Ariel's pov
I fluttered my eyes open to find two male figures glaring at me. My surroundings were unfamiliar, different from the forest I was in. The beeping of the machine next to my head snapped me out of my reverie. I remembered I was brought here by my savior, who wasn't a demon after all. He had saved my life after Laura left me for dead.
I clenched the bedsheets in my hands in anger, remembering everything that had happened in the forest. "Where am I?" I asked aloud.
"You are in the Shadow Moon Pack," the younger male replied, walking towards me. I got a good look at his features and his huge, muscular build.
"I saved you from rogue wolves. Hopefully, you weren't infected."he replied
"Who are you?" I asked, searching my mind for a familiar face, but nothing came up.
"I am Alpha Derek, and you are in my pack," he said.
I gulped hard. How did I end up here? Alpha Derek is my pack's greatest enemy and a powerful prince not only that a playboy good with women. If only he knew who he had brought back to his pack, he wouldn't be staring at me like that.
"I want to take my leave now," I said, removing the drips from my chest and hands.
"Where are you going to go? You haven't healed yet, little warrior," Alpha Derek pointed out, looking at the injuries on my body.
"I don't care about my injuries. I want to have my revenge on Louis," I fumed inwardly.
He held me back to the bed. I felt a rush of wind on my belly.
"You are not going anywhere until I confirm you aren't a threat to this pack!" He looked at me, his eyes showing a glint of affection.
"I am no threat to you," I raised my hands to prove a point.
"Then you have no reason to leave," he responded.
"I have unfinished business to attend to," I persisted, ignoring the way his voice made me calm.
"Then I guess it will have to wait. You are in my pack, and you have to follow my rules," he stared at me.
"I can't..." He cut me short.
"Don't think about escaping. My guard will keep an eye on you," he pointed at a male figure behind the door.
"I have important things to attend to, so I will leave you in his care. I will come back soon. We have a lot to discuss," he said, leaving.
The nerve of this man, telling me what to do. I have had enough of always waiting on a man's word, I say to myself as I got pulled to sleep.
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"Run, run, they are after you!" I was rudely awoken by the noise around me. It was Alpha Derek's guard yelling at me.
Who was after me? Or had Derek figured out the pack I had come from? I didn't stop to think further. I pulled the drip from my body and jumped down from the bed. My body felt a little sore from the pain, but it was better. At least I had the strength to run.
I tiptoed around the pack infirmary, looking for suitable clothes to wear. I wasn't going to go around in hospital clothes. I saw some clothes with the Shadow Pack's logo hanging on a rope outside. I quickly wore them.
I heard a loud noise towards the infirmary. I saw a cage at the wall beside the hanged clothes. I hid myself there, listening to their conversation.
"She was here, I swear it," the man who had treated me earlier pointed to the room I was admitted to.
The guards squinted their eyes to check if I was indeed inside the room, but I was hard to find.
"We can't see anything, Doc. Maybe she might have escaped. She might not have gone far," the doctor responded.
"Okay, everyone, spread out. She's one cursed she-wolf. We have to find her," they yelled amongst themselves as they left, looking for me.
What is happening? I asked myself. I stayed behind the cage for a few minutes, my heart beating against my ribs.
When the coast was clear, I took to my heels. I ran until I reached the huge packhouse gate, its massive structure towering above me.
What do I do? I whispered between breaths as I saw armed guards positioned beside the gate.
As I approached the gate, a part of me wanted to run and go back, but I knew the guards had already seen me. So, I cowered my head in pretense as I reached the gate.
"Hey, you! Stop there!" the first guard shouted. I stopped in my tracks.
"Where is your pass?" the guard asked, looking me up and down.
"I forgot it while doing Alpha Derek's laundry," I yapped, surprising myself that I could lie so quickly.
"Open the gate for her!" the guard yelled to his fellow man.
I gasped as I sucked in fresh air, walking slowly, not wanting to give myself away. My legs were already out.
"Wait!" The guard barked. "What is your name?"
"Ariel," I responded, my nerves getting jittery as I watched the guard.
"Alpha Derek doesn't have a maid," he smirked. "Seize her!" He yelled before I could break out into a run. I was grabbed by the two guards.
"Imposter! How dare you lie with Alpha Derek's name!" The commotion at the gate was already attracting attention, and soon enough, those guards with the doc came rushing towards the gate.
"She's the one!" the doc yelled aloud. "She's the cursed one!"
I bowed my head slightly, knowing there was nowhere I could go to come out of this alive. I clenched my teeth in frustration.
When I heard that low, deep voice, I knew I was in trouble.
"What's going on around here?" Alpha Derek walked towards me.
"She's being wanted by the Alpha King," the doc replied.
"On what grounds?" He yelled at him with a deathly stare.
"She's cursed, and bringing her to this pack will bring doom to us," the doc said.
"How dare you call my bride cursed?" He yelled, shoving his fist into the doctor's face, causing him to reel backward, blood flowing from his nose.
"You have to stop this madness, Derek!" The doc continued talking.
"I was shocked at the display of madness that was going on. What bride? Surely, it wasn't me.
"Release her, this instant!" Alpha Derek yelled at the guards, who cowered and left me.
I rushed to stay beside him, scared at the amount of people that were after me.
"Alpha, you have to kill her..." The doc spluttered out blood on the floor.
"Don't you dare talk while I am talking," Alpha Derek said, his eyes flashing with anger.
A gunshot was fired, and the doctor's blood splurged on the floor. Derek had shot the doctor dead in front of everyone.
Everyone's faces lit up in fear as he barked his next orders.
"What are you all waiting for? Leave here at once!" He yelled.
He linked his hands with mine and dragged me off to his chamber.
I couldn't stop thinking about what the doctor said. Was I really a curse?