Meeting You

It’s been four days, four days of absolute hell for him as Sarton his wolf would not let him have anything but hell. Four days since he found his mate, a Doulo, four days since he has been searching for her with no luck, but now, finally, he found her. He found her locked up in one of the basement prisons meant for the worst of criminals, she sat there, her head buried between her thighs, not raising her head even when she heard the prison door open.

How was it that she's able to stay calm when he was this close to her, when he himself was overwhelmed by the mere sight of her seated here. Sarton was jumping all over his mind, super excited to find his mate again after four days of searching for her. To him nothing else mattered, not the fact that she was a Doulo and their social status was very different, nor the fact that they hardly know anything about this woman whom the Mother goddess has paired them to. All that mattered to him was that he has found her at last.

Sarton has never really liked Isabella, the girl he got betrothed to after waiting years for his mate and it seemed like it will never happen. When his father had needed more lands and Isabella's father had more than enough to spare, forming a marriage pact through him had looked like a better option no matter how much he and Sarton had disagreed to it. Isabella was beautiful in every way an Alpha's daughter was expected to be, but not even that ever got Sarton to like her. Everytime she was close or touched him, Sarton would always claw at his skin to get him to push her away. But he liked this one, Sarton liked this female seated here in this prison not still making any attempt to acknowledge their presence. Even after just spending mere few minutes with her four days ago, he liked this female.

But why has she still not making any attempt look up at him yet? He was sure she knew it was him and not the prison guards, so why was she not reacting in anyway. That was when he listened for her heartbeat and... and he heard nothing. Chan's eyes widen and he rushes to her side in seconds. But as he nudged her on the arm to perhaps get her attention, he watched as she began to fall, and he had to grab her and pull her against himself to prevent her falling to the ground. She had fainted!

And without waiting a second more, Chan picks her up in his arms and begins to carry her out of the prison with speed. The guards just kept their head bowed to the ground as he pushed past them with Number 28 in his arms. He had just made the last turn that will lead him to the last walk before he exits the office, when he saw shadows of people standing. Looking up, it was the Alpha, his father, Alpha Reuben.

Chan stops in his track. "Father." He acknowledges with a bow of his head.

The Alpha nods to his Beta who nods back before exiting the basement with everyone else. Turning to face his son. "And where are you headed, Chan?" he nods at Chan, "With that in your hand."

Gulping, "She fainted." Chan says, eyes on his father.

"Of course I have seen she has fainted, I am not blind. Am asking where you are taking the Doulo to?"

Chan gulps. "I need to get treated and -

"So if I understand you clearly, your plan is to walk out of this basement with that thing in your hand, and what?"

"She's my mate, Father!" Chan declares.

"And so! You plan to carry her out of here in your arms and declare to everyone that your mate is a Doulo?"

"But-

"Have you thought of the fact that you are betrothed to Isabella Random and that words will get out, and then she will hear them, and then her father will hear them, and learn that you showcased a Doulo as your true mate! Do you think he will take that slap lightly when he learns of it?"

Chan sighs. "All I want to do is to get her treated. She fainted in prison father and I do not even know how long she has been there, or how bad she might -

"If she is in prison, then she committed a crime, which is not uncommon for a Doulo. Put down the girl and come with me." Alpha Reuben says turning to leave.

"But father, I -

"You want the girl out of here and treated, I will grant you that this one time, but you will not be carrying her out of here yourself. I will have somebody else do it." He turns back to face his son. "Did you not hear a word I said earlier about words not getting out that that thi- ... that a Doulo is your mate?" He sighs , "I give you my word, she will be taken out, not come with me before I change my mind."

Chan looks down, and the ground all around them was too dirty for even his feet, talk more of keeping a person, his mate. He was still looking around when he found a table with some fabrics on it, walking over with her still in his arms, he puts her down on the table, picking up another fabric, he covers her with it. After one last look at her, he turns and heads for where his father was still waiting, ignoring Sarton's whimpering.

