In Love With A Lycan: The Rogue Alpha.

TWENTY YEARS AGO...

As the cold wind of the night blew towards the trees and rustled the dead leaves on the ground, a man and woman dashed through the dark woods, crushing the dead leaves beneath them. The man held her hand firmly as the woman tried to keep up with him. Tears kept rolling down her cheeks as they ran. Her eyes scanned their surroundings in fear of what was lurking in the dark. Would they make it out? Would they be found before they could? Different thoughts coursed through the woman's mind, and the more they ran, the more she lost the small hope she was holding on to that they would ever escape, until the hope was finally gone.

Suddenly, the woman came to an abrupt halt, forcing the man to stop too. He turned to look at her, his eyes wide in shock and fear, his hand still firmly gripping hers.

"Elena! What are you doing?" he said in urgency as his eyes scanned their vicinity. The wind blew even stronger, but the woman didn't move. Instead, she shook her head and burst out crying.

"We need to leave her here. We can't take her with us," she said, looking down at the sleeping baby in her arms, wrapped in a shawl. She held the baby close to her chest and continued to cry.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Elena? We can make it. I promise to protect both of you," the man said, trying to convince her. But Elena shook her head. His words no longer brought hope. Instead, they dwindled it even more.

"No, we can't. No matter how long we keep running, they will find us. She isn't safe with us. We have to find a safe place to keep her and-" Elena couldn't finish. Her eyes grew wide in horror as she caught a glimpse of something-or rather, someone.

"No!" she breathed out as a figure walked out of the shadows behind the man.

"What is it? We can make it, Elena," the man started, but Elena's eyes filled with fresh tears as the figure drew closer.

"They found us," she said in a low, fearful voice, and the man felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

Before he could turn to see who it was, a slashing sound echoed, and everything fell dead silent.

"Cedrick!" Elena screamed in anguish as she watched her husband drop to the ground, the light in his eyes dimming until it was finally gone. The man kicked away his lifeless body, and she felt like the air had been sucked from her lungs. "No," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You shouldn't have run. All I want is her. I promise not to hurt her. She's safer with me than she is with you. Do you think I'm the only one searching for the child? I am just one of many," the figure said as he started walking toward Elena.

She stepped backwards, away from him, but before she could turn and flee, she hit something with her back. Turning around, she gasped when she saw one of his men standing behind her with a scary smile on his face.

"There's no escaping, Elena. Give her to me and I promise to let you go," the man said.

Elena held her child closer. More tears streamed down her face as her eyes travelled to her husband. He didn't deserve this. This was all her fault.

"I will never give her to you," she said firmly. Her eyes no longer held tears but a fierce determination to save her child, even if it was the last thing she would do.

"Then I think you should join him," the man said.

Before Elena could react, she felt something sharp pierce her back, followed by searing pain. The breath was knocked out of her as the agony spread through her body. Still, she didn't let go of her baby, even as her strength began to fade. Elena fell to her knees, the baby slipping from her arms as she collapsed. Her hand reached for her back, and her eyes grew wide when she saw the blood on her fingers. Her breathing grew ragged as she tried to pick her baby back up. Determination still burned in her eyes, now laced with fear.

She stretched out her hand toward the baby, still fast asleep. The spell she had cast was still in effect. More tears escaped as she tried to think of a way out. If only she had listened to Cedrick.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to her child. No, she couldn't give up now. There was one way out, but she didn't know if she was strong enough.

No. It was the only shot she had.

Elena closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with determination. The fear was gone.

She began to mutter words under her breath.

"What is she doing?" one of the men shouted in alarm, charging toward her.

Before he could reach her, a blinding amber light enveloped the baby. He staggered back, shielding his face. "Stop her!" he yelled, but none of the men dared to move. The light grew brighter and brighter until none of them could bear to look.

For several seconds, they shielded their eyes, and when they finally looked again-

She was gone. The baby was gone.

"Where is she?" the man muttered, as his men exchanged confused, shocked glances. No one moved. No one dared.

"Bunch of cowards. You're all a bunch of cowards!" he shouted, storming toward Elena. But when he reached her, he froze. The frown on his face deepened as he knelt beside her, placing a hand near her nose.

"She's gone. This freaking wench," he spat, then turned to his men, who still hadn't moved.

"Find me the child. I don't care how you do it, but bring her to me."

"Good morning, Mrs Benson."

"Good morning dear," Mrs Benson replied and smiled warmly at the girl who always made sure to greet her good morning anytime she passed by her store. She was such a kind girl, but this only made Mrs Benson more curious about her. No one knew who she was or where she came from. She barely spoke a few words to people and found an excuse to leave whenever people tried to pry. "She is an odd one," Mrs Benson muttered under her breath as she watched her walk away.

