I rushed back to my small home, my heart still pounding from the intense run. I quickly put on some clothes, but the feeling of being watched persisted. Could it be that he had followed me? Panic and uncertainty consumed me as I paced back and forth, waiting for his arrival.

The pull intensified, signaling his proximity. My wolf urged me to calm down, but how could I in this situation? I was about to face the Alpha, my supposed mate, and my emotions were in turmoil. Was he here to reject me? The thought sank into my heart like a sharp blade, causing pain to bloom.

"He's here," my wolf informed me, breaking my thoughts. The overwhelming scent of him wafted through the air, intoxicating me and weakening my knees. I had no strength to stand, so I sat down on my bed, trembling with anticipation and anxiety.

The door opened, and my head jerked towards the direction of the sound. There he stood, his golden eyes glowing as they locked onto mine. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt an inexplicable sense of shame about my humble abode. It was ridiculous; I shouldn't care what he thought of it.

We held each other's gaze for what felt like an eternity, but my insecurity pushed me to break the eye contact. My mind raced with thoughts of his possible rejection, trying to prepare myself for the pain.

"Why are you here?" I managed to ask, my tone was more accusatory than inquisitive. My wolf rolled her eyes at my attitude, knowing that I shouldn't antagonize him.

The glint in his eyes shifted, and I realized my mistake in tone. A smirk crossed his face, but it wasn't a happy one. The sight sent shivers down my spine; he appeared incredibly handsome yet terribly dangerous.

He seemed like someone not to be trifled with, and his muscles only reinforced that impression. I felt a mix of fear and fascination, unsure of what to make of this enigmatic man.

Instead of answering my question directly, his eyes roamed around my cabin before returning to meet mine. I struggled to decipher the emotions in his gaze, but one thing was clear—disgust.

Confused and hurt, I didn't know what his reaction meant. Then, unexpectedly, he uttered, "We leave tomorrow," before turning away.

Wait, he wasn't rejecting me? He planned to take me out of this place? But did he know I was an omega? I doubted it.

Before he could leave, I rushed after him, calling out, "Wait!"

Thankfully, he halted, but he kept his back to me.

"Why?" I inquired, my confusion evident in my voice.

"Unless you want to stay here, either way it's fine for me," he nonchalantly replied, seeming unfazed by my revelation.

"Don't you know I'm an omega?" I spoke up, hating the weakness that tinged my voice.

This time, he took a step towards me and turned to face me, wearing a sick, cold smile that contradicted his stunning features. "Exactly why I'm bringing you with me," he laughed, but there was no humor in it—only cruelty. "This trash in a place doesn't have the right to hurt you."

His approaching steps echoed like thunder in my ears, causing my heart to race erratically. I instinctively shied away from him, but it all happened too fast. Before I knew it, I was pinned against the wall, my arm held up firmly. Panic and shock filled me, and I tried to move, but his grip was unyielding.

As I looked up into his eyes, I was taken aback by the intensity of his anger. "Only I do," he spat bitterly, laughing sarcastically. "You? My mate?" He scoffed, tightening his grip, making me wince from the pain.

"T-that hurts," I managed to say weakly, my heart aching as my wolf retreated in fear. I had expected him to hurt me, but I hadn't anticipated the excruciating pain he was causing. Was this really happening?

A sadistic smile adorned his lips, and I shivered with fear. His grip tightened further, his nails digging into my skin. I tried to resist and push him away, but it was futile. Tears threatened to form, but I fought to keep them at bay. I couldn't give him more reasons to hate me or appear weaker than I already seemed.

"Oh, sweetheart, this is nothing," he taunted before finally letting go. I quickly brought my other hand to rub the injured one, trying to alleviate the pain. But then, I noticed that my hand was bleeding and starting to turn blue. The pain came late, but it was just as agonizing.

My mate had broken my arm.

He turned around and began walking away slowly. Watching his back, I couldn't help but muster the courage to call out to him, needing answers.

"One question!" I shouted after him.