~

Number 28 opens her eyes and finds herself on her sleeping area in the room she shared with other Doulos. She was covered with fabric, with a wet towel on her forehead. Taking it away, she sits up with a sigh. Last she remembers, she was in prison, so how was it -

"Finally, you are awake." Came Number 39 as she walks into the room carrying a bowel of water.

"What happened?" Number 28 asks eyes on Number 39.

Number 39 stops in front of her and puts down the bowl of water. She places her left hand on her forehead, and the right hand on Number 28's forehead, testing for her fever. She sighs, "You will survive." She says. "You passed out in prison."

"And?"

"And I and Number 43 came to carry you out." Number 39 answers.

"How?" Number 28 asks.

She shrugs. "How would I know? Although one of the Doulos says she overheard the Alpha giving an order for you to be released."

"Our Alpha?"

"Our Alpha, Number 28." She leans forward and picks up two bowls of food. "Eat something." Number 39 says putting the food in front of Number 28. "Jamari has given some herbs you must take, she came to check on you."

Number 28 looks up at Number 39, "Jamari came to check on me?"

Number 39 nods. "Yes, she came here herself with her container of herbs to check up on you even before I could go to her. She said she had been busy with slaves, but she had to abandon them and come attend to you." Number 39 looks up at Number 28, "Which makes me believe there is something you are not telling me."

Number 28 furrows her brows. "Something I am not -

"First, you get released from prison and we are asked to come carry you out of there when we were all convinced you'd spend at least a month in there like is the way it's done. Next, Jamari comes by herself to the Doulos quarters to check on you and give you herbs. Even when Number 11 was dying, Jamari had had no time to attend to her, and Jamari has never come to the Doulos quarters to attend to any Doulo. And, I will not fail to mention how often one of the Alpha Prince's men has been asking about you and your recovery." Number 39 pulls closer and whispers, "Is he perhaps into you?"

Looking away, Number 28 picks up the water cup in front of her and takes a long drink from it.

Assisting Number 28 in raising the cup to her lips, "Fine, you don't have to answer, and I will try not to ask anymore questions, even though I know Jacob will be demanding answers to everything that has happened to you from me."

"Keep me out of you and Jacob's love affair, you know how much I hate to be in between you two."

Number 39 smiles pushing the plates of food closer to Number 28. "Fine, go ahead and eat, I will try not to bring your lonely soul into it."

**

"Why will you not listen to me and rest one more day, Number 28? You are still unwell and -

"I am beginning to see the reason why the Mother goddess made you and Jacob mates. You are no different from him being around and nagging me every minute of the day." She turns to face Number 39 with the basket of food stuffs in her hands. "If I rest one more day, I fear the controller will come for me and peel off my skin with his whip. I have enough bruises already on me, don't you think?"

Number 39 who was about to protect again sighs. "Fine, I get your point. But stick to the lighter basket, I do not want you falling all over everywhere and getting those bruises on yourself anyway."

Number 28 nods, and she turns and they continue to head for where the basket was to be kept in the warehouse. Maybe she was mistaken, but for a second she would have sworn she smelled that beautiful scent from days ago again. But she must be wrong, because ever since that day, she has never smelled it again, nor has she seen that face again. That face which appears even in her dreams. She and Number 39 were leaving the warehouse when the slave in charge of the arrangement sent Number 39 on a different errand, and sent her Number 28 to dispose some rotting vegetables in the forest area.

Picking up the bag of vegetables, Number 28 begins to drag it towards the forest. She had just finished disposing them, when she turned around and there standing in front of her, was that man. Number 28 quickly bows her head as was expected of a Doulo.

Here she was, here she was standing in front of him after many more days. It has been 3 days, 3 three days since he'd had her taken out from the prison and treated. Frankly he could not quite tell whether she was really okay, not with all but her eyes covered up,but at least at this moment, she was standing in front of him, not lifeless in his arms.

Chan gulps as he stares at the female whose head was bowed in front on him, his hands itching to reach out to her and touch her, hold her, and be sure she was really okay. He has been dying to see her every minute of every day, but as he stood now in front of her, he lacked knowledge of what to do or say.

