For Me,There Is Only You |18+|

30. Survival Instinct

The man in the black hoodie.... Xenon stood behind the Alpha, his red eyes now sweeping over my mark.

"No wonder I felt his presence," he said, his voice rough and dark, sending a shiver down my spine.

Alpha grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His grip was painfully tight, making me wince.

"Neev..." I heard Elsa's scared voice from behind.

"Don't touch her." It was Mason's voice. Despite the pain lacing his words, his tone carried authority. "Punish us all you want, but don't hurt her. She's just a human. She did nothing wrong. She was only trying to protect my daughter."

I stared at Mason, a mixture of emotions washing over me, the strongest of which was gratitude.

He didn't have to come forward to protect me. He was already suffering so much pain and loss. But he did. Maybe he wanted to keep the promise he made to Kyler and Genesis.

Alpha's smile widened as he glanced over his shoulder at Mason. "You have no idea who she is, do you?" he asked, tightening his grip on my chin.

After giving me one last stare, he finally released me with a shove, causing me to stagger backward.

He stood up and looked around. "This is interesting. She was staying with you, and yet none of you know who she is?"

I felt the eyes of the entire village on me, including Elsa and Mason.

Would they look at me the same way others did when they learned who my mate was? I dreaded seeing hatred in their eyes, fearing they would feel betrayed by me.

"Now, I wonder why she was here in the first place," the Alpha mused, staring down at me with an unsettling intensity. My chest tightened in fear. "Maybe I should ask her directly, shouldn't I?"

I tried to scramble away as he advanced, but it was futile. His hand shot out, grabbing my hair and yanking me back. With his other hand, he gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his cold, calculating gaze.

"What is a werewolf's mate doing in the village of elementals? But then again, that monster isn't even a proper werewolf, is he?" the Alpha sneered, pulling me closer until our chests were nearly touching. A wave of disgust washed over me. "Did your monster mate finally get bored of you? Is that why he let you go? Were you unable to satisfy him?" His finger traced my cheek, and I shivered with revulsion.

The words "monster mate" hung in the air, creating a deafening silence around us. I felt everyone's eyes boring into me.

They must have all heard the story by now—the tale of the monster who found a human mate.

My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for just two faces. Mason's expression was blank, his eyes locked on me, while Elsa stared with wide-eyed shock.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Don't let it affect you. It doesn't matter what they all think of me.

"Come on, human, tell me. Which one is it?" The Alpha's grip around my chin tightened, forcing my attention back to him.

"Keep your disgusting hands off me." I struggled in his hold, desperately trying to break free, but he was too strong.

Instead of letting go, he leaned in and inhaled deeply from my neck. "The way you smell, I don't think that's the case." He leaned back, his gaze roaming over my face. "Did you run away?"

"Enough with the chit-chat, Michael," Xenon interrupted the Alpha. "We've found what we were looking for. We're done here." His gaze shifted from me to Era. "We're taking both of them."