: 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

: Left to die

Hannah

I stared at the shock on Bryan's face, which gradually morphed into one of disgust and hate.

The entire room was silent. The music had died down, and you could hear a pin drop as everyone anticipated what would happen next.

No one would have believed it and neither did I; that I would finally find my mate. I didn’t even have to leave the borders of the Raven Falls pack.

But I did not expect ‘him’ to be my mate. My expectations dwindled as the silence stretched on.

Heather already had a smile on her face, looking at Bryan as if she knew what was coming next.

The hand wrapped around her waist was released as Bryan took a step forward. Then another. And another, until he was only a foot away from me.

He was so close I could feel his hot breath fanning across my face. I wanted to savor that moment, his scent intoxicating, but I knew it wouldn't last long no matter how much I wanted it to.

Staring into his blue eyes, the disgust was evident, nothing seemed to mask the hatred that he felt for me, probably the shame he felt for having to be mated with me.

"There’s no way a weak, pathetic, ugly slave of a mutt is my mate," he spat bitterly in my face, and I flinched at every word.

Tears brimmed at the corners of my eyes as I knew what was coming next.

"Wait, please, we’re meant to be together. Please!" I pleaded silently, reaching for his arm. He quickly drew back, as though I was dirt he didn’t want touching him.

He walked back to Heather’s side, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close. Both of them wore smirks on their faces.

"I, Bryan Ducati—" he started.

"No, wait… please don’t do this," my voice cracked as I stepped forward, trembling, desperate to stop him from declaring his next words.

"Reject you, Hannah Anderson, from being my mate," he finished, pulling Heather closer to him.

The pain I’d never felt before tore through me as I screamed and collapsed to the floor. My heart shattered as my last hope for life crashed—my last star in the sky, lost in the darkness that seemed to grow bigger now.

I’d felt pain within this pack every day, but nothing compared to this. It was as though my soul was being ripped from me, but it still loomed there.

"Get this piece of trash out of here!" Heather ordered as she cozied up to Bryan.

I looked at Bryan once more, my vision blurry from the tears, hoping he wouldn’t do this to me. Pleading ever so desperately for him not to let this bond go.

Bryan had already turned away, his attention now on Heather, they both chuckled and had their moment while she tried to calm him down. He didn’t spare me another glance after that.

There was nothing left for me. No meaning to my life. I felt soulless, crumbling to the floor as my legs gave out, they weren't able to hold me back up.

I didn’t notice the two pack members who had appeared by my side on Heather’s orders. They began dragging me, throwing me out of the pack house and slamming the door shut behind me.

I sat there, staring at the closed door. The music was turned back on as everyone returned to partying, while I remained on the ground, consumed by grief. The tears continued to roll down my face as I sobbed bitterly.

With a strength I didn’t know I had, I picked myself up and began to walk, not knowing where I was going. I kept walking until I bumped into someone.

"What in the world is this?" A man’s angry voice rang out as I found myself on the floor again. I didn’t know who it was until I looked up and recognized who my audience was.

"Alpha Jaxon?" The fear was evident in my voice. His eyes burned with anger and disgust— emotions I had seen too often.

"I’m so… sorry, Alpha," I whispered, my voice barely audible as I bowed.

"Alpha Jaxon, what is the meaning of this?" the man beside him demanded, wiping his expensive-looking clothes as if I had stained him. "Is this how you welcome guests now, letting peasants interrupt them? Unbelievable." The man spat with utter dissatisfaction.

I remained bowed when a hand slapped me across the face, sending me back to the ground. The growing pain on my cheek wasn't numb but there was definitely swelling.

The stranger had struck me. When I glanced at Alpha Jaxon, his eyes showed anger, though he seemed to contain it as he addressed the visitor. "My apologies, friend."

"Hurry up and apologize!" The man yelled at me.

I scrambled to my knees, barely able to speak as I apologized to the man. All I felt was an empty void in my heart. Pain didn’t register, and neither did the insults that were thrown my way.

The man, no longer acknowledging me, turned to Alpha Jaxon and said, "Weak peasants like this shouldn’t be part of a pack, Alpha…" He trailed off, but Alpha Jaxon cut him off.

"Watch yourself, Miguel. Don’t tell me how to run my pack," he said, his voice low and dangerous. Then he composed himself and added, "Why don’t you go on then? Our business is done, and I won’t be seeing you off." One could tell Alpha Jaxon was keeping his voice at bay, holding in his anger.

Miguel, eager to escape as he realized this, bid Alpha Jaxon goodbye and quickly scurried away.

I remained kneeling when Alpha Jaxon finally turned towards me. His heated gaze made me shrink into myself.