Meredith had a slight smile on her face as she walked down to the bus stop; she had to get to class and then her work shift after. She had planned out how they pan out just like every other day for her. Wake up, get to the bus stop, get to class, then work after, and the last and most important thing, try not to get killed or taken. That had been the routine she had been following since she moved to this city and started college a year before and now things seemed to be getting a little better apart from the things she saw and couldn't unsee. The things she tried her very best to ignore every single day even though it was hard to. She placed her hand in the pocket of her hoodie and walked quickly so she would get to the bus stop early and could have a few minutes to catch her breath, But just as she was about to take a turn by the Bakery close to an alley, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a man standing by the alley. He was dressed in all black, and his eyes light blue eyes were what caught Meredith's attention; it caught her attention because he was staring right at her like he was staring into her very soul. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine when her eyes met with his. Meredith fisted her hand that was in her pocket and looked away, but when she looked back, he was gone. Her breath hitched a bit at this point, but she didn't wait there any longer. She turned and continued with her day. It was best to ignore whatever that was like she always did. But she had no idea what would happen next...

Meredith let out a shaky breath when she saw the same man the second time; he was standing right across the street from where she was and had his eyes on her. She fisted her hand and immediately looked away when their eyes met for a split second. Maybe it was all just a coincidence. She thought, trying to convince herself, but she, of all people, knew coincidence was something to be wary of for someone like her. Her breath hitched when the man started to cross the road and walked towards the bus stand.

Meredith took a step back immediately. The bus stopped in front of her. The door to the bus opened, and Meredith swallowed; now was the perfect time for her to slip away without his knowledge. She turned away from the bus as people rushed right past her to get into the bus. Meredith walked quickly towards an alley that led back to her house, but she couldn't get far because the same right walked out from the end of the alley. Her intuition had been right it wasn't just a coincidence. She fisted her hand and started to walk back to where she had come from, but froze in shock when the man who was just there became faster than ever and appeared right in front of her, blocking her way. "Such a wonderful scent." The man said in a low voice when their eyes met. She quickly looked away and pretended like she couldn't see him. Like he didn't exist, but it was hard to when he was standing right in front of her.

Meredith took a step back in fear, "You... you can see me." The man said, a devious smile appearing on his face as he stared at Meredith, who had turned pale. Meredith didn't waste a single second and turned to leave ignoring his words, she was about to start walking away so he wouldn't suspect her, but the next second she gasped, her eyes growing wide in shock when the man who was just at her back appeared right in front of her. She took a step back away from him out of shock, and the man was finally convinced now that she could see him. "You smell so wonderful. You aren't just any human, are you? Humans are unable to see me unless I let them," He said in a low voice as he started to inch closer to Meredith, who was already planning her escape in her head. If she turned to run now, he would just appear right in front of her like he just did. She had to outsmart him, but Meredith didn't get enough time to carry out her plan when the man took a step forward. Out of fear, she was about to take to her heels, but the man's hand flew to her arm with a far faster speed than she had anticipated. "I'm sorry, but I think you need to come with me,", He said firmly, and his eyes, which had been blue just a second ago, started to change till they turned completely dark. Meredith felt her stomach churn at this point. Was today finally the end for her? This wasn't how she had thought it would end. She didn't want things to end this way; she still had so much left to do. She couldn't miss class; what about work? Her heart dropped to her stomach when the man smiled at her. His smile made her skin crawl.

"This is going to be fun," He said in a chilling voice that made her want to yell out for help, but she knew what that would cause. She would only end up putting someone else in trouble. "What do you want." She finally found her voice and hated the fear she tasted when she spoke. It was strong and metallic. "That shouldn't be what you should be asking, I should be the one asking what you are, but I don't have the time for that. I think you are going to be useful to me," He replied, and the next thing she knew, everything went dark.

"How will I know if you are telling me the truth. What if she isn't worth a thing."

"I promise she is worth more than you can imagine, trust me. I could smell her from miles away. She is different. I wanted to keep her for myself, but I'm in a tight spot now."

Meredith could hear the voices close to her, but her eyes were closed and her brain was still trying hard to process what was happening. Her head was hurting, that was the only thing she could think of. It was hurting so bad.. it felt like she had been hit in the head by something hard over and over again.

But a few seconds later when the memories of everything that happened came flashing back, her eyes flew open and grew wide. Where was she! Was she dead! Was she in h*ll? She thought she would go to heaven. She deserved that after how much she had been through.

Meredith couldn't see a thing; everywhere was pitch black and no matter how much she tried to squint her eyes to see something, it was useless.

The pain in her head shot up again, and she groaned as she tried to move and get up to get some light, but it didn't take her long to realise that she could move. There was a restraint against her hands and legs, holding her back and prying into her skin each time she tried to move.

Meredith immediately went into panic mode and tried to pry her hands out of the tight rope around it, but the rope was tied firmly, and there wasn't much she could do to get it off. She knew for a fact that she wasn't dead. She couldn't be.

The man! She gritted her teeth in anger. She should have gotten on the damn bus! She was afraid of getting people in trouble because of her. What was he? Another one of those beings!

What about college! What about her apartment. Would anyone notice she was missing? Her landlady. She wanted to scoff. The only thing she cared about was her rent, and even if she did report her missing, what could the police do? Could they fight and rescue from supernatural beings like him. she was more likely to get killed than to get rescued by them.

