CHAPTER 2
ELISE'S POV
My heart pounded in my chest. I was strong, but definitely not strong enough to fight against eight muscled men alone in the dark.
My eyes darted around, desperately, but the road was empty. I tapped on my phone like a maniac, over and over, but the network was still dead.
My breath came in short bursts as my gaze scanned the surroundings, searching for anything that could help. But I was getting nothing. Just shadows and dread.
"Shit!" I cursed, slamming my palm against the steering wheel.
The men were now circling the car like vultures. Some leaned closer, eyes peering through the dark fogged windows.
"I think someone is inside," I heard one of them say. His voice slithered through the rain, cold and sharp.
"Why are you scared? We can fight them," my wolf growled, wild and fierce in the back of my mind.
"It's late, this is the rough part of town, and there are at least eight men out there," I snapped, my voice tight. "Some might be hiding, waiting for me to come out."
Now was not the time for her damn bravado. I needed to think. Fast. One wrong move and I was gone.
She snarled in my head but stayed quiet, sulking. Lise was more stubborn than I was, always ready to pick a fight with death.
And yes, I named her after myself. Fitting, really.
A sharp knock on the window yanked me out of my thoughts.
My heart plummeted, practically crashing into my stomach.
A tall figure that had knocked earlier was standing there again. Then he held up his phone to the window.
"I am only trying to help. There is a repair shop not far from here. I can help you tow your car there."
It was typed out in plain, bold letters.
I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my hands. My instincts screamed both ways. Trust him, don't trust him. He could be lying. It could be a trap.
But staying here wasn't any different. Any of them could easily smash the window. It was better to show strength than fear.
I unlock the door, my body rigid with tension yet ready to fight. I wasn't one to back down from a fight. That is how I have survived as a female who would become an alpha. I opened the car window slowly, stepping out with every nerve on high alert. My eyes flicked around like searchlights, watching for the slightest wrong move.
The rain came down harder, blinding and cold. Making it hard to see anything clearly.
"We'll tow you to the shop." His voice was rough, with a certain edge to it, yet calm.
No questions. No explanations. He just turned and walked back to his truck.
And just like that, the engine roared, and we were moving.
Before I could even gather my words to say thank you, as we got to the repair shop, they were gone.
I sat down and waited. The rain wasn't relenting. It was pouring like the heavens were angry.
"Ma'am", someone said beside me, grabbing my attention.
I turned around and saw that it was one of the young workers.
"It is going to take a while for your car to be ready. Would you like to come inside? It's warm inside." He offered with a smile.
Just then, my stomach rumbled. I quickly held it as though I was trying to cover its mouth. But it grumbled even louder.
"Damn it! I had nothing to eat at the stupid gathering." I cursed in my mind.
"Thanks for the offer. But is there anywhere close by that I could get something to eat?" I asked.
The boy's eyes scanned me like he was trying to figure something out. "There is a place not far from here. It's a bar, but they sell food too. Though I am not sure if you will fit in there." His voice dropped a notch as he said the last part.
"Just point me in the right direction," I said in a clipped tone.
As I was about to leave, the owner of the repair shop approached me. "I am sorry, ma'am; there seems to have been a misunderstanding on my boy's part."
My eyes narrowed. I breathed in deeply, suddenly feeling irritated. I was already having a bad day as it is. "Why? What is it?" I asked
The man stepped back abruptly. I was certain they could feel my aura even if they didn't know who I was.
"Your car won't be ready till tomorrow. It's going to take a while for the repairs to get done. Sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you." He said and inclined his head slightly.
I sighed, feeling bad for snapping at him when it wasn't even his fault. "No need to apologise; it's not your fault that the repairs will take a long time." I said to him, "Is there a hotel close by or a place I can lodge for the night? If the repair will last till tomorrow, I am going to need a place to sleep." I said to him,
"There is a place to lodge at the bar. If you ask the bartender there, I am sure he will give you the necessary details." The man replied.
"Thanks," I replied and made my way to the bar after I got the directions. It was a trekable distance, and the young guy from the repair shop had given me an umbrella.
On getting to the bar, I quickly realised why the young man at the repair shop had reacted the way he did. I looked at my dress and suddenly felt out of place. Even though I had removed all the detachable parts and it was now more of a short, simple gown, it still felt out of place. I felt out of place.
The bar was run down, the neon lights outside were barely still alive, and the sound filtering from within was the sound of cheap music.
The people going in and out of it were definitely not dressed the way I was.
For a second, I considered just finding a place to lodge and going to sleep, but my stomach rumbled again. Accompanied by my wolf snarling at me. "You better feed me, or I will feed on your brains."
I don't know if I have mentioned it, but I fear my wolf sometimes.
I sighed and went in. I didn't have much of an option because, except for the protein bar I had this morning, nothing else was in my stomach. As soon as I entered, the smell of cheap alcohol mixed with sweat hit my nostrils.
I found a seat at the extreme end. All I wanted was to eat fast and leave. But the food wasn't bad, so I requested a drink. As I took a sip of the alcohol, I couldn't stop. The weight I was carrying on my shoulders suddenly felt lighter.
And the emotions I had tucked away from the events of the day came crashing down on me. The bartender kept the drinks coming, and I drowned them, feeling them melt my feelings away.
"Someone is approaching us," Lise said with a certain urgency in her voice.
I immediately tensed and got alert. My senses heightened, and I snapped my head to the side, ready to attack.
The man immediately threw his hand in the air and stepped back. "I just want to talk." He said with an amused look on his face.
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to remember where I had seen him before, and then it clicked. He was the man who helped me tow my car.
He continued to say something, but I could barely hear him as Lise was screaming in my head.
"Mate! Mate!" She yelled, jumping up and down like a crazy person.
"Mate? But we saw him earlier and didn't feel any pull or a whiff of his scent." I said, my voice filled with confusion.
"It was raining heavily then. That must be why we didn't get a whiff of his scent or the pull." She replied.
"But we should have noticed when we entered the bar earlier," I argued.
"He is our mate. Look at him!" She snapped.
I looked up, and my eyes clicked with his. "Mate!" We both whispered at the same time.
For the moment, everything stood still. The noise was gone; everything faded into nothingness. It was just him and me in a world of our own. The pull was strong, drawing me to him. His scent was a sharp contrast to his look. He looked rough around the edges but had a floral scent. He smelled of gardenia and freesia. It was a heady, intoxicating combination that suited a powerful yet mysterious wolf like himself.
I shook my head, pulling myself out of the slump I had fallen into. My eyes widened.
"Oh no…this isn't right," I muttered.