Chapter 253


    Chapter 253 #Chapter 1: The Path Of Fate


    Book 2: E grew up and tried to earn an independent life in this dangerous city without her


    wealthy Alpha family’s help. However, as a rookiewyer, she was treated as no more than an


    errand runner. She wanted to meet her mate one day, but she didn’t expect her mate would be


    someone who came from the biggest mafia family in the city…


    E


    It was well past midnight, and I was still stuck in the office. The re of myptop screen was


    almost afort, a sign that I was working hard, that I was progressing.


    “Almost done,” I murmured to myself with at sigh as I rubbed my tired eyes. Such was life for


    me, though. At this point, I was getting used to spending all of my time here at thew firm.


    As a rookiewyer, I never expected to be treated like a queen, but surely they could see me for


    more than their errand runner?


    “Could you get these photocopied for me, E?” James had asked earlier that day, handing


    over a stack of case files as if it was just assumed that I would be the one to do it.


    And so I did, along with a dozen other tasks that didn’t particrly screamwyer. But I


    believed, perhaps foolishly, that perseverance would earn me respect and better opportunities.


    It was my first year out ofw school, after all. What did I expect?


    The soft hum of the janitor’s vacuum cleaner interrupted my thoughts. It was already almost


    one o’clock, and my body was reminding me of its need for sleep with every aching muscle.


    I stretched and started packing up when my phone buzzed with an iing call. The screen


    read Mom & Dad. Sighing, I picked up.


    “Hey, you two.”


    “E? Are you at home now?” my father Edrick’s voice came through, a mix of concern and


    mild frustration.


    “I’m still at work, Dad,” I replied, my voiceced with exhaustion. “E! It’s way past midnight!” my


    stepmother Moana chimed in, her voice a rich, melodic alto.


    “I know, Mom, but I’ve got a ton to do.”


    Moana. She was my stepmother. She used to be my nanny for a short time, but in a whirlwind


    romance, she and my dad got married and had my little sister. Moana was more of a real mother to me


    than my own biological mother could ever be.


    Hearing her voice on a night like tonight was afort, but I couldn’t deny the fact that I was a little


    annoyed at my parents’ overbearing tendencies. They meant well, but sometimes they forgot that I was


    an adult who was capable of taking care of myself.


    “Such a dangerous city to be out in sote,” my father murmured. “You remember the news fromst


    week?” I sighed. “Yes, dad. I remember. That was all the way on the other side of town.”


    “It doesn’t matter, E,” my dad said, sounding exasperated. “That supermarket owner was held up at


    gunpoint. Gunpoint! I don’t need my little girl being in danger-”


    “Dad, I love you, but I’m not defenseless,” I protested.


    “I know.” My dad paused with a chuckle. I could imagine Moana standing beside him, her freckled hand


    touching his shoulder as she shot him a look as if to say ‘Enough, Edrick.”


    “But you’re still my little girl,” he continued. “I know, dad,” I replied, smiling slightly as I slipped my


    laptop into my bag. “You always make sure I don’t forget.”


    Moana’s voice chimed in then. “Just get an Uber, E. Don’t walk or take the subway. Okay?”


    “Alright, alright,” I relented, smiling. “I love you both.”


    “We love you too. Stay safe.” My stepmother’s voice held a warmth that always managed to seep into


    my heart. They hung up, and I shook my head. They would never change.


    I could have the life of luxury, protected and pampered in my dad’s penthouse. He was one of the most


    affluent Alphas in the world: the CEO of WereCorp, and the heir to the Morgan family fortune.


    I was his heir, and I had just as much im to thatpany and fortune as he did. The offer was


    always there, on the table. At any moment, I was more than wee to go home, walk in my father’s


    footsteps, and work toward being the next CEO while living a life of boundless luxury.


    But I chose this. I chose to stand on my own feet and make my mark. I chose to go tow school, move


    to this new city that desperately neededwyers, and work my way up.


    I didn’t heed my father’s advice that night. After spending the past twelve hours sitting in a basement


    office with no window, the night air was refreshing. As I stepped out into the chilly night air, a gentle


    mist of rain dotted my skin.


    I opted to walk. The shadows and sounds of the city didn’t scare me. They were simply part of the


    pulse, the heartbeat of a world alive even in darkness.


