Chapter 2

"Milena! Come back here!" Angry pack voices called after me as I ran away from the court, but I did not even look back at them. I felt so betrayed by Darren to even bother listening to the members of our pack calling my name anymore. Not even Uncle Finn and Aunt Julia beckoning me to come back changed my mind for I just want to get away from Darren and that girl beside him as far as possible right now. Throughout my life, I had cried for a lot of reasons, but this was a different kind of crying. The pain in my gut while I ran as fast as I could was intense. And as I headed to the path back to our house I suddenly took a turn towards the only place I knew no one would find me, perhaps except Darren. I went to the place where we met as our wolves for the first time. It was on top of a hill to the east of our town, just outside the fence of a farm that Darren's family owned. On top of the hill was a giant willow tree where I spent my youth, hiding from my bullies because the playground became too small as years went by. I sat at the foot of the tree and stared at the night sky, weeping. My throat and cheeks were still painful from my sudden outburst earlier. And as I wiped my face and tucked my long hair into place all I could think of was Darren. The man who was supposed to be mine, or so I thought. Darren choosing another girl over me to become his mate was the end of the world to me. I never imagined that he would have another potential mate, but I do think that his mother was right, that sometimes an alpha would find more than one potential mates. I had heard stories about those alphas, for they were quite rare to they become the talk of the pack. And it only proved that Darren was indeed the rightful successor to his father, who was now old enough to retire. When we were kids, it was his uncle that was the alpha. But when Darren was fifteen, his Uncle's mate died along with their unborn child, forcing his uncle to step down and Darren's father to take the spot vacated by his brother. But because of this change, Darren was suddenly put into the bright spot. As his father became the alpha, he was now expected to replace his father when the right time comes. I saw how that pressure got to Darren, especially when he was suddenly taught and trained by the elders of all the things that a future alpha would be expected to do. In our pack, the family of the alpha are usually trained in combat more than anyone else, aside from the rigorous teachings that is being instilled to them like the traditions, rituals, and laws that they need to learn before assuming the role as the pack's alpha. It was tough for Darren, as he was forced into those trainings and lessons all year long in his young age. There were times that I could tell that it was becoming too much for him, like when he suddenly disappeared during one of his important tests where he was about to fight one of the pack's generals. He did not show up and everyone went crazy searching for him. Luckily for us, I knew where he'd gone. It was the very same spot where I was right now. He climbed the willow tree and slept on one of the tree branches. When I saw him, I climbed up too and woke him up. "Darren, why are you here? You have to go back to the court," I told him as he blinked and scratch his eyes. "Everyone is searching for you!" "Oh, for goodness sake, you scared me, Milena," he said calmly. "Just let them be. I still don't want to go back." "But why?" "I'll just embarrass myself there," he said. "I know that I can't still defeat that general." "And so? You could just try again," I insisted. "Bailing out will not solve this, Darren." For a second I thought he got mad at me for lecturing him, but he just laughed. "I really can't slack off, right? Not with you becoming my conscience." "Because you're being stupid. Who'll become the next alpha if you keep doing this?" But instead of answering that, he poked my cheek and started climbing down. "Why do you keep on believing that I'll really become the next alpha? Not even my teacher thinks that. He says that they might find another one because I'm still weak." "Because you're kind and fair," I told him. "And don't listen to your teacher when he says that. he doesn't meant it, Darren. He's just strict to you because he wants you to take your training seriously." "I don't get what you first said. How can being kind and fair make me an alpha? An alpha needs to be strong." "Well, you're the only one who befriended me," I told him softly when we were both back on the ground. "I want the next alpha to be like you, who doesn't discriminate and bully people like me. That's why you have to be the next alpha, Darren. Don't worry, if you want to become stronger, I'll help you. We'll train a lot more. Just don't give up, okay? I know that you want to become the alpha. What you really fear is disappointing your parents. But you'll be just fine. I'm your best friend. I'll help you no matter what." "You really know how to say the right things, Milena. I'm really lucky that I have you so stay by my side," he had said and my teenage heart was in a high. And then that spot on top of the hill will become our refuge for the next years. We will kiss under the tree and spend our free time there. We secretly dated and that made me the happiest—secretly because I didn't want to burden him of dating a half-breed because even with him by my side, I was still bullied by everyone else. I was still considered an outcast despite Darren always siding with me. No one has even let me join their wolf training, the training we start as teens to control our inner wolves. But as my wolf wasn't even manifesting yet to me, I was just on the sidelines. Darren believed that if I could join the wolf training, I might be able to finally manifest my wolf because up until I turned seventeen all I could sense from my wolf was its low and faint grumbling, a huge contrast to Darren who wolfed out when he was just thirteen. But still, with Darren's help and encouragement, I remained hopeful that I would wolf out too. And it happened when I turned eighteen. I was actually waiting for this day for my whole life since I was already expecting my wolf to come out. Just a week before I already managed to sense and contact my wolf, who growled at me when Darren came to visit me and told me that the girl from the other pack turned out not to be his mate. Again. I was so happy that Darren, who was two years older than me still couldn't find his mate and it just made me believe more and more that I was his mate. So when I successfully turned into my wolf that night under the moon on top of the hill where we use to meet, I was in high spirits. And then another wolf arrived and I just knew who this wolf was. His eyes were a giveaway. As he prowled majestically towards me, my wolf was starting to feel this weird but intense emotion like it was hot and Darren's scent was the trigger. Meeting halfway with our eyes close to each other we realized that this was it — the mating bond. We were actually true mates.