Goddess's Design His Fated Mate

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Willow 11 years ago Peering through the iron bars, I retched until my stomach emptied completely. The overpoweringstench of blood and decaying hides lingered, mingled with the cacophony of screams and moansemanating from the other prisoners in nearby cages. How had I ended up in the clutches of these traffickers? The memory flashed vividly-1 had beenforaging in the woods last night, seeking a rabbit or any small animal to sate my hunger, when I wascaptured by these rogues. The next thing I knew, I was confined in this cage alongside otherchildren my age. Witnessing the abuse, failed escape attempts, and even murders, that’s when itdawned on me that these rogues were trafficking young werewolves. Exhausted and famished, I longed for food. They had only given me water once, which I hadvomited, I felt the gnawing hunger clawing at my insides. All I wanted was to flee, yet fear of mycaptors kept me rooted in place. Witnessing a thirteen-year-old boy’s brutal murder as a warning leftme trembling with dread. As evening descended, hunger pangs gnawed at me, leaving me curledup in a corner of the cage. The sudden sound of the cage door opening snapped me to attention. Hope surged within me at thechance of food, but instead a figure was thrown in beside me. Startled by the violence, I shifted intothe corner of the cage, alarmed. “Da mn it! I’ll kill you later, you ba st ard!” The rogue’s furious yell pierced the air before he slammedthe cage door shut. I flinched, eyeing the bleeding figure beside me. What just happened? This person. seemed newlycaptured. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a boy around sixteen years old. His body borethe signs of severe beatings, covered in dried layers of his own blood, he appeared to be at death’sdoor. Panic surged within me when I noticed his closed eyes and slow heartbeat. I couldn’t bear thethought of witnessing another death. after the horrors I’d seen over the past few hours. “Hey, are you okay?” I gently shook him, but there was no response. Desperate to rouse him, I

slapped him lightly on the face, “Hey, can you hear me? Open your eyes. Don’t you want to gohome? If you do, then open your eyes and look at me, I pleaded, trying my best to wake him. Ipressed on his chest to stimulate breathing and rubbed his hands, hoping to revive him. How could he ended up beaten to death? Suddenly, his palm twitched in my hand and he gradually opened his eyes. A pair of 115 19:09 Wed, 28 Feb Chapter 9 striking forest green eyes met my blue ones. My heart s kipped a beat at the sheer beauty of them.“Thank goodness, you’re not dead,” I breathed out, feeling a slight watering in my eyes at the sightof him alive. I closed my eyes for a moment, regaining control over my emotions. When I reopenedthem, I found his intense green gaze fixed on me, as if he couldn’t blink. I felt very strange. Why was he staring at me so intensely? It was then that I became. aware of thedirt and mud smeared across my face and body. My hair was a tangled mess, I must have lookedutterly disheveled and dreadful at that moment. I instinctively released his hand, whispering, “Rest for a while.” Then, to my surprise, I felt his griptightening around my hand. Startled, I turned to look at him. You said you’d take me home,” his deep, yet oddly alluring voice reached my ears, catching me offguard. Despite his bloodied and wounded appearance, his tall stature. and commanding voicehinted that he was around sixteen years old. It dawned on me that he had opened his eyes onlywhen he heard my promise, a promise I couldn’t possibly fulfill. I was trapped here just like him. Inmy desperate attempt to wake him, I had uttered words of comfort that he seemed to have takenseriously. Fearing that the truth might crush his spirit, which was already weakened and battered, I chose tolie, “Yes, I’ll take you home,” I assured him, placing my hand over his and gazing deeply into hiseyes. “I’ll protect you, so please don’t give up, okay?” I whispered, holding his hand tightly toconceal my own trembling. At my words, I noticed a slight shift in his green eyes. Suddenly, he drew me a little closer to him.

“Do you promise?” his whisper his breath brushed against my face, and my heart raced at ourcloseness. Unable to meet his gaze, I lowered my eyes and nodded. “I promise,” I whispered, lifting my eyes tomeet his once again. I knew making such a promise was utterly nonsensical, but something about him. compelled me toagree. His eyes glistened as he continued to stare at me until the sound of the cages openinginterrupted us. I quickly distanced myself from him, but he remained leaning against the bars,fixated on me. I reluctantly tore my eyes away to see a rogue standing outside the cages. Suddenly, the cage door swung open, and a piece of bread was tossed near my feet. It was hardlyenough to alleviate my hunger. As the rogue began to shut the cage, panic surged within me. He hadn’t given any bread to the boy.“There are two of us!” I reminded him in a rush. The rogue paused, his expression twisted into an ugly scowl. “Shut your mouth!” he growled beforeslamming the door shut. 2/3 0 Wed, 28 Feb 19:09 Chapter 9 I tightened my fists at my sides, feeling a surge of concern for the boy. Why hadn’t he asked forfood? Was he planning to starve himself? “Eat this!” I pushed my portion of bread toward him. He seemed taken aback for a moment, then furrowed his brow. “Why? You eat. I don’t want it,” herefused. “Don’t worry, I know you’re hungry too. I’ll ask them for more,” I insisted, pressing the bread into hishand. He looked at the bread then back at me. Swiftly, I crawled closer to the iron bars before all the bread was handed out. “Can I please haveone?” I called out to the man outside the cage. Ignoring my pleas, the man outside the cage remained indifferent. “Please… I’m hungry. Just givenovelbin

