Chapter 3

Kayla woke up with a start.

Something was very very wrong. And she could tell, even as she leaped off the bed in confusion as she wondered what it was.

Her head felt like someone was hammering away at it, and for a moment, she forced herself to close her eyes and try to remain calm as she regained her composure. Perhaps it hadn’t been a great idea to jump off the bed like that, even for a werewolf.

Just how much had she had to drink last night? She could remember Bella cajoling her to drink shot after shot of the dreaded golden liquid and wished she hadn’t agreed.

Fuck.

As soon as her thudding head calmed down to an extent, she slowly opened her eyes and turned to the bed, intent on searching for her phone, when she saw something that almost sent her heart flying out of her mouth.

Kayla stood in absolute shock and horror, staring at the figure that lay on the bed, as her heart began to this loudly.

What was going on?

Who was that?

Why was he naked?

Why was he on her bed?

So many questions rushed through her head as she tried to get a grasp of what was going on. At the same time, she found that she was too shocked to move or speak as she searched her memory for how this had gone to be.

The man in question, lay sleeping, unaware of what was happening in the room.

By the time Kayla could move her legs to take the first step, she was visibly shaking from emotions she could place.

What was going on?

How? Just how?

She was naked too…

With shaky legs, Kayla walked back to her side of the bed, not even knowing what she was doing, but hoping that it was all a dream…a nightmare that she was going to wake up from.

She heard the footsteps before the door was flung open, and turned just in time to see Dean standing in the entrance with a look on his face that she couldn’t place.

He wasn’t even looking at her but was looking straight at the man who was still sleeping next to her on the bed.

Kayla followed his gaze and felt something die right inside of her at that instant.

His could she even explain to him, if she didn’t know what had happened or what was even going on?

The look on Dean’s face pinned her right in the spot as he finally turned to look at her. “Kayla….what the heck is this?” He asked in a voice that was much too calm. So calm that she could feel the ice in it.

Kayla opened her mouth to say something, but even words failed her, as nothing came out.

The man finally stirred and awoke, just did him to turn to her with a smile. “Hello, sunshine. I hope you had a good night's rest after last night?” He asked, his eyes flashing gold, as he raked them over her body, which was still exposed.

She felt sick.

So sick, that everything felt blurry as she felt the cold hands of darkness start to drag at her.

It was a dream. A nightmare.

She hadn’t gone to bed with another man, on the eve of her wedding. And she surely hadn’t woken up naked next to him.

Dean hadn’t come and hadn’t looked at her like he was going to kill her.

It was a nightmare.

It had to be a nightmare.

Those were the thoughts that floated through her mind as the images became so blurry she couldn’t even make out any shape. Kayla felt the soft mattress under her as she collapsed and succumbed to the darkness.

~

“Dean…I..” Kayla tried, but let her voice trail away as the man she loved, looked at her in utter disgust and anger.

The truth was, she couldn’t even explain what had happened. All she could remember was the fact that she had taken so many drinks that the seat of the night would forever be missing from her memory.

Had she drunk so much that she had lost her sense of dignity and followed a man to his bed? Well, her bed in this case?

Where had Bella been? What the fuck had happened in that bar?

How did this even happen to her?

Just when she had thought that she was finally going to be happy and living her dream.

And Dean didn’t even look like he was going to believe a word she said. So she kept quiet and waited for what she knew was coming.

“I, Dean McHoward, reject you, Kayla Dawson, as my mate. I hate you, Kayla. You have betrayed me in the worst way possible, and I don’t ever want to see your face again.” Dean spat. “You are dead to me!” His face was full of rage, and his eyes filled with tears, as he looked at Kayla, who just stared at him blankly, waiting for the pain that was going to come.

She had awoken to face what she considered her worst nightmare yet. If she had been thinking what had happened that morning was a dream, she sure as hell wasn’t thinking that anymore as she had opened her eyes to see her whole family looking at her with disapproval, anger, and shame.

She had turned to her father, who had quickly stepped away and turned his face away from her. Her mother hadn’t even looked at her at all and had just stood at the door. But Kayla coukk lol e see the anger radiating from her.

Bella on the other hand, had cowered behind Dean, looking…confused, but had not uttered a word as Dean has continued to demand an explanation.

But how could she explain what she didn’t even have an idea about?

The man had somehow disappeared. And Kayla couldn’t help but feel like she knew where he was.

She closed her eyes as the pain racked through her body, and she could feel the mating bond tear into pieces.

Kayla screamed in pain as her eyes burned and her skin felt like it was peeling off. But the pain wasn’t compared to what she felt in her heart as it shattered and broke into tiny pieces.

Never in her twenty-two years, did she think that her life was going to end up this way. It was rare that something like this happened in her pack, and the fact that she was the Alpha’s daughter, made it worse.

While people were outside, preparing for a marriage that wasn’t going to happen, she was being subjected to the worst kind of pain ever.

Once again, Kayla felt the cold hands of darkness, pull at her, pushing her under.

And once again, she welcomed it.

