"No! There's no way on earth that pathetic ugly slave of a mutt is my mate!" His voice sliced the air, freezing me in my tracks and capturing everyone's attention.

After being rejected by her mate and kicked out of her pack, Hannah finds herself in a new world. She discovers her true roots and identity, but this new discovery comes at a price. Will it soothe her inner desires or open a new door of heartbreak and revenge?

Hannah's life is then turned upside down when she is threatened by the same people who rejected her. Her journey takes an unexpected turn when past and present collide and the lines between forgiveness and revenge blur.

1. Hannah's Blood

: Hannah's Blood

Hannah

My head slammed into the wall, the tray of glassware clattering to the floor and shattering. The ringing in my ears drowned out everything else as my vision blurred.

Who? My mind struggled to focus, but nothing made sense.

"Hello, mutt," he whispered into my ear as he grabbed me by the throat and smacked me against the wall. The air was knocked out of my lungs.

I knew from the voices who my attackers were this time: Kyle and Kaleb, my stepbrothers—or what they wouldn’t like me to call them, as they never saw me as family, let alone a sister.

I was losing air slowly before he finally let me go. I dropped to the floor, taking in a huge gulp of air, heaving breathlessly and not caring about my arms, pierced by the shattered glass earlier.

I tried to crawl my way out of the scene, even though from past encounters, it only got me into more trouble. But I couldn't always just stand and wait for death.

"Now, where do you think you are going, you little bitch?" Kaleb, who had been at the back for a while, came up this time. He grabbed a handful of my hair and pushed my head further into the ground, which was littered with broken glass.

Tiny pieces of shards found their way into my skin. I couldn't help but scream out as they continued to embed in my skin while they both laughed in delight at my misery.

I screamed, hoping the others would hear, but none of the pack seemed to care about me. I wondered why I bothered in the first place.

Kaleb let go of my hair and took a step back. I groaned and tried to hoist myself up, wincing with every movement I made, as tears streamed down my face.

I tried my best to prevent the muffled sounds from my throat from being heard but failed.

"You know what?" Kyle asked mischievously as he turned to his brother. "How about we take her for a little training, hmm?" He turned towards me and asked, "How does that sound? Since you're so free to wander around?"

Kaleb hummed in agreement. "You know, that's a great idea," he chuckled.

I knew I couldn't avoid anything this time, just like all the other times. I was already shaken to my bones at what torture they had in store as Kyle grabbed my hair once more and began to pull me toward the training grounds.

It felt as though my hairs were being pulled out of their scalp as I tried to soften it by trying to crawl and catch up with them.

I tried to plead and beg, even though I had done nothing wrong, but it all fell on deaf ears. The more I begged, the more he tugged at my hair, and I reined in as quietly as I could and followed until we were at the grounds.

He tossed me forward, and I fell to the ground. I scrambled to my knees, my head bent low, my body trembling with fear.

"What training can we give you today?" Kyle thought out loud. I scanned around, observing the faces with their gazes filled with mockery and ridicule but none of the pity—nor did I expect any from them.

They all witnessed something of the sort but never offered to help. At first, I asked why, but when I never got an answer and only got beaten up for asking, I resigned to my fate.

"How about a race with the dogs again? That should be fun," Kaleb suggested, a grin spreading across their faces.

"That's a wonderful idea, Kaleb," he praised his younger brother and ordered the dogs to be brought out and my heart stood still.

They were sons of one of the pack's most formidable warriors, who commanded authority even when the alpha was absent.

While one of the lesser warriors went over to bring out the dogs, I trembled in fear as I remembered what happened last time when they did something like this.

I was only eight when I was on my way home from the pack house; all of a sudden, I heard dogs coming my way. I ran all night. I had no idea how I got home before the dogs could catch me, but I did.

The next morning, I found out that they had released the dogs in the night. I had almost lost my life.

When I saw the dogs approaching, I tried to beg once more as I crawled to their feet, my body still aching from the pain from earlier. Tears began to run down my face once more.

