Chapter 1

　　"We can't keep harboring you, Riley. You're old enough to take care of yourself and it will be best if you leave now." 　　Nothing shocked me more than hearing Beatrice tell me that a few days ago. She was the head of the orphanage center that I grew up in. The same orphanage center that raised me since I was a kid after my parents died. Except now they can't afford to keep taking care of me. 　　Like every other day since I was forced to leave the orphanage center, I find myself walking around aimlessly in search of a job or something to sustain me. This was the harsh reality of life I was made to go through now. 　　My legs are weary already from the long walk and I was sweating profusely. I couldn't stop though. I just couldn't. But the sudden sound of my stomach rumbling brought me to the realization that I still haven't had anything to eat all day. 　　"Now now," I say as I put a hand on my stomach while looking around with the hope of finding something to eat. I already exhausted everything I had on me yesterday and there was nothing left. 　　It is at that time that I catch sight of a place where people were trooping into. The aroma of cooked food coming from that direction hits my nostrils and I know I have hit a jackpot. 　　Quickly I begin to walk in the direction of where the supposed event was taking place and I sight two huge men in corporate wears guarding the entrance. 　　I didn't even care about them as I moved to enter until one of them uses an arm to block me from going in. 　　"Where's your card?" the one who stops me asks in a deep baritone voice. 　　"My what?" I ask in return, obviously not understanding what he asked me. 　　"Your invitation card… where is it?" 　　I could see the way he was assessing me and it made me feel very unwanted there. But my nostrils couldn't block the aroma of the food coming from in there, so much that I knew I had to have a taste already. 　　"Oh my bad," I feign an act, "I must have left it at my place. But don't worry, I don't bite." 　　I use that as a cue to get in but I'm stopped once more by the guard. 　　"No card, no entry," he announces and then pushes me aside. 　　There was no way I could fight my way through two hefty men like this. I just have to figure something out because this looks like my only chance at having something to eat today. 　　Ten minutes later, I was inside the event. And it wasn't through the entrance. Let's just say I have a pretty good skill at climbing my way through scaled fences. 　　This location seems to be packed. Obviously they were having some kind of high class event judging from the expensive wears a lot of them have on. But that's not my business. My business here is to fill my hungry stomach and that's what I set myself to do. Surely they won't mind an extra hand. 　　"Give me this, and this, and that," I say cheerfully to the caterers in charge of the meal after I approach them and they do as I requested, filling a dish up in no time. 　　I couldn't contain my excitement when I'm finally handed the plate. And as I walked away from there after shoving a spoonful into my mouth, I didn't fail to notice the weird stares I received from the caterers. Who cares? 　　Instead of finding a place to sit so I can enjoy my meal, I decide to have a view of my environment. 　　Maybe I shouldn't have done that because I somehow noticed how literally everyone around was either making out with the opposite sex or looking like they're about to get laid. How didn't I notice this when I first got in? 　　Amidst the whole erotic showdown going on around, what caught my interest was a particular man who didn't look like he was going to participate in whatever was happening. His expression was stoic but he had his eyes fixated on me like he could see deep within my soul. 　　Normally I look like a stranger here from the way I'm dressed but it looked like no one else minded as they had their thing going. Except now that it seems someone actually does. 　　To my surprise, the man walks over to me. And the first question he asks is: "Who are you?" 　　"Uhm... no one?" I say with my mouth full, wondering whether he was asking because I trespassed into an event I wasn't invited to. 　　"Surely you have a name." 　　"Of course I do." 　　"So what is it?" 　　"I don't think I need to tell you. If you would let me be, Mr.—" 　　"Just Damien," he interrupts before I could complete my statement. 　　"I didn't ask though." 　　"As much as I hate doing this, I'll just say it," he pauses. "You're my mate." 　　My face is instantly lit up with confusion. "Come again." 　　His expression reveals that he doesn't look like he's going to repeat himself. Yes I did hear him loud and clear but I have no idea what he means. 　　