I took a couple of deep breaths to steel myself when someone rang the doorbell.
Of course, I knew who it was. It’s Alpha Diesel who doesn’t know how to leave me alone. I couldn’t wallow in pain or pity myself because he would always come and try to talk to me. He was a goofy kind of a man. He always acted silly, and sometimes he would tell some jokes. For three months, I had endured the pain of rejection, begging him to let me go home to my mate and ask him to take me again instead of Megan. I opened the door slowly. “Hi,” he greeted I held the door open for him. I was still a wreck. My eyes are probably red and swollen, with dark circles underneath. “We need to talk,” he said. He walked past me and into the living room. Empty tissue boxes and a trash can were overflowing with used Kleenex. I forgot to clean it! “Sit down!” Diesel’s voice was hard. I blinked. This was not the man I had come to know. Where was his carefree and annoying voice? I sat on the sofa, watching him pacing in. “Carrie, this will stop today,” Diesel began. “In two weeks, your class will start, and do not tell me you are going to attend with that kind of appearance,” he added, looking at me from head to toe. “You look like a mess.” I want to throw this Alpha away so bad, but he was correct. I know I might, no, I am messed up right now, but should he tell me that? “Listen, instead of mewling about a guy, how about you stand up and let the bastard know you can go on without him? You should know your worth.” I just looked at him. He knows nothing about my pain, but he has a point. It’s been a while since the rejection, and maybe I need to gather myself and continue dreaming, right? “And also, there is a pack meeting tonight, and I need you to attend. Go shower and get dressed. We leave in one hour!” Diesel used his Alpha voice. “M’kay,” I said and rose from the sofa and entered my room, slamming the door behind me. If I want to be in this pack, I should learn to follow him. I shook my head, and with a sharp intake of breath, maybe I should really start to think about myself from now on. I stepped out of the shower. I got dressed and started braiding my almost knee-length hair. I finally looked in the mirror for the first time in three months. Gone was the bubbly girl I used to be. The person in the mirror had pale skin, hollow grey eyes with deep dark circles underneath, colorless lips, and gaunt cheekbones. The sight almost had me running from the room, screaming. I couldn’t believe I neglected myself. “What’s taking you so long, Carrie?” I heard Diesel from the other side of the door. Ugh. “I’m about to finish dressing up!” I yelled. “Okay. Make it quick.” I hurriedly dressed in jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black hoodie. I grabbed my pink Converse and put them on. I took a deep breath and pulled the hood over my head before opening my room door and going to the living room. “Much better. Let’s go,” Alpha Diesel said after he scanned me. I kept my head down as she followed him out the door. I had remained quiet, huddled against the car door. I was enjoying the view as Diesel’s car entered the woods. He said that the building I’m living in is a building for students like me. It was a packed house for students. He also said that the main pack house was located in the deep part of the forest, an hour away from the city. Diesel finally broke the silence. “The packed house is about an hour north of the city. I think you will really like it. We have some great people in the pack your age. Two will be attending the same school with you,” Diesel said. I did not move or respond. Alpha Diesel sighed, shaking his head. I’m not really in the mood to talk right now. I just enjoy myself in the scenery I’m looking at. An hour later, we arrived at the pack house. He turned off the car and just sat with his hands on the wheel. I glanced at him. Finally, he sighed. “I am doing this for your good. When we get inside, you will socialize. You will not be rude to anyone. You will participate in the meeting,” Diesel said, using his Alpha voice. I had no choice but to Obey. I turned to him with a glare. “Yes, Alpha.” “Good. Alright, let’s go.” I got out of the car and followed him inside. Diesel climbed up at the podium while I sat in the front row, angry. He pulled me upfront when he saw me slipping into the back row. It was bad enough that he pulled Alpha on me and made me come when I didn’t feel like it. Now, I should be where everyone could see me. I had tuned him out while I sat brooding, and then I realized someone was calling me. “Carrie!” I looked up to see Alpha Diesel staring at me with a frown. “Could you please come up on the platform?” I rose slowly and walked up to the platform, grumbling. “Everyone, I would like you to meet Carrie Mikaeli. She will be joining our pack from now on. She’s our former Luna’s daughter.” Everyone smiled and applauded. The Alpha held his hand, and everyone went quiet as he turned to me. He reached for my hand and made a shallow cut on the palm of my hand. He then cut his palm and clasped hands with me. “Carrie Mikaeli, do you pledge loyalty to this pack and its people?” No. I wanted to say it, but I took a deep breath and looked at him. I knew this was the moment that my life would change. I had to let go of the past. “I pledge my loyalty to you and the pack from now on,” I could feel our blood mingling as the pledge was made. Then he spoke through the mind link, saying everything would be okay. I looked up at him, and he smiled.Diesel had been by my side since then. He had blown me away when he had first turned his attention to me. I mean when I first arrived here. I'd been twenty and rejected back then when I had finally been given a chance to find me and my wolf a mate. A second chance, mate, in fact. Moving on hadn't been that bad when a bulky guy was always by your side, trying to make you smile. "Everyone else who was single gradually found their other half and paired up, but as I got older, the wait had become harder and harder to take," Diesel said as we were having dinner at my place. Everyone knew in his pack that if he didn't find a mate by the time he hit your mid-twenties, it was unlikely that he ever would, and it got even more unlikely with each passing year. He said he wanted to give us a chance and that he wanted to be my mate. I'm not going to lie; he had been flattering me, and when he proposed a relationship since he was unlucky to find his mate, I'd been tempted. I held out for a m
