Chapter 4

Two months later.

" oh she is here" 

"Here goes my appetite, can't she hide those ugly scars, they ruin my appetite every time" 

As soon as Thalia entered the common Kitchen of the pack, she heard these complaining comments. Her brisk pace faltered and she looked down, a button-down white shirt that hid her entire slender front including the script that was engraved in her skin. She had buttoned up the shirt all the way to its last button to hide the script on her throat.

And she had even hidden the marks on the left side of her face with her bangs so that no one had to look at her cursed marks.  But even then - Thalia sighed, she knew that it was all because of these she wolves being jealous of her. 

Two months ago, Carter, the man who saved her and the Alpha of this pack brought her here, though he didn't mention why he brought her here, Thalia knew that he brought her because his pack lacked a healer and wanted her gifts to heal his wolves. 

However, to the fanatic she-wolves who were eyeing him for the longest time took she and her arrival here as a threat. And ever since then she was being bullied by the pack she-wolves, though Thalia wondered how they couldn't see that Carter cared for no one? And most importantly not her. 

For some reason, he seemed to hate her kind the most, forget about having any interest in her, Carter didn't show the slightest even look for her after dumping her in his pack. And if that wasn't enough of prove for his lack of interest in her, then her job as the pack's cleaner should be enough for them to know just how important she is exactly for him.

Though she couldn't say the exact same thing for herself.  As she walked inside the kitchen, her gaze fell on Carter who was sitting at the head of the table sipping on his coffee, her heart gave an excited leap at his sight. And Thalia couldn't help but drink in the sight of him calming sitting there and drinking his coffee, sometimes she couldn't help but wonder whether her stay at her previous pack made her develop Stockholm Syndrome. 

Or why else would her body jump to I need some quality time with this man everytime, she saw him. As if sensing her gaze, Carter looked up, his chocolaty honey like eyes scanned her from head to toe and Thalia melted. This was one of the very annoying things when you were attracted to someone who was way out of her league. 

Carter was gorgeous, strong with a wolf that could be called both ruthless and dominant and he was the Alpha of this pack if he wanted he could have just any woman in the pack so why would he look at her, who was shy, timid with ugly curse markings all over her body? Thalia had nothing to offer so it was better to keep a low profile in case Carter's switch flips off again and he almost chokes her to death once again. 

She still hasn't forgotten how cruelly he suffocated her on their first meeting, she was knocked unconscious by the lack of oxygen and when she woke up, she was brought to this pack. 

So Thalia hurriedly lowered her head and nodded at Carter, she knew that he didn't like her bothering him or even coming close to him, so she didn't dare to look at him anymore.  She knew that she couldn't get entangled with him, because all he would ever give her was a lifetime of regret and heart ache. 

" bad night?" asked Kim, the submissive of the pack, she waved at Thalia when the latter rounded around the table and walked closer to her, Kim, was just like her a complete outcast by the pack for being a submissive wolf. So the two being the outcasts they were, somehow bonded with each other.

“ It was fine,” said Thalia with a small smile, she and Kim couldn't eat at the dining table, not because it wasn't allowed but because neither of them wanted to risk it. Thalia didn't want to give Carter a chance to finish off what he couldn't two months ago,  she didn't know what he didn't kill her back then but then again she didn't want him to give a blatant reminder like ‘ Hey, I'm still alive and well, so if you want, you can kill me anything you want. 

So, Thalia didn't dare to eat at the main kitchen and Kim who was responsible for cooking their meals would sometimes eat in the kitchen or with her in her room. 

“ if it hurts too much you can refuse, you know,” said Kim as she ladled some spaghetti and meatballs on Thalia’s plate, pointing at Thalia’s bandaged wrist “ they can't force you to give you blood right?”

Thalia smiled but said nothing, last night their pack was attacked by someone and many wolves were injured, because of this Thalia had to offer her blood to heal those wolves, in case they died of severe injuries. She knew that Kim was worried about her but Thalia knew her reality, she was an orphan and had nowhere to go, Carter’s pack was her only home and she couldn't risk losing her importance, in case the past repeats itself. If it did, where will she go? 

“ I will be fine, I heal really fast,” said Thalia picking up her plate as she walked around the kitchen counter to leave the kitchen but just as she walked past the dining table she felt someone stretching out their legs to trip her and -

BANG! 

Her lunch splattered on her head, spaghetti and meatballs stuck to her hair and shirt, making a mess. Thalia wiped her face and cleaned the spaghetti that was sticking on her face before she looked up at the culprit who tripped her - 

Red hair with fake boobs that were too hard to even bounce, and pouty lips that closely resembled a duck, Scarlett.

