"Danger? From whom or what exactly?" My heart raced.
I should have been fleeing, yet here I stood doing nothing, but fixing my gaze on a stranger and asking him stupid questions. I was in danger from him. I was standing in the middle of a dark forest with a man who was bigger than me and weighed five times what I did and I was asking who I was in danger from. Maybe the rejection had made me mad.
"From everything you've ever known inside the walls of silver moon pack." His tone lowered to almost a whisper, yet it was able to scare me to death, greatly increasing the thumping of my heart. "From Alpha Kael and his chosen mate,"
Alpha Kael. Just hearing his name was enough to start another round of trouble within me. The rejection, the pain, I had endured everything for hours earlier and it still stung, a raw ache. Like salt sprinkled open a fresh wound. I wanted to so badly smack this man for bringing up the topic of my mate.
"I don't even care about Alpha Kael." I knew that I was lying but then, what can I do? "He doesn't want me and believe me, the feeling is mutual. I'm just a weak and useless Omega according to him." My voice faded towards the end, and I despised how fragile I sounded before him. Ryker's face softened on noticing it, just slightly.
"You're an omega but it should not define you. Kael is just evil and cruel. He's the same as his father who burned and killed thousands of people. He conquered packs too and took their women and children."
I did not know much about Kael or his father. He was just an alpha from another pack who came to mine because of the mating ceremony. Tonight was the first time I saw him. I've only heard little about how he was a powerful alpha and he had a mate.
Tonight is when I realized that the woman they called his mate was a chosen mate and a lover. I was his fated mate but he rejected me for her. I could feel my heart breaking all over again only to be fueled by the hate that was slowly building up in me. I wanted to hurt Kael too. I wanted him to feel the pain I felt tonight but he was an alpha, a powerful one and I was nothing more than a useless omega who was now a rogue since I ran away from my pack.
I was ruined but he was still the same person he was. My hate for him increased by a hundred fold.
"Kael is no different from his father because he is currently doing the same thing and he needs to be stopped. His father killed my family and wiped us out for no reason,"
"What?" I shrieked in surprise. "Why would his father do that?"
"Heard of Carmichael Blackthrone?"
I did not have to think much for me to remember where I've heard the name before.
"One of the mad and evil alphas in history?"
"Yeah, that's Kael's father. Unfortunately, my family was among those he took down. My mother gave her life for me to be alive. I want my revenge."
"But…" I knew that I shouldn't say this. I hated Kael too for his ruthless rejection but I could not stand the thought of his dying, "It was his father that wronged your family not him?"
I saw Ryker smile in understanding and I felt shame coat me. See me defending the same man that just dumped me in front of thousands of people. How stupid!
"His father might have wronged my family but Kael continues his legacy. He is doing the same thing. Going around and killing innocent people and I want it to stop,"
Killing children? Innocent people? All my feelings immediately died and I was grateful that he rejected me. I could never be with someone that was cruel and killed children. He needs to be stopped! He even killed Ryker's family.
And speaking about family, goodness, in running away after my cruel rejection, I've totally forgotten about them. I'm sure they won't care much anyway. It was high time I put myself first. They loved me at first as their child because they were childless and I was dumped in front of their house. After being with them for two years, my mother finally conceived and birthed twin girls and that was the start of my suffering.
They will finally be happy that they were now rid of me.
"I need people like you, Selene. People that he has wronged because once we start this, there will be no turning back." Ryker offered me his hand, "I promise to take good care of you and protect you. Make sure no harm comes to you.
I started at Ryker's outstretched hand and hesitated. I did not know anything about this man and…
"I'm your only hope now, Selene. You're in the middle of nowhere and you have no family and nowhere to go. I'll give you all of that. My pack, that's how my family will be your family too, what do you say?"
My pack was far behind me and I've made a choice to never return. I knew that I would be treated worse than before because of my rejection.I don't know who this man was but he seemed to know a whole lot about me.
I did not know where I was going. I just kept running and now, I was in the middle of nowhere. I could be attacked by wild animals or even rogues who roamed around me packless. I was not a warrior and I knew that I wouldn't be able to defend myself. I looked up at Ryker, I was out of options. If this man wanted to harm me he would have done so since and I won't have been able to fight back but he's not hurt me and was even offering to help me. Maybe I should accept his help? I was still unsure.
"What exactly do you want from me?" He has promised me so many things but I needed to know what was in it forhim.
He grinned mischievously, his eyes glinting in the dark of the night.
"I only need your loyalty, Selene. You won't divulge this to anybody and you'll fight by my side,"
"I'm an omega," I reminded him because one hit from a strong werewolf will knock me out. I'm useless to him and his plot for revenge.
"Does not matter," Ryker said, his tone soft and smooth. He reached out and gently held my chin making it quiver, as I looked up at him. "You can be trained, trust me"
I wasn't clear on what I was trusting him about, but I found myself obediently nodding. There was something strange in his eyes that made me believe and agree to whatever he told me.
"Okay," I whispered. "I'm in."
Ryker smiled widely. He held out his hand.
"Then welcome to your second life, Selene."
I took the outstretched hand, my body quivering as I smiled shakily.
"Thank you,"