For the second time, he halted at the door and turned around to face me.

"Will you reject me?" I asked, my voice trembling, determined to hold back the tears. Don't cry, please, Willow, don't cry.

His green eyes felt like orbs of ice that pierced through my very soul. A sadistic smirk crept upon his lips, and he placed his arm on my right side, blocking my escape route. "Reject you? That's an easy escape, don't you think?" His voice was as cold as his eyes, his heart, filled with venom, hatred, and disgust. "The moon goddess gave me you, and I'll simply pay her for her kindness." His tone dripped with contempt. "If she thinks that I can ever accept an Omega as my mate, she's damned wrong."

Morning finally came, but I hadn't caught a glimmer of sleep. My mate's words consumed my thoughts all night, but I realized that I didn't even know his name. I decided to go with him, at least for now, despite the uncertainty and fear that gnawed at me.

I packed a few pairs of clothes, the only proper ones I had, and waited in my small house. Should I stay and wait for him here, or go to the pack house and meet him? What if it was all a trick? What if he didn't take me with him?

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I didn't recognize the unfamiliar smell, but I could detect a faint scent of my mate. I hesitated before opening the door, revealing a man with combed back brown hair and hazel eyes that seemed to pierce right through me.

"Are you Willow Wright?" he asked. His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, but he reassured me with a smile, claiming to be just a regular wolf.

He walked past me, observing my small bag, and declared he would explain everything on our way. I was baffled by his intrusion and his demand that I follow him without a word. But as I stepped away from my house, a wave of sadness washed over me. Despite my hatred for this place, my little house had been my comfort and sanctuary. Now, I had to leave it behind, venturing into the unknown with no certainty of what awaited me.

The man called out softly, sensing my hesitation. He came over and spoke reassuringly about letting go. His encouraging smile prompted me to gather my strength and face this new world with resolve.

As we walked, I noticed we were heading in the opposite direction of the pack house. When we reached the edge of the forest, I saw a black jeep waiting. My companion activated the engine and opened the trunk, placing my bag inside. He then opened the passenger door for me, a gesture of kindness I had rarely experienced.

I got in and buckled up, grateful for the music he put on to break the awkward silence. We drove away from the pack gates, the guards saluting as we passed. My companion looked relieved once we were out, and he turned to me with a laugh.

"That was rough!" He exclaimed, puzzled by my silence. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm alright," I replied quickly.

"By the way, I'm Archer, Moonwood Mill's beta. Nice to meet you, mysterious Willow Wright," he introduced.

"Well, I guess you already know me, but I'm Willow," I responded, trying to hide my apprehension as we continued on our journey to an uncertain fate.

He nodded with a smirk, enjoying my curiosity. "So, you're my Alpha's mate, huh? Well, he didn't exactly tell me, but why else would he take you away all of a sudden?" he chuckled to himself.

"I hope it's not much trouble, but can I ask where he is?" I managed to ask, trying not to sound disrespectful.

Archer turned toward me, a knowing grin on his face. "Missing him already? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but he's still in your pack taking care of business. He's an Alpha, you know. That's why I'm surprised that he's mated to you."

His words stung, though I could tell he didn't intend to be hurtful. My wolf complained in my head, clearly irritated by his comments.

"You know, it's such a rare thing to happen. Is that even possible?" he continued, displaying his talkative nature. "I mean, c'mon. He's an Alpha and you're a-" The car stopped abruptly, and we both jerked. "I- I didn't mean it that way. It's just-"

And then, I laughed. It surprised me too, as I had anticipated a harsh reaction. But there was no punch or kick; just a shocked beta staring at me, followed by a proud smile.

"Hey, you've got a nice laugh," Archer complimented, further putting me at ease.

"Alright, so from now on, I'll tell you everything you need to know about our pack. So listen well, okay?" He declared, prepared to give me a full rundown of pack life.

I hesitated but mustered the courage to ask another question before he launched into his explanations. "Can I just ask one thing?"