"I'm going to take your word for it. But if she is worth nothing then I'm going to find you."

Meredith completely froze when she heard a voice coming from close by. She recognised the voice; it was the voice she had heard when she woke up. Who was it? Was he the one who tied her hands and legs? Was he working with the man?

"I assure you, you will be shocked to find out how much she is worth." She heard another voice, and her heartbeat quickened in fear.

Meredith opened her mouth to speak or yell! But before she could, she quickly stopped herself. What difference would it make if she did that. it would only gain their attention and she might get knocked out once again. She couldn't let that happen. Instead,, she had to think of a way to escape. She had to be prepared for what was going to happen.

From the little conversation she heard she was about to deduce that she was being sold. She wanted to face-palm herself and scream at the top of her lungs because of how angry and wronged she felt. Getting sold was the last thing she wanted and the worst thing that would ever happen to her. The thought of being taken to land that she knew no one Frightened her to her core.

"What am I going to do," Meredith muttered under her breath as her eyes brimmed with tears.

She sat there in absolute silence and darkness. Waiting to hear something. Anything that could aid her escape. It felt like she had waited for an eternity. What was going on on the outside?

She was about to try her luck with the ropes once again when she started to hear footsteps approaching where she was. A lump formed in her chest as she started to move back, but her back soon hit a hard surface, stopping her from moving back any further. She groaned in pain and then her footsteps stopped. Right in front of her.

The entire time, Meredith held her breath as she waited for something to happen. Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she felt a presence right in front of her.

Her mind was screaming at her to flee, but how could she flee. She couldn't see anything! She couldn't even move much! Her situation felt impossible to escape from.

"You don't look like you are worth much apart from your pretty face." She felt a hot break on her face, and her stomach churned in disgust. She wanted to move further away from this person but couldn't. Her back was against what was probably a wall.

"So pretty..." The man muttered under his breath, and Meredith yelped and whimpered in fear when she felt his hand close to her face. There was a short pause after, and the next second, he yanked something off her face.

Meredith immediately squinted her eyes because of the sudden rays of light that hit it. "it's okay." The man said in a soft voice like he hadn't been speaking about buying her a while ago.

Her eyes soon became adjusted to the light again and then she could finally see his face clearly, but what caught her eyes immediately was his teeth. Her face almost churned in disgust as she stared at his black, rotten-looking teeth. He had a bright smile on his face that was very unsettling.

He looked seriously unkempt and his nails looked to be in the same condition as his teeth. His eyes were tough, they were. Beautiful. It was the bluest eyes Meredith had ever seen in her entire life. His eyes looked like they didn't belong there. She had never seen such a clear colour of blue before. But his physical appearance was nothing to write home about. he had this pungent smell coming from him that made Meredith want to wrinkle her nose.

The man moved away from her and sighed deeply. He could see the look of disgust on her face when she looked at him and it made the bright smile which he had on his face immediately dissipate.

"I thought his eyes would be able to distract you, but I was wrong." The man muttered under his breath and the next second. The bluest eyes that Meredith had been taken aback by completely disappeared like it had been an illusion. She gasped in shock before realisation dawned on her.

"Shapeshifter." She muttered in a low voice and the man started to chuckle.

"I thought you were human. do humans know about us?" He asked, and Meredith stared at him in silence, not answering his question.

"Enough chatting. It was almost sundown. It's time to go. I have to find out fast if you are really worth something." He said and knelt down on one knee, Meredith watched in silence as he started to loosen the rope around her legs.

This was her chance to escape. She thought, but how would she get past him. He was a shape-shifter who was stronger than she was. This wasn't her first encounter with one. A few years back, she was lucky to escape from one, but she wasn't so lucky this time around.

What was the guarantee that she could even make it outside? She didn't even know where she was and how long she had been out.

When he was done with her legs. she was expecting him to start with her hands, but he didn't do that. Instead,, he grabbed her hand and drew her up so she could walk.

Meredith couldn't say or do anything. All she could do was walk like he wanted her to. She turned to look at the face she had seen, and it looked like a small room that was completely empty.

As they walked outside, Meredith felt like passing out due to shock when she saw that they were standing in the middle of a forest. All she could see were trees and trees, but what made her feel more panicked were the three other girls who were standing outside with their hands tied like she had been.

They all looked like they had given up on life. She couldn't see the light in their eyes anymore. They just stood there like zombies ready to be taken to wherever. Some men were also behind them, guarding them. They were in the same unkempt state as the man.

"Let's get moving." The man said in a firm voice and turned to look at her. he said nothing before walking away, leaving her standing there, shocked by what was happening. One of the men approached her and grabbed her arm. He dragged her to where the other girls were and tied her to the ropes that joined them all together. When he was sure that they all were tied firmly, he left.

Meredith turned to look at the girls, hoping to speak to them to find out where exactly they were, but none of them would look at her. They were avoiding eye contact if they looked at her, they would get in trouble.

Was this the end for her. was she going to end up like them. Accepting her fate.

Meredith feared for herself. She didn't want to lose all hope