Kaleb kicked at me with his legs. "Come on, Hannah, don't be like that. We are only trying to toughen you up," he said with a fake smile. "Now, before they reach here…" hee pointed towards the dogs already making their way over, "I'll give you a head start." With a cunning smile on both their faces.

I didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence as I picked myself up from the grass and sprinted as fast as my fatigued, bleeding body could carry me, which was not very fast, as I fell a few times before reaching the forest line.

Turning backward, I could see the chains holding the dogs down as they barked and jumped, itching for a chance to tear at me. I could also see the faces of others as they laughed at my predicament.

I was already far away when I heard the barks from behind me, screaming at the top of my lungs for anyone to help me as the tears flowed down profusely, the salty taste lingering on my lips.

Twists and turns through thick trees high above and bushes with thorns that raked through my skin as I pushed them aside.

My head whipped back countless times to check the distance between me and the dogs. Their snarls and barks could still be heard, but they were not in sight yet.

I made my way through the dense forest with no sense of direction until, finally, I stumbled upon a dead end. I was rattled as I held myself back from falling over the cliff that dropped sharply before me.

Spinning on my heels to find a different route out, I saw that the dogs had finally caught up with me, their speed couldn't be compared with a weak human like me, they were much faster.

I glanced back at the height of the cliff and knew jumping was not an option—I’d only be falling to my death. I looked back at the black dogs, which snarled as they slowly advanced toward me.

It was stupid, but I tried begging the dogs when they attacked. I screamed as I covered my face, bent over, waiting for my death when a roar sounded out and then, nothing.

I peeked through blurry eyes from behind my fingers after a few seconds and saw the dogs seated on their hind legs a few steps away, their ears flattened.

Slowly, I rose, taking a quick scan around, and finally understood what had happened.

"Alpha Bryan," I greeted and bowed, despite the pain and the shaky state of my body. Although he wasn't the alpha yet, I couldn’t offend him, or I’d only be courting death.

He acknowledged my greeting with a nod, a look of disgust etched on his face as he scrutinized my appearance from head to toe.

I was a mess; I knew it myself. From dried blood to torn clothes. My short hair, which only reached my neck, was probably scattered. I couldn't blame him for his expression.

"C'mon," he whistled for the dogs, who quickly obeyed, rushing toward him as they began to walk back toward the pack house.

"You too," he threw back, not even glancing in my direction.

I quickly wiped my tear-stained face and tiptoed behind him, keeping a safe distance from the dogs but also close enough not to lose Bryan.

My mind was foggy and fearful as we made our way back to the pack. "Why was he out in the woods all alone?" I thought to myself but then thanked the Moon Goddess that he was. If it weren’t for him, I would have died; this thought scared me.

We reached the pack after a long while. The guys were still on the training grounds, but it looked like they were taking a break or something.

When they sighted the Alpha, they all rushed to get back to training.

"Bryan, welcome back! How was your run?" Kaleb asked as he and Kyle jogged over, sparing a glance at me as they waited for Bryan’s response.

They could speak to him like this because they were all in a friend group. But that didn’t mean he had to respond politely.

"Get these dogs back in their cage," he ordered, ignoring their question. "You— get inside!" Turning halfway towards me, I could only view his side profile. He marched inside, ignoring everyone else.

I followed immediately, not wanting to see my stepbrothers' faces, knowing they’d be angry to see I wasn’t dead yet.

I stepped inside, and with all the pain in my body, hurried to clean the mess from earlier, knowing it would only cause more trouble if I left them undone.

After I was done, slowly and painfully, I made my way home, avoiding everyone. I was pretty sure they wouldn’t seek me anytime soon, either.

When I got home, distant chatter drifted from the kitchen. I knew Kyle and Kaleb weren’t home, so I presumed my mother was.

I increased my pace, trying to rush past the kitchen toward my room, hoping not to catch her attention, but I failed as she called me back.

