m o n s t e r | chapter 02

Everyone in the area seemed to freeze when they heard the terrifying and powerful growl. Some cowered at the sound, some confused, but one is a bit satisfied and delighted; Atticus looked around, searching for the source of the throaty sound, but unfortunately nothing came into view. Yet.

He searched the faces of everyone with one quick look around. Some appears to know who it was from. However, no one knows where she is.

After a minute of silence, a rustling from a nearby bush was heard from the west side of the area and every single person in the clearing turned to where it is.

"Ow shit. Nate I'm stuck. Stop pushing. Damn it, you're gonna tear my favorite sweater." A female voice grunted. She was having a hard time getting through the thick bushes, along with her company.

"I would if there wasn't anything happening to our pack." Said an unknown male voice, unknown to Atticus at least. The people from this pack around him knows that voice all too well. Being the friendly person he is, it is justifiable that they would know who this person is.

"I told you we shouldn't have taken that old shortcut." Replied the female voice from earlier, sass lacing her tone. "Via, help us out over here-"

"This is bull. Move!" Another voice said before two bodies erupted from the undergrowth and land on the ground with a thud. A boy with dark hair lied on top of a girl, who's flat on her stomach on the grassy ground.

The young man laughed loudly when he realized the position they are in as if it was a normal day for everyone, but was abruptly interrupted by another person entering the field, coming from the area where the two recently emerged from.

As if it wasn't silent enough, the place seemed to get more quiet as the time passed. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths and the silence is becoming unbearable. The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of leaves from the trees around them as a mildly strong breeze flew by. The third person brushed off the remaining leaves and vile things stuck to their clothes, and when they looked up, Atticus was met with steely emerald eyes.

The moon's delicate light turned the world a-flame when he saw her. His breath hitched in his throat. The world stopped spinning. Time seemed to slow down. Realization dawned on him as he continued to stare at the intense grayish green eyes gazing back at him as if it could answer the millions of questions running around his head. And it actually did.

Mate.

"Now, who the hell is attacking my pack?"

〜 ※ 〜

He knew.

Atticus knew that the ferocious beauty standing 17 feet away from him is his mate. The one person he has been searching for 142 years before deciding to give up and settle down with a she-wolf. The person he would kill for without a second thought. The person he will care and love until his demise. The person he sacrificed everything for...

Is just standing there looking pissed as hell.

Atticus still couldn't believe that what he has been looking for for years has always been here all along. Has always been in the background, ruling her own pack. Being second and maintained everything about her subtle. He was just too blinded by the power he has to see her.

Atticus watched as a man, who seemed to be around her age or younger, whispered in her ear. He couldn't help the strange feeling of jealousy coursing through his veins as he balled his fists by his sides.

"What pack is attacking mine?" Her question was directed to the girl on her right. Her eyes scanned the perimeter, slightly narrowing every time it would pass an unknown werewolf.

"The Broken Blood pack, Alpha." The girl said in a uniform tone, looking over the unfamiliar wolves scattered around the area. A conclusion made in her head: these wolves belong to the said pack.

Atticus saw through their mask and noticed how uncomfortable Octavia's companies are. He's pretty sure it's because of his pack's presence that is setting them on edge. Everyone is still silent, even the female Alpha is somehow lost in her thoughts and Atticus took this moment to examine her.

Octavia is breathtakingly beautiful, he commented to himself. Her hair was dark as the night, flowing past her shoulders and adorning her almost glowing, fair skin. She has the most intense eyes Atticus has ever laid his on; gray with a mixture of green that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. It held a cold, penetrating fire full of discernment. She has sharp features, a straight nose complementing her full lips, stained with a light shade of red. She is tall and has a lean frame. Atticus noted that she may only be a few inches shorter than him.

Octavia somehow snapped out of her trance and swept her eyes once more around the area before landing on Atticus. He noticed a small flicker in her irises before it disappeared and her brows furrowed slightly.

"You there." She said, pointing in his direction. "Shift."

Atticus tilted his head a bit, as if asking if she was sure about that decision. The femme just raised her brows before nodding a bit, telling him to 'go on.'

He mentally shrugged and shifted right then and there, standing straight and exposing his nudity for everyone to see. Not one bit of regret nor shyness was evident in his face. If not, he seemed to be proud of it, as it is quite obvious in the Alpha's stance.

Vic tossed him a pair of shorts for him to cover up. He must've shifted earlier, Atticus thought. He then looked at the female Alpha. Her arms were wrapped around her body from the cold as she spoke with her two companions in hush tones.

Octavia instantly felt eyes burning her skin. She knew who it was. She knew that the man behind the mass attacks and killings for land, power, and fun is also behind the warm and funny feeling in her stomach at the moment. And she hated that. Loathe would be the right term.

Gather the pack and get ready to head back, we are done for the day. Atticus sent Onyx a telepathic message just as Octavia arrived with her male companion.

"Come with me and I will spare your pack." She stated monotonously, her face darkening.

The look on her face would easily make a child cry and a grown man cower back in fear. A shudder made its way down Atticus' spine and back up as he refrains himself from taking a step back. Instead, he decided to toy with his female for a while and get to somehow learn a thing or two about her.

"You have guts to talk to me like that." The Alpha spoke in a deep timbre, his voice a bit hoarse.

Her face returned to its normal state as she crossed her arms. "You say that like I should be afraid of you."

Atticus took a step forward, a small smirk playing in his lips as he crossed his own arms. "Oh you should be."

"Why should I when you are in my territory? When I could easily kill half of your army here before you could even finish saying the word 'mate'?"

He froze. Not from the possible threat but from the four letter word she brought out of her mouth. Octavia noticed this and spoke up. "I have my rules here. And for anyone who is in Lycan Shadow territory will have to follow."

"And if one does not?" Atticus questioned, a little challenge in his tone. Onyx heard this, even though he is a few yards away from the two, and started to get worried and anxious for his Alpha and best friend. He was about to intervene but Octavia has responded to the Alpha male.

"There will be consequences." Another shiver made its way down Atticus' spine once her face darkened again. He couldn't imagine what kind of dark thoughts are going on in that pretty little mind of hers. "Stop wasting my fucking time and order your pack to go back home to their Luna or-"

"They don't have a Luna."

Octavia was displeased with the fact that the wolf in front of her had the audacity to cut her off mid-sentence. A sneer made its way to her beautiful face. "Oh right, I remember. You're Atticus Grady, Alpha of the high and mighty Broken Blood pack. The man who kills innocent werewolves and attacks numerous packs for fun. The one who likes to go around fucking girls left and right but never thought of settling down. The oh-so cruel one. No one would love a monster like you."