"Is this your attempt at flirting?" I have to ask. 　　"Does it look like I am?" 　　"What then is this all about? Did someone send you here to speak to me?" I look around. "Is this some kind of bet done to ask me out?" 　　He remains stoic all through my speech. It's like he was waiting for me to pour out my mind before he then says something. 　　"I wouldn't even look in your direction twice if it hadn't been for the mate bond," he rebuffs. 　　"Is that supposed to make me feel bad?" 　　"No. It's supposed to do nothing. Look, I'll give you the option of accepting or rejecting the bond now. Let me know where I stand from this moment." 　　I'm still not on the same page with him which is why I ask in my still confused state: "What bond?" 　　He looks a bit frustrated at this point but I should be more frustrated knowing I have no damn clue what's going on here. 　　His stoic expression is back. He looks firmer than before. And he doesn't hesitate to speak. "I'll ask you this one question: Can you feel it?" 　　"Feel what? Are you asking me if I like you?" 　　"No. I'm asking if you can feel the bloody mate bond!" he says, snapping at the end. 　　That didn't faze me though as I calmly said, "I don't even know what you're talking about." 　　"You're not a part of this pack, are you?" 　　It's strange that he used the word 'pack'. However I didn't want to be caught in the middle of a more confusing situation which is why I responded with a "No". 　　"What pack are you from then?" 　　"I'm not from around here. That's all I can say." 　　For a while he says nothing. He just stares as if scrutinizing me. All what he did was not enough to stop me from eating from the plate I've had in my hand all along. I still have a hunger to tend to despite this confusing situation I'm in. 　　When he takes a step closer to me, I respond by taking one backward. I don't want this strange man anywhere close to me. 　　"I think I get it now," he finally speaks. "You're human." He says the last word with a bit of disgust attached to it. Makes me wonder if he's crazy or something. 　　"Aren't we all?" I ask. "Aren't you?" 　　"There's obviously a lot you don't understand." 　　"Am I supposed to understand that a crazy man has been asking me questions and talking about weird stuff that makes no sense? Or am I supposed to understand that there's a lot of kissing going on around here?" 　　I expected a good response to my supposed confrontation. Instead I get a much weirder response. 　　"Come with me." 　　"To do what?" 　　"Because you have to." 　　"I'm not going anywhere with you," 　　He shakes his head. "As much as I would like to chat with you, here doesn't seem like the ideal place. So just come with me." 　　"Well I don't want to talk to you again. In short, I'm leaving. You can have this place to yourself." 　　"I'm sorry but you're not." 　　"What?" 　　"Seems you don't already know what you've gotten into, human." 　　"Why do you keep calling me 'human' like you're not?" 　　"Because with the look of things, you seem to be the only human around here." 　　That is when I see him gesture with his hand. Almost at the same time did two men begin to walk toward us from both sides, building up an unknown fear in me. 　　"What's the meaning of this?" 　　"It's simple. You're coming with me whether you like it or not." 　　"Oh bloody hell I'm not." 　　"What do you want to do? Run away?" 　　At this point I could see that I've become the center of attention. All eyes were on me as the erotic sessions around seemed to stop at the same time. Instantly made me regret that I set my foot here in the first place. 　　From the corner of my eyes I begin to plan an escape route. But I'm not able to come up with anything as those the man signaled to were already coming toward me. 　　The men charge at me so I quickly defend myself by throwing my plate of food at them, slowing them down for a bit while I seize the chance to run out of this place for good. And as I do, I could feel them hot on my heels. 　　I didn't let the fear of the fact that I was being chased down overwhelm me as I swayed past different bodies. And when I thought I had finally found a route out of here, I found myself bumping hard into someone, sending me crashing to the ground. 　　When I look up, I am surprised to see it's the strange man that I bumped into. How did he get here so fast? 　　I was surrounded now and I knew there was no way out of this for me. I have to resign to my fate while hoping he doesn't hurt me. 　　In a trembling voice, I ask, "What do you want from me?" 　　"Nothing. But until you accept or reject the bond between us, you are mine," He then looks toward his men. "Take her!"