"Hannah, sweetie? Is that you?" she asked as she came out to see who had entered. Sometimes I forget that I live with wolves, as I’m the only one my age who hasn't turned yet.

Most wolves turn at fifteen; I was almost eighteen—four years late. There was nothing I could do about it.

"Sweetie, what happened?" she asked, horrified as she looked over my appearance. I couldn’t stop the tears that began to fall as she pulled me in for a hug.

She was one of the only people who actually cared about me—her and my father, who died a few years back.

She pitied me and always took care of me, with food and clothing, although there was little she could do when the pack bullied me, as she was only a healer. After her husband died, no one took her seriously.

She loved me. I wondered why her sons didn’t, though I had a lingering idea why.

"Let's get you cleaned up," she suggested, leading me to her bathroom. She didn’t bother asking what happened, sparing me the ordeal of retelling it and I was grateful for that.

Taking out a first-aid kit—which isn’t usually needed, as most werewolves are fast healers, she used the special one she got for me, as I always ended up injured.

"Here, have a seat," she said, ushering me toward her bed. She took out cotton and some antiseptic, cleaning my wounds and removing the glass shards. It was a painful experience, one I’d been through countless times.

"Are you going to tell me what happened this time?" she asked as she packed up the first-aid kit, signaling she was done.

I stared straight ahead, not in the mood to talk about it, just like every other time.

"It’s okay, then," she sighed. "There’s some food in the kitchen. Freshen up, change out of these clothes, and then come have some, okay?"

I hummed in agreement, and then the doorbell rang. I sat for a while, as she looked at me with sad eyes. "I'll be back," she said, going to answer the door.

I moved towards my room when I heard her greet the visitor. "Luna, what a surprise."

2. Luna's Visit

: Luna's Visit

Hannah

"Quite a surprise, yes," the Luna laughed a bit. "May I come in?" She asked, even though she had the power to waltz into anywhere she wanted.

"Sure, please come in," I heard my mother say as she closed the doors.

I peeked my head from the floor of the stairs a bit to catch a glimpse of Luna Clara and to know why she was there.

"How have you been lately?" She asked my mother as she stepped in fully.

"I've been good, thank you for asking," my mother replied. "Would you like something to drink or anything?" She continued as a diligent host and a member of the pack.

"Oh, no, no, that's alright, I was only passing by and thought to drop by."

They continued their conversation in hushed voices as they stood.

"Okay then," she hummed as she looked around awkwardly. This wasn't just a visit, I had surmised. It's not every day the Luna of Ravens Fall pack just so happens to drop by while she was on a walk.

I didn't buy it, but then there was nothing that I could think about.

"How are the kids?" Luna Clara continued when suddenly her piercing blue eyes met mine. I retracted my head immediately, feeling a bit scared from her gaze.

"They are all good. How is Bryan?" My mother continued, oblivious to the brief exchange just now.

"He's alright. Oh, speaking of him, I'm pretty sure you just hit the same memo I did," Luna. Clara said, although no cell phones rang out. Still, my mother replied.

"Oh, I just did as well."

"I was on my way to the Pack's house, maybe she could come with me. I could use an escort," Luna Clara's voice rang out. I knew they were talking about me at this point when my mother yelled for me.

Stepping out with caution from the doors that led up to the stairs, as though I was being watched by a ferocious predator—Luna Clara's eyes gave off that feeling. I was conscious of the fact that I was still in my torn clothes from the earlier incident.

"Greetings, Luna Clara," I greeted as I bowed my head in respect.

"Hello, dear. What happened this time?" A horrified look replaced her easygoing one when she took in my bloody clothes and appearance. Although I had already started to heal, I had not gone to change out of these clothes yet.

"It was an accident, I fell into a ditch earlier," I lied straight out, even though I knew she would know the truth already, or if she didn’t, then she would later.

"Well, you need to be careful where you are going next time," she said, but I could feel her eyes saying something else, something of a deeper meaning.