"Useless," he sneered, slapping me across the face again. "Embarrassing me in front of a company, huh?" His voice was low but dangerous.

The pain stung worse this time as he put more force behind the slap. I lay on the floor, my hands pressed to my cheeks, wondering why it was always like this— constantly being bullied, constantly hated. I never understood it.

"You’re just a burden to this pack, of no value whatsoever. I can’t have you here again." He looked off into the distance, his expression distant. I realized he was mind-linking. This was confirmed when I saw two warriors walking toward us.

"What a waste of my time," Alpha Jaxon muttered. "I should have killed you a long time ago if I knew how useless you were."

I wondered what he meant by that, but only for a moment before the two warriors grabbed me.

"She’s banished from the pack. Take her out!" he ordered.

~

"What are you doing with her?" She asked.

Although the warriors weren't obliged to answer, they had to give a response because she was the daughter of the leader of the warriors.

"Really?" The smirk on Heather's face grew wider as she stopped staring at the warriors and turned her gaze to me.

"Well, it's about damn time," One of my brothers sighed in mock relief.

Heather continued, "Well, in that case, why don't we offer assistance?" She suggested with a smile on her face.

"The alpha ordered—" The warrior on my left was cut off by Heather.

"See, you must have been mistaken, I wasn't asking." The smile that had once graced her face dropped.

They knew she was powerful and not just because her father was one of authority. She had been trained by him, and he was considered strong and fierce.

My brother walked up to the warriors, who handed me over to him with no more words spoken.

"That will be all for now. You may return to your posts." Her smile had returned.

Both warriors scurried away.

"Well, well, well. Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Although she asked, I knew she wasn't expecting an answer from me. My brother snickered behind me before we started walking towards the forest.

We had walked a considerable distance, probably far enough where my screams wouldn't be heard as they tortured me to death.

"Now, I have to ask, what were you expecting when you found out Bryan was your mate? I could see the look in your eyes earlier," she laughed.

I wasn't ready to answer. The first hit was across my face.

"I asked you a question." She grabbed my short hair tightly. "You think you could replace me? Huh? Very funny." She chuckled.

My silence apparently only made her angrier. Her face was so close, and all of a sudden, my emotions conflicted—anger, despair—and with a surge of adrenaline, I spat in her face. This shocked both of us, but I quickly recovered as I realized I had nothing to lose anymore.

Heather was so angry. She wiped the spit off her face before starting to throw punches at me. My brothers just stood back and laughed.

I crumpled to the floor, clutching my stomach, groaning in pain. My vision had become blurry, but I could still hear the anger in her voice.

"Someone like you shouldn't even exist. Weak, pathetic, useless. Honestly, I wonder why you’ve lived this long. Your existence irritates me!" After she had ranted, she calmed herself down.

"You both," she said, pointing at my brothers who had been enjoying the spectacle. "Finish this." She ordered them before turning to me again. "I would have wanted to watch you die, but I think it's best to spend my precious time with ‘MY’ mate, Bryan." She mocked me before walking away.

Kyle grabbed my hair, lifting me off the ground. Kaleb delivered a blow to my stomach, making me double over. I fell to my knees as Kyle released his grip.

"Finally, you'll be out of our lives for good," Kyle started. "We can live our lives without you bringing a stigma onto us."

"You really are disgusting," Kaleb said as he kicked me again.

"This is no fun," one of them said. "How about your favorite game—Chase?"

"That's a great idea," the other agreed, planning my death.

I got up with the little strength I had left and started walking backward slowly. I knew I was falling into their trap, but if there was even the slightest chance that Bryan might come to my rescue again, then I was going to take it.

"Oh, there she goes," I heard from behind me as I walked away. I wasn't moving fast, and I tripped several times. When I turned, they were nowhere to be seen. I continued limping, not knowing where I was going until I reached the same cliff from last time.

This time, it appeared rather scary and deep as it was dark out, a drop from this height was sure to end me, “What to do? What to do?” I cried to the moon goddess but seconds later I yelped.

I felt my hair being yanked again, turning me around. A storm of punches came down on me, landing on my face and every other part of me. I felt like a punching bag, being used to take out someone's anger and frustration.

One of them held me by the arms while the other continued to strike. With every punch, he said, "You'll be out of our lives for good."

The punches turned into scratches. His claws were drawn, and I couldn't stop it. I was open and vulnerable, and no part of me was spared.

I stopped struggling at this point. Blood covered my body, and my vision was failing. I felt my hand release its grip as I fell to the floor.

Pressure was placed on my leg, and a cracking sound followed before the person let go.

"Is she dead?" One of them asked.

"I doubt she'd live after your rampage," the other answered, shaking me slightly.

"Let's go." They agreed after pushing me over the cliff, and then I lost consciousness before I hit the bottom.