    “You should listen to your parents, E,” my wolf, Ema, said, her voice echoing in my mind. She had


    been there ever since I could remember, a constantpanion, a friend, a voice of reason.


    “It’s fine, Ema,” I replied. Talking to her in my mind was innate, just as it was for most werewolves. My


    lips never even twitched. Sometimes, when I was little, I identally talked to her out loud, but that


    was normal.


    Ema responded in a low growl. At first, I thought that she was growling at me, and I rolled my eyes and


    kept walking. But that shifted when I heard whispers, shadows converging around me.


    “Look what we’ve got here. A lone wolf out in the night,” a gritty voice mocked. The Rogues. I could


    sense their intentions, the greed in their eyes. I tightened my grip on my bag.


    “Stay back,” I warned, baring my fangs. A grin spread across the leader’s face. He was an ugly sort,


    with a big scar running across the diagonal of his face.


    “Make us, little girl.” They closed in on me. With lightning reflexes, I aimed a punch at the nearest one,


    who crumpled.


    “Shit!” one guy said, his eyes widening. “Looks like we’ve got an Alpha here, boys? Who would have


    thought? Today’s our lucky day!”


    My punch only spurred on the rest. They came at me from all sides, even more fervently now that they


    knew my status. The realization hit me. They didn’t just see a girl. They saw a potential bounty. An


    Alpha beneath the guise of in attire.


    Rogues in my home city were often confined to one district, which was typically guarded heavily by the


    police. Many of them were drug addicts and petty criminals.


    Here, they were still drug addicts and petty criminals-but there was no ‘district’ to keep them in. They


    roamed freely, and the localw enforcement had their tes too full to keep watch over every Rogue


    for thievery and muggings.


    More Rogues came out of the shadows. A whole gang of them. They were all sneering, chuckling,


    shing their menacing teeth and scarred faces.


    “Back off!” I growled, feeling myself begin to shift as my instincts from years of Alpha training


    began to kick in. “I’ll take everyst one of you down!”


    As my warning echoed throughout the dimly lit alley, a palpable tension settled. The leader just


    smirked.


    “Little girl thinks she can fight, huh?”


    He lunged for me. I dodged in a swift motion, using my elbow to strike him squarely in the jaw.


    He staggered back, pain shing momentarily across his face. But I had no time to relish in the


    small victory, as another Rogue lunged at me from behind.


    Twisting around with grace and speed, I caught him by the wrist, flipping him over my shoulder.


    His body crashed into a nearby pile of cardboard boxes.


    But I was heavily outnumbered. My Alpha skills only drew more of them out of the shadows,


    intrigued by my prowess. To them, a long Alpha female was a walking goldmine. They thought I


    had money.


    I could feel them closing in from all sides, their sneers and mockingughter fueling my anger. I


    launched a series of kicks and punches. Each movement was precise and targeted. I managed


    tond blows on two more Rogues, but fatigue was setting in, and there were just too many.


    One Rogue managed to grab my arm, pulling me off bnce. I could feel the tide turning


    against me. I wrenched my arm free, but I was pressed up against the wall now with nowhere to


    go.


    “She put up a good fight,” the leader said, wiping a bit of blood away from his lip. “But not good


    enough.”


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Suddenly, the roar of engines pierced the night. Three ck Bentleys emerged, surrounding us,


    throwing light over the alley. I raised my arm to shield my eyes, blinded by the light.


    And then from the light came a scent. It was so intoxicating that I felt my knees go weak. Strong


    arms wrapped themselves around me while I was still reeling.


    “Touch her, and it’ll be thest thing you do,” a deep voice growled. The Rogues dispersed like


    rats, disappearing into the shadows. I turned, meeting the gaze of my savior. Tall, with deep-set


    eyes and an air ofmand. There was no mistaking it.


    A force deep within me stirred. My wolf acknowledged the bond even before my brain could


    process it.


    “Mate,” Ema hissed.


    “You,” I whispered, lost for words. The stranger’s lips quirked into a smile.


    “Me.”


    Fate, it seemed, had a funny way of making introductions. And just like that, in the heart of the


    dangerous city, beneath the cloak of night, my journey as awyer intersected with the path of


    destiny itself.