3

The Alphas present were more than prepared; they wouldn't idly stand by and let him leave with Xenia. Anticipating a confrontation, Zoe the witch promptly began her incantation. However, Obed had arrived armed with a countercharm, rendering the witch's spell ineffective against him.

Murmurs of shock and terror rippled through the crowd as people struggled to comprehend the unfolding scene. The revelation that Xenia didn't have a mate had already left them reeling, but this unexpected twist was even more astounding. Many would have preferred her to remain mateless than to be bound to someone as dangerous as this.

Some omegas and young wolves hastily went into hiding the moment they heard the name Alpha Atlas. His reputation preceded him, and the stories they'd heard were far from flattering. His notorious reputation inspired fear throughout the land.

"Release my daughter at once, you Demon!" Alpha Ray's thunderous roar echoed through the room. He sprang from his seat, his eyes blazing with fury, ready to take on Obed single-handedly. His rage was so all-consuming that he forgot to summon his guards, prepared to face the threat alone.

Obed watched with an air of amusement as the Alphas prepared to attack. "Farewell," he said with a mocking wave, before muttering a swift incantation. In an instant, he vanished into thin air, Xenia by his side.

The Luna's anguished cry echoed through the room. "Xenia!!" She rushed to the spot where her daughter had last stood, her eyes frantically scanning the space. Turning to the Alpha, she grasped his arm, her voice trembling with desperation. "My daughter... get my daughter!"

"Soldiers, after them now!" Alpha Ray bellowed the command without hesitation. However, his warriors exchanged uncertain glances, for they had no idea where Obed had teleported to. Tracking him down would be a daunting task, especially since his pack was nomadic, without a fixed location to target.

Alpha Raphael's face twisted in outrage. "How dare the Mountain Pack!" he growled, his voice low and menacing. Beside him, Beta Kent stood poised and ready, his eyes burning with a fierce determination to rescue Xenia. He awaited his Alpha's command, his muscles coiled and prepared to spring into action.

The room echoed with the distant thunder of hooves and the pounding footsteps of soldiers. Alpha Ray's face reddened with rage as he bellowed orders. "After him! Leave no stone unturned, no hiding place unchecked! Find him! You must find him, no matter what it takes!!" His voice grew more frantic and commanding with each passing word, his frustration boiling over into unbridled fury.

Alpha Yul of the Midnight pack let out a low, ominous growl. "How dare the son of Atlas," he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "He's just dug his own grave," he declared with unwavering confidence, his words hinting at a ruthless reckoning to come.

Panic gripped the room, with even the Luna succumbing to worry. However, the resolute expressions on the Alphas' faces reassured the crowd. Their confident demeanor conveyed a clear message: Xenia would be found. Obed, despite his cunning, wasn't perceived as a formidable Alpha, and the Alphas didn't anticipate much difficulty in tracking him down.

Zina remained frozen on the floor, her expression somber. She didn't find the situation amusing in the least. To her, it was unthinkable that Obed would dare to appear out of nowhere and abduct the Alpha's daughter without a well-thought-out plan. But Zina's intuition told her that there was more to this situation than met the eye. She had sensed a peculiar, unsettling energy emanating from Obed when he arrived, and it left her with a feeling of foreboding.

*

Xenia flinched, still reeling from the sudden teleportation. She struggled to regain her footing and composure, her gaze darting wildly around the unfamiliar surroundings. Towering trees loomed above her, their branches creaking ominously in the wind. "Did we... teleport?" she stammered, her eyes finally locking onto Obed's figure beside her. She turned to him, a mix of shock and accusation etched on her face.

Obed's face remained set in a stern, unyielding expression. Without so much as a glance or a word, he grasped Xenia's arm and began to drag her deeper into the woods. His grip was firm, his pace relentless, as he pulled her through the underbrush with a force that left her stumbling to keep up.

Xenia's mind was still reeling from Obed's sudden appearance at the pack. She was stunned to discover that the man who had haunted her dreams was real and that he had shown up at her pack. For a moment, she had wondered if it was all just another dream, and she had clung to that hope. But the harsh reality was slowly sinking in. Something was off, though. In her dreams, Obed had always been kind and gentle. Now, his expression was cold and unforgiving, sending a shiver down her spine.

"What's going on?" Xenia's fragile voice pierced the oppressive silence between them, hesitantly cutting through the tension.

