《The Alpha's Rejected Silent Mate》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Chapter 1


    Winter¡¯s POV


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    I stare into his eyes and I don¡¯t even bother trying to struggle when I feel his hands wrap around my


    neck, instead staring up at what I see as a monster, as he tries to strangle the living breath out of me,


    my blue eyes swimming with unshed tears as he tightens his grip. Another punishment, another day.


    ¡°Stupid b***h¡± my father snarls and I say nothing, lying there like a limp rag doll as he finally lets go,


    breathing heavily and coughing as I roll over and try to breathe some oxygen into my lungs. I feel a


    sudden sharp pain against my rib cage and close my eyes, knowing that he¡¯s kicked me once again


    and struggle to my feet, knowing that he¡¯s most likely cracked one of my ribs or even more. It¡¯s not the


    first time and it won¡¯t be thest.


    ¡°I can go and get you your drink now¡±, I splutter, my throat now extremely sore, and he back hands me


    as I taste blood on my lip, a hand to my face as my cheek begins to throb. God that hurt.


    ¡°Do it you stupid cow¡± he mutters, heading over to our threadbare couch and plonking himself down on


    it, his legs on the coffee table as he settles himself, turning the television on as I limp into the kitchen to


    fetch him his beer. He takes it without a word and I wait, dreading what he¡¯s about to ask of me and


    knowing that if I don¡¯t get it done in time, that I¡¯ll face an even more severe punishment.


    You¡¯re probably wondering what I¡¯ve done to deserve this type of treatment from my father,and I can


    tell you, it¡¯s because he mes me for my mother¡¯s death. My mother died from protecting me against


    a rogue when I was a small child and ever since then, I¡¯ve suffered abuse from my father and even my


    older brother Damien, who mes me for it. Nothing I say or do makes them stop and I¡¯ve since


    stopped trying. Maybe I do deserve this. My mother would still be alive if it wasn¡¯t for me.


    ¡°Listen you ugly useless girl¡± my father snaps from his seat, the beer bottle now empty and he waves


    his hand at me as though letting me know, even as I flinch from his harsh tone. I¡¯m used to the insults,


    but for some reason I can¡¯t exin I still react to them. It still hurts me, deep inside, to have my own


    father treat me this way.¡°Go and cook me some dinner already and get me another beer¡± he cries,


    throwing the bottle at me. I dodge just in time, dismayed when it smashes into the wall and shatters


    everywhere. Now I have yet another mess to clean up on top of everything else, not that he cares. I¡¯m


    just a maid to him and my older brother.


    I give him the beer and head into the kitchen, perusing the meager contents. Whatever food we have is


    because I get it before the money runs out from my father¡¯s constant drinking. Finally, I settled on


    chicken and sd, doing my best to make a decent hearty meal out of so few ingredients. I, of course,


    put just a sliver of food on my te, anything more and he¡¯ll throw it out and tell me I¡¯m too fat to be


    eating. If he doesn¡¯t, then I know that Damien will. He copies my father in an attempt to get his approval


    and makes my life just as much of a living hell.


    Apparently, thank goodness, the dinner I make is eptable because all I get is a grunt as I hand it


    over, before dropping to my knees and picking up the shards of ss scattered everywhere. There¡¯s so


    many of them and I cringe as I cut my hand on a small sliver of ss. So far, Damien has yet toe


    home, something that is not too unusual, and I¡¯m extraordinarily grateful. Because as bad as my father


    is to me, my older brother is far worse and not only torments me at home, but also at school, where


    there is no escape for me. It¡¯s like a game to him. My father never picks on him, in fact, adores his only


    son. Lucky Damien.The only person he hates is me. I feel a tear well up in the corner of my eye. My life


    means nothing to me anymore. All my hopes and my dreams? All I can focus on is getting the hell


    away from this useless pack and studying at a college where no one can find me. Because if I don¡¯t do


    that, then there¡¯s every likelihood that at this rate I¡¯m going to end up dead.


    Why don¡¯t I tell the Alpha and Luna you ask? Because they are friends of my father¡¯s and we live on


    the edge of the territory line, far away from everybody else, so no one ever hears me scream, or


    whimper. I¡¯m never taken to the hospital, so there¡¯s no record of abuse. I want so badly to run away


    from all of this but there¡¯s no where for me to go. I have no other family, no friends, no hope. Everything


    has been taken away from me. Once upon a time, my brother adored me, but now him and his friends


    take pleasure in joining me and my life is aplete and utter nightmare because of those who are


    meant to love me the most. My family.


    My name is Winter and I¡¯m fifteen years old. This is my story, my life, my pain. Family used to mean


    everything to me, but now I wish that my father was dead and sometimes even Damien too. I¡¯m so full


    of hatred it¡¯s all I can do to hide it instead of letting it loose. I will never truly be free until I leave this life


    and god help me. I hope it¡¯s soon.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Chapter 2


    Damien POV


    It¡¯s night time and I¡¯m hanging out with my best friends, andughing at their stupid jokes, beer in hand,


    all of us in the forest and tantly smoking weed while drinking. Like we give a s**t if one of the patrols


    comes across us. Hell, it¡¯s not like dad cares what I do.


    ¡°Hey bro¡± my best mate, Thomas says, tossing me another one. ¡°how¡¯s your sister going,¡± he teases


    me and I roll my eyes. Even to me, it¡¯s inly obvious that he¡¯s got a bit of a crush on her. Not that I¡¯ll


    let him near her. Yuck.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my sister¡± I snap back, thoroughly irritated, ¡°and you know it. She¡¯s the reason my mother is


    dead and I hate her¡±, I exhaled, taking a sip of my beer while my other friend Johnathon chortles.


    ¡°I gotta say, man, she¡¯s hot stuff though¡± he says, and I turn to him threateningly.


    ¡°What do you mean by that¡± I hiss and he shuts up instantly, recognizing that he¡¯s gone too far. I¡¯m not


    being protective of my sister, on the contrary, but that doesn¡¯t mean they can make remarks about


    Winter like that either.


    ¡°Stay away from her¡± I counter, ¡°she¡¯s nothing but trouble. Just ask my father¡± I add darkly, ¡°the only


    thing she¡¯s good for is housework¡±, I mutter, and they nod, content to sip their beers and say nothing at


    all,just chill and hang out. It¡¯s far more rxing in any case than going home, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Damnit, Man, I had better get back before motheres looking¡±, Johnathon says bitterly with a scowl


    ¡°she¡¯s been on my case since we all got suspended from school¡±, he adds, speaking sarcastically, and


    I give him a sympathetic look as he ambles off. In my case, my father could care less what happened


    when it came to my school work, let alone if I bother to do it, which in itself was a blessing. All he cares


    about is f*****g Winter and what she¡¯s done to both of us.


    ¡°How about you dude?¡± I ask Thomas, wanting him to stay a little longer with me. But he just sighs and


    puts out his blunt, looking regretfully at me. I guess he even has trouble with his parents.


    ¡°Same, my parents are none too pleased about the suspension either¡± he says grimly, ¡°dad threatened


    to kick the s**t out of me, not that he would, of course, but it makes him feel better about it if it looks like


    he cares.¡±


    I grimace. I have met Thomas¡¯s parents and they aren¡¯t exactly a cake walk either.


    ¡°What are you going to do tonight?¡± asks Thomas as I put out my own blunt and take a swig of my


    beer, effectively finishing it in one gulp. I raise my eyebrows at him and shrug my shoulders, not really


    fussed about what I¡¯m doing. I finally get to go to school tomorrow after a week away and I can¡¯t think


    of anything better than seeing poor defenseless little Winter being bullied by my friends and the popr


    group at school. I wonder if she¡¯s still up or if she¡¯s gone to bed, if dad is drunk, just like any other night.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go home¡± I said with a sigh, ¡°maybe I¡¯ll get lucky and Winter will still be up to tease¡±. I add


    laughing to myself just a little at the thought and, of course, Thomasughs, pping me on the back


    and walking away as I throw the beer bottle on the floor and smash it, walking in the opposite direction.


    I know I¡¯ll have to head home, there¡¯s no point staying out here by myself, especially since all of the


    beer has been drunk and the weed smoked. But I also know what to expect when I get home and I¡¯m


    not looking forward to it. My dad can be a right asshole when he¡¯s t out drunk, which is almost every


    single night. Sometimes he¡¯ll yell insults at me, but the majority of the time they are screamed at


    Winter. She bears the brunt of it, has been since she was five years old and mother died. Part of me


    felt sorry for her initially, but now all I can see is mother¡¯s grave in my mind and the feeling passes.


    I put my hands in my jean pockets and begin to saunter towards the house, taking my sweet time as


    though I can prolong it for as long as possible. I cringe at the thought of having to carry dad to his


    bedroom again. Lately his drinking has gotten worse and I know, Winter probably as well, that it won¡¯t


    be too long until the old man loses yet another job due to his drinking. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time, but


    he¡¯s always worse when that happens. I shudder, maybe I¡¯ll get lucky tonight and he¡¯ll have passed out


    in his room, that would be a blessing in itself.


    As I walk back towards home, I suddenlye to the realization that none of my schoolwork due the


    next day has been done and give a wry smile. It looks like there¡¯s something I can make Winter do for


    me after all. She was smarter than I was, easily gets me good grades when I make her do my


    homework. If she was sleeping, I would just wake her up. After all, it¡¯s not like she really has a choice.


    She¡¯d do as I say or face the consequences. I might not be as forceful as dad can be, but Winter knows


    that it¡¯s best to obey me and do whatever I give her. I smirk to myself as I open the door and go in


    search of my little sister.


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    ¡°Oof¡± she cries out as I throw my backpack at her, and I barely spare her a nce.


    ¡°Do my homework tonight¡± I snarl and ignored the defeated look on her face. She looks close to tears


    as I leave, but I harden my heart.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Chapter 3


    Winter¡¯s POV


    I force myself to wake up early the next morning, in order to get ready for school. I¡¯m so tired I can


    barely see straight and it¡¯s all I can do to make myself get in the shower and get dressed. Damien


    came hometest night and insisted on me doing his schoolwork and when I didn¡¯t move fast enough


    for his liking he punched me in the stomach, not to mention threw his damn school bag at me. It was an


    extremely long night, spent doing my homework on top of his as well. God I hate him.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself, stopping to turn and look into the battered mirror atop my shabby dresser. I¡¯m not


    surprised by therge dark circles under my eyes or the thinness of my figure. I hate the way I look and


    I know that I¡¯m ugly. My face is pale, so white rather than porcin, my eyes a dull blue and my hair a


    frizzy blonde that¡¯s long andnky. No matter how much I washed my hair, it never seemed to make a


    difference. My clothes are ripped, hand me downs from op shops, jeans with holes in the knees and a


    sweater twice the size of me that hangs down way past my knees. I didn¡¯t really have anything better to


    wear and I put my threadbare sneakers on with a grimace. The bottom of them are thin from over-use


    and I know that one day soon I¡¯m going to have to go and look around the thrift shops and find a new


    pair to use.


    I have barely got the bacon in the pan sizzling and pancakes going, when my father staggers in,


    looking pale and exhausted, his eyes red and puffed up as he sits there, impatiently waiting for his


    food. He looks a mess and I hope he cleans himself up before going to work, because at this rate he¡¯ll


    lose his job. Not that that seems to bother him though.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee¡± I say very quietly, cing it beside his elbow and vehemently hoping he would just


    drink it this time instead of flinging it away. Apparently, he was too tired to do that this time and he


    drank it down without a qualm orint. Damien also staggered in and sat down at the table,


    ring at me while he waited, drumming his fingers on the table as I hurried as best I could. Just once,


    I wish they would get off theirzy backsides and give me a damn hand. It wouldn¡¯t exactly kill them to


    help, would it? Besides, he is old enough to make his own breakfast for heaven¡¯s sake. I don¡¯t dare tell


    him that though, I¡¯m not exactly in the mood for another bruise.


    ¡°Here¡± I tell them softly, cing theirrge tes in front of them and going back to the bench where


    my one measly piece of bacon and a slice of toast waits.It¡¯s not even enough to touch the sides of my


    hunger, but I don¡¯t dare take any more in case they see me. I stop short when Damien gets up from the


    table andes over, eyeing me maliciously. He¡¯s up to something, I just know it and I feel a sense of


    dread rising inside of me. I try to keep my expression nk so he doesn¡¯t see or sense my fear of him.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing¡± he says, and I eye him curiously, my heart already beginning to thump


    wildly in my chest, anticipating what¡¯s about to happen as I hold my breath.


    ¡°Eating breakfast¡±, I say nervously, and before I can stop him, his hand shoots out and sends the te


    flying to the floor as I stare at him and the broken te in dismay. What the hell?


    ¡°Oops¡± he says slyly ¡°guess you¡¯re going without fatty again¡±, he tosses out as he sits and begins to


    devour his own delicious breakfast. I said nothing. I¡¯m not fat, in fact, I¡¯m anything but, considering I


    very rarely get to it. But , after all, what would be the point? Damien can do whatever he likes to me


    and my father will never once step in and stop him, not when he approves of what my brother does to


    me. I keep my tears to myself, my stomach growling with hunger.


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    I take a deep shuddering breath and bend down to pick up the pieces of the broken te. I salivate at


    the sight of the bacon and toast on the floor but they are covered in dirt and would be disgusting to eat.


    I force myself to throw them in the bin.


    A sharp piece of shard slices my finger and I watch the blood drip down in fascination. It doesn¡¯t even


    hurt, nothing does anymore, and I clean it on my sweater as I pick the shards up, sadly knowing that


    this was to be my only food until dinnertime and that I would be starving hungry again today. Dad and


    Damien don¡¯t care, hurrying out of the dining room when they¡¯re finished and leaving me to clean up


    before I can grab my own school bag and walk to school.


    Damien¡¯s already left in his car, for which I¡¯m extremely grateful, as I don¡¯t have to worry about what


    else he might do to me next, and so has my father, who never even says a word to me, not that I


    expect him to anymore. This leaves me to take my time, wanting to prolong the experience for as long


    as possible. School which used to be a sanctuary when I was smaller has now be my own hell, a


    ce for bullies and my brother to torment and make fun of me, and I know exactly what I¡¯m facing, my


    whole body trembling in fear as I began to traverse through the corridors and make it to ss, with the


    hopeful thought that maybe today would be different and that I would be left alone for once. It was a


    futile hope.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Chapter 4


    Winter¡¯s POV


    It¡¯s lunchtime and I¡¯m sitting outside, my poor stomach growling as it smells the delicious scent of other


    students eating their lunch, my head hung low and my blonde hair hiding my face as though people


    wouldn¡¯t recognize me. I stood out like a sore thumb. It would take a miracle to get through lunchtime


    without being osted by one of my bullies.


    ¡°Hey loser¡± I hear and my heart drops. I¡¯d know that voice anywhere, who wouldn¡¯t, and I looked up


    tentatively, the other girl eyeing me with a wicked grin. My heart sinks despite telling myself to get a


    goddamn grip. It¡¯s none other than Jessica, the most popr girl in school, her long blonde hair


    gleaming and shiny in the sunlight, her big blue eyes cold and condemning, her skin a nice golden


    honey tan and her figure slim and d in a cheerleader¡¯s outfit. She lives to humiliate me and all I can


    do is look up from my position on the grass and wait for what I know ising. I swallow, my heart


    thumping loudly in my chest. All I want is to just be left alone, in peace. Is that too much to ask? Why


    does everyone hate me so much? I¡¯ve never done anything to them, not that they care about


    something so mundane as that. They live to make fun of me.


    Sure enough, she¡¯s clutching a can of soda which she dumps unceremoniously over my head as I


    shriek, my hair now dripping of c as sheughs maniacally, her cheerleader group behind her,


    giggling behind their hands.It¡¯s cold, sticky and trickles down my clothes as I stand up, letting it drip


    down my back as I shudder. ¡°It¡¯s an improvement¡±ughed Jessica, gesturing towards me as I stare


    down at the ground ¡°don¡¯t you think her hair looks better girls?¡±


    There are choruses of ¡°sure does,¡± from behind her and I hope she¡¯s satisfied and that she¡¯ll leave now.


    Instead, she walks right up and swings, her fist connecting to my jaw as I flinch, pain already shooting


    upwards as I ce a hand there, my cheek still sore from the previous day.


    ¡°You should die, it would be much better for you¡±, Jessica sneered, and I felt tears well up in the corner


    of my eyes, but I was determined to keep them from falling. I haven¡¯t done anything to her, but


    Jessica¡¯s in love with my brother Damien and tortures me so that he¡¯ll like her back. Little does she


    know that he can¡¯t stand her, she¡¯s so oblivious.


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    Thankfully, they all leave me and the bell goes for the next ss. I stand up awkwardly, my hair still


    dripping and feeling incredibly sticky. It¡¯s going to be a nightmare to wash outter, but I also can¡¯t


    afford to miss ss. My grades are the only thing I have left and I work hard so that, eventually, when I


    do graduate, if I make it until then, I¡¯ll be able to leave this town and my so-called family and study, far


    away at a college of my choice. I¡¯m determined to get the hell out of this town, no matter what it takes,


    and be awyer. If I keep my grades up like I have been, I might even be able to organize a


    schrship. Lord knows there¡¯s no way in hell that my father would even dream of paying for my tuition


    and, quite frankly, I¡¯ll be d to leave. I won¡¯t be telling them where I¡¯m going either.


    I¡¯m lost in my thoughts as I walk slowly through the hallway, aware of the strange looks I¡¯m receiving


    and the whispers going on behind my back as my hair clings to my clothes. Thanks Jessica, I think to


    myself sourly, it¡¯s just what I needed today. To feel disgusting on top of everything else. My hands


    clench into fists involuntarily every time I picture her smug little face, wanting to punch her lights out


    and knock the smile right off her face. Not that I would try, I¡¯d be killed within moments by her groupies.


    Still, part of me wondered if it might actually be worth it.


    I make it to my locker, just in time for it to be mmed right onto my hand as I¡¯m trying to pull out the


    books I need, myself shrieking as it opens again, looking behind me to see none other than the asshole


    that is my brother doubled overughing as I try to curl my fingers and can¡¯t. Great, he¡¯s broken them


    again. It would heal because of my shifter blood but it would take hours and the entire time I,,,¡¯ll be in


    agony.My fingers were already throbbing painfully and I swore silently to myself, Damien giving me one


    last threatening look before dispersing to his own ss. Clutching my hand in the other, I reluctantly


    headed to my next ss, wishing violently that this day would be over already and dreading going


    home once it was. I only have two more sses to get through and then at least most of today will


    officially be over. Home is worse than school though and I cant help, but wonder to myself whether or


    not my life is worth living sometimes. Who would miss me if I was gone? No one that¡¯s who. But then I


    remind myself that if I did something like that, it would be letting them win and I refuse to let them break


    me until I reach that point. No matter what, I will not let them get the best of me. All I have to do is try


    and be patient until I¡¯ve graduated. How hard can that possibly be? It¡¯s not like things can get any


    worse than they already are. I will get out of here someday, until then, I just need to be careful and trust


    no one.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Chapter 5


    Johnathon¡¯s POV


    My mother is standing in my doorway, and I roll my eyes and mutter something under my breath ¡°geez


    can¡¯t she leave me alone?¡± knowing she can inly hear me. Good, because right now she¡¯s being her


    usual annoying, overprotective self.


    ¡°Listen smart ass¡± she growls and I grin, trying to be my usual charming self, ¡°I¡¯m trying to make sure


    you are all ready to go tomorrow. Have you got your timetable?¡± she asks for the hundredth time.


    Iugh. She¡¯s given me multiple copies as though afraid I¡¯m going to get lost or something. ¡°Yes


    mother¡±, I tease and she gives me a sheepish smile as she fidgets with her hands.


    ¡°I know, I know¡± she says quietly, ¡°I¡¯m overprotective, but ever since your father¡­.¡± It trails in the air


    and I stiffen, feeling nothing but resentment for the man who supposedly raised me. The man who


    without a second thought, abandoned his son and rejected his mate for another woman. I hate him.


    ¡°Ever since father decided to leave and make a home with someone else¡± I reply bitterly and she sighs.


    It¡¯s a point of contention between us, I hate the man and will most likely kill him on sight whereas my


    mother is more soft hearted and more likely to forgive the bastard.


    ¡°Can you please just try and make this school work¡± she pleads and I frown. It¡¯s true that this is the


    third such school I¡¯ll be attending, but it¡¯s not my fault that I refuse to take crap from no one. As an


    Alpha, it¡¯s my right to demand respect even when mother doesn¡¯t quite see it that way. She doesn¡¯t


    truly know what high school is really like and how hard it is to avoid fighting with other shifters.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try¡± I grunt, making no promises, and she gives me a genuine smile.


    ¡°Thanks¡± she murmurs,ing over and eyeing me critically. I frown. What is she doing now? Is she


    criticizing my clothes?


    I look down at myself satisfied with what I see. I¡¯ve chosen my usual leather jacket and in shirt


    topped with ripped jeans and sneakers. Unfortunately, I still resemble that bastard father of mine with


    my ck shaggy hair and dark green eyes. I hate looking like him, avoiding the mirror at all costs. It


    hangs there broken now, after I put my fist through it one day in a full blown rage.


    ¡°You might find your mate¡± my mother is saying excitedly, and I give a cynicalugh. A mate is thest


    thing on earth I want, especially after seeing what my mother went through with my father, who rejected


    her when I was five. To me, love doesn¡¯t exist and it¡¯s thest thing I want or need in my life. Love is


    just a fairytale. The school is a shifter school, so while it could be likely, I feel sorry for any girl that has


    the misfortune of being my mate. Because I won¡¯t be epting her, no way. I have every intention of


    rejecting the girl and living my life the way I want to and it doesn¡¯t involve being tied down or having a


    family. I don¡¯t want any more burdens to deal with.


    My mother looks disappointed, she knows how I feel about mates, but it doesn¡¯t stop her from hoping


    that one day I¡¯ll change my mind. I know I won¡¯t though. It would take a pretty special girl for me to ever


    consider it and from what I¡¯ve seen from girls at every single high school I¡¯ve visited, they are all


    shallow, vain creatures who wouldn¡¯t even so much as help someone in need. Too self-centered and


    constantly worrying about their looks. If I did want a mate, I¡¯d want a kind, caring girl who wasn¡¯t so


    fussed with her looks and was genuinely down to earth. I almost snort at my fanciful thoughts. Not


    gonna happen, I remind myself.


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry mother, but any mate of mine is going to be instantly rejected¡± I drew, watching as her eyes lost


    their sparkle. I hate hurting her in this way, but she refuses to give up on me. She bites her lip but


    hesitates to say anything more, heaving arge sigh as she turns towards the doorway. I feel a slight


    pang of guilt which I wash away. It¡¯s not my fault she wants something from me that I¡¯m not willing to


    give. Life is unfair, if anything, my father has taught me that.


    ¡°You know¡± she said softly, stopping for a moment and looking over her shoulder, her big brown eyes


    full of what looked like sadness or maybe it was pity? Either way, I don¡¯t like it one bit. ¡°Having a mate


    is the best thing that can happen to any shifter. I wish you could see that¡± she whispers, ¡°not every


    shifter is like your father or every rtionship doomed to fail. Your mate will love you Johnathon, keep


    that in mind, will you?¡± and she leaves as I stare at the back of her with a scowl on my face. She just


    doesn¡¯t understand me at all. There is nothing on this god green earth that will ever change my mind


    when ites to having a mate, or rather theck of one. I decide to go and do some training, work


    some of my anger out of my system before school tomorrow. An Alpha needs to stay in shape after all.


    Besides, maybe it will help me calm down and be more focussed. School should be interesting


    tomorrow, I think to myself with a big smirk on my face, the school wouldn¡¯t know what hit them when I


    got there tomorrow and took over. I¡¯m the Alpha and no one would dare disobey mymands, not if


    they wanted to keep their heads attached to their bodies at any rate.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Chapter 6


    Winter¡¯s POV


    I don¡¯t know how much more of everything I can possibly take. Every day it¡¯s the same old story, the


    same boring


    routine and the bruises that never seem to fully heal, before they are taken over by new ones, either


    from my brother


    or my father, let alone the kids at school. I¡¯m currently in the shower frantically trying to wash my hair


    due to the


    soda it took earlier during the day. It¡¯s so sticky and horrible, even smells slightly and I wrinkle my nose


    in disgust. At


    this rate, it might take another showerter to get it fully out of my hair. Or I¡¯ll have to cut it, something I


    t out


    refuse to do no matter how long it takes to get this bloody stuff out.


    Finally, I¡¯ve done what I can to get rid of the sticky residue and I step out, stopping short as I see none


    other than


    my brother Damien sitting on my bed, looking amused at my terror. There¡¯s a broad smile on his face


    and linstantly


    tense when I see it. He holds up a book and I feel my heart sink. I¡¯ve got so much homework already


    and he was going


    to add to it. I silently breathe and count to ten. Please don¡¯t hit me, I think to myself, I¡¯m still hurting


    from earlier


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    today. Maybe he¡¯d leave me alone? Maybe there was something else he wanted, but I very much doubt


    it.


    ¡°Calm down¡± Damien says, sounding impatient even as I flinch, waiting for the inevitable p or punch


    that was


    usually forthing. To my surprise, it didn¡¯te. I start to rx even though I know that it¡¯s possible


    he¡¯ll still hit


    me.


    ¡°I just want to give you my homework¡± he says and tosses the book. I catch it awkwardly and he eyes


    my hand,


    the fingers having been bent back to straight but so painful it is all I can do not cry out in pain. He sees


    it and his


    eyes narrowed for a moment.


    For a moment, there was silence and I see something sh in my brother¡¯s eyes. I blinked, astonished.


    Had I just


    seen concern in his gaze for a moment or was I hallucinating? Since when does he show even an


    ounce of concern


    when ites to me? It¡¯s enough to shock me. He bites his lip as he gets up and ambles towards the


    doorway. I stand


    still, expecting him to just leave, or hit me but again he catches me by surprise.


    ¡°Word of warning¡± he mutters under his breath, my ears straining as I heard his words ¡°father¡¯s


    downstairs and


    drinking again¡±, he breathes, almost as though he¡¯s trying to warn me and I feel my heart skip a beat.


    Great, that¡¯s


    thest thing I need to deal with today, even though I¡¯m used to it now. Then, just like that, he¡¯s gone.


    I¡¯m astonished by his concern, but it¡¯s fleeting as I feel dread rise in my gut. There would only be one


    reason father is home this early and it¡¯s because he¡¯s either left work early or because, once again,


    he¡¯s lost his job. I suspected thetter. f**k.


    I want to scream in frustration, bang my hands against the door and just give vent to the feelings I hide


    inside,


    but instead, I just bite my lips, so hard that I can taste blood before I venture downstairs to make


    dinner. I try to be as


    quiet as I can so that I don¡¯t draw any attention to myself. If I¡¯m lucky he might even bepletely


    passed out. I


    actually pray that he is as I make my way towards the kitchen.


    When Damien said father had been drinking he hadn¡¯t been kidding. Halfway down the stairs and I


    could smell


    the putrid scent of alcoholbined with his sweaty, disgusting body odor from never showering. It¡¯s


    actually a


    miracle that it¡¯s taken this long for him to lose whatever job he was currently doing. His hygiene is


    disgusting. The


    smell is disgusting and I shudder and try to tip toe down the steps. In times like these, when he drank


    worse than


    normal, it was best to be as quiet as possible, invisible if you can manage it. But he heard me and


    turned from the


    couch. I watched him get to his feet, staggering, a beer bottle in his hand, his eyes beady and puffy, red


    from his


    his breath stinking to high heaven as I try not to gag. I wait, feeling sick to my stomach and instinctively


    back away slightly, knowing that whatever is about to happen isn¡¯t going to be anything good. He¡¯s


    staring too hard at me to hope it¡¯s just my imagination. Then again, when was it anything nice, I think to


    myself sourly. I considered making a run for the door but that would only dy the inevitable and I


    would have to go home eventually, face the music, and by then Damien would most likely join in my


    punishment. I brace myself and hope that whatever ising will be over quickly and I can get to


    cooking dinner, my stomach growling loudly in hunger. Maybe he¡¯ll just throw insults at me if he¡¯s too


    drunk to hit me urately.


    ¡°Well, well, well if it isn¡¯t the little murderer¡± he says in a slurred voice and I flinch instinctively while he


    gives a derisiveugh. He¡¯s clearly drunk, so many beer bottles scattered around the floor that even I¡¯m


    astonished. It¡¯s a lot more than his usual amount. How long has he been drinking while I¡¯ve been


    upstairs? I said nothing, knowing that it was best not to provoke him any further. That will just make him


    even angrier than he already is. He waves the beer bottle threateningly in my face and I hesitantly take


    a step back. It was still half full of liquid and heavy in his hand, not that he appeared to notice, too busy


    studying me with pure hatred in his eyes. I¡¯m not a murderer. I chant silently to myself, but it¡¯s so quiet,


    almost as if I¡¯m starting to believe I am, I¡¯ve been told it so many times. I¡¯m so used to his hatred and


    contempt that I don¡¯t even react to it. Then he swings his hand high up in the air and I try to move, try to


    run, but he grabs me by the hair and pulls until I stand still, my eyes closed, tears dripping down my


    cheeks. I feel nothing but a sharp pain in the top of my head before everything turns to darkness and I


    no longer know if I¡¯m dead or alive. Right now, being dead would be considered a blessing.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Chapter 7


    Damien POV


    I don¡¯t know what¡¯se over metely, but I¡¯m no longer enjoying the cruelty I usually show to my


    younger


    sister Winter. There¡¯s just something about the way that she stares at me, so much pain in her gaze,


    that I feel a sh


    of guilt. If our mother was still alive, then Winter would still be happy and a go lucky child or teenager,


    but instead


    she¡¯s grown up in a house full of abuse. I never used to mind, buttely it has been weighing heavily on


    my


    conscience. My mother would be upset to see the way that father and I treat her. She loved Winter so


    much. Died


    protecting her little girl. I sigh.


    I guess that¡¯s why I warned her about our father being on the warpath. Normally I wouldn¡¯t, but today I


    felt like I needed to. The drunken old man had gotten himself fired again, but I guess that¡¯s what


    happens when you constantly turn up to work either drunk or severely hungover. I¡¯ve lost count of how


    many jobs he¡¯s been fired from. It¡¯s quite pathetic really. I know that he misses mum but surely he


    needs to move on at some stage? Thest time! suggested that though, he turned on me and I¡¯m not


    nning on trying to get him to move on anytime soon.


    Something seems wrong, my stomach churning and nauseaing to the surface and, for whatever


    reason, can¡¯t get rid of a niggling feeling in my gut, turning to my friends and blowing them off as theyThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    protest.Whatever this feeling is, I sense I need to go home. They can deal without me for one night, for


    heaven¡¯s sake.It¡¯s not like they don¡¯t see me at school every day. Well, at least on the days I bother to


    go. I rush back to the house but don¡¯t run.The entire time I try to convince myself that everything is fine


    and that I¡¯m just overreacting. After all, my gut could be wrong,


    couldn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t even like facing my father when he was on aplete bender.


    The house is quiet, too quiet as I let myself in, my father snoring wildly in the recliner, a beer bottle


    loosely clutched in his hand. Where was Winter? Dread rises up inside of me. Normally, she would


    already be in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner, but I couldn¡¯t see her from my position. Nor could I


    sense her anywhere, but I could smell the


    disgusting metallic scent of blood in the air and my heart sinks. I know instinctively that it¡¯s Winters


    because father


    is not bleeding from any wounds that I can see. I went round the corner and stopped, absolutely


    horrified, all the blood draining out of my face. I can¡¯t believe my eyes and I force the bile down that


    tries to rise in my throat.


    Winter is lying there on the cold hard ground and she looks like a rag doll, both of her eyes closed,


    completely


    unconscious. There is red blood pooling around her head and I can see it¡¯s change of color, some of it


    old. How long had she been lying there like that for? God, what had father done? This was the first time


    I¡¯d seen her in such a bad


    state.Something urs to me and I bend down and wrinkle my nose at the smell of her blood, relieved


    to see her chest rising and falling. She was breathing at least and had a pulse even if it seemed a little


    weaker than normal. I feel a small sprinkle of relief.


    ¡°What have you done, old man¡± I say grimly, bending to pick her up, feeling her head draped against


    me and, for


    some inexplicable reason, I find myself feeling protective of her. I shake the feeling off. I can¡¯t afford to


    be merciful


    towards her, no matter how much I was softening. She was the reason for our mother being dead and


    that I couldn¡¯t forgive, no matter how much she begged me to. But was she, I thought? What if she was


    telling the truth? I had no


    reason to doubt her story, even though my father was certain that Winter had somehow caused our


    mother¡¯s death.


    But Winter had only been a child at the time, hardly capable of what our father says she is, and I shake


    my head,


    trying hard to clear the dozens of thoughts now flooding my mind.


    I took her to her room. I can see part of her wound is healing and know that though it will be slow, by


    tomorrow of grief at that thought.Another unhappy memory to hold onto the poor thing has very few


    happy ones. Iy her in her bed and gingerly ced her nket over the top of her, pausing for a


    moment as I pondered what to do. Was it safe to leave her in that kind of condition? Would father stay


    away or did I need to lock the door? I sigh. Father¡¯s too drunk to do anything more to Winter and I


    doubt he was capable, anyway, in his condition. Poor Winter¡¯s body had seen worse than this and


    she¡¯d survived. Something I wasn¡¯t exactly proud of. Besides, I couldn¡¯t risk being seen in her room


    helping her. Father would take all of his anger out on me if I did.


    She can sleep it off, I tell myself, backing away from the door and refusing to look at her face, how


    innocent my little sister looked when she slept. How vulnerable she suddenly seemed. She¡¯ll be fine,


    she always is. Always will be. Thest thing she needs is the brother who torments her staying in her


    room. I leave without a backward nce, going to my own room. I guess I¡¯ll have to do my own


    homework tonight, I think a tad bit absently, my mind still on Winter¡¯s injuries and how broken she


    seemed.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Chapter 8


    God, my head is pounding like you wouldn¡¯t believe. I force myself to open my eyes, my throat feeling


    sore and


    room, realizing it was mine. But how had I gotten here? I distinctly remember being hit on the head by


    father


    downstairs and then nothing. I was certain I had fallen unconscious from the pain in my head. So who


    had put me to bed? I doubted it was father, but it was equally astonishing to think my brother Damien


    would show that much care


    towards me. But he was the only one who could have possibly done it and I feel a small bit of


    gratefulness towards


    him.


    I force myself to roll out of bed, blinking against the bright sunlight and trying not to scream at the pain


    in my head. I feel the back of my hair and can tell it¡¯s matted with dried blood and I groan, it¡¯s going to


    take forever to get it all out and I¡¯m hoping I won¡¯t have to do something horrible like cut it. It¡¯s taken


    forever for me to grow it as long as


    this. I hurry to the bathroom and am ecstatic to find I¡¯m able to wash it out with a bit of elbow grease,


    my hand now fully healed along with my head injury. It¡¯s the small things in life I think to myself sourly,


    to be grateful for.


    Ttake my time and tiptoe downstairs, disgusted by the mess that greets me. There are dishes piled


    everywhere


    and dozens of empty beer bottles scattered all over the lounge room floor. Thankfully, father is snoring


    loudly in the


    chair, possibly still drunk judging by the smell of him, and I take the opportunity to make breakfast,


    putting his on the table. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to wake him up and face his wrath when I have


    school to get to. For the first time,


    almost inhaled my bacon and egg sandwich, no sign of my brother anywhere and I assume he¡¯s gone


    to school already. Good riddance, I couldn¡¯t have been happier this morning. I leave his breakfast out in


    case and grab my school bag. So far it¡¯s been a non-eventful morning and part of me feels hopeful that


    it will continue, walking to


    school uninterrupted by anyone for the first time in months, and I can¡¯t believe my good fortune. What


    was going on?


    Had the moon goddess taken pity on me?


    A group of cheerleaders are gathered in the hall and I instinctively duck my head down and try to cover


    it with


    past. Too busy with their conversation or possibly gossip. Whatever, as long as it has nothing to do with


    me, I could


    care less.


    ¡°Can you believe there¡¯s a new kid at school today?¡±.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, guess what?¡±


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s an Alpha¡±, Jessica speaks up and I flinch, still working on getting past them without being


    caught. I


    catch her tossing her hair over her shoulder, a massive smile on her face. ¡°I just know that he¡¯s going to


    be my mate,


    it¡¯s obvious¡± she almost purrs while her friends look a bit put out. Trouble in paradise, I think to myself


    smugly. Looks


    like her friends also want a piece of this poor Alpha kid.


    ¡°What if you¡¯re not though,¡± another one dares to question her and falls silent at the scorching look on


    her


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    face.


    ¡°He¡¯ll still want me¡± she said smugly, ¡°after all, I¡¯m the most beautiful girl in the school. We don¡¯t always


    have to agree to be with mates, we can choose to mark each other.¡± I almost scoff at her tant


    disy of confidence. Mates


    are meant to be together forever and I wonder why she thinks just being beautiful will be enough to get


    his interest. nce from him and that¡¯s perfectly fine with me. I prefer to be invisible rather than have


    attention on me.


    The other girls begin to chat excitedly amongst themselves and I make it to my locker without incident,


    grabbing


    the books I need. My heart sinks a little. With what happenedst night, I wasn¡¯t able toplete my


    homework and


    I feared what the teacher might say. It wasn¡¯t exactly my fault, but it still hurt nheless. I hated to let


    my teachers down. Unless it was beyond my control, likest night when I was unconscious, I passed it


    in every day without fail and I knew my grades could take a hit and it was all because of what my father


    had done to mest night. Damn him, I think bitterly as I begin to make my way to my algebra ss,


    feeling angry and full of hatred at the man who was no longer a real father to me. Hopefully, the


    homework, or ratherck of it, won¡¯t affect my grades in any way. If I have


    to, I¡¯ll offer to do extra credit to make it up. I refuse to let my grades fail when I need them for college.


    I find myself wondering about this so-called new boy that has everyone so excited. Like we haven¡¯t


    seen an Alpha


    before. Then again there were no other Alpha¡¯s at this school. Most tend to go to private ones over


    public, guess because of their status as leaders of their packs. Would this Alpha be kind or would he be


    like the rest of the school and torment me along with them? Or would he keep away from me? Because


    being bullied by regr shifters is bad, 1 don¡¯t really want to find out how much worse the bullying can


    get when an Alpha decides to join in as well.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Chapter 9


    Johnathon POV


    God I¡¯ve been at school for not even two minutes and everybody is sucking up to the big bad Alpha. Do


    they not


    realize how embarrassing that is? All I want is to be left alone. Not gushed over. Girls are flocking in


    from everywhere


    and it¡¯s all I can do not to get crushed by the crowd, or suffocated. God I¡¯m annoyed. This happens at


    every school


    and I¡¯m so sick of it. I start to glower at everyone but no one seems to get the hint. I sigh. At this rate,


    I¡¯m going to have to use my alpha tone on everyone if it doesn¡¯t stop.


    One girl in particr approaches me and I look at her bored. Clearly, she¡¯s oblivious to my feelings and


    even the


    scowl I direct her way. She looks like all the other barbie doll cheerleaders, with long blonde hair and


    big blue eyes that she¡¯s batting at me so hard it¡¯s almostical. ¡°Hi there¡± she says, touching my arm


    as I try not to flinch,


    knowing it would offend her, part of me not caring if it did. If it wasn¡¯t for my mother, I would be a hell of


    a lot ruder. I


    fight the urge to walk away.


    ¡°Hello¡± I said tightly, wanting nothing more than to shove past her. Clearly, she thinks I¡¯m ying hard


    to get ¡® because she invades my personal space even more. I try not to gag at her heavy perfume.


    Does she bathe in it for


    heaven¡¯s sake? It was pungent.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jessica¡± she breathed, tossing her head and I fight the urge tough. Did she not realise her


    efforts were


    wasted on me? That I¡¯m anything but impressed by her? I can see right through her.


    ¡°Johnathon¡±, I growl and go to move when she grabs my arm. She actually grabs my arm as though we


    are


    friends. I can¡¯t believe her audacity. To dare put her hands on an Alpha! She has a death wish.


    ¡°Please remove your arm¡± I say gruffly and her eyes widen in disbelief as she drops it, a confused look


    in her eyes. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t expecting such a reaction. Good. It would take her down a peg or two.


    ¡°I have to get to ss¡± I tell her snidely and watch as her mouth gapes open and she splutters at me,


    speechless,


    her whole body suddenly stilling.


    ¡°Are you gay?¡± she asks me suddenly and I stiffen, unable to believe she just asked me that in a


    hallway full of students. I have nothing against gay people but didn¡¯t appreciate being loudly asked


    about my sexuality in a hallway


    full of curious students. That was going a step too far. In fact, daring to so much as question me was a


    step too


    far.


    pick her up and m her head against the locker as she wiggles in my grasp. I could care less that


    she¡¯s a female or weaker than me. What she had done was disrespectful and she would know it. I


    smile into her terrified eyes. Finally, she realized her mistake, a little toote.


    ¡°For the record¡± growl as she ws at my hands which refuse to let go,¡±I¡¯m not, I¡¯m just not interested


    in you¡±


    spit out and let her fall to the ground, her face now an interesting crimson red colour as her hand goes


    to her throat, gasping wildly for air as her cheerleaderckies gather around her gossiping and ring


    daggers at me for daring to


    injure one of their own.


    re right back and they look away, their noses in the air and hastily leave, the Jessica women


    surrounded by them all. I scoff. Pathetic girls. Too shallow and vain for their own good. The rest of the


    students busy themselves getting their stuff out of their lockers as the bell rings for the next ss.


    I go to walk away from everyone, when I¡¯m stopped in my tracks, the most mesmerizing scent drifting


    towards mouth drools. It smells like the world¡¯s best apple pie, my favorite dessert. What is this scent


    and why was I drawn to it? The answeres to me and I still, my feet refusing to move. I¡¯m


    completely horrified.


    This smell could only be the smell of my mate and I felt my hands shaking.I feel sick to my stomach, a


    pain in my chest. I had been hoping that she wouldn¡¯t be here, that I would never really have to go


    through with a rejection. Why this school of all ces? Why now I groan. My wolf was going crazy in


    my head, refusing to ever speak to me again if I went through with it, sending me threats and all sorts


    of insults my way as I ignore him. I close my eyes feeling forlorn, the scent slowly fading away. Did I try


    to follow it, or avoid it in the hopes of sparing my mates¡¯ feelings?


    could wait untilter, but part of me desperately wants to get it over and done with before the mate


    bond bes


    even stronger than it already is. Either way, she would be hurt though. It can¡¯t be avoided. Perhaps it


    was best to get it over and done with, I thought to myself, let here to terms with it. I didn¡¯t believe


    that my mate would ever


    forgive me for this though, and I didn¡¯t me her as my feet reluctantly walked towards the scent,


    drawing me to


    her, as I began to sniff and find the source of the smell and the person it belonged to. I¡¯m sorry I think to


    myself, but I


    just can¡¯t have a mate. I¡¯ll only fail them as my father failed my mother and to have someone special


    like that only


    makes you vulnerable. I refuse to let myself be that, have someone rely on me. I don¡¯t even know


    if I¡¯m capable ¨C of loving another person, not now or in the future. It was time to sever the bond before I


    talked myself out of it.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Chapter 10


    Johnathon POV


    I follow the scent to a nearby ssroom and, without warning, I open the door and let it m open, my


    eyes scanning each and every face while the teacher res at me. I re right back and they blink but


    say nothing. Even


    teachers cannot mess with an Alpha. I smirk at them while my eyes scan the room for the person I¡¯m


    looking for. It


    takes me a minute and then I spot her.


    My eyes fall on a girl sitting there and looking away from me. She¡¯s the only one who is and I study her


    for a


    moment. Her hair is blonde, long, but it¡¯s her fragile appearance that tugs at my heart. She¡¯s so pale,


    so thin. Does she ever eat? I think to myself sardonically before catching myself. Why do I even care?


    She had dark circles under her eyes as though she never sleeps and her clothing is easily too big for


    her, hiding her thin frame, but not from me. Does she ever sleep? I¡¯m beginning to lose focus as I stare


    at her, the ss speaking in hushed whispers that lignore, debating how to get her to follow me out of


    the ssroom. In the end I decide on a blunt approach, desperate to get


    this over and done with and move on with my life.


    ¡°You¡± I finally say, pointing to her, and she stiffens, turning her face to look at me, blood draining out of


    her face or so it looks like. She¡¯s gone so pale that I wonder if she¡¯s about to faint or pass out. I hope


    not. That¡¯s thest thing!


    want to have to deal with. ¡°Come with me¡±, I order using my Alpha tone and she¡¯s forced to obey, the


    teacher scowling in the background from the interruption. I don¡¯t care. I want to take care of this now


    before it bes a


    problem. I harden my heart, which starts to hurt. My wolf is hating me right now and I¡¯m forced to put up


    a block in


    order to stop listening to his threats andints.


    The girl follows me out hesitantly and we step into the corridor. I ran a hand through my shaggy hair


    and looked at her, feeling a slight pang of guilt for what I was about to do, but I was really not sure what


    else to do. She deserves a better mate than me, one who will genuinely be able to care for and love


    her. I¡¯m not that person. I don¡¯t even think


    I¡¯m capable of loving another person, except for my mother, but she¡¯s the exception.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name¡± I ask and she bites her lip before looking at me hopelessly.It¡¯s adorable. I felt my


    breath


    hitch. Everything about her is beautiful, from her golden hair to the tips of her toes. My wolf growls at


    me in the


    background, hating my guts. I don¡¯t tell him that I already hate myself for doing this to an innocent girl. I


    keep the block up, even though it pains me that I¡¯m hurting my wolf by doing this.


    ¡°It¡¯s Winter¡± she said very quietly and my heart skipped a beat. Winter is such a beautiful name and it


    seems to


    suit her really well. Unique, just like she was. I gave her a tight smile, feeling incredibly guilty for what I


    was


    doing.


    ¡°Listen Winter¡±, I begin to mutter ¡°this is nothing against you¡± I add, rambling on a bit while she looks at


    me as


    though I¡¯m a crazy person, ¡°but I refuse to have a mate and, unfortunately, that happens to be you.¡± I


    wait for some


    sort of reaction toe from her but theres none forting. It¡¯s almost like she¡¯s off in her own little


    world.


    | exhale but the girl merely shrugs as though it¡¯s no big deal. Does she not understand what I¡¯m telling


    her? Does


    she not care? It stings a little. My wolf ispletely miserable and refusing to speak to me. If it wasn¡¯t


    for the block,


    he would be taking over my body right now in an attempt to stop me.


    ¡°Can you reject me already so I can get back to ss¡± she mutters ¡°I still have homework to hand in.¡±


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Well, that sucked. I don¡¯t know why but I guess I was hoping she would put up some sort of fight,


    refuse to be


    I¡¯m taken aback but can hardlyin if that¡¯s what I intended to do. I take a deep breath and stare


    into her


    gorgeous eyes ¡°I, Johnathon of the Blue Moon Pack, reject you Winter of the.¡°


    ¡°Silver Crescent¡± she supplied


    ¡°Reject you Winter of the Silver Crescent pack.¡± I finished grimly and waited as she took a deep breath


    before doing the same.


    ¡°I Winter of the Silver Crescent pack ept Johnathon of the Blue Moon¡¯s Pack¡¯s rejection¡± she said


    dully, and I blinked, surprised by herck of reaction. Without another word she leaves, not even


    ncing back at me, and I stare at the back of her with remorse. Had I hurt her feelings? It was


    impossible to tell. She seemed so detached somehow. As if she wasn¡¯t even there. She¡¯d said it so


    listlessly as well as though she hadn¡¯t expected anything less from her mate, and I felt incredibly sad


    for the girl I hadn¡¯t even met properly before rejecting her so quickly.


    I felt a slight sting as the mate bond was severed but nothing more, wondering if Winter even felt the


    pain. From all ounts, I was expecting it to be a lot more painful. That¡¯s how everyone I¡¯d asked


    made it sound. I don¡¯t even know if she was in any pain from the reaction and considering that it was


    clear she didn¡¯t yet have her wolf, which meant she was younger than me. But she couldn¡¯t be too


    much younger. She had looked so defeated as well,


    something that was a shock to see in someone as young as her. I sigh. At least it hadn¡¯t been awkward


    and she hadn¡¯t even put up a fight. Maybe Winter had wanted the same thing. For all I know, she might


    not have wanted a mate as well and had been happy to ept my rejection. Maybe ¡°I had even done


    her a favor by rejecting her first. That was a good thing, right? Then why do I feel so awful? Why can¡¯t I


    stop picturing her in my mind? I head to my next ss fervently hoping that it¡¯s not one with Winter in it.


    That would be even more awkward. But then I remember she¡¯s younger than me and inwardly rejoice,


    knowing I won¡¯t have to look at her in any of my sses. I drop the block and my wolf steadfastly


    refuses to speak to me, sulking in the background. I shrug. He¡¯ll get over it eventually and realize I did


    the right thing. To love is to get hurt, he should remember that.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Chapter 11


    Winter POV


    I¡¯m sitting in ss, listening to the teacher, who I¡¯ll admit was rambling a bit when the door to the


    ssroom


    crashes open. I don¡¯t even have to turn to know it¡¯s the new Alpha everyone¡¯s been talking about. The


    teacher thankfully falls silent and everyone begins to talk while I wonder what it is he wants. He smells


    nice, I think drowsily, like sandalwood and bergamot and I inhale deeply, my eyes suddenly narrowing


    as I work out why that is. There¡¯s only one reason another person would smell this good to me and


    that¡¯s if they are my mate. Sure enough, he points at me.


    ¡°You¡± he says gruffly and I try not to flinch at the authority oozing from his voice, e with me.¡±


    He strides back out and I¡¯m forced to follow, the ss erupting into giggles as I leave. Great. More


    fodder for the gossip mill.


    I can¡¯t help but stare at him in awe. His face is just so handsome, his green eyes round and dark, his


    ck hair


    shaggy and down to his shoulders. He¡¯s wearing a leather jacket that makes him look tough, as well as


    entuates his muscled body. I swallow, feeling incredibly nervous all of a sudden as he turns to


    speak to me.


    I¡¯m not naive. I knew he¡¯d brought me out here to reject me. After all, what guy would want a girl as


    broken and


    tainted as I was? I wasn¡¯t the greatest looking andpared to him I must have looked awful. But I


    squared my


    shoulders, refusing to let him see how this was affecting me. I needed to get this over and done with, if


    only so I could


    get back to ss and pretend this never happened. I¡¯d dreamed of finding a mate since I was a little girl


    and as I¡¯d gotten older, I¡¯d hoped that mine woulde along and save me. I should have known


    better.


    ¡°Listen, can we hurry this up¡± | mutter. ¡°I need to get back to ss.¡±


    He looks stunned, almost as though he wasn¡¯t expecting me to say something like that, but I meant


    every word.


    The sooner the mate bond is severed, the sooner the pain will be gone. For a moment I¡¯m grateful that


    I don¡¯t have


    my wolf yet, which means the pain will be far less than if I had one.


    He takes a deep breath and I wait for the inevitable words. ¡°I, Johnathon of the blue moon pack, reject


    you


    Winter of the.¡±


    ¡°Silver Crescent¡± I supply and he nods and continues, almost forcing the words out.


    ¡°reject you Winter of the Silver Crescent pack¡± he finishes.


    I try not to howl at the sharp pain in my heart. I refuse to let him see the pain he¡¯s caused me.


    ¡°I Winter of the Silver Crescent Pack ept Johnathon¡¯s of the Blue Moon¡¯s Pack Rejection¡± I say dully


    and feel


    like I¡¯m being ripped in two, trying to keep my breathing even, as I go through the most excruciating


    pain I¡¯ve ever felt in my life. I force bile down my throat.


    For a moment, he looks stunned and I know he¡¯s feeling the mate bond severpletely. As an Alpha,


    he won¡¯t


    feel it as much, not with the strength and power he possesses. I give him a tight smile and leave


    without a backward nce, fighting hard to keep my tears at bay when part of me wanted to scream


    out my anguish and let my tears flow. Crying wouldn¡¯t do me any good. It never did.


    My feet feel heavy and rooted to the floor as I went back to the ssroom, feeling nothing but dread as


    I slowly turn the handle with a trembling hand. I forced myself to walk back into the room, casually, as


    though nothing had


    ever happened. The teacher looks at me and says nothing as I quietly take a seat and for a moment I


    think that


    ¡°Looks like somebody got rejected¡± Jessica drawled from the back corner and I stiffened, identally


    giving


    away that, that in fact had happened. I can feel her malice and hatred from here.


    ¡°Just leave me alone¡± I whisper and she gives a loud snort ofughter. I hope the teacher will step in


    but they


    merely look away and I feel deted. Even the teachers don¡¯t care what happens to me.


    ¡°Did he hurt your feelings¡±, Jessica mocked, and I remain silent, breathing deeply in and out as I


    channel my


    anger, trying to keep myself from exploding. Why was it so hard for them to leave me alone? I was


    hurting right now


    and Jessica was taking delight in it.


    ¡°Winter got rejected¡± another student shouts and I groan and put a hand over my eyes as students


    begin to


    ¡°Well, who would want her?¡±


    ¡°Look at her. She¡¯s ugly, of course he rejected her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pathetic, look at her.¡± ¡°No way an Alpha would want to be anywhere near her.¡±


    The whispers continued back and forth and I put my head on the desk and stare unseeing at everyone,


    violently wishing for the bell to ring and signal the end of the day. At this rate, I don¡¯t even care that


    going home will be just as painful, I¡¯m that depressed from everything that¡¯s happened. The bell finally


    rings and I could almost jump for joy.


    Finally, I can get away from this dreadful ce and the taunts happening. Except that Jessica and her


    groupies don¡¯t


    leave like the rest of the ss do. I look up into her smirking face and gulp as she looks over at her


    friends.


    ¡°You know what to do¡± she tells them and I get up, try to run, only to get pushed to the ground, all of


    them


    kicking me over and over as I scream, feeling my ribs crack, my chest bing tight as I struggle to


    breathe. I ce


    my hands over my head protectively and wait for what seems like a decade until it¡¯s over.


    ver


    over,


    ¡°Stay away from Johnathon b***h¡±, Jessica whispers from the doorway as she and the others leave.


    I stay curled up in a fetal position and try to breathe. The pain is horrendous and I know that I¡¯ll be lucky


    to get


    up on my own, let alone make it home. I uncurl myself slowly and sob as I get on my hands and knees,


    the room


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    spinning around me. I barely make it to a standing position before I feel myself bing lightheaded.


    Thest thing!


    hear, before I fall back to the floor and darkness surrounds me, is his voice yelling at the top of his


    lungs ¡°Get a doctor


    here now.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Chapter 12


    Johnathon¡¯s POV


    T head back to my next ss, listening to my wolf¡¯s growls and protests, pushing them aside. But


    something


    doesn¡¯t feel right to me. Why did she look so defeated back there, as though she¡¯d been expecting to


    be rejected?


    Mates generally stayed together and I felt a pang as I remembered the sad look in her eyes. She¡¯d


    looked so broken


    and I had helped make her that way.


    ss seemed to take forever and, to be honest, I had no clue what subject I was currently in, let alone


    did I care.


    All I could think about was her and the niggling feeling in my gut. Something was wrong, I could feel it


    and my wolf


    could sense it. The bell couldn¡¯t ring fast enough for me and, to my dismay, I was held back by the


    teacher, who had a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Johnathon, I understand you¡¯re the alpha, but that doesn¡¯t mean not paying attention in ss¡± he said


    gravely,


    and I glower at him, causing him to take a step back. My eyes turn pitch ck in warning and he


    babbles something


    at me and then let¡¯s me go.


    I¡¯ve never moved faster in my life, packing up my things and dashing out the door. I¡¯ll just look in on her


    and


    then go home. I say to myself and my wolf says nothing, instead telling me to run. I remember thest


    ce I¡¯d seen her and make a run to her ssroom, surprised to see a crowd of cheerleadersing


    out of the room, smug looks on


    their bitchy faces. Almost as though they had done something. When they see me they scatter, making


    me even more


    suspicious as I open the ssroom door, blood draining out of my face as I see her.


    Winter had clearly been beaten, holding her ribs and I watched how she trembled as she got to her


    feet. I should


    have moved quicker, reacted, because before I could do anything she fell down again in front of me as


    I roared ¡°Somebody get a doctor here now¡± at the top of my Alpha tone, sending students and teachers


    scurrying to do just that. I kneel in front of Winter and push back the hair covering her face, my heart


    breaking in two as I stare at the poor


    girl and her bruised face. She looks so childlike in that instance, so fragile, and I quietly pick her up and


    cradle her


    against my chest. Why, she barely weighs anything at all, I notice absently as I maneovre her carefully


    out of the ssroom with me.


    A nursees running and stops as she stares at me and Winter. I growl at her and she blinks.


    ¡°Follow me¡± she


    says, and I follow, my legs feeling like dead weights as we go into the nurse¡¯s room. ¡°Put her on the


    bed¡± the nurse


    instructs, and I carefully ce Winter down, gently, not wanting to hurt her. She still hasn¡¯t woken up.


    The nursees up beside me and gasps as she takes in Winter¡¯s condition, ¡°What happened¡± she


    eximed, and I give a helpless shrug.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I say grimly, ¡°but I intend to find out.¡±


    The nurse hesitates. ¡°I need to look her over¡± she says slowly, and I raise my eyebrows at her, refusing


    to move and she sighs, unable to order an Alpha away.


    I watch as the nurse slowly peels her shirt and jumper up, exposing her body. I could cry at the amount


    of injuries and bruises on her body. The nurse blinks back a tear.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t all new¡± I growl and the nurse nods.


    ¡°Some of these are older than others¡± she agrees, ¡°as though she¡¯s been beaten a few times. The poor


    girl, I had no idea¡± she said, shaking her head. shock.


    ¡°Ouch¡± she cries and the nurse profusely apologises.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡± she says, and Winter just nods, a tear trickling down her pale cheek. Without thinking, I


    wiped it away, trailing my finger down her cheek.


    ¡°Winter, I need to examine you. Can you tell me where it hurts¡±, the nurse asks, and Winter points to


    her ribs, looking exhausted and going quiet.


    The nurse felt her ribs and I flinch as Winter cries out from the pain, feeling helpless, wishing like


    anything I can


    take her in my arms andfort her but knowing that I have no right to do so. Not after I¡¯ve rejected


    her.


    ¡°You have some broken ribs¡± the nurse says quietly ¡°I think its best you go to the hospital.¡±


    I agree, am about to offer to take her, anything to help her in some small way when she shakes her


    head and bites her lip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal¡± she murmurs and my mouth falls open. What kind of person refuses to go to a hospital? My


    wolf is bing angry at her and so am I.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice¡±, I snap with all the anger in my voice I can muster and feel contempt at


    myself when she jumps startled and winces. I didn¡¯t mean to make her do that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time¡±, she argues, and I refuse to listen to her.


    ¡°Not good enough¡± I say and fold my arms, staring at her intently as she blushes and stares down at


    the ground.


    The nurse hesitates. ¡°Winter, sweetheart, you have a lot of older bruises on your body. Is someone


    hurting you?¡±


    Something shes across Winter¡¯s face, so quickly I almost miss it.


    ¡°No¡± she says hastily and I know instinctively that she¡¯s lying. The nurse knows it too from the look on


    her face, but she decides not to push. That¡¯s alright because I¡¯ll be pushing to know the truth once I¡¯ve


    gotten this stubborn girl to the hospital.


    ¡°Hospital¡± | growl and the nurse turns towards me.


    ¡°She¡¯ll need to lie down in the car and you¡¯ll have to drive slow or she could get hurt even more than


    she already is¡±, she advises me, and I nod grimly. I re at Winter. ¡°Stay here¡±, I snap using my Alpha


    tone. It¡¯s the only way I can guarantee she won¡¯t leave while I fetch my car. Without another word, I


    head outside, rushing to my car. If I have to drag her inside the hospital, I will.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Chapter 13


    I sit in the bleak looking hospital room, grateful that Johnathon had themon sense to leave me


    alone and sit


    in the hallway. I¡¯m so angry at him for forcing me toe here when I don¡¯t want to go. I feel a sense of


    panic. What if they call my father and tell him I¡¯m here? He¡¯ll kill me for sure. I try to hold my tears at


    bay as a young woman


    ¡°Winter¡± the woman says quietly, and I nce at her name tag. It reads Laura. She continues with a


    smile that


    I¡¯m sure she means to be reassuring. ¡°I hear that you¡¯ve been badly hurt. Can you show me where?¡±


    ¡°I really need to get home¡± I say hastily. ¡°I was expected to be there ages ago.¡±


    She frowns. ¡°I¡¯m sure your family is worried about you. Would you like me to call them?¡±


    I shook my head ¡± No, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to bother them.¡±


    She gives me a strange look but theres no way I want them contacting my father or my brother. I


    shudder at the thought.


