1 CHAPTER 1

In front of the city's central public hospital, he was parked an MG Hector SUV, which had tinted windows preventing anyone from seeing who was in.

Inside the car sat three men whose attention was fixed towards the exit of the hospital supposedly looking at nothing but with such keen attention.

"Hudson, I don't think she is here,"

Spoke Nelson, He had already begun showing obvious signs of boredom.

"We've been here for hours. Perhaps it was just a mistaken insinuation."

"I do not make mistakes,"retorted Jayden.

Who was sitting behind the wheel, but as for the man seated at the back, his attention never wavered from the hospital's exit, and just then, he saw her.

Both Nelson and Jayden had to stop their squabble once they noticed Josephine open the door and heistly got out, leaving them confused.

Coming out of the hospital, Josephine held her mother's health files in her hand, and with every time she looked at it, her heart grew heavier.

She had come out here because she didn't want to cry in front of anyone, and now that she was alone, she tried holding back the tears.

The hospital had refused to commence her mother's treatment until the bill was paid, and if it wasn't taken into consideration, she could die at any time this week.

A tear threatened to fall from her eyes but she held it back, this wasn't the time to cry, she needed to start looking for a way to gather up the money needed for mother's medical bills.

Perhaps she could get a quick paying job, but then again, the bills were too much. Even three months of work wouldn't pay it up.

Looking down at the file again, the shadow of a person got her to lift her face only to see a man standing in front of her.

A confused look covered her face when he didn't say anything.

"Can I help you?"

She asked, but he still didn't say a word. His expression carried that of a person who had just sighted something so rare and discovered it for the first time.

Seeing as he wouldn't say a word, she tried walking past him, but he moved, obstructing her path.

"Excuse me."

Now she sounded offended, and when he wouldn't move away, she became frightened. Hopefully, she hadn't encountered a mental patient at the hospital, and now did she?.

No, he didn't look like one, in fact, he looked oddly familiar but she didn't have time to ask herself questions, although his features were undeniably good looking, supposedly a good meal for the eyes.

She tried moving away again, but he did the same thing as before, obstructing her path.

Frightened at this man, she tried to push him away, but he grabbed hold of her hand, pulling her to himself, his hand going around her in a hug.

Shocked at his action, but once her mind got itself back, she struggled out, but rather, he retorted by hugging even tighter as though wanting to suck the air out of her.

A whisper of something left his lips, but she failed to hear what it was.

"What was that?".

She became alert instantly as the feeling of discomfort washed over her.

Strongly, she struggled to get out, but then she heard a..

Was that a.....growl?

Josephine felt like she had finally landed in paradise having his mate in his arms.

Currently holding her within his grasp, he began to wonder how he had gone all those years without her. He wondered how he would be able to go another day without her.

The tingling sensation she brought to him and his long dead heart was beyond what he would have ever wished for.

He took back all the curses he had laid on the universe, all those painful years of being without a mate.

Finding comfort in her warm arms, the irritating movement of her trying to free herself irked him, and he growled in displeasure.

Pulling away, she tried to move away from him, but he grabbed her hand firmly, preventing her from doing so.

She was reluctant to stay still as she kept trying to struggle out, and this irritated him.

Pulling her forcefully, he lifted her and threw her over his shoulder, unaffected by her petty attempts of hitting behind his back as he walked back to his car.

Putting her inside, he was quick to sit beside her, preventing her from attempting to go out.

Closing the door, Josephine noticed the two men in front of the car, the one behind the wheel began driving, and soon, they drove away from the hospital.

"Sir, please let me go, please," She begged

"Please, my family does not have money for ransom, please."

" Ransom?".

Josephine became confused but then realised she thought she was being kidnapped.

If that was how claiming his mate would be referred to as, he could care less

"Please, sir," She begged, and all this while, Josephine's gaze at her stayed unmoving.

His brows creased at the tears that fell from her eyes. He didn't like it, moving closer, his hand moved up, but she flinched, causing him to growl slowly in displeasure.

Moving his thumb, he rubbed off the tears from her cheek.

"Do not cry, my love."

"Love?" Why was he calling her that? What kind of kidnapper was he?". She wondered.

Once they got to their destination, Josephine did want to come out of the car, waiting for her but realising she wasn't going to come out, he leaned into the car, grabbed and dragged her out, then threw her weightless body over his shoulder, although not liking the petty wiggle her body kept making in attempt to be let down, he walked into the mansion,up the stairs to an elevator which led him straight to his bedroom and once he got there, he intended to drop her gently but ended up throwing her down to the bed due to her hand jerking at his hair.

He stood erect, looking at his mate, who looked slightly petrified.He didn't know what to say, so he just said the first thing that popped to his head.

"Welcome home." He said

But instantly, she jumped down from the bed to her knees.

"Please sir". She clasped her hand together

"I do not have any money, please my family won't be able to pay you." She begged.

Although internally, from what she saw, he didn't look like someone who would be involved in collecting money by kidnapping petty people, but then again, who was she to judge, afterall, the rich ones were the nastiest.

"Please, sir, I promise I won't file a case, I won't tell the police, just please let me go."

More tears flooded her eyes. She already had a lot to worry about on her plate, and now this.

How would her family cope with her being kidnapped, what would happen to her mother.

"Let her go." Hudson thought.

Josephine felt a rumble in his chest at her words, letting her go was the last thing he would never do, finding her after waiting for so long. His blood boiled at the mere thought of it.

He noticed her expression turned into a scared one as he approached, and this irked him.

She was already frightened, and he wouldn't want to vent in front of her, that would get her more scared, so instead, he simply walked out in hope that she'd calm down eventually.

In the evening, while he was in his enormously luxurious parlour, Jayden came to him.

"How's she?, She hasn't stopped crying, Hudson,"

A heavy breath left Josephine's lips as she stared at a far distance, looking at nothing in particular.

His mind was bothered. He didn't really think his mate would act resentful towards him at their first meeting.

Oh! universe, why punish me so. What could he do to appease his mate? Time and time went by with Jayden coming to report to him of his mate who still remained in the same condition as before but soon after a few more hours into the evening, Jayden reported of her sleeping.

Dismissing Jayden, Hudson walked up the stairs, as the elevator led him to his room,a heavy sigh left his lips and he opened the door but at the greeting of an empty room, a growl left his lips and once he noticed the broken glass window, his eyes morphed to a dark shade of red.