Romeo's POV
I strolled out of my pack house and saw a weak, slim, but beautiful girl tied to the ground. Her hands were so tiny, looking like sticks, and her neck bones stretched out like she was sick or starving. Wait, don’t tell me she’s the thief my men captured from the High Feet Pack.
How could she be a thief and still look so weak? What would someone like her need with my pendant, passed down to me from my great-grandfather? At first, I thought it was stolen by someone important, but seeing this weak girl now ruined all the anger I had built up for the thief of my heirloom.
I gave her one last look from the corner of my eye before heading toward the people tied to the pole, doing what I do best. My pack’s joyful shouts scared her even more, and it gave me some satisfaction. At least she could see what happens to people like her here. I smirked at the fear on her face before walking toward her.
“Looks like you’ll be punished like the others of your kind,” I muttered under my breath, staring into her blue eyes. She flinched at my touch, and I noticed the many wounds on her body. She was definitely a mystery. Were all these wounds from her pack’s punishment for stealing? She must be the unluckiest person alive to have such marks. I smirked, stepping away from her.
“Take her to the cell. I’ll deal with her later,” I ordered my men since she hadn’t made a choice from the options I gave her. But before I could take a step away, I fell hard to the ground, as if a strange force had taken over me.
I woke up with a slight headache and blurry visions of my cabinet members sitting around my bed. I tried to make sense of what was happening, but then I noticed their smiles.
“What’s going on? Why are you all smiling when I’m in a hospital bed?” I barked faintly, looking at them. To utmost surprise, Their smiles grew even wider.
“Alpha Matteo, she’s truly a mystery. Both of your eyes are working now,” Henry said as he entered the pack hospital with a smile. I looked at them in surprise and touched my face, realizing I wasn’t wearing my eye patch anymore.
I knew it! I had felt something was different when I woke up but couldn’t figure it out.
“The physician confirmed you’re fine now and don’t need the patch anymore, and the ancient priest made mention of her being the only solution to your problem." Henry added.
I almost felt happy, but then a glimpse of sadness ran through my heart. "How can a weak, wretched soul be the solution to my problem?" I snapped. "You know what? Send a message to the ancient priest. Tell him I'm coming right away," I said, feeling overwhelmed by how reality is trying to mess with my pride.
Well, I have been blinded in one eye for ten years now after killing my mate. Not like it was intentional. Marie and I had a little misunderstanding which made her run out of the kingdom to an unknown destination.
The whole misunderstanding was all my fault. She was really ready to love, which I wasn't. Maybe it was due to my popularity and power that got to my head. I made love difficult for her. I never wanted to be tied with one woman. As a powerful king, I believed I could have as many women as I wanted without being committed to any.
I guess the humiliation made her run away to another pack, with no one knowing her whereabouts. After searching for her without getting any glimpses, I went back to living my normal life.
Everything was going fine until we had a war with another rival pack. I logged at them, terminating thousands of souls, including my mate who was secretly hiding there.
This made the goddess strike me with blindness instantly as punishment. Although I tried all I could to get healed, a prophecy kept saying that the only one who could heal my eye was my fated mate. And now it turned out to be her? A weak soul who doesn't have a name? Not just a weak soul, but a thief who was captured under my wrath.
Not like I'm not happy I got the chance to have another mate after messing up the last time, but of all the girls in my life, why would the goddess choose her? I sighed, touching the hem of my eyes.
“Henry, tell the boys to do a background check on her. I’ll need the information,” I ordered as I left with the pack council, who seemed so happy despite my attitude.
As we drove back to the pack house, my thoughts roamed to different places.
My father, the strongest Alpha on the continent, had trained me to be a fearless and mighty man who had taken over 200,000 lives, entered forbidden places, and conquered the strongest in the world. Not even once had I ever shown my soft side, but here I was, being saved by the weakest soul alive. The universe really does have a wicked sense of humor.
“We owe her,” Lorenzo, my wolf, said in my mind.
“Maybe she’s just paying us back for being a thief, fool,” I scoffed with a smirk, stepping out of the car.
“How’s it going?” I asked my Beta, who entered my room with one of the boys.
“All done, Alpha,” they said in unison with a bow.
“Then spill it!” I said, sitting down and looking at them.
“She’s the first child of Alpha Gregory, the heir to the High Feet Pack,” Noel said.
“And?” I snapped, trying to hide the surprise in me.
“She’s not the thief,” Noel added, shocking me. “Her stepsister Scarlett stole the pendant and sold it to her friend Licia, who recognized it as the pack heirloom and returned it.”
“She’s not the thief? What if I had killed her?” I asked, wide eyed, trying to process what I had just heard. I let out a long breath and leaned back in my seat. “How did you find this out?”
“Licia, the one the pendant was sold to, is the same Licia you know, Alpha. She’s waiting outside,” Noel replied.
I let out a bitter smile. What a small world. Licia was one of the women who once tried to get it down with me, but after realizing I had no time for commitment, she walked away. I'm glad the Moon Goddess decided to use her this time.
I clenched my jaw in anger, tapping my foot on the ground. Alpha Kyle had gone too far, and my patience had run out. I stood up and began pacing the room, thinking of my next move. After a while, an idea came to mind, and I turned sharply toward my Beta.
“Gather the boys. We’re going to the High Feet Pack tomorrow morning. Alpha Kyle won’t get away with this,” I ordered, walking out.
“Henry, prepare the contract papers. Noel, dig up information on the stepsister and the rest of her family,” I added before stepping into the bathroom for a shower.
I watched her closely as she sat up, widening her eyes. Her hair was a mess, and the strands falling over her face made her look even more fragile, adding to the way she clutched the pillow tightly with her small trembling hands, like it was her only source of comfort.
"Please keep her safe" Lorenzo yelled in my head. One thing about this stupid wolf of mine is that he’s starting to do too much ever since this girl stepped in here. First of all, she’s the first captive to stay alive for more than 30 minutes, and now she’s here, resting in one of my guest rooms—something my wolf, Lorenzo, would never have allowed in a million years.
"I told you she's different!" He yelled again and I smirked underneath my breath, ignoring him.
For a moment, I couldn't speak. How could someone so small, and broken, hold such a great healing power?
I knew she didn’t trust anyone, not even herself, because of the way her family destroyed her but I swore to myself that I would make her see what she was worth. High Feet Pack didn’t deserve her, and one day, they’d regret what they had done.
I let out a cough, signalling my presence since she couldn't even sense me.
"Alpha Matteo" her soft tiny voice called my name in the most coolest way I have ever heard. She stood up quickly, bowing her head as if waiting for me to scold her.
My heart sank at the sight. This wasn’t how someone with her gift should live, even though she hasn't found out yet.
"I have been standing here all these while. As a wolf, you were supposed to sense my scent. why didn't you? I asked, roaming my eyes over her.
She peeked up at me through her lashes, before quickly throwing her face to the other side of the room, mumbling some words to herself.
"Don't keep me waiting!" I shunned with a serious tone this time and I'm glad it worked. She turned towards me, dropping her shoulders.
"I don't have my wolf, I was cursed when I was nine." Her next words shocked me.