A little inhuman and unwolflike sound of surprise left my mouth at his words. Diesel waited expectantly, his steady gaze on me. He was not kneeling, but only a fool would ever expect that sort of behavior from an alpha, and I just didn't care. Finally, I found my voice. "Yes. Yes, I will." He was up and caught me in his arms, his mouth on mine and the steel of his body against the softness of my own. I might have been crying for joy. My head was so wildly spinning with euphoria that I barely noticed when we left the restaurant and pulled up to a hotel. "I thought we could have a night completely to ourselves, away from pack and responsibilities. Just you and me," he said wickedly, revealing a small suitcase in the trunk that he must have packed before I could protest that I didn't have anything along with me. I gave up and did what he wanted, which was easy because I wanted to. He led me into the hotel and up to our room, and the moment the door closed behind us, the bags dro
Our arrangement was an open book in the pack. Even if Diesel hasn't marked me yet, everyone knows he will be soon, and they expect an heir from us. We've been together for years, and I was his chosen mate, and he was to me. But why now? Why was he cheating on me? Unless…Sweat started to form on my forehead. Oh no, I don't want to think about it. I'm too dependent on Diesel, and he's someone I would never let go. He was the one who helped me get through my first rejection, and I had already promised myself that if I ever picked someone as my second chance mate, it'd be him. But I knew that arrangement wasn't entirely sure, knowing Diesel had yet to find his mate, even if he had already passed the age of finding one. "Babe, are you okay now?" Diesel asked."Better, I guess."I realized he was already back. I watched him as he opened the bottle of wine. Then, I focused on the cell phone he had placed on the bedside table. Even without me going near it, I could tell it was in sile
I woke up feeling drained for two weeks now. I couldn't eat and relax since I discovered my mate's cheating. Diesel might have been doing what he really wanted to do wherever the damn country he was in right now. I immediately went to the bathroom and took a shower. I need to clear my mind and focus on the pack's work rather than thinking about Diesel's cheating issue. When everything was done, I left our house and went to my office. "Good morning, Luna. I'm sorry for barging in early in the morning," Thea, the pack Doctor, came in after knocking on my door. "Yes, what is it, Doc?" I ask her cheerfully, hiding the stress in me. "I would like to ask for more clinic beds. The number of she-wolves delivering pups has increased lately, and the beds won't accommodate them all. If you please, Luna." "Okay, I'll let the supplier deliver the beds you wanted, Thea," I replied as I tapped on the keys of my laptop. "Thank you, Luna," Thea replied, and she was about to stand up, but
"Who is she!?" I asked Mom after I arrived from Erix's pack. I thought I could stop thinking about Diesel's game, but it worsened. Flashes of unknown women flooded my mind, and even if Rain comforted me, I couldn't stop myself from thinking. So I made a drastic decision: I returned to the pack and confronted my mother. I wanted to end all this misery and let her speak, tell me the truth before I go insane."Mom!" I yelled inside their house. I don't care if the former Alpha was there. "Carrie? You're back so soon? I-""Tell me everything you know, Mom, before I lose my respect for you," I said, cutting her up. My mother bowed her head and couldn't meet me in the eyes. "Carrie sweet-""Do not sweet talk me, Mom! Tell me when did it start and if the whole pack knew about it!" I yelled, clenching my fist. My wolf has been fighting her way within me, wanting to shred our mother into pieces to keep us from what was actually happening. "I-It started after you got engaged with Diesel y
I cried on top of my desk until there were no more left for me to shed. I felt so broken and so incredibly foolish. My instinct had warned me about this, and I had ignored it. It hadn't mattered when Diesel and I were up against the naysayers; it had brought us closer together, but now it was only me. I was alone, and it was so cold. I didn't want to leave the room, but his words had clearly been an order from my alpha, not a suggestion from my chosen mate. My ex-chosen mate, I corrected bitterly. The worst was I still loved him under all my misery. If he suddenly changed his mind, I would absolutely abandon my pride and forgive it all. My wolf was upset. I imagined being rejected by my true mate was not as bad as it would be, but she was hurting. She had grown attached to Diesel and his wolf, and this dismissal hurt her, too. I would go for a run after I moved my things. I didn't make eye contact with anyone in the halls as I moved forward and wound my familiar way to my—to
I woke up the next morning with a blanket thrown over me on Desiree's couch. I had a light headache, which was a testament to just how much I had drank since werewolves rarely get hangovers.The living room was a mess, and what I could see of the kitchen was no better. Forcing myself to get up, I started collecting bottles and glasses and carrying them to the kitchen. I couldn't leave this mess for Desiree to clean up before her mate and kids would be back in the afternoon.Betty appeared in the hall. "Oh, you're up. Don't worry about the mess."I shook my head. "I've got nothing else to do."She looked uncertain.I frowned. "I can't be acting Luna when he's got his real Luna now." Maybe it was irresponsible of me to abruptly quit doing everything I did for the pack, but I was pretty sure I would simply spend the entire time there crying and not getting anything done either way. Those duties were a part of our relationship, and pretending they were still, mine would be little more tha
My day rapidly plummeted to intolerable when Diesel continued showing Cameron around the pack house, and of course, he had to bring her down to show her Luna's office. I don't know what he had been expecting since his eyes widened as if he was somehow surprised to find me there. It was almost as if it had not been him who had forced me to resume Luna's duties temporarily. All I knew was that I wanted to punch him in his imbecilic face. "And this is Carrie. She's been taking care of the Luna's duties and will show you the ropes," Diesel introduced, barely taking his eyes off the silly girl he had brought back. Cameron was blond and very pretty, but she looked young, probably at least thirteen years his junior. It was a pretty big age gap for a mated pair, although that was the least of my problems with it. I pasted a warm smile onto my face. "Nice to meet you, Luna." She seemed to have momentary misgivings, and I wondered if she saw through my best acting or if she could sense t