Chapter 4

(Harper’s POV)

I screamed again, the pain too much to bear as tears streamed down my face. I tried to pull away, but Colton held me tight as he continued to rub circles on my nub while rubbing his hard member against my back. Another wave of pleasure chased the pain around my body. Both sensations seemed to run on endless cycles as I cried out and gripped the sheets that covered us. 

“That’s it, baby girl,” Colton grunted against my ear “Ride it through,” before he grunted again and I felt warm liquid shoot up my back as he came again. He slowed to a stop as he leaned against me, panting.

I began to cry as I felt his lips graze my neck once more, and he wrapped his arms around me, whispering shushing sounds in my ear

“Why?” I cried “Why would you do that?” 

“Shhh, it’s ok,” he said. “The worst is over.” he relaxed his arms and pulled out from under me and I curled up into a ball in my bed as I heard him rustling about behind me. I saw him as he came round the other side of the bed and sat down and stroked my face.

“Sorry strawberries, but I’m not the settling down type,” and then he chuckled “But I just had to know what it would be like with my fated mate, I heard it was the best sex ever,” he looked at me and grinned “Gotta admit, they were right,”

He stood again and grabbed his jacket. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that no one knows about this, about us been fated, I mean, I really don’t need that getting out.”

“Leave me alone,” I growled, the anger seeping out. My wolf was pacing inside me. How dare he do this to me, to us? Colton turned and looked at me, his eyes shining gold, which meant his own wolf was close to the surface. 

Suddenly he was back on the bed. He pulled the covers off and grabbed me and flipped me on to my back, and captured my hand above my head with one hand. His other hand roamed down my body as I tried to struggle away. 

“Listen to me now Strawberries” he growled at me “You will respect my rank above yours and do what I say, and don’t you dare to think otherwise” he leaned down and licked the nipple of my left breast causing me to gasp, I couldn’t help the shiver of pleasure that ran through me at his touch. 

“This can work out real good for both of us” and he sucked my nipple into his mouth running his tongue round it before letting go “or it could be very painful for at least one of us” and he repeated only after he ran his tongue round, he bit down hard causing me to cry out before letting go again. Fresh tears welled up in my eyes as he grinned at me “I’m glad we have an understanding”.

Colton leaned down “Don’t worry strawberries, I’ll make sure all my buddies know how good you are, and I’m sure we can set something up again,” I whimpered as he licked my neck and he chuckled. He let go of me and jumped up as headlights shone from outside, and I heard a car pull up. Colton glanced out of the window and growled. 

“That’s my cue to leave” he winked as he rushed to the door “See you around, strawberries” and with that he was gone.

I heard the door downstairs bang shut as I pulled my covers back on me and curled back into a ball. I couldn’t believe this had happened. On my birthday of all days. Meeting your fated mate was meant to be the happiest day of your life, the day you are complete. But here I was, alone, crying and exposed in bed after the one person who was meant to love and care for me, had taken my innocence, and ripped my heart out.

The front door opened and closed again

“Harper” I heard a shout. Crap, Tommy was home “Harper, where are you?”

I heard him run up the stairs, and he burst into my room.

“Harper, what the hell!” he shouted “Why did I just see Colton fucking Stokes slipping out of the door” I pulled the covers over my head as he turned on my light. 

“Leave me alone Tommy” I whispered. I really didn’t want him seeing me crying.

“Fuck Harps, please tell me you didn’t sleep with that jerk,” he sounded angry “he’s bad news. You do not want to get messed up with that”

“Tommy, leave me alone!” I said louder, but he just ignored me.

“I thought you had more sense than that, really? I mean, I thought you were waiting for your fated mate,” I had enough. I didn’t need his judgement on top of everything, even if it was right. 

I pulled the covers off my head and screamed, “TOMMY GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM!”

He stopped ranting and looked at me in shock. “What the…?” Then a look crossed his face as he registered my tear-stained face. “Oh fuck kid, shit are you ok?” and I burst into tears again.

Tommy moved nearer, probably to hug me or something, but I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take his anger, and I certainly couldn’t take his sympathy.

“Please,” I pleaded “Tommy, just go,” I said, holding out my hand to stop him. He looked at me again and nodded sadly.

“I’ll be downstairs,” he said before leaving my room, quietly closing the door behind him. I listened as I heard him descend the stairs and took a breath. 

I moved to cover myself again, but then felt something wet behind me and remembered that Colton had expelled his stuff up my back. Now me and my bed were covered in it. It was everywhere, in my hair, down my back and all over my sheets. I felt sick at the thought of it and knew I had to get it off. I got out of bed, wincing at the pain between my legs, and glanced at the bed, which was covered in the stuff. I began to pull the bedding off and dumped it in the hamper on the landing before I went into my private bathroom and turned on the shower and set it to hot. I stepped in and spent the next half an hour scrubbing my body and my hair clean. I knew I had successfully cleaned myself within the first ten minutes, but I still felt dirty, so continued to scrub until my skin turned pink.

I finally got out of the shower and dried myself. Finding some fresh pajama’s, I dressed quickly. I went into the hallway cupboard and pulled out some fresh bedding and started to re make my bed. The whole time I was vaguely aware of the ache in my body, and the empty feeling in my heart. I felt like emotions were out of reach as I moved through the tasks in an almost automatic manner. 

It wasn’t until I finished the bed that a scent caught my attention. Sniffing the air, I smiled despite everything and turned and followed the beautiful smell of chocolate downstairs into the living room just as Tommy walked in from the kitchen with two mugs of hot chocolate. I curled up in one of the armchairs and he passed me one of the mugs with a weak smile.