“ oopsie,” said Scarlett as she shrugged her shoulders and then burst out laughing with her friends, Thalia who was crouching on the floor clenched her fists, she wanted to dump Scarlett’s lunch on her head just like she did it to her but then a sudden sharp pain throbbed her head and Thalia flinched it was happening again.

A vision, though she couldn't see the future because of her curse that bounded her, her powers were still there and because of this curse, it only made her powers rebound back on her each time she got a vision. She couldn't see the vision but would instead feel excruciating pain in her body as the cursed script engraved in her skin would start burning.

Thalia didn't want anyone to see her when she was so weak and vulnerable and rushed out of the room. Not stopping even when Kim called her, she ran until she reached the clearing away from the pack hall and only when she knew she was alone, did she let her guard down and crouched on the grass-covered ground. Fists tightly clenched the grass blades as sweat trickled down her forehead, Thalia pursed her lips, not letting the screams lodged in her throat escape and waited for the vision that was blocked by her curse to pass.

She didn't know how long it took but by the time the pain stopped her entire body was covered  in sweat and she was lying flat on her back. 

When she stood back up, the first thing she saw was Kim and Alex’s silhouettes. Kim was blocked by Alex, Carter brother who was the Alpha of his territory. Though Alex was Carter’s brother, the two of them couldn't stay together as their dominant Alpha vibes would clash with each other but even though their vibes clashed, sometimes Alex would come to see Carter. 

And whenever he came it was living hell for Kim whom he disliked for some reason.

Kim was standing on the outskirts and yelling as she tried to walk past Alex, she seemed upset and close to tears yet Alex wouldn't let her go. Then he snatched Kim’s spectacles and trips her by sticking his foot out, Kim was the best in everything but her eyes - Thalia’s heart clenched as she ran to Kim, she knew that the reason Kim was here was because of her, she must have followed her because she was about her.

“ Leave her alone “ she shouted helping Kim up, her body shuddered when Alex turned his Alpha vibes on her.

“ Oh look it's the latent,” said Alex taunting her   for her weakness of not being able to shift, then he paused before he turned back and looked at the New arrival with a grin “ oh brother,  this little toy of yours seems quite untamed want me to take care of her?”

Thalia’s breathing hitched as both her daydream and nightmare sauntered towards them. 

“ you go and wait for me in the pack office and leave Kim alone “ said Carter softly, his voice mixed with huskiness  , then he turned to her and his eyes sharpened before snapping his fingers  “ and you follow me to my personal office”

Thalia inwardly groaned, she knew that she was in a problem because the devil always used this voice to entice his lure his victims. 

But even though she was scared she still walked behind Carter, following him all the way to his office.

“ I seemed to have told you that it would be best for you to stay silent and leave like you are dead in this pack didn't I?” said Carter as soon as they reached his office and the door to his office closed behind her.

Thalia who wasn't prepared retreated back when Carter abruptly walked in her personal space. He was so close that she could make out the small mole at the corner of his upper lips.

Startled, Thalia retreated as far as she could but then her back hit the wall of the office and Carter pinned her against the wall. She was imprisoned by him just like that.

“ Carter, I didn't mean anything-” she started to speak but then he extended his hand and placed a finger on her lips. 

“ shh darling, just answer my question, did I or did I not ask you to stay put?”

Darling, this was her nickname that Carter used but more like an adorable synonymous it was a form of intimidation and bullying. He used it when he wanted to dominate her into giving in.

She raised her head and answered “ yes” nothing more nothing less, though her nerves were tingling with anticipation she didn't show it. Never before Thalia had felt such powerful and intoxicating drawn towards another person.  

Carter raised his eyebrows at her sudden defiant tone “ are we getting rebellious now, darling?”

Then before Thalia could say anything his hand trailed down her markings and swiped something off her chest - Blood. She forgot that when  she got a vision she would bleed. Because she was worried about Kim, she completely forgot to clean her blood.

Carter put his finger with her blood in her mouth and sucked and seriously the sexual tension that danced between them was so intense then and there that Thalia’s knees nearly buckled. 

Carter’s dark eyes glinted with something unreadable “ you seem to have fucked up, darling”

“ what?”

“ you think you can talk to me with that bratty snotty tone when I'm your Alpha? Do you think I would let this go?”

Then Carter stretched his hand and unbuttoned the first button of her shirt, Thalia was shocked. So shocked that she stared at him with parted lips unable to speak anything. It wasn't until he reached for the third button of her shirt did she woke up from her daze “ what are you doing !”

He paused, tilting his head to the side as ge leaned closer “ Wrong, in this situation...what do you think you should do now, Darling?”