    ¡°It hurts here¡± I finally mumble as she looks at me, patiently waiting. I know she¡¯s not going to leave me


    alone until I show her and so I reluctantly push up my shirt and jumper so she can look at my ribs.


    Laura gently prods my rib cage and I give a yelp, unable to help myself. Christ that hurt. Now Laura is


    looking away and I fidget as I see her looking over at my old bruises.


    ¡°Well¡± she says finally, motioning for me to pull my top and jumper back down, which I do, feeling a lot


    less vulnerable now that my body is covered. ¡°Your ribs are broken. I can wrap them up for you until


    they heal properly¡± she offered ¡°give you some painkillers to help with the pain. Would you like that?¡±


    I think about it. Having the painkillers doesn¡¯t seem like such a bad idea considering I was in a massive


    amount of pain. Maybe, if I rationed them, I could keep some for at home when the pain from my


    beatings get too bad. I¡¯m


    also not going toin if she wants to wrap a bandage around my stomach and rib cage to make


    me morefortable. At this rate I won¡¯t heal untilte tomorrow and I want to be able to walk without


    feeling like I¡¯m going to faint. I give her a small nod and she begins to rifle through her trolley.


    ¡°Lift your shirt back up¡± Laura orders me and I do, wincing as she puts the bandage on tight, not


    enough to restrict my breathing, but firm enough that I felt myself beginning to rx as the pain


    diminished slightly.


    I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll just grab the painkillers and let me go but instead she sits down on the visitor chair


    and stares directly at me, making me feel extremely nervous. I know what she¡¯s about to ask and


    theres no way I¡¯m going to tell her the truth. I value my life too much. ¡°Winter, I can tell that you have


    old bruises and new ones on top of them. Is


    there trouble at home?¡± she asks delicately and for a moment I hesitate. Yes I want to scream, my own


    family beat


    me, starve me and are cruel to me. Help me. But I don¡¯t. I can¡¯t and my chest feels tight as I answer,


    lyingpletely to the kind woman ¡°I get bullied at school a lot. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    It¡¯s not but I put on a brave face and I can tell she¡¯s trying to tell if I¡¯m telling the truth or lying. I fix my


    big blue eyes on her and it seems to work.


    ¡°We can get the officer¡¯s down here if you¡¯d like to speak to them. Make a report about the people


    bullying you¡±


    she tries again and I feel bad for her. She¡¯s trying to help me and I¡¯m shoving it back in her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you¡± she says sadly and I nod, watching as she leaves, hopefully to grab the painkillers she


    promised me.


    To my annoyance he strides in, all confident and cocky like. I curse myself for thinking he¡¯s handsome.


    The bastard rejected me for heaven¡¯s sake. I shouldn¡¯t feel anything for him but everytime hees


    near me, my heart


    gives a flutter as though there¡¯s still part of the mate bond between us. I frown at him but he doesn¡¯t


    seem to notice, or he doesn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you home¡± he tells me and I gape at him. I can¡¯t have him do that. I can¡¯t have him near my


    house or my family. I can¡¯t let him know my shameful secret. It¡¯s none of his business. I don¡¯t even want


    to imagine the consequences of having a boy take me home and my father seeing it. Heck, Damien


    would punish me for it as well and make fun of me. I can¡¯t stand the thought and I feel my body starting


    to tremble.


    ¡°I really need those painkillers¡± I force out and like I had hoped he sprung around to go and fetch the


    nurse. I


    wait for a minute and sure enough when I peer around the corner he¡¯s gone. I limp towards the


    hospital¡¯s exit, frantically dashing through, hoping that I¡¯ll make it to the main road before he finds me.


    I¡¯ve barely taken a step


    outside though when his voice booms from behind me, stopping all the staff and patients in their tracks.


    ¡°Where are you going. You are hurt, injured and trying to run. How can you be so stupid¡± he roars and I


    flinch and turn around, eyeing him warily.


    ¡°Get back inside your room¡± he hisses and I can¡¯t ignore him. What would be the point? He¡¯d just use


    his alpha tone on me anyway so it would just be a waste of time and energy.


    It doesn¡¯t stop me from stomping over to the bed though and plonking myself down, foolishly forgetting


    about my broken ribs. I flinch and swear as he glowers at me.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do I have to tie you to the bed¡± he grumbles and even though I know it¡¯s wrong my imagination goes


    into overdrive as I picture him doing just that, dressed in just his underwear, his bare chest,,, I blink and


    know that I¡¯m blushing by the amused smirk on his arrogant face. Damn him, I think crossly and sulkily


    fold my arms over my own chest, saying nothing and looking away.


    ¡°Here are your painkillers¡± Laura announces from the doorway, handing over a small pill bottle ¡°one


    every four to six hours as needed. You should be good as new by tomorrow night¡± she says, looking


    between the two of us warily. ¡°Did I interrupt something?¡± she asks innocently.


    ¡°No¡± | mumble and Johnathon shakes his head.


    ¡°Can she be discharged?¡± he asks Laura and she nods, giving me onest searching look.


    ¡°Unless there¡¯s anything else you need or want to do Winter¡± she says lightly and I shrug.


    ¡°Thanks but I¡¯m all good¡± I tell her ¡°thanks for the painkillers.¡±


    She turns to Johnathon while I scowl at him. ¡°Be careful when driving and try not to stop suddenly while


    she¡¯s in this much pain. Take her straight home, the pills may make her slightly woozy.¡±


    Hello I¡¯m standing right here, I think to myself sarcastically. Laura remains oblivious as she gives


    myself and


    Johnathon a cheerful wave goodbyes as she leaves us both staring at each other, me resentfully while


    he looks stony.


    ¡°Well¡± Johnathon mutters ¡°let¡¯s take you home¡± he exhales and offers me a hand. I ignore it and begin


    to shuffle towards the exit, knowing I was irritating him.


    ¡°Is it really so hard for you to ask for help¡± he huffed indignantly and I stop, leaning against the outside


    of the


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the car¡± he whistles and strides off as I wince, grimly staring into the distance. How was I


    going to persuade him to drop me off away from my house so that my father and brother don¡¯t see?

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Chapter 14


    I¡¯m hurrying to the car, aware of Winter¡¯s condition. She might seem tough but right now she looked like


    a strong


    wind would knock her over. The car is too far for her to walk to and I get in and drive around to the front


    of the hospital, violently hoping she hasn¡¯t tried to leave on her own again. I can¡¯t believe she tried to


    do that. She¡¯s absolutely mad and the most stubborn girl I know and I¡¯ve only known her a few hours.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    To my relief she¡¯s still where I left her and I wait, the engine running, for her toe over and get in the


    passenger seat. I feel bad but if I try and help she¡¯ll just refuse again. Once she¡¯s firmly buckled in, I


    start to slowly drive off, asking her for her address. She answers but in a dull voice as though


    frightened that I¡¯m driving her home.


    I¡¯m still suspicious of the bruises that litter her entire body but I can¡¯t prove anything or help if she


    refuses to tell me.


    ¡°What do you do in your spare time?¡± I ask awkwardly and she shrugs. Great, she¡¯s going to be silent


    for the remainder of the trip. I try again. ¡°So how do you like school¡± and sigh when she just shrugs and


    turns to look out the window.


    We get to her house and I make a move to help her out but stubborn wench that she is, she waves her


    arms at me and tells me to stop. I¡¯m not used to this kind of treatment from another shifter and my wolf


    is starting to get pissed off. Not because of her but because she was refusing help. Even without the so


    called mate bond he remained concerned about Winter.


    ¡°Can you get to your house alright¡± I call out as she ms the door closed. I close my eyes and try hard


    to keep patient.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡± she says testily and I pull out, looking in the rearview mirror as she begins to shuffle away.


    I don¡¯t trust her. There was something about the way she said it, and the way she hesitated before


    giving me her


    address that niggles at me. Instead of leaving, I travel around the block and park in a side street,


    cautiously making


    my way to a tree where I could watch what she did clearly without being so close she would be able to


    sense me.


    As I thought, she shuffled right past the house she¡¯d told me she lived in, and hobbled further up the


    street to one of the most run down and shabby looking houses I¡¯ve ever seen. The grass ispletely


    dead out the front and the mail box looks as though it¡¯s been run over several times,pletely on a


    lean. The front door¡¯s paint is peeling and there¡¯s empty beer bottles near the front door which she


    uses her foot to nudge away. I watch closely as she ces a key in the lock. There¡¯s no emotion on her


    face, almost as though she¡¯s detached but that could be due to her pain maybe?


    She¡¯s clearly poor I think to myself, maybe that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want me to drop her off? It made sense


    but something still rankled. Why would she not at least tell the nurse about her old bruises. I don¡¯t


    believe for a second that it¡¯s due to bullies at school. There are far too many of them. As it was, I would


    be having a firm talk with the principal tomorrow about his failure to protect one of his students from a


    vicious and violent attack. The fact they were girls didn¡¯t matter to me. They deserved to be punished


    and as much as my wolf would have loved to get his hands on all of them, I had to let the school handle


    this.


    Winter walks into the house and I hear a small thump as the front door closes and the click of a lock.


    Then nothing but silence. I wait, for what I don¡¯t know, eventually giving up. She was fine, probably


    doing homework. My telling her, if only to ease my own curiousity. Part of me wonders what her


    bedroom looks like, whether she has


    personal items in it or if it was as bare as the rooms in the house. I could see the living room from here


    and it contained one couch and an old tv on a crate for heavens sake. where was her parents? I could


    have sworn that ne W someone had mentioned a brother as well but Winter hadn¡¯t said one word about


    him.


    ce my hands into my pant pockets and begin to saunter back towards my car, deep in thought. My


    mate, or


    the girl who would have been my mate was in danger and although I had rejected her, I couldn¡¯t bring


    myself to abandon her. Not now. I nce back at the house and shiver. It seemed cold somehow,


    completelycking in everything that makes a house a home. I get into the driver¡¯s seat and slowly pull


    out, careful to watch for iing traffic as I make my way back to the pack house. I suspect my


    mother is going to interrogate me the instant I get home, most probably worried out of her mind


    because I¡¯mte back. I sigh. She¡¯s so overprotective of me, like all mother¡¯s are. So why wasn¡¯t


    Winter¡¯s? Surely no mother would fail to see the bruises on their daughters body? Did


    she have a mother? Now that I thought about it, Winter had muttered something about a father but not


    anything about a mother.


    1 groan. Stop thinking about her already, I scold myself and my wolf just sniggers at me. Shut it, I tell


    him fiercely but he just grins even more.


    You didn¡¯tpletely sever the mate bond. Strange. It only happens when you are not one hundred


    percent sure you want to reject someone. I guess you had some doubts huh Johnathon he told me


    smugly and I scowled. Had! had the tiniest bit of doubt in my mind when I rejected her? Was there still


    a mate bond drawing me to Winter? Was my wolf telling the truth? There was no reason for him to lie


    though and I ponder what to do now. I can¡¯t bring myself to reject her a second time, not when I was


    already thinking constantly about her. Besides how do you tell someone your heart wasn¡¯t fully in the


    rejection without giving them some sort of sense of false hope? I would deal with itter. I pull up at the


    pack house and look into the angry, zing eyes of my mother. I flinch. She looks pissed.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    Chapter 15


    I¡¯m hanging around behind the school building, waiting for my mates and subtely smoking when I hear


    the snooty cheerleadersing past. Christ, I can¡¯t stand the shallow, vain creatures. For some reason


    Jessica keeps trying to search me out and I know it¡¯s because she likes me. A shame because I really,


    really dislike her. I press my back against the brick wall and pray I¡¯m not seen as they walk past.


    ¡°I gave that little b***h what for¡± Jessica says, flipping her long hair and inspecting her fingernails.


    ¡°We sure did¡± another girlughs and I wonder which girl they are talking about. Jessica had so many


    enemies it was hard to keep track of them.


    ¡°Did you see how she couldn¡¯t even get up¡± Jessica sneers and the girls allugh out loud as I roll my


    eyes. Clearly they¡¯d beaten up some poor girl in a pack. It was pure cowardice to gang up on a single


    person but then since when was Jessica fair in anything she did?


    ¡°She deserved it. That Alpha Johnathon is going to be mine and she needs to learn her ce¡± Jessica


    huffs. So this was over the Alpha now attending our school. Why am I not surprised Jessica now has


    him in her sights? She certainly got around, that was for sure.


    ¡°I heard he rejected her¡±


    ¡°Of course he did, an Alpha is never going to be with a lowly shifter such as her.¡±


    It¡¯s just my luck that they¡¯ve stopped right in front of me, gossiping in their group, their backs turned to


    me. I silently swear. If I move I¡¯ll be noticed. I¡¯m stuck where I am until they choose to leave, which


    judging by the way they were talking to each other wasn¡¯t likely to be anytime soon. I sigh.


    They are still talking in those loud, high pitched annoying voices that I swear every damn cheerleader


    in the school possesses.


    ¡°She¡¯s so disgusting¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s pathetic¡±


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t even try to fight back¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s weak. An Alpha needs a strong Luna by their side, like me¡± Jessica deres and


    I almost scoff as the other girls begin to agree. Spineless cowards, every single one of them.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be punished?¡±


    ¡°As if she¡¯s going to tell. How many times have we hurt her and she¡¯s said nothing, just stood there and


    taken it?


    Besides the principal is a friend of my parents, there¡¯s no way he would dare try and do anything.¡±


    Now I¡¯m beginning to be suspicious, pressing myself against the wall and venturing slightly closer


    in order


    to hear their whispers.


    ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s still in the ssroom?¡±


    ¡°Do you think we should go back?¡±


    Jessica looked incredulous. ¡°I¡¯m not going back to check on the little b***h. Someone will find her


    eventually¡±


    she said dismissively and her friends fall silent.


    ¡°Winter will be fine¡± Jessica says, beginning to walk to the car as her little clique group follows, waving


    goodbyes


    She¡¯d said Winter was beaten up. I hesitate but this time I can¡¯t help myself and begin to turn towards


    the ssrooms. One of my friends runs up. ¡°Just so you know, Winter was taken to the nurses office¡±


    he says with a sly grin, thinking that I won¡¯t care as usual. He¡¯s in for a shock because I instantly take


    off in a run, heading straight to run where Winter had been taken, crashing through the door and


    effectively startling the nurse.


    ¡°Where is she¡± | growl, my hands clenching into fists. The nurse fairly gapes at me as my eyes sweep


    around the room, narrowing in on the bed which was empty. Surely Winter hadn¡¯t walked home? Not in


    her condition.


    ¡°Are you talking about Winter¡± she says timidly and I give a short nod, impatiently waiting for her to tell


    me where my little sister has gone.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone to the hospital¡± she offers before her own eyes narrow on me, her arms folded. I flinch


    from the look on her face.


    ¡°Your sister¡± she said pointedly, ring at me ¡°was badly beaten and needs to be checked out. Not only


    that¡±


    she snaps ¡°but she has old bruises over her body. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything about that


    would you¡± she


    growls and I feel a sense of remorse and regret. I have no doubts that a lot of the bruises where ones


    inflicted by me.


    The nurse knows it too for she looks at me with nothing but contempt in her eyes.


    I say nothing. After all she¡¯s right, I have hurt my little sister and for what? The approval of a drunken


    father who


    never even knew we existed half the time? God I feel sick to my stomach. What have I done? Why had


    I let father mold me into a monster? I¡¯d failed Winter and my poor mother would be devastated if she¡¯d


    seen the way I treated my little


    sister. I say nothing however and hurry out to my car.


    I get to the hospital but Winter is gone, apparently having gone home with the Alpha of all people. I¡¯m


    angry that


    he¡¯s been by her side this entire time when I know that it should have been me helping her. Her big


    brother should be the one looking out for her and even though I know it¡¯s irrational, part of me is going


    into overprotective mode. I m my hands down on the steering wheel in frustration. Winter had to be


    at home and I start the car, slowly peeling out of the parking lot, my thoughtsing in droves. How


    did I convince Winter that I would change? She only had my past actions to go on and I knew that it


    was going to take a massive effort on my part to show her that I could be the big brother she¡¯d always


    wanted, could be relied on to be there for her. I would have to beg and work for forgiveness from her,


    but that seemed only right. God what had I done? I could me my father but I was also equally to


    me for my own actions. I should have stopped listening to him by now, started thinking for myself


    and refused to do what he wanted. I would never make that mistake again, I decided, just as I pulled


    my car into the driveway.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Chapter 16


    Winter POV


    I¡¯m dreading going into the house after being sote. My father is going to be pissed dinner¡¯s not on the


    table,


    but to my shock the house is pitch ck, no lights in the house on at all. Even my brother appears to


    be missing. I


    almost shout out hallelujah in my excitement, shuffling along in pain until I reach the kitchen.


    Theres signs father has been home most of the day. Tons of beer bottles, most empty, sitting on the


    old, faded,


    wooden dining table. I sigh. If he¡¯s gone out its most likely he¡¯s gone to the pub. Which means he won¡¯t


    be home untilte, with luck well after I¡¯ve gone to bed. It¡¯s almost as if the moon goddess decided to


    give me a helping hand and I can¡¯t help but begin to hum under my breath despite everything.


    Then I hear it. The smallest sound but loud enough to cause me to freeze in terror, the creak of the


    front door as it opens and I turn in hesitation, praying it¡¯s not my father. I haven¡¯t had enough time to


    start dinner yet and I could feel my body beginning to tremble, my hands shaking as I stand and wait to


    see who it is.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Winter¡± I hear my brother¡¯s shout and my heart begins to beat at a normal pace again. I could handle


    Damien, but I wondered what he wanted and why he wasn¡¯t out smoking weed with my friends.


    ¡°Where are you¡± he growls.


    ¡°In the kitchen¡± I squeak, feeling timid like a small mouse must feel. I hear his footsteps approaching,


    loud on the wooden floors of the living room.


    He almost barrels inside and then stops, folding his arms and ring at me. I¡¯m a bit confused. Had I


    done something to upset him? Or was he just finding any excuse to wind me up?


    ¡°You i***t¡± he snaps, waving his arms around ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me or ring me?¡±


    I blink. Tell him what? I¡¯mpletely puzzled.


    ¡°Instead¡± he says heatedly ¡°I overhear that Jessica b***h bragging about how she¡¯s beaten up my little


    sister and her cheerleader friends helped her.¡±


    I say nothing, I¡¯m absolutely speechless and confused about why he¡¯s angry with me. Since when did


    he give a damn about me or what I went through everyday? I feel nothing but emptiness inside of me


    and rising anger.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± he says tightly and I still, biting my lip and looking away from him. As if I¡¯m going to


    answer him.


    He¡¯s impatient though and before I can stop him, he¡¯s lifting up my jumper and shirt while I struggle


    helplessly.


    Theres nothing I can do, he¡¯s much stronger than me, and I see his eyes widen as he takes in the


    bandage as well as


    the yellowing of old bruises all over my ribcage and stomach. I blush as I realize how far he¡¯s pulled


    them up and quickly tug them down as his eyes turn ck.


    I can¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Why do you care¡± I spit out, folding my arms and trying not to wince at the pain


    ¡°since when did you ever give a damn about me, your little sister? You¡¯ve made my life a living hell


    Damien, you have no right to pretend to care now.¡± I¡¯m almost shouting by now and my brother, to give


    him credit, doesn¡¯t interrupt me.


    Instead he waits until I¡¯m done before speaking, in a gentle voice instead of an angry one, his hands


    held out as though begging for forgiveness. ¡°Winter¡± he says almost pleading with me as I raise my


    eyebrows ¡°I know what I¡¯ve done to you is wrong and believe me, it¡¯s been bad. I have always hated


    you for killing our mother¡­¡± he trails off and I


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill our mother¡± | almost scream hysterical, tears flowing down my cheeks as I begin to sob. It¡¯s


    always the same thing with him and father, ming me for something that waspletely out of my


    control.


    ¡°I know¡± he shouts back frustrated and I gape at him. Had he just said that? After all these years was


    he finally waking up to the fact that I¡¯d just been an innocent child who couldn¡¯t do anything to help


    mother? I¡¯m suspicious.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spent years listening to father ramble on about it being your fault¡± he snaps, running a hand


    through his hair impatiently ¡°and because I was young, and I was angry, I believed him when he turned


    on you. So help me god let that bastard lie to me and manipte me. There¡¯s no excuse for what I¡¯ve


    done to you Winter, I know that and I don¡¯t expect you to forgive me instantly¡± he says irritably ¡°but at


    least hear me out.¡±


    Oh I¡¯m hearing him alright but I¡¯m not about to let my guard down. I¡¯ve done it too many times before


    and been disappointed, but some part of me, a very small part wants to believe him. Wants her big


    brother to be telling the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lottely¡± he exhales and nces at me looking very guilty ¡°and I can¡¯t stand to


    hurt you anymore. If mum was still alive she¡¯d kick my ass for what father and I have been doing to


    you. She¡¯d kill me and I¡¯d deserve it. I¡¯ve failed her by failing you¡± he said urgently and I feel my heart


    skip a beat. He seemed so genuine, so sincere that a tiny spark of hope lights inside of me.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to expect you to believe me but I¡¯m going to show you just how much I can change¡± he


    continues


    ¡°I want to be a big brother and not a coward who listens to his father instead of thinking for himself.¡±


    I¡¯m starting to wonder if he smoked some weed and mixed it with drugs. This wasn¡¯t anything I would


    ever have


    expected in a million years of my brother. It seemed too good to be true. I heave a big sigh. Actions


    meant more than


    words and I decided I would wait and see what he¡¯d do next.


    We both stiffen as the front door opens and I can¡¯t help myself, my body shaking instinctively as I smell


    the disgusting odor of our father as he approaches the kitchen, stumbling along, well and truly


    inebriated. To my astonishment, Damien pushes me behind him and faces father who merely shoots


    him a nce.


    ¡°Out of my way boy¡± he snaps ¡°I want another beer¡± he slurs and Damien seems to tense. I¡¯m praying


    that there isn¡¯t going to be a fight.


    Then father starts to stumble and Damien reluctantly catches him as he falls unconscious in his arms,


    giving me a disgusted look. ¡°Drunk as a skunk like usual¡± heins, picking him up and cing him


    on the couch while watch. ¡°Hope he has one hell of a hangover when he wakes up¡± he curses. He


    looks around the kitchen just as his.


    stomach growls. I wait for him to demand dinner but instead he surprises me once again. ¡°How about I


    order us both a pizza for dinner? My treat.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    Chapter 17


    I started the next morning with a big smile on my face. Last night had been so much fun,ughing and


    joking with my brother, actually reminiscing about mum without him getting angry at me. I get dressed


    and rush downstairs, stopping in my tracks as I spot my father waiting for me. I nce upwards hoping


    to see Damien but there¡¯s no sign of him and I hesitate, wondering if I should call out for help. But it


    was also possible that Damien had left for school already, in which case, I was on my own anyway.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    My father¡¯s beady little eyes rest on me and I flinch, smelling his breath and the beer from here. It¡¯s


    repulsive,


    almost as though he¡¯s bathed in it. I stop on the steps, too frightened to make a move, but to my


    surprise, my father gives me a smile that instantly makes me suspicious. Why was he suddenly in a


    good mood? Had he maybe gotten another job already? Normally it took him weeks though. Even then,


    he never smiled at me. My stomach churns with dread.


    ¡°Winter¡± my father says heartily, and I eye him suspiciously.


    ¡°Yes¡± I say quietly, my feet still firmly rooted to the ground, my body beginning to tremble in fear.


    Something was.


    He was acting too strange for my liking.


    ¡°You look pale¡± he says, and I ce a hand on my cheek. It¡¯s true that I¡¯m pale, but then, other than


    walking to school and back, I don¡¯t really see much sunlight. So being pale was normal for me, not that


    he¡¯d notice, of course. Or it could be because it felt like all the blood had drained out of my face the


    second I saw he was home.


    Hees closer and I instinctively flinch, raising my arm as though to shield off a hit that I suspect is


    coming.


    Instead, nothing happens and I ce my arm back down, to see a wounded expression on my father¡¯s


    face.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to hurt you¡± he says quietly, and I want so badly to believe him, but nothing on this god-


    green


    earth would ever get me to believe my asshole of a father. Instead, all I can wonder is what he wants.


    He¡¯s never acted this civil to me ever and, if anything, I¡¯m even more wary of him than before.


    ¡°Come down already¡± he says slightly irritably and I exhale, cautiously moving one foot in front of the


    other,


    reluctantly making my way down to the foot of the stairs, my heart thudding loudly and quickly in my


    chest. I wish Damien was here, at least then he¡¯d probably fill me in on what was happening.


    ¡°Kitchen¡± my father says and I almost gag as I smelled his breath, saying nothing and walking into the


    kitchen. I


    assume that he wants me to prepare breakfast, but to my surprise, he ces his hands on my


    shoulders and forces me to sit at the dining table.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make us some toast¡± he says jovially ¡°coffee?¡± he asks, and I¡¯m stunned. Had father had a change


    of mind and decided he was going to stop abusing me? What had brought this on? Was I dreaming?


    ¡°Yes please¡± | mumble and he nods, brusquely making one up as I stare down at the table. I feel


    ufortable, awkward even. This is the most I¡¯ve ever spoken to him in who knows how long and I¡¯m


    not quite sure what to say.


    When he ces the toast and coffee in front of me, I inhale deeply, appreciating the strong aroma,


    giving father a tentative smile as he joins me.


    ¡°Thankyou¡± I whisper and he nods, biting into his toast. I take a small nibble of mine, feeling emotional.


    He¡¯d put peanut butter on it but he¡¯d cut it into triangles, the way I¡¯d liked to eat it when mother was still


    alive. home. You look sickly anyway,¡± he adds.


    I¡¯m confused. I¡¯ve never missed a day of school in my life. Not only that, but I felt fine, I wasn¡¯t sick at


    all. I shake my head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t miss school¡± protest thickly, taking a sip of my coffee ¡°I can¡¯t afford to miss any sses¡± I add


    and tense waiting for him to explode. Instead, he just regards me calmly, still drinking, and I pick up my


    own cup and continue to sip while I wait.


    I blink. Was it my imagination or was father looking slightly fuzzy? I shake my head, putting it down to


    tiredness,


    my body feeling rxed. My father looks calm. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the school isn¡¯t expecting you¡± he tells me


    firmly, shaking


    his own head ¡°I¡¯ve already called to advise them your sick and won¡¯t be in for the rest of the week¡±, he


    adds.


    I¡¯m shocked. ¡°Why would you do that¡± I say slowly, my mouth beginning to feel dry.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re needed elsewhere¡± he says quietly and my jaw drops open. I make an attempt to stand


    but it¡¯s like


    my limbs refuse to cooperate with me and I stare at my father, realizing that he¡¯sced my drink with


    some sort of drug. It¡¯s the only exnation I can think of as the room starts to spin around me.


    ¡°Why¡± I manage to utter as hees over to me, my body sliding out of the chair onto the ground. I


    blink tears


    from my eyes. How stupid of me to even trust my father for a moment. I should have instantly known


    something was


    But why had he drugged me?


    ¡°You see¡± my father says,ing into view, arge grin on his fat, puffy, face. ¡°I¡¯m in desperate need of


    money andst night I was given an offer I just couldn¡¯t pass up.¡±


    ¡°What¡± I mumble, trying to scrabble at the tiles, get a grip on anything that might make my body move.


    I¡¯m


    praying for Damien to magicallye home but it¡¯s futile. I scream as I feel his foot on my back,


    squishing me and


    making it impossible to attempt to move. ¡°Well, it came to me that you¡¯re a very pretty girl¡±, my father


    says, and I feel


    my heart skip a beat. Surely he¡¯s not about to? Not to his own daughter!


    ¡°You can make me a lot of money¡± he says gruffly, ¡°and I owe someone money, so it¡¯s a win-win for


    me.¡±


    He chuckles and I open my mouth but nothinges out, my voice merely a croak. I feel defeated.


    There¡¯s no


    getting out of this situation and all I can do is lie therepletely helpless, my whole body paralyzed


    and my vision slowly beginning to diminish as ckness began to creep in.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only fair to tell you where you are going Winter¡± he chuckles and I feel nothing but hatred


    towardshim.


    If I could have killed him right then and there I would have. As it was I wished I could kick him in the


    nuts. Heleans down and bends close to my ears, his stubble tickling my face as I feel bile rise up in my


    throat, dreading what he¡¯s about to say or tell me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sold you¡± he growls, satisfaction in his voice ¡°to someone who wants to have a lot of fun with you


    and when he¡¯s done¡± he threatens ¡°then I¡¯ll sell you gain. Your useless, worthless, the only thing your


    good for is being a w***e and now I¡¯ve made you one.¡±


    I wish I could scream, yell, anything but as he moves off of me, the darkness creeps in and I lose


    whatever hold I have on keeping myself awake, my eyes closing against my will, my breathing


    beginning to even out and to my horror, there¡¯s now only darkness as I fall unconscious right there on


    the kitchen floor.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    .Chapter 18


    It¡¯s just a dream, it¡¯s just a dream, I chant to myself in my head, forcing my eyes which feel really gritty


    open, only to see nothing more than darkness surrounding me. Wherever I am theres¡¯ not much light to


    see.


    My head is f*****g throbbing and I wince as I try to move my arms and legs to no avail. Something was


    chaffing and I looked down to see that I was firmly tied to a chair, my legs tied to the legs and my arms


    behind me. I swear, but it¡¯s muffled by the gag that¡¯s been shoved in my mouth and tied around my


    head.


    ¡°Mmmf¡± I cry out but there¡¯s no answer and my eyes scan whatever the hell this room is for any sign of


    escape.


    It appears to be a basement of some sort, the floor a hard concrete, various pieces of furniture in states


    of decay.


    The air smells disgusting and moldy and I try not to inhale too much. There¡¯s nothing that I can use to


    free myself and I feel sick to my stomach.


    Even on the baddest of days I had never once thought my father was capable of selling me to someone


    for money. I thought maybe, in the smallest bit of his heart he might have actually given some sort of


    damn about me.


    How naive was I? He¡¯d never forgiven me for mother¡¯s death and if he wanted to destroy any love I


    might have had for him, this was the way to do it. I shove frantically at the chair, scraping it across the


    floor and curse at the noise it makes. Maybe theres something in one of the drawers of the various


    furniture that might have something useful.


    But as I¡¯m moving something catches the corner of my eye and I whip my head around and begin to


    feel a rising sense of panic.


    Theres a bed in the room, something that might be unremarkable considering all of the other bits of


    furniture in the basement but it¡¯s almost new, and it¡¯s made up. Why would a bed be made up in a


    basement? There was only one answer that came to mind and it wasn¡¯t a good one. I need to get out of


    here and god I need to do it quick.


    There was no telling when whoever had bought me woulde back.


    I scrape the chair as I sort of drag it with my body, careful not to tip over and fall. It makes a racket but


    I¡¯m past the point of caring, my only focus is getting out of here before it¡¯s toote. I can¡¯t count on


    anyone to save me.


    The desk I make it to, is empty, or at least it feels like it, it¡¯s kinda difficult to see properly and feel with


    hands that don¡¯t have much give. I wonder about using the corner of the desk to rub the ropes against


    but it would take forever and even attempting to undo the knots isn¡¯t working.


    I try to scream for help but the gag just muffles everything I try and my lungs get full of dust which


    makes me heave and cough.


    I¡¯m terrified. I¡¯m all alone and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m even in the same town let alone if I¡¯m close to the pack


    house. I don¡¯t even know how long I¡¯ve been out for. What if I¡¯ve been taken to a different town? Would


    my brother Damiene looking for me or would father lie to him? Probably thetter.


    I feel tears well up in my eyes and I break down crying, sniveling as I wait for the inevitable. I know


    what the person who bought e ns to do to me and it¡¯s thest way I imagined losing my innocence.


    Bile rises in my throat.


    Finally theres only one other thing I can think of and with my eyes scrunched closed so I couldn¡¯t talk


    my way out of it, I tip myself sideways and let the chair fall, hoping that it might make it easier to get out


    of my restraints.


    Sess. The ropes seem to be slightly looser and I wiggle and pull and tug as hard as I can trying to


    undo the


    knots. I feel the tiniest bit of hope as they begin to get ck. Way to go Winter, I cheer myself on,


    ignoring the chafing


    on my wrists and the feeling of my skin peeling off as I tug at the ropes. I can deal with the painter,


    right now I was focussed on getting these damn ropes off and then untying my legs. it¡¯s excruciating


    as the numbness fades and pain begins. I reach around, my shoulders protesting and begin to untie my


    ankles which are just as tight and just as annoying to get undone. Sitting doesn¡¯t make it easier, and


    I¡¯m forced to stay lying down as I tug and pull, swearing to myself. I take the gag off and am about to


    call out for help when I stop. If I call out he, whoever he was, would hear me. For all I knew he was


    upstairs waiting for me to wake up. So I keep silent and the ropes begin to cken and then finally pull


    off, leaving me free to get to my feet which are full of pins


    and needles.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve done it. I search the room for any windows or doors besides the exit and find none.


    Theres only


    one way out of this room and that¡¯s to go up. A weapon would be useful but I¡¯m not about to waste time


    searching. I


    start to climb the stairs, clutching the banister for support as I make my way up, cing my feet as


    lightly as possible


    and praying they don¡¯t creak. The door is unlocked and after debating with myself, I slowly turn the


    handle and poke


    Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    my head out. There¡¯s no one waiting on the other side and I begin to creep out, closing the door gently


    behind


    me.


    I¡¯m in some sort of mansion, the rooms are huge and I can see the front door, my excitement rising. In


    fact I¡¯m so


    ns


    damn excited that I throw away any sense of caution in my mad dash to get to the door. However,


    before I can put my


    hand on the doorknob I hear a strange clicking sound behind me, one that makes my whole body go


    tense and still.]


    would know that noise anywhere. It¡¯s the clicking sound of a gun and I had no doubts it was aimed at


    me. I stop instantly, letting my hand drop down to my side.


    ¡°Turn around¡± the voice growls and I frown. It sounds oddly familiar to me, as though I know the person


    it belongs to. I turn, slowly, petrified of who I¡¯m going toe face to face with and when I do, it¡¯s all I


    can do not to


    scream, astonished at the person who would be my ruination.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Chapter 19


    ¡°Thomas¡± I breathe staring at him incredulous, unable to believe my own eyes. I knew this boy, had met


    him on more than several asions. He was one of my brother¡¯s best friends and also took pervade


    pleasure in humiliating and tormenting me. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s the one who bought me. Not one of my


    brother¡¯s friends.


    Surely he wouldn¡¯t betray my brother, or did he think by doing this he was helping him in some sick way


    take revenge on me.


    My eyes never leave the gun that¡¯s being held firmly in his hand, pointed directly at my head. One


    wrong movement and I was frightened he¡¯d shoot my head off.


    Heughs. ¡°Oh Winter you should see your face¡± he scoffs, looking highly amused.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a prank then? You¡¯ll let me go¡± I say hopefully and he shakes his head, his eyes turning pitch


    ck for a moment.


    ¡°No¡± he says adamantly and I shrink back at the vehemence in his voice. ¡°You see I¡¯ve always liked


    you Winter. I know I tease you and hurt you but that¡¯s so that your brother keeps inviting me around to


    be close to you.¡±


    I feel nauseas. He could care less about my brother, he was only friends with him to get to me!


    ¡°Imagine my surprise¡± he continues, his eyes narrowing on me ¡°when I heard your father offering your


    services for a night of ahem¡± he coughs ¡°pleasure with a virgin¡± he says and I feel myself turning bright


    red with embarrassment.


    ¡°Well you wouldn¡¯t believe how many people were interested¡± he tells me disgustedly and I wanted to


    scream at him that he was just as repulsive. If he didn¡¯t have the gun trained on mel would have,


    instead I had to bite my lip and keep my silence.


    ¡°In the end it was down to the highest bidder which happened to be me. Isn¡¯t it great my parents are


    rich¡± he says gleefully and I say nothing, feel numb as though I¡¯m not even in my body right now but


    floating and looking down.


    ¡°Look at it this way Winter¡± he says urgently ¡°at least I¡¯ll be gentle, not like the other men who would


    have bought you. Isn¡¯t that better?¡±


    I tremble. No it¡¯s not better because I want to hold onto my virginity for my future mate and husband.


    But what do you say to a psychopath with a gun? I wanted to live, not die right now.


    He waves the gun and I flinch. ¡°Walk towards me¡± he orders and trembling, I walk on unsteady feet


    towards him,


    his handing out and gripping the back of my shirt as he shoves me in front of him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got out of your restraints¡± he mutters as he pushes me towards the basement


    ¡°but I guess


    it doesn¡¯t really matter right now does it.¡±


    I can feel his breath on my neck, his hand squeezing my shirt and the hard barrel of the gun against my


    back. I¡¯m trembling, terrified and wanting so badly to run that it¡¯s taking all my courage to go back into


    the room I¡¯d escaped from.


    I take the stairs as slowly as I can and he keeps his grip on me. I contemte taking him by surprise


    but he¡¯s got the gun too close on me that it¡¯s too much of a risk.


    ¡°See that bed¡± he growls and I gopletely cold ¡°go and sit on it.¡± bed with tears flowing down my


    cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry Winter¡± he murmurs and I stay still as he wipes the tears away with one hand. What did he


    expect me to do, jump for f***** g joy? i***t.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move or I swear I¡¯ll shoot you in the leg and then have my fun¡± he snaps and I give a hasty nod,


    staring at


    the ground as he disappears. I could run for it but his threat was genuine and quite frankly being shot


    wasn¡¯t va something I wanted to have to deal with on top of what he was about to do.


    He almost dances down the stairs, clutching something tightly in his hands. I eye it curiously and catch


    it as he


    throws it at me. ¡°I want you to put it on¡± he says gruffly and my heart sinks as I unroll the fabric. It¡¯s so


    sheer it¡¯s see


    through, a white baby doll with matching panties. I swallow hard. It looks like something someone


    would wear on


    their wedding night and I can see how lustful his gaze is as he motions for me to do what he said.


    ¡°Turn your back¡± I plead but he shakes his head looking stony.


    ¡°No chance¡± he scoffs raising the gun again.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Get dressed¡± he roars and I flinch, hurriedly standing up and with shaking hands take off my clothes


    until I¡¯m


    ¡°Good girl¡± he whispers and I say nothing, fumbling around with the baby doll while he just stands


    there. I see him out of the corner of my eye and I swear I want to vomit right then and there. He¡¯s


    stroking himself while he¡¯s watching me, his pants unzipped, his p***s fully out. He never takes his eyes


    off me.


    I finally get the sted baby doll on and the panties and he tells me to lie down, something I¡¯m


    extremely reluctant to do. He c***s the gun and I crawl onto the bed, lying down with my face upwards,


    sobbing wildly as I feel his hand begin to stroke my leg. His touch is repulsive, his hand mmy and it¡¯s


    all I can do not to drive my leg upwards.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Rx Winter¡± he tries to tell me, as though trying to soothe me ¡°I¡¯ll make it good for you I promise.¡±


    ¡°Thomas if you care about me at all you won¡¯t do this¡± I plead and for a moment something shes


    across his


    eyes and just as quickly it was gone.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine Winter, no one else, and after this no one will ever want you as their mate¡± he growls and


    I wonder if he actually believes that. Because if a mate loves you it won¡¯t matter about your past and


    what happened. But


    maybe he didn¡¯t think of it like that or in that way. Because there was no way I¡¯d stay with him just


    because he was taking what wasn¡¯t his to begin with. He could go to hell.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put the gun down¡± he tells me and I start to rx, thinking that maybe I can take


    advantage of that but something makes him pause for a moment and I see remorse in his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you¡± he whispers and before I can stop him he puts the gun to my foot and pulls the trigger


    as !


    scream.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Chapter 20


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I¡¯ve never felt such pain as when the bullet pierced my skin. I heard a ng and knew it had gone all


    the way through but my god, the blood, my stomach churning, my screams all pierced the room and I


    saw Thomas¡¯s face change.


    Why was he looking so f*****g pale when the bastard had just shot me.


    ¡°Shhh Winter¡± he soothes, racing off and fetching a towel while I continue to shriek at the top of my


    lungs. When hees back he wraps it and looks at me contrite. ¡°I wanted to make sure you couldn¡¯t


    run off¡± he whispered and I re at him.


    ¡°Well you seeded¡± I scream, my voice hoarse ¡°it hurts¡± | sobbed. Yes I know I sounded like a


    coward but you try getting shot and see how pleasant it feels. I get some satisfaction that theres blood


    droplets on the damn baby doll.


    ¡°There¡± he says soothingly and I can¡¯t help but notice he¡¯s put the gun down as hees over and sits


    beside me, wiping my tears away with his thumb. I swallow, my eyes beseeching him to stop, in so


    much pain I¡¯m trying not to vomit, even as I miserably notice that the blood has started to stop trickling.


    Every single movement of my foot or leg brings utter agony and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m making it off this


    bed anytime soon.


    ¡°All better¡± he says and I scowl at him. Is he serious? Does he think just because I have shifter blood


    that the injury bloody heals in minutes.


    ¡°No¡± I shriek ¡°not all better you bastard¡± I scream and before I can so much as blink, his arm swings


    back and hits me directly in the face as I cower underneath him.


    ¡°Enough¡± he growls and I stiffen, forcing myself to hold back more screams, barely able to see through


    my eyes, they were that filled with tears. I see him bend down and then I felt bile rise up in my throat as


    he kissed me, his lips harsh against mine, one of his hands twining around to the back of my head and


    in my hair as he pushed against me.


    I struggle but am no match, not with how weak I feel and as he demands ess with his tongue I¡¯m


    forced to open my mouth to him. His tongue touches mine and it¡¯s all I can do not to gag, it¡¯s that slimy


    feeling and I¡¯m getting no pleasure from the way it seems like he¡¯s licking my own. I heave a big sigh of


    relief when he finally pulls away and begin to heave fresh air into my lungs.


    ¡°You taste so sweet¡± Thomas whispers and I shudder, watching as he begins to undress himself, my


    eyes looking away as he slowly peels his shirt off, kicking his unzipped pants and underwear down


    onto the floor. I don¡¯t want to see it but it¡¯s like my eyes have a mind of their own and I gulp as I see his


    erection. He¡¯s big, wide and I can¡¯t envision anything like that fitting inside of me, not without me


    screaming underneath him.


    ¡°Please¡± I whisper, feeling numb inside. I know he¡¯s not going to stop, not when he¡¯s gone this far. He


    smirks at me as he slowly climbs onto the bed, my foot still uselessly lying still.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± he whispers into my ear as I stare dully at the ceiling ¡°I promised to make it good for you


    remember. It¡¯s your first time and I want you to remember it forever¡± he finished and I want tough,


    feeling hysterical. Oh I would remember this forever but not in the way that he meant.


    His fingers creep under my baby doll and I tense, feeling his hands against my breasts, squeezing


    them roughly. I cried out and he kissed me, stopping me from crying out any more and then he moves,


    kissing the nape of my neck, one hand effectively strangling me as he does. I want more than anything


    to pretend I¡¯m somewhere else, that this


    His fingers move down to my panties and I gulp, feeling his hands roughly grip them, pulling them down


    my legs. He gets gentler as he remembers the pain in my foot and gently slides them off, a broad smile


    on his face. ¡°You¡¯re


    so lovely Winter, so beautiful¡± he says, his eyes zed and I wonder if he¡¯s pretending that this is


    somewhere else,


    that I¡¯m not screaming in his fantasy, because that¡¯s what it was to him, pure fantasy. No way in hell


    had lever


    shown an ounce of liking Thomas and for him to be like this wasn¡¯t something I had ever thought would


    happen.


    I need to do something because he¡¯s already licking his lips and staring down at my p***y. I force


    myself to grab his arm, my eyes to look directly into his. ¡°Thomas¡± | moan feeling disgusted in myself ¡°I


    want you so badly¡± Iy it on thick and it works because he starts to stroke himself, making his c**k


    even more engorged as I try not to stare


    down at it.


    ¡°Give me a moment¡± he grunts and I shake my head slowly at him, watching as he looks at me


    confused.


    ¡°We need protection¡± | pant out ¡°I don¡¯t want to get pregnant and I don¡¯t think your ready to be a father


    yet are you?¡± I cling to hope. Please say you don¡¯t want to, please say you don¡¯t want to I chant in my


    mind.


    He c***s his head to the side, a thoughtful expression on his face. ¡°If I get pregnant we won¡¯t be able to


    do this again¡± I say weakly and he narrows his eyes. I hope this is enough to persuade him. ¡°I have a


    condom in my wallet¡± he mutters and reluctantly peels himself off me, giving me a small smile. He


    really is idiotic or just gullible, either way


    I don¡¯t care if it works to my advantage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡± he warns and then nces over at my foot with a sigh ¡°not that I think you can¡± he adds


    and I give


    a small nod. He hesitates and then slowly moves towards the staircase, backing up with his eyes fixed


    on mine. I try to keep myself looking innocent, my breathing shallow, watching as he gets closer to the


    doorway. I know his wallet¡¯s in a bowl by the front door and that he can be there and back within mere


    minutes but it might just be enough, that is so long as he doesn¡¯t remember.


    The door opens and for a moment he stands there as though debating and then rushes out. I waste no


    time, hopping onto both legs and swearing profusely under my breath as pain richotes through my leg,


    stumbling towards the ce he¡¯d left the gun. The i***t hadpletely forgotten he¡¯d put it down or


    he¡¯d underestimated my ability to move. I¡¯d sooner cut my leg off than let the son of a b***h touch me


    anymore and my hand closes around the handle as I check the safety. Now I hold the key to getting out


    of here firmly in my hands and there is no doubt in my mind


    that I¡¯m about to use it.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    Chapter 21


    The gun is heavy in my hand and it shakes slightly but I¡¯m not loosening my grip. Thomas will be back


    any


    moment and I know I need to take him by surprise. I can¡¯t fight in my condition and I stumble towards


    the stairs, quickly getting under them before hees back. Naturally I hear the door creak back open


    secondster and his footsteps as hees in. It only takes him less than a minute to realize I¡¯m gone.


    ¡°Winter¡± he yells and I stay silent, breathing heavily in the darkness, trying not to give my location away.


    There¡¯s plenty of hiding spots in the basement and I hope he thinks I¡¯m hiding somewhere, anywhere


    else.


    ¡°This is stupid¡± he says annoyed ¡°you can barely walk on that leg. You really think you have the guts to


    shoot me¡± he scoffs and begins to walk down, looking tentatively around him, looking for me.


    Come on, I think to myself, just a little further down. He stops just above me and I strike, darting both


    hands out


    and shoving him. To my satisfaction he loses his bnce and goes tumbling down the stairs. He


    doesn¡¯t move. I wait,


    seeing his chest moving evenly but his eyes are closed and I pray that he¡¯s lost consciousness


    because now I have to climb over him to get to the stairs and out of here. The gun shakes in my hand


    as Ie out, pointing it directly at him. I¡¯m taking no chances.


    I limp, swearing, over to him and kneel down slightly to check his pulse, It¡¯s steady but he doesn¡¯t react


    to my touch and I slowly move my good leg over him, gripping the banister tightly as I swing my painful


    one over his body and up the first step. I pant, it hurts so damn much but I can¡¯t afford to slow down.


    Part of me wants to shoot Thomas in the face while he lies there, but I can¡¯t bring myself to be a killer,


    despite everything. ''


    Besides it feels really wrong to kill a boy while he¡¯s lying there helpless andpletely naked. I spare a


    thought for the fact I¡¯m still in a baby doll with no underwear but shrug it off. Who cared? Right now I


    needed to get out. Clothes could wait tillter, screw modesty.


    Thad gotten not even halfway up when I heard him move. I freeze and look over my shoulder, seeing


    beginning to move and I start to almost jump each step, desperate to get out the door. I limp towards


    the front door, the gun still in my hand, hoping that he¡¯s still not up, still in too much pain to move. I


    forgot that he already had his wolf and would heal quickly. He tackles me to the floor and I scream in


    rage, red hot pain in my foot as I fall, the gun sliding out of my hands.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    His eyes are crazed as he turns me over, his face stony and his hands reaching to strangle me.


    ¡°You little b***h¡± he hisses ¡°I was trying to be nice to you and you pull something like this? You only


    have yourself to me¡± he adds and I back up a little as heughs, his fingers closing around my throat


    while I scrabble and w at his hands, trying desperately to get them off me.


    ¡°Stop¡± I get out but if anything his hands get tighter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I pant but he doesn¡¯t stop, a crazy


    expression on his face.


    ¡°All I wanted was for both of us to be together¡± he shouts, banging my head into the floor over and over


    until blood begins to trickle from my head.


    While it was excruciating the sight of blood seemed to snap him out of it and slowly his hands slide off


    of me, sitting back but stupidly, it must be said, with his knees over mine. I tense. Theres only one way


    he¡¯s getting up and it¡¯s something I¡¯m about to take advantage of. I might be down and I might be in


    pain but so help me if I¡¯m about to myself from screaming as I shoot out my good leg, effectively


    kicking him in the ce it hurts the most. I hear his howl and watch as he keels over on the floor,


    gripping his nuts while I slide out from under him and turn onto my side, inching towards the gun which


    is close by, my hand reaching out for it.


    I can hear his growling behind me and don¡¯t risk looking back as my hands grip the gun and I turn, just


    as he tackles me, his ws digging into my throat. I can feel them, it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s severing my


    vocal chords and I don¡¯t hesitate any longer, my hand instinctively bringing itself up as I shoot him, over


    and over until the chamber¡¯s empty, his body going ck over mine, blood dripping all over me.


    He slumps and I curse at how heavy he is as I push him off. What a deadweight. This time I want to


    make sure he¡¯s dead and wincing I slowly pull his ws out of my throat, gripping it frantically and


    making sure to stem the bleeding as I literally use my good leg to kick him off me. I can barely breathe


    but I¡¯m also not about to be found here, holding a gun by the dead body of a shifter. But I also can¡¯t get


    up, my foot now swollen and in so much pain that to even wiggle my toes elicited a howl and a loud


    scream from me. I close my eyes and face the truth. I was going to jail, there was no way they would


    believe my story even dressed as I was. I¡¯m just a lowly omega after all and Thomas was well, rich. I


    was done for. I can¡¯t even bring myself to try and get to the door, too exhausted from my fighting and all


    the trauma I¡¯ve just gone through. Thest thing I expect to hear before I sumb to the darkness


    surrounding me is my brother and Johnathon¡¯s voice calling out my name before I fall unconscious.


    ¡°WINTER.¡±

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Chapter 22


    I feel bad. I had to leave Winter at home this morning, because I had football practice, well okay, I was


    staring at the cheerleaders and maybe some of the other girls that cheer for them.


    A crappy reason to leave my sister behind right? I should have stayed but surely dad was way too


    drunk to do anything.


    He¡¯d beenpletely out of it when I left so I thought it was safe. I shake my head. I¡¯ll checkter to


    make sure that she¡¯s made it to school safely. I promised her I¡¯d change and I meant every single word


    of it.


    Theres a niggle feeling in my gut and I don¡¯t even dare wait until lunch like my original n to find her.


    Instead I


    go to the administration office and get red at by the secretary. Clearly she doesn¡¯t like me. Like I


    care, heck the feeling was mutual. I drum my fingers across the desk just to piss her off some more.


    ¡°Can I help you¡± she says snidely and I so badly want to give her the finger but making sure Winter is


    ok is my first priority. I could always give her the finger when I left.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering what ss my sister Winter is in right now. I need to speak to her¡± | mumble. There¡¯s no


    need to tell her myst name. I¡¯ve been in this office so many times to see the headmaster that the


    secretary knows my full name off by heart.


    She scowls at me and then slowly, pulls up something from herputer. At least she¡¯s not arguing


    with me but then maybe she just wants me the hell out of her office.


    ¡°Why are you looking for your sister when she called in sick today¡± the woman snaps, as though I¡¯ve


    wasted her precious time. I swear she rolled her eyes at me.


    ¡°Winter called in sick¡± | double check. I don¡¯t believe her, Winter has never missed a day of school.


    Even when she was being bullied relentlessly or sick with a cold, she came to school. Her grades were


    too important to her.


    ¡°Yes she called in sick¡± the secretary says irritably and I still.


    ¡°Did she call or did her father?¡± I ask in a whisper, my gut churning.


    Now she looks even more annoyed. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡± I say with gritted teeth ¡°it matters a lot¡± and she sighs, pushing away her chair.


    ¡°Wait here while I ask the headmaster¡± she drawls sarcastically and I re as I watch her go in.


    She¡¯s back, surprisingly quickly and makes a conscious effort to settle herself back in her chair before


    she looks up and meets my eyes. My arms are folded now and I¡¯m feeling extremely impatient.


    ¡°Well¡± I growl.


    ¡°Your father called in sick for Winter, she was too sick to do it herself.¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Father would never do something like that, not even if Winter really was sick and she¡¯d been finest


    night when we¡¯d been hanging out. I frown. Something feels dangerously wrong and I don¡¯t even have


    the heart to give the secretary the finger as I leave.


    I no sooner make it to the front door of the school when another kid joins me. I guess I shouldn¡¯t say kid


    because it was the new Alpha boy Johnathon. How ironic that he has the same name as one of my


    friends I think to myself absently as I stop and stare at him wondering what it is he wants. Clearly he


    feels it¡¯s disrespectful cause his eyes sh and I find myself baring my neck in submission


    ¡°Are you Winter¡¯s brother?¡± he asks in a dangerous tone and I give a nod.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for her¡± he adds and I sigh.


    ¡°I was just going home to look for her¡± I tell him and his eyes sh.


    ¡°You think she¡¯s in danger¡± he said to me and I hesitate but I can¡¯t exactly lie to an alpha.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s in danger¡± I say grimly ¡°Winter¡¯s never missed a day of school in her life, if there¡¯s


    anything that means the world to that girl it¡¯s her grades.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a lift¡± Johnathon said looking just as grim and I give him a nod of thanks, sensing he was


    coming with and wouldn¡¯t exactly take no for an answer. This is the asshole who rejected my sister and


    I was letting him give


    me a lift to my house! I could yell at himter when I found Winter.


    It¡¯s not long and where pulling up in front of the house. Johnathon drives scary and there were


    moments when I found myself praying for my life while he drove. I almost vomited the contents of my


    stomach up as I got out. It must be nice to be Alpha and not worried about being pulled over, I think


    sourly as I make my way up the driveway. I don¡¯t bother to knock, let alone unlock the door, father¡¯s


    always too drunk to care about stuff like that and we have nothing worth stealing anyway.


    Topen the door slowly and peer in. Father is his usual drunk self, sitting on the couch, a beer bottle


    dangling from his chubby hand, snores permeating the room. I walk in quietly and motion for Johnathon


    to follow me, he does but I notice he looks at father askance and with repulsion on his face. Clearly he


    didn¡¯t approve.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check her room¡± I say and Johnathon nods, looking over at father. ¡°Keep him in your sight¡±


    | whisper and slowly tread upstairs, walking straight to Winter¡¯s room. She¡¯s not in there. I spend time


    looking in my


    room and father¡¯s even the bathroom and toilet but theres no sign of my little sister anywhere.


    He¡¯s done something to her, I know it in my bones and I storm downstairs, Johnathon pointing to the


    kitchen. I


    peer in and see blood on the floor, not a lot just small spatters, a broken dish and a teatowel on the


    ground. To me it looks like signs of a struggle and I¡¯m in no mood to wait for father to wake up. I stomp


    over to him and smack him upside the head with a loud crack that whips through the air. It¡¯s the first


    time I¡¯ve hit him and instead of being worried I feel powerful, more than ready to take him down if he


    doesn¡¯t tell me what he¡¯s done to Winter.


    Father groans and I feel no sympathy for him. One eye and then the second one cracks open and he


    sits bolting upright, his eyes full of scorn as he res at me. He makes no move to retaliate and it¡¯s


    then that I see what a coward


    he really is. Why have I been afraid of him all this time?


    ¡°What¡± he snaps, dropping the bottle to the ground and rubbing his bby face.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Winter¡± I snarl and he gives a chuckle, as though amused by the situation. I re harder.


    ¡°Why do you care¡± father says snidely ¡°you never have before.¡±


    ¡°I care now¡±I thunder and before I know it, I¡¯ve gripped father by the neck and lifted him, his feet


    dangling


    uselessly. His eyes widen in rm. Johnathon is silent in the background, observing it all and making


    no move to interfere.


    ¡°Tell me¡± I say between gritted teeth and he dangles before grumbling and then finallyughing. I stare


    at him. Has he lost his marbles?


    ¡°You¡¯ll get a kick out of this¡± my father wheezes as I finally drop him, gasping for breath and clutching


    his throat,


    a wide grin on his face that makes me want to punch the crap out of him.


    ¡°Tell me¡± I growl and heughs, doubling over. dangerously close to killing him right now.


    ¡°Fine, fine¡± he mumbles as I go to hit him again. ¡°I sold her.¡±


    I stare. Had he just said what I thought I heard? ¡°You sold her¡± Johnathones forward his hands


    clenched into fists, his eyes pitch ck as he stares at father with hatred, his alpha authoritying


    through. ¡°Speak¡± Johnathon orders and father¡¯s helpless to disobey against the alpha tone. For once


    I¡¯m grateful for Johnathon¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I sold her to someone for money¡± father snaps and I feel numb. How any father could do that to his


    daughter was beyond me. I¡¯d never been full of so much disgust for him.


    ¡°Who¡± thunders Johnathon and father casts a sly look at me as though he finds something funny about


    it. I realize why a momentter. ¡°I sold her to your friend Thomas.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Chapter 23


    I stare at my father in stupefication. I had to have heard him wrong but there¡¯s a growing anger inside


    of me that tells me I heard him clearly.


    ¡°What do you mean you sold her to Thomas¡± I breathe evenly, feeling sick to my stomach. Not my best


    friend. He wouldn¡¯t do this to me would he?


    ¡°I mean he gave me money for her¡± My father snaps and I pale, giving him onest kick to the stomach,


    unable to even look him in the eyes anymore.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Thomas would go this far¡± I whisper. I knew Thomas had a crush on my sister but to buy


    her? I


    wasn¡¯t stupid, even though we hung out together, Thomas was from apletely different world with


    rich parents who ignored his bad behaviorn when it suited them. He had money at his disposal


    whenever he wanted it. I wasn¡¯t naive enough to believe it had been to prevent my father from selling


    Winter to someone else, or to be a good samaritan.


    Johnathones closer, his eyes pitch ck, boring into my fathers, utter contempt in his gaze. ¡°You¡¯ll


    pay for this¡± he whispers ¡°it¡¯s the lowest of lows, what you¡¯ve just done. I¡¯ll make sure you never see


    daylight again¡± he vows and I feel a sense of relief. If he follows through with his threat, I¡¯ll never have


    to deal with father again. Neither will


    Winter. I feel a rush of gratitude towards Alpha Johnathon.


    ¡°Iam no longer your son¡± | hiss at my father who looks startled for a moment before he shrugs. I don¡¯t


    wait around any longer, storming outside while Johnathon stays inside for a moment, doing who knows


    what. I hear a howl from father and smirk. Whatever it was it had been painful.


    ¡°Do you know where Thomas lives¡± Johnathon growls and I hesitate.


    I¡¯ve only ever been to Thomas¡¯s house once before and I only kind of remembered some of the way but


    it stood out, surely if we headed in the general direction we woulde across it? Even my friends


    didn¡¯t know, none of them having been invited to Thomas¡¯s house.


    ¡°I only know some of the way¡± I admit and Alpha Johnathon looks pissed but resigned, climbing into the


    passenger seat while I awkwardly get in the drivers.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing¡± he mutters ¡°I can try and smell her blood. My nose is more sensitive and


    maybe being my mate, my wolf will pick up her scent easier.¡±


    I can¡¯t help myself. ¡°You rejected her¡± | snap ¡°so you¡¯re not really mates anymore are you¡± | add


    sarcastically, not caring if I¡¯m insulting the big bad Alpha. He glowers at me.


    ¡°I made a mistake¡± he whispers as I started the car up ¡°or at least I think I did. I don¡¯t know¡± he exhales


    before looking at me grimly ¡°but do you really want to spend time arguing over this or do you want to


    find your sister?¡±


    I start to drive.


    I¡¯m sweating, all the houses look the same and even Johnathon is cursing in the passenger seat. The


    more the time passes, the more panicked I feel. I try calling Thomas¡¯s number but he¡¯s not answering


    his phone. I¡¯m not surprised. I hit the steering wheel in frustration. Then Johnathon stiffens. ¡°My wolf is


    going crazy¡± he breathes ¡°keep going in this direction¡± he orders and I¡¯m quick to obey. My heart is


    hammering in my chest and I¡¯m terrified for my younger sister. This is all my fault. It¡¯s my so called


    friend who¡¯s paid for her. I should have stayed home this morning, she might be going through right


    now because then I¡¯ll lose control.


    ¡°Stop¡± Johnathon shouts and I stop, parking the car automatically. Theres a mansion up ahead and I


    give a sigh of relief. I would recognize Thomas¡¯s house anywhere.