Obed's silence was deafening, his pace unwavering as he continued to drag her through the dense underbrush. Xenia's frustration boiled over, and she yelled out in desperation, "Can you speak to me?! Is this a dream?!" She struggled against his grip, trying to break free, but his hold remained unyielding.

Xenia's struggles proved futile, as Obed's grip on her wrist remained like a vice. Exhausted and desperate, she finally collapsed to the ground, her dignity bruised but her determination to escape unbroken. She glared up at Obed, pleading for him to stop, but instead of sympathy, his eyes flashed with a menacing intensity. He turned to face her, his gaze burning with a fierce warning as if daring her to try and escape again.

"Get up," came his curt voice, and it sounded exactly as it used to sound in her dreams. It was him. 

"No! What's going on? Where are you taking me? Why did my father call you Alpha Atlas?" Her eyes demanded an explanation and she felt she deserved to know. 

Xenia seethed with indignation, thinking that if this was Obed's idea of rescue, she'd have a few choice words for him - and they wouldn't be thank you. Just as she was about to unleash her fury, Obed exhaled a deep breath, his broad shoulders sagging slightly. Then, in one swift motion, he bent down and scooped her up, effortlessly lifting her over his shoulder.

"Hey! Hey!" Xenia struggled. "Put me down! How dare, it's a great crime to lift the feature Luna in such a way. Stop immediately," her orders fell on the grass because Obed didn't act like he could hear her. 

Xenia's screams were relentless, piercing the air as she kicked and struggled against Obed's grip. She didn't pause for a moment, her vocal cords straining to produce a cacophony of protests that echoed through the forest. Her throat must have been raw and aching, but she didn't let up, directing her loudest, most ear-piercing shrieks directly into Obed's ear. Yet, despite her best efforts, he seemed utterly unmoved, his expression unchanging as he continued to carry her effortlessly through the trees.

Obed continued to carry Xenia, his long strides eating up the distance until they finally arrived at the outskirts of his pack. As they emerged into the clearing, the bustling activity of the pack members came to an abrupt halt. Heads bowed, eyes cast downward, the crowd parted to reveal a sea of submissive postures. Xenia's screams died on her lips as she took in the unexpected sight, her curiosity momentarily silencing her outrage. "Huh," she breathed, her gaze darting wildly around the unfamiliar surroundings.

As Obed strode through the crowd, everyone bowed their heads in reverence, their eyes fixed on the ground. Not a single person dared to lift their gaze as he passed by, Xenia still slung over his shoulder. A tall, lean man hastened forward, his eyes locked on Obed's, and carefully lifted Xenia off his shoulder. But as soon as the stranger's hands made contact with her body, Xenia's instincts kicked in. She felt a surge of discomfort and indignation, her hand flashing out to slap the man's hand away. No one touched her without permission, and this stranger was no exception.

"I'll take her in," the man bowed and Obed nodded, and then just walked away. 

"I'll take her in," the man said, his voice low and deferential, as he bowed his head in respect. Obed nodded curtly, his eyes flicking briefly to Xenia before he turned and walked away, leaving the man to escort her. 

Xenia struggled and kicked, her voice rising to a frantic scream. "Here, let me go!" she yelled, but the man's grip only tightened as he steered her away. Obed walked on, his back to her, never once looking back. Xenia's eyes darted wildly around, and she caught a glimpse of the pack members, their faces still bowed, but their eyes sneaking up to stare at her with a mixture of disdain and disgust. The weight of their judgment settled heavy on her, and then it dawned on Xenia that she was in danger, the man in her dream was dangerous. He didn't take her from her pack to help her. 

As she was dragged away, Xenia's mind reeled with questions. "What does he want from me?" she wondered, her thoughts consumed by Obed's enigmatic presence. Before she could ponder further, the well-built man stopped in front of a sturdy wooden door. He pushed it open, but Xenia refused to budge, her feet planted firmly on the ground. With a grunt, the man gave her a rough shove, sending her stumbling into the room. As she regained her balance, she heard the door slam shut behind her, the sound of the wooden slab hitting the frame making her jump. The loud thud was followed by the ominous click of a lock, trapping her inside.

Xenia had instinctively sprinted towards the door, desperate to escape, but the sudden slam of the wooden slab against her face sent her reeling back. The shock and pain triggered a flood of tears, which streamed down her cheeks as she stumbled away from the door. Never in her life had she been treated with such brutal disregard, and the slamming of the door had hurt more than just her face - it had bruised her pride and shattered her composure. Something inside her seemed to crack, like fine porcelain struck by a hammer, leaving her feeling fragile and vulnerable.