"Hi." Alpha Prince Chan says after what seemed like eternity.

With her head bowed and her heart beating faster than she has ever heard, Number 28 didn't quite know what she was expecting, but when she heard that one syllable word from him, that two letter words, it made her heart skip and race. Confused, she raises her head slowly, until she was looking at him, and their eyes met. Number 28 gulps as she stared into his eyes, then slowly, slowly she begins to roam her eyes from his hair down. She wanted a good look of this male, something more than a few seconds glance like the last time, something to keep her mind busy with while waiting for the next time she'll ever see him again. And he was handsome, in everyway. Without meaning to, Chan chuckles causing her to stop her evaluation of him with her eyes and look back up at him.

"I apologize." Chan quickly cuts in. "It's just..." Standing there and watching as her eyes raked his entire body, as if evaluating him, making a specimen of him, and the way her eyes had come alive the more she roamed her eyes all over him, it made Sarton purr, proud of himself and happy that she was approving of them, it had made him chuckle. He has never known this side of Sarton even though he's being inside him for many years now, never seen Sarton seeking anyone's approval, so to see him seeking this female's approval and happy at the way her eyes had lit up, that had made him chuckle.

Quickly realizing what she had been doing, Number 28 quickly puts her head down again. "No, I should be apologizing, Sir."

In one swift move, he was standing an inch away from her causing her to look up when he approached so swiftly. "Don't." He says, his right hand raising in its own accord towards her face, but it stopped before he could touch her. Something told him he needed to take things slow with this female. "I liked it." He says with a smile on his lips. She looks him in the eye again. "I liked the way you were looking at me. Sarton liked it too."

"Sarton?" Number 28 questions, her eyes still on him.

"My wolf." He answers smiling more. "He likes you, a lot even though we have just met a few times." He gulps, "And ... it's Chan to you, Chan Reuben. My name." He saw the moment when her eyes widened in surprise which means she had not known who he was.

"Your Hi-

He grabs her hand. "Chan." He says.

Number 28 smiles, her heart had been racing since the moment they had met, but the moment his hand touched hers and grabbed them, it calmed every nerve in her body.

"Tell me your name?"

"Number -

"Your real name." Chan says, his eyes pleading.

" I ... I do not -

She was cut short by the sound of approaching pack men, and even before she could utter another word, Chan pulls her against himself as he hides behind a tree and waited for the men to pass. But as they stood close to each other, his heart raced, beating so fast as if it would burst open. Few minutes later, the men were gone, and as he looked down at the female next to him, he met sapphire blue eyes staring up at him.

Clearing his throat, he removes his hand that had been wrapping around her waist, and clears his throat. "It seems I may have to apologize again, for -

"And again, it seems I may have to be the one apologizing, Alpha Prince." Number 28 says taking fee steps backwards, away from him.

It was the sting in her voice that got him looking back at her, and he could see the sting of tears even in her eyes. What was the matter. "Did I -

"I almost allowed you to be seen standing with a Doulo." She says.

"What!" He exclaims in confusion, then slowly her words begin to make sense in his head. "I ... No that is not - I am not -

"Ashamed of me?" Number 28 questions. "But you are, I saw it in your eyes the moment you heard those men approaching." She scoffs. "What was I thinking!" Number 28 says to her self as she slowly bowed her head to him and turns around to leave.

Chan rushes over to her front and stand in her path. "I am sorry if that looks like what I had done, but it is not. I -

"Number 28!" came a voice from afar calling out for her, it was Number 39.

Number 28 watched as the man in front of her stilled, gulping multiple times. He was indeed ashame of her, as he should be, she was after all a Doulo, and he an Alpha Prince. She sighs, "I am sure the Mother goddess made some form of mistake in our match, there's no way she would pair a great man like yourself to a Doulo like me." She bows her head, "I will take my leave, Alpha Prince." she says and walks away even before he could stop her. "I am here, Number 39." She says knowing that will stop him from following her.