    ¡°That¡¯s his ce¡± I say and get out of the car but Johnathon holds out a hand to stop me going any


    further, a grim expression on his face.


    ¡°I smell blood¡± he says and I swear. If Thomas has hurt her, I¡¯m going to kill him. My hands are itching


    to beat the crap out of him as it is. Thomas is a dead man as soon as I get Winter out of his clutches.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Winters¡± Johnathon snaps ¡°and there¡¯s lots of it.¡±


    Inod, but it doesn¡¯t stop me racing to the front door. I don¡¯t even knock, just barrel in and Johnathon is


    right behind me when we both halt inside. We both scream out at the same time ¡°Winter¡± as we see her


    lying there, like a broken rag doll, a gun by her side. She¡¯s covered in blood stter and I can see


    blood trickling out of her throat.


    Johnathon rushes over to check on Thomas while I go to my baby sister¡¯s side. She¡¯s breathing but


    barely and I shrug out of my jacket, draping it over her. I see what she¡¯s wearing and what she¡¯s


    missing and I feel a new sense of hatred towards Thomas.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead¡± Johnathon deres with satisfaction ¡°looks like she shot him a few times.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least the bastard deserves¡± | mutter while he takes his phone out and rings for an ambnce,


    my eyes focussed on Winter as I ce a hand against her throat in an effort to stem some of the


    bleeding but it seems to be stopping on its own.


    Johnathon nces at me, his own expression one of anger and pain as he nces at the mate he


    rejected, I don¡¯t have the heart to yell at him over it anymore. I take Winter¡¯s hand in my own.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Winter, I should have taken you with me this morning, this is all my fault¡± I cry and


    Johnathon ces a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known what your father was nning¡± he said firmly as I listen, not really believing


    his words but appreciating them anyway ¡°as it is some of my men have taken him into custody. He¡¯ll be


    spending time in my dungeon¡± he growls and I nod, not even a little sympathetic for the bastard father


    of mine. In fact if I could, would be right there torturing him on behalf of Winter¡¯s sake.


    She¡¯s so damn pale and I nce at Johnathon who looks just as worried. ¡°Where¡¯s the damn


    ambnce¡± I growl,


    ¡°it should be here by now.¡±


    We hear the sirens thank god and within moments paramedics are swarming around us, taking over,


    forcing me to release my hand which doesn¡¯t want to let go.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to follow us there, there isn¡¯t enough room for you¡± one tells me before they leave and


    Johnathon thanks them, getting into the car as I follow him slowly, unable toprehend everything


    going on. I¡¯m detached, as


    though facing reality is far too painful and I climb into the passenger seat, tears finally flowing down my


    cheeks as Johnathon starts the car. Winter is never going to forgive me for this and I don¡¯t me her.


    She¡¯s going to hate me and now I¡¯ll never have a rtionship with my baby sister.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Chapter 24


    I¡¯m sitting in the hospital waiting room with Winter¡¯s brother Damien and he can¡¯t seem to keep still. I


    don¡¯t me him, all I can see in my mind¡¯s eye is Winter, lying there, on the cold tiled floor, blood all


    over her, her panties missing and dressed in some sort of lingerie.


    My wolf had been ready to kill and I¡¯d been more than a little disappointed to find that bastard Thomas


    was already dead. I was also a little proud of Winter for killing him. She was strong, stronger than I had


    thought her capable of.


    Finally the wait seems to be over and I jump up as a doctores walking over to me. As an Alpha it


    rankles that I haven¡¯t been allowed back past the waiting area and I¡¯m told it was because I couldn¡¯t be


    there while Winter was going through surgery.


    Her brother has been deadly quiet since we¡¯vee here and it¡¯s like he¡¯s in his own little world, one


    that I don¡¯t want to pull him out of.


    ¡°Alpha Johnathon¡± he greets me cordially and finally I see some lifee back to Damien. He sits


    upright and stares at the doctor hopefully, desperate to hear some sort of news about his sister. I¡¯m


    anxious about my mate and my wolf is going insane inside my head right now, absolutely beside


    himself over Winter.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I¡¯m afraid to ask but force the words out. Surely she can¡¯t be dead? I would have felt it


    through the mate bond wouldn¡¯t I have? I don¡¯t know anymore. The doctor looks grim and I feel my


    heart beginning to pound wildly in my chest.


    ¡°Winter is out of surgery¡± he begins and I feel a tiny sense of relief, her brother¡¯s face lighting up with


    hope.


    I¡¯m afraid to ask but I force the words out anyway ¡°Was she sexually assaulted¡± | croak out and the


    doctor shakes his head.


    ¡°From what we were able to determine she wasn¡¯t sexually assaulted. However she does have bruises


    and a gun shot wound in her foot. It¡¯s infected so we are giving her antibiotics and monitoring her


    closely.¡±


    Inod, my mind focussing on his words. Thank god she hadn¡¯t been sexually abused, it¡¯s the only


    positive thing toe out of it. We hadn¡¯t been tote after all but she¡¯d gone through something


    traumatic before we could get there. Only she would know what it was.


    ¡°Theres¡¯ something else¡± the doctor says and Damien gets up, standing beside me and looking intently


    at the doctor, his hands clenched into fists. I didn¡¯t miss the sh of relief in his eyes when the doctor


    said Winter hadn¡¯t been raped. I don¡¯t even want to know what the poor bastard is going through


    knowing his own friend had purchased his little sister like a w***e.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask urgently and Damien nods, his eyes staring directly into the doctors whose beginning


    to look a little ufortable.


    ¡°Her vocal chords were ripped apart by the attack¡± the doctor exined hesitantly ¡°as a shifter they


    may heat but it will take months before she¡¯ll be able to speak again and that¡¯s only if they do heal.


    There is a chance that they are too damaged beyond repair and she¡¯ll be mute for the rest of her life.¡±


    I¡¯m silent for a moment. It¡¯s a lot to take in but my wolf and I don¡¯t care if she can¡¯t speak. There are


    other ways to talk with someone but her brother looks absolutely devestated. He broke down in the car


    on the way here and I¡¯m terrible atforting people. I¡¯ve always seen crying as a sign of weakness


    but right now I can feel my own eyes beginning to well up. trembling hands. ¡°Oh my god¡± he says and


    then goes quiet once more.


    ¡°Is she awake?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    The doctor shakes his head. ¡°She¡¯s still recovering from the surgery. We patched up the gunshot


    wound and attempted to fix the vocal chord damage but there¡¯s nothing more we can do. It will be


    some hours if she wakes up¡± he exined kindly and I sigh. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m moving from this


    hospital until I can see for myself that she¡¯s alright. I have an overwhelming desire to be near her, to


    hold her in my arms and never let her go and I know it¡¯s the mate bond strengthening rather than


    fading. Does she feel it on her end or is it just me? This was a mess.


    ¡°Can we see her?¡± Damien asks quietly and I too look at the doctor who looks a little weary.


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to let you¡± he says ¡°but as an Alpha you canmand me and I would have to obey.


    So there¡¯s no real point denying you is there¡± he says and I grin.


    ¡°There really isn¡¯t¡± I agree and the doctor sighs and motions to both of us to follow him. I walk down


    feeling trepidation. I¡¯ve never liked hospitals, they always seem so cold and impersonal. Luckily


    Winter¡¯s been put in a room close by and the doctor leaves us outside the door with a warning.


    ¡°Do not touch her, she¡¯s hooked up to machines at the moment. If she wakese get me or a nurse


    immediately¡± and we both nod at him, understanding his concern. Poor Damien looks like he¡¯s about to


    break the door down and I thank the doctor as he leaves.


    Damien opens the door and crashes inside while I follow, when I see Winter I stop in my tracks and my


    mouth falls open inplete shock. She¡¯s pale, so pale and she¡¯s d in a hospital gown. I can see a


    bandage wrapped around her foot where she had been shot and there¡¯s bruises all over her face and


    arms and legs. There¡¯s an N drip in her hand and another one monitoring her blood pressure.


    ¡°My god¡± Damien whispers, sinking down into a chair ¡°she¡¯s just¡± he sounds helpless and I walk closer,


    my own heart seizing in pain. There¡¯s nothing of the girl I met the first time left, this is an empty shell of


    what she once was. I reach over to touch her hair, ignoring the doctors warnings. It¡¯s matted, blood still


    in it and I can smell it. I pull a chair over to the bed and sit there, unable to do anything but stare, my


    heart squeezing in my chest. Then I see her eyelids flutter. Is she waking up?

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Chapter 25


    Winter POV


    I¡¯m walking in a field surrounded by all sorts of vibrant beautiful flowers. I have no clue where I am but I


    feel peaceful, rxed. It¡¯s confusing. I remember shooting Thomas and passing out. Had I died?


    Because if I had I couldn¡¯tin about the beauty and serenity of this ce. I touch the flowers and


    feel the softness of their petals, smell their beautiful perfume as it drifts in the air, stare at the bees


    buzzing around and feel the cool breeze as it flows


    through my hair


    There¡¯s no pain, it¡¯s the first thing I realize and I stare down at my body which is whole, no sign of the


    gunshot in


    my foot or any bruises. There¡¯s no blood and I¡¯m wearing a purple sundress that cascades down to my


    toes, my feet are bare and sinking into the soft green lush grass. I¡¯m in heaven.


    I sit and begin to make little daisy chains. Time seems to have no meaning here and I figure if I¡¯m dead


    then


    anything goes. The daisy chain goes on top of my head and I smile, lying back down on the soft grass


    and stare up at


    the clouds in the clear blue sky, I wonder about my brother and if he¡¯s doing okay, even feel a little sorry


    for Johnathon who probably felt bad for rejecting me. I don¡¯t even think about father and what he¡¯d


    done to me. It was like every emotion of mine just slowly faded away and left me feeling peaceful. If


    this was heaven then it wasn¡¯t too


    bad.


    ¡°You¡¯re not dead yet¡± a musical voice says and I blink at the shadow suddenly blocking my sight.


    Theres a


    beautiful woman in front of me with silvery gray hair and sparkling blue eyes. She¡¯s not old though, she


    looks like a


    young woman and she¡¯s wearing a silver dress that shimmers in the sunlight, a small tiara sits upon her


    head.


    * Then where am I?¡± I ask confused as she helps me to sit up.


    ¡°You¡¯re in between¡± the woman says and I frown, still just as puzzled. She sits on the grass beside me.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Sheughs and looks at me ¡°you would know me as the moon goddess¡± she says lightly and I feel a


    sense of panic. She was the moon goddess. Should I courtesy or how did I address her? I began to


    feel dizzy.


    ¡°Just call me Selene¡± she says and give her a small smile.


    ¡°What do you mean by in between?¡± | ask.


    ¡°You¡¯re neither dead or alive right now¡± she says and gives me a stern look. ¡°You haven¡¯t decided


    which way you


    want to go yet


    She takes my hand. ¡°Child you¡¯ve known a lot of pain¡± she exhales, her blue eyes no longer twinkling


    but far more serious now as I say nothing ¡°I know you¡¯ve wished yourself dead many times before but


    this time you have a choice. I have seen everything you¡¯ve gone through and how strong and brave


    you¡¯ve been. But now you have to decide, do you want to live or die?¡±


    I think about it. If I live then I go back to feeling pain, the harassment, the bullying, it will just start all


    over again. There was also the issue of my father. I couldn¡¯t bare to go back home. What was the point


    of living when it made me


    so miserable?


    ¡°Before you decide¡± Selena says to me ¡°I want you to know something. You might be feeling pain right


    now and


    not just the physical hind but your life, should you choose to go back, will get better. You will find the


    love you


    deserve, even if it¡¯s with someone you least expect. You are brave, strong and courageous, you just


    have to believe it. your story, your journey ispletely over. You won¡¯t ever get a chance to bond


    with your wolf, you¡¯ll just be


    gone.¡±


    I feel like crying. ¡°No one will care if I¡¯m gone¡± | blurt out.


    ¡°Your brother and your ahem mate¡± she says quietly ¡°or ex mate are in the hospital room with you right


    now. Your brother is beating himself up for what¡¯s happened to you and Johnathon is doing the same.


    Neither one of them will leave your side. They¡¯ve both hurt you but if you¡¯re willing to forgive them, they


    may just show you how much they care and it might surprise you to see how much.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go back to father¡± I say miserably ¡°I just can¡¯t.¡±


    She squeezes my hand. ¡°he¡¯s no longer there child, he can¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help me¡± I whisper, tears flowing down my cheeks ¡°you¡¯re the moon goddess you could


    have


    saved me.¡±


    She looks remorseful. ¡°I cannot intervene with someone¡¯s path. As much as I would have liked to, it


    would have


    strayed you from the path you take. This experience is what helps mold you into a person you will


    be. Or rather


    what you do.¡±


    pull at the grass. I need time to think. But part of me has already decided even if part of me doesn¡¯t


    want to,


    wants to say in this in between ce forever where I never have to be hurt again. But to choose death


    would be


    cowardly, especially since I knew that Damien was waiting for me to wake up. I¡¯m not sure what to think


    about Alpha


    Johnathon being there as well. It still hurts that he rejected me so quickly.


    ¡°What will you do?¡± she asks and I sigh, looking over at the meadow and feeling a sense of regret. Was


    this really the right decision for me?


    ¡°I choose to live¡± | answer regretfully and a smile lights up her face.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    ¡°You are destined for great things Winter¡± she whispers ¡°remember that when it bes too hard or


    you find


    yourself in the depths of despair. You¡¯ll go far.¡±


    Topen my mouth, wanting to question her when she taps me lightly on the forehead and I feel my eyes


    beginning to close against my will. I struggle and she merely sits there, watching me lie down and


    yawn, my eyelids heavy and they close, shutting out the sunlight as I fall asleep. I feel like I¡¯m falling


    from a great distance and its surreal, like I¡¯m


    flying and then suddenly theres a sharp pain in my heart and chest and I begin to open my eyes,


    hearing an annoying


    beeping sound and a familiar voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake.¡±

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Chapter 26


    Winter POV


    I manage to force my eyes open and I frown taking in the white sterile walls and hearing a familiar


    shout. ¡°She¡¯s awake¡± as Alpha Johnathon¡¯s facees into focus. I blink, realizing he¡¯s holding my


    hand but it¡¯s the searing pain


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    in my chest that concerns me most and as I open my mouth to shout, nothinges out. Not even a


    whisper. Now I¡¯m panicking. What¡¯s wrong with me? Why can¡¯t I talk? The pain in my chest gets worse


    and I hear an annoying beeping sound.


    ¡°Let go of her hand¡± a voice says and I see a doctor examining me, blinking as bright light floods into


    my eyelids, a needle piercing my skin and making me rxed, the pain beginning to fade.


    ¡°Winter can you hear me?¡± the man in the white coat says and I give a small nod, seeing Damien in the


    corner of my eye, standing out of the way, his eyes wide open in what looks like shock.


    ¡°Alright well I need you to calm down alright. That beeping noise is because your heart rate picked right


    up. Take


    a few deep breaths for me¡± he instructs and I do, breathing in and out, until the beeping noise steadies


    out.


    ¡°Good¡± the doctor looks pleased. ¡°Now do you know where you are.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Do you remember what happened?¡± he asks and I shudder, my body beginning to tremble in


    fear. I¡¯ll never forget what happened, its etched firmly in my mind.


    I ce a hand against my throat and the doctor looks at me with sympathy in his eyes. ¡°During the


    attack your vocal chords were damaged¡± he exins ¡°I¡¯m afraid theres no telling if they will heal or not.¡±


    I say nothing, my eyes welling with tears. The moon goddess could have warned me about this before I


    chose.


    How does someone manage without their voice? I can¡¯t yell or scream for help and I begin to feel


    vulnerable.


    ¡°Your brother and your mate are here, do you think that you¡¯ll be alright while I go and fetch some


    medicine for


    you?¡±


    Thesitate. But the moon goddess had said that they hadn¡¯t left my side and so I give a small nod,


    watching as


    the doctor leaves. Damienes to my side and tries to reach for my hand and I instinctively flinch. He


    looks hurt but


    I can¡¯t help it.


    ¡°I guess I deserve that¡± he mutters ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Winter, I swear I had no idea that father would be so


    evil and cruel. I know I should have stayed back instead of leaving you alone.¡±


    I look at him. Part of me hates him for doing that but part of me wants to forgive him as well. Afterall it¡¯s


    not like he could have known what father was going to do but the part that really rankles is that it was


    his friend Thomas


    who bought me and tried to rape me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make this up to you, I swear¡± Damien tells me and I give a small nod, deciding that I¡¯ll believe it


    when I see it. Until then I¡¯m reserving my judgement. I nced over at Alpha Johnathon, wondering


    why the hell he was here. He¡¯d rejected me so why did he give a damn what happened to me? I feel


    bitterness towards him.


    ¡°Winter 1¡± he exhales as I sit there still as a statue ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡± he admits ¡°on one hand


    I¡¯ve rejected you and yet part of me still cares about you. I never wanted to hurt you as much as I have


    and it wasn¡¯t my intention.¡±


    That¡¯s all he had to say? I feel a spurt of anger and re at him. I don¡¯t need this right now. If he felt


    bad, then


    that was his problem, not mine. I epted his rejection so why was he still having feelings for me?


    Cause I sure as


    He sees how angry I am from the expression on my face. ¡°I think it¡¯s best tave my leave he whispers


    and I nos, feeling bad but not wanting to face him right now. I¡¯m grateful that he¡¯s helped me but that¡¯s


    as far as it care shakes hands with my brother Damien who ps him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Thankyou for everything man, I don¡¯t know if I would have found her without you¡± he tells Damien who


    just


    grunts and then walks out the door. Before he leaves he shoots me onest look that I can¡¯t decipher


    and then he¡¯s gone, his footsteps sounding down the corridor.


    I watch warily as Damien sits on a chair beside me. He looks exhausted, dark circles under his eyes


    and pale. How


    long have I been out? I can¡¯t even ask. It¡¯s frustrating.


    ¡°Winter¡± Damien begins and Ic**k my head and listen ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about going back home.


    Father¡¯s


    gone for good this time, you¡¯ll never have to be scared of him again.¡±


    That¡¯s one good piece of news for me at least. My skin crawls just thinking of the man who sold me


    without a qualm. Some father he was. I actually hope he¡¯s dead. That¡¯s how much I hate him.


    ¡°When we get back home I¡¯ll take care of you. No more bullying or forcing you to do my homework. We


    can even


    live in the pack house if you want¡± he offers.


    I think about that. I had wanted to live in the pack house when I was younger but now I wasn¡¯t so sure.


    Damien


    reckoned I wouldn¡¯t be bullied still but how would pack members react to having a mute shifter in the


    house? Would it be safer there? I highly doubted it. If dad was gone then it would be safer, at least for


    me to stay in ourouse away from the pack where I wouldn¡¯t be made fun of or worse. I give a firm


    shake of my head and watch the light dim from


    my brother¡¯s eyes. If he wanted to live in the pack house then he could, I sure as hell wasn¡¯t stopping


    him. But he


    shrugs at me instead.


    ¡°No problem we¡¯ll stay home then¡± he says just like that and for the first time I smile at him.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± a voice asks and I watch the doctore back in the room, clutching a bunch of


    pill bottles. He lines them up next to me on the little food table thing. ¡°These are for pain¡± he tells me


    and I see Damien listening closely ¡°one a day. These are antibiotics¡± he points to another one ¡°three


    times a day. And this¡± he points to a third one ¡°is for when the pain is so excruciating you can¡¯t take it


    any more and need instant relief. Only when


    needed¡± he warns and I nod.


    ¡°Does that mean I can take her home?¡± Damien asks and the doctor looks at me.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to her. Winter would you like to go home today or stay overnight?¡± he asks. How am I


    supposed to


    answer.


    I point to Damien. ¡°Go home?¡± Damien checks and I nod. I¡¯d rather sleep in my own bed then a hospital


    one that¡¯s ufortable. I¡¯m already freezing.


    ¡°Take the pills and theres a prescription for repeats if she needs it¡± the doctor informs him as Damien


    hastily


    ces it all in his pocket. I go to swing my leg out and gasp at the pain.


    ¡°Crutches¡± the doctor exims and fetches two that I hadn¡¯t noticed leaning against the wall, he hands


    them to me and I get on my legs experimentally. It takes almost no time to learn how to use them and


    Damien supports me all the way to the car.


    ¡°Best of luck¡± the doctor says warmly ¡°we¡¯ll have a check up in six weeks time and see how your vocal


    chords are


    looking then¡± he adds and I nod, crossing my fingers. With any luck I¡¯ll be speaking again in a few


    weeks, all I have to


    do is be patient.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Chapter 27


    Winter POV


    We pull up into the driveway and I shudder looking at the house. Had it always looked this intimidating


    and


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    imposing or was my imagination going into overdrive? I¡¯m reluctant to get out of the car and I watch as


    Damien gets


    out, part of me wanting to cower against the seat and stay in the car. I know he¡¯s told me that father is


    gone forever


    but a small part of me thinks he could be lying, that this could be a trap and that¡¯s what keeps me from


    getting out.


    My brother looks exasperated but I don¡¯t care.


    ¡°Winter¡± he says softly, knocking on my window ¡°it¡¯s safe toe out, I promise he¡¯s not here.¡±


    I just look at him and then slowly, quietly, get out, closing the car door behind me. To my surprise


    Damien takes hold of my hand and gives it a squeeze, I guess his way of trying to reassure me as we


    walk up the driveway and to the front door together.


    Damien reaches out and opens the door, turning the light on and going inside, while I clutch his hand


    with a death grip. The lounge room ispletely littered with beer bottles and there¡¯s father¡¯s odor still


    drifting in the air. I gag, putting a hand over my mouth and taking deep breaths. I¡¯m aware I¡¯m still in a


    hospital gown but I¡¯m too scared


    to go upstairs by myself.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Damien asks and I shake my head, tugging at my hospital gown and looking at him


    with wide


    eyes in an effort to get him to understand what I want.


    ¡°You want to get changed¡± he says and I nod.


    ¡°Go on then¡± he urges and I shake my head, pulling on his hand while he stares at me confused.


    ¡°You want me toe with you?¡± he asks gently and I nod, staring down at the ground. He uses a


    finger to lift my chin, staring deeply into my eyes as I blink at him.


    ¡°I cane with you¡± he says gently and I pull him behind me as I try, very awkwardly to get around on


    the


    crutches. Damien gets impatient though and scoops me up, carrying me the rest of the way and cing


    my on my


    bed.


    My room remains unchanged and I gesture towards my dresser. My brother nods and rifles through the


    drawers and throws a shirt and pants at me, which I catch but I continue to look at him. He¡¯s clearly


    perplexed by my


    expression but I need underwear, vehemently aware that I¡¯m not wearing any at the moment. I watch


    as he turns


    bright red.


    ¡°Panties¡± he says weakly and I point to the top drawer. He acts as though is hand is burned and flings


    me a pair


    immediately as I fight the urge tough. He pointedly looks away from me.


    ¡°Can you get dressed on your own?¡± he asks and I nod. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m about to ask my brother for


    help getting dressed. I don¡¯t care how long it takes, I¡¯ll do it myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the hallway¡± he says then frowns. ¡°Knock on the wall or something when your finished. I


    forgot you


    can¡¯t talk¡± he says apologetically and I wait impatiently until he¡¯s left the room.


    I curse silently in my mind as I begin to wriggle into my underwear and pants, every movement


    excrutiating. The shirt was the easiest part and I was panting heavily by the time I was done. The


    clothes hung on me but so did the rest of them and it¡¯s not like I had anyone I was trying to impress. I


    use my fist to knock on my bedroom wall


    Loudly


    Hees rushing in. ¡°Anything else you need?¡±


    I shake my head and then stop him before he can pick me up. I mime a pen and paper, pretending to


    write and


    thankfully he gets the message.


    ¡°Pen and paper¡± he mutters and I point to my desk where a notepad and pen sat. He grabs it and then


    hands it


    to me, before swiftly picking me up and taking me downstairs.


    Damien goes to ce me on the couch and I flinch, looking at him in horror. ¡°You need to rest¡± he


    whispers ¡°dad


    usually used the recliner anyway¡± he points out and I rx, letting him put me down.


    ¡°Now, how about some food or a drink?¡± he suggests looking a little lost. This is all new to him but it is


    for me


    too. I¡¯m not used to anyone caring for me like this.


    I mime drinking and he brings me water before sitting next to me, carefully cing my bad foot and leg


    on top of


    hisp.


    ¡°Winter I understand if you don¡¯t want to go to school tomorrow and I¡¯m happy to stay with you for as


    long as


    you need¡± he says and I frown. I dont¡¯ want to go back to school, not ever but I couldn¡¯t stay away


    forever could I? But I feel fragile, broken inside and I can¡¯t stand the thought of being bullied while I¡¯m


    like this. I just want to curl up


    under my bed and stay there where it¡¯s safe.


    Damien¡¯s waiting for me to answer though and I reluctantly grab the notebook, scribbling my answer


    inside and


    showing it to him.


    I¡¯ll go to school but I really don¡¯t want to. How do I know you¡¯ve really changed?


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick by your side Winter, I won¡¯t let anyone near you¡± he promises and I stare him down, fidgeting


    with my hands. I had no choice but to trust him but I still remember every harsh word he;s uttered


    towards me and every hit


    and p he gave me. I give a small nod, feeling tired and exhausted as well as in pain. With any luck


    my foot would


    heal overnight, or at least part of it so that I can walk on my own instead of relying on Damien to help


    me. I point


    towards his pocket. The pain is that bad that I¡¯m desperate for something that will help with it and I


    remember the doctor handing the pain pills to Damien in the hospital. He pats his pocket


    ¡°Here¡¯s the painkiller and antibiotic. If you need the strong one, point again.¡±


    I shake my head. Normal painkillers would do for now but I wouldn¡¯t mind having the strong ones close


    by


    tonight. I scribble that in my little notepad and he agrees, promising to leave them and the other pills by


    my bedside. My stomach gives a loud growl and it¡¯s then that I finally notice that I¡¯m hungry. My brother


    gives a grin. ¡°Food¡± he teases and springs into action while I settle back on the couch and ponder what


    going to school is going to be like


    tomorrow. I haven¡¯t even thought about Thomas or his parents and I feel a sense of dread. Had


    Johnathon dealt with


    that or was I going to be facing the cops tomorrow? This was a shifter town so I didn¡¯t have to worry


    about human cops but that didn¡¯t stop the nervousness or the trembling. I hadn¡¯t been at fault, I¡¯d


    defended myself, but would


    everyone else believe that?

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Chapter 28


    Damien POV


    I spend the whole night tossing and turning and checking on Winter who¡¯s fast asleep in her bed. I¡¯m


    terrified to leave her alone too long and in the end I end up sleeping in the hallway on a mattress in


    case she needs help for


    something, anything during the night. When it¡¯s bright, my eyes open and I groan as I sit up, my


    muscles stiff and


    protesting. She hadn¡¯t called outst night and when I poke my head in she¡¯s still out for the count.


    I get dressed for school, tossing on a shirt and any old jeans, nce at the time and make my way into


    Winter¡¯s


    room. I gently shake her awake. I don¡¯t want to startle her. Her eyelids flutter at me and then her eyes


    widen when she sees me, her mouth making a shocked O. I wonder if she¡¯s scared of me still, because


    she still trembles everytime I touch her or I¡¯m near her.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get ready for school¡± I say lightly and nce down at her foot. Is it healed yet?


    She pats the bandage. ¡°You want it off?¡± I ask and she nods. I softly take hold of the end of the


    bandage and


    unwrap it, watching Winter¡¯s face the entire time. I can barely believe my eyes once it¡¯s off and I can


    see her skin, perfect, except for a tiny scar that the bullet presumably left. Theres a wide smile on


    Winter¡¯s face as she stands up


    and takes a few steps.


    She whirls around and hugs me, my breath catching in my throat as I hold her tight, not wanting to let


    go and I step back, looking into her eyes. ¡°School¡± I say firmly and she nods, pointing to the bathroom


    where I assume she wants to take a shower first. I give a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll make breakfast¡± | offer and she nods


    again, before going into the bathroom and firmly shutting the door close on me. I figure since she¡¯s


    walking fine now that she won¡¯t get into any


    harm and head downstairs to the kitchen.


    It¡¯s easy enough to make toast and coffee for her and by the time I¡¯m finished eating my own breakfast


    shees


    walking in looking somewhat downcast. I get her to sit down.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Winter?¡±


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She pulls at her hair and I have a look, realizing that it¡¯s still matted with dried blood. Clearly it hadn¡¯t


    washed


    out for her. ¡°Do you want me to help you wash it.¡±


    She shakes her head looking miserable. ¡°How about you try again tonight?¡± I urge ¡°I¡¯m sure it wille


    out with


    some elbow grease.¡±


    She just sighs and nces down at her toast. I watch her take a tentative nip and then push it away,


    opting to


    drink the coffee instead. Did I burn the toast too much? I didn¡¯t think it was that bad. Maybe she¡¯s not


    hungry I think


    to myself, she¡¯s probably still nervous about school.


    I wait for her to finish and then point to her school bag. She grabs it without a word and walks to the


    front door


    while I follow. She gets in the passenger seat of the car and I drive, keeping an eye on her the whole


    time, noting that her body is shaking and that her face has gonepletely white. By the time we get


    to school she¡¯s clutching the side


    of the car door and looking panicked as all hell.


    ¡°Winter¡± I say sharply ¡°calm down. The principal knows your situation and so do the teachers. They all


    know you


    can¡¯t talk. I¡¯ve already called the school. If this is too much for you I can drive you home¡± I add and she


    rxes


    slightly.


    I open the door and climb out, hoping she won¡¯t lock herself in the car. I¡¯m pleased when she gets out


    on her own


    and I take her hand, ignoring the strange looks from everybody as we walk together into the building.


    ¡°Lead me to your first ss¡± I order her and she slowly, timidly leads the way as I stand right next to the


    door along with her. She¡¯s biting her lip and looking frightened, Alpha Johnathon suddenlying up


    beside me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you at school Winter¡± he says cheerfully while I scowl at him. The nerve of this guy. ¡°I


    forgot to mention that Thomas¡¯s parents know the full story of what went on and the police have no


    interest in getting your


    statement. It¡¯s all taken care of.¡±


    I watch as Winter gives Johnathon a shy smile and mouth the words ¡®thankyou¡¯ at him. I¡¯m slightly


    disgruntled


    by it.


    The bell rings. Students begin to file into the ssroom and I release Winter¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯lle for you


    after ss¡± | mutter but she shakes her head. She shows me the notepad.


    I can get to ss on my own. If you keep holding my hand and taking me then we¡¯ll both be teased. Let


    me do this myself please.


    I don¡¯t care about being teased but it¡¯s evident that Winter does and I sigh. ¡°Fine¡± | agree, even though


    I don¡¯t like it ¡°but if theres troublee and get me¡± I mutter and she nods, quietly going into the


    ssroom while I watch


    until the door closes.


    Naturally I¡¯mte to ss but I don¡¯t give a damn, merely scowling as the teacher lectures me on


    punctuality. I


    barely even remember what subject I¡¯m in let alone what I¡¯m supposed to be doing because my mind is


    on my little


    sister the whole time. I hope she¡¯s doing okay and that no one is harassing her. Johnathon has already


    pulled me


    aside and told me he¡¯d told other shifters to look out for her too. It was a nice gesture on his part but I


    don¡¯t see why he¡¯s going to so much trouble. From what I can see, Winter has shown no interest in him


    whatsoever. But he doesn¡¯t seem to be getting the hint or maybe he¡¯s just too stubborn for his own


    good. I groan and look at the clock which is ticking slowly, counting down the minutes until the bell


    finally rings. Winter might want me to stay away but that


    didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t keep watch from a distance and intervene on her behalf if someone dared touch


    or abuse her


    in any way.


    But she makes her way to her next ss without incident and I¡¯m somehow not surprised to find I¡¯m not


    the only one keeping a close eye from far away. Johnathon meets my eyes and gives a small nod of


    recognition before going into his own ssroom and I sidle over to mine. It looked like Winter was safe


    enough today after all.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Chapter 29


    Winter POV


    Damien has been in full on overprotective big brother mode all night and today while taking me to


    school. Don¡¯t get me wrong I appreciate it, after all it¡¯s a nice feeling but part of me is annoyed as well.


    He seems to think I¡¯m some


    helpless victim and while I¡¯m nervous about the fact I can¡¯t speak, I know that I¡¯m going to have to


    adjust to that and


    attend school whether I like it or not. I¡¯ve also noticed Alpha Johnathon keeping a close eye on me and


    it angers me


    even more. Why can¡¯t he just leave me alone? Why does he care so damn much, because if he had


    wanted a mate, he


    wouldn¡¯t have rejected me out of hand. Would he?


    My first ss goes miserably. The second the teacher leaves the room to photocopy some papers,


    Jessica butts


    her nose in. Somehow I¡¯m not even surprised.


    ¡°Winter¡± she said turning to me while the ss snickers ¡°I heard you can¡¯t talk anymore¡± she sings,


    getting up


    from her seat and sauntering over, throwing her groupies a big grin as they watch, eyes wide in


    anticipation. I know


    something¡¯sing and sure enough her hand shoots out, gripping my by the hair and she smacks my


    face into the


    desk while I gasp. I can¡¯t yell, can¡¯t shout, all I can do is make a small gasping noise as she giggles.


    ¡°Oh this is going to be so much fun¡± she deres as the whole ss erupts intoughter ¡°she¡¯s mute


    can you


    believe it. Poor little Winter¡± she drawls, slowly going back to her seat, evidently realizing the teacher is


    making his


    way back to the ssroom. I merely rub my cheek, and stare resolutely out of the window. I¡¯m not


    going to let them


    get to me, I chant to myself but I feel deted. I feel vulnerable without my voice. I feel even more


    afraid than I have


    before.


    I should have realized Jessica would take advantage of me not being able to call out. But part of me


    had hoped


    she might have an inkling ofpassion and leave me alone but she clearly has a heart of stone.


    There¡¯s nopassion or empathy in that girl at all, she¡¯s just a nasty b***h and I had better remember


    that if I want to survive


    the next few weeks of term.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The bell rings and I make sure that I¡¯m thest one to file out, wanting to make sure Jessica¡¯s made her


    way to her next ss, which thankfully isn¡¯t the same as mine. The teacher gives me a nce but says


    nothing. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ve ever helped me anyway and I¡¯m not about to start thinking they will now.


    I¡¯d have to be an j***t not to see my brother or Alpha Johnathon watching my every move as I walk to


    ss. I can feel them staring at me and it¡¯s embarrassing. I shouldn¡¯t need protection, I shouldn¡¯t be


    wasting their time when they need to go to ss as well. I¡¯ts almost a relief when it¡¯s lunchtime and I


    can escape outside. I never sit inside the cafeteria, it¡¯s far too crowded and there¡¯s far too many


    students for my liking. Instead I take my lunch and sit outside under a tree, breathing in the cool, fresh


    air and enjoying the warm sunshine. Then a shadow falls over me and I


    nce up to see that Jessica and her groupies have followed me. I swallow hard and frantically search


    for anyone to


    help but everyone pointedly looks away and theres no sign of my brother or Johnathon for that matter.


    ¡°Is it true your a murderer?¡± Jessica asks and I don¡¯t answer, wanting to get to my feet and she shoves


    me back


    down, my back hitting the trunk of the tree as I slide down. She smirks.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have it in you¡± she says mockingly and I stare up, blinking, waiting for her to do


    whatever it is she came to do and then leave.


    ¡°Thomas didn¡¯t deserve what you did to him, he was one of us Winter and we always take care of our


    own¡± she


    threatens and I tremble.


    Thankfully I hear a voice and it¡¯s Alpha Johnathon who looks pissed. ¡°Leave her alone¡± he growls and


    they


    scatter as he turns to me and helps me to my feet.


    ¡°You really need to learn to stand up for yourself¡± he scolds me and I just look at him. Jessica and her


    groupies


    outnumbered me ten to one and he wanted me to fight them with no wolf? Was he an i***t? Jessica¡¯s


    parents were rich and would have no problems getting me kicked out of school, does he not realize


    that? Although by now my


    grades didn¡¯t seem to matter to me, not like they once had. I¡¯ve changed and I know it¡¯s not for the


    better,


    I duck my head and hear him curse, as though realizing he¡¯s upset me. Without a word I start to make


    my way


    inside. He catches up to me and pulls my arm, halting me in my tracks. ¡°Winter I¡¯m sorry¡± he apologies


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean


    to make you upset, it¡¯s just that I hate to see you bullied and not take a stand against them. I don¡¯t


    understand what


    you¡¯re afraid of¡± he adds sounding exasperated. Of course he wouldn¡¯t understand, we¡¯re both from


    different worlds.


    He¡¯s an almighty powerful Alpha that can pretty much do whatever he wants without consequence. I¡¯m


    a lowly


    omega for now and am restricted by myck of power as well as have no one to look out for me. I can¡¯t


    do what I want


    without suffering the consequences and if I did stand up for myself I would most probably find myself


    being


    expelled. I feel tearse to my eyes. He had no idea how much I was suffering right now.


    All I saw in my nightmaresst night was Thomas¡¯s face, seeing every moment of my ordeal over and


    over until woke up, unable to scream, unable to do anything but force myself to try and sleep again so


    that Damien didn¡¯t realize just how scared and cowardly I was. They didn¡¯t know anything about me,


    either of them and I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll be able to move on as easily as they are expecting me to.


    I slowly release my arm, thinking about my situation. A n starts to form in my mind, one that I¡¯ve


    considered before but never had the heart to follow through on anymore. Now it seems to be the only


    option for me. Jessica¡¯s


    never going to stop and neither are her groupies. Damien can¡¯t be by my side every hour of the day


    and without my


    voice I¡¯m useless, unable to defend myself. There¡¯s only one thing for me to do, and as I walk away,


    plotting what i¡¯m


    about to do, I pray that one day Damien and even Alpha Johnathon will forgive me. Because the harder


    i think about


    it, the more certain of the nm.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    Chapter 30


    Damien POV


    Something¡¯s wrong, I can sense it but I can also see by the expression on Winter¡¯s face that today


    hasn¡¯t gone as well as I¡¯d hoped, even with myself and Johntahon looking over her. She¡¯s so quiet,


    walking slowly back to the car. She hasn¡¯t even looked me in the eyes, not once, and I feel concerned


    about her. Had something bad happened to her today? I¡¯d struggled to find her at lunch, having looked


    in the cafeteria and then outside. Apparently, Johnathon had been doing the same thing. I hadn¡¯t


    considered the fact that Winter wouldn¡¯t havee and got me, or that she would sit outside,


    especially with the loss of her voice.


    I want to ask, demand answers, but she stares out the window and I sigh, starting the car. Maybe she


    will write


    down everything when we get back home.


    ¡°Winter¡± I say quietly while driving and she finally looks right at me as I ponder the words to say. I don¡¯t


    want to upset her. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    She fidgets with her hands and stares down at the floor, tentatively shaking her head. I sigh. She¡¯s


    always been a


    terrible liar. Clearly there was something she wasn¡¯t telling me.


    ¡°Winter, were you hurt?¡±


    She shakes her head more adamently. I wish I could believe her but there¡¯s such a look on her face, it¡¯s


    clear she¡¯s trying to hide something from me. I just wish she trusted me enough to tell me what it was.


    We pull into the driveway and she almost scrambles out of her side, rushing to the front door and


    pulling on the


    handle. I raise my eyebrows. Ever since father was conveniently taken by Johnathon¡¯s men, I¡¯d been


    locking the door. We didn¡¯t have to worry about fathering back, but I was still worried about our


    safety. I take my time getting out of the car as she waits for me, her arms folded, looking impatient.


    ¡°I¡¯ming, I¡¯ming¡± I grumble and she stamps one foot on the ground. I pull out the front door key


    from my


    pocket and unlock the door, pushing it open and watching as she almost bolts upstairs. I debate


    whether to go after


    her and decide it might be best to let her have some space.


    I closed the door and locked it from the inside, going into the kitchen and staring miserably at the


    contents.


    There¡¯s barely anything in the refrigerator and I curse. It looks like I¡¯ll have to start picking up some


    hours at my


    casual job. Especially if I want to keep myself and Winter fed with a roof over our heads.


    My phone rings and I absently answer it, holding it to my ear as I rifle through cupboards.


    ¡°Did she make it home safe?¡± the voice asks and I roll my eyes. Of course it¡¯s Johnathon. He¡¯d


    practically forced


    me to give him my phone number. Stupid Alpha tone that you can¡¯t ignore, I think with a huff. He used it


    to his


    advantage.


    ¡°Yes she¡¯s made it home¡± I said, a little irritable. As if I can¡¯t take care of my own sister, I think a tad


    sarcastically.


    ¡°Good¡± he exhales and pauses for a moment ¡°how is she?¡±


    He sounds as if he genuinely cares and all I can think about is how he rejected her. He seems


    remorseful


    now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I said a little ungraciously, ¡°she seems to be alright but she won¡¯t talk to me about today


    and


    think something must have happened.¡±


    I nced up at the stairs and lowered my voice. ¡°She¡¯s hiding something.¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye on her¡± he instructs, and I almost want to swear at him. What did he think I was going to


    do? Leave


    her alone. I wasn¡¯t even that stupid.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?.


    ¡°Right well I need to go¡±, I snapped and before he could answer, I hung up the phone. It¡¯s takeout


    tonight, I


    decide, looking around the dismal kitchen and shuddering. The whole house still smells like dad and I


    begin to open


    up some windows, let some fresh air in. The whole ce still reeks of alcohol and cigarettes. It will take


    months


    before it smells nice again. I guess I¡¯ll have to start cleaning the house properly at some stage. Winter


    can help.


    nced upstairs. She still hasn¡¯te down and I slowly walk upwards. I try to be as quiet as I can.


    For all know, she¡¯s showering and that¡¯s why she¡¯s taking so long, but as I walk down the hallway I hear


    something surprising, something I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear. It¡¯s a strange noise and I know it¡¯s because


    she¡¯s mute, but there¡¯s no mistaking it. It¡¯s muffled but I still make it out. She¡¯s crying to herself and I


    find myself on the other side of the door, hand up to knock and hesitating. She¡¯d clearlye up to her


    room to cry and I don¡¯t know what to do. Do I knock on the door and go inside or do I leave her to cry?


    I¡¯m not good with crying females and I feel slightly panicked


    aus


    the more I hesitate.


    Finally, I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I knock and then barrel inside. It¡¯s not like she can answer anyway and


    she turns


    to look at me startled, tears flowing down her pale cheeks. I knelt, taking her face in my hands.


    ¡°Winter¡±, I say quietly, ¡°whatever it is you know you can talk to me, right? I¡¯m not going to abandon you,


    I just want you to trust me enough to tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    She reaches over and hastily grabs her notebook, scribbling something inside.


    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t tell you. Sorry Damien


    She stares at me with those big blue eyes of hers as I read. I get back up and walk to the doorway. I¡¯m


    not going to push. ¡°Well, when you¡¯re readye downstairs, I¡¯m ordering take out for dinner again.¡±


    I walk downstairs with a heavy heart. I¡¯ve no sooner closed the door before my little sister starts


    weeping again,


    Soor


    noisily and my heart gives a pang. What is it that¡¯s making her act this way and making her so


    miserable? It¡¯s times


    like these that I wish mother was still alive, she would know how tofort Winter in a heartbeat. She¡¯d


    always been


    good with us as children. Whereas I feel useless as the older brother who¡¯s clearly out of his depth


    when ites to


    helping orforting my little sister.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Chapter 31


    Winter POV


    It¡¯s my eighteenth birthday next week, which falls neatly into my n. I doubt Damien even remembers,


    he¡¯s not celebrated any of my birthdays before and it¡¯s not like Johnathon¡¯s going to know. All I have to


    do is hold on until then. Because then I can shift, I¡¯ll finally have my wolf and that is the most important


    aspect of my n.


    I¡¯m leaving this ce. I have no ties to my home, except for Damien and I don¡¯t want to be a burden to


    him. In my condition, unable to talk to him, I¡¯m not much of a sister, or someone he can talk to. I also


    know that he¡¯s nning


    omeon


    on getting a job to look after us both and while I would do the same, who would hire


    and while I would do the same, who would hire someone who was mute? I¡¯m not


    stupid, it was easy enough to see the expression on the doctor and Damien¡¯s face. My vocal chords


    have been


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    damaged beyond repair, it was only going to be more painful to have hope.


    I can¡¯t bear to go downstairs, see Damien because if I spend too much time with him in the next few


    days, then!


    might change my mind. I¡¯m in so much agony by my decision, that my chest hurts and it feels tight,


    tears welling up in the corner of my eyes. Would I hurt my brother for doing this? Or would he be


    relieved to no longer have me, a burden, to contend with? As for Johnathon? He confused me. It¡¯s like


    he couldn¡¯t bear to be too far from me, or maybe


    it was guilt for rejecting me? I¡¯d felt the mate bond sever, even if I hadn¡¯t really made a big deal of it. So


    he should be moving on with his life, just like I want to move on from mine. I refuse to feel bad about it.


    He¡¯ll find another mate, hell Jessica desperately wanted him and she always gets what she wants


    eventually. I¡¯d be surprised if he refused her


    advances a second time.


    I can¡¯t stay up here forever though, Damien¡¯s already suspicious and so I force myself toe out of


    my room


    and go downstairs where I can hear Damien on the phone, presumably to some friend of his. I¡¯m about


    to walk forward and let him know I¡¯m there when I hear his conversation and realize he¡¯s talking about


    me. But to who?


    ¡°Yes sir, I really appreciate you taking the time to call. So you¡¯re of the opinion that she won¡¯t ever be


    able to talk


    again¡± Damien sounds frustrated but I jolt, realizing he¡¯s talking to the doctor.


    ¡°What am I going to do? I can¡¯t be with her every hour of the day¡± Damien says exasperated and I


    flinch. He sounds so defeated, so broken as his voice cracks.


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s something you can do? Winter needs to be able to talk, I don¡¯t think you understand. I


    can¡¯t


    protect her if she can¡¯t tell me anything or scream out.¡±


    Tinch closer, seeing tears flowing down my brothers cheeks. I¡¯m absolutely heartbroken. This is what


    I¡¯ve turned


    my brother into. His concern is touching but he¡¯s so afraid for me. Am I that much of a weakling that he


    feels this


    way? That he needs to protect me while I¡¯m at school?


    ¡°No surgery will correct it¡± he whispers and he hangs his head. I so badly want to move forward and


    comfort


    him, but I¡¯m frantically blinking my own tears back. I was right that I was never going to speak again


    then. Somehow


    it still hurts even though I was prepared for it. Damien hangs up the phone and rests his head against


    the wall. I wait


    a minute and then make a huge noise as I walk into the kitchen, Damien springing back and hastily


    wiping tears from


    his face.


    ¡°Winter¡± he says thickly as I pretend not to notice ¡°I was just about to organize dinner. What do you


    want to


    order?¡± he asks and I shrug. I don¡¯t really care, it makes no difference to me. To his credit though he


    tries.


    ¡°Pizza again¡± | shake my head adamently. I¡¯ve never been a real fan of it.


    ¡°Chinese?¡±


    Another shake of my head. Guess I care after all.


    ¡°Indian¡± | nod excitedly. It¡¯s been forever since we had Indian and I loved spicy food. He gives me a


    small smile


    and then sits at the dining table, motioning for me to sit as well, looking extremely pale and biting his


    lip.


    ¡°Winter¡± he begins ¡°I have to tell you something and it¡¯s not good news.¡±


    I already know what he¡¯s going to tell me but I don¡¯t interrupt, waiting for him to speak and watching as


    he


    wrestles with his conscience.


    Finally he clears his throat and looks away, unable to meet my eyes.


    ¡°The doctor called while you were still upstairs¡± he whispers ¡°and I¡¯m really sorry but he say¡¯s there¡¯s no


    chance


    of your vocal chords repairing themselves, they were too shredded in the attack.¡±


    I know this but my body slumps anyway, He reaches over and takes my hand and I let him, not used to


    this


    contact from him so often. I love him and it¡¯s killing me that he¡¯s feeling so wretched over it. Even when


    he beat me,


    with father, I loved him as a big brother. It might seem weak of me but i¡¯d always hoped one day he¡¯d


    realize I wasn¡¯t


    Un


    responsible for mother¡¯s death and treat me like a little sister. Now my wish hade true and I was


    nning on abandoning him. God I sucked as a person.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get through this¡± he was saying, squeezing my hand and I nod, my eyes shiny with tears. He


    sucks in a


    breath.


    ¡°I swear we¡¯ll look into another opinion, maybe another doctor can fix it¡± he suggests and I give him a


    small


    smile. Whatever made him feel better.


    No doctor is fixing this. I¡¯m not broken I think to myself. There were plenty of people who were mute


    that led


    perfectly happy lives. I could do the same. I don¡¯t need to be fixed. I hear my stomach growl and pat it


    as my brother


    gives a sniffle and a smile.


    ¡°I guess I better order that Indian¡± heughs teasing me and my heart fills with joy to hear himughing


    again


    instead of looking so morose.


    He gets on the phone and I lean back in the chair and listen, content to look out the window. One more


    week, I


    think to myself. I could hide from Damien I think or I could spend as much time with him as I could


    before I left. Even


    though it stings I decide thetter. I want to get to know my big brother but I wouldn¡¯t change my mind


    about


    leaving. I was doing what¡¯s best for both of us and getting away from Johnathon¡¯s overbearing attitude


    as well. I


    would be severing the mate bond permanently and possibly bing a rogue but it was my life and


    my choice. I


    need freedom, and I wasn¡¯t going to get it here.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Chapter 32


    Winter POV


    It¡¯s the day before my eighteenth birthday and it¡¯spletely slipped Damien¡¯s mind. He¡¯s been too


    upset and distraught over the fact I¡¯ll never speak again, to even give it a thought. Johnathon continues


    to slip through the


    corridors and follow me from ss to ss. If he wasn¡¯t an Alpha he¡¯d be in detention for being sote


    to his own.


    That also reminds me, I wonder how on earth he was expelled from two other schools. Who would dare


    expel an


    Alpha? It boggles my mind.


    I¡¯m so busy staring out the window, lost in my daydreams and plotting, that I fail to notice thest


    school bell has rung and that everyone, almost everyone has left. Except for me. How could I have


    been so stupid? The only


    reason Jessica and her Cronies had stayed away was because of Johnathon and Damien. Everyone


    had noticed them


    following me. I gulp as I look at her and the small group of friends that have gathered in a crowd around


    my desk. Where the hell was Johnathon and Damien when I actually needed them for heavens sake.


    Jessica leans over, her long blonde hair trailing over her shoulder as she pushes it back impatiently.


    ¡°You know


    you never got punished for Killing Thomas¡± she murmurs to me ¡°the police just let it go but I know that


    you¡¯re a


    murderer. Thomas was our friend and because of you he¡¯s dead¡± she snaps, her eyes shing ck for


    a moment.


    Just like me she¡¯s close to her eighteenth birthday and her wolf is dangerously close to the surface.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I shake my head. Thomas deserved to die, I want to cry out, protest, after everything he¡¯d tried to do to


    me. But of course I can¡¯t utter a sound as sheughs and motions towards her group.


    ¡°Get her¡± she orders and I push back my chair and try to run, muffled screaminging from my


    mouth as


    someone pulls at my hair, dragging me to the floor, my back hitting the hard wooden floor. They drag


    me to the doorway and I nce through, my heart sinking as I see the corridor ispletely deserted.


    ¡°Your brother and Damien have been dyed for a bit¡± Jessicaughs and I flinch. She knew exactly


    what I was thinking, but what would have distracted them both froming to my side? It had to have


    been something


    extremely important.


    One of the boys, whose name, I strangely don¡¯t remember, grabs me and roughly begins to shove me


    towards the door. The girls surround me and I¡¯m stuck, going in the direction they are motioning to. I


    start to panic, my chest


    heaving frantically, as I see where we are going. The forest where the trees will hide me from sight and


    I wave my arms wildly, kicking and scratching as they pull me with them, until we are a fair distance


    inside.


    Ouch. That stung. Jessica takes great delight in kicking me to the ground, my body rolling on the hard


    wooden


    dirt, leaves and debris all over me and even tangled in my hair as Iy there, looking up at them all as


    they gather in a


    circle around me. They are all smiling and enjoying this. Nopassion or empathy in them at all.


    ¡°We decided we would punish you for murdering Thomas, seeing as the police aren¡¯t interested.¡±


    I begin to shake in fear. What was this? Clearly it was revenge and it was going to be brutal, I had no


    doubts


    about that.


    Another kick and I curl up into a fetal position, each of them taking turns to kick or spit on me. It¡¯s the


    most humiliating and degrading experience of my life and tears flow down my cheeks. Why can¡¯t ljust


    be left alone? I¡¯m so close to leaving all of this behind me. One more night and I would have been gone


    from their lives forever,


    Something glints in the light and my eyes which are bleary and narrowed focus in on a dagger being


    held by


    Jessica. She¡¯s wearing gloves and I know instinctively that means the de at least is silver. I flinch


    and crawl


    cover


    en som


    backwards, scrapes and bruises stinging all over my body, my shirt and pants covered in dirt and even


    some of my blood stter.


    ¡°Mmmm¡± I try to say. But this just makes them giggle.


    ¡°Do it already. Her brother and f*****g Johnathon will be here soon. Come on¡± the other boy urges,


    looking over his shoulder nervously. I re at them all, the girls pushing me back down, everytime I try


    to get to my feet.


    VO


    Theres a wide smile on Jessica¡¯s face and it¡¯s chilling to see. I feel cold inside, numb. As though I¡¯m not


    even


    inside my body but outside of it, watching everything going on at a distance.


    ¡°Hold her¡± she snaps and both boys drag me upright, holding firmly to my arms as I struggle wildly,


    watching Jessica approach, the de glinting in the sunlight.


    She stops right in front of my face and with no hesitation she drives it into my thigh, my screams


    muffled as the


    silver begins to burn my flesh. God it hurt. It was excruciating and made worse by the fact she kept it


    there, instead of


    yanking it out straight away.


    I whimper. She yanks the dagger out and then looks at my ribcage, a calcting look in her eyes. She


    stabs me


    and the only reason I¡¯m upright now is because the boys are holding me up, otherwise I would have


    copsed to the


    floor in pain right now.


    ¡°This is for Thomas¡± Jessica whispers furiously, as I stare at her weakly, blood dripping down my body,


    the


    dagger held securely in her palm. ¡°This is for turning Damien against me¡± she utters, stabbing me again


    ¡°and this¡± she hisses, my body slumping now, the boys loosening their grip as they realize I¡¯m barely


    conscious ¡°is because Johnathon still wants you, you pathetic little b***h¡± she finishes with onest


    stab. She pulls it out, the boys leaving me to copse on the floor, my hands pressed against my


    wounds. She spits on me onest time and the others follow suit. Then I hear them leaving as I gasp


    for breath, my breathing in short spurts as I try to drag in


    oxygen.


    I struggle to my feet. I could go back and tell Damien what happened, or I could bring my n forward


    a notch. I¡¯m afraid they mighte back and even though I feel myself staggering and barely holding


    on, I start to walk even further into the forest. No one knows it but theres a cave nearby, one that I¡¯ve


    found and spent time in whenever I need sanctuary and that¡¯s where I head to now. I need somewhere


    to hide and the stream close by will hide my scent.


    All I have to do is get there, and make sure that my blood trail doesn¡¯t betray me. Sorry Damien, I think


    hazily to myself, I just can¡¯t take it anymore. You¡¯ll forgive me for this one day. Or at least I hope he will


    as I use the trees to


    steady myself, forcing each step forward. Just a little more and I can rest. Just a little more.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Chapter 33


    Damien POV


    ¡°I know that it seems a long time away boys, but you really do have to think about your future¡± the


    headmaster


    is saying in that annoying nasal voice of his. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, wanting nothing more than


    to poke my


    tongue out at him. Johnathon is sitting beside me, looking just as frustrated, but the headmaster is the


    one person can¡¯t go against without being suspended or expelled.


    Who gives a damn about the future, I think a bit bitterly. Winter¡¯s had been ruined and it had been one


    of my


    friends¡¯ who¡¯d done it to her. I wasn¡¯t stupid. She tried to hide it from me but I knew she was having


    nightmares


    every night. I heard her muffled gasps when she woke up. I still stayed outside her room every night


    and I knew she was annoyed by it. I guess I¡¯ve gone from being a disinterested older brother to an


    overprotective one in a short


    amount of time. Who would have thought it?


    ¡°You need to think about college and where you are going. What grades are you going to need?¡± God


    he was rambling on and on. Was he ever going to shut up? How much longer was going to have to sit


    here and listen to him,


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    for heaven¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Johnathon, have you chosen a college yet?¡±


    ¡°No¡± Johnathon answers sullenly and we share a look, one that sympathizes with the other. It¡¯s clear


    neither of us is particrly thrilled to be sitting in the headmaster¡¯s office.


    ¡°Damien, what about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to college, I need to get a job¡±, I answer politely and the headmaster seemed confused


    by my


    answer.


    ¡°You have to go to college. It will set you up with a bright future¡±, he tells me sternly and I shrug, not


    caring if it¡¯s


    rude.


    ¡°I also need to eat and have a roof over my head¡± Imented dryly. Ha, take that, I think smugly to


    myself. He sits back and regards me thoughtfully. What does he know?


    ¡°I heard your father has disappeared¡± he says, trying to be delicate and failing abysmally.


    ¡°Yep, and I intend to take care of myself and Winter¡± I say carelessly, and he looks a bit guilty for a


    moment. What


    was that about?


    ¡°How is your sister doing?¡±


    I blinked back the tears threatening toe to the surface. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Sometimes she seems to be


    fine and dealing with everything and then other times not so much¡±, I admit, hating myself for showing


    weakness in front of the headmaster and in particr Johnathon, who¡¯s hanging on my every word, his


    face serious and his eyes trained


    on me.


    ¡°Will she recover her voice?¡± the headmaster probes, his eyes gentle and trained solely on myself. I


    reluctantly shake my head and see a disappointed look on Johnathon¡¯s face. I hadn¡¯t had a chance to


    tell him. Alright, I did, but I¡¯d held back from telling him, because I didn¡¯t feel like it was any of his


    business once he¡¯d rejected her. Not that you


    could tell an Alpha that directly without getting your head ripped off.


    ¡°No¡± I whisper and the headmaster looks saddened by the news but also not surprised. I guess I was


    one of the only ones who¡¯d hoped that she would. Maybe I¡¯d let my imagination run away from me as a


    means to cope.


    ¡°Look¡± the headmaster says, looking between Johnathon and myself, ¡°if you both decide on a college, I


    can help


    you or the guidance counsellor. Damien, if you or your sister need help, then we can arrange for social


    services if that


    would be easier. You just have to say the words¡±, he adds, and I stare at him, absolutely incredulous.


    Did he really


    think I would let social services take my sister from me? Over my dead body, I think fiercely, scowling at


    him.


    ¡°Can I leave now¡± I say snidely and he blinks at me, as though wondering why I¡¯m suddenly so angry.


    ¡°Certainly¡± the headmaster says pleasantly, looking at the clock. The old man had kept us in the study


    for close


    to a bloody hour with his drivelling. I needed to get the hell out of there.


    ¡°Thank you¡± I say, forcing myself to be polite as I stand up, grimacing and shaking his bby hand while


    Johnathon does the same. We leave the study in a rush, breathing in fresh air in relief. The office had


    smelt damp and of cigarettes. We knew the man smoked, he absolutely reeked, but I guess when


    you¡¯re the head of the school you


    can get away with anything you want. Like I care.


    I know exactly where Winter¡¯s ss is, but I¡¯m not shocked to find that she¡¯s not waiting for me. I


    should have


    sent word about the meeting but the headmaster had grabbed me on the way to her in the hallway and


    I hadn¡¯t been


    able to refuse. Johnathon gave a huff and I cast him a sidelong nce. What was his problem?


    ¡°She¡¯s long gone¡± he says, sounding disappointed. I roll my eyes. He¡¯s bloody obsessed with winter


    and it was bing annoying. Especially with him being an Alpha.


    ¡°Can you me her¡± I snap back in response. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have waited for a whole hour either. She¡¯s


    probably


    walked home¡± | mutter and he sighs. I can¡¯t hold it in anymore, I feel like I¡¯m going to explode and I turn


    to him in a


    rage.


    ¡°Listen, you need to stop with this bullshit man. You rejected Winter. Remember¡± I vent, not holding


    back ¡°. You didn¡¯t want her and now you follow her around like a bloody puppy. It¡¯s annoying. She¡¯s my


    sister and I¡¯m the one


    who should be protecting her.¡±


    He blinks, shocked that someone would speak to him like that. I guess no one tells you the truth when


    your an


    Alpha, but man could he get a hint for heaven¡¯s sake? Winter wanted nothing to do with him.


    ¡°The mate bond didn¡¯tpletely sever¡± he mutters and my jaw almost drops to the ground in disbelief.


