4

Kit’s POV

I should move.

Right?

Or maybe not.

Maybe I should just stay right here and never move again.

It feels weird to be lying on this plush, over-sized bed that is apparently mine for the unforeseeable future.

Inside the very packhouse that I used to scrub the toilets of.

Which would have been cool.

Would have been a dream come true for me...seven years ago.

But now…now as I lay here staring at the revolving ceiling fan above me, all I want is to get the hell out of here.

To be magically transported back to my twin-sized bed in my tiny studio apartment.

Away from the humiliation of my past.

For crying out loud, I am living under the same roof as the man who fate literally wanted me to be with, was destined to be with, was made to be the other half of me, but he rejected me. He didn’t want me. Didn’t think that I was good enough for him.

And now he’s single again.

Actually, Colin didn’t say that Tate was single, just that Sarah was gone.

But with Sarah gone…

Oh, fuck that.

I’m not even going there.

Besides, I don’t want a man who rejected me.

Sitting up with a long sigh, I look around the room again.

It’s big, just as Colin said it would be.

The attached private bathroom is like something out of a design magazine.

As much as I hated the beautiful, popular, mate stealing Sarah, I must admit, reluctantly, that she had good taste.

There’s even a door in this room to the large balcony, overlooking the back lawn.

I used to think how cool it would be to have a room with a balcony.

Especially on those mornings where I would catch the Luna, in her silky blue robe, having her coffee in her lounger, her feet tucked under her as she read a magazine.

It looked so fancy. Like something from a fairy tale.

Sliding off the bed with a groan, as if it was effortful, I walk over to the balcony door and pull it open, hesitating before poking my head out to make sure that no one will see me.

Seeing that the coast is clear, I step out and inhale the fresh air.

This is nice.

Biting my lip to prevent myself from smiling, I step closer to the freshly painted railing and lean over it to look out over the spacious lawn that ends with the thick woods surrounding the territory.

I can’t help thinking about Cami.

We’ve practically been attached at the hip since our parents died, especially since we left here all those years ago.

And it feels like I lost her today.

Lost her to Jody of all people.

But maybe he’s like Colin, matured since he was a teenager.

Propping my chin into my palm, I take another deep breath.

And freeze.

Fuck.

It’s him.

Dropping to the ground, I peer between the thick railings as a tall figure marches out onto the grounds, followed by another man that I instantly recognize as Colin.

Damn.

Look at him.

Tate, or Alpha Tate now, has grown several inches taller, his broad shoulders even wider, his biceps are large, bulging…and his dark hair that he used to keep longer is cut a lot shorter, pushed up and sideways in the front as if he runs his hands through it a lot.

An image of him in biology class, his hand gripping his hair as he frowns at his paper pops in my head.

That’s probably why his hair is like that.

Maybe he’s been stressing since Sarah left.

Shaking off that thought, I push my face against the railing to see better.

Wow.

Look at his scruffy facial hair. That’s new.

And sexy.

Ugh.

Why couldn’t he have gotten fat and ugly?

It seems only fair.

He lifts his hand, his biceps flexing against his fitted t-shirt sleeve, and grips the front of his hair, his eyebrows pulled together.

Colin seems to be trying to explain something to him.

He points over his shoulder in my direction and Alpha Tate’s eyes follow the movement.

Fuck!

Pulling my head back, my hands crossed over my chest, I do the only thing that I can think of to hide, which is to roll myself backward, away from the railing of the balcony, keeping myself straight up and down as I roll over and over until I feel myself touch the door and army crawl inside, using my feet to close the door.

Staying low, I twist around and grab the curtain, tugging roughly on it until it hides the glass door behind it.

Throwing myself flat on my back on my new bedroom floor, panting, I feel a cool sweat covering my body.

Shit. Shit shit shit!

Did he see me?

Oh my god.

Oh my god!

Ugh, I need Cami!

Usually when I get all worked up like this, she gives me a tight hug and tells me everything is going to be okay in that soft, sweet voice of hers.

But she’s Jody’s comforter now, not mine.

She doesn’t have time for me.

Groaning, I throw my hands over my face.

I need to get out of this place before I completely humiliate myself.

Again.

My phone pings and I crawl on my knees to grab it off the bed, throwing myself on the ground again as I hold it up.

It’s from Colin.

You okay up there?

No.

They saw me?

They saw me!

Well, I think the only thing left for me to do right now is to just go ahead and die from humiliation.

Closing my eyes, I lay my hands over my chest like they do in caskets and wait…

Opening one eye, I sigh.

Okay.

Maybe I can’t physically die from humiliation.

But if one could, I would be dead right now.

My phone pings again.

Do I even want to read it?

Rolling my eyes, I lift it in front of me again.

Alpha Tate said that you can be excused from training today.

My chest feels all tight and a weird noise burst from my mouth, which I cover with my hand, feeling shocked…

But here it comes again.

Why am I laughing?

Oh, maybe because Alpha Tate just saw me rolling like a bowling pin on the balcony and decided that the crazy girl doesn’t need to go to training after all.

Clutching my side, I can’t stop laughing, tears sliding down my cheeks as I roll over onto my stomach.

Well. That was unexpected.

Using my tank top to wipe the wetness off my cheeks, I pick myself off the floor.

Honestly, I can’t be more humiliated than I have been already, so might as well just accept it and move on.

At the very least, I’m going to stop moping around my room.

First, I’ll take a shower. Then…well…one thing at a time.

That's the only way I'm going to survive being here with my mate who didn't want me.

Take it one step at a time.