Only this time, she knew that what had happened wasn’t a dream, but a reality that was worse than a nightmare…

What had she done?

~

He couldn’t go.

He had failed woefully to put on his usual mask of nonchalance and join his brothers on their trip to the wedding.

Oliver let his clothes fall off his body as he stared at the completely open window of his bedroom, already anticipating his run.

His room faced the woods, and although it was on the top floor, Oliver had no problem jumping off the window and burrowing into the woods whenever he needed to.

Once he was completely naked, he rubbed his wrist and leaped off the window, feeling his joints give as they changed shape and let his wolf take over.

He landed smoothly on the ground, already shifted, and then made his way into the woods.

Lucas had noticed his mood once it was time to leave and had dragged Damon with him, telling Oliver to stay back. He had also promised to come up with an excuse for his absence at the wedding.

Although Oliver didn’t see the need for an explanation for his absence, he had said nothing as he had been grateful that his brother was being considerate.

His wolf glided over the ground, hardly making any sound as he ran the trail he knew like the back of his palm.

Fuck!

He hadn’t wanted to go did that damn marriage in the first place. The thought of going to weddings left a sick feeling in his stomach, but Lucas had insisted.

Oliver came to a stop just by a tree, catching his breath as he looked around his surroundings.

For a while now, the rogues in the areas had increased, leaving him no choice, but to form alliances with neighboring packs.

So far, he had reached an agreement with two packs, with three left, including the very pack Lucas was headed to.

Left to Oliver, he would have continued to dwell in the shadows, knowing fully well that he could handle whatever came their way. But when they had gotten the first and second cries for help, he had finally bulged and agreed to form the alliance, to protect the other packs as they surrounded him, and if anything were to happen to them, it would leave them a little bit vulnerable in terms of entry and exit from the pack settlement.

Oliver was still deep in thought when he heard a rustle and a distressed moon that instantly clawed at his insides.

He tended, putting his head down and taking a stance as he tried to determine where it had come from.

For some reason, he felt a little bit cold, which was weird. Even when faced with the deadliest of enemies, he never felt fear.

His ears peaked as soon as he heard the sound again. And this time, he was sure of the direction, and the fact that it was a woman.

With the situation with rogues in the woods, Oliver didn’t want to think about how much danger she was in, as he made his way towards her, hoping he wasn’t going to regret it.

But if only he knew….

~

Kayla felt weak.

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe as humiliation washed over her, over and over again.

Kayla Dawson. The first daughter of the Alpha of River Crescent pack was found in bed with another man, in her room, just a few hours before her wedding.

A pained laugh left her liii o s as she imagined how the news was going to spread like wildfire once one person got wind of it.

It only took one person to say it to another, and then her name would be on every lip in the pack and beyond.

Hah!

Another bolt of pain racked through her, making her jerk and bring her hand to her chest. She had thought that being rejected only hurt that time, and then it was over.

But no, she had been in a lot of pain, even after Dean had walked away with her whole family. Bella had made a move to walk into the room, but their mother had quickly dragged her out, and away from the room.

There had so much guilt in her sister’s eyes, that for a moment, she had thought Bella would let go of their mother’s arm to run back to her. But she had just watched as her sister’s shoulders had fallen in defeat, as she walked out with her mother.

Unable to bear the pain anymore, Kayla let herself shift, and bolted out through the window and into the woods.

All she wanted was to get away from the tightness and sorrow she was feeling. She needed the pain to stop. She needed the tears to stop.

An hour later, she was still running through the woods, oblivious of the world around her, and the fact she was going deep into a territory that she shouldn’t be.

But all rational thoughts had left her a long time ago. Now though, the pain was subsiding somewhat, and she knew it was only a matter of time till she felt completely numb.

Even her wolf was starting to get tired, but Kayla continued, gliding through the woods with just one thought in her head.

She needed the pain to go away.

The feel of a strong paw connecting with her jaw so powerfully, that she was thrown to the side, was what stopped Kayla. Pain shot through her face as she tried to get up and look at where the punch had come from, but she was too weak.

Fuck!

She should have listened to her wolf and stopped when she had been asked to stop.

With the last strength she had, she lifted her head and gasped when she saw the haggard-looking wolf that stood a few feet away from her. Her senses were alert enough for her to know that he stank.

Rogue.

Shit!

Where was she? Where was this place?

Kayla tried to get up, but was immediately subdued by another presence from behind, and immediately felt something connected with the back of her head. She cried out in pain, her vision going blurry.

Surely she was going to die?

As if she hadn’t been through enough already. Maybe death was the best option.

As the world began to spin around her, and her eyes closed, she felt a very strong presence that was way different from the energy of the two rogues that were close to her.

This presence felt different….divine…pure. But she was too weak to think about it or even see.

But the next thing she heard before her vision went completely black, made her believe once again, that she was dreaming.

“Mate!” A powerful voice echoed.

Dean…..he had come to save her…

Kayla felt a smile play on her lips as she went under, happy that her mate had forgiven her after all and had come to save her and take her back.

Dean….her love, and mate.