    How


    could that happen? The wheels begin to turn in my head. ¡°The only way that happens¡± I say slowly, the


    penny


    beginning to drop ¡°is if you¡¯re not a hundred percent certain you want to reject the person.¡± I re at


    him.


    ¡°Are you telling me that you weren¡¯t a hundred percent sure? Because if that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯re


    going to feel


    everything on your side, whereas Winter won¡¯t feel anything except maybe a strong like for you.¡±


    He looks at the ground miserably and I feel a small spurt of sympathy for him. A very small one. ¡°I


    know¡± he


    whispers, ¡°If****d up okay. I either need to reject her fully or choose her as my mate. This still being tied


    to her is slowly killing me.¡±


    We both give each other an understanding nce and I watch him leave, feeling more of a kinship with


    the


    Alpha, who seems to be haunted by a decision he had made.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Chapter 34


    Winter POV


    The cave is small, dark and dank. It reeks of some sort of animal¡¯s piss but it¡¯s well hidden and


    camouged. I¡¯m


    fairly certain it¡¯s not bear piss at any rate and, for all I know, the creature it belongs to has moved on. I


    lean against


    the rough, hard, rocky edges and let myself slowly slip down to a sitting position, both my legs right in


    front of me. I can¡¯t move, my shirt is stered to my side where all the stabbing marks are and I feel


    hot, feverish all over. It still


    stings even now and I slowly peel up my shirt to have a proper look. My eyes, thankfully due to my


    shifter genes, are


    able to see quite well in the dark.


    The blood has stopped dripping, thankfully, and from what I can see the wounds have started to scab


    over. I close my eyes in relief. If I¡¯d had my wolf, the silver would have had an even bigger impact than


    it had. It¡¯s cold in the


    cave and I shiver slightly as I let my shirt fall back down. I¡¯d bent down to drink from the stream and


    almost copsed right there and then from the pain. My trail, however, has been hidden and I know I¡¯m


    safe for a little while at least


    before I need to move on.


    I wonder what Damien¡¯s doing, whether he¡¯s even realized I¡¯m missing yet. It¡¯s been over an hour since


    school finished, so he should have some sort of inkling by now. I feel a moment of regret that I¡¯m


    choosing to leave him like


    this. I have written a note but I was supposed to leave it in the kitchen for him tomorrow and it¡¯s safely


    tucked away


    in my little desk. Maybe he¡¯ll find it? He¡¯d have to search my room though. Had Johnathon felt my pain?


    Then again, guess he shouldn¡¯t, not with our mate bond severed. That, I guess, is a small blessing in


    itself. It means I have more


    of a chance of getting away.


    It begins to rain outside and I sigh. I¡¯ve always loved the rain and the way it made the pine seem even


    stronger when you smelt it and the soothing sounds as it hit the trees and the ground. Even when there


    was thunder, I¡¯d always been fascinated. I inch back further into the cave, swearing silently to myself as


    my body protests, all my muscles feeling like they are on fire. I might like the rain, but right now thest


    thing I need is to get soaked to the bone, even if I consider that it might make me feel slightly cooler.


    I stay there, keeping an eye out for any signs of wild creaturesing close, my ears strained for any


    strange


    noises. It seems to be clear and I rx slightly, still panting from the pain, my eyes blurred, everything


    hard to focus


    marathon after being stabbed. Or move at all.


    The rain stops just like that and I crane my neck, seeing that the sun is beginning to set. That means


    that there¡¯s


    only a few hours until it gets dark and that means it¡¯s going to get extremely cold in the cave. I shiver,


    wishing I had a


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    nket or even a damn jumper on. How was I supposed to know I was going to need it? It had been a


    perfectly sunny


    day this morning. My shirt has rips and tears through it and I sigh. It was one of my favorites too. Just


    my luck. I don¡¯t


    even dare think of heading home to get spare clothes. Damien would freak and then he¡¯d never let me


    out of his


    damn sight again. It¡¯s best not to risk it.


    Thuddle against the wall and bring my legs up slowly, wincing as pain reverberates through my entire


    body.


    Heat seems to re through me and i moan, muffled, my hands and legs feeling shaky and my body


    trembling all


    over. Was it my imagination or did the cave seem to be well, longer? The distance to the entrance or


    exit seemed to be


    further away, but how was that possible?


    I close my eyes tight, my head dropping backwards against the wall with a thud. Everything hurts. It


    wasn¡¯t an


    easy task getting to the cave and at one point I was certain I wouldn¡¯t make it and contemted going


    back for help. The sound of twigs and leaves crunching beneath footsteps makes my head whip back


    up, my eyes blearily looking towards the entrance. I¡¯m in no position to run or fight off whoever is


    Whatever it is, thankfully, he has no interest in the cave whatsoever and my head pounding and my lips


    and


    throat dry, I quietly lean back against the wall. If I¡¯m lucky, I¡¯ll be safe inside here for the next few days


    or however


    long it takes to heal. In fact, even if I hold on until tomorrow night, I¡¯ll be able to shift. It will be my first


    one as well, considering it¡¯s my eighteenth birthday, but my god, that was going to be useful in this


    situation.


    I can¡¯t wait to see what my wolf looks like. It¡¯s hard to picture her, but I imagine a delicate, silver or


    gray-looking


    wolf with big eyes and a cute adorable tail. I wish I could speak to her, but that only happens after your


    transformation, so i¡¯ll have to wait a little longer. I can be patient though, especially since it means I


    won¡¯t have to be alone, not so long as I have my wolf with me. The moon will be full tomorrow night and


    it will light up the forest. It¡¯s the perfect opportunity to go for a run and leave the territory. All have to do


    is reject my pack and I¡¯ll be known as a rogue, a wolf who has no pack or home and merely travels in


    search of one or remains on their lonesome. Some go crazy fromck ofpany and others choose


    to go bad. I won¡¯t though. Because part of me is hoping that I¡¯ll be able


    to find a pack to call home, one that¡¯s vastly different to this one, where I can make a new start and a


    new life. One


    where I finally feel epted for whm and one where I¡¯m a valued pack member. Does such a pack


    exist? Or am I


    dreaming?


    I start to feel nauseous and promptly throw up next to me, wiping my mouth in disgust, my wounds


    smarting


    with every move. I wrinkle my nose at the smell, which is disgusting by the way, and back away slightly,


    the cave


    feeling like it¡¯s spinning around me until I¡¯m so confused I don¡¯t even know which way I¡¯m moving. My


    eyes begin to


    close and my head throbs like you wouldn¡¯t believe. I try to hold on but before I know it, my body has


    dropped


    <ppletely to the ground and I wee the darkness that obliterates me.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Chapter 35


    Damien POV


    I¡¯ve just gotten home and it¡¯s still dark inside, none of the lights having been turned on. I swear and turn


    on the


    kitchen light and go looking for Winter. The least she could have done is light up the house, especially


    since I can see


    rainclouds gathering and it¡¯s so dark inside the house that it¡¯s difficult to see clearly. But when I go


    upstairs there¡¯s no sign of her. Perhaps she¡¯s in the bathroom, I think, and go and check. Then I


    checked each room methodically, calling out her name. There¡¯s no sign of her anywhere and I feel


    dread rise from the pit of my stomach. Something is wrong, I just know it.


    ¡°S**t¡± | swear. So she hadn¡¯t walked home by herself after all, like I had assumed. What had happened


    then? |


    don¡¯t know why, but I begin to search her room, in case she¡¯s left some sort of sign about where she


    might have gone. I don¡¯t think Jessica and her cronies would have the guts to do anything to Winter,


    especially against Johnathon¡¯s


    wishes. I also know sometimes she likes to be alone. I¡¯m not sure where, but every so often she¡¯d slip


    out ande


    back hourster, a small smile on her face. Like her own personal haven that only she knew about. Her


    own little


    sanctuary, away from father and me.


    I rifle through her desk and that¡¯s when I see the envelope, with my name written on it in neat cursive


    writing.


    My hand is shaking as I pull it out and I quickly rip the envelope open as I sit down on her bed. It¡¯s a


    letter addressed to me and, with my heart in my throat, I begin to read it.


    Dear Damien


    If you are reading this, then it means I¡¯ve done what I nned to do and left. It¡¯s nothing against you,


    but I can¡¯t bear the thought of staying in this pack any longer. I¡¯ve never truly felt like I belonged here


    anyway.


    I¡¯m afraid, every day Damien. Initially, it was because it was either you or father taking your frustrations


    out on me, always looking over my shoulder, wondering which of you is going to hit me next, what


    would I do to upset you. It became the norm when it¡¯s anything but normal. You were my family and you


    both treated me like garbage. Instead of the daughter and sister that I was.


    I know you¡¯re trying to make up for it all. You¡¯ve started being the older, bigger, brother I always


    wanted, but it¡¯s toote. The pack hates me. I¡¯m never safe, not even at school. The Luna and Alpha


    don¡¯t even know of my existence because of where we live and the students in the school love to bully


    me, because they saw you bullying me at


    school.


    I¡¯m sorry for being such a coward and not telling you, but I was afraid you would try and stop me. I don¡¯t


    want to


    be stopped. I need to do this, Damien. I¡¯ve wanted to leave ever since Johnathon rejected me straight


    away. I¡¯m never


    going to find happiness while I live here, or even love. I want what mother and father had before she


    died. They loved


    each other unconditionally and they were always affectionate in front of us. If father hadn¡¯t changed,


    maybe we


    would have stayed a happy family instead of being such a dysfunctional one.


    I¡¯m sorry that mother died because of me, but it wasn¡¯t my fault and honestly you med me anyway.


    Damien, even when you hit me, or punished me, I still loved you. I¡¯ve never stopped loving you as my


    brother. But I want a life for myself. I want to live in a pack that cares about me as a person and who


    epts me for who I am. Where I can be myself without having to look over my shoulder or worry


    about being bullied as / walk down the halls in school. Where I don¡¯t need you or Damien to keep watch


    over me while I attend ss.


    I need to be free, Damien. While / stay here, it¡¯s like I¡¯m stuck in a cage, unable to be free and unable


    to leave. /


    know that losing my voice permanently has made things harder for both of us, but I¡¯m willing to ept


    that I¡¯ll be


    mute forever. I¡¯m not broken. I don¡¯t need to be fixed, all I needed was the love of a brother, that was


    all. That was


    what you gave me Damien, and I¡¯m so incredibly thankful for it.


    Do me a favour. Take care of yourself and don¡¯t worry about me. Don¡¯t go looking for me. I¡¯ve already


    made up my


    mind and you can¡¯t drag me back. Let me do this. Let me live again. When I find a ce to call home,


    I¡¯ll send for you.


    I won¡¯t forget about you. But I need to take this time and travel, be independent instead of relying on


    other people. /


    need to find myself and discover what I want for once instead of people choosing for me. I need to get


    away from the


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    memory of Thomas and what happened. I can¡¯t do that here.


    m


    nasd


    I love you so much and I hope one day you¡¯ll forgive me for leaving you like this. But I couldn¡¯t bear to


    see your face if I told you. This just seemed the easier way.


    I¡¯ll see you again one day. Love your little sister, Winter xoxoxo


    I crumpled the piece of paper in my fist. This was my fault. I¡¯d driven my little sister away and god it


    killed me


    inside to know it. She¡¯d been having a hard time at school and at home because I had been so much


    like my father


    towards her. Now she¡¯d run off to find another pack and part of me honestly couldn¡¯t me her. I¡¯m


    actually


    surprised she didn¡¯t go sooner. Life had been hell for her and it was partly due to me.


    l debate going after her, but then I feel a sense of remorse and defeat. She¡¯d said not to go after her,


    had written


    it implicitly, and who was I to go against her wishes? This one time, it felt like I needed to listen to what


    she wanted,


    not what I thought she should do. If she needed time to travel and to heal, that¡¯s what I should give her.


    It¡¯s the least


    she deserves and she has every right to demand it. Even if I feel cold inside. Anything could happen to


    her out there


    but from the sounds of it she was in more danger staying. It¡¯s the most difficult choice I¡¯ve ever had to


    make, fighting the urge to go and find her, let alone dragging her back. She needed this. I had no right


    to make her even more miserable than she apparently already was.


    I throw the piece of paper away and bury my face in my hands. I feel tears slowly trickle down my


    cheeks and I let


    them. I feel broken inside. I had just lost my baby sister who was god knows where, one afternoon and


    I was partly to me. So was Johnathon. s**t. I forgot about Johnathon. I nce down at the discarded


    paper in trepidation. I was


    going to have to tell him about the letter and I knew, just knew, that it was not going to go down well


    with the big


    bad

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Chapter 36


    Johnathon POV


    I¡¯m not going to lie, I¡¯m fairly concerned about Winter. I mean, she could have at least waited for us to


    escort her


    home for heaven¡¯s sake. As it is, it¡¯s the next morning and I¡¯m impatiently waiting by the gate to see her


    and that sted annoying brother Damien of hers. Alright, maybe Damien¡¯s not that bad, but he is still


    annoying. There are


    other students trickling in and lignore the looks, the curiosity on their stupid faces. I only have one


    person I¡¯m


    interested in seeing and that¡¯s Winter. No one else. I ignore the small voice in my head that reminds me


    I rejected her


    and have no business being this protective towards her.


    So, when Damien slowlyes trudging through the crowd, I¡¯m puzzled to see he¡¯s all alone, instead


    of with his


    sister Winter. Had he left her at home? All by herself? I feel my anger rising and I shove through


    everyone, the others scattering out of my way. Good. Damien looks up and I swear he¡¯s been crying,


    his eyes are all red and puffy, there are dried tear tracks on his cheeks. It¡¯s unnerving to see a young


    man as tough as him in such a mess. Had something happened to Winter? I began to feel a sense of


    panic. No don¡¯t let it be that, let it be something else, anything else.


    ¡°We need to talk¡± Damien says in a low voice, and I grabbed his jumper and fairly dragged him into the


    school


    building and into an empty ssroom, before releasing him.


    ¡°Talk¡± I snapped, crossing my arms and glowering at him ¡°where the hell is your sister Damien? Where


    is


    Winter?¡±


    He hesitates and my eyes turn pitch ck in warning as he gulps and looks away, too frightened to


    look me in


    the eyes. My impatience is mounting.


    ¡°She ran away¡± he finally says and for a minute I stood there in disbelief, unable toprehend it. He


    had to be


    joking. Winter was one of the most stubborn girls I¡¯ve ever seen. She wouldn¡¯t have just left. I refuse to


    believe that.


    But a small part of me thinks that it¡¯s true.


    ¡°Exin¡± I boom as he flinches from the tone of my Alpha voice. He cringes as he sits in a chair,


    looking defeated


    and more than a little miserable.


    ¡°She left a note¡± he whispered, ¡°saying that she couldn¡¯t bear to stay here any longer. I guess the


    bullying finally


    got to her¡±, he exins, and I feel like throttling him. I knew Winter had been bullied but I¡¯d believed the


    students


    had stopped when I put the word out. Had my wishes been disrespected? I¡¯d kill anyone who¡¯d dared


    touch her. I¡¯d make it my personal mission to make their lives a living hell.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them¡± I dered, but Damien shook his head at me.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore¡± he exims, waving his arms around in his distress, ¡°she¡¯s gone,


    Johnathon, and she¡¯s noting back. Because of me¡± he hisses, ¡°and father she left, she wants to


    find a pack to call home¡±, he


    sniffs, ¡°because this one has only caused her suffering and misery.¡±


    I¡¯m silent for a moment. I never realized just how much Winter was going through and how much I must


    have


    made it worse by trying to reject her. All I¡¯d cared about had been myself and what I wanted.


    ¡°We have to find her¡± I said in desperation, and Damien began tough. It¡¯s almost like he¡¯s hysterical.


    ¡°She¡¯s long gone. I won¡¯t go against her wishes, not when this is what she wants. I¡¯ve already done


    enough to destroy het,, I won¡¯t take this away from her as well¡±, he snaps, and I glower at him.


    ¡°You would leave your sister out there, alone, where anything could happen¡± I scoffed, and he


    shrugged, looking


    down at the floor.


    ¡°I would leave my sister out there to discover who she is and find a pack that loves her, a ce that is a


    sanctuary to her, rather than try and drag her back and make her miserable again¡± he exins, and I


    look away, my


    jaw tight.


    Why couldn¡¯t I have just been decent to the poor girl? I could have given her a chance before dragging


    her out of


    a ssroom in front of other students and rejecting her. Of course, she would have been teased for


    that. Her life must


    have been hell and I¡¯d added to it without even being aware of it. I feel a pang in my heart and my wolf


    is


    heartbroken. Our mate has abandoned us and I¡¯m not stupid, I know there¡¯s every chance that she


    mighte across


    a second chance mate in her travels if she went to various packs. That hurts and I feel cold at the


    thought.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have rejected her¡± Damien tells me hollowly. ¡°I think it was thest straw for her, you


    know. Like


    she wasn¡¯t worthy of being loved. I messed up big time but you, you were like the final nail in the


    coffin.¡±


    I exhale. He¡¯s not wrong. If she was already fed up with everything, then I¡¯d clearly made her want to


    run away. I


    feel a sense of remorse and regret my actions, even if it¡¯s too little, toote. My wolf blocks me and I


    have to say that


    stings too. We¡¯re normally the best of friends, but nottely.


    ¡°I stuffed up but there¡¯s nothing I can do to change it now¡± I say, just as miserable. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth,


    Damien,


    I am sorry¡±, I offer, and the boy merely stares at me.


    ¡°What are you going to do now? You still have the mate bond but it¡¯s not going to do you any good now


    that


    she¡¯s gone¡±, Damien points out, and I wince at his directness. This sted mate bond. I am


    considering my options, I


    could go search for my mate and find her or I could do the right thing and let her gopletely. My


    heart wants to


    find her, drag her back kicking and screaming, but that would just be torture for her. I took a deep


    breath. Damien


    looks at me expectantly, my wolf sends me vibes of utter hatred. But this needs to be done. Winter


    deserves to be


    en


    happy, she deserves to find someone who can give her all of their heart rather than a small part of it.


    She deserves to


    be cherished and adored and she deserves to feel safe. I¡¯m not that person. I¡¯m too indecisive and I


    constantly


    struggle with the idea of epting her mate. Hopefully her other one, should she find it will ept her


    without


    question.


    I took a deep breath. This is going to hurt far worse than anything I¡¯ve ever faced. ¡°I Johnathon of the


    blue moon


    pack fully reject Winter from the silver crescent pack as my mate, now and forever¡±, I finished in a


    whisper. This time


    the pain is so bad, my legs buckle and Damien rushes to catch me. My entire chest is on fire and my


    heart is beating


    rapidly. Then, just as quickly, it fades away and I know this time, the mate bond is gonepletely, that


    there¡¯s no


    small sliver left behind.


    ¡°It¡¯s done¡±, I tell him regretfully ¡°I got rid of it for real this time.¡±


    Damien looks slightly upset but gives a nod. ¡°It¡¯s for the best¡±, he says, and I agree, even if my heart


    continues to


    hurt at the loss of a mate.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Be free Winter and good luck finding another mate. I think to myself as the bell rings and I make my


    way to the


    ssroom. I hope you find whatever it is you¡¯re searching for.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    Chapter 37


    Winter POV


    I don¡¯t know what it is that finally woke me, whether it¡¯s the throbbing headache I have or the strange


    burning


    sensation that¡¯s all over my body. It¡¯s intense and I swear it¡¯s getting worse as the seconds pass by. I


    slowly got up,


    putting a hand to my head and I nced down to see that all of my stab wounds were fully healed.


    There¡¯s no pain


    whatsoever as I move and I stagger to the entrance of my little cave, peering outside and promptly


    swearing. f**k.


    How long have I been out for? Too long, I¡¯m guessing.


    Thest thing I remember is it being past sunset and then nothing. But I suspect it¡¯s been more than a


    few hours since I passed out, not just because of my dry parched throat or growling stomach, but


    because it¡¯s a full moon outside. It¡¯s been more than a goddamn day and it¡¯s now my eighteenth


    birthday.


    My legs buckle as the heat gets to excruciating levels, my body prone on the ground. I¡¯m helpless to


    stop the


    pain, tears welling in my eyes as I pray for it to stop, feeling like I might be dying, it¡¯s that bad. No, I¡¯m


    not being melodramatic. I scream as my left leg suddenly moves and breaks. It looks like I¡¯m about to


    go through my first shift


    and all alone at that. I can¡¯t risk any wild animals hearing my screams in case it alerts them to my


    presence, so I


    whimper as my bones all begin to crack and break, adjusting themselves. It¡¯s the worst pain I¡¯ve ever


    felt in my entire


    life and it seems like a lifetime. I¡¯m panting heavily, not sure I¡¯m going to make it without passing back


    out when suddenly the heat begins to subside and my bones stop moving. Is it over? I move everything


    experimentally and then, slowly, get to my feet, looking down to see I have paws! Well, tiny paws


    anyway.


    Hello Winter, I¡¯m your woll Sabriel.


    I¡¯ve never been so excited about hearing another voice.


    I like the name Sabriel, it¡¯s beautiful, I tell her and she gives a littleugh, sounding pleased. She


    seemed to like


    thepliment.


    Winter is just as beautiful for a beautiful girl such as yourself.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Sabriel, I really want to see what we look like. Is it safe to go to the stream? We can look at our


    reflection.


    Everything is scarily in focus and I can see so far in the distance it¡¯s like having my own personal


    binocrs attached to my face. I can smell so many different scents it¡¯s hard to tell what¡¯sing from


    what, almost like I have


    to unravel each one to determine it.


    It¡¯s safe to go to the stream. There are only small animals around and there are no humans or other


    shifters. We won¡¯t be in any danger.


    It feels surreal walking on my paws and I¡¯m tentative, my paws sinking into the hard dirt earth as I make


    my way


    towards the little stream nearby. Once I¡¯m there, I peer into the water and see our reflection. I inhaled in


    shock.


    We¡¯re beautiful Sabriel, l enthuse, looking at every single detail in awe. Our fur is silver but it shimmers


    and


    glistens, something I haven¡¯t seen before in other wolves. I¡¯m silver all over except for my paws, which


    are white and


    just as shiny. Sabriel fairly preens at mypliments.


    There¡¯s only one thing that concerns me and I¡¯m hesitant to bring it up to Sabriel, but I have to know.


    We¡¯re smaller than most wolves. In fact, the only way to describe it is that we¡¯re a runt. There¡¯s no


    other polite way to say it.


    I hadn¡¯t been expecting that and I wonder why I¡¯m so small, Is it because I¡¯m so malnourished or have


    something to


    do with all the abuse I¡¯ve had to put up with over the years?


    Ver


    I asked and I sensed


    Sabriel, why are we so small? I thought we would at least be as big as the average wolf sadness


    emanating from her.


    I¡¯m a representation of you Winter. At the moment, we¡¯re small because that¡¯s how you feel. Once


    you¡¯ve


    epted yourself for who you are and believe in what you are capable of, you will grow. Being a runt


    doesn¡¯t make us


    any less powerful, she adds, and I give a small nod, although I¡¯m disappointed. It was my fault we were


    so little and ! can¡¯t help but feel slightly down about it.


    Winter stop stressing about it. We are perfect no matter what.


    I know it¡¯s just that¡­


    Stopparing us to other wolves! We are unique, beautiful and a hell of a lot smarter than most,


    she tells me


    and I snort, unable to help myself. My Wolf is sassy and has an outgoing personality, as opposed to my


    introverted


    one.


    Now how about we get this gorgeous body of ours moving and go for a run? You¡¯ll get tired after that,


    so I suggest spending one more night in the cave before we set off in search of a pack. What do you


    say?


    Hell yes I want to go for a run. I can¡¯t think of anything better. I start to run, my paws avoiding broken


    twigs and


    leaves, leaping over branches. The trees passed by in a blur and I let out a small howl, giving in to my


    wolf instincts. I


    smell a deer nearby and followed it, tackling it to the ground. This is where it gets a bit gross and I start


    to eat it raw


    in my wolf form, my stomach so hungry that I¡¯ve eaten a fair bit before I realize what I¡¯ve done. My


    animal instincts


    hadpletely taken over and, without consciously trying, I let Sabriel take the driver¡¯s seat.


    You did well, shepliments me and I grin and settle back to watch as she dashes through the trees


    towards


    the cave, stopping every so often to sniff and track a scent. I¡¯m not in a hurry to get back, this is too


    much fun, but


    eventually, we end up back at the beginning of our run and Sabriel reluctantly lets me have control


    again. This time!


    have no idea what to do.


    Picture yourself as a human. From your hair color, to your eyes, all the way down to your toes Winter.


    Picture it


    clearly in your mind. Everything that makes you unique.


    I form a picture in my mind, imagining myself and hear my bones cracking and shifting. This time it¡¯s


    merely ufortable, thank goodness, instead of painful and in no time I¡¯m in my human form and


    standing there. I shivered and looked down with a groan. I waspletely naked. I¡¯d shredded my


    clothes when I shifted. Damnit, I


    should have thought about that. Sabriel sounds calm.


    You won¡¯t feel the cold so much now that you have a wolf. Go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow,


    we¡¯ll go for a quick run and steal some clothes from someone¡¯s washing line or something. We¡¯ll work it


    out.


    That sounded like a n. I feel myself yawning even though I¡¯ve spent a day unconscious and head


    towards the


    back of a cave. It¡¯s going to be ufortable, but right now my body needs to recover while I sleep. I


    closed my


    eyes.


    Goodnight Sabriel.


    Goodnight Winter.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Chapter 38


    Winter POV


    I¡¯m running in wolf form, as fast as my little legs can carry me, grateful for the speed that I possess.


    The trees


    pass by in a blur and I easily jump over broken twigs and branches. I have to keep going, I can¡¯t afford


    to stop. Not


    now.


    Keep running Winter Sabriel tells me urgently and I continue to do so, my nose picking up a horrid


    scent of rotten


    eggs and meat, wrinkling my nose in disgust. The scent is overwhelmingly familiar and I begin to feel


    slightly


    panicked as I start to run even faster.


    How close is the rogue?


    He¡¯s gaining on us fast Winter. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to outrun it. We¡¯re going to have to turn and


    fight.


    But I haven¡¯t practiced much, Sabriel, I don¡¯t know if we can take them. I don¡¯t know how to fight!


    We have no choice, Winter, now turn around before he tackles you!


    I turned and jumped neatly to the side in time to avoid the rogue which had jumped to tackle me from


    behind. I stare. It¡¯s thin, mangy looking and malnourished, as though it¡¯s been a long time since, it¡¯s had


    a long time since theyst ate. Its eyes are a crimson blood color and it¡¯s a dark gray color, much like a


    normal wolf. It¡¯s drooling as it snarls


    at me and I flinch, staring into it¡¯s eyes, my whole body tensed as I wait for the inevitable attack. I feel


    slightly sorry


    for it, which annoys Sabriel.


    Jump. Attack first Winter.


    Ijump,nding on it and surprising it for a moment as I rake my ws against their back. They howl and


    then I


    feel them nipping at me as I fall off and roll over. It leaps at me and I howl as I feel it¡¯s jaws clench


    down on my leg,


    effectively breaking it. I know they¡¯re trying to make me helpless and I get to all fours, whimpering


    slightly as I¡¯m forced to keep one off the ground. I¡¯m a goner. There¡¯s no way I can take them out now.


    But Sabriel refuses to let me give up. Urging me to continue to fight.


    Fight through the pain. I¡¯m not dying today and neither are you. Run and tackle it into the tree.


    I almost scream at the pain as I do what she says but the rogue isn¡¯t expecting me to attack and I


    easily thrust it


    back into the tree, snapping and biting at it in desperation. It bites back and we roll over and over, both


    of us scratching and wing at each other. Without knowing it, I rip through his stomach and dig my


    ws in as hard as


    can as I drag them through, rolling over and away as they lie there, not moving. I can see their chest


    heaving up and


    down and know they aren¡¯t dead yet.


    Finish it Winter, we can¡¯t afford for them to keep tracking us, Sabriel tells me, and I hesitate. I can¡¯t bear


    to think


    of taking another life, even a rogues. After all, once upon a time, they used to be a shifter like me. How


    could I me


    them for doing what their nature demanded of them? It wasn¡¯t fair or very sportsmanlike. Plus, I hate


    the idea of killing something that is so defenseless right now. They clearly aren¡¯t going anywhere.


    Thatpassion is going to get you killed, Sabriel grumbled at me.


    I pushed her aside and concentrated on the rogue who was staring at me, not moving. It¡¯s in a great


    deal of pain and, from the looks of it, it would live but take hours to heal. Hours I could use to get away.


    I can¡¯t kill them, Sabriel, rogue or not, I can¡¯t. They are in no condition to continue fighting. Let¡¯s just


    leave them


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    alone and get away.


    They¡¯ll kill someone else.


    Why are their lives forfeit just because they are rogues? Everyone deserves a chance to live. I refuse


    to end


    another¡¯s life when I can avoid it.


    Fine. Do what you want Winter, but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.


    I shifted and limping, biting my lip against the pain of my leg, searching for the small back pack I flung


    into the


    trees earlier before turning around. Another item I¡¯ve stolen from an unsuspecting household. I open it


    and grab what


    I¡¯m looking for, a shirt that I tear into long strips as the rogue watches me, clearly confused. I approach


    it slowly,


    hands open, uncaring that I¡¯m naked and vulnerable. There¡¯s such sadness in its eyes that it tugs at my


    heart. It


    doesn¡¯t seem like an ordinary run of the mill rogue, at least not like I¡¯d imagined them to be.


    I try holding my arms out as it gives me a low growl, its head staring at me as I show them the


    makeshift


    bandages I¡¯ve created out of the shirt.


    Just let me help you I think to myself, praying they will and it seems to eye me for a moment and then


    lowers its


    head as I ce one against the wound, wiping up what blood I can. It whimpers but doesn¡¯t try and do


    anything. I


    start to wrap up the wound, being as quick and as gentle as I can. Then I gave the wolf a gentle pat


    and stood up,


    moving back into it¡¯s eyeline. Every step is excruciating and I know I¡¯m going to have to take care of


    myself shortly as


    well, but a broken leg heals incredibly


    Staring directly into it¡¯s startled eyes. I also grab some food that I have stolen and ce it next to them.


    They give


    it a wary sniff.


    I hope they eat the food, they look hungry., and then grab some clothes for myself and hastily get


    dressed,


    keeping an eye on the wolf the whole time. It would make sense for me to shift, but with a broken leg I


    want to walk


    normally for a bit and reserve my strength. I grab arge branch to use as a walking stick, cursing


    vehemently in my


    mind with each step as the wolf whines slightly behind me. I swear Sabriel rolled her eyes.


    See what you¡¯ve started. Now the rogue is acting like a big baby and it¡¯s your fault for caring for it like a


    pet!


    Leave it alone Sabriel, what¡¯s done is done. Let¡¯s just focus on getting out of here and you can continue


    to yell at


    meter, I tell her tiredly.


    She goes quiet as though realizing how fed up I sound. I wince as I begin to limp, the backpack


    securely on my


    back, pain shooting up my leg with every step. I nce over at my shoulder and see the rogue digging


    into the food


    and give a small smile. Perhaps I had treated it like a pet, but I¡¯ve never been able to see an animal in


    pain and not


    help. Besides, who knew, maybe they would be grateful for me saving it and leave me alone. It can¡¯t


    hurt to be optimistic, right? But I can¡¯t help remembering its eyes and frown. Now that I think about it,


    they also seemed quite


    tall, not just for a rogue but for a shifter in general. I shrug it off but still feel uneasy. Never mind, right


    now, my main


    focus needs to be putting as much distance away from the rogue and myself before it starts to move


    again.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Chapter 39


    Winter POV


    It¡¯s been a few weeks now and both Sabriel and I are growing weary of being outdoors all the time and


    continually looking over our shoulders. Not to mention avoiding packs and traveling solo.


    Please, let¡¯s go to the next territory, even if it¡¯s just to eat and rest. I¡¯m tired of sleeping outdoors.


    You¡¯re a wolf, Sabriel, all wolves do is sleep outside for heaven¡¯s sake.


    Just because I¡¯m a wolf doesn¡¯t mean/can¡¯t appreciate a soft mattress once in a while.


    You¡¯re so spoiled.


    I¡¯m a princess Winter and princesses deserve to be pampered.


    I¡¯ll think about it.


    The more I think about it, the more tempting it bes. The pack¡¯s not that far and to be honest, it


    would be


    nice to eat something different for a change instead of hunting my food down. Then I feel Sabriel in the


    back of my mind, tentatively sniffing. My blood runs cold. I can smell the scent of rotten meat and eggs


    and there¡¯s only one


    thing that I can think of that makes that kind of smell. Rogues, several of them approaching. That¡¯s


    worse than just


    one lonely rogue. I¡¯m extremely f****d.


    I warned you, you should have killed that rogue back there.


    Leave it alone, Sabriel, besides there¡¯s more than oneing towards us.


    It¡¯s a whole group Winter. We stand no chance against them. Not with so many.


    I guess we¡¯re going to the nearby pack after all then, we have no choice.


    Well duh, I kind of want to live, you know. It¡¯s not like I have a death wish.


    I can hear the crashing sounds behind me. Thank god, I¡¯m already in wolf form, because several


    rogues step out


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    from behind me and circle me, snarling, their red eyes glowing brightly in the sunlight. I gulp. There¡¯s at


    least half a


    dozen of them and they all look mangy and thin, as though they are starving. Their jaws are pulled


    back and they¡¯re


    frothing at the mouth. One leaps at me and I roll, neatly avoiding them, taking advantage of the small


    opening to


    run.


    I feel canines piercing my back leg and let out a howl at the pain, shaking them off as I continue to run.


    I¡¯m small and agile, but they are easily able to keep up with me and it¡¯s going to be a battle to get to the


    pack in one piece.


    Duck


    I duck and a rogue goes flying overhead. It turns and I stop in my tracks as it lets out a ferocious growl,


    snapping


    its jaws. Great. The others behind me are catching up. He tackles me to the ground and we roll over


    and over,


    scratching, wing and biting me in a desperate attempt to get free. God, the pain is excruciating and I


    finally threw him off me. Sabriel is impressed despite herself.


    The pack is really close girl. You need to haul your ass before we be dinner for these morons.


    What do you think I¡¯m trying to do, Sabriel?


    Well, to be fair, you¡¯re not doing a very good job of it.


    I¡¯m doing the best I can. Are you Winter? Are you really? over him or maybe it¡¯s her. I¡¯m not entirely


    sure and I¡¯m not about to look at their private parts to find out, running as


    though my skinny ass depends on it. Which it does.


    I can sense the pack¡¯s territorying up and I run even faster, pumping my little legs for all they are


    worth. I jump, several wolves from that side growling,unching themselves at the rogues and,


    thankfully, leaving my sorry ass behind. I watch wide-eyed as the fight turns into chaos, wolves


    everywhere, springing and jumping, wing and biting. It¡¯s a bloodbath. I feel sorry for the rogues. In


    the end, they were still shifters, just ones without homes and


    extremely hungry.


    Winter you really need to stop being so damn nice.


    I¡¯m not ashamed of being Kind Sabriel.


    Well I¡¯m just saying it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be nasty once in a while, you know, maybe be a little bloodthirsty.


    Sabriel. I¡¯m not that kind of person. I can¡¯t be.


    I could be that kind of woliif you¡¯d let me.


    No. I¡¯m not going to say it again.


    You¡¯re no fun.


    Sabriel begins to sulk in the background while I roll my eyes. This wolf is so damn irritating at times, but


    she¡¯s


    also my best friend. I can¡¯t stay mad at her. I watch as the rogues get taken one by one, keeping myself


    way back from


    the fighting. I feel like a coward but I¡¯d only get injured in the chaos. As it is, I can still feel pain in my


    back leg where


    a rogue has bitten me.


    It finally ends, blood everywhere and dead rogues scattered along the ground. One of the shifter¡¯s


    shifts back


    into their human form and l eye them warily. Something tells me this isn¡¯t going to be a warm wee,


    but I can¡¯t really me them. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s brought rogues to their front doors, literally. I¡¯d be


    pissed too. Still, I couldn¡¯t


    help looking at the man. He¡¯spletely naked, which makes me blush. Can wolves blush? I¡¯m not


    sure. He¡¯s got the


    most stunning blonde hair and pierc

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    Chapter 40


    Kai POV


    It¡¯s midday and I¡¯m sitting at my desk, frowning as I look over at my warriors¡¯ pathetic training. My hand


    unconsciously touches the scars I have on my face, dark gashes from being attacked by a rogue when


    I was just a


    little boy, who didn¡¯t have his wolf. A knock on the door had me swivel my head around. I¡¯m anything


    but pleased by


    the interruption.


    ¡°Come in¡± I said gruffly, thinking it might be my Beta Langdon, but it¡¯s not. It¡¯s Candice. I should have


    known,


    she absolutely reeks of perfume.


    She sashays in, a smile on that perfect face of hers. The dress she¡¯s wearing leaves nothing to the


    imagination, just the way I like it. Her raven ck hair is loose over her shoulders and her green eyes


    are narrowed in


    determination. She¡¯s been my girlfriend for several months. I know what you¡¯re thinking, most wolves


    wait for their


    mates but I¡¯m 25 years old and I haven¡¯t met one yet, or at least one that¡¯s willing to ept me.


    shback


    I can smell the delicious scent of strawberries wafting towards me as I walk on pack grounds. I¡¯ve just


    gotten my wolf and it¡¯s going crazy inside of my mind. I feel an irresistible pull, a drive to find out who


    the scent belongs to. / sniffed the air and began the hunt, finally ending up by an old oak tree, a girl


    sitting underneath it. She¡¯s so beautiful


    that I observed her for a moment.


    I knew the girl. She was in some of my sses at school. A quiet type, with the most beautiful blonde


    hair and


    big blue eyes. She was such a dainty little thing, engrossed in her book when I approached. She


    doesn¡¯t even register


    I¡¯m there.


    The closer I get, the more disturbed the girl, Elena looks, her eyes finally meeting mine as she


    whispers ¡®mate¡¯


    out loud. My wolf and I are ecstatic, joyous. Ready to celebrate. I¡¯d never imagined I would find my


    mate so quickly.


    She stands up and tucks her hair behind her ear and she looks serious, grim, rather than happy like I


    am. Something is very wrong. My wolf can sense it as well.


    I reach out to touch her hand and she flinches as I frown. I was definitely feeling the mate bond, wasn¡¯t


    1? Then


    why was she so unaffected? Instead, it¡¯s like she¡¯s avoiding my eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked quietly. She knows that I¡¯m going to be taking over as Alpha soon, but that


    doesn¡¯t seem


    to impress her at all. Instead, she just bites her lip and turns pale.


    ¡°We¡¯re mates¡±burst out. ¡°isn¡¯t that something to celebrate? The moon goddess chose us to be


    together.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you¡± she whispers and I still, feeling myself go cold inside. Surely she hadn¡¯t just said that.


    I had to


    be imagining things.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t want me¡± I managed to utter, my heart feeling like it¡¯s been ripped to


    shreds. She


    trembles at the look on my face.


    Elena looks down at the ground, and I feel nothing but anger. Why can¡¯t she just look me in the face?


    Was / that repulsive to her?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± she says, ¡°but I can¡¯t bear to even look at your face. I can¡¯t ept someone that looks like


    you do as my mate, even if you are going to be Alpha.¡±


    That¡¯s it, my heart breaks in two. So my looks were more important to her than what was on the inside.


    I never repulsive, but now I can¡¯t forget about them.


    ¡°Then I guess there¡¯s nothing to do but reject me¡± / whispered thickly, looking away. So much for finding


    my soul mate. I feel bitter and angry at the moon goddess for choosing Elena as my mate. It was a


    cruel joke that devoured


    my soul.


    Elena took a deep breath. ¡°, Elena of the Midnight Sky Pack, reject you, Kai, as my mate, now and


    forever more.¡±


    God that hurts, like an arrow right through the heart,


    ¡°!, Kai of the Midnight Sky Pack, reject you Elena, as my mate now and forever more¡±), managed to


    gasp out, feeling something stretch and snap between us. No doubt it¡¯s the mate bond being broken.


    Elena looked relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± she whispers and picks her book up and walks away, without a backward nce. I watched


    her go, my hands clenched into fists. I vow to never ever keep a mate if I get a second chance. I won¡¯t


    be rejected ever again. /


    won¡¯t let myself be vulnerable ever again.


    Candice interrupts my thoughts, leaning over my desk and showing me a rather extensive view of her


    cleavage in


    the low cut dress she¡¯s wearing. My member twitches, even though my wolf is not pleased by my


    sleeping with Candice. He, unlike me, still holds out for a mate.


    ¡°Can I do anything to help you¡± she says to me saucily and I raise an eyebrow, mulling over her


    request. I can


    think of a dozen things she can help me with.


    ¡°Well now¡± I say slowly, standing upright and grabbing her while she squeals withughter. I give her a


    quick peck on the lips. I don¡¯t do long kisses or romance. Candice knows the drill and begins to unzip


    my pants as I stand


    there, licking her lips as I shudder, thinking about her tongue and her mouth around my c**k.


    A knock on the door interrupts what was clearly going to be a damn good time, and I swear as I hastily


    zip up my pants. This had better be important or I¡¯m going to kill whoever is on the other side of the


    door. Candice looks pissed


    and sits down, opposite my desk sulkily. She doesn¡¯t like to be interrupted either.


    ¡°May Ie in Alpha?¡± asks my Beta Langdon, clearly aware of Candice¡¯s presence in my study. He


    knows better


    than to just waltz in thank god.


    ¡°Come in¡± I say with a sigh and roll of my eyes. This day just kept getting better and better.


    Langdones in and raises his eyebrows at the sight of Candice. I know that he can¡¯t stand her,


    barely


    tolerates her at the best of times. But he keeps his mouth shut because she¡¯s my girlfriend and


    because I refuse to


    listen to any of his arguments.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt¡± he says warily as Candice res at him. ¡°But there was a security breach on the


    grounds


    today. I thought you should know¡± he adds and I drum my fingers on my desk. A security breach could


    be


    anything.


    ¡°What kind of breach, Langdon?¡± I ask, mildly curious. He fidgets slightly. That¡¯s weird for him. In fact,


    he looks downright ufortable.


    ¡°A bunch of rogues were chasing a shifter, Alpha Kai.¡±


    That was interesting but hardly concerning. ¡°What happened to the rogues?¡± | ask.


    ¡°They were killed by patrol and their bodies have been dealt with. The shifter was traveling alone and


    came across the group. They were wise enough to get on pack grounds for help.¡±


    ¡°A lone traveler¡± I say frowning slightly. Most shifters were smart enough to travel in groups, because of


    this


    exact situation.


    ¡°What an i***t¡± Candice mutters and Langdon scowls at her.


    ¡°Yes, traveling alone. They¡¯ve been put in the dungeon for safe keeping for now. I wonder when you


    would like to


    visit the prisoner?¡± he asks ¡°I don¡¯t think they pose a threat to our pack.¡±


    I almost scoff at the idea of one shifter posing a threat to my pack. It¡¯spletelyughable. Still,


    they¡¯ve


    followed my orders and ced them in the dungeon. It wasn¡¯t that concerning for me. I¡¯d go down and


    have a look at them, when I chose. For now they could cool their heels.


    ¡°Is that all Langdon¡± I say impatiently and he sighs.


    ¡°That¡¯s all Alpha Kai¡± he says pointedly, still looking angrily at Candice.


    ¡°You can go then¡± I say dismissively.


    He leaves without another word and almost ms the door to my office closed. I¡¯d have to talk to him


    about not


    doing that, I can¡¯t be f****d fixing the door.


    Candice stands back up and shimmy¡¯s out of her dress, as a broad grin stretches on my face. Damn,


    she¡¯s so


    ******g gorgeous and she¡¯s all mine. My hands skim along her body eagerly as I stand up, feeling her


    breasts and her


    buttocks, my c**k rock hard.


    ¡°Bend over¡± I say huskily, almost tearing her panties off in my haste. She does and I stare at her


    delectable ass,


    right in front of me. She looks over her shoulder and winks and I almoste undone.


    Slowly I position my c**k at her entrance and push in as she moans, the sound filling the empty room


    and exciting me even more. God she¡¯s f*****g tight. I push all the way in and pant, struggling to keep


    my control, my hand


    gripping her hair as she rocks back against me, urging me to move.


    ¡°Stay still¡± I growl and she stills, before I start to furiously thrust back and forth, hard, rough, just the


    way she


    likes it, her gasps and moans music to my ears.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    But as 1 pound away, seeking my satisfaction, my thoughts go back to the prisoner, and I¡¯m left to


    wonder just


    why I¡¯m so intrigued by them and why my wolf wants to seek them out so badly.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Chapter 41


    Kai POV


    I finish banging Candice and order her to leave. When she¡¯s gone, I sit in my chair and twiddle my


    thumbs. My


    mind keeps shing back to the fact there is a prisoner in the dungeon. While part of me is more than


    happy for them


    to cool their heels and wait for me to go down there, another part of me is almost desperate to see this


    prisoner, my wolf especially. Does he know something that I don¡¯t?


    Please go down to the dungeon. For heaven¡¯s sake, stop procrastinating.


    It¡¯s just a pathetic shifter, Storm, why bother? We can leave them for a few days. They¡¯re nothing


    special. Plus,


    they are an i***t for traveling alone. They can take the time to think about their stupidity.


    But something is telling me it¡¯s important. Always trust your gut.


    Will you leave me alone for Christ¡¯s sake? You are imagining things.


    Not until you go down there.


    Fine, you annoying mutt, I¡¯ll go down there. Happy now? I swear..


    Yes, Very.


    Damnit Storm, I think to myself rather crossly. I stomp out of the room and ignore the startled pack


    members


    who watch my every move. I imagine some of the women are turning away in disgust, over the horrible


    scars that are


    prominent on my face. I don¡¯t me them, even I know how hideous I look. After all, I¡¯m definitely no


    Prince


    Charming and that suits me just fine.


    I stomped outside and over to the dungeon doors. Storm is excited for some inexplicable reason and


    it¡¯s


    annoying as hell. The door opens with a loud creak and I make a mental note to fix that. It looks just


    like I remember it as I progress down the stairs. The same smell of dampness and mildew, not to


    mention the metallic scent of blood. It¡¯s dark, the only lighting from barred windows. It¡¯s not the


    most weing ce, but it¡¯s not designed to be.


    It¡¯s designed for torture and imprisonment.


    I sniff. There¡¯s a curious smell wafting towards me, like strawberries and cream. My stomach gets


    butterflies to


    my astonishment. Is it some sort of strange perfume? I frown. I¡¯ve just realized that I never bothered to


    ask Langdon if


    the prisoner was a male or female. That was a stupid oversight. I walk towards the cells, Storm howling


    in my head as I tell him to shut the hell up. My gaze falls onto the small girl inside and my heart skips a


    beat. This had to be a


    mistake or a cruel prank of some kind, anything but what it is.


    No, dear god, this isn¡¯t happening. Not again. I have a girlfriend, who might not exactly love to pieces,


    but that! really liked having around. This had to be a mistake. I walked closer, my eyes narrowed as I


    looked at the girl. She¡¯s


    small, delicate looking, bruises covering her arms and face. I feel a spurt of anger at the thought that


    one of my men might have caused it. If they had, I¡¯d kill them. She¡¯s slightly dirty and when she turns


    towards me, our eyes meet and I¡¯m absolutely speechless, staring at the most beautiful girl in the


    whole world as the mate bondes to


    life.


    ¡°Mate¡± I whisper quietly and she nods. But she doesn¡¯t speak to my shock. What¡¯s up with that? I need


    to know


    her name, my whole body craves to speak it out loud.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name¡± I demand and she just waves her hands around. Is she an j***t? You can¡¯t just


    ignore an Alpha when they ask you a question. Was she doing this intentionally?


    She points at her throat, mouth opening and closing with no sounds.


    She can¡¯t talk to you, moron. Way to go. You¡¯re scaring her.


    You know that we can¡¯t ept her as our mate, Storm, so don¡¯t bother even thinking about it.


    Why? She¡¯s a damn sight lovelier than Candice and I won¡¯t let you reject her.


    You can¡¯t stop me Storm,


    I can refuse to let you shift and trust me, you reject this poor girl and that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ll do.


    Fine, then I guess /¡¯ll make her life a living hell.


    Do what you have to do, but I¡¯m not rejecting her. She¡¯s ours and you¡¯ll see that for yourself one day, if


    you stop being such a stubborn jackass. You really can be a d**k sometimes, you know.


    I sigh and fold my arms. The girl is still eyeing me, as though frightened, and I feel a small pang of guilt.


    I hadn¡¯t meant to frighten her. If I¡¯d known beforehand that she was mute, I wouldn¡¯t have used my


    Alpha tone on her. But I don¡¯t know what to do with her. Because in spite of Storm¡¯s threats, I don¡¯t


    want to reject her. Besides, how would


    that work, when she can¡¯t form the words to ept the rejection? I don¡¯t think her writing down the


    words will be


    She¡¯s not like Elena. Give her a chance.


    I hear Storm¡¯s words but refuse to believe them. After all, before Candice came along, no one had


    been interested


    in dating me, even as one of the strongest packs and Alpha in the country. I might be known for being


    strong, but my looks had put off every female that hade across my path. Females were all the


    same, this one wouldn¡¯t be any


    different.


    Topen the cage door and she slowly shuffles through, her eyes gazing up at me with what looks like


    adoration.


    She¡¯s about to get a shock but I can¡¯t see what else I can do. I can¡¯t have her near me, the will only get


    stronger and I


    don¡¯t want her anywhere near Candice. Thest thing I need is that. God knows how Candice would


    react. She


    doesn¡¯t need to know, I decide, feeling a tad guilty. After all, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m about to do anything wrong.


    Candice


    would be fine.


    ¡°Follow me¡± I ordered, and went upstairs, ncing back over my shoulder. She¡¯s tightlipped and pale


    but follows me none the less to my satisfaction. At least she can follow orders. That¡¯s useful. In fact,


    that gives me a great


    idea.


    Talmost shoved her into my office and closed the door. For some strange reason, she cowers in the


    chair. Is she afraid that I¡¯ll hit her? I¡¯ve never hit a woman in my life. I feel a bit dismayed. Storm keeps


    calling me an i***t.


    I sat down opposite her and regarded her quietly. She¡¯s avoiding my eyes and looking around the room


    with interest. She¡¯s so child-like, innocent and it¡¯s hard not to watch her. It was hard to keep myself


    from touching her.


    ¡°Listen¡± I say, grabbing a piece of paper and pen.¡± How about we start with your name first?¡±


    She quickly scribbles down something and I nce down to see ¡®Winter.¡¯


    ¡°Winter¡¯s your name?¡± I check and she nodded. It¡¯s a cute name and it really seems to suit her well. I


    shake my


    head and clear my throat.


    ¡°Winter, I want you to understand something¡± I say sternly, and finally, she meets my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want


    a mate, not now and not in the future. I¡¯m perfectly happy with the life I have and I¡¯m not about to ruin


    it.¡±


    She gives a nod and I swear I see tears in the corner of her eyes, even though she blinks them back. I


    feel like a


    right bastard now.


    ¡°I have a girlfriend and I just can¡¯t have you near her. So what I¡¯m going to do is make you an omega¡±, I


    say, and


    she stiffens. I know this must seem like an insult to her, but I couldn¡¯t reject her with Storm threatening


    to keep me


    from shifting. A tiny, tiny part of me wants to keep her hanging around. Selfish, but I¡¯m an Alpha and I


    can do


    whatever I want. Besides this way, she¡¯ll be able to earn a living and I can keep an eye on her at the


    same time. For all


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I know, she could be a spy from another pack.


    I watched her nod, looking miserable. I harden my heart before I soften towards her. ¡°I¡¯m about to mind-


    link the


    head omega¡± I tell her, leaning back in the chair. God she smells so good, my c**k is twitching like a


    traitor. The sooner I get her out of here, the better.


    ome


    The head omegaes bustling in. ¡°Alpha Kai¡± she greets me cordially ¡°what can I do for you?¡±


    gesture towards Winter, who¡¯s sitting there and listening. ¡°I have a new omega to help you with your


    duties. Please show her to a room, Maria¡±, I say with a sigh as she nods and begins to gesture for


    Winter to follow her.


    ¡°Wait¡± I say suddenly and Maria looks at me confused. ¡°Winter is mute, she can¡¯t speak¡±, I exin


    ¡°please let the


    other omegas know as well so there, is no misunderstandings¡±, I say grimly, and watch as Maria drags


    Winter off. Winter nces over her shoulder onest time with a pleading look and I force myself to


    stare back at her, watching


    her face fall as she leaves.


    This is aplication I definitely don¡¯t need. Maybe, in time, I think a little hopefully, Storm will see the


    futility of


    having Winter here and agree to reject her. But something tells me that my wolf won¡¯t be so easy to


    dissuade and


    that the longer she¡¯s here, the harder I¡¯m going to find fighting the mate bond. I dread having to tell


    Candice about


    her. Would it be so bad if I kept Winter a secret? Candice doesn¡¯t really need to know. At least not yet. I


    walked


    outside. I need to do some training and work out my frustration. Some sparring should do the trick. In


    fact, I think I¡¯ll


    go find Langdon, he has some serious exining to do, and what better way to get it out of him, than to


    fight him in


    the training ring.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Chapter 42


    Winter POV


    It¡¯s hard not to be hurt by that yet again. Another mate doesn¡¯t want anything to do with me. Was it me?


    Did I have some sort of personality w that screamed reject me? The man is called Alpha Kai and


    he¡¯s one of the most


    intimidating men l¡¯ve ever seen in my life. I try not to dwell on the fact he¡¯s pretty much left me in limbo,


    not


    epting me but also not rejecting me as a mate. Why not just get it over and done with though? Did


    he have ns to use me in some way? Like a mistress?


    God he¡¯s sexy though. Muscles all over and a six-pack chest. He¡¯s got light stubble on his chin and his


    eyes are a dark brown, almost ck colour. He¡¯s got scars on his face and I assume it¡¯s from ws,


    maybe from a rogue? It


    doesn¡¯t bother me one bit, but I did notice that he constantly touched them as he talked. Is he self-


    conscious about them? Because to be honest, I liked them. But then, the second Iy eyes on him, I


    liked all of him. Guess it was the


    mate bond. Can¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m thrilled with him at the moment. Neither is Sabriel. In fact she would


    like nothing


    more than to rip him to shreds for what he¡¯s done.


    Being an omega is hard work. But I suppose it¡¯s not as difficult as being a ve to one¡¯s father and


    brother. Maria seems nice, chattering away as she shows me to a small room. I blink in the darkness


    as she turns the light on and


    want to cry. The room is bare except for an old mattress on the floor and a chipped dresser. Not that I


    have any


    clothes to put in it, mind you. Maria seemed to follow my gaze, understanding exactly what it is I¡¯m


    thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll organize some basic clothes for you dear. We don¡¯t wear uniforms here but I¡¯m sure I can rustle up


    some old


    clothes from other omegas¡± she says, and I give a nod, feeling shy. But beggars can¡¯t be choosers. I¡¯m


    not exactly into


    fashion either.


    ¡°Now then¡± she says briskly, with a bit of a wrinkled nose. I guess maybe I don¡¯t smell the best, but to


    be fair I¡¯ve


    been in the dungeon. ¡°I think a shower might be in order first.¡±


    She leads me down to a bathroom down the hall. I open the door and look at my reflection in the mirror,


    taking in


    just how matted my hair is and how bruised my body looks all over. It¡¯s not exactly the best impression.


    No wonder he¡¯d looked at me with so much disgust. Who would want a mate that looks like this?


    The bathroom is miniscule, consisting of just a shower, small basin and toilet. Something tells me the


    omegas


    share it.


    ¡°This is the omega¡¯s bathroom¡±, Maria says, starting the shower to my surprise. ¡°We all share it so


    make sure you


    knock, before you enter.¡±


    I nod. It¡¯s simple enough to remember to do that. But Maria looks concerned now. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to


    call out if you¡¯re in the bathroom. Maybe we need to make some sort of signal for when you¡¯re in there,


    like three taps on the


    wall or something.¡±


    That¡¯s a good idea. Somehow I don¡¯t want to be walked in on while I¡¯m doing my business. That would


    be


    awkward, not to mention embarrassing.


    The water¡¯s heavenly and although the soap doesn¡¯t particrly smell of anything, I happilyther it


    onto my body, finding small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, which makes my hair feel sleek and


    shiny again. I¡¯d just forced myself to step out, when Mariaes bustling in.


    Her arms are loaded with clothes. ¡°Here¡± she says, hastily handing me some to put on, ¡°we need to go


    and


    At least I¡¯ll know where the kitchen is, I thought to myself, following along behind her. Within moments,


    I¡¯m


    standing there in an apron, chopping up vegetables and doing whatever Maria asks of me. The food


    gets ced onto arge dining table (when I sayrge, I mean easily feeds 50 people or more) for the


    pack members to help


    themselves. My stomach growls and Maria chuckles. ¡°The omegas eatter. Pretty much whatever you


    can scrounge up for yourself in the kitchen. We all have odd hours and different break times so its


    whats easiest. Once everyone¡¯s finished eating, you and I will sit down and have some dinner.¡±


    Thank god, my stomach is starving. I almost drool at the thought of food.


    Our mate¡¯s a reald**


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Sabriel what have said aboutnguage?


    It¡¯s true though. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s made us an omega. He could have just rejected us and we could


    have gone


    on our merry way.


    We still could


    But now we have the mate bond to contend with. Winter you know that if you go too far from your mate,


    you end


    up in excruciating pain. The only upside is that he¡¯ll feel pain as well. Stupid man.


    We just have to make the best of it for now.


    Wish we could spit in his food or add hot sauce to it.


    Tignore my wolf who¡¯s pouting. Instead I begin to ce, tes down at every setting, rearranging the


    cutlery as went. It¡¯s not long before I can hear the sounds of voices as pack members begin toe in


    and I hustle, determined


    to get it done and away from everyone. It¡¯s not meant to be however.


    Just as I¡¯m about to ce thest te down, I feel a hand caressing my butt. I flinch and remove the


    hand, only


    to hear a man chuckle behind me. I stiffen instantly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a pretty little thing¡± he whispers in my ear as I gopletely still, his hand now on my arm. I


    start to feel panicked, tearsing to my eyes as I tremble, wanting nothing more than to wrench my


    arm away but not sure how much trouble I¡¯d get into doing that. Or even if I would get in trouble. Surely


    Alpha Kai wouldn¡¯t me me for defending myself?


    ¡°How about you and I go upstairs to my room and have some fun¡± he whispers and I shudder, Maria


    looking at me anxiously and looks about to intervene when I hear a familiar voice.


    There¡¯s a ferocious growl and everyone in the room goes deadly silent. ¡°Get your hands off of the girl¡±


    he growls and I close my eyes in relief as the man turns around, to face his extremely pissed off Alpha.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean any harm, I just thought¡­¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯d ost an omega and force them to be with you?¡± Alpha Kai says mildly and I turn around


    to see his eyes sh towards me.


    ¡°Put him in the dungeon¡± Alpha Kai growled to some men nearby, who hastened to obey ¡°I won¡¯t have


    someone


    mistreating another member of my pack, regardless if they are an omega or not.¡±


    He stares directly at me. Is he angry about the situation? Because I hadn¡¯t done anything to warrant


    such an attack. A woman with stunning ck hair and a figure that makes me envious,es into the


    room and throws herself into Alpha Kai¡¯s arms. He smiles but even I can tell that it¡¯s fake. God, my


    chest feels tight and I feel a spurt of jealousy as the woman gives him a long kiss, right in front of me.


    All I can think about is getting the hell out of here.


    Sabriel wants to rip her eyes out.


    He has the decency to look somewhat ashamed as he speaks to me. ¡°You may go back to your omega


    duties¡± he says calmly and I can¡¯t help but glower at him a little before stomping back into the kitchen


    where Maria gives me


    another task to perform.


    By the time I finally crawl onto my woebegone mattress, I¡¯m absolutely drained and all I can think about


    is the way Alpha Kai kissed the woman back and the way he held her. Was she the reason that he


    didn¡¯t want a mate? She had to be special to him. My heart hurts to think that I¡¯m never going to be


    wanted by anyone and I quickly close my eyes. I knew tomorrow was going to be just as difficult, but it


    didn¡¯t stop me from quietly sobbing into my pillow.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Chapter 43


    Winter POV


    It¡¯s been a hard few days, not going to lie, but I¡¯ve settled into a nice routine of sorts. It¡¯s far nicer than


    being a ve and apparently I get paid for it too! Maria sends me on an errand to take out bottled water


    to the training grounds and I¡¯m more than happy to do it. The sun is shining, there¡¯s a cool breeze that


    makes my hair whip around and the grass is so green and beautiful. It¡¯s a perfect day to be outside.


    You should be a poet. That sounds so dreamy and romantic.


    Stick it Sabriel. Stop making fun of me.


