Chapter 2
Rejected Little Secret :
It’s odd, but I am surprisingly calm instead of crying.
A part of me inexplicably anticipates this, though I can’t say why. Nadia has always been drawn to beautiful things, and Zeke is no exception. The fact that Nadia already has a family and everything she wants seems slightly unfair. Zeke is the only thing I can call mine, and now she has to come and snatch him away, leaving me with nothing.
I mean, it hurts like a bitch, but I have a feeling it will happen. It’s partly because of Sammy. She takes care of me, but we’re not actually family. We have no other choice but to live together in the same cabin, as we are both unwanted and have nowhere else to go.
Although Sammy has a mate, there’s a significant age gap between them, and when she presented, he is already married. My mate is not yet an Alpha, and with both my parents gone, I have no other place to call home.
As I trudge back to Sammy’s, my head feels like it’s packed with cotton, making it hard to think clearly. For three hours, I stand in the forest taking in the sights and sounds around me. I watch as Nadia leaves his place, taking note of her clothing and appearance as she walks away.
I don’t wait for Zeke to give me my key: I just go home.
I take a deep breath and brace myself for the inevitable, the pain in my chest making it hard to focus.
Sammy’s going to bitch at me, my mate’s f*cking someone else. This isn’t how I think my life would be.
Wait, scratch that. There is a sense of inevitability about the way my life turns out.
My home is a cabin in a distant location, where I live with another outcast, far from the rest of the pack.
I am Zeke’s mate, yet most pack members remain unaware of our bond. He tells me it’s because he doesn’t want to give the impression that he’s not focused on his responsibilities, but is that the whole story? Every time he avoids introducing me to his friends, he assures me it’s not because he’s ashamed of me.
Now, I’m starting to think he’s full of it.
I see the cabin, and thankfully the door is already open, so no need for keys. So here’s the problem, Sammy is leaning on the doorframe, giving me the stink eye. She’s rocking a tight ponytail and towering over me by a few feet. Her face is all sharp angles, and her eyes are a striking crimson red.
Sammy’s nose scrunches up as I get closer, and she gives me a dirty look.
“You stink like that Leblanc kid.”
“His name is Zeke.”
Sammy looks me up and down and rolls her eyes.
“Seriously, Maya, why do you keep doing this?” With a pained expression, Sammy grips the bridge of her nose and juts her thumb out, pointing. “Pop the pill from the table.”
I scowl and breeze past her, heading straight for the table. I can’t stand looking at that ugly pill. It’s a little white pill, round and flat on both sides. I’ve been trying to convince Sammy that I don’t need it, but she won’t budge.
talked
“There’s no chance of me getting pregnant.” I keep repeating myself, even though it’s pointless since we’ve about this a million times in the last few years. I don’t bother with the water; I just swallow the pill. “I already said, I only get knocked up when I have his mark.”
Sammy slams the front door shut so hard that the windows shake.
“He tell you that? He’s full of shit.”
I don’t waste my time replying to Sammy. My body feels like it’s on fire, and tears are streaming down my face. Normally, I don’t cry when Sammy and I fight, but this time, my emotions get the best of me. I slap my hand over my mouth to hide the sob that’s coming up.
Of course, Sammy notices, she’s always so perceptive. It annoys me.
She pulls me by the arm and turns me around to face her. And I totally do, tears streaming down my face while I give her the stink eye. “What did that little f*cker do, Maya?”
I force a laugh out of my mouth, feeling the hot tears spill down my checks as I try to compose myself. I can let Sammy know what Zeke and Nadia did, but she won’t have any power to rectify the situation. In the Thornholde Pack, male wolves hold the highest rank. Those in the Alpha line, such as Zeke, have the authority to act without
consequence.
That’s just how it is, and no matter how badly I wish it were different, it won’t be.
“What do you want me to say?!” I spit, feeling the heat rise in my chest as I pull away from her. “I sneaked into their cabin again and we hook up. He’s saying I gotta go. So I came running here, right? And then I realized I forgot my keys. And when I finally get there, guess who I see? Him and her, I see them.”
I’m screaming my head off, and Sammy’s just shaking her head, pulling me close. It sucks when she hugs
s me because her huge boobs smash into my face, and I can’t breathe. Also, her hugs make me cry like a baby, and I end up looking like a mess.
“Alright, stop it. You’re being dumb. Maya, you need to stop crying over that guy and pick yourself up.”
“Zeke’s not some random guy!” I let out another scream, my feet pounding against the ground like an angry child. “He’s my mate. He’s mine. He belongs to me!”
“Alright, don’t be angry with me. I’m not the culprit here. I’m not the cheater here.” Without warning, Sammy’s face stiffens, and a pained groan escapes her lips as she glares at the ceiling “Ugh, you just reminded me of that bastard. Men werewolves are the worst, Moon Goddess. Can you please just make them all
away!”
Now I’m feeling like a fool. If there’s anyone who truly grasps my situation, it’s Sammy. Whenever she’s dragged to parties, she has to watch her partner making out with some other lady and carrying their pups. She gets a basket of her mate’s clothes delivered to our cabin when she’s in heat. And then she sniffs them and starts crying because it’s not enough.
“Any suggestions on what I should do?”
Sammy exhales and playfully ruffles my hair, causing a few strands to fall in my face.
“It’s your wolf that calls the shots, no matter what I tell you. What’s it after right now?”
The memory of Zeke’s affectionate smile immediately floods my thoughts.
“Zeke.”
“Well, that sucks, kid. Nothing I can do about it at this point.”
Sammy doesn’t say anything else to me after that.
I’m still crying, and my heat is making me really freaking grouchy.
My body moves automatically as I groggily make my way to the bathroom. I turn on the shower, hoping the hot water will wash away any trace of his touch. The scent he leaves behind seems to cling to everything, refusing to let go. I cry until my eyes are sore, then I submerge myself in the warm bath. I lie on my bed, feeling the softness of the mattress.
beneath me, staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to clear my mind.
Next thing I know, I’m climbing out my window.
I close my eyes, focus on my emotions, and get the transformation to start.
I’ve been through this routine before, but this one feels unusual.
As my bones crack and shift, my senses heighten, and I feel an intense surge of power. My skin prickles as my limbs grow longer, and my body is consumed by a raging wildfire of brown fur. I enjoy the sensation, feeling the transformation release me from the restraints of my human frame.
I stand tall on four legs, and my sense of smell is heightened, allowing me to pick up scents from miles away. The cool air of the forest carries scents of pine, earth, and the faint aroma of prey in the distance. I need to run through the wilderness, to feel the freedom of uncharted territory, to let the untamed side of me break free.
The underbrush whips past me as I sprint deeper into the woods, my paws pounding against the forest floor.
I wonder how much more I haven’t discovered.
For how long have they been cheating on me, days, weeks, months or years?
Keep your focus, Maya. Don’t let them get the best of you.
A branch snaps and breaks the silence.
My ears perk up, and I pivot around, ready for anything that might be coming. A primal instinct takes over me, and I find myself growling and snarling to protect myself. My eyes dart around, taking in every detail of the surroundings. listening for any sound out of place.
A figure emerges from the shadow of a nearby tree, their footsteps crunching on the fallen leaves.
I can feel my muscles tensing as I growl louder, my feral instincts telling me that danger is near. In the moonlight, I can see the sweat glistening on his skin as he emerges, tall and muscular, from the shadows. His tousled black hair and rugged appearance give him the appearance of a man who has lived in the wilderness for years.
I can’t help but notice the way his smirk curls up on one side, revealing a deep dimple.
“It’s about time you noticed me. Shift”
