Chapter 2 Chapter 2

The car screeched to a halt, jolting me forward before the seatbelt caught me. A gruff man, Kole, if my memory served me right, swung open the passenger door with a flair that screamed 'drama queen'. Before I could as much as protest, he yanked me out onto the rocky ground. Rolling my eyes, I leveled him with a glare that would have made Medusa proud. So much for knightly gallantry in these parts, eh?

A low, gravelly voice thundered from behind us, "Let her go."

Kole relinquished his grip as though I was a hot potato. As he turned to face the voice, I couldn't help but scrutinize the newcomer. His towering figure was chiseled to perfection, radiating an alpha's aura that was hard to ignore. The fact that he was my soon-to-be mate didn't escape me either.

"I nabbed the rogue," Kole reported, giving me a look that was a cross between disappointment and distaste.

The Alpha turned his penetrating gaze towards me. His eyes bore into mine like a pair of laser cutters, making me shudder. "What's your name?"

"Irene," I managed, hoping he didn't notice the tremor in my voice.

He extended a hand toward me, a silent invitation. I cast it a glance before defiantly looking away. His hand clenched into a fist, his irritation palpable.

"Follow me. And don't do anything stupid," he warned, his words carrying a hard edge. I mentally stuck my tongue out at him but nodded in agreement. Being on the receiving end of an alpha's wrath was not on my to-do list today.

He led the way to a colossal mansion, our footsteps echoing in the grand hallway. My presence attracted curious glances from the household, but I resolutely ignored them, trailing behind the alpha. After a flight of stairs, he held open the door to a spacious study-cum-office. I could practically smell the 'Alpha-ness' oozing out of every polished surface.

"You're my mate," he declared, stating the apparent with a stern look that contradicted the ridiculousness of his words.

I raised a single eyebrow at him, feigning surprise. "Thank you, Sherlock. I hadn't noticed."

"But I've already found my mate," he said, and I could swear I felt my heart wrench.

"I've had mine too," I retorted, mirroring his frosty tone.

He paused, his expression unreadable. "You're my second chance," he finally said, each syllable hanging in the air like a physical blow.

"How's your first?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"She's dead." His answer was brief, but the glacial chill in his tone was more than enough to have me mentally apologizing for asking.

"What about your mate?" he asked, returning my question.

"He rejected me," I admitted, bitterness seeping into my words.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would he do that?"

"He thought I wasn't pretty enough to be his Luna," I shrugged. The painful memory still held the power to sting, but I refused to let it show.

"You were a mate to an alpha?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yep," I replied, popping the 'p' for extra effect.

Before he could respond, the office door burst open, revealing a wide-eyed girl who seemed to be in her early twenties.

"Alpha," she began, her gaze darting from me to the alpha. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but Leila asked me to inquire about tonight's preparations."

The alpha casually waved her off. "Tell Leila to check with Sabrina. And show Irene to her room."

As the girl left, I gave him an awkward smile before following her upstairs. She led me to an immaculate white room at the end of a hallway, declaring, "This is your room, Luna."

"Luna? It's just Irene!" I corrected, a little more harshly than intended. I quickly made amends, apologizing for my outburst, and then followed her back downstairs, curiosity driving me to explore more of the mansion.

Once I was back in the office, I snapped at the alpha, "I don't even know your name, and already people are addressing me as Luna!"

"Jacob," he replied indifferently. "And as you are the Luna of this pack, that is what you'll be addressed as."

"And which pack would that be?" I asked.

"Black Crescent," he replied, and I felt my eyes widen at the mention of the most notorious pack in the state.

There was a pause, then, I muttered, "What if I reject you?"

A flash in his eyes, and he was close, his breath tickling my ear as he whispered, "I know you won't."

Determined to get the last word in, I quickly changed the topic. "What's going on tonight?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "Just a few special guests coming. Feel free to help, or don't, I don't care." With that, he dismissed me and went back to his paperwork.

As I walked away, the whirlwind of events and emotions making my head spin, I ran into Caterina, the girl from earlier. Together we ventured into the kitchen, where a group of girls greeted us with a mix of curiosity and hostility. Among them was Leila, the pack's bully, who was put in her place when I stood up to her.

I was, after all, their Luna now, whether they liked it or not.