    The training grounds aren¡¯t far and I try to be unobtrusive, dumping the water and about to turn away


    when I hear his voice, one that sends shivers down my spine. I hadn¡¯t realized he was there.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asks, sounding aggrieved. As if I¡¯d gone looking for him. I was


    performing my


    duties, that was all.


    Clearly, he wasn¡¯t expecting an answer. I tremble as I realize everyone¡¯s eyes are on me now, looking


    me over


    with curiosity. So much for trying to have a low profile. Damn the man. Why can¡¯t he just let me go back


    to the pack


    house in peace?


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re here¡± Alpha Kai says as I turn to face him, ¡°then you might as well join in on


    training¡±, he adds, and I stiffen. Surely he has to be joking?


    Sabriel and I aren¡¯t really fighters and I didn¡¯t have any experience with training. This would be my first


    time joining in on something like this.


    | eye the two currently sparring. They are in human form, throwing punches and kicks at each other, but


    it¡¯s not long until they¡¯ve shifted to their wolf forms and begun to fight. I swallow hard. Their wolves are


    so much bigger than mine and they know how to fight with their ws and jaws. I was going to be a


    goner, if I so much as stepped foot


    inside that ring. Did he know that? Was this some sort of form of entertainment for him? Or was this a


    punishment for


    merely being his mate and him not wanting me? Did he think this whole thing was amusing? Bastard.


    ¡°I need someone to spar with Winter¡± he deres to the crowd as I flinch. I stare at him with pleading


    eyes, but he takes no notice. A womanes sashaying out. ¡°I can spar with Winter¡± she says with a


    smile, and I look at her helplessly. She¡¯s beautiful with her vibrant red hair and green eyes. She also


    looks friendly enough, but still, what was I going to do? It¡¯s not like I canmunicate with her, tell her


    that I¡¯m not capable of training.


    ¡°Fantastic, Esme, Get in the training ring¡± Alpha Kai says and I sigh. This isn¡¯t going to be pretty.


    ¡°Winter, you too,¡± he added, narrowing his eyes ¡°let¡¯s see what you¡¯re capable of.¡±


    I scowl and walked extremely reluctantly into the ring. I¡¯m trying to be as slow as possible, not really


    wanting to do this, but fearing?I have no choice.


    ¡°Esme, you might want to show Winter some defensive moves. I have a feeling she doesn¡¯t know


    much¡± he mutters, and I light up. Perhaps this won¡¯t be as bad as I feared. Esme is sweet, showing me


    several moves while Alpha Kai moves around and watches from a distance. I feel nervous as well as


    self-conscious. He ps his hands. ¡°Now fight¡±, he orders, and Esmeunches herself at me. We go


    down and I kick and roll around, feeling like a


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    clutching my stomach in pain. Esme looks concerned but Alpha Kai merely looks bored and a little


    annoyed. Like it¡¯s


    Esme helps me up from the ground and I look at her gratefully. Maybe now we could just stop the


    fighting and I


    could leave intact and in one piece? I¡¯m already feeling shaky and embarrassed at myck of prowess.


    I¡¯m about to


    limp out of the training ring when his voice rings out.


    ¡°I think you should spar in wolf form.¡±


    I go cold inside. My wolf is tiny, a runtpared to the average wolf. Sabriel has no chance of winning,


    let alone


    staying in one piece, no matter how much I love her tenaciousness and determination to win,


    Esme is also looking extremely reluctant as well. Perhaps she senses just how bad I am at fighting.


    Either way,


    it¡¯s clear neither of us want to do this. He doesn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°Both of you stay there. Esme, shift, I want Winter to dodge your attack while shifting simultaneously.¡±


    I closed my eyes, I¡¯m a goner. I might as well write myst will and testament now.


    We can take her


    Sabriel, I love you, but her wolf is going to be a lot bigger than ours. I¡¯d rather run away.


    I¡¯m not running away with my tail between my legs, it¡¯s undignified Winter.


    What do you suggest then?


    Well, if we have to lose, then let¡¯s lose fabulously.


    You¡¯re no help. We¡¯re so dead.


    Esme shifts into her wolf form and I stare wide-eyed, not just because she¡¯srge but because she¡¯s


    beautiful.


    She has silver all over, with the merest hint of white on her paws. She sits there and waits, patiently for


    the signal to


    attack. I so badly want to yell at Alpha kai and something tells me, if I had a voice, I would have. How


    dare he do this


    to me? Part of me rationalizes that he has no idea of what he¡¯s about to do, but another part of me


    wants to scream


    at him and even hit him, I¡¯m now that angry.


    ¡°Right then¡± Alpha kai says decidedly, ¡°Winter will shift when you attack and dodge. Is that clear?¡±


    I¡¯m shaking my head at him. I just want to go back to my omega duties. He narrows his eyes at me.


    ¡°Maybe I should have been more clear¡± he says with gritted teeth. ¡°neither of you has a choice. I want


    to see


    what happens and where Winter needs improvement,¡± he adds. I wish I had the guts to flick him the


    finger. Smarmy


    bastard.


    Esme c***s her head. I wonder what will happen if I refuse to shift. Something tells me that it won¡¯t


    matter. He


    looks pissed now. f**k you, I thought defiantly, facing Esme¡¯s wolf with trepidation.


    ¡°Now¡± he booms and Esme leaps, I waver and he realizes, using his Alpha tone, of all things to


    command


    me.


    *Shift¡± he booms and I feel my body changing against my will. We¡¯re in my tiny wolf form and Esme has


    already


    leaped towards me. I¡¯m just a second too slow as she tackles me to the ground, her ws ripping into


    me as I give a


    long howi, blood pouring out of my wounds.


    God, it hurts so bad. Esme backs away and shifts, trembling all over as shees over to me. She


    looks over at


    Alpha Kai who¡¯s already racing into the ring. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Winter, I didn¡¯t know¡± she tells me as I descend


    into darkness


    and gratefully go unconscious. Myst thought is, I hope he¡¯s happy now.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Chapter 44


    Kai¡¯s POV


    I¡¯m watching the training ring and some of my warriors sparring, correcting their moves every so often.


    It¡¯s boring and sometimes tedious, but I take pride in how good my warriors are, training some of them


    personally myself. An Alpha needs to keep himself in shape, you know.


    ¡°Watch your stance¡± I roared to one in particr, watching with approval as they immediately corrected


    themselves. They know better than to talk back to me or ignore my instructions.


    I see something out of the corner of my eye and turn to see it¡¯s none other than Winter. What¡¯s she


    doing out here, I wondered to myself, feeling highly irritable. Omega¡¯s hardly stepped foot outside,


    unless it¡¯s for a good reason. | spot the water bottles and heave a sigh of relief. That¡¯s why she¡¯se


    out then. Not because she¡¯s seeking me out. pause to observe her for a moment. She looks so


    beautiful, even as pale and delicate looking as she is. I can¡¯t help


    but wonder what her wolf looks like and whether or not she knows how to fight. Well, there was an easy


    way to find


    out. I decide, ignoring my wolf who¡¯s protesting that this is a very, very, bad idea.


    VE


    ¡°I need someone to spar with Winter¡±, I asked the crowd, ignoring the pleading look in her eyes. This


    was for her own good, I tell myself. Esme volunteers to my relief and I order them both into the training


    ring, Winter looking very hesitant. Don¡¯t tell me she doesn¡¯t know how to fight at all? It¡¯s clear when


    they go at it in human form, that Winter knows absolutely nothing when ites to defending herself


    and I notice that she doesn¡¯t go on the offensive at all. Clearly, she doesn¡¯t like fighting.


    I don¡¯t like seeing our mate fighting. She¡¯s going to get seriously hurt Kai, you should stop this. She¡¯ll


    be fine Storm, she just needs more confidence.


    I don¡¯t think so, Kai. I really think you should stop this.


    I¡¯m not going to Storm, she can start training like everyone else.


    I put up a barrier against my wolf and turned to view both of them. I want to see Winter¡¯s wolf and how


    she


    handles herself against another wolf. I stopped Esme and her from leaving.


    ¡°I want Winter to shift and dodge your attack, Esme¡± I say and Winter looks decidedly nervous. I felt a


    pang of sympathy towards her, but waved it away. Everyone should learn how to fight. This would be a


    good lesson for


    her.


    Esme shifts and waits patiently for the signal, Winter shooting me covert looks as though she¡¯s trying to


    tell me


    something. Whatever it is, it¡¯s unimportant. But part of me is suspicious she¡¯s not going to willingly shift.


    ¡°Now¡± I boom and Esme straight away leaps towards Winter, who is hesitating. ¡°Shift¡± I thunder, using


    my alpha


    tone, and watch as her body cracks and adjusts itself until the most beautiful wolf I¡¯ve ever seen is right


    in front of my


    eyes.


    f**k. She¡¯s a runt. If I¡¯d known that, I never would have insisted on her fighting. She¡¯s way too small to


    be able to


    fight back against a full-blown wolf. This must be why she¡¯d sought help on my grounds from the


    rogues. Damnit Langdon, I grumbled to myself, he could have at least mentioned Wolf was a runt to


    me. I watch wide-eyed, helpless to stop the inevitable, as Esme tackles poor Winter to the ground, her


    ws shredding into her skin and blood


    pouring out of the wounds around her.


    I¡¯m already racing towards her, Esme looking like she¡¯s in shock, as I bend over and cradle Winter into


    my arms.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡± she whispered apologetically.


    vas


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, I didn¡¯t know either¡± I told her, looking down at Winter, who was unconscious. I start


    walking towards the hospital, my heart thumping wildly in my chest, sparks sizzling where our flesh is


    meeting. No doubt the


    work of the mate bond.


    Thank god the hospital is close by and I raced through the front doors, to be met by a frazzled doctor.


    Dr James is


    one of the best and this is a shifter hospital so I don¡¯t have to worry about protecting her identity or


    anything else.


    He¡¯s discreet as well, always a bonus when your an Alpha in need of keeping something secret.


    ¡°What happened¡± he asks as he leads me to an empty room. He motions for me to ce her on the


    bed. I ce


    her down gently, feeling immensely guilty, seeing blood on my clothes and arms from her wounds.


    ¡°She was sparring¡± I said quietly, avoiding his gaze, ¡°and got injured.¡±


    He looks suspicious. ¡°Sparring wouldn¡¯t normally cause wounds this deep unless it got out of hand¡± he


    says


    prodding.


    | exhaled. ¡°I ordered her to shift and didn¡¯t know that she was a runt¡± he exined as he harrumphs at


    me.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming she shifted before falling unconscious/¡±


    I nod. I don¡¯t think Winter was even aware she¡¯d done it. It had taken all of my self-control not to look


    down at her naked body.


    He begins to examine her wounds, frowning in concern. ¡°They¡¯re quite deep and will take some time to


    heal, but she also appears to be malnourished and dehydrated as well. Is she not getting enough


    food?¡±


    I flush. I would have no idea if she was eating properly or not. I didn¡¯t tend to check on the omegas. I


    would have


    to ask Maria if Winter had been stopping to have breaks. Now I feel even worse and more of an


    asshole. Winter didn¡¯t


    deserve this, any of it. It was my cowardice and not wanting a mate that had led to this.


    ¡°Well, I can definitely build up her strength while she¡¯s here¡± Dr James mutters, still examining her and


    checking


    her pulse ¡°but when she goes back, you¡¯ll have to ensure that she continues to eat and drink.¡±


    ¡°I will¡± I told him firmly, meaning every word of it. He stares at me for a minute and then gives a slow


    nod.


    ¡°How long will she need to stay here for?¡± I asked quietly and he thought for a moment, his eyes


    piercing into


    mine. Does he know that she¡¯s my mate? He couldn¡¯t could he?


    ¡°A few days. The wounds will take a day or so, but I want to keep her and get her eating well before


    she leaves¡±,


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    he tells me calmly. I nod.


    ¡°Keep me informed as to her condition¡± ¡®I said, turning around and about to leave.


    ¡°Alpha Kai¡± Dr James says, stopping me in my tracks. ¡°It¡¯s inly obvious for everyone to see that


    you¡¯re mates. Do you not want to stay with her?¡± He sounded puzzled.


    I flinch. I can¡¯t afford to stay with her, not when Candice is still my girlfriend.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t epted her as my mate¡± I growled. ¡± Please don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    He looks mystified but nods his assent, and I leave the building, my thoughts full of Winter and how


    pale and


    fragile she looked, lying on the hospital bed.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    Chapter 45


    Winter POV


    f**k, where am I? I¡¯m slow to open my eyes, feeling pain shoot through my body with every movement.


    I stare at the white washed walls and the hospital gown that I¡¯m wearing. What the hell happened to


    me? Damnit, Kai has a lot to answer for, I grumble to myself, annoyed.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    We lost the fight with another wolf. Don¡¯t you remember Winter?


    Ouch, guess that¡¯s why I¡¯m in so much pain.


    We look good in a hospital gown though, totally rocking it.


    You always look on the bright side, Sabriel.


    Guess what? Kai was the one who brought us here.


    Don¡¯t get your hopes up Sabriel. He only did it because we needed medical attention. I told her bitterly.


    After all, he¡¯s the reason we¡¯ve ended up in the hospital in the first ce.


    I blink against the bright light and try to sit up, causing machines to start beeping. Damnit. A man in a


    white doctor¡¯s coates running in, stopping short as he sees I¡¯m awake. I looked at him hopelessly


    and motioned


    towards the machines with an apologetic nce.


    ¡°Calm down¡± he murmurs to me and I stop wriggling around. ¡°Let me get those needles out of your


    arm¡±, he adds, and I flinch as he begins to do just that. God it stings.


    ¡°Sorry¡± he apologises. I just nod. I want out of this ce. The sooner the better. Besides, I have omega


    duties to


    take care of.


    I read his name tag. It reads ¡®DR JAMES.¡¯ He seems like a nice doctor and I rx somewhat. At least


    he has a good


    bedside manner.


    ¡°Winter¡± he says quietly, ¡°do you know where you are? Do you remember what happened?¡±


    I nod. It¡¯s not like I can actually say the words.


    He looks thoughtful. ¡°Alpha Kai did say you were mute¡± he mutters, ¡°so I guess I¡¯ll have to do all the


    talking¡±, he


    adds with a smile.


    ¡°I need you to stay for the next few days¡± he exins, ¡°not only were you injured while sparring¡± he


    coughs, ¡°but


    you¡¯re severely malnourished and underweight. Do you remember to eat while doing your omega


    duties?¡± he asks


    quietly.


    I stop and think. It¡¯s true, I do tend to forget to eat while I¡¯m working, most of the time, because I just


    want to get


    my work over and done with. But I hadn¡¯t quite realized just how many meals i¡¯d been skipping until


    now. Maria was


    going to have my head when I got back.


    I shake my head at the doctor sheepishly and he scribbles something down on that clipboard of his.


    ¡°Well, from now on, you¡¯re going to be eating regr meals¡± he tells me sternly. I gulped at the serious


    expression on his face and nodded frantically. I really don¡¯t want to get on a doctor¡¯s bad side.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else I want to mention¡± he pauses and eyes me sternly ¡°there are old scars all over


    your body that will have been made by silver. Can you tell me how you got those?¡± he asks and I shake


    my head, very adamantly. There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m going to divulge how I got those scars. He seems


    to sense it too, because he


    ¡°There¡¯s someone that¡¯s been wanting to see you. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll inform them you¡¯re awake¡± he


    says gently with a sympathetic smile at me.


    What the hell¡¯s up with that? I brighten, thinking it¡¯s Maria that wants to see me. She¡¯s the only friend


    I¡¯ve really made in the time I¡¯ve been in the pack. How nice of her, I think, eagerly watching the


    doorway for her toe in.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be backter¡± Dr James said, and I nodded, watching him go and waiting for my visitor.


    It¡¯s only a few minutester and hees walking in. What the hell is he doing here? He doesn¡¯t give a


    damn about me. In fact, he¡¯s the very reason I¡¯m in the hospital in the first ce. I red at him, even


    as Sabriel began to wag her tail in my mind. Where was the loyalty? My wolf was hopeless when it


    came to being in Alpha Kai¡¯s presence. I on the other hand, despised him. I just want him to reject me


    and leave me in peace. I don¡¯t care how guilty he¡¯s feeling right now. Screw him.


    He looks hesitant as hees into the room and takes in my appearance. I¡¯m pretty sure I look


    disheveled, but


    what did I care? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to impress anyone. Especially not him.


    ¡°Winter¡± he says quietly, ¡°I came to see how you¡¯re doing.¡±


    I look away. Hees in further. ¡°I should not have ordered you to train¡±, he says, and I blink in


    surprise. Is the


    big bad Alpha actually apologizing? That¡¯s a first, I think sourly.


    ¡°If I¡¯d known you were, well, a runt¡± he says, ¡°I would never have even dreamed of making you spar in


    your wolf


    form.¡±


    I shrug and it seems to anger him, because his eyes sh. Good, I was pissing him off. Now he knows


    how it


    feels.


    ¡°I¡¯m apologizing¡± he said tightly.¡± Do you think you could at least do me the courtesy of looking at me?¡±


    I stare at him and he softens,ing over and sitting beside the bed, putting his head in his hands and


    shaking


    it slowly.


    ¡°What am I going to do with you¡± he mutters, and I leave him be. Clearly, he¡¯s talking to himself. Was


    he losing his mind? Maybe all the stress is getting to him. Or he¡¯s feeling guilty, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the


    latter.


    ¡°I¡¯m selfish¡± he murmurs, looking up at me, his eyes glinting ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to reject you, but I also


    don¡¯t want to ept you as my mate either. I won¡¯t let myself be hurt ever again¡± he exhales, and I


    wonder what he¡¯s talking about.


    Am I the second mate he¡¯se across? But if that¡¯s the case, what happened with the first one? Was


    that why he didn¡¯t want to be hurt again? What had they done to him, to make him so afraid of having a


    mate? Despite myself, I feel a tad bit sorry for him. It¡¯s clear how conflicted he is, but I¡¯m the same. Part


    of me hates him for doing this to me, but part of me still feels the pull of the mate bond and wants to be


    near him. It was pure hell.


    He¡¯s eyeing me now, his eyes switching from ck to normal, over and over again as I stare at him,


    fascinated. He seemed to be wrestling with himself. Then he stands up, knocking the chair over in his


    haste, his hand reaching out to grip my chin as I sit there, holding my breath. What does he want?


    ¡°So beautiful¡± he mutters, and I watch, wide-eyed as he bends his head towards me and gently ces


    his lips against mine. I jolt from the sparks, my lips opening eagerly to his, his tongue delving inside my


    mouth and caressing


    mine, his hands moving to the back of my head and gripping my hair.


    It¡¯s like a lightning bolt, shooting through me and the sensation of him kissing me is pure heaven. He


    begins to


    kiss me even harder, and I move my hand to grip his hair, my mouth responding back just as hard


    against his. He lets


    out a long groan of pleasure and I find my hands moving up and down his arms. God, I want more,


    starting to feel my body responding and I worry that he could sense my arousal. Then again, I see his


    c**k is erect, so I¡¯m affecting him as well from the looks of it.


    Then, just as suddenly, he moves back as though he¡¯s been scorched. His eyes are wide and


    beseeching as he stares at me, taking in my swollen lips and disheveled hair. I¡¯m confused. Why was


    he looking so angry now? He was the one who kissed me. I didn¡¯t kiss him, he started it.


    ¡°God¡± he chokes out, ¡°I should never have kissed you.¡±


    I feel deted. That¡¯s the veryst thing I want to hear from him and I feel tears forming in the corner of


    my eyes. He sees them and looks even more panicked.


    ¡°God, I¡¯m so stupid¡± he mutters, backing away as I watch, my heart hurting ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just did


    that¡± he says, swearing vehemently.


    ¡°I gotta go¡± he says, and I watch with tears in my eyes as my mate leaves the room, in a mad rush, as


    though he can¡¯t wait to get away from me. Could this day possibly get any worse?

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    Chapter 46


    Kai POV


    f**k, f**k, f**k. I can¡¯t believe I just did that. My mind whirls with the implications. I should never have


    done it,


    let alone even gone to see her. What on earth was I thinking? My wolf is pleased, sending me all sorts


    of naughty and inappropriate images in my mind, which is not helping with the situation. I can¡¯t stop


    thinking about that kiss. God, her lips were so soft and gentle and those moans of hers. My c**k


    twitched just thinking about it. If I hadn¡¯t pulled back when I did, we would have ended up doing it on


    the hospital bed and how embarrassing would that have been? Storm doesn¡¯t think it would have been


    embarrassing at all, the bloody hornbag.


    I can¡¯t be near her, I decided. It was too dangerous to control my feelings when it came to Winter. Even


    though she can¡¯t speak, she still draws me in. Something about thoserge eyes of hers that beseech


    me and make me feel like a right bastard. Even now, I bet she¡¯s hurt at me leaving. I swear there were


    tears in her eyes.


    Would you just ept the mate bond already and get rid of that slut Candice?


    She¡¯s not a slut, she¡¯s our girlfriend and I can¡¯t just upend her for Winter. Remember, I don¡¯t want a


    mate that¡¯s going to hurt me like the first one did.


    She¡¯s not going to reject you. When are you going to realize that? Would you get over the scars you


    possess already? Winter doesn¡¯t seem to be bothered by them.


    That¡¯s because she can¡¯t tell me she is. I won¡¯t be put in a vulnerable position again.


    Candice just wants to be Luna, you know that as well as I. Stop being so blind to her.


    Shut it wolf. I won¡¯t break up with her, so just leave it.


    He sulks but shuts up thankfully as I head back towards the pack house deep in thought. I wasn¡¯t


    oblivious to Candice¡¯s faults, contrary to what my wolf believed. But shouldn¡¯t she expect to be Luna


    after dating me for so long? Wasn¡¯t that a normal thing to do? I could just mark Candice but my wolf


    feels sick at the very thought of it and I just feel hesitant, as though I¡¯m forcing myself to do something I


    don¡¯t want to do. Damnit. Why was this so hard? Why


    can¡¯t I just reject Winter and get rid of all the drama? But she looks so fragile, so in need of protection


    and I feel


    protective of her. My wolf is just as protective and it¡¯s ironic, because he doesn¡¯t feel protective when it


    comes to


    Candice at all.


    Maybe I should just lock myself up in the study and bury myself in paperwork. That would take my mind


    off of


    everything surely.


    My wolf snickers.


    Sure, paperwork is really going to help. You try that, you moron.


    You¡¯re pushing it.


    So are you with this nonsense? You¡¯re a bloody fool Kai. The mate bond is only going to get stronger. I


    can¡¯t wait for the day when you realize just how stupid you¡¯ve been. You¡¯re going to have a lot to make


    up for when ites to Winter and, at this rate, she might find a way of rejecting us.


    I¡¯ve no sooner settled myself in my study when Candicees sashaying in. For the first time ever,


    instead of lighting up when shees in, I feel nausea at her presence. Why is she disturbing me


    when I¡¯m busy? I instantly feel bad for thinking that and try to give her a smile, even though it feels


    forced.


    ¡°Candice, is there something you need?¡± I ask pleasantly enough. cleavage. I swallow hard. My wolf is


    extremely annoyed in the background and I put a block up, ignoring his


    protests.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m always happy to see you¡± Ilie.


    She¡¯s wearing a killer red dress that leaves nothing to the imagination and it enhances her beautiful


    figure perfectly. I have an idea of what it is she¡¯s after and my c**k twitches as I look at her all over.


    She trails her fingers down my arm. To my surprise, I feel numb, not as excited as I usually am. Still, I


    stand up and kiss her, deep, disappointed not to feel any sparks or tingles. I just need to get Winter out


    of my head, I think to myself grimly. Candice senses there¡¯s something wrong and pulls back, her eyes


    shining with concern. Love?


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit tense¡± shements and I almostugh. She¡¯s not kidding, I¡¯m so bloody stressed out, it¡¯s


    not


    funny.


    ¡°How about a massage?¡± she offers and I sit back down with relief. At least she¡¯s not angry. Not that


    she has any reason to be, I think, a tad bit guilty. After all, that kiss meant nothing. Nothing. But my


    body and my wolf think


    otherwise.


    She begins to knead my neck and I tip my head back in appreciation, feeling my tense muscles begin


    to rx


    underneath her ministrations. This was heaven. I moan and she smiles widely at me.


    ¡°Poor thing¡± shements sweetly, ¡°your all tense and well, stressed out. I know exactly how to fix


    that¡± she


    murmurs and moves me from out of my desk, still in my chair as I face her.


    Her long fingernails undo the zipper on my pants and I¡¯m not wearing any underwear. I usually don¡¯t, it


    just gets


    in the way. She pulls out my member and gives me a seductive smile, getting to her knees and


    beginning to lick the tip, as I shudder in pleasure.


    She knows exactly what to do, slowly cing my c**k inside of her mouth and beginning to suck, slowly


    at first, her hands moving up and down on my shaft as I lean back against the chair.


    God, she¡¯s f*****g good. It¡¯s not long and I¡¯m struggling to maintain my self control, putting aside all


    thoughts of Winter. This is my life, this is what I want. A girlfriend who¡¯s crazy about me. Who will never


    hurt me. Who shows me just how badly she wants me all the time. I can¡¯t take it anymore and hastily


    stand up, my c**k standing to


    attention.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think maybe it¡¯s time for you to have some fun too¡± I, say firmly, and she gives me a knowing look,


    sliding out of her panties and flinging them to the far corner of the room. My throat goes dry.


    ¡°Bend over the desk¡± | growl, desperate to be inside of her.


    She bends over, her dress up to her waist, her hands on either side of her head. She waits. I stare at


    her


    delectable ass but don¡¯t feel the lust I normally feel. Why was this happening? All I wanted was to take


    her and dispose of her, not feeling as tender towards her as I usually feel.


    1 position my rock hard c**k against her entrance as she wiggles yfully against me in


    encouragement. She¡¯s more than ready for me, I can smell her juices and the scent of her arousal. I


    push in, hard, getting all of my c**k inside of her in one fell swoop. She loves it, crying out as I begin to


    pound into her without mercy, thrusting hard and rough, her moans and cries spurring me on. But


    there¡¯s something that I can¡¯t seem to control and, no matter how rough I take her or how animalistic I


    am, I can¡¯t seem to c*m and, shamefully, I begin to imagine that it¡¯s Winter beneath me, the one that


    I¡¯m f*****g instead. It seems to do the trick, making my c**k tingle all over and I let out a huge shout as I


    spill my seed inside of her, shuddering, giving onest thrust as Candice¡¯s walls clench around me


    and she orgasms tightly while I¡¯m still inside.


    Panting heavily, I slowly pull out and Candice turns to grip me tightly. ¡°I have some shopping to do¡± she


    murmurs and, without a word, I pull up my pants and hand her my credit card while she beams at me.


    ¡°Have fun¡± I manage to grunt as she puts her panties back on and waves, shimmying out. I watch her


    go regretfully. She had no idea that I was pretending to be with someone else and I put my head in my


    hands and swore quietly. All I can think about is Winter and the knowledge that she would have felt the


    pain of me being with someone else. I really am a right bastard. Not only that, but I shamed Candice by


    imagining my mate beneath me. How was! going to fix this mess without hurting either of them? Was


    that even possible?

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Chapter 47


    Winter POV


    I watched him walk away, feeling nothing but regret. I knew he wasn¡¯t happy that he¡¯d kissed me, but it


    wasn¡¯t


    like I forced him too. I feel indignant now. My mind is still spinning from his kiss and the feel of his


    hands on me. The


    tingles and the sparks that flew between us and my body already craves more. Still, even though I¡¯m


    sure he had felt


    the same things I did, he almost ran out of the room like a bat out of hell. That stung like crazy. Was the


    kiss that bad?


    It¡¯s less than an hourter and I feel the most excruciating pain in my chest, one that has me doubling


    over and


    wheezing. I can¡¯t scream for help and I feel helpless, tears running down my face.. I¡¯d never felt this


    pain before,


    wing at my chest as shouts rang out from the corridor, nurses and the doctor racing in, mystified for


    a moment and then I hear the doctor, order the nurses to leave.


    Sabriel, what¡¯s going on? What is this horrendous pain?


    It¡¯s because of our mate she tells me sadly and I can feel her anguish and despair. I¡¯m confused


    though, by what she means. How is the pain linked to Kai? How is he managing to hurt me from far


    away? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Mate is sleeping with someone else. Now that we¡¯ve met him and he hasn¡¯t rejected us, we¡¯ll feel this


    every time he sleeps with another.


    Asshole, he literally kissed me and then went and slept with Candice? God, what a bastard, I thought


    furiously, trying to take deep breaths in the hope that the pain would go away. Nothing seems to help. I


    notice the doctor is setting up something on the iv and look at him questioningly. Please let it help the


    pain. I¡¯d take anything to make it


    go away.


    ¡°It¡¯s morphine¡± he said quietly, ¡°it will dull the pain but won¡¯t take it awaypletely¡± he said, looking


    upset. Part of me is suspicious he knows exactly what the pain is and where it¡¯sing from. He looks


    grim. ¡°It will help


    with your injuries as well¡± he adds.


    gave him a thankful smile and he nodded. He looks at me regretfully.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more I can do, but the morphine is strong and may even put you to sleep. That would


    be a small


    mercy in itself¡± he murmured to himself, looking away.


    He leaves the room and sure enough, within a few minutes, the pain has subsided to a dull pain. It


    stings and the knowledge of my mate being with another has me in tears. Why can¡¯t he just reject me


    and let me move on? How would he feel, if I chose to go and sleep with another? It was humiliating.


    Sabriel was lost in the midst of her own despair. All we could do was try andfort each other, the


    best way we could.


    I feel sleepy and settle back in bed. The pain might not bepletely gone, but it¡¯s tolerable. I know


    they can¡¯t give me too much morphine but at the moment I¡¯m thankful to have it at all. It¡¯s even helping


    with the pain of my wounds. My eyes feel heavy and I feel like I¡¯m floating in the air. It¡¯s surreal. Like an


    out of body experience. I gratefully


    go to sleep and feel no more pain as I do so.


    I can¡¯t say what woke me up. It could have been hunger. My stomach was growling rather loudly. Or it


    could have been, due to the change in lighting and realizing it was nowte at night. I¡¯m still dazed and


    confused from the morphine and my body is feeling strange. The pain of Kai being with someone else


    is gone, at least for now. I¡¯m not so


    naive as to believe it won¡¯t happen again. But I can also swear I just saw a shadow move around in the


    room and why would the nurses have been doing their job in the darkness? Why not just turn the light


    on and wake me up? It seems silly to not disturb me, especially since it seems I¡¯ve been out of it for


    most of the day and a portion of the nighttime. Why make their job harder?


    Why do I feel so uneasy? Like something is majorly wrong? I¡¯m in a hospital, for heaven¡¯s sake, one of


    the safest ces I can possibly be. I know it wasn¡¯t Kai in the room, I would have smelt his scent. In


    fact, I¡¯m not really familiar with the scent in the room at all and I¡¯m sure that it must belong to a nurse.


    They must have been doing some observations or something,


    But my body won¡¯t respond to any of mymands, feeling much like I¡¯m paralyzed and my limbs


    refuse to


    move at all.


    That wasn¡¯t a nurse. Something¡¯s wrong Winter you have to move


    I can¡¯. My body won¡¯t do anything / want it to.


    if you don¡¯t we will die. Your morphine is way too high. Rip the iv out if you have to.


    I can¡¯t make my arms move! Or my legs Sabriel! It¡¯s hard to feel anything!


    Do something and make it quick!


    What the hell did Sabriel want me to do? I can¡¯t frigging call out, I can¡¯t move. No one knows what¡¯s just


    happened and by the time someonees in it¡¯s going to be toote. As it is, I can feel my body


    bing morenguid and loose. I¡¯m starting to panic now. Sabriel¡¯s just as concerned. I could barely


    take a breath and I gathered up all of my courage and all of my strength, rolling over and falling to the


    ground with arge thud. The iv rips out in the process and blood pours out onto the floor. Ouch. But at


    least I¡¯ve managed to make one hell of a racket. That


    should send the nurses to my room.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Thank god, I¡¯ve managed to do even that, but I¡¯m still incredibly weak. Luckily, there¡¯s the sound of


    running


    footsteps and the doctores racing into the room, his hair disheveled and dark circles beneath his


    eyes. He looks


    like he¡¯s woken from a deep sleep. Was he watching over me or worried something would happen? Or


    was it because was the Alpha¡¯s mate and he didn¡¯t want to have to exin that something bad had


    happened? I don¡¯t care, right


    now all I want is for him to give me some medical attention.


    He takes one look at me and the iv and a fierce expressiones on his face. He knows instantly


    what¡¯s happened. He slowly bends over and picks me up, cing me onto the bed tenderly and


    ordering a nurse to fetch


    some bandages. The other nursese pouring in and he turns on them, anger clear in his voice.


    ¡°Who messed with the morphine dosage¡± he roars, and even iflinch from how loud he is. It¡¯s a far cry


    from the


    quiet, gentle doctor I met earlier.


    The nurses looked confused. All of them are shaking their heads.


    ¡°Someone had to or are you telling me that a stranger made their way into the room and did it while she


    was


    sleeping? Because Winter was asleep thest time I checked and I very much doubt she tried to kill


    herself¡± he


    roars,


    I¡¯m shaking my head. No way, even with how messed up my situation is, would I try and kill myself. He


    has that


    right. But how did someone sneak in and out, without attracting any attention?


    Still, none of the nursese forward and the doctor, James, looks exasperated. ¡°Untill find out who


    the culprit


    is, no one is allowed to enter this room under any circumstances.¡±


    The nurses look annoyed but have no other option than to assent. He orders them out and turns to me,


    bandages in his hands.


    ¡°Alright Winter, let¡¯s take a look at that arm¡± he says.


    I¡¯m shaking as I hold it out, finally getting feelinging back into my limbs and body. He wraps the


    wounds


    and sighs. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to inform Alpha kai of what¡¯s happened.¡±


    I look at him pleadingly, but he¡¯s stern. Great. Why does he even have to know? I think a little bitterly,


    it¡¯s not like


    Kai would care. Hell, if I¡¯d died, I¡¯d have been doing him a massive favour.


    ¡°It looks like you managed to rip the morphine drip out just in time¡± Dr James says quietly, ¡°but I¡¯m no


    longer


    Sabriel agrees.


    He takes a key out of his coat and nces at me apologetically. ¡°If anything happens to you, Alpha Kai


    will have


    my head. I know it doesn¡¯t seem like it, but he does actually care for you, in his own misguided, stupid


    way¡± he adds,


    and I dete.


    I disagree but watch anyway as Dr James locks the hospital room. Now it makes sense as to why I¡¯ve


    been put in


    a room with ss doors. At the time, I hadn¡¯t even considered there might have been a reason for it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here with you, until morning, and then I¡¯m going to speak to Alpha Kai about


    discharging you¡±


    he mutters, ¡°somewhere safe and away from here.¡±


    He settles himself in the chair. ¡°Go back to sleep¡± he says, and I hesitate. But I know it wasn¡¯t him in


    the room earlier, his scent is far too different. ¡°Rest is what your body needs right now to recuperate,


    and you¡¯re safe for now. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already mind-linked Alpha Kai¡± he adds reluctantly.


    I tentatively closed my eyes, still feeling quite sedated from the morphine. Knowing Dr James is with


    me makes


    me feel a lot more secure and it¡¯s not long until I feel darkness surrounding me and fall into a deep


    sleep.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Chapter 48


    Alpha Kai POV


    It¡¯s the next day, and although I know I shouldn¡¯t, I find myself heading towards the pack hospital


    anyway. At least Candice isn¡¯t hanging around, wondering where I¡¯m going. She¡¯s too busy going out


    and shopping. My wolf points that out rather sourly, but lignore him. At least it keeps Candice away for


    a while. I really shouldn¡¯t feel like that, considering she¡¯s my girlfriend, but I can¡¯t help noticing I¡¯m


    feeling that more and more these days. Was it because I¡¯d found my mate, or was I getting tired of her?


    My wolf has made his opinion on numerous asions, but why am I starting to agree with him? Why


    am I suddenly finding myself disliking Candice so much? What has changed?


    I walk through the front entrance confidently, seeking out Dr James. I want to find out how Winter is


    going and whether there¡¯s a change in her condition. My mind shes back to our kiss and I cringe.


    That was wrong of me and I would have to apologise. I don¡¯t want Winter to get the wrong idea.


    I¡¯m a little mystified when I¡¯m told by the head nurse at the nurse¡¯s station, that Dr James is currently


    locked up in Winter¡¯s room. I feel a spurt of rage. What is he doing in there, alone with my mate? My


    wolf is in agreement, growling lowly in my head. I almost stomp down to Winter¡¯s room and peered


    inside to see Dr James sleeping rather ufortably in a chair, beside Winter¡¯s bedside. Well, at least


    he¡¯s not in her bed, not that I think my mate is


    capable of anything like that, even with what I¡¯d done to her.


    I knock softly on the door, seeing Winter is still sleeping peacefully, her hair spread out on the pillows


    and neatly tucked underneath a nket. His eyes open and he sits upright looking startled, before


    turning his head around and


    viewing me guiltily. I watch as Dr James gingerly gets to his feet and tiptoes to the doors, unlocking


    them and quietlying out into the hallway, where I¡¯m waiting impatiently for him.


    ¡°I need to speak to you, rather urgently, Alpha Kai¡±, he tells me and he sounds grim, like there¡¯s


    something serious he needs to tell me. I made a motion for him to walk with me but he shakes his


    head.


    ¡°I cannot leave Winter alone in her room¡± the Dr says reluctantly, and my eyebrows rise in surprise,


    even as I begin to feel a tiny bit suspicious. I should have paid better attention to what he tried to tell


    mest night.


    ¡°Then give me a moment to mind-link Beta Langdon. He cane down and keep an eye on her¡±, I


    say firmly, and did that, Langdon assuring me that he¡¯ll be a moment. The doctor looks grateful.


    ¡°Thankyou Alpha Kai¡± he breathes ¡± there¡¯s a good reason for needing someone outside of Winter¡¯s


    hospital


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    room and I don¡¯t want to disturb her either while she¡¯s asleep¡±, he adds. I¡¯m in agreement. Part of me is


    happy she¡¯s


    asleep, it means prolonging the apology that I felt I owed her.


    We wait, I¡¯m impatient, until Langdon finally turns up, looking breathless, as though he¡¯s run straight


    here. I eye the sweat on his clothes and surmised that he probably had run.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha Kai¡± he says, and I turn to him.


    ¡°Beta Langdon¡± I say quietly, keeping my voice low ¡°I need you to keep an eye on Winter and don¡¯t let


    anyone besides yourself into her room. Is that understood?¡±


    Dr James speaks ¡°that means no nurses, doctors, or anybody. Nobody should be stepping foot in her


    room at


    all.¡±


    Langdon looks bewildered but nods. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll keep a close eye on her, until your return¡±, he tells


    me, and could trust to have my back. Even with something as small as this.


    ¡°This way¡± Dr James whispers and leads me to his office, closing the door securely behind him and


    motioning for


    me to take a seat.


    ¡°Winter is healing remarkably well¡± he started off with as I listened intently, d to hear it¡± Her wounds


    are


    beginning to close and she¡¯s not in any pain right now. I don¡¯t know if you are aware, but she felt the


    pain of you


    being with someone else yesterday¡± he says, fixating his eyes on me. I feel a little indignant. How dare


    he scold me like that? I¡¯m the Alpha, but another part of me acknowledges the truth of his words and I


    feel ashamed of myself. I wriggle ufortably in the chair. I feel like a child in the headmaster¡¯s


    office. ¡°There¡¯s something else as well. Her body is covered in scars, Alpha Kai, old ones that were


    clearly made with silver.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t torture her¡± I say dumbly and he looks at me exasperated.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware¡± he says with a groan ¡°but somebody has. It¡¯s been going on for years.¡±


    I¡¯m quietly taking that in, feeling anger rise inside of me, even though I know I can¡¯t do anything for her,


    nothing


    can heal wounds made with Silver.


    Dr James takes a deep breath, and looks towards me apprehensively. I know he¡¯s been holding


    something back.


    We wouldn¡¯t have had to go to his office if all he wanted to tell me, was to inform me about Winter¡¯s


    current


    condition.


    ¡°There was an incidentst night¡± he tells me grimly ¡°someone entered Winter¡¯s hospital room and


    increased her morphine dosage. It was put incredibly high. If she hadn¡¯t managed to rip her iv out, it


    could very well have been fatal.¡±


    Texploded. He¡¯d failed to mention the part about the morphine instead stating that Winter had been


    involved in


    an incident and that he was taking care of her. I should have asked questions, I think to myself grimly.


    But then, the


    doctor probably assumed I didn¡¯t care much for winter. Even though a small part of me does care for


    her.


    ¡°Your nurses must be ipetent¡± 1,,raged, standing up and pacing back and forth.¡± They put my


    mate¡¯s life in


    danger. How could they have made such a stupid mistake?¡± I¡¯m incredulous at the thought of such a


    huge mistake


    taking ce under Dr James¡¯s supervision.


    He holds up a hand to stop me. ¡°That¡¯s the thing, all of the nurses deny that they entered the room and


    messed with the dosage. All of them have been working for me for years and I believe them. None of


    them know that she¡¯s your mate, Alpha Kai. I¡¯ve not disclosed that information to anyone.¡±


    My eyes narrow as I realize what he¡¯s implying. ¡°You think she was targeted, because she¡¯s my mate?¡±


    I ask


    angrily and he nods.


    ¡°I¡¯m positive. The thing is, how many people know about her?¡±


    | stop and think. Langdon, of course, knows, but so do several of the patrols that were on the night that


    Winter stumbled onto my territory. They wouldn¡¯t know we were mates but I had been acting differently


    in her presence. Had someone maybe picked up on it? Overheard something they shouldn¡¯t have? Or


    was it just a lucky guess?


    Tcursed and threw my hands up in the air. I feel a sense of frustration and concern. Winter wasn¡¯t safe


    in the hospital. Now what was I going to do? My wolf wanted to take her home with us, but it could have


    been anyone and there was no guarantee of her safety there, not to mention I didn¡¯t want Candice to


    find out about her, not yet anyway. That was a discussion to have with her another time, once I¡¯ve


    made up my mind about what I wanted


    to do.


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡¯ I asked the dr evenly as he thinks about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m prepared to discharge her, but she still needs to rest. Is there someone you trustpletely with


    Winter¡¯s


    care? Someone who can guard her and keep her safe from harm?¡±


    Oh, I have someone alright, but I doubt he¡¯s going to be pleased with the n that¡¯s whirling around in


    my mind. My wolf is annoyed that we aren¡¯t taking care of her and sulks. I ignore him.


    ¡°It¡¯s safe to discharge her?¡± I confirmed and Dr James nodded adamantly.


    ¡°So long as she rests, she¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve got painkillers I can give her but I think she¡¯ll probably manage


    without


    them.¡±


    ¡°I take it you locked yourself in the room then to keep Winter safe¡± Imented dryly and he blushed


    and looked at the ground


    ¡°Forgive me, Alpha Kai¡± he stammers. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else to do. Her safety was my number one


    priority.¡±


    I waved his apology away. In the grand scheme of things, I didn¡¯t me him. He¡¯d taken care of my


    mate and kept her safe, going well above and beyond his job. I was grateful to him, more than


    anything.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of her, Dr James. You have my thanks¡± I told him, standing up and walking


    to the door, ¡°arrange for Winter¡¯s discharge and I¡¯ll organize the rest¡±, I added grimly, walking back


    towards the hospital room and wondering if Winter had woken up yet. I knew instantly she wasn¡¯t going


    to like what I had in store for her, but there was no other choice, so she¡¯d have to suck it up and deal


    with it. So would a certain someone else. I give a wicked grin, this was going to be very interesting.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    Chapter 49


    Winter POV


    My eyes feel heavy and gritty as I blink them open, the light bright and the hospital sounding busy from


    what | can discern. I had apparently fallen asleep during the night while Dr James watched over me. To


    my surprise though, he seemed to be gone and I wondered if he¡¯d left to deal with a patient. He is a


    busy doctor after all and has to


    supervise his staff.


    Oh well, I thought to myself with a shrug. It was none of my business and it was morning anyway. I


    doubt anything¡¯s going to happen to me during the day. I take care of my business and look down at my


    hospital gown with a sigh. I don¡¯t have any other clothes to change into, so all I can do is grab a new


    one and have a quick shower, before walking back out and frowning. There¡¯s a man I recognize, well


    sort of, standing guard outside in the hallway, his head peeking in as he watches me. What¡¯s he doing


    here, I wonder? Had doctor James told him to stand guard? Or was it someone else? He looks so


    serious as well though. What¡¯s up with that?


    ¡°I¡¯m here to watch over you¡± he tells me gruffly, and I give him a nod and a small smile. Well that¡¯s a


    relief, 1 guess, but I wonder who has given him the order to do that. Was it Dr James or was it Alpha


    Kai? I suspect thetter


    even if I can¡¯t prove it. I felt a little flutter in my stomach at the thought that Alpha Kai might havee


    to visit me or


    that he cared enough to send one of his men to take care of me. It gives me a warm feeling, even if he


    hasn¡¯t epted


    me yet, he still shows signs of caring. I would hold onto that as small as it might seem.


    I climb back into bed, shivering slightly from the cold and hastily pull my nkets back over me. The


    man is watching my every move, but he¡¯s also scanning his surroundings with his eyes. What kind of


    danger does he believe I might be in? I honestly think thatst night was an ident, but I¡¯m now


    seriously thinking that I¡¯m wrong.


    Otherwise Dr James¡¯ wouldn¡¯t have reacted the way he had.


    It wasn¡¯t an ident, Winter, it was a deliberate attempt on your life. You have to be careful and don¡¯t


    trust anyone, especially not Alpha Kai. Asshole that he is.


    Sabriel, watch yournguage. I know that you don¡¯t particrly like Alpha Kai, but he is in a difficult


    position. After all he has a girlfriend already. It must be hard for him. It¡¯s like he¡¯s stuck between a rock


    and a hard ce.


    Not really. He¡¯s just making it hard. Trust me, the mate bond is sacred.


    I still want to believe he¡¯lle around.


    Of course he will! He¡¯s crazy not to want someone as incredible as you Winter.


    I love you Sabriel.


    Love you too, girlfriend.


    I smell the most delicious scent and inhale greedily. I know this smell, and would recognize it


    anywhere. It¡¯s Kai¡¯s


    and he¡¯s heading towards my hospital room. I can hear his footsteps as they approach and they sound


    angry, stomping, like he¡¯s majorly pissed off and I cringe. Was he mad at me? I haven¡¯t done anything


    wrong though, I think


    to myself, slightly annoyed.


    The footsteps stop just outside of the door though, and I exhale in relief. Then I hear his voice


    muttering to the


    man who is watching me from outside.


    ¡°Langdon¡±, Kai says firmly ¡°I require your assistance with something.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m at your service¡± the man, who must be Langdon, said calmly.


    te Boris I frowned at that, wondering what kind of request Kai was going to make. Is Langdon perhaps


    his Beta? It would make sense. It must be pretty important if he¡¯s asking his Beta for something.


    ¡°I need you to take Winter in for now and keep watch over her.¡±


    Thear a splutter and realize it¡¯sing from poor Langdon, who obviously hadn¡¯t been expecting such


    an


    unusual request. I feel a little indignant as well. I didn¡¯t need anyone watching over me, I was perfectly


    fine with keeping myself safe. After all I¡¯d traveled a fair distance on my own and that hadn¡¯t been easy.


    Even as a mute.


    ¡°Alpha Kai¡± Langdon says slowly, once he¡¯s recovered from the initial shock, ¡°do you really believe I¡¯m


    the best


    man for that job? Isn¡¯t there someone else you¡¯d rather assign to this?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one else I trust. Someone tried to kill Winterst night. It could have been anyone. You¡¯re


    the only


    one I would trust wholeheartedly with my mate.¡±


    ¡°Someone tried to kill her¡± gasps Langdon, and although I strain my ears, wanting to hear more, they


    drop their


    voices so low that I¡¯m unable to hear any more of the conversation.


    Damn. Sabriel is excited that Kai¡¯s showing he cares for us. I¡¯m confused as to why I¡¯m being watched


    over by


    someone else if he cares so much. Then footsteps again and Kaies bustling in, looking absolutely


    furious as I


    blink at him.


    ¡°Winter¡± he says gruffly as I sit upright and regard him warily. ¡°This is Langdon¡± he says, motioning to


    the other


    man whoes in and looks hesitantly at me.


    ¡°I want him to keep watch over you for now¡± he says grimly, and I just nod, looking down at my hands


    and feeling disappointed. He was handing me over to another man, instead of protecting me himself. It


    more than stung a


    little.


    He exhales, sensing my disappointment. It might be my imagination, but Kai also looks slightly guilty,


    fidgeting


    and moving from one foot to the other.


    ¡°About yesterday¡± he says finally, avoiding my eyes, and I felt myself instantly dete, suspecting


    where this was going and not wanting to hear it. Please, I think to myself, please don¡¯t say the words I


    think you¡¯re about to say. I don¡¯t know if I can bear it.


    ¡°I should never have kissed you, like I did. I had no right, please forgive me¡± he adds, and I feel sick to


    my stomach. He¡¯s apologizing for the kiss, like it didn¡¯t mean anything to him, while it had meant so


    much more to me. I try to keep tears from forming in my eyes.


    Langdon looks around the room, looking distinctly ufortable, also not meeting my eyes. Clearly,


    he hadn¡¯t


    been privy to that information, because he also looked very surprised.


    ¡°Langdon¡± he says, addressing his Beta, who snaps to attention, ¡°do not let Winter out of your sight for


    any


    reason.¡±


    Langdon nodded, looking serious. I want to scream and am bitterly aware that I cannot. I¡¯m here, I want


    to


    scream, right here, and I can hear everything. Talk to me!


    Kai looks at me and something shes across his eyes, so quickly that I almost miss it. Was that


    concern? Or


    perhaps guilt?


    ¡°Winter, I want you to listen to Langdon. He¡¯s here to protect you and to keep you safe. Dr James


    informed me as


    to what went onst night and I¡¯m making sure nothing else happens. Until we can find the culprit, you¡¯ll


    be staying with Langdon.¡±


    Well gee, thanks, I thought to myself sarcastically. I would hate to ruin his day. I know I¡¯m being


    irrational, but he¡¯s making me absolutely furious, so much so, that my hands are slowly balling into


    fists.


    ¡°Alpha Kai, how long am I required to keep Winter with me?¡± asks Langdon unsurely.


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Kai¡¯s head whips around and he res at Langdon, who gulps nervously. His eyes turned pitch ck


    for a moment and I stared in fascination, wondering if his wolf was in control or if Langdon had just


    made him that


    angry.


    ¡°For as long as it takes¡±, he thunders, and Langdon flinches.


    ¡°Yes of course, sorry Alpha Kai¡± he quickly mutters and Kai just harrumphs at him.


    ¡°Dr James is discharging you, Winter, so Langdon, you¡¯re to take her to your ce and wait for further


    instructions. If anything happens, inform me immediately¡±, Kai snarls and Langdon emphatically nods


    while I just stare at both of them in a rage. Do they not realize how condescending it is that they¡¯re


    talking about me as though


    I¡¯m not even in the room? It was infuriating.


    ¡°I have to go¡± Alpha Kai says quietly as I stare at him, my eyes pleading for him to stay. He seems to


    hesitate. ¡°I have to go and talk to Candice¡± he murmurs and my heart sinks. Of course he was going to


    his girlfriend, how stupid of me to think otherwise. After all why would he choose to actually be mates


    with me, when he had someone like that wanting to be with him? I couldn¡¯t evenpare to how


    beautiful that girl is.


    Langdon and I, watch as Kai turns and leaves the room, his footsteps thudding loudly on the hospital


    floor. Langdon gives me a long considering look and I can¡¯t help it, my face crumples and my tears start


    to flow, making Langdon even more panicked as he attempts, rather futilely, tofort me.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Chapter 50


    Kai POV


    I sighed and put my head in my hands. Winter¡¯s been entrusted to Langdon, so I should feel relieved,


    but if


    anything, I¡¯m even more nervous. We haven¡¯t been able to find the culprit who deliberately increased


    Winter¡¯s


    morphine and tried to kill her. Nobody saw anything, which means the person responsible had to have


    been in and out of her room within seconds. It was infuriating not being able to get the information I


    required. As Alpha it was my


    responsibility to find the person responsible.


    I wonder how Langdon¡¯s getting on. I know he wasn¡¯t pleased with me when I demanded that he take


    Winter in


    and be his ward, but what else am I supposed to do? It¡¯s not like I can take her in. I can¡¯t help but


    remember the look in her eyes when I apologized for kissing her. How hurt she looked, as though I¡¯d


    betrayed her and the guilt was slowly eating me inside. Why had I done that? I could have just said


    nothing, instead of breaking her heart the way!


    had. God I was such a bastard. I¡¯ve really sunk low.


    That¡¯s it, I can¡¯t keep myself back anymore. Winter¡¯s in Langdon¡¯s house right now, and I need to know


    exactly


    how she¡¯s doing. I mind-link him, not caring how grumpy he sounds when he responds. I¡¯m the Alpha,


    he does as I say. Besides this was an emergency of sorts. What if she was in danger? I ignore the


    small voice in my head that reminds me that Langdon would mind-link me if that was the case.


    Langdon, how is Winter going? Is she safe? Are you treating her well?


    He sounds irritated when he replies. Depends what you mean by how she¡¯s going. She¡¯s a right pain in


    the ass, if


    you ask me. Not that you care, you¡¯re the one who stuck her with me.


    My wolf gives a low growl at that. Remember who you are speaking to Langdon. Don¡¯t piss me off right


    now.


    He sighs. I apologies Alpha. But ever since we¡¯vee back here from the hospital, she hasn¡¯t done


    much. She¡¯s just moping around and looking bored. Nothing I do seems to spark any interest in her. It


    doesn¡¯t help that she cannot speak at all. I¡¯ve provided her with paper and pen, but she doesn¡¯t want to


    write unless I ask her some sort of


    question. She seems to be severely depressed.


    I flinch at that. I have the feeling that I¡¯m responsible for that.


    Are you saying she¡¯s being difficult on purpose? Or is she upset? If she is upset, I know it¡¯s because of


    what Iv¡¯e done. It would have nothing whatsoever to do with Langdon, especially since he was only


    following my orders.


    It¡¯s more like she¡¯s given up. I don¡¯t know how else to describe it. She¡¯s just not happy, I think you might


    have


    broken her when you apologized for kissing her. She hasn¡¯t even smiled once since she¡¯s been here.


    Ouch. It sounds really bad now. But what could I do to make things any better? Is she taking care of


    herself at all? Eating, sleeping, all of that?


    No, Alpha Kai. She has barely touched a thing and hasn¡¯t been sleeping well at all. If I didn¡¯t know any


    better, /


    would say she was having nightmares. She gets up at night and just wanders through the house,


    eventually passing


    out on the couch. She won¡¯t let me put her back to bed either, seems to prefer sleeping out there


    instead.


    I really don¡¯t like the sound of that. What could she possibly be having nightmares about, that would


    make her prefer to walk until she copsed exhausted on the couch? My wolf is also in agreement, his


    concern almost overwhelming for our mate. I resist the urge to go out there and check up on her,


    although my resistance seems to be weakening when ites to Winter.


    No Alpha. She hasn¡¯t attempted tomunicate with me much at all, even though I¡¯ve provided the


    necessary stuff, pens and paper and whatever else she needs. She¡¯s just not interested in anything.


    Perhaps it would be best if you took her in instead?


    Thesitate. It does sound like Winter isn¡¯t doing well, but then, I still have Candice to contend with.


    Besides, Winter wouldn¡¯t want to be with me anyway. At least I assume she wouldn¡¯t. I trace the scars


    on my face thoughtfully.


    If I just rejected her, she would be free to leave, but my wolf howls at the thought and begins to


    furiously threaten me, calling me all sorts of vile insults. Not only that, but he begins to berate me over


    Candice, calling her a gold


    digger and a hussy, not worthy of us and a bimbo. He was not holding back. Then again, when it came


    to Candice, he never did. Plus, I don¡¯t want to reject Winter, as it is I¡¯ve started daydreaming what it


    would be like to be with her instead of Candice, another bad sign.


    If the situation doesn¡¯t resolve itself soon, in the next few days, I¡¯ll consider moving her elsewhere. Do


    you think


    she would be morefortable living with a female member of the pack?


    I can tell that Langdon is mulling that over. It¡¯d never urred to me that Winter might possibly not


    want to be living with a male, but there¡¯s really no females that I trustpletely to take care of my


    mate. There is no way in hell I¡¯d even consider having her close to Candice. That was a sure way for a


    recipe for disaster. Plus Candice gets jealous


    when another female so much as looks at me too long.


    I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s entirely possible that she would be more at ease in a female¡¯spany. She could be


    afraid of


    men, for all we know.


    I frown. I thought this would have been the perfect solution and now I was going to have to think of


    something else. I don¡¯t want Winter to bepletely miserable. That¡¯s not fair to her. Then again, was


    any of this current situation fair to her? My wolf didn¡¯t think so. My heart is screaming out to take her in,


    to do what¡¯s right and even my wolf won¡¯t let up. I¡¯m forced to put a block up rather than continue


    listening to him rage and vent at me.


    Continue to inform me of her condition. If she continues to deteriorate or show signs of starving herself,


    then I¡¯ll take her out of your custody. In the meantime, think of someone we can entrust her care to.


    Which female member of


    our pack do you trust implicitly with something as important as taking care of my mate?


    That¡¯s a tough one, Alpha Kai, but I¡¯ll do my best to think of someone. Give me some time to think


    about it. I can¡¯t


    think of anyone on the top of my head, but it wille to me. Just wait and see.


    Take all the time you need Langdon. That¡¯s all I need to hear right now. Thank you for your report.


    I cut off the mindlink and groaned out loud. I hope Winter¡¯s not being difficult because she¡¯s mad at me,


    but another part of me is worried that I¡¯vepletely broken her heart. A small part of me is whispering


    that I should go and see her for myself, but another part of me is desperately ignoring that voice, saying


    that Candice is more of a priority. But why? For the first time ever, I find myself questioning why I¡¯m


    continuing to see Candice when I had a real life mate right in my grasp. Was all of this worth it? Was


    Candice worth holding onto? She¡¯s been loyal, that part¡¯s true. But she¡¯s also had her eyes on being


    Luna right from the beginning.


    In fact, even now as I think about it, I can¡¯t think of a single thing that Candice has done for myself in


    the rtionship, that doesn¡¯t include s*x. Have I been a fool and been swayed by the fact that she¡¯s


    been one of the only women wanting to be with me and willing to look past my scars? Was I letting my


    fears hold myself back from finding true happiness? Was my unwillingness to be vulnerable ever again


    ruining any chance I have of having a rtively normal life and a family of my own?


    Maybe it is time to seriously ponder the possibilities and what I want in my future. Because if i¡¯m forced


    to be


    entirely honest to myself, I didn¡¯t see Candice as my future wife, in fact I never have seen her in that


    role. But when I picture Winter, I can clearly see her in a wedding dress, looking beautiful as she walks


    down the aisle. My stomach churns and my head begins to hurt. Then there¡¯s a knock on the door and I


    shudder, knowing instinctively just who is on the other side, thest person I want to see, let alone talk


    to right now. Why did she have toe and nterrupt me right now, while I was feeling like this?N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Chapter 51


    It¡¯s been months since Winter has been gone and I¡¯ve gotten myself a regr job in a cafe as a barista


    of all things. Can you imagine that? I never would have thought I would have to be as responsible as I


    now am, taking care


    of the bills and still going to school at the same time. Is this how Winter had felt every day when she


    had done all the


    household chores and responsibilites?


    ¡°Thanks, have a good one¡± one of my regrs yelled out as they left, thest customer of the night,


    and I closed the door gratefully and locked it. Now all I have to do is clean up and I¡¯m done for the


    night. It doesn¡¯t take long, I¡¯ve


    got myself into a regr routine and before I know it, I¡¯ve put my coat on and ducked out the door. Brrr


    it¡¯s slightly


    cold and I shiver, putting my hands in my pockets.


    I walk home slowly. It¡¯s otherwise a beautiful night and the stars are twinkling overhead. I don¡¯t bother


    to use


    the car anymore. Not when I can avoid it anyway. Walking saves gas and means I have more money to


    take care of the


    bills. Besides, it¡¯s not like home is that far away and I¡¯m not frightened that someone¡¯s going to jump


    me. I¡¯m a shifter for heaven¡¯s sake, not to mention, the town is mainly made up of pack members and


    shifters.


    I stared at my house, feeling strangely hesitant. It looks so uninviting and cold. Then again, it¡¯s felt that


    way since Winter¡¯s been gone. I never really saw just how having my little sister around made the


    house feel more like a home. I miss herughter and her smiles, even if her smiles were rare and few


    and far between. I miss Winter. I miss


    my little sister, more than I ever thought possible.


