Chapter 4 Moonlit Encounter

• Selvara’s POV
• With shaky hands, I opened the door. The shadow I saw reflecting under the door had long been gone, but his scent stayed in the hallway. With a tight breath, I slowly backed into the room and got in bed.
• Seconds passed and I was no longer comfortable in the room. It felt like it was choking life out of me. I slipped out of the bed quietly. The other omegas snored on, but I didn’t breathe until I crossed the hall. If Queen Celine found me out here again, she’d skin me alive.
• The back door creaked. I froze, two guards leaned against the wall, talking low.
• “…Zyros pushed the warriors harder today. If he keeps this up...”
• “Shh. Do you want trouble?”
• I pressed myself into the shadows until they moved off. My pulse hammered. One of the guards shifted suddenly, his nose lifting in the air. My stomach dropped.
• “Wait. Do you smell that?” he asked, sniffing.
• The other guard frowned. “You’re imagining things. Come on, before Zyros finds us slacking.” His eyes swept the shadows, too close to where I was pressed against the wall. I held my breath until my chest ached. If he moved one step closer, he would see me crouched there.
• Finally, with a grunt, they walked off. When they turned the corner, I slipped past, barefoot, into the night.
• The cold air hit me sharp. But that was what I wanted, a moment away from the pack. The moon was bright, and I could feel the air against my skin. For a moment, it almost felt peaceful. But my wolf stirred, restless, yet again.
• "What is it this time?"
• "Stop it!” I hissed under my breath.
• Mate. She said again, but louder this time. My hands trembled.
• "Leave me alone!” I muttered, hugging myself tighter. I was frustrated at that point that the slightest thing would make me burst into tears. I could hear the sound of crickets,owls, and the rustling of leaves. But under it all came another sound, it was faint. It was a scent.
• My wolf bristled. My knees locked, I was extremely scared. No one was allowed out of the pack at night, and I had sneaked out to be killed?
• Rogues? I whispered to myself, cursing under my breath.
• I swallowed, scanning the trees. My skin prickled as if eyes were on me.
• I could remember the last time Queen Celine caught me sneaking out, she had dragged me by my hair in front of all other wolves, stripped me, made my body wet with warm water and flogged me with whips countless times.
• I clenched my fists. I couldn’t go back. Not yet. But then, I had to choose my death... or simply put, my hell.
• The bushes rustled again, Then came the sound of rushing footsteps. Fast, coming straight for me. My heart leapt to my throat. My wolf bristled, claws digging at my skin.
• “Rogues,” I whispered, backing away.
• When the steps closed in, I lost it. A scream tore from my lungs, sharp and loud enough to wake the whole pack. A hand clamped over my mouth. It was strong and warm. I thrashed until a deep voice murmured against my ear.
• “It’s fine. It’s me.”
• I opened my eyes slowly as I turned to face him. For a while, I was just there staring at him, the scene played off a little slowly. His palm stayed firm, but his other hand brushed through my hair slowly, steadying me. My body went still under his touch.
• I blinked up at him, breathless, heat flooding my face. Then I shoved his hand away and stumbled back fast, putting space between us.
• “Selvara.” he said as he came a little closer and I moved to the back again. “You shouldn’t be here,” he added.
• “Neither should you,” I shot back before I could stop myself. I had grown a lot of courage, enough to speak back to the Alpha Heir. I really was getting too comfortable.
• He didn’t smile, he didn’t move. His voice was low as he came close to me by a step.
• “You've been acting really weird these days.”
• “I’m not.”
• “You have.” Zyros took a step closer.
• The pull between us snapped tight. My chest ached, my wolf howling inside. Mate, Mate. It went on and on.
• I stumbled back until my shoulders hit a tree. “Go back, Zyros.”
• He stopped in front of me. His scent wrapped around me, making me dizzy.
• “You feel it,” he said. That was obviously not a question.
• “No.” it was a lie, we both knew it was.
• Zyros lifted a hand slowly, as if giving me time to move. My heart slammed against my ribs. His fingers hovered inches from my face, the heat of them brushing my cheek. I turned red all over. For one breathless second, I almost let him. I wanted him. Then fear cut through. I shoved off the tree and pushed past him, nearly tripping.
• “Selvara.” His voice followed, rough and low.
• I didn’t stop. I ran through the grass, lungs burning. The Pack house lights were faint ahead. My wolf screamed in my head, tangled with his growl still echoing in my chest.
• But just as I pushed harder, something hard caught my leg. My head spun, I gasped as the world tilted. My body slammed to the ground, breath torn out of me.
• ______