"They will always be there wherever I go, because no matter how much I run, they'll always catch me. Again and again."

Darkness engulfed me in a cloud that seemed suffocating, and there was nothing that I could see. Apprehension filled my empty heart as I scanned my surroundings, only to be disappointed by the absence of light, and my disability to see anything at all. My hands were flailing around, trying to find out where I was, in a place so devoid of colour.

I was all alone in a pitch black room, and the darkness made me feel a tad bit claustrophobic, like I couldn't breathe. A shiver went up my spine in fear of the hauntingly scarlet red eyes appearing once again. They haunted my dreams, my very soul, with their menacingly evocative vermilion colour.

I felt lifeless, but I had questions running through my head in a rapid pace, making me all the more confused about what was currently happening. However, I had no one to turn to. Darkness surrounded every line of my vision, creating a spark of fear in my heart. Little tingles of terror ran across the frail skin of my arms, like there was something running along the length of my arm.

I knew that they would always come back, and they would always chase me. Again and again. There was no way to escape what lived inside of me, inside of my very mind. Eluding what was inside of me would be insurmountable, something I could only dream of doing.

A spark of light at a corner of the entire room caught my attention and I went closer to it, the bright light temporarily blinding me. For a split second, there was nothing but the dazzling luminescence of what seemed like sunlight. Temporarily blinded, I shut my eyes.

Soon enough, I opened my eyes, revealing a field of flowers, surrounded by forestry, covering the rest of the area. The smell of fresh air and the blooming spring filled my nostrils as I inhaled the sweet scents, a relief from the choking darkness. Questions plagued my mind, my head spinning from them. Unanswered and alone, I wandered the stone path, and the aura of this place was one that was simply radiant, a gratifying feeling settling in my chest.

Suddenly, a figure appeared behind me, making me turn around in surprise. It was a woman who seemed familiar enough, like I had seen her before. Something about her features—soft and serene—sent a wave of nostalgia through my mind, setting me at ease, replacing the once uncomfortable atmosphere.

The woman in front of me smiled, showing all her perfect, white teeth. The whole place seemed like an illusion, that couldn't be real. The deceptive appearance began to waver, flickering, until she was gone, dematerialising in a small blaze. Once again, she ceased to exist when the meadow began to fade as well.

Everything else melted away, revolving into a whirlpool of light, implicated into it, leaving the darkness behind. Lifeless, grayscale trees emerged from the ground, encircling the area. I could only stand and watch as the dead of night filled up the sky. Tenebrous atmosphere sent a streak of horror through me, as I perceived my ineluctable fate.

Thick woodland obstructed the sky, impeding everything else until the only thing I could see were the trees under the shadowy growth, the air becoming stuffy. Like silent sentries, the trees seemed to gape at me through the smoky, musty air. A nauseating, acrid odour filled the area. With my heart in my mouth, I bit down on my tongue in a panicky state, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

The putrescent air and stifling atmosphere created the scrupulous abode for those who preferred the darkness over the light. Blood was sprawled over the forest floor, amongst the barks of the trees, encrusted into the veins of the looming evergreen, hauntingly so.

Arboreal creatures hid behind the hindering leaves, filling in as the sounds of the night. Unexpectedly, a howl resounded throughout the area. It was filled with an emotion I detected undoubtedly: pain. Poignant and sinister, a blood-curdling scream soon followed afterwards, sending the hairs on my skin to rise.

Vigilantly, I scrutinised the atmosphere, and the uncanny ambience did nothing to calm my increasing nerves. Rufescent eyes, tinged with red, coruscated in front of me, hasty and abrupt. In my shocked stupor, I tripped, falling onto the ground. They materialised again, causing a feeling of consternation shooting through me, as I spun around and ran as fast as I possibly could.

Not having the intrepidity to turn behind, I sped forward, afraid of the daunting creature chasing me. The trees swayed lightly to the strong gusts of wind, pricking up the goosebumps along my arms. I was chilled to the bone, trembling with inquietude.

An inaudible mutter spoke from the back of my mind, diverting my attention. Shadows billowed through the breeze, in clouds of dark smoke. Mist shrouded everything else, giving off a mysterious undertone that chilled me to the bone. More horrifying screams resonated through the forest, making my blood run cold.

To my dismay, the screams never stopped, the wailing sounds of affliction; a vexation to my pounding head. Still going like the wind through the trees, everything else became an indistinct fog, the hazy atmosphere veiling everything else.

Narrow, murky vines of shadows manifested themselves, extending their tendrils towards me. Recoiling from their touch, I blanched, slowing down my pace. My legs felt heavy, a formidable burden caused by fatigue and exhaustion. Letting the debilitating feeling wash over me, I fell to the ground, keeping my eyes closed.

I could almost sense, even feel, the shadows looming over my slouched figure, and a monstrous figure, massive, was overshadowing me. My breath shook, my heart dropping to my stomach, hysteria taking my breath away. Gritting my teeth, I bit down on my tongue, gnawing away at the flesh. The raucous, abhorrent taste of blood erupted in my mouth once again.

