Chapter 2 Escape And Encounter On A Rainy Night

• Aria’s POV
• “Who’s out there?!”
• Lucas’s angry shout hit me like a punch, mixed with the sound of a chair scraping across the floor.
• My heart nearly stopped.
• I ducked behind the shadow of a huge potted plant at the corner of the hallway, holding my breath so hard it felt like my lungs might burst, trying to choke down the wild, restless wolf spirit inside me—stirred up by fear and rage.
• “Bang!”
• The office door slammed open.
• Lucas’s tall figure filled the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning the empty hallway.
• “No one?” He frowned, tugging at his tie with irritation. “Damn it, did I hear things?”
• “I told you, you’re just way too tense.” Selina’s sultry voice floated out from inside. “Besides the patrolling guards, who’d dare come near your office? Come on in…”
• Lucas shot one last confused look down the hallway, then turned and stomped back inside, slamming the door shut with a heavy thud.
• At that moment, I felt like all the strength had been sucked right out of me. I slid down the wall, powerless.
• I don’t know how long I stayed there before I forced myself to stand, leaning against the wall for support. The “Wolf Spirit Awakening Report” I’d planned to surprise him with was now torn to bits in my hands. I ripped it up piece by piece and tossed it into the trash.
• Just like my love for him over the past five years—shattered, gone without a trace.
• ...
• When I left the Blackwood Pack building, a heavy rain had started pouring.
• The cold autumn rain stung like needles, soaking through my clothes and biting into my skin.
• Around me were streets I knew all too well—streets I’d run down every alley of just to find Lucas’s favorite pastries.
• But now, those memories felt like sharp slaps across my face.
• “Aria, you’re pathetic,” I sneered at myself. Rain mixed with tears dripped into my mouth, bitter as hell.
• Before I realized it, I’d wandered into the “Gray Zone” — the borderland between the two clans.
• This was where the Rogues and the outcasts gathered—chaotic, filthy, and the only place outside Lucas’s control.
• I found an abandoned phone booth to hide from the rain and crouched inside, trembling as I pulled out an old, soaked communicator from my pocket.
• After hesitating forever, I dialed a long-forgotten number—my mentor’s number, the only person who knew I was the lead defense architect, ‘Cipher.’
• “Teacher…” My voice cracked the second the call connected.
• ```
• “Aria? Is that you, kid?” came a raspy but surprised voice from the other end. “You finally decided to reach out? Have you been through hell?”
• Hearing that long-lost concern, I broke down and cried.
• “Teacher, I want to leave the Blackwood Pack… Also, I want to get back the ‘Cipher’ key I left with you five years ago.”
• There was a clear pause on the other side. “You mean… you want to come back?”
• “Yes. I’m gonna show them how fragile their so-called defenses are without ‘Cipher’ protecting them.”
• “As long as you’re willing to return, my doors will always be wide open for you! I’ll send someone to pick you up right away…”
• I hung up, feeling like a huge weight pressing on my chest had finally shifted a little.
• I’m done with this fake-ass place. It’s time to live my own life.
• I wiped my tears and was about to step out of the phone booth when a commotion broke through the rain ahead.
• A sleek black luxury car had broken down by the roadside. A pack of stray wolves was smashing the windows with nasty grins. Inside, I could barely make out a little girl crying.
• That desperate sobbing hit me like a punch—just like me five years ago, trapped in a dark alley with nowhere to turn.
• If it were the old me, I’d have freaked out and run away. But now? Since I’ve decided not to be that scared little Aria anymore…
• I took a deep breath, grabbed a rock from the ground, and slammed it hard onto the streetlight switch nearby.
• *Crack!*
• Sparks flew, and the streetlight flickered wildly, the electric buzz making those stray wolves jump.
• “Who’s there?!”
• Taking advantage of their distraction, I shouted into the car, “Lock the doors, now!”
• The wolves snapped out of it, furious, and lunged at me.
• I spun around to run but slipped—crashing straight into a solid, burning-hot chest.
• A wave of warmth wrapped around me instantly.
• A long, strong hand locked firmly around my waist, lifting me off the ground and pulling me into a protective embrace.
• Time seemed to freeze.
• The pounding rain, the wolves’ snarls—all vanished.
• In that moment, my Wolf Spirit, asleep for five long years, snapped wide awake!
• It roared and leapt inside me, greedily drinking in the scent radiating from the man holding me.
• My world narrowed down to one fierce, pure, commanding presence—clean and noble.
• I looked up without thinking.
• A flash of lightning tore through the night sky, lighting up the man’s face.
• He wore a perfectly tailored black trench coat, tall and imposing, with sharp, chiseled features. Rain slid down his high nose bridge, dripping onto his sexy, thin lips.
• The thing that shook me the most were those eyes—dark golden pupils that looked like molten lava flowing in the night.
• Right now, those eyes were locked onto me, swirling with shock, obsession, and this possessive hunger like he wanted to squeeze me into his very bones.
• My heart skipped a beat.
• His fingers tightened around my waist, the burning heat seeping through my soaked clothes, making my whole body go weak.
• My wild soul was cheering, and deep down, my core clenched instinctively, a shameful twitch sparked by how close he was.
• The man lowered his head, his nose almost brushing mine. His voice was rough and low, cutting through the rain with a trembling disbelief:
• “Mate…”
• ```