate was definitely not on my list. Hell! Meeting an alpha who was my mate was not on my to-do list in ten years to come.

"Do you?" He asked again.

I nodded, feeling strangely breathless under his scrutiny. I wouldn't deny that I could feel the whole energy, the scent that was oozing out of us both.

He didn’t say a word, but his expression confirmed what he wanted as his eyes traveled back up to my cleavages. I had seen that look many times and it brought back bad memories of my Uncle, but I pushed them out of my mind.

He looked deep into my eyes and I could see his gaze burning me as though I was upon a stake.

I didn’t get a chance to react as his palm laid on my body and left a warm sensation in my lower stomach as it glided up.

He kissed me softly, robbing me of the chance to breathe. It was my first kiss and I didn't exactly know what to do but I returned it, opening my mouth just wide enough for his tongue to slip through.

It took a moment to find any air again as we became more breathless and all that filled the silence was our moans. This went on for minutes until it was almost impossible to push away the thoughts and memories that gnawed at my every being.

"I think it's too early for this," I said amidst gasps, pulling my lips away from his.

My brows knitted as images of my uncle flashed across my face again, under the warm glow of the moonlight, I darted my eyes to the left and could see a couple of others doing the same thing —kissing or going all the way.

King's grip was soft but strong, and not forceful but still I had no idea what we were doing.

"What's wrong? Did I do something?" He asked.

More memories of my uncle's assaults flooded my brain and I couldn't shake it off any longer. The more he held on to me and tried to pull me close, the more I got scared and panicked.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this. Not right now," I told him, before pulling my hand away from his and running away.