Chapter 3

*Dante*

I felt my paws slow down on their own as I picked up a new scent in the air. Citrus and a hint of strawberry. I came to a complete halt, my wolf screaming one word in my head. Mate. Before I had the chance to figure out how it was even possible in the first place, the three rogues who'd been after me all pounced at the same time. My wolf fell to the ground with a thud, my head turning to the side as I tried to protect my snout. It was then I saw her.

My second chance mate.

She was hiding behind the bushes, fear and a bit of confusion fighting for dominance in her pretty brown eyes. I caught a whiff of her citrusy scent once more before one of the rogues reminded me I was in a fight when he scratched at my skin with his sharp claws. My wolf howled, thrashing and turning as I tried to get back on my feet. I stood on my four paws, wobbling and falling back to the ground with how weak I was.

Even as Alpha.

The rogues had somehow made their way into my pack, angry and thirsty for blood. The last thing I'd wanted was to put my warriors in danger and so I'd chosen to take them on myself. We'd fought for more than ten minutes in the pack before I'd gotten an idea and dashed into the forest, hoping they were now so invested in the fight that they would immediately chase after me. I was right. I'd successfully lured them out of the pack and to the forest where the battle had continued.

Three against one.

A mere werewolf would have died after some minutes. Luckily, I wasn't just the normal werewolf. My abilities were more enhanced than those of my pack members. The warriors had tried to help but I'd asked them to stay out of it. These rogues were fighting dirty. They didn't care about gaining victory. They only cared about causing death. Which was why I was scared out of my mind to have discovered my second chance mate under the circumstances.

The rogues and I fought and tore at each other's skin, turning and rolling in the dirt. I was already weak but I knew giving up meant that I would lose my life. And then they'd have the access they needed to tear my pack apart. We were still grunting and struggling for a few more minutes. Hell, I was almost about to give up when one of the wolves suddenly slumped. The rest of us paused in shock, staring down and watching as he writhed in a pool of his own blood, a wooden stake sticking out of his heart.

I dragged my gaze away from him.

My mate was standing just a few feet away from us, looking horrified at the sight in front of her almost like she couldn't believe what she'd done. Seeing her standing a few meters away from me, I registered three things all at once. One, her hair was a striking shade of bright purple, even as messy and tangled as it was. Two, she had a nose piercing. Three, she looked like death herself. Her eyes were dark and pretty, but there were also dark circles beneath them. Visible eye bags made her look like she hadn't eaten for months.

Her clothes were torn and dirty, leaves were sticking out of her hair, smudges of dirt and grease stained her skin. She looked so thin and skinny I feared she could drop down and die any time soon. I felt fear creep up my spine when one of the rogues threw himself on her, bringing her to the ground. I tried to rush to them but the second rogue rammed his wolf into me, trying to pin me down to the ground.

I struggled with trying to pull myself free while she battled with the other rogue, already so weak and weary. My heart stilled when she released a sharp cry. I turned my head with every bit of strength in me, shocked to find a deep gash on the side of her stomach. The amount of blood gushing out from the wound frightened me a little bit. Werewolves didn't bleed that much because healing started the second we sustained injuries. She doubled over slightly, her hand moving to apply pressure to her side.

Our gazes collided.

Seeing her in so much pain infused some form of strength in me. I caught sight of a roughly broken branch sticking out of a tree. I battled with the wolf until I was finally able to push him so forcefully towards the tree that the branch pierced his heart. I panted, watching as he fell to the floor, writhing as blood rushed from the wound. I turned to the other wolf and something in my eyes must have frightened him because he immediately let go of my mate and sped off.

I turned to my mate then, guilt settling in my gut when she immediately flinched from my gaze. Was that murderous look still in my eyes? I looked around, relieved when I found what I was searching for. We always made sure to keep clothes folded and hidden in the forest in case a wolf was out in the woods and needed to shift back to. human form. I disappeared behind a huge tree to shift back into my human form, taking the folded clothes I'd spotted and hurriedly putting them on.

My gaze lowered to the side of her stomach. She was still bleeding profusely. My forehead creased in confusion. Why wasn't she healing? Her chest rose and fell harshly as she struggled to breath. I tore out a piece of my shirt, approaching her with it. I raised my arms when she took a step back, trying to let her know I meant no harm. "We have to head to my pack now. You're bleeding too much." I informed her, pushing back the millions of questions swimming in my head.

Why was she out here alone?

How on earth was she my second chance mate?