5. The Brown eyed Beta

: Brown-eyed Beta

Hannah

"When do you think she’ll come through?" A female voice asked, sounding concerned. I wondered who it was; I’ve never been shown that kind of concern, with my mother being the only exception.

"I don’t really know. It’s only been a few hours since the surgery. It all depends on her, though. She’s a werewolf, so we shouldn’t be too worried. I don’t know how long she was out there, however," a male voice answered, closer than the other.

"Who would do something like this? They could have killed her," the first voice questioned, concern evident.

"Maybe that was their intention in the first place," the closer voice replied softly, sounding sad. "It’s a miracle they found her in time. If they hadn’t, I don’t think we could have helped her."

"I pray she pulls through. No one deserves to be treated this way, no matter the crime," the woman said.

"Oh, she will. This one’s a fighter," the man assured her.

They continued to talk about other things, but I didn’t pay attention until the first voice suggested leaving.

"Okay, I’ll see you another time. I have a patient to attend to," she said, before leaving.

Footsteps echoed until they slowly faded away.

I cracked my eyes open slowly, wincing at the pain. I closed them again when I tried to lift my arms to block the sunlight, but to no avail—the pain was too much.

The person in the room must have noticed my struggle. "Oh dear, hold on a second." As he said this, I felt the light dim a little behind my closed eyelids.

Once my eyes were fully open, I noticed a man in white hovering over me, his expression frantic as he moved around.

"Denise! Inform the Beta that she’s awake now—hurry!" he ordered.

"You’re finally awake! Thank the goddess."

I lay there as he worked on me, checking my vitals and ticking items off his clipboard before he began speaking to me.

"Hello… hi, dear. My name is Doctor Riley," he introduced himself. I took a look at him, he seemed a bit old, maybe in his early fifties. He was bald and dressed in a white coat.

Ignoring him, I took a subtle glance around me, taking in the room where I was being held.

The walls were striped blue and white, with a few cabinets. Other than those and the bed I lay in, the room was simple. Finally, I looked down at my own body.

The horror filled me and my breathing increased, my heart racing at what I had become as I panicked.

I tried to scream, but no sound came out. All I felt was pain in my throat as I realized the state I was in.

My right leg was bandaged and elevated slightly, as was the rest of my body. I felt the bandages on my head and couldn’t help the tears that began to roll down my cheeks.

I started thrashing around. Why me? Why didn’t I just die? What have I done to deserve this? There was no one to blame other than the moon goddess for creating me into such life.

Everyone else loved a full life, I on the other hand have never felt that before.

The doctor tried to calm me down, but he couldn’t and this bothered him, the little crease on his forehead deepened.

"I need help here!" He called out. Two nurses in blue scrubs rushed in. "Help pin her down before she hurts herself even more," he ordered.

I continued to thrash and move until I had no strength left. The pain intensified, and all I could wish for was death. I couldn’t live like this; I didn’t want to.

The two nurses finally let me go. They lingered for a few moments as if expecting me to start up again. When I didn’t, the doctor excused them, and they exited the room one after the other.

"It’s okay. You’re going to be okay," the doctor tried to reassure me. "You’ll heal, and we’ll get rid of the bandages in no time, alright?" His voice was soft and calm but I couldn't believe him, they should have left me for dead.

I could only stare at him, unable to speak. What’s the point of healing and living when there is nothing left to live for? Especially when I saw the cuffs chaining me to the bed. I must not have noticed them before, too preoccupied with my current state. I pulled at my hands and the cuffs rattled.

"From one prison to another," I thought.

The doctor followed my gaze and then spoke. "Beta’s orders. I’m sorry about them, but he doesn’t want to take any chances, apparently."

There was no end to the constant torture, which made me feel less like a werewolf, though I hardly felt like one anyway.

After a few moments of silence, the doctor began to speak again.

"What’s your name?" he asked, but I didn’t respond. He continued.

"Where are you from? Who did this to you?" He asked a barrage of questions that I ignored.

The doctor sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to get any answers from me, either because I didn’t know how to respond or couldn’t.

He resigned himself to sitting beside me on a stool, going over his clipboard.

I took this moment of silence to recall what had happened. My brothers had beaten me mercilessly, then had my body thrown off the cliff. I should be dead, so why am I not? I continued to think to myself when suddenly, I heard the doctor exclaim.

"Beta Tyrell! You’re finally here." The doctor walked up to the man at the door.

The man, Tyrell, was tall and dark-skinned, with a low-cut hairstyle and a light stubble framing his face. His light brown eyes didn’t need the sun to shine. He was dressed in suit pants and a shirt.

