The Alpha's Vengeful Mate

Zoey’s POV

This was the worst day of my life.

I curled into a ball while I camped under this big, old, rotting tree. My body was dripping wet from the sudden rainfall, shivering to the cold of the night winds. The evening breeze started to blow stronger than I expected. The trees, which were silent a while earlier, were now swaying side to side because of it.

My body was shivering hard. When I ran away from our pack, I didn’t bring any camping supplies. I only brought two sets of clothing and some fruits to munch while looking for a place to stay. Nothing could have prepared me for this condition. I guess I would never have been prepared. I admit that my sudden decision to run away from my pack without any plans was now taking a toll on me.

Feeling sorry for myself, I embraced my knees tighter. I had never felt so alone and vulnerable like this.

All of a sudden, a bright, flashing surge of electricity struck the nearby tree. A loud, booming sound followed afterward. I let out a high-pitched sound of shock as a response. Smoke came out of the tree while a slit formed in its trunk. Then, its body gave up on its weight, making it split in two, slowly but violently.

The scene made me shiver, not in cold but in fear. What if the tree, where I was sitting was next? What if lightning struck me afterward? What if I die here?

From where I was sitting, a mild flash of blue caught my attention. Since everything was covered in darkness, it was easy for me to have noticed it. My forehead creased. What would that be?

Moments passed and the mysterious blue spark inched closer. I embraced my knees tightly as my heart pounded out of control. Little by little, the unknown sparkle revealed its form. And nothing could have prepared me for what had happened next.

The blue light was coming from a pair of ocean-blue eyes owned by a massive brown wolf.

Terror crept underneath my skin. I held my breath trying to calm my nerves under such horrible circumstances. Of all the possible moments I could encounter a rogue wolf, why now?

The brown wolf inched closer in my direction. I tried to push back my body until my back hit the trunk of the tree. I have nowhere to go. I could no longer run as my energy was already drained from earlier. And even if I tried to fight and defend myself, it would be a futile effort as well.

I closed my eyes and remembered my mom’s face for the last time. I took a deep breath preparing myself for the inevitable. I was sure that my end was near. And hell, I was not fucking ready!

Moments passed and the strike I was anticipating still didn’t happen. The heavy rainfall earlier was now changed to a cold drizzle. My body continued to shudder as I dared open my eyes.

The wolf was gone. Instead, a silhouette of a man faced me.

His blonde hair fell into his face. He lifted his hand to tuck the strands on his ear revealing his sparkling blue eyes. His body was carved perfectly, with years hiding behind his face.

He was good-looking, no doubt.

“W-who are you? What do you need from me?” I asked, pouring the remaining ounce of courage I have in me. It was one thing to ask for his name, but more importantly, I needed to know why he was here.

The mysterious man remained stoic as he opened his mouth for a response. “My name is Parker Thompson. And you are?”

But instead of feeding his curiosity, I queried, “Why are you here?” Yes, I was still afraid, yet I was proud of myself for letting these words out.

The man stroked his hair backward and let out a faint smile. “I wanted to know the name of the extremely rare female rogue I just found shivering under a rainstorm.”

Seeing the man soften his demeanor, I calmed down a little. For the first time since the rainstorm started, I stood up. “Zoey Davis. Now that you have my name, can you leave me alone now?”

“I mean no harm,” he responded. “I have been living in Crestwood Mountain for ten years. Since then, I decided to live in isolation. From an alpha, I chose to become a rogue, and damn, it wasn’t easy! So I figured you needed some help especially after seeing you cry under that tree and probably contemplating what you're doing out here all by yourself.”

My forehead creased. Why was he telling me his life story? I was not interested to hear any of it. All I wanted was to be left alone. It was better like that instead of me trusting a naked stranger who tried to lure me with the story of his life if that was true.

“The rain already stopped.I don’t need—.”

“I know what you are.”

I was caught by surprise hearing those words. And yet, I hid it from him. “What are you talking about? I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I know you are a shifter. I have been following you since you crossed this border. I told you, haven’t I? This is my home and nothing could be hidden from me that this forest had seen.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. I tried my best not to attract any other wolves around. Also, I was positive that encountering another wolf in this place was a million chances for one.

Of course, my first instinct was to lie!

“You’re out of your mind. Female shifters are nothing but a legend.”

The man stepped closer but with utmost care. He didn’t want to intimidate me. I could sense that. “No need for you to hide it. I saw it with my own eyes when you shifted. But I could also sense that you were not used to the shifting process judging by how slow your transformation was. And with that, I can help you. You have entered my territory. It was only proper that I welcome you seeing that you were not a threat.”

His explanation was long but not complicated. And honestly, it was the truth. While my wolf was kind enough to adjust to my shortcomings when her spirit bound with me when I shift, it was evident that we still struggled with it both. What do I expect? I only discovered this ability less than twenty-four hours ago.

I swallowed hard. A part of me wanted to run away and avoid him, yet the other part was stating otherwise.

Should I trust a stranger in the middle of the woods? Should I trust his word that he would help me with my newfound ability?

“Why don’t we continue this conversation in my house? You’ve been through a lot. You deserve a hot cup of coffee and a decent meal to warm your body. You may have been a wolf but you still need to rest and fill up your energy.”

His invitation was enticing. I really need shelter to spend the rest of the night with. Not only was I cold and tired, but I was also hungry.

“What do you say?” He asked once more while offering his hand to me.

“I…I…” I hesitated. But seeing that this was an offer worth accepting, I heaved a sigh and let out my answer.

“Okay. I’ll come with you.”