Putting it aside when I heard my mother speak;

"You haven't gone up to change yet?" My mother asked with a disapproving look. "Well, go on quickly, Alpha Bryan has asked to see you. You can follow the Luna."

I had no idea why the Alpha would want to see me this time around or, rather, what chore he would like to assign me.

"Okay," I responded and quickly hurried up to change, not wanting to keep Luna Clara waiting. When I came back down, my mother and the Luna had just finished their discussion.

"I'll see you around then, yes?" she asked my mother as we prepared to leave.

"Sure, you will," she smiled back at the Luna.

"Great!" Luna Clara exclaimed before turning to me and asking, "Shall we?"

I only gave a slow nod—not that it mattered—then followed her out the doors.

"Dinner will be ready when you get home, okay?" my mother whispered as I passed by her. I didn’t know if it was her choice not to be loud or if she just didn’t want the Luna eavesdropping; either way, I got the message.

I waved her goodbye as I fell in step with the Luna, a few steps behind her with my head bowed.

"Don't be so far," she said, and I took a few steps closer to her but still kept a safe distance.

"So, how have you been?" she inquired as I tried to keep pace with her stride. My body was still in pain.

"I'm good, ma'am," I answered, not so honestly, but it’s not like she’d care anyway.

"That's good to hear." There was silence before her voice sounded again. "So, any changes lately?"

"Changes?" I was confused by the question.

"It's been almost three years, and you've never for once shifted. Are there any changes now?" Her voice had a hint of irritation, showing her disappointment at my slowness.

I had no idea she kept tabs on these things, especially when they didn’t concern me, being the runt of the pack and considered an omega. But then again, she was the Luna.

"No, ma'am, no changes." I cast my gaze down towards the ground disappointed in myself as well while keeping pace with her, occasionally glancing up so as not to miss a step.

"Don't worry, dear; I'm sure you're just a late bloomer, that's all," she reassured. Nothing was said after that until the pack house came into view.

"Well, he's in his office," she said as we approached the building. "Go in now; he doesn't like to be kept waiting." With a smile on her face, she waltzed away, leaving me to my own thoughts.

"That was weird," I thought as I began to make my way towards Bryan's office.

The luna had never personally asked me questions before, although she had visited my mom several times; her dropping by today was just odd.

I made my way through the pack house. It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday, so the pack house wasn't quite as full as it should be. There were a few girls in the living room with some guys, some in the kitchen, and a few just hanging around.

I made a beeline towards Bryan's office, avoiding gazes as I moved past a few other members. They paid me no attention whatsoever.

Once I had reached the door to the Alpha's office, I took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

I thought I heard an invitation from the other side of the doors. Taking that as my cue, I pushed the doors open—and instantly regretted it. I hurriedly pushed myself back as I closed the door, breathing heavily and frozen in fear as I thought, "He's going to kill me." What had I done to deserve such bad luck?

Bryan and his girlfriend were in the middle of a makeout session, which seemed to be progressing even further, as they had both lost their shirts in the process.

I waited patiently at the door for a while, cursing myself to death until finally, the door opened up.

"I'm so sorry to intrude, sir; I thought I heard you say, 'Come in,'" I quickly started to apologize with my head bent down, fearing the wrath I'd seen in his eyes.

I slightly peeked at him. He was still shirtless, which made me blush a bit. Heather was in his arms, her eyes stared daggers at me, probably for interrupting, and I lowered my head further to the ground.

She was the daughter of one of the strongest warriors in our pack. Both her parents had made a name for themselves and their family, and they were also wealthy. I had no intention of offending her more than my existence already did daily.

She and her group were at the top of my list of tormentors that made my life a living hell. I knew she wasn't going to let this one slide, so I mentally prepared myself for later.

"I'll see you tonight?" she asked in a light, innocent voice. I could hear the smile in the way she spoke.

"Of course," he replied as he kissed her rather roughly, grabbing a bit of her bum before finally letting her go.

