Kaiden was stunned hearing my words, "You're serious?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe my naive answer.
I looked at his expression, that smirk.
"Tsk, you don't believe me!" I complained while trying to free myself from his grip again.
I heard Benjamin groan, seems like he had regained consciousness. "Mina... Don't go, don't trust him..." Benjamin groaned in pain.
Kaiden pulled me back again, looking into my eyes, "I believe you, but don't you want to break free from that false hope? Make your own destiny, Mina. And accept the truth. No child should have to wait a day, let alone 16 years, just to find out whether they're loved," Kaiden explained earnestly.
I swallowed hard, just as hard as accepting the reality coming out of Kaiden's mouth.
I knew that fact, but I didn't want to admit it.
It's not easy to believe that your presence in the world was never wanted, so how are you supposed to live each day believing you're not worth it?
I struggled against Kaiden, "Let me go," I asked.
"Not until you come with me to Stormsurge. Right now," Kaiden ordered.
The sound of galloping four-legged creatures came from afar, the warriors were arriving, seems like Benjamin had contacted his allies through the mindlink.
"Come on, Mina. We can find answers to your questions in my pack, I'll provide everything. As long as you come with me now, I promise," Kaiden coaxed, this time sounding a little pleading.
"They'll detain me if they manage to catch me now, Mina," he added.
Finally, I nodded, the moon goddess gave me a heart too big to bear watching someone suffer.
Kaiden smiled, then he grabbed my hand and ran toward his Wrangler parked in front of the clinic.
The warriors' footsteps grew louder. Without waiting, Kaiden immediately drove off at high speed, even damaging some of the clinic's property in the process.
The chase didn't stop there, along the way, warriors in their wolf form followed Kaiden's car.
They surged forward but got hit by Kaiden's car, Kaiden seemed to not care anymore who was friend and who was foe.
The car sped toward the border between Wavecrest and Stormsurge, which was separated by a tall metal gate, with guards from each pack standing in their respective territories.
Those guards had shifted into wolves too and were blocking Kaiden's car.
Kaiden didn't slow down at all and kept driving at full speed!
"Kaiden! You're going to hit them!" I screamed in panic.
"Relax, they're smart enough to think I'm just bluffing," Kaiden replied confidently.
Sure enough, as Kaiden's car got closer, they jumped aside to save their lives.
Kaiden's car crashed into the gate, denting and flinging it open.
We had arrived in Stormsurge territory.
Stormsurge warriors immediately formed a shield around Kaiden. Meanwhile, the warriors from Wavecrest pack gathered right near their gate.
Someone pushed through the crowd and stood right in front of the Wavecrest warriors.
"Hand over Kaiden and Mina, and we won't escalate this any further. They must answer for their criminal actions in our territory," Nyxon commanded, his voice booming.
Nyxon's face looked furious, his gaze pierced through me, as if ordering me to obey.
I avoided his eyes.
"We won't let our future alpha be detained in enemy territory," answered Emery, Kaiden's Beta.
Kaiden got out of the car and faced Nyxon.
"You know why I went this far, Nyxon. Don't be a coward hiding behind your dad's shadow," Kaiden snapped.
Nyxon was enraged hearing that and was about to charge, but was held back by his warriors.
"Take that back and hand over Mina!" Nyxon threatened, starting to shift and be replaced by Fenrir.
"Or what?" Kaiden challenged with his signature smirk.
"We'll declare war on Stormsurge," Nyxon replied.
I gasped at the scale of the problem I had caused, this wasn't what I wanted—I quickly reached for the door.
But Emery held the door and shook his head, signaling me to stay put. "It's too late, the damage is done, you can't do anything now, but going back to Nyxon will make Kaiden and Stormsurge a laughingstock," he whispered, his face showing frustration.
I backed down and cursed myself for being so stupid, letting my "small" problem turn into something so big.
But Kaiden's next words erased all my doubt.
"Oh yeah? Now that Mina is no longer in your grasp, suddenly she's valuable? Is that it? I wonder, just how important is Mina that your pack is suddenly united to get her back? Didn't look that important when she was still in your pack," Kaiden asked in disbelief.
Nyxon grew angrier, he seemed lost for words.
'Yeah... Why are they overreacting? If this is about Benjamin, I think Kaiden has a valid reason,' I thought.
"What you did to Benjamin, you'll have to answer for that, dumbass!" Nyxon spat.
Kaiden let out an annoyed sigh.
"So you mean, he gets to walk away after putting the future Luna of Stormsurge in danger? YOU get to walk away after your pack members harassed Mina?! That's shameful! Your pack members—no, your warriors did that! Shame on you, Nyxon!" Kaiden roared in anger.
Nyxon's face turned bright red, "If you think they'll get away with what they did, then you're wrong. They'll be tried under Wavecrest law, and you should respect that! And, in case you forgot, SHE is my mate! And you kidnapped her!" Nyxon shouted, pointing at me.
GRRR
Kaiden's rage flared, and so did Nyxon's. They had both shifted halfway into wolves, ready to fully transform.
The warriors from both sides followed suit. The situation was heating up.
"WAIT! If both of you claim to be Mina's mate, then there's only one answer. Mina will say who her mate is!" Emery shouted.
And now all eyes were on me.
"WAVECREST! STOP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE OR I'LL FINISH YOU OFF RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" a terrifying voice scolded from behind me, radiating an ominous aura.
The warriors of Stormsurge immediately fell to their knees upon realizing who had arrived.
"Alpha Krugan!" they said in unison.
Alpha Krugan landed a punch on Kaiden, sending his son flying and crashing to the front car.
"Kaiden!" I screamed, then rushed over to him as he groaned in pain.
"Hmmm... So, it's true, the prophecy is real," Alpha Krugan murmured while looking at me in awe.