He looked at me and nodded, curious about what I wanted to know.

"It might sound weird," I said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Just spill it."

"Okay, here goes. What's my mate's name?" I blurted out, feeling my cheeks flush.

Archer burst into loud laughter, and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "Wow, and here I thought you were gonna ask me how to kill." He continued to laugh, making my cheeks warm.

Finally, he composed himself and answered, "Ezekiel. Ezekiel Evans is your mate's name."

As he said the name, I repeated it in my mind. Ezekiel.

We had been on the road for approximately three hours when we pulled into a gas station. Right next to it, there was a restaurant with eye-catching advertisements plastered on the exterior. 'Best Cheeseburger in the World Right Here!' and 'Value Meal at Only $4.99! Wow!'

As I read the enticing ads, I couldn't help but realize that I hadn't eaten for nearly two days. The thought of that cheeseburger made my stomach grumble loudly, and I tried to suppress the hunger pangs. Unfortunately, I didn't have any money to buy food.

Watching Beta fill up the gas tank, I contemplated whether I should ask him for some money. My wolf companion in my thoughts agreed with the idea, reminding me that I needed to eat. However, I hesitated, not wanting to burden him. I convinced myself that I could endure a few more days without food.

Archer went into the convenience store and returned with two bottles of water. At least I had something to drink, which slightly eased my hunger. As he started the car and prepared to hit the road again, I bid farewell to the delicious-looking cheeseburgers.

But just as he was about to speak, my stomach betrayed me with an embarrassingly loud growl. I tried to play it off, pretending that I was fine and not hungry. Archer looked at me skeptically, pointing towards the restaurant, and offered to grab something to eat.

In a desperate attempt to avoid revealing my true hunger, I clumsily denied it, trying to sound nonchalant. My stomach, however, had other plans and roared louder this time. It was beyond embarrassing, and I wished the ground would swallow me up.

Inside my head, my wolf chided me for being stubborn and urged me to accept Archer's offer. I felt a mix of embarrassment and frustration, feeling like I was being punished for some unknown sin. Should I just give in and admit that I needed food? The internal battle continued as I grappled with my pride and my growling stomach.

My wolf was laughing inside my head, and soon enough, Archer's boisterous laughter filled the air as well.

"H-hey!" laugh "if you were so hungry," laugh "y-you should've just told me!" he beamed, and I couldn't help but feel my face turn as red as a tomato. I tried to hide my embarrassment, lifting my hand and waving it dismissively. "I'm fine, really. L-let's just go," I said, but he continued laughing, thoroughly amused by the situation.

After a while, he finally composed himself and parked the car right in front of the restaurant. Confused and embarrassed, I glanced at him, wondering what he was up to. With an amused smile, he turned off the engine.

"C'mon, let's go before I change my mind," he said, stepping out of the car. Cursing myself for being so stubborn, I reluctantly followed him. Stepping outside, I couldn't help but notice the unfamiliar scent of human territory. This was my first time being in this kind of place since leaving my old pack. The smell of gasoline annoyed me a bit, but I could bear it.

As I looked around, taking in the new surroundings, I took a deep breath and turned to follow Beta Archer. He was already holding the door open for me, and when our eyes met, he burst into laughter again. Oh great, he's definitely going to tease me about this later.

I managed to mutter a thank you as I went in first, appreciating the gesture as it was the first time someone had done that for me. A blonde lady, probably around my age, approached us quickly and offered us a booth by the windows, which we gladly accepted.

Once we were seated, she handed us the menus, and she seemed to be giving more attention to Archer, complete with a wink and a perfect smile. Archer responded with a flirtatious smile, and I couldn't help but feel awkward, so I hid behind my menu to avoid the scene.

"Hello, my name is Aria, and I'll be your waitress for today. I'll leave you some time and take your order, alright honey?" she said, emphasizing the last word while looking at Archer, before leaving us to decide.

Raising an eyebrow at Archer's reaction, I couldn't help but comment, "Gross," sticking my tongue out playfully.