I resumed my position and saw she was now staring at me, the hate clearly visible, not hiding anything from Bryan. She walked up to me and slapped me hard on both sides of my face with as much force as you'd expect from a werewolf.

I was still in pain from my earlier session with my brothers, and my face was only just recovering.

I dared not to touch my now swollen face in front of her or groan in pain, only bending my head in shame. I did not expect the Alpha to do anything; that was his girlfriend, after all.

"Stupid bitch," I heard her curse before she began to walk away.

Once she was out of sight, Alpha Bryan invited me into his office. "Next time, wait until I say you should come in, then come in. Do you understand?" he ordered as he began to put his shirt back on.

The office was quite a mess. When he had finally dressed more properly, he turned to me with his perfectly arched eyebrows raised.

"I'm sorry, are you deaf?" he asked. "I asked you a question just now," he yelled.

Cowering in fear, I stuttered as I answered, "I un-der…st..stand, sir," as I remembered the question he had asked me.

Dismissing my behavior, he stated, "The reason you were called here is to inform you of the party I'll be having here in the pack house today." He looked at me to confirm if I was listening.

The only time he was ever allowed to have a party in the pack house was when the current Alpha, his father, was not around. This would explain why there were so few people present in the pack house.

Bryan continued, "I want this house to be tidied up before 8 p.m. when the party starts, so you have about…" He trailed off as he checked his watch to confirm the time. "Five hours or so. You can start with this office," he said, passing by me and walking out the doors.

I knew it would be a lot of work, so I wasn't surprised. I looked around the office; it wasn't too dirty, just the table that was scattered probably from their activity earlier, I shivered in disgust.

I sighed inwardly as I made my way downstairs to get a few cleaning supplies. I wasn’t ready for another round of beating, as I was only just recovering and they all still hurt.

I started with the office he had left me in. After I had gotten what I needed downstairs, I began to pick up the scattered papers that littered the floor, a few pens, and a broken laptop. I wasn’t sure if I should throw it out, so I folded it and placed it by the side of the table.

The broken teacup, I disposed of into the trash can I had brought earlier.

I placed the books back on the shelf, running my hands over the bindings, wishing I could just sit and read a few. But I knew that was never possible.

I picked up the last item on the ground. It was a brown file with the name "Griffin Hale Pack."

That was the name of one of the most powerful packs, or so I’d heard from pack members here, though I had never witnessed why they were called so.

This must probably be important, I thought as I moved towards the drawers. I opened one, placed the file inside, and then froze, noticing something odd.

It was a small black box with golden rims, about the size of a book. Clicking open the locks, I gasped—it was a shiny black revolver.

"Why would the Alpha need a gun? They were werewolves," I thought, frowning at the sight of the weapon when suddenly, I heard a voice that startled me.

"What are you doing?"

3. Mine

: Mine

Hannah

I almost lost my grip on the weapon, afraid someone might have caught me snooping around.

"Nothing, uhmm..." I quickly responded, fumbling for words, and placed the revolver back in its original position, sliding the box back into the drawer. I tried to act like nothing had happened, even though I knew I had been caught.

"If it's nothing, then what the hell are you doing in here?" The voice that startled me belonged to none other than Heather King.

"Sir Bryan ordered me to start the cleanup for a party later this evening," I replied, my voice barely audible, but I knew my message had reached her sharp hearing.

"Then why are you just standing there?" She asked, walking through the room with no concern for me, as if I didn’t even exist. It seemed like she was searching for something.

I quickly resumed my work. I was almost finished with the office anyway, and I walked towards the doors with my cart.

"Finally," Heather exclaimed, pulling out her phone from the sofa.

She glanced at me, a wicked grin spreading across her face, smacking her phone lightly on her palms.

"You know you can't have something like that," she said, advancing closer to me, the smile still present on her lips.

"Oh, don’t act shy now," she continued, her grin widening. "I saw the way you looked at him earlier when… you know… he and I were getting it on."