    Tunlocked the door and put my keys away in the entrance hall, turning on the lights. It might seem silly,


    but I


    hate that the house is dark when I get home. I really should remember to at least leave the front porch


    light on, but it always seems to slip my mind. Sigh, the refrigerator is practically empty. Damnit. I¡¯ll have


    to go grocery shopping


    tomorrow. My stomach growls. Damn I¡¯m hungry.


    Then it hits me. There¡¯s a scent in the house and it doesn¡¯t belong to me. It¡¯s not Winter¡¯s either. It¡¯s


    also


    frighteningly familiar, although I can¡¯t quite ce it. It¡¯s definitely not father¡¯s, I¡¯d know the smell of that


    bastard anywhere. It seems to be throughout the entire house. Has someone broken in while I¡¯ve been


    working? But nothing


    appears to have been stolen. Then again, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything worth stealing in this house


    anyway.


    I sniffed and began to do a methodical search of the rooms, my body tensed and poised to fight. But


    there was no one there. The smell is faint, like it¡¯s been several hours since whoever it belongs to has


    been here, but there is one


    more ce that I have yet to check and I¡¯m not looking forward to it. But the basement needs to be


    checked and I¡¯m not going to shy away like a coward. But why the hell is this scent so familiar to me?


    It¡¯s like I¡¯ve smelt this scent


    before but I can¡¯t for the life of me think who it might belong to.


    The smell is stronger as I approach the door leading down to the basement and I give a grin. If the


    person is still


    down there, they are in for one hell of a beating. I opened the door cautiously and began my descent


    down the stairs,


    listening for any signs of a person waiting to ambush me, the smell getting increasingly stronger. I have


    no doubt that there¡¯s someone waiting down here for me and my eyes continually scan my


    surroundings. My whole body is tense, ready to shift at a seconds notice in order to protect myself.


    Where are you, you bastard, I think fiercely to myself, prepared to shift at a second¡¯s notice. I reach the


    bottom of the stairs and begin to move forward, ears pricked for the tiniest of sounds. The basement is


    dark and I curse the fact


    that I¡¯ve never gotten around to recing the light globe that¡¯s no longer working. Some light would be


    really useful


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    right about now.


    I¡¯m cautious, moving around the various bits of junk and furniture that¡¯s piled haphazardly all over the


    ce.


    The basement¡¯s been used primarily for a junk room over the years, but it also contains one other thing


    that makes


    me sick to my stomach as I stare at it. The cage, or more urately a cell, stands in one corner, made


    of silver with shackles and restraints against the wall, to keep someone immobile and unable to move.


    A cell, that I remember with remorse, Winter was often ced in and locked up for what father deemed


    as misbehaviour. Even now, I can still


    remember her screams as she pleaded to be let out. The crying. God, my stomach churns to look at it


    and I resolve to


    get rid of the cell as soon as humanly possible. There¡¯s nothing but bad energy down here and it¡¯s like


    it sucks all the happiness out of you.


    The sound of footsteps rushing towards me, has my body turning, but too little toote as I feel a sharp


    pinprick


    in my thigh. I fall, my knees buckling to the ground, feeling strange, my body almost paralysed. What


    the hell have been dosed with? How could I have been so stupid and let my guard down, even for a


    moment? What is it that this person wants from me? They¡¯d been hiding in the shadows, awaiting the


    perfect opportunity to strike and I¡¯d given it to them. I¡¯d let myself be distracted by the cell and gotten


    lost in my memories. How stupid could I be?


    My head feels like it¡¯s spinning and bing hazy as I drop to a lying down position on the hard


    concrete floor. My body refuses to move, let alone shift, and it¡¯s now that I realize I¡¯m unable to hear my


    wolf at all. That meant only one thing. I¡¯ve been dosed with wolfsbane.


    ¡°Who are you¡± I managed to mutter, my throat seizing. The footsteps are slower now and the person


    comes right around to my front, giving me a perfect view of them. My eyes widened in horror. I must be


    imagining things surely. The wolfsbane must be ying havoc with my mind. That¡¯s the only logical


    exnation I can think of, as they bend


    over me. They¡¯re not real, this is just a dream of some sort. I¡¯m hallucinating. This wasn¡¯t possible at all.


    Had I been


    drugged back at the diner? Had someone put something in one of my drinks?


    Because this can¡¯t be happening. My eyes are feeling heavy now and I¡¯m struggling to keep them


    open. The person chuckles down at me as I flinch. The person sounds real, but do they feel real? The


    prick in my leg had felt real enough.


    ¡°Well now¡± he murmurs,¡± it looks like you¡¯re in a bit of a sticky situation now, aren¡¯t you Damien¡±, he


    says with a


    smirk. He¡¯s getting blurry now but the voice, the voice is exactly how I remember him. How is he here?


    Why is he here


    and what is it that he wants? Oh god, is he after Winter? Darkness surrounds me and I sumb to it,


    passing out


    <ppletely unconscious and left to this person¡¯s mercy. How is he still alive and what does he want


    from me after all this time?

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Chapter 52


    I wake up, my eyes feeling gritty and my throat parched. My whole body feels warm all over and there¡¯s


    a distinct


    ache that I can feel throughout all of my muscles. I can also feel my flesh burning as I open my eyes,


    seeing straight away that I¡¯m restrained and shackled in the cell that poor Winter used to be punished


    in. f**k. I¡¯m in trouble.


    What the hell was going on? Then I remember and suck in a shocked breath, still unable to believe it


    myself, but knowing that I had seen it with my very own eyes. I struggle against the restraints but am


    not surprised when they don¡¯t budge, the burning of the flesh making me howl.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless¡± his voice says as hees out from the shadows, a massive smirk on his damn face. I


    hiss and he


    just smiles wider, enjoying my predicament.


    ¡°You¡± I gasp, tugging on the restraints and cursing ¡°how is this possible? I thought you were dead¡±I hiss


    and heughed, the sound filling the silent room and sending chills down my spine. He¡¯s clearly


    enjoying himself right now.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted all of you to believe. It took a while for me to recover and it served my purpose


    for everyone to think I had perished. It allowed me to n my revenge and my next move¡± he almost


    purrs as I spit at him in defiance. I don¡¯t know why Thomas is here, but something tells me it¡¯s because


    of Winter and nothing to do with me. Plus he smells funny, like he¡¯s not just a shifter anymore. In fact,


    it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s a hybrid. But how is that possible?


    ¡°What did you do?¡± I breathe, feeling sick. ¡°How is it possible you are here?¡±


    He c***s his head at me. ¡°Funny, I would have thought you¡¯d know what a vampire smells like now. It¡¯s


    wonderful¡± he adds quietly ¡°my parents tracked down a vampire and had me drink their blood to stay


    alive. Now I¡¯m a hybrid¡± he whispers as I shudder ¡°and I enjoy it. It was worth the months of pain as I


    went through the transition. You would have thought it would be quick and painless but that¡¯s all a lie.


    Not to mention not everyone survives the es process of bing a hybrid, I got lucky. Picture the


    speed l possess and the ability to heal even quicker. Sadly I¡¯m not a full vampire, but drinking the blood


    healed me far quicker than being a shifter would have. I guess money really can buy everything¡± he


    adds thoughtfully ¡°I even have a perfume that will hide the vampire scent from other shifters. I just don¡¯t


    see the point applying it right now. You¡¯re going to die anyway.¡±


    He holds up a silver dagger, his hands d in leather gloves, and I gulp, eyeing it nervously. His grin


    grows wider.


    ¡°What do you want¡± | spit out, wishing I couldy my hands on him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious¡± he growls, ¡°I want to know where your sister Winter is, Damien, and you¡¯re going to tell


    me everything¡± he whispers threateningly.


    So I was right then, he wanted my sister and I¡¯m just a means of getting information to him. Bastard. As


    if I¡¯m going to give my sister up after everything he¡¯d put her through. He¡¯s a monster.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is¡± | hedged, not exactly lying. She could be freaking anywhere by now, it has


    been several months now after all.


    He looks displeased andes closer, touching the de and waving it around. Without warning, he


    plunges it


    into my thigh and I give a loud howl, my skin burning, red-hot fire running through my veins. It hurts like


    a b***h and my self control not to scream and give that bastard the satisfaction of hearing it.


    He pulls it out and it makes a sickening slurping sound as it leaves my body. I slump in relief. But it¡¯s


    short-lived.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Winter¡± he breathes. ¡°I¡¯ve missed her, you know. Sweet little thing that she is.¡±


    I feel bile rise up in my throat. After everything, he still wants her. He¡¯s out of his mind or delusional, or


    both. Either way, he¡¯s a serious threat to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±, I spit at him and he sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re making this harder than it needs to be, Damien. You know it hurts me to have to do this to a


    close friend


    of mine, but you¡¯re leaving me no other choice.¡±


    He plunges the de into my ribcage and pulls it down as I scream, my bones cracking as he pulls it


    out, blood trickling down my side and onto the floor. f**k. I curse at him vehemently and he just stands


    there, his eyebrows raised, waiting for me to finish yelling obscenities at him.


    ¡°f**k you¡±, I yelled at him.


    His eyes narrow and he res at me. ¡°This can all end now. Don¡¯t pretend you give a damn about your


    little sister after all this time, Damien. I can remember everything you did to her when you bullied her.


    Not to mention, this cell or cage was hardly made for you, was it? You put Winter in here, so don¡¯t act


    all high and mighty with me. You¡¯re just as much as a monster as I am. The difference is I can admit it.¡±


    Damn him for being right. He nces over at the nearby trolley of implements and puts the dagger


    down, grabbing a whip with silver studs instead, examining it carefully.


    ¡°I bet you used all of these on Winter, didn¡¯t you,¡± he whispered, ¡°and I bet she screamed every time.


    Now tell me where she is¡± he snarled, and I shook my head.


    Crack. I feel the whip as it hits me directly across the chest, the silver studs digging in and ripping flesh


    out as he pulls it back. It hurts like a b***h. I scream as he hits me over and over again, the whips


    leavingrge gouges and scratches all over me, blood pouring out of all of the various wounds. I¡¯m


    panting, trying to keep conscious and bitterly aware that, at this rate, I¡¯m not going to be able to keep


    myself awake much longer.


    He finally stops and I choke, spluttering and trying to get my breath back. I can feel myself weakening.


    ¡°I can do this all night if I have to¡± Thomas says pleasantly, as I flinch. He¡¯s not bluffing. Even I know


    that and there¡¯s no one who¡¯s going to check on me and find me down here. I¡¯m literally f****d.


    He brutally kicks me and I scream as I feel the bones break in my leg, cracking, the pain shooting


    upwards as ! swear and scream, panting heavily as I re at him. My whole body is in excruciating


    pain, I¡¯m trembling against the wall and can¡¯t move a muscle, limp in my restraints now.


    ¡°Do I need to keep going?¡± Thomas asks, and I can¡¯t withstand the pain anymore. Call me a coward,


    but there¡¯s not much else I can do. If he continues, I¡¯m going to die by his hands. Besides, Winter is


    most likely far out of his reach by now, or at least that¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping.


    ¡°Stop¡± I heave ¡°just stop.¡±


    He c***s his head at me and smiles smugly. The bastard knows he has me right where he wants me,


    his eyes are gleaming in satisfaction.


    ¡°Where is she,¡± he demands, and I¡¯m astonished that he has no idea that she¡¯s been gone for months.


    Had he literallye here, straight from his recovery? Or his hiding out and waiting for the right time to


    strike? Why was he


    striking now? What had changed that made him go looking for her?


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Gone¡± I coughed out, blood spraying on the floor.


    ¡°What do you mean gone?¡± he asks, annoyed.


    ¡°She¡¯s been gone for months¡± I say miserably, ¡°had enough of all the bullying and everything else and


    up and


    left.¡±


    He looks pissed. ¡°Where would she go¡± he says irritably, and I stare down at the floor, everything going


    blurry


    now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She wanted to find a pack to call home¡± I coughed out, ¡°that¡¯s all know.¡±


    He moves closer and leans in to whisper into my ear as I shudder, ¡°You had better be telling the truth,


    Damien,


    because otherwise, I¡¯ming back to finish your sorry ass off and that¡¯s a promise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I wheezed and apologised profusely to Winter in my mind. The second I get out of here, I¡¯m


    going to be searching for Winter and, with luck, I¡¯ll get to her first. That¡¯s if I live to tell the tale, that is.


    He kicks me in the gut as I cough blood, stepping back and sighing. ¡°There¡¯s no point killing you, not


    when you¡¯ll just die down here on your own anyway¡± he says as I can barely look at him, the room


    beginning to spin.


    He began to walk away, a thoughtful look on his face. ¡°I bet she went south¡± he muttered to himself, ¡±


    there¡¯s a


    lot more packs to travel to in that direction.¡±


    He turns and regards me from the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Good luck¡±, he smirks, ¡°you¡¯re going to need it.


    At least ! know you can¡¯t warn Winter. She was always too poor to have a cellphone, wasn¡¯t she,¡± he


    grins.


    | shakily give him the finger as he chuckles and begins to ascend the stairs, every footstep like a


    dagger in my heart. Soon enough, he¡¯s gone and I finally close my eyes, my body hurting all over, and


    gratefully sumb to the darkness which surrounds me and embraces me.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    Chapter 53


    I scowl. It¡¯s been only one day, but even I¡¯ve noticed that Damien didn¡¯t make it to school today.


    Normally, I would shrug it off, but since Winter¡¯s been gone, Damien has attended school without fail,


    as well as doing that job of his afterwards. Either he¡¯s sick and I¡¯m being paranoid or something has


    happened to him. I suspect it¡¯s thetter, because that¡¯s what my gut is saying to me.


    Timpatiently wait for school to finish, the ticking of the clock driving me insane. As an Alpha, I can just


    get up and leave, and nobody would dare to stop me. But as a son with a scary mother, it¡¯s wiser to just


    wait rather than deal with something horrendouster. My mother scares everyone when she¡¯s angry.


    Thank god. The final bell rings and I peel the hell out of there, getting hurriedly into my car, and


    ignoring the girls who continually try to swarm me. Jessica, in particr, has been nothing but annoying


    and almost throwing herself into my path. No matter how much I tell her that I¡¯m not interested, it¡¯s like


    she thinks I¡¯m ying hard to get instead. I shudder. As if I would want her lips anywhere near mine.


    Damien¡¯s house isn¡¯t far and it looks dpidated from the outside. It¡¯s certainly in shoddy shape and


    that¡¯s


    putting things kindly. I frown. I never realized just what bad a shape his ce was in. The door is


    locked and I rattle it, knocking on the door. There¡¯s no answer and I sigh. But I¡¯m positive that I can


    smell his scent, it¡¯s quite strong in fact, so it would make sense that he was in there. I ponder what to


    do and then shrug. I could worry about the damageter. I pick up a ratherrge rock and break a


    window in the living room, using my elbow to push out the stubborn bits that still clung there. At least


    now I can get in. Damien can curse at meter for what I¡¯ve done.


    ¡°Damien¡± I call softly, but there was no reply. I nce around. The kitchen is empty and all the lights


    are off. I sniff, his scent is strong and permeating throughout the entire house. Still, it seemed to be


    more pungent towards a certain door and I opened it, seeing stairs descending into a dark room. The


    basement. I tread lightly, my body tense, prepared for an attack, but nothing happened. Bile rises in my


    throat as I smell the metallic scent of blood, both old and new. Something has happened down here.


    Thave to move past bits of furniture and various piles of junk to get towards the source of the smell and


    once I¡¯m there, I halt in my tracks unable to believe what I¡¯m seeing with my own eyes. My heart gives


    a jolt. Damien is shackled to the wall inside arge cell, his body slumped and there is blood, so much


    blood everywhere, a lot of it dried on his body. Someone¡¯s bleated the living s**t out of him. I raced to


    the cage and it was unlocked. I ignore the burning of my flesh as I rip the door open and rush inside. I


    can see his chest moving, slowly, so he¡¯s still alive, thank god, but barely.


    I need a key for the shackles and restraints. Damien¡¯s head is slumped and I gently tap it, hearing him


    moan as his eyelids fluttered open. ¡°Damien, where¡¯s the key?¡± I ask urgently and he blinks at me, still


    confused and disorientated.


    ¡°Kitchen, pantry, hook¡± he rasped out and I raced upstairs and located the key exactly where he said,


    hanging on a hook in the kitchen pantry. Secondster, I¡¯m cursing and undoing the restraints etc while


    my flesh burns. Unfortunately, Damien drops to the ground and I fail to catch him. He moans.


    I rolled him over so that he faces me. I can tell he¡¯s been stabbed multiple times and whipped as well.


    ¡°Damien¡±


    whisper ¡°who did this to you?¡± ¡°Thomas¡± he moans and I stop cold.


    I must have misheard him surely? Maybe he was thinking about Thomas but it couldn¡¯t have actually


    been him, because Thomas was dead, everyone knew that.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked again as his face turned towards me, ashen and drained of colour.


    ¡°Thomas¡± he whispers hoarsely, and I flinch. No, that can¡¯t be.


    ¡°Thomas is dead¡± I said firmly, but he shook his head.


    ¡°Not dead,¡± he rasps, ¡°alive. He¡¯s a hyrbid now, half shifter, half vampire. I saw it with my own eyes.¡±


    f**k. Hybrids are dangerous creatures and shifters and vampires are the two strongest races in the


    world. I¡¯m amazed that he survived the transition, most attempting to be hybrids don¡¯t. I cant¡¯


    believe Thomas risked it but it exins why Thomas is still alive.


    He struggled to sit upright and I helped him, panting heavily from the exertion. Now that he¡¯s no longer


    touching the silver, his wounds are slowly starting to heal in front of my eyes.


    ¡°Thomas is alive¡± he tells me in a slightly stronger voice as I blink at him astonished. How was this


    even possible?


    ¡°What does he want?¡± I ask, but part of me suspects that I already know the answer, feeling sick to my


    stomach.


    ¡°Winter¡± answers Damien and bile rises in my throat. I had thought that this had all been put to rest,


    that Thomas was no longer a threat to Winter. She believed him to be dead. She had no way of


    knowing he was still alive and out to get her. She was in danger and she didnt¡¯ even know it.


    ¡°f**k¡± I swear, punching the wall in a fury while Damien chuckles lowly behind me.


    ¡°He¡¯s already gone after her¡± he says bitterly, ¡°has at least a day¡¯s headstart. He won¡¯t rest until he


    finds her¡± he exhales, cing a hand to his side and wincing in pain.


    ¡°I need to take you to the hospital¡±, I tell him, but he shakes his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for that. I¡¯m going after him. Either I take him out, or I find Winter so that I can warn


    her.¡± His


    voice is resolute. There is no arguing with him, not when it sounds that final.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mind-link me?¡± | ask.


    ¡°Bastard injected me with wolfsbane, so I couldn¡¯t. It¡¯s barely worn off yet.¡±


    I don¡¯t me him for wanting to protect his sister. But if Thomas is this determined and this crazy to find


    Winter, it would be suicidal to go on his own. He wouldn¡¯t stand a chance if he came across a group of


    rogues during his travels. i***t. I run a hand through my hair in frustration. I¡¯m not about to let Thomas


    get his hands on Winter either. She might no longer be my mate, but she was a kind and loving person,


    who deserved far better than to have Thomas try and take off with her. Besides, part of me really wants


    to know if she¡¯s alright and if she¡¯s found a pack to call home. This was my chance. If only to make


    sure she¡¯s happy. Besides I can¡¯t just stand around knowing she¡¯s in


    danger. Not when I can help save her.


    I look at Damien grimly. ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m going with you¡± I said, helping him to his feet as he stumbled


    awkwardly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask you¡± he protests weakly and I wave it away.


    ¡°You¡¯re not asking me, I¡¯m telling you¡±, I snapped and he grinned, his eyes lighting up with fervor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then¡± he says and I roll my eyes.


    ¡°We need supplies, clothes and food. Medical items¡±, I say pointedly, and he swears, vehemently. I


    merely stare at him and wait until he grudgingly agrees. For a man that¡¯s wounded, you would think


    he¡¯d realize that medical supplies were a necessity for Christ¡¯s sake.


    I get my own clothes delivered to me and sort out the rest. Within an hour, both of us are ready to go on


    foot so that we can travel as wolves and be inconspicous. Besides, I doubt Thomas is driving,


    especially given his state of mind. I walked into the forest, Damien close on my heels. I pray we get to


    Winter first ore across Thomas, because if we don¡¯t, there¡¯s a high chance that this time, she won¡¯t


    survive her meeting with him.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    Chapter 54


    God, I¡¯m pathetic, that¡¯s the only way I can think to describe myself. Ever since I¡¯ve left the hospital and


    been


    confined to thisrge house of the Beta¡¯s, I¡¯ve moped around and refused to eat. I can tell Langdon is


    getting fed up with me, but honestly, I¡¯m so far gone by this stage that I don¡¯t even care. All can think of


    is him and the way he treats me, one moment like I¡¯m precious to him and he can¡¯t wait to touch me,


    and then, at the same instant, like a burden. He could easily get rid of me by rejecting me. Why hasn¡¯t


    he? It would solve both of our problems.


    Sabriel of course is clinging to hope. He¡¯lle around, just you wait and see Winter.


    Sabriel, why do you care so much? Honestly, I think we could do so much better, don¡¯t you? What is it


    about this man, that has you drooling for him so much?


    He¡¯s handsome for a start and I bet he¡¯s well endowed.


    So? I¡¯m willing to bet we can easily find another man just as handsome and ahem, well endowed.


    Besides it¡¯s not the size that matters but how you use it? Isn¡¯t it?


    He might not show it but he needs us.


    No, he doesn¡¯t Sabriel, he¡¯s an Alpha. Thest thing he needs is a weakling like us or a mute Luna.


    Honestly, he¡¯d be doing himself a huge favor by rejecting us.


    Don¡¯t ever talk like that! Otherwise, I¡¯ll do something to embarrass you the next time we shift Winter, I


    mean


    You wouldn¡¯t dare.


    Try me. We both know I¡¯m not bluffing.


    It¡¯s not an empty threat and I¡¯m frightened to wonder what it is that she would actually do. With Sabriel,


    there¡¯s no predicting her next move. But I¡¯m bored as all f**k. However, something Sabriel has said


    excites me and I perk right up. It¡¯s been ages since west shifted and went for a run. What is there to


    stop me now? I grinned to myself.


    Langdon¡¯s already left to go discuss god knows what with Alpha Kai in regards to pack business and


    sternly told me to stay put. But why should I listen to him? I have a right to do what I want so long as it


    doesn¡¯t hurt anyone. Besides it would just be for a little while. I¡¯m dying being cooped up inside this


    bachelor house of Langdon¡¯s. I need a good distraction.


    Sabriel, I want to shift. Let¡¯s go for a run.


    You don¡¯t have to tell me twice, but what about Langdon? He¡¯ll be super angry with us.I¡¯m not taking


    the me for this, not when it¡¯s your idea. Remember that.


    Screw Langdon. He doesn¡¯t own me and he can get stuffed if he thinks I¡¯m staying here on his orders.


    I knew you had it in you girlie. Let¡¯s get this party started! Oooh yeah.


    I shift, not even caring that my clothes are ripped to shreds in the process. Sabriel is ecstatic at being


    free, prancing around in my head. Iugh, realizing that we maybe should have shifted outside, but at


    least we stand a better chance of getting away quickly, right? I let Sabriel have control, if only to get her


    to shut up. But then she does the most disgusting thing ever by the front door, lifting up her hind leg


    and literally peeing on the door as I stared in disbelief. She lets out a low growl of satisfaction and


    begins to trot towards the woods, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.


    him?


    Well, I didn¡¯t have to do the other one, otherwise / would have left a steaming heap of it to go


    with.Show him how I truly think about him.


    E, that¡¯s disgusting Sabriel. I don¡¯t care if you are a wolf, there are boundaries, you know!


    I don¡¯t believe in boundaries. Ever.


    Well, clearly.


    It¡¯s beautiful outside, the sun is warm and shining down on us. We creep closer to the trees and sniff at


    the pine


    scent, delighted in the nature surrounding us. We run, trees passing by in a blur, our paws hitting the


    dirt floor with a thud. I feel the exhration of being free from everything and away from all of my


    troubles, even if it¡¯s just for a little while.


    Wee to a small stream and, out of interest, Sabriel stops to look in it. I drew in a breath shocked. Is


    it my imagination or are we slightly bigger now? Not too much, but enough that it was noticeable.


    We¡¯re bigger because you¡¯re growing as a person. You defied Langdon¡¯s orders to stay put and put


    your wants first for a change. This is only the beginning of what our transformation could be. Just grow


    as a person and be more confident. Winter, that¡¯s all it takes. Not to mention believing in yourself.


    You make it sound so easy, Sabriel.


    That¡¯s because it is. Wolves are cocky, don¡¯t you know? We have no room for doubts in our heads. We


    just do it, so to speak. Bet we get massive once you finally do the deed.


    Did you really have to bring that up for heaven¡¯s sake?


    Hours passed by and with great reluctance I took back control, trotting back towards the pack house


    and our prison, so to speak. Damnit. I hate this, Alpha Kai bloody well needs to exin himself to me


    and soon! We¡¯re approaching the edge of the forest when we heard a low, furious growl from right in


    front of us. Langdon is standing there with his hands folded across his chest, glowering down at me.


    Well, I¡¯m f****d, I think mildly to myself. Sabriel just swears at him in her mind and threatens to pee on


    him as well. I seriously consider letting her do it. That¡¯s how annoyed I am.


    ¡°Did you have a nice run¡± Langdon says sarcastically, ¡°because you¡¯ve been gone for hours, Winter¡± he


    snaps, and I tremble while Sabriel wants to chomp at him.


    His eyes narrow and he grits his teeth. Man, he looks majorly pissed off. ¡°You peed on my door¡± he


    says incredulously, while Sabriel snickers in amusement. ¡°Literally peed on it¡± he fumes.


    Ha, guess he¡¯s had no one else do that to him. I was betting a crazy ex of his would have. Just goes to


    show.


    Shut up Sabriel, can¡¯t you see how mad he is right now?


    I can always make him madder!


    Please don¡¯t, I dont¡¯ think my heart can take it.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Langdon lifts his head up to the skies and squints his eyes at the brightness. ¡°God, I don¡¯t get paid


    enough to deal with this s**t. He can darn well look after you himself. I don¡¯t have it in me to keep


    ying nursemaid, I¡¯m a man


    for heaven¡¯s sake¡±. Now he¡¯s almost shouting at the sky, Sabriel listening intently, fascinated by him, ¡°A


    man¡¯s castle


    should be private¡± he¡¯s venting, walking back and forth. At this rate I¡¯m going to end up with whish


    from looking


    back and forth. Sabriel is fascinated at his behaviour and enjoying herself by watching it.


    I think we¡¯ve tipped him over the edge, Sabriel.


    Yeah, he¡¯s gone loco. How cool. We should have done this to him earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been nice, I¡¯ve followed his instructions and does he thank me¡±, he¡¯s roaring now as I sit on my


    haunches and watch. I don¡¯t dare interrupt his tirade. Besides, at the moment, it¡¯s like he¡¯spletely


    forgotten about me.


    ¡°If he wants her to be looked after, then he can bloody well take care of his own mate¡± he booms at the


    trees,


    birds taking flight as he startles them from their perches. ¡°I need my space back¡± he wails tragically.


    Even Sabriel is feeling sorry for him now. Clearly he misses being a bachelor.


    Suddenly, he stops in his tracks and stares directly at me, his jaw clenched and his eyes dark, almost


    pitch ck.


    ¡°Shift¡± he whispers furiously and I reluctantly do so, standing there,pletely naked in front of him


    and shivering slightly.


    He averts his eyes and pulls his shirt off, handing it to me. At least he¡¯s still being semi-nice. It doesn¡¯t


    last long.


    ¡°Right¡± he mutters once I¡¯m dressed ¡°that¡¯s it, new n. This isn¡¯t working, I¡¯m going to force him to do


    the right thing¡± he snarls, gripping my arm and forcing me to keep up with him.


    I wonder where we are going. I don¡¯t have long to wait. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the dungeon¡± he exins


    apologetically as I stare at him in shock ¡°it¡¯s the only way I can think of that Alpha Kai wille to see


    you. I refuse to be put in the middle anymore¡±, he adds grimly, and I stumble along with him, feeling


    sorry for myself. Will Alpha Kai


    actually care enough toe down and retrieve me from the dungeon or will he let me stay down there


    out of his sight and neatly tucked away? This blows. So much for being free. Sabriel is wrestling with


    the notion of biting


    Langdon and I plead with her not to. That will only make things worse.


    The door to the cell ms shut and I stare at Langdon morosely as he flushes and nces away. ¡°I¡¯ll


    come and


    get you if he doesn¡¯te¡± he says guiltily, ¡°but I¡¯m at my wits¡¯ end Winter! I¡¯m a bachelor for heaven¡¯s


    sake and I¡¯m


    too young to y father. Besides, kai needs someone like you, he¡¯s just too bloody stubborn to see it.


    Wait down here,


    I bet you anything he¡¯ll be letting you out by nightfall and, finally, he can darn well have a proper


    conversation with you, as your mate¡± he growls. The door to the dungeon shuts with a loud ng and I


    sink to the floor with a grimace. Langdon had better be right about this, because Sabriel¡¯sing up


    with all sorts of unique ways to pay him back and he didn¡¯t want to know just how far she was willing to


    go. Even I¡¯m scared at some of the ideas she¡¯sing up


    with and how willing she is to implement her revenge.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Chapter 55


    God, this is so frustrating. The words on the papers arepletely ineligible and it¡¯s all I can do to look


    at them nkly. In the two hours I¡¯ve spent in here, I¡¯ve literally gotten no work done. Nada. All I can


    think about is Langdon¡¯s


    he doesn¡¯t care for the way I¡¯m treating Winter but as the Beta, he needs to obey my will, even if he


    doesn¡¯t want to. I ignore the guilt that¡¯s eating inside of me that tells me I shouldn¡¯t be treating a friend


    this way.


    Just go and talk to her. Stop being such a coward, my wolf growls in my head and I pointedly ignore


    him. He


    might have readily epted Winter as our mate, but I¡¯m still hesitant. Besides, she was doing fine,


    wasn¡¯t she? Langdon was probably exaggerating. Bastard that he is. It couldn¡¯t really be that bad,


    could it? Now I¡¯m hesitating and wondering if I should contact him again. Damnit.


    Oh god no. The familiar scent of a sickening perfume permeates through the air. She¡¯s thest person I


    want to


    see right now. I¡¯ve been avoiding her like the gue and readily handing my credit card over, in an


    attempt to avoid her as much as I possibly can. I brace myself as the door bursts open and shees


    sailing in. I stared at her in shock. What on earth is she thinking? Especially dressing like that? It¡¯s


    beyond ridiculous. God, does she not look in


    the mirror?


    For once, instead of being turned on by her outfit, I felt repulsed by it instead. Candice has dressed


    herself in arge coat which she¡¯s peeled off, to expose herself in a red racy baby doll and matching g-


    string and suspenders. Usually my c**k would twitch and I¡¯d get all excited seeing her like that, knowing


    exactly what it is she¡¯s after, even as my wolf blocked himself in my mind so he wouldn¡¯t have to see or


    hear anything. Her hair is in curls down her back and she¡¯s taken special care with her make-up as


    well. But it¡¯s all too much, all too painfully obvious that she¡¯s over trying it. Or had she been like this all


    the time and I just hadn¡¯t noticed? Surely I wasn¡¯t that blind? Was I?


    ¡°Hello handsome¡± she purrs and I cringe. Her voice sounds sugary sweet andpletely fake to me.


    My Wolf is in full agreement. It¡¯s also extremely annoying and whiney. It¡¯s actually grating on my


    nerves.


    ¡°Candice¡± I said shortly, ¡°now is not a good time¡± | added, pointedly looking at her ensemble with


    disdain. Her face contorts into a shocked expression, before she hastily reces it with arge smile.


    All I want is for her to leave, before I say something I regret. Or do something. But she doesn¡¯t seem to


    get the hint.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that¡± she breathes,ing around the back of my chair as I still, in stunned disbelief. She


    begins to massage my neck and I feel nothing but disgust at her touch, wanting to p her hand away


    from myself and barely holding back. My wolf wants to w her eyes out, but that¡¯s nothing new. Me,


    feeling this way towards her, however, is. It¡¯s also aplete shock.


    I ced my hands on top of hers and forced her to stop. She makes her way to the front of me as I turn


    in the chair to regard her, my eyes pitch ck as my wolfes dangerously close to the surface. For


    once he hasn¡¯t blocked himself from me.


    Candice pouts at me, batting her eyshes dramatically. I¡¯mpletely immune to her charms.


    ¡°You need to leave¡± I say gruffly and she stiffens, her own eyes narrowing now, anger clearly visible on


    her face.


    ¡°Why¡± she shoots out, her arms folded across her chest ¡°why do I have to leave Kai? Tell me what¡¯s


    going on¡± she pack! Even if she¡¯s my girlfriend I won¡¯t tolerate this disrespecting from her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you¡± I began furiously, still hoping to prevent myself from blowing over and losing it


    completely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been by your side for almost a year or is it longer¡± she wails, ¡°and in that time, you¡¯ve never, once,,


    embarrassed me like this. I thought you loved me¡± she sniffles and I feel a pang of guilt. She¡¯s right,


    this is the first time I¡¯ve refused her. The first time I¡¯ve felt this much disgust towards her.


    But then she provokes me further. ¡°It¡¯s that rogue isn¡¯t it? The girl who came onto the territory and can¡¯t


    speak? I¡¯m not stupid, Alpha Kai¡± she mocks ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors and the gossip going around the


    pack and it says that


    you and her are mates!¡± She almost explodes as I sit silently in the chair. I should have known that


    nothing could be kept a secret in the pack. Winter¡¯s identity and who she was, was bound to get out


    sooner thanter. But why has


    Candice waited until now to ask or say anything? How long has she known? Or had she just found out?


    ¡°Winter is my mate¡±, I acknowledged heavily, and she looked taken aback for a moment, as though the


    news had truly shocked her. Or maybe it was because I had so readily told her the truth instead of lying


    to her face.


    ¡°Reject her¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I say, confused, and she leans into me, her lips close to my ears.


    ¡°Reject her¡± she whispers, ¡°let me be your Luna, Kai, I¡¯m the one you love, not her, not that pathetic


    little weakling¡± she breathes, ¡°reject her¡± she demands.


    I stand up and tower over her as she bites her lip, excitement in her eyes. ¡°How dare you¡± I hiss as she


    pales. ¡°Candice you were never going to be Luna, not now, not ever. I had no intentions of putting you


    in charge of my pack with me.¡±


    She pales. ¡°But I thought¡± she begins to sob, a hand to her mouth, distressed ¡°I thought that eventually¡±


    she trails off and goes silent as I shoot her a withering nce. She thought eventually I¡¯d mark her and


    make her Luna of the pack? A pack that despises her? Not a chance!


    My head fills with an image of Winter, courtesy of my wolf who¡¯s encouraging me, doing his bit to get


    me to let go of Candice. Her eyes are angry now. ¡°I¡¯ve wasted all this time on you¡± she screams, hands


    clenched into fists ¡± Do you know how hard it¡¯s been to pretend to love someone who looks like you? To


    not cringe when I touch those scars of yours? I endured everything so I could be Luna¡± she, hissed and


    I closed my eyes. I should have known that was all she was after


    ¡°Well it didn¡¯t work out, did it¡± I say calmly as she continues to spit venom at me. ¡°Leave Candice, at


    once. I¡¯m


    afraid that we¡¯re over,, done with. Stay out of the pack house and stay away from Winter, the girl who is


    my mate.¡±


    She drops her hands, looking defeated. ¡°You¡¯re going to ept her aren¡¯t you¡± she whispers, her voice


    thick with emotion, ¡°a little weakling is going to be Luna over me¡±. She begins tough hysterically and I


    firmly steer her towards the door, watching her body slump over as she walks through the doorway.


    She nces back at me, hatred in her eyes.


    ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯ve done¡± she tells me furiously. ¡°I would have been a perfect Luna.¡±


    gave her the stink eye. ¡°You would have been a terrible Luna. The pack hates you¡±, I say quietly, and


    she begins


    to sob, running wildly down the hallway as I flop back into my chair. Great, i¡¯s not even nighttime yet


    and I want to curl up with a drink in my hand and forget everything that¡¯s happened today.


    Teye the coat she¡¯s left on the floor in her haste to get away. She has literally just run out wearing


    lingerie and my wolf isughing at her expense. I feel numb though, empty. Candice had imed to


    love me but had been pretending all this time. Her words washed over me and I flinch when I


    remember what she said about my scars and touching them. I¡¯d just dodged a bullet and by a narrow


    escape from the looks of it.


    I scowl as Langdon enters the study, an amused expression on his face, his eyes twinkling with


    humour. ¡°Was that Candice I just saw running away in lingerie?¡± he asks with a low whistle. I frown at


    him.


    ¡°We broke up¡± I muttered, avoiding the delighted expression on his face. He¡¯s never liked Candice and


    I knew it. I wasn¡¯t in the mood for him to give me pretend titudes.


    ¡°Sorry dude¡± he mutters and I just wave it away. My heart will heal. To be fair, it wasn¡¯t really feeling


    that broken since Candice had spat out those insults at me. I was more angry than upset right now.


    Langdon causally sits on the chair opposite to me and folds his legs over, patiently waiting. I frown. I


    wasn¡¯t expecting him for any meetings, so why was he here?


    ¡°Something I can do for you¡± I say, disgruntled, and he leans forward, a tense expression on his face.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± he hedges, ¡°it¡¯s to do with Winter¡± he adds, standing up and leaning against the doorway.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I growled impatiently.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the dungeon, she¡¯s now your problem. I need my space back and your her mate, not me, so


    deal with it¡± he says in a rush,ughing maniacally and racing down the hallway before I can digest his


    words properly. Once I do,


    poke my head out of the doorway and scream at the back of him. ¡°You put her in the dungeon, you¡¯re


    supposed to be looking after her. I¡¯ll have your head for this¡±, I threatened as he ran out on to the


    grounds. f**k. Another problem! would need to deal with. I was going to kill Langdon when I got my


    hands on him. Then again, I muse to myself, maybe Langdon has done me a favour after all.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    Chapter 56


    God, it¡¯s ridiculously cold in here. Langdon¡¯s shirt is doing absolutely nothing to keep the chill at bay and I


    sit there, my arms folded, shivering and trembling as I wait to see if I¡¯m let out. Langdon had better be


    right about this, think sourly. Otherwise I might just let Sabriel do whatever she wants to him and his


    precious bachelor pad.


    Should have pissed all over his house, given him something to really be angry about. Especially if he


    was going to punish us both this way.


    Sabriel, is your answer to everything going to be piss on it?


    Well, I could do the other thing, but you¡¯re too much of ady to let me. Or are you?


    That¡¯s disgusting


    Says you.I call it Karma


    I hope Langdones back to let me out soon. I can tell that the sun is beginning to set and it¡¯s only


    going to get


    colder at nightfall. I doubt I can make it though the night without freezing to death, shifter or not. Plus I¡¯m


    so annoyed, I feel like punching the wall, but that¡¯s not going to make anything better.


    I close my eyes and lean back against the hard bricks of the building, my body aching all over and my


    stomach growling in hunger. Then, miracles of miracles, I hear the loud creak of the dungeon door


    opening and then tense as a familiar scent washes over me. What on earth is he doing here? I¡¯d been so


    sure that he would have just left me down here. Sabriel, of course is smug.The damn wolf is cocky as


    hell.


    Of course, our mate ising. He can¡¯t resist us. We¡¯re the most beautiful creatures he¡¯s ever seen. Or


    at least/


    am, although you¡¯re pretty cute too.


    Wow, so humble Sabriel.


    /tell it like it is. Not my fault you don¡¯t like it.


    He¡¯s probably juste to yell at us or something.


    Winter, has anyone told you that you are way too pessimistic? Why do you have to be all doom and


    gloomy? Save that crap for Halloween.


    You¡¯re way too optimistic.


    Well, one of us has to be.


    Sabriel is driving me insane, prancing about excitedly in my mind, while all I can hear is the loud


    thudding of my


    heart, beating wildly in my chest. I feel a small spurt of hope, despite all of my protestations. His


    footsteps are loud, like he¡¯s storming downstairs and that doesn¡¯t bode well at all. Even Sabriel has


    stopped her prancing and is listening nervously. He sounds like he¡¯s angry, but with luck it¡¯s directed at


    Langdon and not at me. A girl can hope right?


    ¡°God dammit¡± he¡¯s muttering to himself as he walks down ¡°F*****g Langdon. I swear to god, when I get


    my hands on him, I¡¯m going to rip his head off his body.¡±


    That seems perfectly eptable to me Winter. See he¡¯s defending our honor.


    Thonestly just think he¡¯s mad at Langdon Sabriel. It has nothing to do with our honor.


    Pity, I¡¯m rather bloodthirsty.


    Not as weird as you.


    That¡¯s debatable, I think idly to myself as he finally reaches the end of the stairs andes crashing


    over, his eyes wild and his hair all dishevelled. I gulp. He looks half crazed and now I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s safer


    to be in the cell, than out of it with him. I guess he sees the fear in my eyes because he straightens up


    and attempts to smooth his hair down somewhat and make himself more presentable.


    ¡°Right then¡± he snaps, ¡°Langdon should never have locked you up. But you¡± he booms, pointing his


    finger at me as I cringe ¡°should never have even left the house¡± he roars, ¡°I put you there to keep you


    safe. Why is that proving to be so difficult.¡± He soundspletely perplexed.


    Right. Not to keep me away from his so-called girlfriend. Is he kidding himself right now? I roll my eyes


    and he stares at me incredulous, not able to believe that I¡¯m showing him such disrespect. Well, he


    started it.


    He fumbles slowly inside his pockets and produces a key, examining it thoughtfully. I resist the urge to


    reach for it as he begins to pace back and forth.


    ¡°This is thest thing I need¡± he mutters, ncing at me, ¡°thest thing I want. Why does it have to be so


    hard though¡± he exhales, staring at me intently, and I squirm at how intense his gaze is. Maybe Langdon


    doing this was thest straw and Kai has finally lost his senses and his mind.


    ¡°I just broke up with Candice¡± he says irritably and my heart skips a beat at the words. Hope fills my


    body, even though I¡¯m certain there is a buting. There¡¯s always some sort of string attached. I don¡¯t


    even know why he¡¯s


    bothering to tell me this. I¡¯m not the reason for his breakup, unless she found out about me and even so,


    that


    wouldn¡¯t be my fault. Or is there a reason behind his telling me? Sabriel is almost dancing in joy.


    He slowly unlocks the cell door and pulls it open. ¡°Well¡± he says quietly, seeming to calm himself down


    somewhat, ¡°are youing?¡±


    I stood up and slowly went towards him, Kai backing away so that I could walk out. My body is trembling


    and my mouth is dry. Was he just going to abandon me with Langdon again? Is that why he wanted me


    toe with him? Or worse? Was he going to throw me out of the pack and leave me to fend for myself?


    I feel nauseas, my stomach churning as I try to remain calm.


    ¡°Come on¡± he barks impatiently, and I follow him upstairs to the main area of the pack house, astounded


    when


    he begins to ascend the stairs.


    I¡¯ve never been upstairs. It was forbidden for myself and other omegas to go up there. It was exined


    that the Alpha didn¡¯t want lowly omegas to enter his rooms, apparently several of them had tried to


    seduce him and he got tired of it. Marias was one of the few he entrusted to clean in his private rooms.


    He¡¯s an enigma this Alpha Kai who¡¯s


    supposedly my mate.


    I¡¯m in awe as he ushers me down the hallway and into his bedroom, or at least I presume it¡¯s his


    bedroom, ushering me in frantically and closing the door. I look around in interest. The room itself is


    massive, huge in fact. The four poster bed looks so inviting with it¡¯s beautiful green bedcovers and I sit


    down, feeling just how soft it is. The room doesn¡¯t contain much besides the bed, just a dresser and


    wardrobe. I can¡¯t even see much in the way of personal effects and that makes me feel sad for some


    reason. It¡¯s not the homeliest feeling of bedrooms.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    He watches me looking around, a small smile on his face. Then he stands in front of me and I blink,


    looking up at his big hulk of a body. He looks tentative, hesitant and I brace myself for whatever it is that


    he¡¯s about to say. But he manages to surprise me.


    ¡°Listen¡± he says gruffly, folding his arms and staring intently down at my face ¡°I just left Candice because


    my


    wolf and I can¡¯t keep ignoring the mate bond anymore. Turns out she was only interested in being Luna


    anyway¡±, he muttered, and I feel sympathetic towards him. That must have been horrible for him to find


    out. Must have been one hell of a breakup. The sympathy fades quickly however when I remind myself


    just how bad he¡¯s treated me thus


    far.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with you¡± he says quietly ¡°every time I look at you, I¡¯m blown away by your


    beauty and your innocence. I¡¯ve been rejected before and it sucks. If you want me to reject you,


    however, especially after the way I¡¯ve treated you, I can look into how we do it?¡± He doesn¡¯t sound too


    enthusiastic about the idea though, but I could


    be reading him wrong.


    I shake my head. I don¡¯t really want to go looking for another mate and despite everything, my heart is


    screaming out for him, I feel more that I ever felt with Johnathon. I want him, my mind is screaming it.


    Sabriel is screaming it in my mind. He looks pleased. Was he hoping that would be my response? Or did


    he expect it? Then he does the unthinkable and swoops down, his lipsnding on mine as he kisses me,


    roughly, his tongue demanding ess


    which I eagerly give him, my arms holding onto his as I try to keep upright on the bed. Sparks fly


    between us and Sabriel is giddy in my mind. When he finally lets go and backs away, I feel disappointed.


    I really hope he¡¯s not about to apologies over this kiss like thest time. I don¡¯t think my heart could take


    it. But instead he gives me a wicked grin


    that makes my heart start to beat loudly in my chest.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we tried being proper mates, Winter, don¡¯t you¡± he drawls, and I can¡¯t help it. My mouth


    opens wide in shock as Sabriel screams out in joy in my mind. Was he finally epting me? Or, my


    heart skips a beat at the thought, am I just a recement for Candice now that she¡¯s gone?

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    Chapter 57


    Mate. The word won¡¯t stop running through my head. I have a mate. One that I¡¯ve just, miracle on


    miracles, have just promised to actually try this mate thing with. My mind shes back to Elena and


    even though, I know, just by looking at her, that Winter is nothing like her, the old hurt and stinging pain


    remains, even after all of these years. But I have to take a leap of faith, I can¡¯t keep living like this, not


    trusting anyone or letting anyone in. I¡¯m tired of feeling lonely, even when I¡¯m surrounded by people.


    Winter looks awestruck at my proposal, as though she¡¯d never dared dream that I would offer to try and


    I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt and loss. I¡¯ve put her through so much and even now, she¡¯s


    adamant she wants to be mates. Her eyes are shining and so vivid with happiness that I almoste


    undone. God, what a bastard I¡¯ve been to her. I don¡¯t deserve her, but I still want her. Storm wants her.


    We both want her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to confine you to my rooms¡± I say slowly as she looks at me, her eyes looking slightly


    concerned. Maybe she thinks I¡¯m going to make her an omega again? Like hell I will. I don¡¯t trust any of


    the unmated males in my pack not to try and get in her pants ory a hand on her. Thest one who


    tried ended up losing a very valuable finger. He was lucky it wasn¡¯t something much bigger and more


    important to him. Next time it would be, he¡¯d been warned. All of the males in the pack would be


    warned.


    ¡°You can walk around the pack house and the grounds¡± I say reluctantly ¡°but try not to stray too far


    from the house if possible. You can¡¯t call out for help and unless you¡¯re ready for me to mark you¡­¡± I


    trail off and see her pale, before she quickly shakes her head. Storm is annoyed but I won¡¯t do it


    against her wishes, I¡¯ve already done enough to her as it is. She needs to learn to trust me and


    marking her against her will isn¡¯t the way to go about it.


    I clear my throat. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to put yourself in any danger¡± I finish up and she looks pleased


    at my concern.


    Is it really this easy to be a mate? It was almost instinctual, the need to keep her safe and be


    overprotective. Shadow however is prepared to keep her confined in the rooms, not caring if it makes


    her hate us. He¡¯s the overprotective one out of the two of us. It takes all my self control to keep him


    from taking over.


    It¡¯s not safe. Until we mark her, she should stay here, in the room. She doesn¡¯t need to go anywhere,


    we can have someone attend to her every needs. Heck if she wants a sandwich, we can make her a


    damn sandwich. It¡¯s not hard.


    We can¡¯t mind-link yet remember? Bozo. Besides, Winter needs to know that its alright to get around


    and see the actual pack. I trust her. She¡¯s not going to run away, at least I don¡¯t think she will if we give


    her back her freedom. If she does run, it¡¯s the least of what we deserve after everything we¡¯ve put her


    free.


    But I don¡¯t want to give her her freedom. What if she finds someone better than us?


    She wouldn¡¯t have to look far Storm, trust me.


    That¡¯s your opinion, but I¡¯m a beautiful sexy hunk of a wolf, why would she want to leave me? You, I


    totally get, you¡¯ve been a right douchebag.


    Gee, thanks, it¡¯s always so nice to have these conversations with you Storm. You¡¯re so humble.


    My wolf justughs and blocks me before I can. I swear at him in my mind and turn to Winter who¡¯s


    smiling wide from ear to ear. ¡°Listen, you¡¯re to stay in my room from now on¡± I add and she looks down


    and twists her hands


    ¡°We will sleep together but not do the other thing¡± I say firmly, meaning it, and she bites her lip but


    nods. God she¡¯s adorable. Too cute for words.


    Before I can say anything further, there¡¯s a mind-link and one of the patrol members speaks in a rush.


    There¡¯s a rogue attack in the south west corner of the grounds. Several of them.


    Move to intercept them, get the rest of the warriors to attack. Do not let them escape.


    On it.


    I¡¯ll be there shortly.


    I cut the mind link off and groan. But it¡¯s my duty as Alpha to keep the rogues away and that¡¯s what I


    intend to do.


    ¡°Rogue attack, gotta go¡± | blurt out and I¡¯m out the door before she knows it, racing downstairs and out


    the door, before I shift into my wolf form, arge ck wolf that easily towers over the others.


    Trun, my paws thudding against the ground, my body flying through the air as I leap and jump, getting


    to the south west corner in record time, several pack members already engaging the small group of


    rogues. I tackle one to . the ground and rip his throat out at the same time, spitting out the blood in my


    mouth in disgust. Yuck. I jump on


    another one that¡¯s sneaking up on one of my men and we go rolling, both of us wing and swiping


    furiously at each


    other as we do so. I howl as I feel its ws rip across my mid-section, a deep gouge that bleeds as I


    get back up on my


    feet and growl at it. We circle each other, the rogue looking desperate and frothing from it;s mouth. It¡¯s


    red eyes sh


    with anger.


    I brace myself and dodge to the side as it races towards me head on, turning around swiftly as it jumps


    back


    towards me, my own body racing to meet it, sending him flying into a nearby tree. It howls and I feel a


    sense of


    satisfaction, but the fights not over yet. Even though it¡¯s been badly wounded, the rogue gets up once


    more, this time


    I¡¯m just a second toote, his ws shredding across my chest as he tackles me and I bite into him


    angrily, shaking


    him like a rag doll, my own ws ripping him to shreds across his stomach until finally his body slumps,


    and I realize


    that he¡¯s now dead, flinging the body away in contempt.


    I¡¯m shaky, wobbly on my paws as I stand back up and look over the scene in front of me. Thest


    rogue in the


    group is being taken down by three of my best warriors and the others have all been dealt with, their


    bodies


    scattered on the forest floor, blood droplets and sprays everywhere. The smell of blood was pungent


    and overwhelming. I could see several of my pack members had been wounded in the fight, but not


    fatally and breathe a


    sigh of relief. None of my pack members have died and that¡¯s what I¡¯m truly thankful about. It could


    have been much


    worse.


    I shift, yelling as I turn back into my human form, the pain excruciating from my many wounds as my


    men also shift. Langdon is there and he rushes to my side as I clutch at my chest, my breathing


    labored and wheezy.


    ¡°Alpha Kai¡± Langdon says in concern ¡°you¡¯ve been badly wounded, I think you should go to the


    hospital.¡±


    ¡°No¡± I wheeze, shaking my head at him, ignoring the fact that he¡¯s actually supporting my body and


    that¡¯s the


    only reason I¡¯m remaining upright. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes you can¡± Langdon urges but I¡¯m not about to let him take me. I need to check on Winter. I just left


    her there, back in the room. The poor thing¡¯s probably terrified right now.


    ¡°All I need is rest. You know that as an Alpha, I heal remarkably quickly¡± | protest, my voice full of


    determination.


    He gives a loud huff next to me, sounding exasperated. He should know by now that I¡¯m stubborn. I¡¯ve


    never once agreed to go to the hospital. I dont¡¯ need to now.


    ¡°Stubborn jackass¡± he mutters, loud enough for me to hear it. | scowl at him but remain silent. It takes


    too much energy to talk right now.


    A patrol warrior joins us, covered in blood but it¡¯s not his from the look and smells of it. ¡°Alpha Kai¡± he


    says


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    formally ¡°what would you have us do now.¡±


    I look at the small sea of bodies lying there. ¡°Burn the bodies and clean up as best you can¡± I tell him


    grimly ¡°|


    don¡¯t want to see any signs that there was a rogue attack here.¡±


    He nods and quickly steps back, going over to the men who are uninjured, the other ones limping


    towards the hospital. Trusting that they will follow my instructions, I begin to limp towards the pack


    house myself. I need to get to


    Winter.


    ¡°Where are you going¡± snarls Langdon, reluctantly letting go as I move forward.


    ¡°Pack house¡± I wheeze and he puts his hands on his hips.


    ¡°You know if you were near Winter, you would heal much quicker being mates and all. She could help


    heal


    you.¡±


    ¡°I know¡± I wheeze ¡°why do you think I¡¯m going back to my room? She¡¯s there already.¡±


    His mouth drops open and he almost jumps up and down with joy. ¡°I knew it¡± he crows ¡°I knew you


    would


    finally see sense. It¡¯s about bloody time¡± he grumbles and I ignore him. The grounds are beginning to


    spin and I feel


    my stomach churning with nausea.


    ¡°Winter¡¯s in my room. Don¡¯t scare her¡± | tell Langdon, my voice sounding muffled and like it¡¯s far away


    as I stumble and fall to the ground. Before my Beta can reach me, I sumb to the darkness gratefully,


    distantly hearing


    Langdon calling my name in the background.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Chapter 58


    There¡¯s amotion of sorts outside and I¡¯m watching, seeing warriors forming a group in the distance. I


    can only think of one thing that would cause that sort of reaction in the pack, and that¡¯s a rogue attack. I


    feel dread inside of me, even though I don¡¯t know why. Kai is an Alpha, one of the strongest werewolves


    in the country and more than capable of defending himself. But my concern is high and I hold out hope


    and a longing that he does not get hurt. Even now, I still can¡¯t bring myself to hate him, not when he¡¯s


    finally showing me, even if it¡¯s only a little bit, that he does care for me.


    If he gets hurt, we can y nurse. How cute would that be? A little nurse¡¯s outfit, tending him back to


    health¡­things start to happen when he gets better,,, hint, hint.


    Sabriel, I¡¯m not buying lingerie to y nurse because you have a fantasy in your head.


    We don¡¯t have to be an actual nurse, besides, Kai would appreciate the effort we go to, to make him feel


    better.


    I bet he would, but I¡¯m not doing it and I doubt that you would have the same impact, dressed in a wolf


    nurse outfit


    You never know where his kinks lie.


    You are twisted, Sabriel. But fun. Winter, lot¡¯s of fun.


    I shake my head at my wolf¡¯s antics, still watching outside, but the wolves are that far in the distance I


    can¡¯t


    make anything out and I flop on the bed with a sigh. I still can¡¯t believe Kai wants to try being mates, after


    everything. My heart goes out to poor Candice who he¡¯d broken up with, even if Kai imed she just


    wanted to be


    Luna. Surely, their rtionship had to have meant something to her. Nobody¡¯s that cold or calcting.


    Are they?


    You always want to believe in the best of people Winter. It¡¯s adorable. But it means you¡¯ll always be hurt


    by people, even those you trust.


    It¡¯s better than believing the worst Sabriel.


    True, but it¡¯s unrealistic. Evil exists in this world. It¡¯s best to ept it and learn.


    I want to believe there is good as well, Sabriel, rather than always see the bad aspects in life.


    Hold onto that, it¡¯s a rare quality in a person.


    I can hear shouts now and I feel a dark, achy, pain in my chest and midsection, that seems toe out


    of


    nowhere. I wasn¡¯t injured, so at first I¡¯m confused. Realisation strikes and my eyes widen. Could this pain


    being


    from Kai? Was the mate bond allowing me to feel his injuries? Was he dead? Oh god no, please don¡¯t let


    him be dead.


    Not now.


    I felt grief for a moment. There¡¯s a loud pounding on the door. Langdon bursts in, looking frazzled,


    completely naked and I immediately avert my eyes.


    ¡°Winter¡± he pants looking pleased to see me and distraught at the same time. Something¡¯s happened.


    I looked over his shoulder to see that there are two men carrying Kai between them. What has happened


    to him? I look at Langdon, who looks sheepish as he directs them to ce Kai on the bed. My heart


    skips a beat as I take in the nausea.


    ¡®He was hurt¡± Langdon tells me unnecessarily as I can see that for myself. ¡°A rogue managed to get a


    few good hits in. We need your help¡± he tells me and my eyes widen in disbelief. How can I possibly help


    him? I dont¡¯ have any powers to speak of.


    ¡°He¡¯ll heal much faster, with his mate by his side¡± Langdon says, shooing the other men out of the room.


    They leave after casting me curious nces. I guess they don¡¯t know, whm. Well, now that they do,


    it¡¯s bound to get all over the pack by nightfall. Gossip can be a real nuisance in a pack. I ignore the looks


    and focus on Kai.


    I walk over to Kai who¡¯s breathing steadily, even if he is unconscious. I touch his scars, feeling how


    jagged and rough they are on his face. I feel tingles through my fingers and Langdon gives a small smile


    as he watches.


    ¡°You know¡± he says quietly ¡°I don¡¯t believe I ever saw Candice touch his scars ever. You¡¯re not afraid of


    them, are you?¡±


    That makes me look at him. Why would I be afraid of his scars? To me it was a sign of how brave he was


    and courageous. I would never be disgusted by his scars. You would have to be pretty shallow to be or


    vain or both. I¡¯m


    none of them.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If you could maybe, lie next to him or keep touching him¡± Langdon suggests gently ¡°then I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll


    heal in no time.¡±


    Inod and trail my fingers down Kai¡¯s bare arm feeling the sparks that are always there.


    Langdon backs towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for some tea to be brought to the roomter¡± he says and I


    nod,


    giving a half hearted wave as he leaves us, the door closing softly behind him. I feel awkward and a little


    anxious as I hesitantly curl up beside Kai, snuggling hard against him and resting my arm over his chest.


    It seems to do the trick,


    because he mutters something and slightly shifts closer to me as I hold his hand. Right now he looks so


    vulnerable, a


    stark contrast to the confident and overbearing man that I¡¯ve seen the few times I¡¯ve been with him.


    His wounds begin to knit together as the hours pass by in a blur. I¡¯m enjoying actually touching my mate,


    but feeling bad it¡¯s while hes unconscious and there¡¯s no way I would touch him below the waist, even if


    Sabriel¡¯s urging


    me to at least look at his c**k which makes me blush. God I¡¯m tired, I think as the sun begins to set. My


    stomach gives


    a loud growl of hunger and Sabriel giggles in my mind.


    I can think of something to put our mouths on, but it won¡¯t really satisfy our hunger


    Sabriel! Now is not the time to be such a hornbag!


    There¡¯s always time to be a hornbag Winter, I¡¯m not ashamed.


    Fine, but he¡¯s injured, we should at least show some concern towards him.


    I am concerned, who knows whether his downstairs has been affected? What if he¡¯s hurt down there.


    Really Sabriel?


    You should check.


    Right, that¡¯s it, I¡¯m blocking you.


    I slowly climb out of bed, doing my best not to disturb Kai, who is now resting peacefully. But I¡¯m also


    hesitant to leave his side for a minute, let alone long enough to grab something to eat. Didn¡¯t Langdon


    promise to send food up?


    I¡¯m starving


    There¡¯s a gentle knock on the door and I open it curiously, grateful to see an omega on the other side,


    holding up a dinner tray with all sorts of goodies on it, including a teapot and freshly made tea. My mouth


    waters.


    ¡°May I put this down¡± the girl chirps cheerfully and I nod, motioning for her to ce the tray down on the


    dresser. She does so and goes to leave, but I grab her arm and mouth the words ¡®thankyou¡¯ to her. She


    beams, before leaving, shutting the door quietly behind her.