“I erm….” he hesitated, and I looked at him, knowing that my face was blank “The bedding, in the hamper” he signaled upstairs “I thought it best to wash before the parents came home” he shrugged. He was right. Living in a house of werewolves basically meant that they would have smelt Colton as soon as they walked in. I nodded to him in thanks. I didn’t need my parents knowing how much of a failure I was. 

“Harp” Tommy hesitated again “I’m sorry, but I have to ask….” I shook my head as fresh tears threatened to appear again.

“Please Tommy, leave it” I said “I was just stupid, that’s all” I would rather he think I was a stupid slut than my own fated mate used me and then rejected me. He nodded again, and we lapsed into silence.

“Why did you come home?” I asked all of a sudden. I looked at the clock on the wall and it was only 10pm. Tommy was a big party guy. There was no way he should be home already.

He shook his head “I noticed you were missing and Katie said she hadn’t seen you for a while, then I heard how Colton had bagged a girl” he looked uncomfortable at that last bit “I suddenly got a bad feeling, and well I hoped I was wrong but….” he trailed off again and I closed my eyes in shame. How could I have been so stupid?

“I swear though,” he started again, “If he tells any-” 

Just then a searing pain shot through my heart and ripped through my body. I dropped my mug of chocolate to the floor and screamed as I clutched my chest. It felt so much like the rejection had felt. 

“Fuck Harper!” I felt Tommy’s hands on me. I looked at him through the tears as the pain ripped through me once more.

“Tommy!” I cried “what’s happening to me?” I fell to the floor and started rolling around. I wanted to claw my heart out of my body. I vaguely felt Tommy pulling me onto his knees and heard him swear before “Shit Harp, you’re burning up” then everything stopped and only the echo of pain ran through my body.

“Harper?” Tommy’s voice sounded clipped and careful. I glanced up at his face and winced at the furious look that was etched into it “Harper?” he asked again “Is Colton your fated mate?” Crap, how did he figure it out “Harper, answer me” Tommy wasn’t an Alpha or named rank by any means, but the authority in his command caused me to whimper before I nodded in confirmation.

He growled, and I tried to pull away. “Then why were you crying after he left?” I shook my head. No, no, no! I didn’t want him to know how worthless I was “Harper?” he growled “did he reject you?” I burst out crying again and his face turned red.

“Please Tommy, don’t tell anyone,” I cried, but he wasn’t listening.

“That fucking bastard!” he snarled “I am going to rip him apart” 

“Tommy please” I knew if Tommy tried to go up against Colton, well, Colton was Beta blood. They were faster, stronger and more savage than regular werewolves “It was my fault, I should have been more smart”

Tommy looked at me shocked “Harper,” he said, “You are not to blame. The bastard used the sacred mate bond to manipulate you” He pulled me into a hug “It’s not your fault, kid”

Just then, another wave of pain hit me and I screamed again. Tommy tried to hold me tighter, but I scratched at him to let me go as the pain seared through my body.

“I don’t understand,” I cried. “What’s happening? Am I dying?” Why did the pain keep coming back, and it was so much worse this time? 

“I know what’s happened,” Tommy said as he held onto me. “I’m sorry kid, I can’t do anything to stop it” He started rocking me in his arms as wave after wave of pain ripped through me before it became too much and I finally dropped into blessed darkness.

*********

I woke up in my bed. My light was off but my door was open and I could hear Tommy just outside talking. It sounded like he was on the phone.

“This isn’t about you and me for fuck sake, Harper needs you, please just get here,” Silence as I guessed the other person he was talking to was speaking “Fine, then I will see you soon”

Then I heard footsteps and Tommy appeared in my room, holding a glass of water.

“Hey kid,” he said with a sad smile on his face “You need to drink” he sat on the edge of my bed and handed me the glass. I sat up and winced. My whole body hurt like I had gone ten rounds with a gorilla.

“Yeah, you are gonna be feeling pretty sore, and you’ll need more sleep,” Tommy said

“What was that, do you know?” I asked, and he nodded sadly.

“When Colton rejected you, did you accept it?” I shook my head. I was in too much shock to even think of it. 

He nodded “If you don’t accept the rejection, then you are still bonded for three full moons” he said and then looked uncomfortable “What you felt last night” I glanced at the clock as he said that and saw that it was 3am “What you felt was Colton with another woman” tears welled up in my eyes again. He had dropped me and gone and found another woman. I felt sick. 

“The thing is kid, you aren’t at full strength and you can’t just accept right now,” he said “You need to build your body back up to withstand the bond breaking completely, otherwise it could kill your wolf” I gasped, suddenly realising I had not heard from my wolf since after Colton had left. I tried searching for her, but could only find the smallest of sparks. 

“Is she gone?” I cried, and Tommy looked at me with sympathy.

“No kid, but you are gonna need rest until you’ll hear her again, and definitely no trying to shift, you understand?” I nodded in response.

The door opened downstairs, and I heard people running up the stairs seconds before Katie and Louise burst into my bedroom. Seeing them there looking concerned brought a fresh wave of sadness, and once again I burst into tears.

“Oh my gosh” Katie cried, throwing herself onto the bed and hugging me “It’s ok Harps, we are here” I felt Louise at my back as she joined in the hug and before long I was laid between them in my bed as I cried and they both whispered soothing words.

Tommy stood at the end of the bed and smiled. 

“Take care of her girls, I got something to do” he started heading out of the door when Louise called him

“Tommy?”

He turned back “Yeah?”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Tommy grinned, but even I could see the feral look in his eyes

“Sorry darling, can’t promise that,” and with that he was gone.