She wasn’t wrong. I had secretly crushed on Bryan for as long as I could remember. I’d always checked him out from afar, wishing I could talk to him. I even prayed to the moon goddess, hoping we'd be soulmates.

"Oh, look at your little red face," Heather cooed mockingly, now standing right in front of me. The smile on her face disappeared as she tucked a strand of my silver locks behind my ear and grabbed my neck harshly.

I let out a soft whimper.

"You are so pitiful. Let me just break it down for you. Bryan would never, in his entire life, want someone as miserable and horrible-looking as you. It’s really disgusting to even think about it," she sneered, her hands moving from my neck to grasp my jaw. At least it was a little relief, since I thought she might try to hurt me further, but her grip tightened around my jaw.

I yelped as I felt a sharp pain—she must have extended her claws and dug into my skin.

"The only way you could ever have someone like Bryan is in your wildest dreams," she whispered, letting go of my chin.

I dropped to the floor as my legs felt like jelly from fear, not able to hold me up.

"You can get back to work, Hannah," she laughed cruelly as she exited the office.

I wiped the few tears that had formed and stood up, getting back to work.

What was I thinking, anyway? He was the future alpha, and I was just the crappy, weak, lazy, ugly old Hannah. Everyone would laugh if they knew I had a crush on him.

I would only be the humiliation of the century.

At least I still had hope. My birthday was in a week’s time. Maybe the moon goddess could shine a little bit of light upon my dull life. Someone who could take me away from this hell of a pack.

That person was my last hope. I would’ve left the pack already if I wasn’t so weak. The rogues would have killed me without breaking a sweat, and I had nowhere else to go.

~

It took me a while to clean up the pack house for the party, and by the time I was done, it was already time for the event. I knew Bryan wouldn't want me here, nor would anyone else.

I returned my cart to the kitchen, where I stumbled upon Mia and Amy, Heather's two minions. They had pitiful smiles on their faces when they saw me enter the kitchen. Heather must have told them about my little encounter.

Ignoring them was my plan, but it seemed they had other plans. They immediately turned me into their topic of discussion, not bothering to lower their voices, clearly wanting me to hear their taunts.

"It’s quite pitiful, isn’t it, Amy? Bryan would probably throw up if he knew about this," Mia said as they both laughed, clearly making a joke at my expense. I was the joke.

"I wonder how someone could ever want that," Amy said, stretching out her well-manicured fingers, referring to me.

I knew I wasn’t perfect. They helped me with that knowledge every single day, so I didn’t let it bother me too much.

I didn’t stick around to listen to more of their taunts. I quickly made my way out of the pack house and ended up bumping into someone.

It was dark out, so I couldn’t see very well.

"I’m sorry, sir, I wasn’t looking where I was going," I mumbled. Even if I had been looking, I probably still would’ve bumped into him, since my head was always bent low.

Bryan was dressed casually for the party, wearing a button-up shirt with two buttons undone and jeans. He looked good, as usual.

"Hope you're all done?" he asked, his eyes filled with disgust as he wiped himself off after our collision.

"Yes, sir, I'm fine with everything." My answer was short, as I didn’t want to give a full account of what I had done, nor did I think he wanted to hear any of it. He sidestepped me toward the house, but not before saying, "Good job, now get lost." Without even glancing back at me, he made his way further into the house.

That was just his way of telling me he didn’t want to see me around the party. Not that I would’ve wanted to be there if I had been invited. I’ve never liked their parties. The one time I attended, I became the center of attention as they mocked everything about me, with my brothers leading the charge.

I managed to walk home in the dark, having left my phone behind. The streetlights offered a bit of illumination, though.

When I entered my home, the scent of food hit me hard. My stomach grumbled as I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since morning.

"Hannah, is that you? I’m in the kitchen!" My mother called out.

"I was hoping you’d show up by this time," she added, knowing I wouldn’t be invited to the party, just like Kyle and Kaleb were.