Unable to keep the curiosity from myself any longer, even through the foreboding sense of fear, I opened my eyes, only to be petrified by the sight that greeted me. Cochineal tinged eyes, dripping with irate anger, stared right in my own eyes. I soon realised that those orbs were dripping with blood, and a face began to reveal itself, and what I saw would never leave my mind.

Anguished eyes stared at me, and it wasn't exactly difficult to recognise who it was.

Then darkness concealed everything else again, just as the owner of those indelible eyes advanced closer to me. Even as the illusion faded away, I could retain the hot, torrid breath fanning over my face, blood oozing onto me, only for me to realise that the blood was mine. Scars rimmed my arms and legs, clearly visible, as they shone in the horrifying colour that dribbled down my skin, before darkness poured into my eyes as they slipped shut.

**********

I was back in the darkness, but this time I could hear mutters being whispered around. The strange, queer feeling of this dark atmosphere never went away. I could vaguely hear someone was shouting orders around and I felt a hand making contact with mine. Tingles shot up my arm, and I tried to open my eyes but they felt like they were glued shut.

Unaccustomed to the foreign feeling, I almost wanted to shrink away from the beguiling touch that I never wanted to leave. Intrigued, I could feel attraction pulling me closer to the lure, belonging to someone I wanted to see, someone whom I wanted to arise to, enchanted by his touch.

Nevertheless, I could hardly move, like paralysis had taken over my body.

"She's waking up,"a husky, masculine voice said,"come on, I need you to wake up. I can't do this without you. I'm so sorry for what I've done to you, I'm so sorry for not being the mate you deserve, but I can't love you. I can't treat you right. There is no way to make me love you; I am incapable of love."

My thoughts were in an untidy heap, but it didn't take me long to realize what he said, but my heart sank again, in disappointment. A dull throb hit my heart, but I couldn't feel anything else, as grief had enveloped my thoughts once again. With my aching heart, I could barely feel anything else at all. Not anymore.

With that, I felt the numbness pumping through my veins, as if I were only an embodiment of a lost soul. It felt like I was drowning in a pool of water, and there was a force that pulled me down like an anchor. It felt like vines were twisting around my arms, bringing me down. I couldn't breathe.

Water filled my lungs, and I gagged, choking.

Without warning, a hand grasped my own, heaving me up from the water weighing me down. As I was pulled to the surface of the water, I felt the water dripping down. I opened my eyes slightly, looking away from the pristine white light shining into my eyes.

I groaned, turning my head so I wouldn't be blinded by the light. Once my eyes had finally adjusted to the brightness of the room, my vision becoming clear once again. The warm, large hand was still engulfing mine, and I looked up to meet the eyes of the Alpha. looked down, saying,"Alpha", as a sign of respect, although my throat felt chafed and raw when I tried to speak.

He handed me a glass of water, and I gulped it down thirstily, dehydrated. I could feel his eyes on me, so I averted my eyes around the room awkwardly.

He tilted my head up so our eyes were making eye contact. Inside his mysterious eyes, were a swirl of emotions, undetectable. For a split second, an emotion that I couldn't distinguish passed through his eyes, but it disappeared, a disguise, a mask, placed over his features. He was back to his phlegmatic, imperturbable self.

The tranquil expression remained on his face, as he turned towards me and glared. I stared back at him, astonished by his change of behaviour. My heart dropped into my stomach again, my chest started to ache, as he looked away. "Remember what I said,"he began speaking,"that I will never love you. I can't love you, nor will I ever be able to."

My heart clenched unenviably as I looked away from him, not being able to handle how painful it was to look at him.

**********
Alpha Xavier's POV

The annoyance surged through me as one of the warriors told me they caught another rogue. Getting out of the comfortable chair, I went down to the dungeons, welcoming the pungent, yet satisfactory smell of blood. Blood plastered the walls, in streaks of different shades of scarlet.

Some were old, and some were new, but they were engraved into the spaces between the bricks of the walls, reminders of those that had died at the hands of my pack. A grotesque part of me felt proud, proud of the murder of many people, proud of the torture that had taken place, that would stay in their nightmares forever.

The amoral part of me held a sense of gratification, that I killed them, that I was the monster that I am now. Before they died, as they whispered 'monster', I relished the moment, watching as they took their last breath. 'Bestial, barbarous, sadistic', the words they called me, yet those words held the harsh truth.

Snapping out of the vision, at that exact moment, a scent hit me. The scent of vanilla and cocoa butter. I knew what it stood for. My muscles tensed, my senses staying alert, and wary of what was in the cells. Many would have fantasised about this day, but I was dreading this day, the day that I would find the one ordained to stay by my side.

I didn't want a mate. I didn't need one to hold me down, and put me at a higher risk of jeopardy and peril.

When I was a young boy, I always speculated on why it was such a big deal, for someone to have a soulmate by their side. From a young age, I was taught that having emotions would make me weak and decrepit. It would create a pusillanimous behaviour, according to my father.

I was taught not to feel, but I wanted to touch, and feel something instead of an empty, emotionless heart, and I learned the repercussions of it.

**********

note

i have to sleep by now, and there might be a few mistakes 'cause it's pretty late at night now but i just had to update. there might be a few changes too. please do vote and share if you enjoyed the chapter! i would really love some feedback, please.

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