Chapter 15 - How She Met HIM (2/2)

With her new leather jacket on and her backpack on her shoulders, she headed off towards the city. With the twenty-five-minute walk, Esme's mind started to wander, and in a daze, the sounds of her footsteps on the pavement fell into the background as she recounted the day she met HIM.

Esme needed to join the pack, but she did not expect to be attacked so aggressively. She emerged from the woods, her hands held behind her back by the warriors of the White Sands pack whose land she had crossed. Four of their wolves walked behind her, growling at her for the injuries they sustained from fighting the rogue.

But she did the unpredictable and asked them to spare her life and allow her entry into the pack. They scoffed at her, yet her skills as a fighter could not be ignored. It was as though she was a warrior from another pack and not like a weak rogue at all.

In the end, their Beta, who walked ahead of them, made the decision to bring her to their Alpha. He looked everything like how she expected a Beta to be, tall, muscular and brimming with power and authority. The others in the pack followed his command without arguing, even though her presence seemed to enrage them. She would be enraged, too, if a petite she-wolf took down two of their largest wolfs.

”Quite embarrassing, really,” Isana smirked arrogantly. Esme's small figure always made people underestimate her and believe she was weak, but she had been skillfully trained to use that to her advantage. Esme refrained from smirking along with her wolf; if the pack saw her arrogance, then it would rattle them more. She was nothing to them but an annoying rogue who was searching for a pack to join.

The thing was, each pack had its own rules about letting a rogue join them. Some put it down to a vote on whether to accept a rogue; others used more violent methods such as throwing the rogue into a fighting ring. If the rogue used to be a disgraced wolf from another pack, then chances were they would survive, but if they were truly a rogue, their lives 90% of the time would be over.

The White Sands pack had such a method, but Esme was ready for the challenge. She had to get into the pack, no matter what it took.

Esme kept her head low, looking at her feet as the rough wind from the coast blew her waist-length hair to the side, entangling it across her face. The ocean's waves crashed against the rocky cliffs, its shores a sweet lullaby to her ears as though it was calling her home. But this was not her home unless she could get into the pack. Her head lifted and whipped to the side when she heard footfall and laughter of more and more wolves nearby; they were far from the border now and approaching the packhouse.

Esme was thrown onto the ground by the feet of their Alpha. She pushed herself up from the ground but stayed kneeling, keeping her head low, not daring to look at him unless he commanded so. She could not disrespect the Alpha, or she could lose her life then and there. The she-wolf could already feel the waves of power radiating off him, almost knocking her back and instilling fear in her. The Beta was nothing in comparison.

Yet there was a delicious scent like no other wafting around her, comforting her, making her muscles relax, and her heart race loudly in her chest. She inhaled it and almost felt dizzy from the smell. The smell was intoxicating, urging her to look into the Alpha's eyes.

”Mate! He has to be your mate!” Her wolf screamed in her head, overjoyed by the idea that they had finally found their mate. It had only been two years since she turned eighteen.

Esme looked up and stared into the emerald-green eyes of the Alpha. He was tall, broad, full of muscles like most Alpha's, his hair ash brown, but his eyes stood out so much against his olive skin tone. He was breathtakingly beautiful. He was perfect.

The Alpha inhaled sharply, his cold demeanour and look of disdain instantly vanished, and he lowered to the ground, raising his hand to her face, cupping her cheek gently as he stared at her adoringly. ”What is your name?” He asked softly.

They leaned towards each other like a magnetic force was pulling them together, the Alpha and rogue lost in their own bubble.

”Esme,” She whispered, unable to look away from her.. her mate.

”She is the intruder, Alpha!” The Beta stepped forwards.

”Esme is my mate,” He growled back, his eyes snapping to his Beta briefly. His Beta flinched and stepped back, lowering his head in respect. Esme could feel the power of his voice shaking through her very core. He was terrifyingly delicious.

He returned his gaze to Esme, then picked her up like she weighed nothing and embraced her tightly, sniffing her hair and leaving kisses on her head. Esme's arms were by her sides, she was still taken aback by what was happening, but slowly she wrapped her arms around his back, feeling the hardened muscles beneath her fingers. Being in his arms felt like she'd returned home after being years away.

”What.. What is your name?” She asked, her voice cracked from how emotional she felt.

He pulled away and smiled warmly at her. ”Ethan.. Alpha Ethan.”

Ethan interlaced his fingers with her and pulled her gently towards the large silver gates behind him that opened as they approached, and behind them was a marvellous white mansion overlooking the cliff's edge with an infinity pool to the side. It was stunning and unlike anything she had ever seen.

The White Sands pack truly had quite the territory; though it was small compared to some packs, the scenery was everything. Esme stopped and stared as the sun slowly dipped down from the sky, its red and orange hues shining against the horizon. The wind blew against her face pushing back her hair as she smiled gently. Ethan's hands which should have felt like a stranger's, wrapped around her tiny waist, and he kissed her neck.

”Welcome home, princess.”

She sighed, leaning back into him, blissfully unaware of the monster just below the surface of her mate.

”Esme! What are you doing standing outside in the cold, chica!?” Hana's voice snapped Esme out of her reverie, and she dabbed away a lone tear, looking away before her friend saw it. She did not realise she had stopped outside of ONYX.

Esme put a smile on her face as Hana flung her arm over her shoulder and started to walk them towards the entrance.

”Heh, I was bracing myself for another day at work with you guys,” She winked, earning a cat cry from Hana.