1. Laughter

~Hazel's POV~

'His big hands were rough against my soft cheeks, but that didn't matter to me... All that mattered to me was him... Us...

I tried to have one good look at him, but the darkness around us didn't allow me to get his one look.

I know who is... What he is to me...

He doesn't need to tell... The bond between us is enough to tell my brain, heart, and body that he is my mate... My man...

I placed my hand on the back of his hand, which made tingles erupt on our skin, and slowly and steadily, I took my hand from his hand to his arms and then to his shoulder.

I slowly took my hand to his face-'

"What the heck is wrong with you, loser? That wasn't supposed to be there!"

Damn, his sharp voice will make my ear bleed!

I looked at Phillip, who was glaring at me with his sharp grey eyes and sighed. This man would never let me take a breath in peace.

If it wasn't for him paying me for the work I do, I would have used the same words and voice on him that he uses on me every single minute.

"What? Cat catch your tongue? Stop daydreaming and do your job! I am not going to give you pennies for dreaming about the things that will never happen in reality. Move your loser ass right now!" He yelled at me.

"Sure," I said with gritted teeth and turned my back on him.

I fucking want to slap him hard! Why the heck does he treat me like this? I haven't done anything to him or anything wrong on the job, so why?

"Move away, shithead. I gotta go."

I was pushed away by someone and the push was so hard that I fell on the ground with my butt hitting the surface.

Fuck... It hurts...

All of the staff present in the kitchen started laughing at me and their echoing laughter brought tears to my eyes.

"You deserve to be there..." One of the female waitresses said.

"Oh, you are already there," Another one added.

The echoing laughter of eight people in a kitchen became too much for me to handle and I found myself gasping for air with tears running down my cheeks.

I... I... I can't breathe properly...

"Here we go... Her drama started again..." Someone said but I failed to acknowledge who it was as I was running out of breath.

No...

I... I have to fight back this...

I...

I shut my eyes harder and slowly gathered the courage to stand from the ground. I grasped the doorknob tightly and before anyone could say anything to me, I ran out of the restaurant, straight into the woods opposite the shifty place where I work.

Their loud, mocking laughs were still echoing in my head, but as I kept running and my heart kept beating at a fast pace, I lost all my senses and fell to the ground.

I don't know how long I have to bear this... I don't know how long I have to suffer for no reason...

This was not my choice... I didn't choose to be this way... This was never my idea...

It was not my fault that I was born this way!

"Aah!" I screamed at the top of my lungs with tears still running down my face.

"Why I had to be this way? Why?" I yelled while looking at the sky.

Though the moon was nowhere to be seen in the sky as it was still noon, I still demanded answers from the goddess who made me live a full misery.

"Why do you have to make me a werewolf when I had no wolf? Why do you have to make me live in a pack full of werewolves when I was just an abnormal human? And to have the cherry on top, you do not want this suffering to end! Because if you wanted that, then I would have met my mate by now and at least had someone by my side but no! You like it when I suffer! You like it when people call me a disgrace for not having a wolf! You like it when I cry my eyes out and go to bed with tears in my eyes every single freaking night!"

I punched the ground beneath me hard, but a rock came in between, and I hurt my hand.

"Fuck..." I groaned while holding my hand tightly.

"What the heck is wrong with you, Haze? Stop doing this to yourself," Scarlett said while running towards me.

She quickly started examining my hand while I just sat there not knowing what to do with my life.

"I know it hurts... You are already going through a lot, Haze. Don't put yourself in more pain," She said while caressing my hand.

She wiped tears from my face and hugged me tightly. Knowing that she is the only one where I can be myself and cry my heart out, I let out all the pain and cries on her shoulder to ease the pain in my heart.

I was eight when I met Scarlett for the first time. The moment we met, we knew that this friendship would last till our last breath.

Everyone left me, including my parents, but she was the only one who stuck to my side like my shadow and savior.

My parents died in a car accident when I was ten... I wish I was with them that day because the people around me didn't let me breathe peacefully after learning that I can't shift into my wolf... That I am a werewolf without a wolf.

They turned their back on me, called me a disgrace to their kind, and did every possible thing in their power to make my life like a living hell. It was only Scarlett, who had my back and never left my side even for once.

I told her everything that happened to me in the restaurant, which made her growl in anger, and I hugged her tightly; I wish I could do the same.

"They are assholes... I promise one day they will regret saying and doing all these things to you. You deserve the world, and I know you will get all the happiness and love that you want and deserve. Just have a little patience," She said while caressing my shoulders.

"It's only you who believes this... I have lost all my hope," I said.

"Hey," She looked me straight in the eyes while holding me by my shoulders and said, "What are you? A grandma? In your sixties? No... You are just nineteen! You have plenty of time to find the one who is made for you... And..."

"And?" I scoffed after seeing a flirtatious smile on her face.

"Who knows that you might get lucky tonight? I mean, you can find your mate tonight..."

"Mate?"

"Yeah... The alpha is hosting a big party tonight, and all of his alliances are invited. Anything can happen tonight..." She said while wriggling her brows.

"Scarlett... I am serious..."

She winked at me, "I am serious too."