As Jackson came closer, Zayla didn’t know why she felt his presence screaming danger. It was as if he was one of those wild animals she had encountered while training as a wildlife photographer. This led her to think of different ways to escape. For one, she was sure that she couldn’t turn her back on him, even for a few seconds, because if he was like the animals she had seen before, he could easily grab her when she let her guard down by turning away. The only option she could think of in her hazy mind was the pepper spray she always kept in her pocket. Gripping it tightly in her shaking fingers, she waited for the right time.

On the other hand, Jackson was having the time of his life. Call it his wolf senses, but he could smell fear in Zayla. And like it was some kind of d***, he was growing ad****** to it. No matter the emotion, the fact that he was causing Zayla to feel something in his presence stirred his nerves with excitement.

Slowly lifting her feet off the ground, Zayla tried taking a step backward, hoping that a little distance from the smirking Jackson would be enough to give her the leeway to fight and defend herself against his strong build. Jackson noticed this and stood straight back up, his smirk wiped off his face. And just when he was about to start teasing her again, he froze in his spot, his confident demeanor fading away. Although still in fear, Zayla found Jackson’s frozen state odd. Just minutes ago, he always had something to retort, chin held high. Now he seemed wary of his surroundings as if sensing danger.

Jackson’s eyes darted and scanned the whole area, confirming that he indeed sensed the presence of other wolves closing in on him. If he were caught by this pack currently surveying what he assumed was their territory, then he would fight back. He had fought other packs on his own before.

“But there’s something slightly different in the air,” he thought to himself as his brows furrowed deeper in thought. He felt like this pack, or someone in the pack had an unusual aura. One that he thought would leave him defenseless and lead him to defeat. This was why, even if it went against his wolf’s desire, he turned and sprinted away from Zayla, leaving her astounded and mouth agape.

After Jackson ran, three men appeared from meters away, heads turned towards the direction Jackson went, and bodies bent as if they were preparing to jog. But when they noticed Zayla standing there, the one in the middle motioned for the other two, and they started discussing who would chase after the rogue and who would stay with the girl.

“He’s getting away, Rome! We need to be fast.” One of the betas, Gunner, who came with Kayden, said, obviously agitated at how the rogue had escaped them.

“If only that girl wasn’t around, we could have caught him. She’s not a rogue, let alone a wolf. I can smell her. What’s their business together?” Ryder, the eldest of the three and a gamma, was already jogging in place, ready to get back to the chase.

“Shut it, both of you!” The other two shut their mouths, sensing the alpha starting to seethe with anger at losing the rogue wolf as well. But they couldn’t just keep running when there was literally someone else, possibly hurt, standing just a few steps away from the three of them.

“Run after him. I’ll catch up after making sure she’s not harmed,” he added as he jutted his chin slightly toward the direction of the girl, currently staring with her mouth open in surprise.

As the two betas left to search for the lone wolf, he slowly walked closer to the girl, hands held up in the air to show her that he meant no harm.

“You alright, Miss?” he raised his voice a little to get Zayla’s attention, whose eyes followed the other two in the opposite direction.

Zayla stared at the man for a moment before looking down at her body, inspecting if anything was amiss. But of course, it was only the beating of her heart and her racing thoughts that were out of control. She deemed herself physically safe. She then nodded at the man, her eyes still apprehensively studying him as words failed her.

“Handsome,” was the only thought running through her mind at the moment, and she was thankful that she didn’t have to wish for time to stop because, as if hearing her, fate paused time for the both of them as they continued openly staring at each other like they had stumbled upon a long-lost treasure unexpectedly.

Staring even more, Zayla wanted to hit herself for thinking that the man was handsome. Because handsome? It should be considered offensive with how perfect he looked. It was like she was transported to Greece and was experiencing some divine being come to save her. A god with jet-black hair that was currently being blown by the light wind. His eyes were nearly grey as steel.

“Maybe that’s why he’s staring so hard.” Zayla scoffed at the thought and was thankful that she kept her mouth shut; otherwise, she might be cut by his sharp jawline or his tall nose.

“He might be Cupid.” She then decided that, yes, she was living in Greek mythology right now because of his bow-like lips.

“You—” the man spoke again, only to stop himself mid-sentence, his extended hand reaching out to her desperately.

“You alright, mister?” Zayla asked the same question of the man earlier, trying to copy his somewhat stiff demeanor from before, probably just being careful not to startle him. After all, she felt like prey under the menacing stare of Jackson since she first met him.

This time, he stood frozen in place as every fiber of his body locked itself down at the realization of who he was talking to.

“Mate.”