Both he and the doctor whispered in the corner, and I only picked up a few words from their conversation—crying, space, and speaking—which didn’t make sense to me.

The Beta kept glancing at me occasionally as the doctor briefed him, until finally, their conversation ended.

The doctor and the Beta walked further into the room, coming closer to me, scrutinizing me like I was some spectacle on display.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" the Beta asked. His voice was low and threatening. I couldn’t help but shrink into myself, feeling a bit of fear. He reminded me of my time in the Raven's Fall pack.

I was thrown off by this, but he didn’t seem to notice—or probably didn’t care.

His eyes scanned me from head to toe. I tried to speak, but nothing came out, and this probably made him angry at being ignored.

I couldn’t help it as I shook inside, chanting a mantra to myself that he was going to beat me to a pulp, kill me, and throw me out just like my previous pack did.

"I don’t think it’s necessary to get angry, Beta Tyrell. As I said before, I don’t think she’s capable of speech—or maybe she’s just scared. We’ve done a general check-up, but I still don’t know why she can’t speak," the doctor intervened.

Taking a whiff of the air, he remarked, "She’s a werewolf. How come she hasn’t healed yet? Maybe she’s just pretending." The Beta continued as he drew closer to me, his breath fanning across my face. I could smell the sweat on him; he must have rushed in when they informed him I was awake.

"I don’t think someone who sustained such injuries would be pretending, sir," the doctor suggested. "Besides, she’s in unknown territory, she’s bound to be scared."

"You never know the lengths people will go to get what they want," Tyrell muttered, his face close to mine before drawing back. He then asked, "Where are the ones who found her? Bring them to me." His voice was low but filled with authority.

"Yes, Beta," the doctor replied, excusing himself to pass on the order.

I was left alone with the mysterious Beta. Silence stretched between us as he continued to observe me, his expression blank but watchful.

The silence lasted until the doctor returned, bringing two individuals I didn’t recognize. One was a boy, the other a girl; both looked to be around my age.

The boy was lean, with hair that brushed just above his eyes. He was tall, especially compared to the girl beside him.

The girl looked fit, her black hair braided into two sections that fell over her shoulders. She was relatively short, though maybe that was only in comparison to the boy.

The Beta, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me, finally turned to the newcomers and asked, "What happened?"

Both of them snapped to attention when the Beta faced them, and the boy began to speak. "Sir, we were patrolling the border near the river when Dora wanted to take a... short break," he admitted, blushing a little. "I heard her call out for me to come quickly. I went over, and she was pulling someone out of the water." He glanced towards me as he spoke.

"She was badly injured and looked like she’d been in the water for a while. I helped pull her out and checked her pulse; she was still alive, so we decided to bring her in. That was when Shane mind-linked you." The girl, named Cleo, finished.

"What direction was she floating from?" Tyrell asked, his tone still hard.

"From the north, sir," Shane answered. This response seemed to anger Tyrell, which made both Shane and me nervous.

"And what pack lies in the direction of the north?" he asked, his voice dipping lower.

"Uh... that would be the... Raven... Falls... pack," Shane answered nervously, his voice fading as he acknowledged the significance of the direction.

"And what did you do after you brought a stranger onto our pack lands?" Tyrell continued his interrogation.

"We... waited... outside in case we were needed," Cleo murmured, her voice so low I could barely catch it.

Both of them looked dejected, as though they had done something wrong.

"Oh, so you left your post at the border open and vulnerable without requesting a shift change? You brought an unknown stranger onto pack lands who just happened to come from the direction of one of the most ruthless Alphas and our rival pack, and you’re telling me you thought nothing of it?" The Beta listed their mistakes, and I understood now why they looked so ashamed.

"This might have been a plot—a distraction to lure you from your post to enable an invasion of our pack. Do I have to explain this to you?" He was furious.

It was all my fault they were being scolded.

"Get out. Return to your post and stay there until your shift is over. Perhaps you’ll also receive a punishment. Pray there isn’t already an invasion, or I’ll have both of your heads on a spike." He concluded. The two of them quickly scurried away.

After they were gone, Tyrell turned back to me, his eyes now full of suspicion and anger. "Who exactly are you, and what is your plan here? What are you aiming at by coming like this?" He looked pointedly at my wounded body.

I tried to speak, wanting to assure him that this wasn’t a plot or some scheme to invade his pack but rather my own misfortune and fate. Yet, no words came out.

Or perhaps it was a plot, but I wouldn’t know. I’d always been a pawn in other people’s games, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my pack had thought up something like this.

"You’re not going to answer? Well, I suppose a few doses of wolfsbane might do the trick."

"But sir, that could kill her," the doctor interjected.

"Well, that wouldn’t be too bad now, would it?"

6. Fear Of Wolfsbane