    Texamine the tray but my eyes dart to the tea. My throat is parched and I¡¯m incredibly thirsty. It would


    also


    slightly help with the hunger. I pour some into a cup and sit on the edge of the bed. I sniff the tea,


    puzzled. I have no


    clue what kind of tea it is, just that it¡¯s a herbal one. It smells slightly bitter but that would be normal for


    such a tea. I sip it. It tastes like peppermint with a hint of something else I can¡¯t quite put my finger on.


    But it¡¯s not horrible, in fact it¡¯s refreshing and I sip away at it, content as Kai begins to fidget and move


    around in his sleep. At this rate he¡¯ll be awake soon, I think to myself pleased. That mean¡¯s he¡¯s healing


    incredibly fast, but for an Alpha that¡¯s not really that surprising. They heal faster than normal shifters.


    Lucky bastards.


    I finish the tea and ce down the cup with regret. My stomach is beginning to feel slightly


    ufortable now and I wonder if its¡¯ the hunger or the tea. Then the room begins to spin around me as


    I sit there, my limbs feeling like they are paralyzed. My throat begins to close up and my body topples to


    the floor, my eyes fixed on the ceiling as I feel like I¡¯m choking. It¡¯s like the air is being sucked out of my


    me and I lie there, unable to do anything, unable to grab anything to alert anybody to my predicament.


    Just as I fall unconscious, a thought enters my brain. THE TEA WAS POISONED!

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Chapter 59


    I could hear voices, as though they wereing from a great distance, as Iy there, feeling


    completely


    paralysed. At least somebody found me from the sounds of it, but was it in time?


    ¡°What happened?¡± That was Langdon¡¯s voice and he sounded panicked, as well as slightly angry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I woke up and she was lying there like this¡± growled another voice. That sounds like Kai. I


    guess being near him healed him quicker, especially if he¡¯s woken up. At least he seems to be okay. I


    was worried about him.


    ¡°Get her to the hospital¡± Kai orders and then I feel like someone¡¯s picked my up, my body floating and


    my head lightheaded. My eyes refuse to open, no matter how hard I try. I feel absolutely exhausted.


    Drained.


    Then the sound of someone else¡¯s voice. ¡°Describe how you found her, did you see anything unusual,


    what are her symptoms.¡±


    ¡°She was lying unconscious on the floor, froth at her mouth and she¡¯s not been responsible to any


    stimuli¡± came Kai¡¯s voice. He sounds pissed. ¡°She has to have been poisoned somehow. I¡¯m going to


    kill whoever¡¯s done this to her¡± he growled. Wow, he sounds like he really cares about me. It¡¯s a nice


    feeling.


    I feel myself being ced down onto what I think must be a bed, hands touching my body and carefully


    examining it. I hear the doctor take a huge sniff and I wonder what he¡¯s smelling.


    ¡°Wolfsbane¡± he mutters.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kai growls and Langdon makes a choking sound in the background.


    ¡°Son of a b***h¡± growls Kai ¡°someone¡¯s deliberately poisoned my mate. I¡¯ll f*****g kill them¡± he roars


    and my heart almost sings with joy, despite my current situation. He sounds so protective of me.


    Wait a minute. Hold on. I try extra hard and finally manage to open my eyes, blinking against the white


    light that¡¯s ring into my eyes. Kai¡¯s shadowy figure moves closer and then I feel his hand grip mine,


    his gorgeous eyes looking directly at me.


    ¡°Winter¡± he says quietly, giving me a gentle squeeze ¡°just hold on okay. The doctor will make you


    better, promise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go and check the room, see where she might have managed to ingest the wolfsbane¡±


    Langdon says urgently and I stare at him as he hesitates by the doorway. I need to tell him somehow.


    He stops to look at me, realising I¡¯m trying to tell him in my own way.


    My limbs are tingling now and I manage to raise a hand to my mouth and mime drinking. Langdon¡¯s


    eyes widen. ¡°You drank it?¡±


    I nod. He looks at Kai.


    ¡°I had food and drink brought to the room. I noticed there was a teapot on the dresser. I¡¯ll have it


    analyzed¡± he says, before giving me a cheeky grin and a wink ¡°get better soon¡± he says, sailing out the


    door, shooting me an apologetic nce on the way.


    The doctor inserts a needle into my arm and i flinch. ¡°Sorry¡± mutters Dr James ¡°this will help neautralise


    the wolfsbane you¡¯ve drunken. All we can do is wait now, for you to fully recover. It¡¯s lucky that Langdon


    came to check on


    I can¡¯t help remembering what happened thest time I was in the hospital and my body begins to


    tremble at the thought. If Kai leaves me alone, what¡¯s to prevent someone from trying to kill me again?


    Kai sees my body¡¯s reaction and frowns, silently putting a nket over me. I¡¯m not cold but it¡¯s a nice


    gesture, none the less.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave your side¡± he tells me gruffly and Dr James nods.


    ¡°Nobody but you is to tend to Winter¡± Kai tells him and he readily agrees.


    ¡°I was going to make that suggestion myself¡± Dr James says cheerfully enough ¡°I¡¯ll even ensure I¡¯m the


    one preparing any food or drink that enters this hospital room.¡±


    Kai looks relieved and I rx slightly, feeling nauseas. Whatever drug the Dr gave me, is making me


    feel extremely ill. I¡¯m fighting the urge to vomit, bile rising in my throat.


    Dr James grabs a wastebasket and passes it to Kai who looks startled. Without warning, I turn my head


    and vomit into it as Kai grimaces. My throat feels like it¡¯s on fire. It hurts.


    ¡°Sorry¡± Dr James apologies ¡°but I need you to vomit up whatever you haven¡¯t had enter your


    bloodstream yet. I had to give you something to make you purge it up.¡±


    You could have warned me, I think a tad grumpily while Kai looks like he¡¯s about to be sick himself. I


    hope he¡¯s not a sympathetic puker, that¡¯s thest thing we need, is both of us being sick at the same


    time.


    Another wave of sicknesses over me and I vomit again as Kai swears in the background.


    ¡°How long will this take?¡± he demands irritably and Dr James looks at him thoughtfully.


    ¡°It could take a few minutes, or up to an hour before she stops being sick. It depends on how much


    she¡¯s ingested of the wolfsbane.¡±


    Damn. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s a few minutes. Something tells me that Kai is going to toss his cookies if I


    continue to vomit much longer. He¡¯s handling it like a pro so far, clutching the wastebasket and leaving


    it in reach in case I need to be sick again. I wrinkle my nose at the smell. The puke smells sickly sweet


    and I assume its due to the wolfsbane herb.


    ¡°I will be back momentarily¡± Dr James informed us and Kai nods, shooing him away with one hand.


    I struggle on the bed and Kai immediately leaps up and helps me to sit pright. Thankfully my limbs are


    working enough now, that I¡¯m able to take the waste basket off his hands and hold it for myself. I swear


    I¡¯ve never seen a man look so relieved in my life. His eyes ze over. Someone must be mind-linking


    him. Whatever they are saying, has Kai riled up, I can see how agitated he¡¯s getting by the


    conversation. He cuts it off and looks at me angrily.


    ¡°Langdon found wolfsbane in your tea. The herbs that were in it, helped to disguise the smell and the


    taste somewhat. Had you had more than the one cup, you would be dead by now¡± he said quietly,


    looking away and


    staring out the window, deep in his thoughts. His eyes are pitch ck now, which means his wolf is


    dangerously close to the surface, something that only urs when your angry. I can¡¯t sense Sabriel at


    the moment and hope it¡¯s because of the wolfsbane. I could have used her to cheer me up a little bit.


    Who is this desperate to get rid of me? I haven¡¯t made any enemies that I know of but then a slight


    suspicion


    takes hold. What if this was Candice¡¯s doing? A small voice reminds me that she didn¡¯t know about me


    while I was in the hospital and I slump. Damn. That left her out as a suspect. In which case, it could be


    anyone. Kai seems to be thinking along the same thoughts.


    ¡°When we get back home¡± he says, turning back to me, his arms folded across his chest. Damn, he


    looks smoking hot. My mouth absolutely goes dry at the sight of him. ¡°you¡¯re not drinking or eating


    anything that¡¯s brought to you. I don¡¯t want you to leave my side if you can help it.¡±


    Inod slowly. I¡¯m not about to argue with that. I really don¡¯t want to die. I wish I could speak to Sabriel,


    just hearing her voice would make me feel instantly better. I would just have to be patient until I could


    talk to my wolf again. . I miss her voice more that I thought I would. I know for a fact she¡¯d be making


    inappropriate remarks about our mate if she could.


    Dr Jameses back in. ¡°Has she been sick in thest few minutes?¡± he asks Kai, who shakes his


    head firmly.


    Kai looks extremely relieved at that.


    I haven¡¯t been, I slowly realise. Does this mean that the drug has done it¡¯s work? That maybe I hadn¡¯t


    ingested arge amount? I can feel my whole body covered in sweat and I feel disgusting, not that Kai


    seems to care at the moment.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good sign. It means we got there early. She can be discharged tomorrow but you¡¯re going to


    need to stay overnight, or I will, if you require me to Alpha Kai. It¡¯s entirely up to you.¡± he adds hastily.


    Kai shakes his head and sits down on a chair, his arms folded and a resolute look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not


    going anywhere and no one is getting near my mate¡± he growls. The doctor nods and leaves without


    another word as I lie back down and close my eyes. I need sleep and before too long, I¡¯mpletely


    out of it, surrounded by darkness and smelling the familiar andforting scent of Kai still nearby and


    by my side.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    Chapter 60


    Needless to say I¡¯m still exhausted and drained the next day, Alpha Kai still watching over me. I


    examined him


    while he slept, fascinated at how peaceful and innocent he looked as his soft snores filled the air. His


    scars were just


    as rugged and stood out against the whiteness of the hospital lights, but to me they made him look


    even more


    handsome to me. I still caught him out of the corner of my eyes during the hours he spent by my side,


    asionally tracing them when he thought I wasn¡¯t looking. I suspect now, that it has nothing to do with


    being self conscious, but


    rather that there¡¯s a whole other story, one that he has yet to tell me, that causes him to do it.


    When I¡¯m discharged, I¡¯m relieved as is Kai who ims he has important paperwork to get to. I feel bad


    for disturbing his business but he doesn¡¯t seem to be too phased. I¡¯m wondering how I¡¯m going to walk


    back to the pack house, my limbs still quite shaky and to be honest, I¡¯m that tired, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll


    actually make the trip, when Kai shocks the hell out of me by picking me up and carrying me bridal


    style. As we make our way out to the main


    entrance, I see several nurses stop and stare and Dr James, I swear, winks at me on the way out. I


    grin. I¡¯m rather fond of that doctor. He¡¯s so jolly it¡¯s hard to find anything to dislike about him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you home¡± Kai mutters, my arms wrapping around his neck tightly. His hair is soft against my


    hands and I have to resist the urge to tug on it. His grip is so secure, that I have no fears of him


    dropping me. Not with his


    muscr body and the protective look in his eyes. I trust himpletely and that alone shocks me.


    When is thest time I allowed myself to trust anyone? Even someone who¡¯s family like my brother


    Damien? Too long. But with a childhood like mind, was that really not to be expected? It feels nice to


    trust someone, even if it¡¯s slightly.


    You know, you could easily kiss him from your position right? Those luscious lips of his, just begging to


    be touched with ours¡­.


    Sabriel, I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the time. Besides we¡¯re still bing ustomed to trying this whole mate


    thing and that¡¯s if I don¡¯t get killed first.


    That¡¯s the thing with you humans, you always have to take it so damn slow. How do you expect to get


    laid, if you don¡¯t start getting the show on the road?


    I¡¯m not ready for that Sabriel.


    Well, at some stage your gonna do the deed. Unless you want me to take over and do it in wolf form


    with his


    wolf? Because I¡¯m totally ready to make that sacrifice for you Winter. Just say the word.


    Um no thanks Sabriel. I would rather not have you make that sacrifice.


    Sigh. Well if you change your mind woman, I¡¯ll be ready to step in in a heartbeat.


    She sends me inappropriate images of her getting it on with his wolf and I fight the urge to block her.


    Right now her presence is soothing, even if she¡¯s frustrating me just a little bit. The day is pleasant at


    least, the sun shining down and a gentle breeze caressing my skin and hair. The sky is so blue with


    barely a cloud in the sky and I inhale the


    scent of pine and dirting from the nearby forest as we walk. It¡¯s a beautiful day, one that¡¯s meant to


    be enjoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put you to bed¡± Kai mutters, his arms tightening further around me as I look up at him wide


    eyed.


    ¡°You need to rest Winter¡± he adds firmly as I shake my head at him.


    I pout, but he¡¯s not dissuaded. ¡°No, you will do as I say¡± but his voice is teasing and lighthearted. It¡¯s


    pleasant to


    Fine, if he wants to take care of me, then maybe I should let him. He¡¯s only trying to take care of my


    wellbeing after all, and being in a rtionship is all aboutpromise, isn¡¯t it? I can ede to his


    wishes for now. But only for now. I can be just as stubborn when I want to be.


    The pack members openly stare out on the grounds, several jaws dropping open as they see their big


    bad Alpha kai, holding a woman in his arms and openly carrying her into the house. I guess even with


    all the gossip it still shocks them to see Kai with his mate in the open. Hopefully, they see it as a good


    thing.


    He¡¯s careful to take me up the stairs slowly, my heart thudding wildly in my chest, despite knowing he


    would never drop me. He takes me into the bedroom and gently ces me on the bed, taking my


    shoes off and cing the


    bedcovers over me. I want to moan, I¡¯m in absolute heaven,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ce a guard on the door¡± he mutters ¡°make sure no one enters the room while you get


    some sleep.¡±


    That sounds a bit overprotective but I can see his point. Someone has tried to kill me twice now. It¡¯s not


    such a bad idea. It means I¡¯ll sleep a hell of a lot easier.


    Then he surprises me even more, giving me a gentle kiss on the forehead as I stare up at him, my eyes


    shining brightly at him. Thest person to ever do that, was my mother when I was little and it brings


    back a feeling of nostalgia.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter¡± he promises and is out the door before I can so much as nod. I watch the back of him


    and feel a


    sense of loss, even though I know he¡¯s only going to be downstairs and in the study. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not


    going to see him again for christ sake.


    I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been asleep for, when I¡¯m rudely awakened by someone shoving me roughly


    off the bed. I hit the ground with a thud, wincing at the pain as my eyes shoot open and I look up to see


    an angry, pissed off


    woman, her arms on her hips as she res down at me. How the hell did she get past the guard? I


    know who this woman is, I¡¯ve seen her before, hanging off of Kai and it makes sense that it has to be


    none other than Candice, that Kai had broken up with recently. What the hell was she doing here, and


    what the f**k did she want.


    Kick her in the nuts


    She¡¯s a woman Sabriel, she doesn¡¯t have nuts


    Kick her in the v****a then, I¡¯m guessing it will still hurt.


    I can¡¯t do that, let¡¯s just see what it is she wants.


    I don¡¯t think she¡¯s here for a friendly chat somehow Winter. I dont¡¯ like the look on the b***h¡¯s face.


    She¡¯s Kai¡¯s ex girlfriend, I can¡¯t just hit her.


    Say¡¯s who? She¡¯s not even supposed to be in here. Where the f**k is the guard?


    I awkwardly scramble to my feet and back away slightly. A quick nce at the doorway shows the


    guard wasn¡¯t there. That¡¯s not good. How did she manage to get him to leave his post?


    ¡°You must be Winter¡± the woman sneers and I give a small nod, watching her every move tentatively.


    Her eyes narrow as she rakes me over with her gaze, a look of contempt in her eyes. I flinch but


    bravely stand my ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he sees in you¡± she says heatedly ¡°you¡¯re nothing but a pathetic omega, You¡¯re too


    skinny, you¡¯re dirty and you can¡¯t even speak. How on earth are you going to be his mate when you are


    this weak?¡±


    I just blink. Maybe if I just stand there, she¡¯ll just leave me alone. She strides forward and stares at me,


    shaking


    in her anger.


    ¡°I deserve to be Luna¡± she hisses ¡°not you. Do you have any idea how repulsive it was to pretend to


    love that


    disgusting man with those horrendous scars? How much effort I put into pleasing him? I was all set to


    be his chosen Luna and then you had toe along¡± she says shakily and I feel sick to my stomach.


    She¡¯d led Kai along on a string and the only thing she gave a damn about was the fact she wouldn¡¯t get


    to


    be Luna? Cold, calcting b***h.


    Kai isn¡¯t repulsive. How anyone could use someone like that is beyond myprehension. All she¡¯d


    ever wanted was to be Luna, and she¡¯d been prepared to lie and manipte in order to get what she


    was after. She was


    disgusting, not Kai.


    She must have sensed my reaction because she raised her hand and swung it, intending to p me


    across the face.


    My hand grabs her arm before she can, to my astonishment. My reflexes were quick, it seemed and


    before I can


    stop myself I p her instead, watching in great satisfaction as she clutches her red cheek and howls.


    Unfortunately, this time I¡¯m a little slower and she get¡¯s a good kick to my guts as I double over and


    clutch at my stomach. f**k that hurt. Sabriel¡¯s ready to shift and tear her to strips, but it turns out not to


    be necessery.


    Just as I¡¯m straightening back up and she¡¯s preparing to take another swing at me, a voice speaks from


    the doorway, causing me to stiffen and her to stop short, her mouth opening in shock.


    ¡°Candice, what are you doing to my mate?¡±


    It¡¯s Kai and his eyes are pitch ck as he stares at his ex-girlfriend.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Kai¡± she stammers ¡°I was justing to meet your mate¡± she said, pointing at me ¡°and she attacked


    me¡± she


    lied. My mouth falls open.


    Kai saunters into the room, his eyes never leaving hers. ¡°I put a guard on Winter¡¯s room¡± he said softly,


    his tone


    dangerous and ominous. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t here when I came to the room¡± Candice muttered but neither I or Kai believed her.


    His eyes ze over and it¡¯s evident he¡¯s mind-linking someone. Several warriorse rushing in.


    ¡°Take Candice


    to the dungeon¡± he demands and Candice¡¯s mouth falls open as she begins to back away, a terrified


    look on her face


    now. Did she honestly think there would be no repercussions for this? To be fair, I wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d


    punish her for this,


    but he looks determined to. Sabriel¡¯s prancing around like a unicorn in my mind, pleased at our mate¡¯s


    decision.


    ¡°Kai, you have to believe me¡± she pleads ¡°it was all her.¡±


    He¡¯s having none of it. ¡°I saw what happened Candice¡± he shoots me a look ¡°and I¡¯m proud of Winter


    for


    standing up for herself.¡± He adds with a low growl.


    The warriors grasp hold of her as she kicks and bucks, screaming obscenities as she¡¯s dragged


    roughly away. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this¡± she screams over and over, but everyone ignores her and before too


    long she¡¯s gone, her voice


    fading awaypletely. I stare at kai uncertainly. Am I in trouble? But instead he crossed the room and


    holds me


    tight against him, his head on my shoulder. ¡°Sorry¡± he murmurs in my ear ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she never


    troubles you ever


    again.¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Chapter 61


    I¡¯m restless, my wolf is seething with anger. I barely acknowledged the guards as I pushed past them,


    determined to get to my destination before Winter realizes what I¡¯m up to. She¡¯s too nice, my mate, too


    forgiving for her own good. She might not want Candice to pay for what she¡¯d done, but I needed to


    prove a point. That no one attacks or insults my mate and gets away with it, no matter who they are, or


    what they once were to me. Winter is to be treated with respect. There was no point trying to be mates.


    If I wasn¡¯t going to show everyone just how serious /


    was about it, was there? Nobody messes with me or disrespects me like that and gets away with it.


    God, It stinks down here, is my first thought as I storm downstairs, barely greeting the guards who all


    scramble


    to get out of my way. Then again, what was I expecting? It¡¯s a dungeon for Christ¡¯s sake. It¡¯s supposed


    to smell like old


    and new blood, as well as dank and mould. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt for it to be cleaned, I thought to myself,


    making a


    mental note. It really is putrid down here. I sure as hell am not going to be spending any more time


    down here than is


    necessary to make my point.


    ¡°Where is she¡± I growled at thest guard and watched him gulp nervously, before his hand pointed


    towards thest cell on the right, trembling in his fear of me. Good. He should be afraid. My wolf was


    dangerously close to the surface and I¡¯m not in the mood to be trifled with.


    ¡°Get the trolley¡±, I grunted and wandered down to thest cell, feeling a sense of satisfaction as I heard


    her


    crying softly. She should be afraid. I can¡¯t believe the nerve of her. Did she really think there would be


    no repercussions. I know all she wants is to be Luna, she never really cared for me at all, but why


    attack Winter then?


    Was she that delusional that she thought we would get back together again if Winter wasn¡¯t in the


    picture? After


    everything she¡¯d said and done?


    They¡¯ve followed my instructions and she¡¯s dangling from the ceiling, restrained and shackled, a look of


    absolute terror in her eyes. Terror, I notice idly, that seems to vanish the instant she spots me. Does


    she think that I¡¯m going to go easy on her? When she¡¯d all but confessed she hadn¡¯t given a damn


    about me and it was all for show? Did she


    think I would be merciful because of our past? I feel a pang of regret. Because if that¡¯s what she¡¯s


    expecting, then


    she¡¯s in for a rude awakening.


    ¡°Here, you go, Alpha Kai¡± the guard stammers and I wave him away, watching her mouth open in shock


    as her


    eyes dart back to me


    ¡°Kai¡± she stammers, ¡°please, you don¡¯t want to do this. Think about what we had together¡±


    I c**k my head at her. ¡°It¡¯s Alpha Kai to you b***h¡± I snarl ¡°and tell me what it is I don¡¯t want to do?¡±


    Tobserved the trolley, watching her pitiful attempts to break free. As if she could. Silver prevents


    werewolves


    from shifting and she¡¯s surrounded by it all, which is painful in amongst itself.


    ¡°What about what we meant to each other¡± she tries and I scoff at her, unable to keep a straight face.


    ¡°We meant nothing to each other, remember Candice? I was just a means to an end, a way for you to


    be Luna¡±, I hissed and she stared at me, her eyes wide, her breathing bing faster and more


    panicked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡± she protests weakly and I say nothing, slowly putting my gloves on and picking up a


    small silver whip, smiling down at it as she wiggles in her restraints.


    I strike her, watching her back arch in shock as she lets out a small whimper. I actually held back. But


    she acts as whimpers be louder, more hysterical as time progresses.


    ¡°Please stop¡± she screams, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡±, she sobs and I put the whip down and look at her


    tear-filled eyes, feeling numb inside. I feel nothing, no mercy towards her, no feelings whatsoever, even


    after spending so long


    with her by my side.


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    ¡°You attacked my mate¡± I growled, picking up a small dagger that made her gulp nervously.


    Her eyes stared directly into mine, beseeching me to stop.


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it again¡± she spits out, her body swaying slightly in her shackles ¡°I swear, I won¡¯t do it again.


    I was


    just upset¡± she whimpered, ¡°you broke up with me like I meant nothing to you.¡±


    Does she think this will appeal to my sympathy? Because her words mean absolutely nothing to me


    whatsoever.


    ¡°As I recall, you were the one to tell me it was all for show¡± | snarled and thrust the dagger into her leg,


    pulling it downwards in one long stroke as she screamed and screamed, the sound filling the otherwise


    silent dungeon.


    ¡°You bastard¡± she screams, and I do it again, not liking the disrespect. She shuts her mouth and looks


    at me


    fearfully as I hold the dagger in my hand and begin to circle around her. The silver burns her flesh, the


    dagger leaves


    long scars that will never heal. A testament to just how angry I am with her.


    ¡°Why her¡± she sobs and I stare at her, incredulous as to why she¡¯s even daring to ask that question.


    ¡°Why her? What¡¯s so good about that girl, that you would give me up for her? She¡¯s not even that


    pretty!¡±


    Now she sounds pitiful,pletely pathetic. I don¡¯t want to answer, but part of me, a small part of me,


    believes that maybe I do deserve to give her an exnation. Maybe she¡¯ll realize the futility of going


    after winter if I speak.


    Besides Winter is beautiful. She might not be like Candice who likes to wear makeup and go to


    extreme lengths to


    dress nice, but she has her own inner beauty and looks pretty without all the makeup. She was pretty


    and beautiful in her own way. But I doubt Candice would understand that.


    I thought about my answer. ¡°She¡¯s kind¡±, I said quietly, ¡°she¡¯ll go to great lengths to friend anyone.


    She¡¯s pure, untainted like I am. She can make everything better by simply smiling at me. Material


    things don¡¯t matter to her and I¡¯m just starting to realize that¡± I breathe out ¡°all she¡¯s ever wanted was to


    be loved and cared for and I¡¯m going to make that happen for her. I never felt this way towards you,


    Candice, not ever. I¡¯m sorry but you just weren¡¯t the one for me and you know that too. You¡¯ll find your


    own mate one day and then you¡¯ll understand what I mean.¡±


    For a minute, Candice is silent, digesting my words and I put down the dagger, my heart no longer in it


    and no


    longer wanting to take part in any of this torture.


    ¡°She¡¯ll ruin you¡± Candice says and my head shoots up in disbelief, my eyes ring daggers at her.


    ¡°You think she¡¯s so innocent, but what if she¡¯s not Kai? What if you¡¯re only seeing what you want to


    see? Nobody is that pure, nobody. You¡¯re living in a fantasy world¡± sheughs, ¡°and I can¡¯t wait to see


    what happens when reality hits you,


    because it will, and it will hit you hard¡±, she sneers.


    I shake my head. She should have kept her mouth shut, I think to myself. This was all on her now.


    Without


    warning I pick up the silver cat o nine tails and begin to whip her hard, ignoring the sounds of her


    screaming, the


    shrieks and the pleas for me to stop. When I finally do stop, it¡¯s because my arm has be sore from


    overusing it and her body dangles there, blood sttered on the floor, the walls, and even on the


    ceiling. She¡¯s quiet now, her eyes barely open and I feel nothing but contempt and disgust towards her.


    I tried, I really did, to make her see my point of view, but all she¡¯s interested in is trying to break me and


    Winter up. Why can¡¯t she just move on? Especially since she imed she didn¡¯t love me in the first


    ce? It¡¯s infuriating.


    I take off my gloves. There¡¯s no point continuing the torture any further. The guards sense my anger


    and stay well back as I leave her cell and turn to them.


    ¡°Get her medical treatment¡± I said snidely, ¡°not that she deserves it. A few days in here and then let the


    stupid b***h go¡±. I snap and they nod their heads at me. d to be finished now, and certain that


    Candice understands my position when ites to my mate, I start to turn and head up the stairs when


    I hear her voice, so quiet that I almost miss it. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end with her


    words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you back for this¡± she whispered. ¡°don¡¯t think I won¡¯t Kai. You¡¯ll regret you ever did this to me.¡±


    Iughed it off. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to be stupid enough toy a hand on Winter again. Not


    when she fully knows the next time will result in her death. But it doesn¡¯t stop me from hearing it in my


    mind, over and over again, as I leave the dungeon and head towards my mate who is most likely


    waiting for me in the bedroom. Could Candice really be that stupid and would I have to continue to


    regard her as a threat? I decide to mull things over and think about banishing my ex-girlfriend from the


    pack. But I won¡¯t burden Winter with that information. I don¡¯t want her to


    speak on Candice¡¯s behalf. She might not get how vengeful my ex-girlfriend could be but I have my


    suspicions that ¨C Candice isn¡¯t finished when ites to my mate, and that¡¯s what scares me the most.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Chapter 62


    Goddamn these f*****g woods. It¡¯s been weeks since I set out to find the little b***h and there¡¯s been no


    sign of her. In fact, it even appears, she avoided traveling to most packs who im to have not had her


    there at all. Since when did Winter enjoy camping for f**k sake? I smirk though, feeling satisfaction that


    Damien is most likely dead by


    now and feel absolutely no remorse whatsoever about it. I only got close to him so that I could see


    Winter on


    asion, not because I wanted to be friends with that asshole. God, this bloodlust is insane. All I want


    is more of it, killing creatures doesnt seem to be enough to quench my first. My whole throat is on fire


    and it¡¯s difficult to pretend to be a shifter sometimes when visiting packs. So far no one has picked up


    that I¡¯m a hybrid, something that is


    working to my benefit.


    Ah Winter. I brighten instantly just thinking about her. I can picture her easily in my mind, her angelic


    face, her


    beautiful figure, those expressive eyes of hers. Her pale porcelian like skin, the way she smiles. I


    remember every little


    tiny detail about her. This would all be worth it in the end, if only I can find her. I¡¯m starting to suspect I


    might have gone the wrong way. But this is the path with the most packs and would have been the


    safest to take. So it made more sense to me she should have gone this way. After all, Winter is a clever


    girl, not stupid like most of the bimbos at


    school. She had substance, quality, like a shiny coin, while the other girls were all tarnished, dirty,


    unclean and


    impure. Not like Winter. Winter was pure goodness. She didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like she was by


    her own family. I


    should have killed that bastard Damien from the start. Never mind. The wolfsbane should have done


    the trick. It


    would have prevented him mind-linking anyone for help at any rate. The poor bastard had to be a


    goner by now.


    God, I feel disgusting. I¡¯m covered in dirt, I¡¯ve got foul body odor and I¡¯m absolutely drenched in sweat.


    I¡¯ve been


    switching from my wolf form to my human one over and over again and it¡¯s starting to take a physical


    toll on me.


    There¡¯s a pack up ahead and I¡¯m determined to talk my way into spending a night there. I really need to


    sleep in afortable bed. I hate the outdoors, always have. I miss my gigantic mansion. At least it


    was civil unlike what I was


    forced to experience now. I make sure my eyes are back to their normal colour and not glowing red,


    needing to put on my fake facade. How stupid is it that shifters can¡¯t seem to smell vampires? Or


    maybe it was just hybrids in general? | would have to research thatter. I was intrigued by the notion.


    I¡¯m stopped by pack members, clearly patrolling the boundary of their territory. I almost wanted to cry in


    relief,


    but instead I school my face to look relieved. I need to look non threatening, a lone traveller going from


    pack to


    pack.


    ¡°State your business¡± one of the guards, a tall bulky one, with muscles to spare, says to me grimly and


    I blink at him. If I had to take him in a fight, he would definitelye off the worst. I refuse to let them


    intimidate me though


    and remember that I need to be polite, if I want them to help me.


    ¡°I¡¯m in search of a long lost sister of mine¡± | lied through gritted teeth, forcing a shy smile on my face.


    The


    guard¡¯s clearly not expecting that and looks at hisrades a little nonplussed.


    ¡°She ran away from home a few months back and now I¡¯m trying to find her. I¡¯ve been going from pack


    to pack, hoping she¡¯s taken up roots somewhere. I¡¯m hoping you might have seen her, even if it was a


    while back¡± | hedge.


    The guards begin to mind-link each other while I fidget impatiently. Finally, the original one to speak to


    me ¡°Winter¡± I answered confidently, ¡°but she¡¯s mute, so she can¡¯t speak and she prefers to keep to


    herself for the main part.¡± None of that¡¯s untrue.


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in recognition.


    Yes, I cheer, he knows her, which means she definitely came this way and I¡¯m on the right track. Thank


    f**k.


    ¡°Why did she run away?¡± he asks and I know he¡¯s testing me, prepared to lie if I don¡¯t answer him in a


    manner that seems truthful, even when it clearly won¡¯t be. Damn him for being so f*****g suspicious.


    Then again, wouldn¡¯t that be a normal thing to be considering? Maybe I should cut the loser some


    ck. He¡¯s only trying to do his job.


    asi


    ¡°She and my father didn¡¯t get along. He tended to beat her¡± I whispered, ¡°and I wasn¡¯t able to stop him.¡±


    I hang my head, pretending to be ashamed.


    The guard looks disgusted now, but it¡¯s not aimed at me. There is some truth to what I told him after all,


    even if it¡¯s not the exact reason Winter ran away.


    ¡°What a bastard¡± he exhales and turns to the small group, motioning for the men to get back to their


    posts.


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    He turns back to me. ¡°Winter only spent one night here, before leaving to go on her way. I only


    remember the . poor girl, because she couldn¡¯t speak and because she was extremely sweet. It made


    no sense, her traveling by


    herself, but she refused to be apanied to the next pack, even when the Alpha tried to offer. She


    was determined


    to continue on alone, which is dangerous but we had to respect her wishes.¡±


    That¡¯s because she probably had no intentions of staying there, I think to myself absent-mindedly. She


    probably wanted to continue further up ahead and didn¡¯t want to let them know. Clever girl. Clearly she


    wasn¡¯t trusting


    anybody with her location or which way she was going.


    ¡°Oh dear¡± I said in rm, ¡°do you know how long ago this was?¡±


    Please don¡¯t let it be months, I thought to myself. I¡¯m not sure how much longer I can keep this horrid


    traveling


    going much longer. I want to be back to civilization soon.


    He seems thoughtful now, looking off into the distance as I attempt to wait patiently. It wasn¡¯t that


    bloody hard


    to remember, was it?


    ¡°Must have been a few weeks ago now¡± he finally says, ncing down at me, a small smile on his face.


    I give him a small smile of thanks. I¡¯m closer to Winter than I thought. Especially if she did find a home


    at one of the packs along the way, something I fervently hope she¡¯s done. It will make getting to her


    much easier. Plus it¡¯s really nerve wracking travelling on your own. Even as a hybrid, I can¡¯t guarantee I


    can take on several rogues ande out


    the winner.


    ¡°Would you like to stay for a night or two¡± the guard offers. ¡°I have to admit, it¡¯s ballsy of you to travel all


    on your


    own. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯te across any rogues¡± he added, looking at me expectantly.


    Thad considered that. But rogues are stupid creatures and I could easily determine if there were any


    nearby by the disgusting stench of the mangy fuckers. There had been a few close calls, that was for


    sure.


    ¡°I would appreciate it¡± I said hesitantly ¡°if it¡¯s not too much trouble to stay? Just for a night, get cleaned


    up¡± | said a little pathetically, reallyying it on thick. Thest thing I need is this man bing


    suspicious of me. Besides,


    packs generally prided themselves on their hospitality. This one would be no different.


    It seems to work, because he slings an arm over my shoulder and begins to turn me towards, presume,


    the direction of the pack house, which I can see in the distance.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your name, anyway,¡± the man asks, ¡°mine¡¯s Grant, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Damien¡± I lied. ¡°it¡¯s lovely to meet you.¡± It¡¯s really not.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you situated in a guest room¡± heughs, ¡°and you can get cleaned up. No offense man, but


    you stink. You¡¯ve clearly been traveling a while now¡¯ he adds looking impressed. ¡°You really love this


    sister of yours, huh?¡±


    ¡°I do and I really need to find her¡± | murmur back.


    ¡°And No offense taken¡± I reply, staring at the pack house in awe. It¡¯s asrge as the mansion I was


    forced to leave behind, maybe a tad smaller, but it reeked of elegance. Thank god. I was back in


    civilization, at least for a little while. This is what pack houses should all be like, but unfortunately some


    of the packs were a lot more wealthy than others and it showed. This would be a wealthy pack.


    ¡°Alpha Gordon wants to meet you¡± Grant says and I look at him panicked. Heughs at the expression


    on my face. ¡°Don¡¯t stress¡± he soothes ¡°he likes to meet all travellers. You can clean up first and then


    meet him downstairs in the study¡± he added and I visibly rx. Good, no one is suspicious of me then.


    Great, now all I have to do is charm


    them and be on my way tomorrow. That¡¯s easy enough.


    I climb into the shower, thanking Grant for showing me to a room, he¡¯s even organized fresh towels and


    a spare change of clothes for me. As the water cascades down onto my poor aching body, I close my


    eyes and breath in the steam, rxing for the first time in a long time. All I can think about is Winter, my


    c**k twitching in excitement at the thought of her. I¡¯m aching with need and my hand grips my shaft and


    begins to move up and down along it as I picture Winter in my mind, imagining how she¡¯d feel beneath


    me as I took her, my desire growing and my hand pumping furiously, until with a growl, Ic*m, hard, all


    over the shower floor, panting heavily from the exertion.


    Soon Winter, I think to myself, with a wicked smile, soon you¡¯ll be mine forever and this time I¡¯ll make


    sure you can never escape me. I¡¯ming for you and it won¡¯t be much longer, my love, until we¡¯re


    reunited again.


    SV

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Chapter 63


    I¡¯ve heard rumors and gossip going around the pack house that Kai ended up torturing Candice for what


    she¡¯d. done to me. I don¡¯t know how to feel about it. On one hand, the b***h had tried to attack me, but


    on the other hand, she had also been Kai¡¯s girlfriend. Wouldn¡¯t it-have hurt him to have done something


    so cruel and mean to her, even if


    she imed to have never loved her?


    She deserves it Winter. No one can attack an Alpha¡¯s mate and expect to get away from the


    consequences. Not even an ex girlfriend. He¡¯s showing the pack there are consequences in touching


    you. It¡¯s to be expected and she knew it as well.


    know, but sometimes I feel detached from Kai, or maybe really detached. I know we¡¯re still trying this


    mates thing but it feels so awkward and stift know almost nothing about him. Part of me really wants to


    get to know him some more.


    -We could seduce him.


    That¡¯s not what I meant by getting to know him, Sabriel! But you would-be getting to know a part of him,


    hint, hint. You have absolutely no shame, do you? None whatsoever and that¡¯s the way I like it.


    The door swings open and I crinkle my nose as the stench of blood and lots of it, permeates the air. My


    eyes widened in shock and disbelief as I saw a disheveled Kai, with blood sttered on his clothes. I feel


    nauseas, Was this blood Candices? I guess he had done the torture thing after all. I almost backed away


    but he held up a hand, halting me in my tracks.


    ¡°Steady now¡± he said soothingly as he walked slowly into the room, shutting the door and locking it as I


    watched ¡°I¡¯m going to get cleaned up and then we are going to talk.¡± Um, I think a little amused. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll


    talk¡± he amends, hurrying into the bathroom. I¡¯m left wondering what it is he wants to discuss.


    There you go, he wants to have a discussion. That¡¯s great Winter. Maybe he¡¯ll tell you about himself.


    That would be nice. I feel like we¡¯re just strangers sharing a room at the moment. Well, you could


    acquaint yourselves with each other. Sabriel, stop going there, you¡¯re a horndog.


    Yeah, but a horndog will get some eventually, you, on the other hand, are being as pure as the goddamn


    snow. You need to getid girl, release some of that frustration. Heck, jump his bones, you¡¯ll thank me


    later. Or go join him in the shower.


    No thanks, he¡¯s covered in blood and I¡¯m not going to lose my virginity in the shower? Why? It will mean


    you¡¯re extra clean? I don¡¯t think it works that way Sabriel. There¡¯s one way to find out. I¡¯ll pass, thanks.


    I dimly hear the shower turn off and stare in awe as he makes his way into the room, dressed in only a


    towel that wrapped around his delicious body. My mouth drools as I stare at him, unable to look away


    from his muscled chest and arms, my heart thumping wildly while Sabriel begins to prance around in my


    head, like an excited puppy. For once, I was too shocked to scold her. His eyes glint with amusement as


    he looks at me and c***s his head.


    ¡°Like what you see?¡± he says huskily as my jaw drops open and I feel myself bing flushed.


    Yes, oh god yes, I wanted to scream out but instead forced myself to look down at the ground and


    blushed, highly embarrassed by my reaction to his body. He gives a chuckle and I hear him rifling


    through the drawers for clothes, which makes Sabriel extremely sad. Now she¡¯s pouting, like it¡¯s my fault


    he¡¯s putting clothes on.


    ¡°You can look now¡± he says gruffly, and I look up, seeing hime towards me, a smile on his lips. He


    kisses me, the sensation so pleasurable my lips tingle where we touch, his tongue caressing me untill


    open to him, his tongue delving in and beginning to plunder me as I gasp, my body beginning to quiver.


    Reluctantly, he pulls back and I blink,


    Igave a small nod and waited for him to continue. He looks off towards the window, deep in thought.


    Finally, after a few excruciating moments of waiting, he begins to talk, quietly at first, while I listen intently


    and hear his story


    that makes tears well up in my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had these scars since I was little, due to a rogue attacking me as a child. It never really bothered me


    too much, I was young and foolish enough to think everyone would treat me the same way they had


    before I got them. But it didn¡¯t end up turning out to be the case.¡±


    My heart hurts to think he might have been treated differently due to a few scars. How could children be


    so cruel? So evil?


    ¡°I found my mate, my first one at least¡± he continues as I feel a small spurt of jealousy within my breast


    ¡°not longer after I shifted into my wolf. She was a quiet studious girl, one that I went to school with and


    she had the most delicious scent I¡¯ve ever smelled, well at least until now¡± he adds, ncing at me as I


    blushed.


    ¡°She was sitting under a tree, reading a book as I came up to her. I was so full of myself, so high and


    mighty, it never urred to me that might be rejected. Not when I was in line to be the next Alpha.¡±


    He exhales and shoots me a wry nce. ¡°So it came as aplete shock to find out that she was more


    than willing to reject me. I could have lived with that¡± he admitted sheepishly ¡°if she hadn¡¯t told me that


    the reason she didn¡¯t want to be with me, is because of these damn scars¡± he said, tracing them with a


    finger. I want to reach out and stop him, but I don¡¯t dare.


    I felt nothing but pain for him. The scars weren¡¯t hideous and it wasn¡¯t a reason to reject your mate. It


    must have been devastating for him. Was it any wonder that he was self conscious about them? What


    kind of girl did that to someone who they were meant to be with? A shallow, vain girl, that¡¯s who. Was it


    any wonder he fell for someone like Candice?


    ¡°Ever since that day¡± he says fidgeting with his hands ¡°I¡¯ve told myself that I¡¯ll never put myself in a


    position where I can be rejected by another mate or in a vulnerable position again. Candice was one of a


    few girls I dated, and shested the longest. Most women, look at me and see my scars, instead of the


    real me. I know now, that Candice was only wanting to be Luna but I convinced myself that no one would


    ever love me for myself.¡±


    I want to cry, his voice sounds so pained, so full of anguish. I want to take it all away, show him that there


    are women who will love him and not because he¡¯s an Alpha. He could have been an omega and I would


    have epted him still, scars and all. Why couldn¡¯t he see just how handsome he is? I barely even


    notice the scars anymore. They¡¯re a part of him.


    I reach out and take his hand, holding it firmly in my grasp and eye him carefully. It¡¯s moments like these


    that I really wish I could actually speak, tell him what I¡¯m thinking and feeling. I even open my mouth to


    try but nothinges out. I see a sh of disappointment on Kai¡¯s face as well.


    ¡°Anyway, you deserve to know. I will change Winter, that is if you¡¯re willing to forgive and forget


    everything that I¡¯ve done to you so far. We could start with a clean te?¡± he offers and I can hear the


    hope in his voice. He¡¯s trying to extend an olive branch, the question was, would I take it?


    I want nothing more than to start with a clean te and forget about the past. He was hurting and I was


    hurting, wasn¡¯t it time to embrace each other and what the future might hold for us instead? I have to


    release my hand, so that I can scribble something onto the paper he¡¯s given me. I hold it up for him to


    read.


    I forgive you.


    He looks relieved, hugging me so tight, that it¡¯s hard to draw breath, pping me awkwardly on the back.


    But there¡¯s something that preying on my mind and it¡¯s only right that I tell him my story too, so that he


    can understand where Ie from and why I feel the way I do.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    I begin to scribble while he looks over my shoulder.


    My name is Winter and I¡¯m eighteen years old. My mother was killed by rogues when I was small, and


    my brother Damien and father med me for her death, because she died protecting me. They beat me,


    made me into a ve for them. The scars on my body, are mainly from them.


    I was bullied relentlessly at school as well and life did not get easier. Then one day, my father sold me,


    like a prostitute to a friend of my brother¡¯s called Thomas, who tried to rape me. I ended up having to kill


    him, to save myself. Not long after that, some students stabbed me and med me for Thomas¡¯s death,


    resulting in me running away.


    It¡¯s not very descriptive, but it¡¯s to the point and I see his eyes darken as he reads it. He looks furious.


    ¡°Son of a b***h¡± he swears as he finishes, holding me in a tight hug again ¡°I didn¡¯t know Winter. I must


    have made things so much worse for you. I swear, I¡¯m going to make this up to you, make you see that


    you¡¯re meant to be my mate and that I¡¯ll treat you right.¡± he promised thickly and I melt in his embrace, a


    smile on my face. Because there¡¯s nothing but truth in his words and I believe him one hundred percent.


    The path we choose now, is the one that will determine both of our futures.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    Chapter 64 Chapter 64


    Crack, rustle. The twigs cracking beneath our feet were loud in the otherwise silent forest, but to be


    honest, we¡¯ve both reached the point of not caring, neither one of us giving a flying fig about the


    sounds or possible rogues. We¡¯re just that exhausted. Johnathon is definitely not the travelling buddy of


    my dreams.


    Thomas hasn¡¯t stopped at every single pack like we have, but both Johnathon and I are too worried


    about going in the wrong direction to avoid any of the packs along the trail we take. One wrong move


    and we could end up further away from Winter, instead of heading towards her like we initially nned.


    Every move we make we analyze. It¡¯s exhausting.


    It hasn¡¯t been the smoothest of travels, not when Johnathon and I don¡¯t see eye to eye on a lot of


    things. It doesn¡¯t help that thest few days and nights have been cold as well as rainy. Even wolves


    don¡¯t like to get wet and there was a storm brewing, judging by the dark ck clouds gathering over our


    heads. Just what else we needed. I shiver slightly from the cold, feeling extremely frustrated.


    ¡°I think we should set up camp¡± I shout out to Johnathon, my hair beginning to fly wildly in the wind. I


    hope he can hear me, otherwise I¡¯m going to have to mind-link the sted Alpha.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    ¨C He turns to look at me, as grumpy as ever. For an Alpha you¡¯d think he would be used to bad weather


    and travel. Apparently not.


    ¡°The pack up ahead is not too much further. I would rather spend time in a nice warm bed then sleep


    out here again in the bloody cold¡± he grumbles. Yeah, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to have a choice tonight.


    I shoot another nce upwards. ¡°We¡¯re not going to make it, best to set up camp¡± | argue. The next


    pack is several miles away and we¡¯ve spent the majority of the day in our wolf forms up until now. We


    need time to recuperate. Setting up camp is the best option for both of us, he just has to stop being so


    goddamn stubborn.


    Besides who made Johnathon the bloody boss? I didn¡¯t ask him toe along, he insisted. I can tell


    he¡¯s annoyed but I don¡¯t care.


    ¡°Fine¡± he snaps irritably, pulling the tent out of the backpack as I join him. I¡¯m already shivering from the


    cold and it¡¯s not even raining. At this rate, snow was going to be inevitable as well. I smile at that.


    Winter loves snow, always has. I guess that¡¯s one of the reason¡¯s I always felt that her name suited her.


    God, how I miss my little sister.


    ¡°We¡¯re wasting time, doing this¡¯ Johnathon grunts as he begins to pull the tent up. I roll my eyes. I wish


    I could bury him in snow, just for some piece and quiet.


    A loud crash of thunder, makes both of us jump. I give Johnathon a told you so look, which he pointedly


    avoids, scrambling now to get the tent up. We huddle inside, both pointedly keeping our distance from


    one another. As far as we can, considering it¡¯s a very small tent and we¡¯re both bulky teenagers.


    ¡°Do you think Winter found a pack to stay in?¡± Johnathon asks quietly.


    I stop to think for a moment. I wish she has. I want nothing more than to find her and find out she¡¯s


    finally happy. She¡¯s already been through so much, if anyone deserves to find true happiness, it¡¯s her.


    ¡°I hope so¡± | mutter as he falls silent.


    ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have rejected her¡± he murmurs, presumable speaking to himself ¡°she wouldn¡¯t have


    run off then. I could have at least given her a chance¡± he says regretfully.


    I¡¯m staring at him in disbelief. Did he really think that this was all because of his stupid bloody rejection!


    That might be one piece of the puzzle, but I¡¯m betting the bullying and the beatings had something to


    do with it as well. He really needs to get over himself. Besides, what the hell is he going to do when we


    find Winter? I can¡¯t exactly see her weing him with open arms. Actually, I don¡¯t even think she¡¯ll


    greet me with open arms. I wouldn¡¯t me her though. Johnathon is an i***t. A big one.


    ¡°She would have left anyway¡± I say finally and he sighs, looking despondent and rather pathetic if I¡¯m


    being honest. ¡°She was bullied at school and was beaten at home. I¡¯m amazed it¡¯s taken this long for


    her to run away from home and never look back. If it was me, I would have left a long time ago. But


    she¡¯s always been the stubborn type.¡± My voice cracks and I nce away from him. other whether we


    liked it or not. At least outside we could keep our distance and not be offended. The tent was meant as


    an emergency one but it wasing in damn handytely, even if the Alpha snores so loudly, I¡¯m


    frightened that wild animals will get curious enough to investigate the loud sounds. I can at least be


    grateful to Johnathon for insisting we take a tent along. There¡¯s something to be said about not freezing


    to utter death.


    My nose wrinkles. I can smell dirt, pine, the smell of the rain as it pours down, but I swear I¡¯m picking


    something else up, something that we hadn¡¯t anticipated. Especially not in this weather. f**k, I think to


    myself with a groan. Not now. It smells absolutely putrid though and not something you can miss.


    ¡°Can you smell that?¡± I ask Johnathon and he nods, grimly peeking out of the tent and scanning the


    woods.


    ¡°They might just be going through¡± he mutters to me ¡°at any rate they are still a fair distance away.


    Besides they don¡¯t like the rain, anymore than we do, do they?¡±.


    Not exactly the right words to make me calm down. I¡¯m trying to think positively, at least from the smell,


    there appears to be only one of them and there¡¯s two of us. That made the odds better on our side,


    especially with a ferocious Alpha. Heck, Johnathon could probably take them down on his own and


    never even break a sweat. That¡¯s what I¡¯m telling myself anyway.


    ¡°The smell is getting stronger¡± I tell Johnathon nervously and he nods, his expression looking grim.


    Reluctantly, due to the rain and the cold wind, we¡¯re forced to step outside. If we shift in the tent we¡¯ll


    only rip it to pieces and we very much wanted the tent to stay in tact. The smell of blood and rotten


    meat met my nostrils and I cringed. It was definitelying closer. Was it looking for a fight? Because


    we¡¯d give him one. But it was sheer stupidity on his part to approach an Alpha. Most rogues would


    have the sense to stay away, so why the hell wasn¡¯t this one? It was bloody infuriating


    Johnathon¡¯s busy c*****g his head, listening for the sounds of the approaching rogue, his eyes wary as


    he nces at me. I give him a nod and move, keeping my back to him and trying to view this so called


    rogue from a distance. He wasn¡¯t that far out that we shouldn¡¯t be able to spot him. Especially with our


    shifter eye-sight. We can see for miles with it.


    My mouth pops open, and I give Johnathon a nudge to his shoulder. He too stares in fascination. We¡¯re


    used to rogues being in their wolf forms and preparing to fight, that it actually takes us a moment to


    realize the maning towards us was in fact one in human form. It waspletely unexpected. If it


    wasn¡¯t for the smell and the glowing red eyes of his, we would have mistaken him for another shifter. A


    normal one.


    The skinny, ragged looking man, holds his hands up as though surrendering. ¡°I mean you no harm¡± he


    rasps as Johnathon and I nce at each other in surprise. ¡°I have information, I believe you may want.¡±


    I¡¯m suspicious. As if he¡¯s going to have any information we want from him. What kind of rogue is this? I


    thought they attacked on sight, but this one really does seem to be harmless, even as I remind myself


    to remain on my guard.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I whisper to Johnathon,


    ¡°I think we should hear him out¡± he answers quietly ¡°I¡¯m curious to know what kind of information he


    thinks we want to hear.¡±


    So am I. But I¡¯m not about to forget that he¡¯s a rogue either. I¡¯m not about to let myself be killed, if I can


    help


    it.


    ¡°Come forward slowly¡± I tell him, firmly, Johnathon tense beside me, prepared to shift at a seconds


    notice. The man gives me a small nod and walks very slowly, forward until we¡¯re meters apart. He


    keeps his hands up as though surrendering


    ¡°What do you want for the information?¡± Johnathon asks. It was a good question. What did we have,


    that the rogue could possibly want? Well, besides our blood I think a little maliciously.


    The rogue licks his lips. ¡°Spare food and water¡± he croaks and Johathon grabs a water bottle and some


    food from our backpack and returns, throwing it to the rogue who eagerly catches it in both hands. He


    drinks thirstily and I realize, due to his malnourished and skinny frame, that he clearly hasn¡¯t been able


    to have a decent meal or satiate his thirst in a good long time. I actually find myself feeling sorry for this


    dude. How unreal is that? I¡¯m feeling sorry for


    a rogue.


    ¡°What¡¯s the information¡± I ask and he pauses, wipes the water dripping down his chin with one hand,


    even as we¡¯re still getting rained down upon. Must be a habit. Or a reflex.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re looking for a girl, one who¡¯se been traveling alone¡± he says gruffly and my heart skips a


    beat.


    ¡°We might be¡± Johnathon says cautiously ¡°why would you tell us?¡± He sounds curious rather than


    angry.


    The rogue hesitates, looks a little shame faced. ¡®If she¡¯s the one, I¡¯m thinking you¡¯re looking for. She


    saved my life. I attacked her, desperate for food and she came out better off. Instead of finishing me


    off, she wrapped my wounds in bandages and left me some food to replenish my strength. She could


    have killed me, hell if I¡¯d been in her position, would have but she chose to help me instead. She did


    me a kindness and I¡¯d like to pay it back.¡±


    That sounds very interesting. Winter of course would have her wolf long by now. But it¡¯s curious she


    didn¡¯t kill the rogue. Most shifter¡¯s didn¡¯t hesitate like she clearly had.


    ¡°Could she speak?¡± Johnathon yells out to him and the rogue shakes his head. ¡°No¡± he said decisively


    and my eyes light up. It has to be her. ¡°Where did she go?¡±


    The roguees closer and we don¡¯t move to stop him. The information he has is too important to


    ignore and could very well lead us to my missing sister. Besides he seems to be rtively harmless,


    especially for a rogue.


    The rogue¡¯s eyes are twinkling. ¡°I can do better than that¡± he says with a small smile ¡°I can lead you


    right to her. I kept an eye on her after she left me, wanted to thank her in some way. Then I hear from


    other packs once I seen she was staying where she was, that there were some boys looking for her.


    One of them, being her brother, the other an Alpha. Figures it had to be you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡± Task suspiciously. ¡°If I take you to her¡± the rogue says quietly ¡°can you do


    something for me?¡± ¡°Depends what it is¡± Johnathon says.


    ¡°Tell her thankyou from me. Once I¡¯ve done this, I¡¯m off to find a home, settle down and stop being a


    rogue. She gave me that motivation to change.¡¯

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    Chapter 65 Chapter 65


    I feel like apletely different person. Like a weights been lifted off my chest. Winter trusted me


    enough to divulge her story to me and I¡¯m outraged on her behalf. Her brother was an asshole and so


    was her father, it was too bad I can¡¯t get my hands on the both of them, because if I could, I would be


    torturing them slowly, listening to their screams with pleasure as their blood sttered all over the


    dungeon walls and floor. I can¡¯t believe Winter has forgiven her brother, despite everything he did to


    her. She¡¯s just so forgiving and kind. So sweet. So beautiful. She¡¯s perfect in my mind, absolutely


    perfect.


    Alpha Kai, Alpha Laurence is in your office, requesting to see you. What on earth is he doing here? I¡¯ve


    no idea sir, do you want me to tell him you¡¯re unavable? No, I will be down their momentarily. l break


    the mind link off, feeling highly annoyed. I wanted to spend time with Winter today. I eye her


    thoughtfully. Maybe she won¡¯t minding to the office with me and meeting Alpha Laurence? It


    couldn¡¯t hurt to ask


    anyway.


    ¡°Winter?¡± I ask gruffly, feeling a bit out of my depth ¡°would you like toe down to my office and meet


    another Alpha from a neighbouring pack?¡±


    Her eyes light up and she gives a fervant nod. I wonder if she¡¯s bored being here, with me constantly


    hovering over her. Am I being too possessive? I have no clue. But my wolf wants to be near her all the


    time, and if I¡¯m honest with myself so doll make a note, to stop being too clingy and make sure she has


    room to breathe:


    I take her hand and walk downstairs with her, feeling the usual sparks as my wolf almost purrs in


    contentment. He¡¯s been a lot happier since I epted Winter as my mate, instead of constantly being


    irritated at me. It makes a nice


    change. Usually we¡¯re bickering with each other or blocking each other out of anger. Storm¡¯s be a


    lovesick puppy at the moment.


    We walk through the office where Alpha Laurence is waiting. I stare at him with a grimace. I¡¯ve never


    liked the man. He¡¯s probably slightly older than me and has shaggy auburn reddish hair with green


    eyes. He¡¯s shorter than me, I notice with a small smile of satisfaction, but still stout and bulky with


    muscles that fairly bulge from his arms. Winter looks a little hesitant and I give her a small smile,


    drawing her forward as Alpha Laurence smiles at her.


    ¡°Alpha Laurence¡± | say firmly ¡°I would like you to meet Winter, my mate.¡±


    He looks absolutely shocked for a moment, but then recovers and smiles brightly as he gently takes


    Winter¡¯s hand and gives it a kiss. My wolf and I re daggers at him, both of us feeling the urge to rip


    the man to shreds right then and there.


    Winter gives a shy smile. ¡°You are the most beautiful creature I¡¯ve ever seen¡± Alpha Laurence tells her


    and she beams at him. She looks happy. I feel grumpy.


    ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure, Alpha Laurence¡± I say tightly, wanting nothing more than for the man to


    leave the office so that Winter doesn¡¯t have to be in his proximity anymore. Maybe asking her toe


    down to the office was a mistake. I¡¯d forgotten how bloody handsome the other Alpha was. Now I¡¯m


    irritated and trying hard not to show it.


    I motion for Winter to sit down, Alpha Laurence sitting in the chair beside her, while I sit across from


    them.


    ¡°Are youfortable my dear?¡± Laurence asks her and she nods and bites her lip, shooting me a


    helpless look as I scower at the other man.


    ¡°Winter is mute¡± I tell him ¡°she cannot speak but she can write down anything you want to know.¡±


    Thand Winter pen and paper, which she epts looking grateful. ¡°My apologies sweetheart¡± Laurence


    tells her, sounding remorseful.


    glower at him. Nobody gets to call my mate sweetheart but me! f**k this, let¡¯s just rip him a new asshole


    and be done with it. Storm, we can¡¯t do that to another Alpha, no matter how much I¡¯m tempted. I


    don¡¯t. If he keeps looking at her like that, I¡¯m going to rip his f*****g head off. Calm down Storm, let¡¯s


    just see what he wants first. I think it¡¯s fairly obvious what he wants Kai, can¡¯t you see him making eyes


    at her? We just can¡¯t attack another Alpha because we¡¯re jealous Storm. Who made that stupid rule?


    ¡°I have some news that you might find interesting. There are several people that are travelling


    throughout the various packs and territories. Two in particr were of interest and now I know why.


    They are looking for Winter apparently, one of them ims to be her brother. I didn¡¯t know who Winter


    was, I was informed of this by another pack further away, in case they posed a threat to the woman. It¡¯s


    pure luck that I came here first. I wanted to make a personal visit to a friend of mine in the next pack


    over and stopped here first. Now I¡¯m d I did.¡±


    I look over at Winter who¡¯s eyes are opened wide as she listens intently. She makes a scribbling motion


    with one hand and I realise what it is she wants, realising the pen I gave her isn¡¯t working and hastily


    grab another one from the desk and hand it to her. She leans against the table as she scribbles,


    showing Alpha Laurence the paper first and then me.


    Do you know if any of the men was called Damien at all? He¡¯s my brother.


    ¡°I believe that might have been one of the names¡± Alpha Laurence said regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t


    say for certain, but at least now you can be on your guard, should theye to your territory Alpha


    Kai.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    You bet your ass I¡¯m going to be on my guard. They step foot on my grounds I¡¯ll kill them. Or torture


    them. I don¡¯t know but I don¡¯t care. I want revenge for Winter and what he did to her. But why does she


    look so excited at the prospect of seeing him again. I know she has told me, well written down, that


    she¡¯s forgiven him but that doesn¡¯t mean I automatically have to like him.


    ¡°Any how¡± Alpha Laurence says with an easy going grin as he stands back up ¡°I believe that I¡¯ll be


    going to visit that friend of mine now. You¡¯ll let me know of any further developments?¡± he asks and


    despite myself I nod.


    He had the courtesy toe and speak to me, and now because of him I¡¯m aware of a possible threat


    to Winter. It could be someone posing as her brother and even if not, I¡¯m suspicious of these two


    peoples motives. He¡¯s done me a kindness and I need to remember that, no matter how much Storm


    hates the man.


    ¡°Thankyou for speaking to me¡± I grunt out.