me half a piece of bread,” I pleaded desperately. His gaze wandered, but then he paused, noticingmy outstretched hands through the bars. “You’re hungry?” he raised an eyebrow. “Yes,” I nodded, hoping he’d relent. “Here,” unexpectedly, he opened the cage door and extended a piece of bread toward me. I staredat him in disbelief. Was he really giving it to me? “Take it before I f ucking change my mind,” hegrumbled with a growl. I couldn’t afford to lose that piece of bread. Hastily, I reached out to take it from him, when he tightlygripped my hand. I stared at him, terror flooded my senses as I noticed a sinister grin spreadingacross his face. Frantically, I tried to retrieve my hand, but he yanked me out of the cage. “AHHH…” I screamed in terror as he threw me to the ground and slammed the cage door shut. Myknees struck the ground, causing intense pain. Tears welled up as I cried out in agony. “You’rehungry, right?” the man sneered, unfastening his pants. “Let me fill your stomach with somethingelse “No…” I shrank back in horror, scrambling back on the ground. He grabbed my hair and forciblydrew me toward his lower body. “Open your mouth!” he ordered sharply. “Please, no!” I cried out in terror, fighting desperately to break free. “You little…” He erupted in fury and slapped me sharply across the face. The blow was so intensethat it knocked me to the ground. Tears streamed from the corner of my eyes as my head throbbedviolently. My vision blurred as I saw him advancing over me. As his cruel laughter echoed around me, I struggled to remain conscious. “No… no…” I 19:09 Wed, 28 Feb – Chapter 9 12% 0 weakly attempted to slide back, but my efforts were futile. He pushed me down to the ground,laughing, and reached for my clothes. I felt utter despair as I thought I was about to be violated.

Just as I resigned myself to a terrible fate, a large black wolf leaped over the man’s head. The wolfopened its jaws wide and attacked, swiftly tearing the man’s head off in a single ferocious motion.My eyes widened in shock as blood splattered all over my body and face. The wolf tossed the man’shead back into the cage, which now lay broken and empty. Suddenly, a swarm of pack wolves stormed the area, attacking the rogues and liberating the cagedjuvenile wolves. It was a raid by the pack, and the large black wolf that had leaped to my rescueearlier was their Alpha. My eyes widened as he shifted into his human form. He had been thewounded dying boy from earlier, his shifting left him completely naked. His features were defined,his eyes darker, and his naked body was lying atop mine. “You… you’re not dying?” I whispered in disbelief. He leaned in close to my lips, gently raising my chin. “I found a reason to live,” he murmured. “Willow, is he calling your name?” Beta Ken’s voice snapped me back to the present from mymemories of the past that had been triggered by Reuben being wounded. The wolves attacking himwere being left half-dead. Panic surged within me. They were clearly no match for Reuben. “Who isthat monster?! If this continues, our wolves are going to be left cri ppled!” Beta Ken’s anger wasevident. It dawned on me then that Beta Ken didn’t recognize Reuben as the Alpha of the Emerald BrightPack. Beta Ken suffered from prosopagnosia or facial recognition. blindness. He typically identifiedothers using their aura and scent. Being the second most powerful pack, Wade Moon had neverencountered an Alpha as powerful as Reuben, so Beta Ken failed to recognize him. “Stop it!” I growled, stepping into the courtyard. The wolves attacking Reuben immediately backedoff, but what unfolded next sent chills down my spine.“Uncle!” Wyatt and Lori dashed out of the packhouse, racing toward Reuben. They reached him andReuben crouched down with his arms outstretched, pulling them into a hug. My heart sank at thesight. “Uncle?” Beta Ken frowned completely perplexed. Since I hadn’t acknowledged Reuben as theirfather, Wyatt and Lori referred to Reuben as uncle. “Wyatt and Lori know that man?” Beta Kenturned to me for an explanation.

0 19:09 Wed, 28 Feb E D Chapter 9 Π The situation was dire and my thoughts were a jumble. Revealingmy mate bond with Reuben or thetrue relationship between him, Wyatt, Lori, and I would terribly complicate things. “Mommy, uncle isinjured,” Lori and Wyatt held Reuben’s hands. drawing him closer to me. As Reuben stood before me, his gaze locked with mine. His intense gaze triggered Beta Ken. “Waita minute, Willow, do you know this man?” he questioned, then turned to Reuben impatiently,demanding, “Who are you?” “Me?” Reuben glanced at him before locking eyes with me again. Fear struck my heart at thethought of Beta Ken, Alpha Benjamin, and the other pack members finding out the truth. Suddenly, Reuben leaned closer to me and horror swept over me. “I am just someone she promisedto take home,” he whispered, sending my heart racing. He… he still remembered? “It’s just that I’mstill waiting… 曲