"Perfect timing," she beamed as she set the last dish on the table. It was dinner for two, since I knew my stepbrothers wouldn’t be coming back today. I was relieved about that—they were at the party, part of Bryan's circle of friends.

My stomach growled louder as I peeked into the kitchen. My mother chuckled and ushered me in. "Come sit down, let’s eat."

I walked in and took a seat, and she kept smiling at me as she started a conversation. "I know you’ve been working all morning, so I thought I’d make dinner when you got back—just the two of us."

"Look, I know you’ve been having a rough time here in the pack," she continued. "As your mother, I should be there for you, and I’m sorry I’m not always." She started apologizing, which made me tear up. I quickly stopped her, using the excuse that the food would get cold.

She chuckled before we began eating. My stomach finally got what it wanted, and I let out a soft noise of contentment.

After I finished my plate, my mother commented, "You must have been really hungry. Here, have some more." She filled my plate, which I appreciated.

Once we finished eating, I offered to do the dishes to show my appreciation, but she wouldn’t let me.

"You’ve been working all morning; you need rest, okay?" she said, taking the plates from my hand. "Why don’t you go upstairs? I’ll handle these."

I hugged her from behind. "Thanks, mom." She relaxed into me and sighed. I was grateful for all she had done for me but didn't know how to express it before heading to my room.

I lay in bed for a while before grabbing my phone, which I rarely used since I never had the time. I had no friends, so there were no text messages or calls. My mind wandered to the life I was living.

My mother was the only one I had, and I was thankful she was there. My father had died when I was little, but he had been good to me too. My brothers hadn’t always been this cruel—there was a time when they played pranks, but now it seemed like they were after my life.

The only reason they hadn’t killed me yet was because the pack didn’t condone the killing of its own members. Perpetrators are bound to either be demoted or banished from the pack.

I sat up and walked to the window, gazing at the sky. The stars taunted me, brightening the sky while I felt like I had none of my own.

My birthday was something I both wanted and dreaded. At least I’d be able to find my soulmate—my other half, the one who would brighten my dull, black sky. Or at least that’s how my mother explained it. I was also scared that whoever it was would see me and want nothing to do with me, just like the rest of this pack.

At that moment, I didn’t know if I wanted to keep living or not.

There was a knock at my door, which interrupted my train of thought. "Hey, you okay?" My mother asked from the other side before pushing it open and peeking her head through the small crack.

"I’m okay," I reassured her.

"Okay, then. Goodnight, I’ll see you tomorrow." With that, she left to go to bed.

I smiled at the fact that she still came to check on me. A sigh escaped my lips out of the window before later on moving to lay on my bed, but sleep evaded me. I felt restless, tossing and turning for a few hours, yet still couldn’t seem to fall asleep. I grabbed my phone and checked the time: 11:52, almost midnight.

I made my way downstairs to grab a glass of milk, hoping it would help me get a little bit of shut eye, when all of a sudden, an amazing scent hit me. The glass in my hand slipped from my grasp and made a crash, but it didn’t matter.

It smelled like the forest after a rainy day, with a hint of coffee.

I stepped outside the house and sniffed the air again, taking in this wonderful fragrance. It seemed to pull me towards a particular location.

A few minutes later, I found myself standing in front of the pack house. My mind was still clouded by the soft odor. The pack house was lit up, music blasting through the air. I wanted to return to the safety of my room, but then I’d miss an opportunity to find the source of this strong scent.

I entered the pack house, which was now packed with teenagers holding red cups, flashing lights, and booming music. Even with the smell of sweat and alcohol in the air, it didn’t overpower the fragrance that had led me there.

As I pushed my way towards the center of the house, something drew me closer. The crowd seemed to part for me until, finally, I came upon Bryan and Heather.

They were tangled up, swaying with the music, their bodies pressed tightly against each other.

Once I was at least ten feet away, the words left my mouth before I could stop myself.

And for the first time, I growled.

"Mine."

4. Left To Die