    ¡°Winter¡± he says turning to my mate who looks startled ¡°it was a pleasure meeting you my dear¡± he


    adds and gives her a cheeky wink while I stand there fuming.


    If looks could kill, Alpha Laurence would be a dead man walking by now. As it is the bastard shoots me


    a wink and then leaves while I stand there dumbfounded.


    You know that unmated males will continue to hit on our mate, don¡¯t you? Storm, she¡¯s not the kind of


    girl to wee that sort of attention.


    I¡¯m not saying she is, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s dangerous that she isn¡¯t marked yet? At least if she bore


    our mark, the unmated males would know that she¡¯s been imed. What if the other boy looking for


    her, is that first mate of hers? Johnathon wasn¡¯t that his name? The one who rejected her. How long did


    it take for her to admit to us she¡¯d been rejected as well? Maybe she¡¯s not over him, did you consider


    that?


    It better bloody well not be him looking for her.


    It¡¯s a possibility Kai, even you know it could be him, I can feel it. I know it¡¯s him. What if it¡¯s because


    he¡¯s changed his mind and wants to be her mate now? What if he tries to break you and Winter up?


    What then?


    Even if it is him, and I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s going to be, we will deal with that when he gets here. He¡¯s not


    going to just waltz in and dere his love for Winter and take her away. At least I don¡¯t think he will,


    damnit Storm, now my stomach is in knots.


    Need I remind you of that night when one of the pack members osted her while she was setting the


    table as an omega? Do you want that kind of thing to keep happening to her? Especially when she


    can¡¯t scream for help? If she was able to mind-link us, don¡¯t you think that would be a lot more


    reassuring? Not just for us but for her? It would make things a lot safer for her if she had the ability to


    get help when she needs it. Besides, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t n on marking her at some stage anyway


    is it.


    Storm, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too overprotective?


    Storm is making a valia point, winter nas been in aanger numerous times since sne s arrived at my


    pack. Part or it was because of me, I recognised that, but someone was still causing trouble for her.


    What would happen if I couldn¡¯t get to her in time? She¡¯d be a goner. Her wolf was too small to stand


    up to even an average wolf at the moment. She was frail as a human being too. Delicate. I can¡¯t be with


    her every minute of every hour of the day, no matter how hard I try. I could put guards on her, but then


    what if the guards tried something? Langdon wouldn¡¯t babysit her, not anymore. Maybe this was the


    best option? I¡¯m so confused but I have to make a decision.


    All I want to do is protect her. Storm¡¯s words keep echoing inside my head as I stand up and gently tug


    on a bewildered Winter¡¯s hand. She looks puzzled but stands, leaning into me as I bend down my head


    and gather her in for a kiss, my tongue delving into that sweet mouth of hers, caressing her tongue,


    gripping her hair tightly with one hand amd twining it around my fingers.


    Winter will always be in danger while she¡¯s unmarked.


    Storm¡¯s words are insistent and loud in my head. He¡¯s not wrong. Before I can think it over some more,


    or hesitate with what I¡¯m about to do, I find my mouth trailing down her neck, kissing the nape of it softly


    as her eyes close and she grips my arms tightly with her hands. She¡¯s so trusting, I think a little sadly.


    There¡¯s no hesitation in that girl at all, not when ites to showing affection and I wonder if it¡¯s


    because she¡¯s had so little of it since she was a small child. I would have thought she¡¯d shy away from


    it, but instead she eagerly weed all of my attentions.


    Slowly, I let my canines out, feeling regret and guilt for what I¡¯m about to do, but Storm¡¯s words won¡¯t


    stop repeating in my head and it¡¯s making it difficult to change my mind. With one smooth motion, I


    pierce her delicate skin with my teeth and bite down, eliciting a hoarse gasp from her as she struggles


    in my grip. I shrink my canines back inside my mouth and slowly pull away, licking over the wound until


    it seals itself closed. There¡¯s a tattoo of a ck wolf on her neck, dark and prominent against her pale,


    ivory skin. Now, no one would touch her, the mark clearly stating that the Alpha, which is me. has


    marked her as his mate.


    She¡¯s so pale though and trembling as I look back at her. There¡¯s such anger in her face that I flinch,


    her eyes are swimming with tears. But there¡¯s something else, that doesn¡¯t quite seem right. Her eyes


    roll up into the back of her head, and I only just get to her in the nick of time, scooping her into my arms


    as she faints dead away. I wipe the tears away from her eyes, feeling like a right bastard.


    ¡°What have I done?¡± I whisper to myself, ashamed at the action I¡¯ve taken and wondering what caused


    her to faint.


    It¡¯s not the typical reaction of a mate that gets marked, but maybe I frightened her that badly? f**k. God


    I¡¯m an asshole.


    I carry her all the way to the hospital, making a nuisance of myself until she¡¯s ced in a room and


    settle myself into a chair. I will be there when she wakes up, and I will suffer the consequences of what


    I¡¯ve done. But even as I vow to do that, a small voice in the back of my mind, tells me that I¡¯ve done the


    right thing, I just hope Winter realises that


    and forgives me for what I¡¯ve done.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Chapter 66


    I felt the sharp prick of Kai¡¯s canines piercing into my skin, before excrutiating pain ripped through my


    entire body. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing happening before, whenever I¡¯d heard of someone being


    marked by their mate, it had always sounded pleasureable and painless. Why did it hurt so bad? The


    pain is so bad, that I feel my body beginning to stiffen and before I know it. I¡¯m copsing towards the


    ground and then there¡¯s only darkness surrounding me. What the hell has he done to me?


    I don¡¯t know where I am, only that I feel like I¡¯m wrapped in a cocoon as time slowly passes by, like I¡¯m


    awake but asleep at the same time and its surreal, like an out of body experience. It gives me time to


    think. I don¡¯t know how to feel about the marking. It came out of nowhere. I hadn¡¯t been expecting it at all


    and I don¡¯t know what suddenly possessed Kai to do it all of a sudden. It made me angry but confused at


    the same time. Isn¡¯t this what I wanted? To be fully imed by my mate and marked?


    A small voice in my head pipes up. You wanted it to be special, didn¡¯t you Winter? Yes I did and he¡¯d


    taken that from me.


    You wanted to do it back to him at the same time, mark each other when you were more in tune to each


    other¡¯s needs and wants.


    That was true. But was there any sense in staying angry about it? It couldn¡¯t make Kai take it back could


    it? My throat feels like it¡¯s on fire, heat spreading all around it, as Iy wherever I am, my hands gripping


    my throat in a futile attempt at getting whatever is happening to stop. Instead it gets worse.


    Then just as quickly it¡¯s gone and I hear voices above my head. ¡°Is she going to be alright?¡± That was


    Kai¡¯s voice.


    ¡°She should be. It¡¯s a miracle what¡¯s going on right now. I can only specte as to why, but it appears


    that the mixture of your Alpha blood and her blood has caused this sudden reaction.¡±


    Caused what? I wonder rather stupidly. What reaction? Damnit, tell me!


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be so surprised¡± Kai¡¯s voice again, this time with a tinge of excitement. How dare he


    sound so damn nonchnt after what he did to me! Bastard!


    . ¡°I think she¡¯sing out of it¡± Dr James¡¯ voice is distant, like he¡¯s far away and I struggle, my eyes


    suddenly shooting open of their own ord, blinking against the sudden harsh white lighting from


    the hospital ceilings.


    ¡°Winter¡± Dr James says to me jovially as I frown up at him.


    Why the hell was I in the hospital again for heavens sake. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asks and I nce


    over at Kai, whose face looks absolutely devestated, realising with a gasp that he¡¯s holding my hand


    tightly, as though he never wants to let go. I might be angry, but not enough for him to look so damn


    miserable. Although, a tiny part of me takes pleasure in his guilt. Maybe I should let him stew for a while


    after all.


    ¡°Sore¡± I rasp out and the room goes still. I stiffen in shock. Had I just spoken that word out loud, or was


    this all in my head? My throat is sore and my voice is hoarse as I try again. ¡°Sore¡± I repeat and then look


    at the doctor confused. Why am I now suddenly able to talk? Especially when the other doctor, before I


    came here, had seemed certain that my vocal chords were damaged beyond repair.


    Dr James speaks to me as Kai listens from his position by my bed. ¡°I think that Kai¡¯s blood mixed in with


    yours, when he marked you, sped up the healing process of your damaged vocal chords¡± he answers my


    unspoken question.


    I frown. I had thought that they were damaged beyond repair. Isn¡¯t that what the first doctor had said?


    ¡°Your vocal chords were extremely damaged but were slowly healing on their own. It might have taken


    another year, but you would have eventually been able to speak, Kai just sped up the process, so to


    speak¡± he chuckles at his joke.


    My eyes widen in excitement. I turn to Kai, who is eyeing me tentatively. I throw my arms around him. I


    can speak again, it¡¯s a miracle and I feel like crying in my joy. ¡°Thank you¡± | rasp as he hugs me back.


    ¡°You have every right to be pissed at me¡± he murmurs back but I shake my head.


    I¡¯m ecstatic to have my voice back. What he did to me wasn¡¯t right but when this was the end result? It


    was more than worth it. We would have a discussion on boundaries and consentter. But now I could


    talk! I want to shriek in Thanks Sabriel We can finally tell people how we feel about them, to their face.


    Let¡¯s start with that b***h Candice. I dare you. I think it might take a few days before I can talk properly


    Sabriel.


    That¡¯s alright, we can practice. Start with Kai, cause you are still pretty pissed at him, even if you¡¯re


    happy to have your voice back. Step out of yourfort zone girl, tell him. Tell him what a bastard he is.


    Go all out and do some swearing at the boy.


    Alright, enough Sabriel. I get it. But I¡¯m not angry at him anymore. Sigh. That¡¯s the problem with you


    being nice Winter, it means you ruin all my fun. Sabriel! Sorry Winter. I didn¡¯t mean it.


    Dr James is excitedly chattering away in the background, but all my focus is on Kai who¡¯s still holding my


    hand and looking sheepish. He damn well knew what he¡¯d done was wrong and theres something


    hovering in my mind as the rage builds.


    ¡°Winter¡± Dr James says as I swivel my head to look at him ¡°you can go home as soon as you feel ready


    to, but would it be impertinant to ask if I can take an x-ray of your neck and vocal chords again? I just


    want to make sure I¡¯ve gotten pictures from every angle to examine.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡± I rasp painfully and Dr James scurries out of the room, presumably to set that up.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have your voice back¡± Kai says quietly ¡°are you happy about that Winter? I swear I


    didn¡¯t know it would happen, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m sorry this happened because of what I did.¡±


    I¡¯m conflicted. I am happy to have my voice back, but at the same time, part of me hadn¡¯t really missed it


    all that much. It was like I¡¯d just retreated with the loss of my voice and now that I have it back, I¡¯m


    wondering if it¡¯s time to find my voice for real, instead of hiding in the background. Would I have the


    strength to step forward and be the new me I want so badly?


    leye Kai. ¡°What you did was wrong¡± I whispered and his face falls. He looks at me with remorse on his


    face. ¡°I know¡± he says looking away, ¡°Why?¡¯ I ask and he knows what it is I¡¯m really asking.


    ¡°I got jealous¡± he whispers ¡°so did my wolf while you were talking to the Alpha. I rationalised marking you


    would keep you safe from unwanted attention but that doesn¡¯t excuse the fact I should have asked you


    first. It was wrong and I¡¯m sorry¡± he apologised.


    Inod emphatically at that. Consent was important. Right now though, I¡¯m annoyed at him. He could have


    just told me how he was feeling instead of going to such extreme lengths. I would have listened and tried


    to reassure him. I hadn¡¯t been interested in the other Alpha one bit, I only had eyes for Kai. Stupid foolish


    man, letting his feelings get the better of him. Although part of me is thrilled that he got jealous.


    I tug on his hand gently.


    ¡®Come closer¡± I whisper, my throat feeling like it¡¯s closing up every time I utter a single word. Still this was


    important ¨C to me. I was determined to do this.


    He moves so close that he¡¯s inches away from my face, his eyes staring into mine as I give a small


    smile. What¡¯s good for the goose is good for the gander, I decide triumphantly, but I wouldn¡¯t go about it


    like he did. No, I would at least give him the courtesy of being able to refuse. Unlike what he¡¯d done to


    me.


    Slowly I let my canines inch out of my mouth, until he can see them, nice and pointy. For a minute, he


    looks extremely confused and then his eyes light up with realisation.


    ¡°You want to mark me?¡¯ he asks uncertainly and I give a very firm nod, my eyes never leaving his. ¡°Are


    you sure?¡± he asks ¡°you could still try and reject me. If you mark me, it will be a lot harder to do so.¡±


    I¡¯m beginning to feel impatient now. I know what I want. I don¡¯t need other people making decisions for


    me. I¡¯ve had enough of that. This was my choice. He doesn¡¯t need to keep me from making a mistake,


    mistakes are made so we can learn from them.


    ¡°Yes¡± I say as firmly as I can with the hoarseness of my voice.


    He hesitates and I think he¡¯s going to refuse, but then to my surprise, he submits, showing his neck to


    me as I lick my lips.


    ¡®It would be an absolute honor for you to mark me¡¯ he whispers with a crack in his voice.


    to have to redo it. He stayspletely silent as I slowly retract the canines and lick the spot I¡¯ve pierced


    him, sealing the wound closed. An image of a wolf, a tattoo, the same as the one I now have, appears


    instead and he traces the mark with his hand, his head shooting up as he stares at me with awe and


    something that looks remarkably like pride.


    Now he¡¯s mine. I¡¯ve imed him, the same as he imed me and no one has the right to try and take


    him. That Candice b***h is fresh out of luck. He¡¯s mine now.


    I point to his chest. ¡°Mine¡± I growl and he does the same, pointing his finger into my chest and gazing


    into my eyes.


    ¡°Mine¡± he says back and my heart skips a beat. Now both of us are bonded together, forever.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    Chapter 67


    I¡¯m not going to lie, I¡¯m inplete shock over what¡¯s happened and being able to finally talk is a


    miracle in itself. ording to Dr James, I would have healed eventually but Kai choosing to mark me,


    sped up the process. I got angry, I¡¯ll admit but it¡¯s all worked out in the end. Besides, now I can tell Kai


    how I really feel and I imed him, the same way he imed me. No more trying to protect me out of


    jealousy, no more just taking things lying down. Now I can really begin to stand up for myself. There¡¯s


    going to be a new Winter, I decide. No more trying to please everyone else, or keeping quiet about


    what I want. That old Winter is gone. I¡¯m going to be changing things up for the better.


    R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Kai leads me out of the hospital room, still feeling guilty, and I tug on his hand and force him to look at


    me once we safely reached the grounds outside. I can¡¯t deal with him looking like that. It¡¯s frustrating


    me.


    ¡°Kai¡± I rasp out ¡°stop, look at me.¡± God, please look at me for heaven¡¯s sake.


    He does, but he avoids my eyes and it¡¯s irritating the hell out of me. Is he going to wallow in his guilt


    forever? He needs to get the hell over it, I¡¯ve already forgiven the i***t. Even if he doesn¡¯t really deserve


    it.


    ¡°I forgive you¡± I say hoarsely and he sighs, looking at me and running a hand through his hair. He looks


    frustrated with me.


    ¡°Has it ever ured to you, that sometimes you¡¯re a little too forgiving. A little too kind¡± heins


    ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be much better to torture me for a little by hating me and well, yelling at me when you¡¯re


    able to¡± he finishes dramatically.


    I give a raspy giggle. Somehow I can¡¯t picture myself yelling at the big bad Alpha, like a harpy. It makes


    a funny image though.


    ¡°No¡± I whisper ¡°I want a clean te. You¡¯re taking me out on a date¡± I tell him, poking his chest with my


    finger, a look of determination on my face. This is the least he could do. Take me out somewhere nice,


    let us finally start the transition forward and let go of everything horrible that happened in the past. Let


    us forge our future together.


    OOoohhh a date, How awesome, good idea Winter. Make him take us somewhere nice. He still has to


    agree to it Sabriel.


    He¡¯ll agree, because otherwise I¡¯m going to bite him, in a not so pleasant ce that will make him limp


    for the next few days right between his legs. It will be my pleasure to do it as well.


    That¡¯s sadistic Sabriel and very unkind of you.


    Thave other ideas I could do instead if that helps? But they all involve pain of some description and


    even removing his manhood.


    No, no, no Sabriel, no more. Let¡¯s just let him speak. Fine, but I want to go somewhere there¡¯s steak! I


    want to dance and I want to getid! I¡¯ll let him know about the steak. But that¡¯s a hell no to the getting


    laid. We already talked about this. Prude Hornbag


    ¡°A date¡± murmurs Kai looking throughtful ¡°somewhere nice and I can show you I¡¯m trying to change for


    the better¡± he .. mutters, C*****g his head. He¡¯s clearly trying hard to think of something and my heart is


    swelling with joy. He¡¯s really


    going to do it, he¡¯s actually listening to what I want. I wonder what he¡¯s thinking. What kind of ce he


    might have in mind. Whether it will be a rxed atmosphere or something else. So many choices.


    Whatever he does, will give me some more insight into what kind of person he is as well.


    ¡°I have a great idea¡± he says ¡°but you¡¯re going to need time to be ready and¡± he takes a deep breath ¡°I


    want a few days to prepare. That way your voice might improve to the point we can have full on


    conversations without you struggling or without it hurting you to speak.¡±


    I contemte that. It sounds fair doesn¡¯t it? A few days is nothing, I decide, besides now I¡¯m intrigued


    as to what he is nning on. It gives me something to look forward to. Maybe I can guess where he¡¯s


    taking me? Ooooh, it¡¯s all so fun. I want to squeal but don¡¯t. It might hurt my voice.


    ¡°Agreed¡± I rasp out and he looks pleased, not to mention excited at the prospect of the date. Is this


    something he¡¯d been wanting as well? Men were such obtuse creatures. He could have asked me


    before for heaven¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Fantastic¡± he says with a wicked grin and a wink. I giggle again and let him start tugging me towards


    the pack breeze that makes the leaves on the trees and the branches sway back and forth. The sky is


    so blue, so bright, it lifts my spirits up instantly. The sun is warm as it shines down on me and I can


    hear the sounds of birds chirping in the distance.


    It¡¯s perfect. I almost want to skip with how happy I¡¯m feeling. My heart is singing in joy. I close my eyes


    and let the breeze flow through my hair. Kai looks surprised at my happiness even though he¡¯s the one


    to put it there.


    . Instead I let go of Kai¡¯s hand and he stares at me perplexed. I give him a grin of my own and without


    ceremony, begin to strip off my clothes nonchntly. I¡¯ve been wanting to do this for a long time, it¡¯s


    been far too long since Ist went on a run with Sabriel, and today is a good day for it. The weather is


    beckoning for me to go running.


    We¡¯re going for a run Sabriel


    Oh my god, yes girl. I need to be free, to race through the trees, feel the wind in my glorious fur. Chase


    down wild animals and scare the crap out of them.


    I wonder if Kai will join us?


    He¡¯d be crazy not to, I want to see that spunky wolf of his. He¡¯s beautiful and I want to nuzzle him and


    lick him all over.


    Way too much information Sabriel, way too much.


    I won¡¯t tell you the rest of it then, prude. ¡­I¡¯m not a prude I just don¡¯t believe in oversharing.


    Yeah, you¡¯re a prude. You need some girlfriends to gossip with, even if it¡¯s just for my benefit. I need


    some good gossip to listen to and girly talk. Think about it.


    I¡¯ll try and make some friends for you then.


    For yourself too, no need to be such a loner Winter. Bet theres heaps of friends we can gather. Heck,


    I¡¯ll frigging talk to their wolves if I have to. But you¡¯ll always be my best friend Winter.


    You¡¯re my best friend too Sabriel.


    l begin to shift as Kai watches wide eyed, his jaw dropping open. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s seen a naked woman


    before, in fact ! know it has, so its kind of annoying seeing how shocked he is. I can hear my bones


    cracking and adjusting, until I stand before him in all my glory as a wolf. I frown to myself. I feel like I¡¯m


    slightly bigger again and as I examine my paws, lifting


    one up and then the other, I¡¯m certain that they arerger. I don¡¯t feel like a tiny runt, but I¡¯m still not as


    big as the average wolf. Still, it¡¯s nice to be a bit bigger. At this rate I might grow to a normal sized wolf.


    Sabriel are we bigger? Or am I just imagining things?


    I told you girl. The more confident you get and the more you grow as an individual, the bigger we¡¯ll get.


    Did you not hear me the first time?


    But how big will we get?


    That¡¯s up to you. Continue to believe in yourself and be the confident woman / know you¡¯re


    capable of bing and who knows howrge we¡¯ll grow to. Maybe we¡¯ll even be as big as Kai¡¯s wolf.


    Wouldn¡¯t that be a hoot?


    I doubt that will happen, but it¡¯s nice to imagine it will. Let¡¯s run girl. Wait, let¡¯s see if Kai wants to join


    us. Hell yes, I want to see if he gets naked. Up close and personal I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll appreciate us


    staring at him. You never know. Besides isn¡¯t it apliment to look at him? Just don¡¯t do anything


    embarrassing.


    We sit down on our haunches and regard Kai who looks at me with arge smile on his face. He


    reaches out a hand and I nuzzle into him as he pats my silky fur, his eyes wide and gleaming.


    ¡°I take it you want to go for a run?¡± he asks,ughter in his voice as I give an adament nod. He shrugs.


    ¡°Why not he mutters ¡°its been ages since Storm and I have gone for a run ourselves. The pack can


    wait¡± he adds and right in front of my eyes, he too begins to take off his clothes. He looks entirely


    comfortable doing it too.


    I swear my eyes nearly bug out of my head. He rips his tshirt off and I drool, seeing his taut abdomen


    with a six pack. God, he¡¯s glorious. Sabriel steadily agrees, waving her tail in my head. Horny mutt that


    she is. His pants are next and I pant as he throws them to the side. God, at this rate, I might have a


    heart attack, he¡¯s like a male adonis. Male perfection in human form, there¡¯s no one that couldpare


    to him. No one would evene close. Sabriel¡¯s fairly purring with satisfaction in my mind, openly


    ogling him like he¡¯s a piece of meat. She really has no shame, but then I¡¯m not much


    * When he starts to peel off his underwear though, I get a bit skittish and my heart starts thumping.


    Sabriel is urging me to go closer, but I refuse and look down at the ground, hearing Kai chuckle in the


    background. I only look back up when I hear his bones cracking, the sound loud in the otherwise


    quietness of the outdoors, until arge ck wolf stands where he was moemnts ago.


    He¡¯s beautiful. His fur is dark as night, his pawsrge on the ground. He easily towers over my wolf


    but Sabriel¡¯s not


    silver and gleaming in the sunlight. It¡¯s intimidating, to me at least, while Sabriel prances in the


    background of my mind, impatient to go for a run. We walk closer and nuzzle our head against his fur,


    Storm doing the same to us. God his fur is so silky and smooth. Sabriel purrs.


    Kai mind-links me lead the way, Winter, you choose where we go Hope you can keep up then?


    Oh I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have no problems with that sweetheart, but if it helps Storm is loving the backside on


    you and more than happy to watch it as we run.


    God, sounds like he¡¯s just as much as a horny mutt as Sabriel is.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Chapter 68


    When Winter strips naked in front of me, I¡¯m taken aback at how nonchnt she is. There¡¯s no self


    consciousness at all in her movements and the sight of her beautiful body has my c**k twitching in my


    pants and Storm going absolutely crazy in my mind. I can¡¯t stop myself from staring at her, knowing I


    should look away but my body refuses to co operate, my eyes widening. I can see the scars on her


    body and I so badly want to touch them, trace them with my fingers but I dont want to frighten her or


    cause her to shy away from me either. Those scars are part of her, and if anything, they show just how


    brave she is.


    She shifts and I¡¯m blown away again by her beautiful wolf as she sits on her haunches. I blink in


    disbelief as I stare. It might be my imagination, but I swear her wolf has grown by several inches. It


    looks bigger to me at any rate, but then I could be wrong. Clearly Winter wants to go for a run and I can


    tell she¡¯s waiting for me, her little tail wagging. It¡¯s adorable. Well, if she wants to go for a run with me,


    who am I to stop her? In fact, right now I can¡¯t think of anything better I would like to do. Storm is more


    than game to go for a run, he¡¯s practically dancing in my mind with excitement.;


    Hell yes, it¡¯s been so long man. Look how cute our mate is, she¡¯s tiny, like so small but sooo cute I don¡¯t


    think you should tell her that though Storm, she might take it the wrong way. Can / tell her she¡¯s


    beautiful? That nothing canpare to her beauty? ¡°Yes, I suppose you could. Women like that sort of


    thing, so I imagine a female wolf would love it too.


    Ah, sweet. You know you should take a leaf out of my book. Steady boy. You sound lovesick. That¡¯s


    cause I am Kai, that¡¯s cause I am. Storm, you have so much self confidence, it¡¯s astounding.


    I begin to peel off my clothes and smirk, realising she¡¯s not looking away from me either. I¡¯m not self


    conscious, in fact I take it as apliment that she can¡¯t stop staring at me. I hope she likes what she


    sees. Storm is raring to go for a run with our mate and I¡¯m hard pressed to keep him from taking over


    as we shift to ourrge ck wolf form, easily towering over poor Winter. She¡¯s not afraid though,


    coming over and nuzzling us to Storm¡¯s ecstacy. He¡¯s really pushing hard and reluctantly I mind-link


    Winter, for the first time, since I marked her. It¡¯s rtively easy to my surprise, there¡¯s no resistance at


    all from her, even though this is the first time we have mind-linked each other. ..Winter, Storm really


    wants to take over and run with your wolf if that¡¯s possible. I understand if you say no though. It¡¯s


    entirely your decision and howfortable you are with it.


    That¡¯s okay, Sabriel really wants to run with Storm. I¡¯ve had to warn her no funny business though, you


    might want to say the same to Storm. I¡¯d rather not have sex in wolf form, no matter how horny Sabriel


    is. That¡¯s not a joke by the way.


    Hear that Storm? No funny business or I take back control.


    Fine but if she jumps me, I¡¯m not saying no he grumbles and I sigh. Storm is going to lose control if he


    so much as attempts to do the naughty without Winter¡¯s consent. I suspect the same goes for Sabriel.


    I give Storm control and Winter does the same with Sabriel. It¡¯s always a surreal feeling being in the


    back of my mind like a passenger in a car seat, but it¡¯s cool at the same time. Sabriel takes off at a run


    and Storm trots to keep up with her. Because Sabriel¡¯s still quite small, Storm doesn¡¯t have to fully run


    to stay in stride with her, but he doesn¡¯t care he¡¯s fully enjoying himself. I watch as my big bad Alpha


    wolf, turns to putty in Sabriel¡¯s hands, nuzzling her constantly and licking her neck. Sigh, I¡¯m almost


    embarrassed at my wolf¡¯s public disy of affection. Not that Storm cares. He just


    smirks at me. . They run together, through the trees which pass by in a blur. For fun they track down a


    nearby buck and scare it,


    rather than eating it. ording to Sabriel, Storm tells me, Winter would rather not eat anything raw. I


    agree. I¡¯ve never liked eating animals in wolf form, but when hunting and travelling it was a necessity


    and I understand that. Storm¡¯s a little disgruntled, he loves to eat animals but he respects Winter¡¯s


    wishes, knowing that she might take control otherwise of her wolf and he would lose his time with


    Sabriel.


    The hours pass by as they frolic together, y fighting and enjoying the outdoors but even wolves get


    tired eventually, it must be said. Storm is sad to stop and so is Sabriel but Winter and I are starving by


    now, as well as tired ourselves. We need food to replenish our strength and soon. Not to mention fluids.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    We make it back to our clothes and I shift first, Winter seondster. I finish dressing and turn around to


    see that


    ¡°Hungry?¡± I ask teasinlgy, holding out my arm and feeling a glow inside as she takes it, nodding her


    cute little head firmly.


    ¡°Yes¡± she rasps,ughter in her voice. She seems to have enjoyed herself.


    We make it to the kitchen and I make her sit down, noticing that except for the flush in her cheeks, she


    looks extremely pale.


    ¡°How does omelettes sound with some chicken?¡± I ask and she looks at me in suprise. ¡°You cook?¡± she


    says incredulously. I pretend to be offended. ¡°Of course I cook. Not all of us men are hopeless in the


    kitchen¡± I tell her gruffly.


    ¡°Sounds good¡± she gets out and I grin, whipping up the ingredients in no time. I do make a mean


    omelette if I do say so myself. Although contrary to what I told Winter, it¡¯s one of the few things I¡¯m


    competent at. I¡¯m not so good withplex recipes, but she doesn¡¯t need to know that. This will


    impress her and that¡¯s what I¡¯m after. ¡­ slide the te in front of her, sitting across from her and


    watching with delight as she picks up the fork and takes her first mouthful, moaning in delight. f**k, my


    d**k twitches at the sound and I squirm in my seat, hurriedly beginning to eat in the hopes of distracting


    myself. It doesn¡¯t work and I continue to shift, trying my best to stop myself from hardening.


    ¡­ There¡¯s silence as we eat, but it¡¯s not the awkward type of silence. Rather it¡¯sfortable silence


    and before long, I push my te away, Winter¡¯s still half full and she nces at me sheepishly. I guess


    I gave her too much to eat.


    ¡°I thought you were hungry¡± Iment a little nonplussed and slightly panicked. What if she didn¡¯t like


    it and was just being polite? Maybe I could offer to make her something else? A sandwich, or crackers


    or something?


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to eatingrge portions¡± she admits dryly and my heart stops.


    Of course she¡¯s not, not with all the abuse she told me about. I decide not to make a big deal about it,


    not wanting to make her ufortable. Still the mood is slightly awkward now.


    Igrab the tes and ce them gingerly in the sink, returning with two sodas, one of which I hand to


    her as she looks at me gratefull and begins to sip. Theres an idea ying around in my mind and I dont


    know whether its a great idea or not. Still I can¡¯t stop myself from mentioning it.


    ¡°I know you want to go on a date¡± I say delicately as she nods ¡°and I very much want that too, but


    there¡¯s something else I want to ask you about while I have your full attention. It¡¯s important to me and I


    want to get your opinion.¡±


    She waits patiently, hands on the table as I ponder what to say. Stuff it, I¡¯m just going to tell her.


    ¡°Theres¡¯ an annual meeting every year with us Alpha¡¯s. We take our partner to the summit and there¡¯s


    dancing, talking, just a casual sort of thing. Would you mind attending with me? I can show you off to


    the other Alphas¡± I say, feeling a bit hopeful that she might agree to it.


    She looks pensive, sipping at her soda, while I wait on tenterhooks. Is she going to agree or have I


    moved way too fast for her liking?


    Finally she gives a wide smile. ¡°I would like that¡± she says hoarsely as I reach over and grip her hand, a


    smile on my face. . ¡°When is it?¡± she asks.


    I stop and think. S**t. It¡¯s actually not that far away. Hopefully that won¡¯t matter. I meet her eyes feeling


    sheepish. ¡°It¡¯s in two weeks time¡± I say slowly ¡°which means we need to organise a dress for you


    before you go.¡±


    Winter looks at me and shakes her head. My heart plummets to the ground. Did she not want to go with


    me now? Was it too soon for her liking?


    ¡°No dress¡± she tells me and my heart begins to speed up again ¡°I don¡¯t like them.¡±


    It¡¯s unusual but if she doesn¡¯t want to wear a dress, I¡¯m not going to make her. But I can¡¯t help myself


    from asking ¡°what would you like to wear?¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°A skirt maybe, not sure.¡±


    Fair enough. Why shouldn¡¯t she befortable in her own skin and clothes? I guess we men have it


    easy in that respect. It¡¯s easier for us to get dressed and go. I want her to dress however she likes,


    even if it means sweatshirt and pants. She looks beutiful no matter what she wears.


    ¡°In the meantime, I¡¯ll get started on this date of ours¡± I say with a wicked wink as she giggles ¡°are you


    going to be okay if I go and do some business?¡± I ask. ¡°You could always sit in the study with me¡± I


    add, my eyes lighting up.


    ¡°Can Ie with you?¡± she asks uncertainly. ¡°Oh you bet you can¡± I growl, picking her up and carrying


    her down the hallway. I ce her on the couch in the corner , tossing and turning slightly as I walk


    over. Do I wake her? Or let her sleep? She looks so innocent and child like, I can¡¯t help but reach over


    and touch her face, her pale lips partially open and her soft snores filling the room. It¡¯s so endearing.


    Quietly, I gather her up and begin the long trek upstairs, careful not to wake her. Date night was going


    to be the best damn date Winter had ever been on, I determined, looking down at my beautiful mate. It


    was time I started making everything up to her and showed her just what a great mate I could be and


    show her my adoration at the same time. Make up for all the crappy thing¡¯s I¡¯ve done to her.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Chapter 69


    Kai¡¯s been a little on edge thest two days and I¡¯m wondering about that, but he¡¯s also been secretive


    and avoiding me, which I¡¯m hoping is for a very good reason. I walk out of the bathroom, thoughts


    whirling around in my head and stop


    short. There, lying spread out on the bed, is an outfit, one that astonishes me as I walk over and pick


    up the skirt and shirt, a smile on my face. He had to have chosen this out himself and that pleases me


    more than anything. Is this for our date? Are we finally going on one? I¡¯ve been waiting with anticipation


    for it¡­ 7


    He¡¯s listened to me when ites to dresses then I think relieved. The skirt is gorgeous, a ck


    leather one that flows out from the hips and stops just above the knees. There¡¯s a white in camisole


    to go with it but the jacket he¡¯s provided stops me in my tracks. It¡¯s leather, the same ck as the skirt,


    but short, ending at my hips. It¡¯s one of the most beautiful jackets I¡¯ve ever seen and I admire it greatly,


    holding it up against my body, even twirling around in front of the mirror. It¡¯s so beautiful but more


    importantly I feel beautiful imagining myself in it. I can¡¯t wait to try these clothes on, I think awed.


    There¡¯s a piece of paper on the floor and I scoop it up, knowing it must be from Kai. It must be a


    message of some sort.


    It simply reads ¡°Date night tonight, get dressed and wait for me toe get you.¡±


    Short but sweet I think, eagerly getting dressed and admiring myself in the mirror. Since I¡¯ve arrived at


    Kai¡¯s pack, I¡¯ve gained some weight and filled out my curves. My skin has started to tan, a golden


    honey colour that brings colour to


    my face. As I stare at my reflection in the mirror, I see a pretty girl instead of the one I used to


    know. Its¡¯ so astonishing how much I¡¯ve changed, but it¡¯s been for the better. I¡¯m growing as a


    person and bing more like who I want to be, instead of the old Winter who was beaten and


    tortured. I never want to be the old Winter, ever again.


    You look smashing Winter. My god that man has good taste in clothes hasn¡¯t he? Isn¡¯t it beautiful


    Sabriel? / wonder what he has in mind for tonight? I wonder where we are going?


    Something tells me it¡¯s going to involve dancing, or at least I hope so. We can get our jiggy on, dance


    with him. Have loads of fun.


    You¡¯re weird but I love you anyway Sabriel. Love you too Winter, but in a different way to Kai. I love him


    too. I think I might love him as well Sabriel. I think I do.


    The door slowly creaks open and I whirl around, my eyes meeting Kai¡¯s as he steps into the bedroom,


    a smile on his handsome face, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He holds them out to me as I gasp


    and I eagerly ept them, sniffing their fragrances while my heart thuds loudly in my chest. He¡¯s taken


    the trouble to bring me flowers. I¡¯m already melting and we haven¡¯t even made it out of the bedroom


    yet. Sabriel is purring in my mind. She adores the flowers as well. Purple


    roses, one of my favourite flowers. How had he known? I think I only mentioned it the once and it was


    in passing.


    I can¡¯t help staring at Kai. He¡¯s taken a special effort to dress himself in a suit today, ck trousers and


    white shirt with a suit jacket, but it makes him look even more masculine and handsome. His scars


    stand out, but truth be told I


    barely even notice them anymore. I hope he doesn¡¯t get self conscious while we are out. I want


    him to feelfortable and have a good time as well. God, he¡¯s so damn gorgeous and it¡¯s like he


    doesn¡¯t even know it.


    He gives me a smile. ¡°You look beautiful¡± he tells me huskily as I glow at thepliment.


    ¡°Thankyou for the outfit and the flowers¡± I say quietly, My voice has slowly gotten better over thest


    few days and although it¡¯s still quite hoarse, I can speak a lot easier. It doesn¡¯t hurt as much to either.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Are you ready to leave?¡± he asks and I look at him, wriggling my eyebrows and


    making himugh.


    ¡°Maybe, do you want to tell me where we are going?¡± I ask and he shakes his head slowly, a small


    smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise¡± he says firmly, taking hold of my hand and I reluctantly ce the flowers on the bed, on


    the way out of the bedroom. Hopefully they dont¡¯ die while we are gone.


    He leads me down to the garage and opens the door to the nearby mercedes, helping me inside like a


    true gentleman. I¡¯m speechless. This is a side of Kai I¡¯ve never seen before, but man do I really like it.


    He shuts the door and makes his way over to the driver¡¯s side, getting in smoothly and turning the


    engine on.


    Ilean back against the chair and rx, enjoying the peaceful drive and the scenery as we go past. But


    soon enough, we¡¯re pulling into the city and I give Kai a questioning look. I¡¯m not used to the nightlife


    but he takes hold of my hand and squeezes it.


    ¡°I know you just turned eighteen a few months ago¡± he tells me quietly as I nod, surprised he


    remembers ¡°and it ured to me there¡¯s a lot of things you¡¯ve not had the opportunity to do yet. So I


    thought we would go to a club I know, it¡¯s the best in the city¡± he boasts and Iugh, feeling incredibly


    nervous. I¡¯ve never been clubbing but I know plenty of people in school had. It just seems to be so


    crowded.


    I feel a slight sense of panic. I don¡¯t know how to dance, what if I embarrass him? Or what if other


    women try to take him away from me? Sabriel gets annoyed at that thought and i hastily cool her down.


    He seems to be reading my thoughts.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth¡± he says quietly, still driving, face gathered in concentration ¡°I am not much of a


    dancer either. We can look awkward together¡± he chuckles.


    That makes me giggle. This could be fun. In fact the more I think about it, the happier l be. I might


    not be of legal age to drink, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t have a good time and I hadn¡¯t expected Kai to


    think of something like this for our first date. He was really putting in the effort. Especially since I can¡¯t


    see him actually liking big crowds like this.


    He pulls into a carpark as I stare at the building in awe. It hasrge neon lights pronouncing the name


    ¡°Club 666¡± and there¡¯s a huge line of people waiting to get through the door. It¡¯s going to take forever


    before we can get inside, I. think to myself a little deted. Kai opens the door and takes my hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go have some fun¡± he says and I¡¯smile, taking his arm and letting him shut the door. Oh well, it


    will be worth the wait.


    I fully expect us to both go join the back of the line but instead, Kai makes a beeline towards the


    bouncer, a small smile on his face, even as I¡¯m hesitant. What is he doing? We can¡¯t just jump the line


    like that? Already the crowd is muttering and I can hear angry voices which makes me cringe, even as


    Kai drags me to the front of the line where the bouncer is waiting.


    ¡°Leo¡± he says startling me as he greets the bouncer. The bouncer is arge man, clearly a shifter,


    muscled arms folded across his bulky chest, his head shaved and sunsses on his eyes. He¡¯s not


    fooling around when ites to security. He looks like he takes his job very seriously.


    ¡°Alpha Kai¡± the bouncer greets him with a smile as I look back and forth between them. They seem to


    know each other, but I hadn¡¯t thought that Kai would be the regr clubbing type, so what was going


    on? Were they old friends from school or something?


    ¡°This is my date Winter¡± Kai introduces me and the bouncer shakes my hand, gently for someone with


    suchrge hands. He seems to be a nice person, even if he does look a bit scary.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Winter¡± Leo says. ¡°Nice to meet you¡± I stammer back, looking helplessly at


    Kai.


    He takes pity on me. ¡°Leo is it cool if we go inside now? I want to get Winter out of the cold. It¡¯s freezing


    out here.¡±


    Leo gives him a wink. ¡°Course you can¡± he says with a chuckle and shake of his head ¡°I¡¯m not about to


    tell the owner he can¡¯t get into his own club. I don¡¯t have a death wish¡± he jokes, undoing the rope and


    allowing kai to drag me inside. Well not drag, maybe gently tug me inside.


    I¡¯m in shock. I can¡¯t believe that Kai owns a club. It¡¯s freaking cool. As we step inside the interior of the


    building, my eyes widen and my jaw drops open. It¡¯s beautiful. It has the sense of luxury, with booths all


    around the dance floor and tables, waitresses serving guests quickly. The dance floor is bright and the


    music is loud, people dancing everywhere, their hands on each other, several others making out. The


    atmosphere is bouncing and it¡¯s clear this is a popr club. It¡¯s totally wild and utterly cool. It¡¯s also


    making me feelpletely out of my depth.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you own this¡± I say slowly and he grins and gives me a wink.


    ¡°There¡¯s lots of things you don¡¯t know about me¡± Kai says as he steers me towards a table and sits me


    down. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m an enigma¡± he jokes and I giggle. He certainly is.But one that I was slowly getting


    to know..This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    look around wide eyed, trying to take it all in. I;ve never been clubbing before and this is so exciting. My


    foot is tapping to the music as a waitress approaches. I frown when she bends over to speak to Kai,


    showing off her impressive cleavage and deliberately ignoring me. I feel snubbed. I also feel incredibly


    angry while I struggle to keep my cool. Not that the b***h notices or anything.


    Sabriel is ready to lunge across the table and send the waitress flying. Kai to his credit doesn¡¯t even


    look at the waitress but instead turns to me.


    ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± he asks politely as the waitress begins to look disgruntled, sneering at


    me. ¡°I¡¯ll have a root beer please¡± I say and he nods.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a coke¡± he tells her and she walks off looking annoyed. Take that, I think to myself


    triumphantly. Kai hadn¡¯t even spared her a second nce.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to drink?¡± I ask uncertainly. He shrugs. ¡°If you can¡¯t drink, then neither will I.¡±


    Then he sits back against the chair and observes me with those dark eyes of his, narrowing them as a


    small smile appears on his face.


    ¡°Tell me Winter¡± he drawls as my heart skips a beat ¡°what would you like to do now?¡±

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Chapter 70


    Kai POV


    The club is loud and there¡¯s couples gyrating on the dance floor everywhere, I might own the club but


    this really isn¡¯t my scene, not that I¡¯m about to tell Winter that. Not when she¡¯s looking all over the ce


    with awe, arge smile on that beautiful face of hers. She looks like she¡¯s glowing in excitement and


    I¡¯m further surprised when she just orders a root beer to drink and sips at it, her face alight as she


    listens to the music, her foot tapping in time to the rhythm. She looks like any other normal teenage girl


    out clubbing,


    For awhile we sip our drinks, content to listen and be quiet, asionally asking each other questions


    but I can see Winter is longingly looking at the dance floor. The outfit I chose for her suits her down to


    the ground and she even added leggings to it. She looks stunning, an absolute goddess and easily the


    most beautiful woman in the room. I¡¯m lucky to have her here with me, that¡¯s for sure. Especially given


    the envious looks from several other males who spot her. I smirk. She¡¯s all mine, fes. Come near her


    and I¡¯ll murder you without a qualm.


    I quietly ce my drink down and turn to her with a small smile. ¡°Would you like to dance¡± I offer and


    her eyes light up immediately as she stands up and almost drags me to the dance floor. I guess that¡¯s a


    yes, then.


    We go to the edge of the dance floor. I prefer not to be in the centre with all the gyrating bodies


    everywhere. Good lord, some of these girls are wearing almost nothing. Aren¡¯t they freezing?


    I¡¯m a little out of my element. I¡¯m not much of a dancer and I¡¯m also incredibly aware of my scars. I can


    see a few women pointing them out to each other and whispering and my face burns in


    embarrassment. But I was determined to make sure that Winter had a good time and that¡¯s what I was


    going to do. So I put aside all my inhibitions and began to groove to the music, Winterughing at my


    pathetic attempt to dance to young person¡¯s music as I like to think of it. But at least she¡¯s having fun


    and that¡¯s what matters the most to me. I want her to be out here enjoying herself.


    She¡¯s having a wonderful time, even cosying up to me andughing as I twirl her around. But it¡¯s not


    long until I get hot from all the moving around in the crowd and judging by the flush on her cheeks she


    feels the same. We both need to cool down.


    ¡°Another drink?¡± I suggest and she nods gratefully, using her hand to fan her face as I lead her back


    towards one of the booths.


    ¡°Root beer?¡± I check and she gives a small nod. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back¡± I tell her with a smile. I go and join


    the crowd waiting to be served.


    We could wait for a waitress but it¡¯s gotten crowded now and they appear to be run off their feet. It will


    be much quicker to go to the bar and fetch them. I make a mental note to hire more waitresses as I


    make my way over and give the bartender a small smile.


    ¡°Root beer and coke please¡± I tell him and he nods, serving the drinks up quickly. The bartender is


    efficient, I¡¯ll give him that. Doesn¡¯t try to engage in small talk, like a lot of them do. He¡¯s also not trying


    to hit on any of the women which I like. Means he takes his job seriously.


    He ces the drinks in front of me and I take one in each hand, slowly maneouvring my way through


    the crowd to . make it back to Winter. I frown. There¡¯s a guy standing in front of Winter, looking down on


    her, swaying slightly on his arly inebriated. I hesitate. Storm wants to go over there and m the guy¡¯s


    face into the table, but part of me is hesitant. I don¡¯t want to y the hero if she¡¯s capable of sending


    him away herself. Besides she might not wee my interference. I slowly walk towards the table,


    able to catch some of the conversation with my sensitive hearing.


    ¡°How are you doing, baby doll¡± creep a zoids voice. He¡¯s definitely drunk and slurring his words.


    Asshole.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your babydoll¡± Winter¡¯s voice, she sounds extremely annoyed and angry, staring up at the man


    who¡¯s overtowering her.


    ¡°You don''t¡¯ have to be like that¡± creeps voice. Determined fucker, I¡¯ll give him that.


    ¡°I¡¯m here with someone so I¡¯d appreciate it if you would leave.¡± Winter¡¯s voice. She¡¯s standing up for


    herself. Good for her.


    Iglow at that Still I move closer in case she needs me. My whole body is tense. I¡¯m prepared to step in


    at any moment and deal with this creep the way he deserves to be treated.


    ¡°You mean that man with those ugly scars¡± creep¡¯s voice sneers and I see Winter stiffen. She looks


    pissed off. Somehow I¡¯m not surprised that my scars get dragged into this but Winter¡¯s reaction


    surprises me the most.


    ¡°They are not ugly¡± Winter¡¯s voice. ¡°Please leave.¡± She¡¯s starting to sound a bit angry now and I wonder


    whether !


    going down. I begin to move. Something¡¯s wrong, He has something in his pocket, that¡¯s gleaming in


    the light. How the hell did he get it past security? Son of a b***h.


    ¡°Listen you little b***h. Do as I say or I¡¯ll knife you right here and now¡­¡± he begins and that¡¯s it, I drop


    the drinks and storm towards them both, my eyes turning pitch ck in my anger. How dare he, I think


    furiously, but then I¡¯m stopped in my tracks. Winter¡¯s handling it.


    ¡°I asked you more than once to leave me alone¡± Winter says icily ¡°and you still continued to bother me..


    I¡¯m not going anywhere with you, you son of a b***h¡± she hisses and pulls her arm free. In one smooth


    mooth as I watch in disbelief, she reaches over, grasps his head and ms it into the table as he gives


    a shocked cry, blood pouring from no doubt what is now a broken nose.I¡¯m speechless and in awe. She


    freaking mmed his head into the table, and the man more than deserved it. Way to go Winter!


    I see him starting to get back up ande over, gripping hold of the man¡¯s arm as security


    approaches. They should have been a bit quicker, I think to myself, slightly annoyed at them. Did they


    not see what was happening over here?


    ¡°He was pawing thedy, get his ass outta here¡± I tell them ¡°make sure he leaves and never returns.


    Oh and he has a knife on him¡± | growl, watching as they begin to pat him down. ¨C They give a nod and I


    turn to Winter who is pale and shaky, but still looking absolutely furious. She looks absolutely adorable.


    I keep that thought to myself though. I don¡¯t want to make her even angrier. I just hope she doesn¡¯t


    want to go home yet and call the date over.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I ask softly, grabbing hold of her arm, where he¡¯d taken hold and softly rubbing it as


    she looks at me, a troubled look on her face.


    She gives me a small nod. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t leave me alone, I had to do it¡± she tells me worriedly, biting her


    lip ¡°am I in trouble?¡±


    Iugh, my shoulders shaking in amusement. Why on earth would she be in trouble when all she¡¯d


    done was defend herself against a creep who was manhandling her? If anything she¡¯d done the club a


    favour in getting rid of a predator, She should be proud of herself.


    ¡°No, I saw the whole thing¡± I mutter ¡°you did well, I¡¯m actually really proud of you Winter for standing up


    for yourself like that. It was amazing.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she says in a small voice ¡°I haven¡¯t wrecked the date?¡± she asks timidly.


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Is that what she¡¯s worried about? I feel a warm glow inside of me. She hasn¡¯t ruined anything. There¡¯s


    no way I would say this date was ruined. Not when it¡¯s only just begun. Poor thing.


    ¡°Of course not¡± I say with a grin ¡°do you want to leave or do you want to go and dance some more?¡± I


    really hope she wants to dance again, I¡¯m desperate to have her in my arms again.


    She c***s her head and gives me the tinest smile ¡°I would like to dance¡± she breathes and I lead her to


    the dance floor, twirling her around and ignoring the mutters and looks. All i can think about is Winter


    and how she had defended my scars to the creep who¡¯d approached her. She didn¡¯t have to but she¡¯d


    done it anyway, not aware that I could hear. My


    heart skips a beat. I¡¯ve fallen in love with this girl,pletely and utterly but I had yet to say the words,


    at least in an official matter. Would she ept my feelings or would she think I was moving too fast. I


    decide to wait, closing my eyes and resting my head on hers as we slowly move in time to the music,


    grateful just to hold her in my arms and breath in her delicious scent. This has been the best night of


    my life and it¡¯s all because I got to spend it with my mate. I¡¯ll never forget this date for as long as I live. I


    hope its the same for Winter. But I¡¯ll never know unless she tells me. At least I know it¡¯s the first date


    she¡¯s ever been on. Surely that would make it special, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Later, I¡¯m driving and keeping a wary look on my sleepy mate. She stares out the window, watching the


    scenery, her eyes barely staying open as I force back my grin. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to be awake


    when we make it back to the pack house. Not that I mind. It means I get to hold her again when I put


    her to bed. But, I say sternly to my wolf who¡¯s prancing around in my head, it would only be putting her


    to bed, not the other thing. Storm whines but epts it. The poor girl¡¯s almostatose, that¡¯s how


    tired she is.


    ¡°Kai¡± she mutters, slurring her words from how tired she is ¡°can we go back again and dance together?¡±


    Of course we can. We can do whatever her little heart desires, if it means I get to hold her in my arms


    again or kiss her. Man, I¡¯m bing clingy, aren¡¯t I? Yet I can¡¯t seem to help myself, not when ites


    to her at any rate.


    ¡°Anytime you want, so long as there¡¯s nothing else going on¡± I promise thickly. She¡¯s already nning


    on going out with me again. I give a cheesy grin. The next date will be even better, I promise myself.


    She puts her head on her shoulder and her soft snores begin to fill the silence in the car as I smile,


    carefully driving slowly, wanting to prolong this date for as long as I possibly can. I can¡¯t help wanting to


    be this selfish. It¡¯s the most

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    Chapter 71


    Winter POV


    The summit is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen before. It¡¯s unreal, the amount of Alpha and Luna¡¯s that


    are present and


    women here are wearing such tight dresses that it¡¯s a miracle in itself that they are able to walk, not to


    mention their shoes! I feel sorry for them. It can¡¯t be much fun being barely able to move. Plus, Kai has


    already told me I¡¯m beautiful, so he doesn¡¯t seem to think I¡¯m underdressed.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kai asks me and I try to give him a smile, albeit a bit of a shaky one. This is nothing


    I¡¯d anticipated ever going to but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to spoil it for him. After all he¡¯s really trying,


    being the perfect gentleman and I was appreciative of all his efforts. He¡¯s trying to make sure I¡¯m


    comfortable, even with thisrge crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡± I say quietly, the rasp almostpletely gone from my voice now ¡°just overwhelmed¡± I


    admit, after all it¡¯s not a lie, I am extremely overwhelmed and ufortable in such arge crowd.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here with you sweetheart¡± he tells me and I feel the hand of his on my back as we slowly walk


    into the room, Kai making a beeline for another man, making sure I¡¯m by his side the entire time.


    ¡°Alpha Terrence¡± he exims and the man turns, one of the few present without a Luna by his side. He


    lights up the second he sees kai and its clear to see that they not only know each other, but that they


    know each other well.


    Teye the man curiously. He¡¯srge and well built but he¡¯s nothingpared to Kai who seems much


    bigger and more muscly inparison. Still he¡¯s a handsome man with dark brown hair and a


    sheepish looking smile on his face, his green eyes twinkling as he greets Kai back. He seems nice. I


    like the look of him.


    ¡°Terrence this is Winter, my mate¡± Kai tells him with a smile, pushing me slightly forward as I shoot


    daggers at him. I¡¯m feeling shy.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Alpha Terrence¡± I manage to croak out and the other Alpha smiles and


    shakes my hand eagerly.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day you actually epted a mate, you old dog¡±ughed Terrence ¡°I


    approve though, Winter, you¡¯re a very beautiful woman¡± hepliments me and I nearly glow at his


    compliments, while Kai looks slightly disgruntled. Ha, serves him right for putting me on the spot like


    that.


    ¡°How do you two know each other?¡± I ask in curiosity.


    ¡°Terrence went to school with me¡± Kai exins ¡°we were friends and have tried to keep up with each


    other since. We don¡¯t catch up as much as we¡¯d both like to though. Being Alpha¡¯s of our packs, keep


    us both busy regretfully.¡±


    This was news to me, but wee. At least I now know that Kai does have friends and isn¡¯t as much


    the loner as | initially thought he was. Plus this friend was lovely and definitely not female, which made


    me feel even better. For some reason, I had thought there would be loads of women hitting on him, and


    even now I¡¯m keeping a wary eye out. God, I¡¯m a jealous little thing, I think to myself, cool it down


    Winter, Kai¡¯s marked you remember. But I can¡¯t helpparing myself to some of the women here and


    finding myselfcking in some way. I really need to work on my confidence, Sabriel¡¯s


    already scolding me inside my head. I need to be more like her, I think with a chuckle. Nothing gets


    Sabriel down. She¡¯s got killer confidence in spades.


    Then the music starts and Terrence gives me a nce while Kai stiffens. I know my mate¡¯s not much of


    a dancer, but I¡¯m itching tod dance to the slow music. It¡¯s easy to dance to.


    ¡°May I have this dance?¡± Terrence asks me and Kai gives me a small nod, letting me know it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°I would love to¡± I answer and he sweeps me onto the dance floor, holding me close, his hand on my


    waist and the other one holding my hand. We begin to sway to the music.


    ¡°He looks different¡± Terrancements as we move around the dance floor, a gleam in his eyes. He


    sounds pleased.


    I frown, perplexed. What did he mean by that?


    ¡°He seems to be smiling more, more rxed¡± he rifies ¡°at school he was always so angry, so mad


    and when that girl rejected him¡± he trailed off and I didn¡¯t need him to finish the sentence to know that¡¯s


    when Kai changed for good, believing he was unworthy of being loved. I felt a pang for the boy I never


    got to know. But at least I get to know the man, Tremind myself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made him into a happier man, Winter, you¡¯re a miracle worker¡± he tells me with a smile but I¡¯m


    in disbelief. Had I really managed to change Kai that much, that even his friends could see the


    difference? Because to me, he was just


    ¡°May I cut in¡± Kai asks but his tone brooks no arguments and Terrence chortles as he reluctantly lets go


    of me. ¡°You may¡± Terrence says resigned ¡°but only because you¡¯ll rip my head off if I say no.


    I giggle as Kai grins and takes hold of my hand, swaying back and forth to the music. Just being in my


    mates embrace made me feel so loved and cherished, although it was hard to ignore the pointing and


    muttering amongst the crowds, especially from the women. I can tell Kai is getting self conscious and


    rise to my tiptoes and give him a peck on the cheek.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°They¡¯re just jealous I¡¯m with the most handsome man in the room tonight¡± I dere hotly and his eyes


    sparkle down at me with good humour.


    ¡°You are, are you¡± he growls and I nod my head emphatically, my eyes smiling up into his. He twirls me


    around as I give a small shriek. Heughs and I adore the sound of it. He¡¯s having such a great time,


    and if I¡¯m honest with myself, I am too.


    The music stops and I look over at the refreshments. ¡°How about I fetch us some drinks¡± Kai offers,


    pointing to a table, where I¡¯m relieved to see, Terrence is sitting and chatting to another person. ¡°That¡¯s


    our table¡± he tells me and I nod, slowly walking towards it while Kai heads in the opposite direction.


    Terrance is giving me a weing smile. I grin. Looks like I get to know Kai¡¯s friend a little better.


    Someone stumbles into me, and almost causes me to fall as I turn around in annoyance. A well built


    man, dressed in a suit and with his hair slicked back like some sort of mafia man, res down at me


    before his expression changes to one that instantly chills my blood and causes me to stiffen. I¡¯ve seen


    that look before and I hate it.


    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a pretty little thing¡± he drawls and I feel bile rise up my throat as I smell the scent of


    alcohol on his breath. His words are slurred and he¡¯s weaving slightly. Great, thest thing I need is a


    drunken Alpha to contend with. What is it with these asshole men thinking they¡¯re gods gifts to us


    women? Why can¡¯t they just get a goddamn clue. Besides, can¡¯t he tell I¡¯m here with someone?


    Wanker.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to my room and have some fun¡± he slurrs and I shake my head, even as his eyes turn


    pitch ck.


    ¡°No, thankyou¡± I say firmly and turn back around to go to the table when his hand grips hold of my


    shoulder so hard that tearse to my eyes. Can he not see that I¡¯m marked and imed? Or is he so


    arrogant that he doesn¡¯t care? The crowd is watching closely now and I can see two mening


    towards me, presumably to help me but I¡¯m not waiting around. I¡¯m sick of people thinking they can


    have whatever they want by using force. I don¡¯t care that he¡¯s an Alpha or that he has authority. In fact,


    I¡¯m so angry that my whole body is shaking now as I turn and face him again. I¡¯m ready to rip his head


    off, with my bare hands.


    ¡°Let go of me¡± I say between gritted teeth and his smile grows wider. God, he really is an i***t.


    ¡°Come with me¡± he repeats and that¡¯s it. I raise my hand and p him across the face, the sound loud


    and sickening as the crowd falls silent. Even the Alpha looks shocked for a moment as he finally let¡¯s


    go and clutches his cheek. I guess he¡¯s not used to being refused, something else that makes me feel


    sick to my stomach.


    ¡°You little b***h¡± he hisses dropping his hand and advancing. I stare right at him, not intimidated at all,


    not even when he raises his own hand to strike me, the other two men trying to get to me frantically


    before he can strike me.


    ¡°She told you to let go¡± a voice growls from behind me and my heart skips a beat. He came to my side


    and the Alpha ¨C lets his hand fall down.


    ¡°b***h pped me¡± the Alpha said loudly, looking around the room ¡°we all know that means she has to


    be punished.¡±


    I open my mouth to protest, and Terrencees up beside Kai.


    ¡°You tried to force someone who¡¯s mated to go to your room, if anything you¡¯re the one that¡¯s going to


    be punished¡± Terrence said thickly, on the other side of me. ¡°That p was well deserved¡± another man


    chimed in and the crowd began to agree. Thank god they seem to be on my side. Not that Kai, would


    ever let something happen to me.


    The two men from before, gripped hold of the man¡¯s arms and dragged him away, cursing and kicking,


    furious that he was being thrown out of the summit. I watch him go and give him the finger just for


    added emphasis as Terrence chokes behind me and Kai ps me on the back in pride.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl¡± he deres approvingly as the crowd begins to talk and chatter amongst themselves.


    ¡°So strong and so brave¡± hepliments me as I blush.


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a girl, you have there Kai. Make sure you don¡¯t lose her¡± Terrance says sounding


    envious as he walks back to the table.


    Kai leans down and gives me a kiss that has my body trembling and feeling likeplete putty in his


    hands. ¡°Don¡¯t he tells me with a wink and I rx, grateful that he doesn¡¯t want to leave just yet. I still


    want to dance and there¡¯s plenty of people to meet. Not only that but both of us are staying in a hotel


    room and I wasn¡¯t quite sure where the night might lead to. But I knew, that there was a decision I was


    going to have to make and it was going to involveplete trust in Kai. The question was, would Kai


    show me that trust or would I be disappointed in him and myself again?


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