Chapter 3

SELENE WOLFE POV

The next day dawned with a heaviness that settled in my chest. It was a feeling of emptiness and sorrow that refused to release its grip on me. The pain of Damon's rejection still echoed through my heart, and it felt like an open wound that refused to heal.

I made my way to the kitchen, my steps heavy, my eyes swollen from crying throughout the night. The pack members went about their business, their interactions filled with laughter and camaraderie. To them, I was invisible, a mere shadow in their world.

I knew that life would continue, with or without me. But for me, it was a day filled with renewed torment and humiliation. The pack, emboldened by Damon's harsh rejection, seemed eager to exploit my vulnerability.

My brothers, Xander and Xavier, had always taken delight in my misery, and today was no different. They cornered me in the kitchen, their expressions twisted with malice. "Did you have a good cry over your mate's rejection, Selene?" Xander taunted, his voice

dripping with mockery.

I tried to ignore them, to keep my focus on the chores at hand, but their words cut deep, and my trembling hands betrayed my emotions. Xavier chimed in with a sneer, "She probably cried herself to sleep, the pathetic Omega." Tears welled up in my eyes, and I clenched my fists, my knuckles white. I refused to let them

see my pain, my vulnerability.

But my brothers had an uncanny ability to unearth the rawest of emotions within me. I muttered a weak response, "Leave me alone, please." They only laughed, their taunts growing harsher. "You know, Selene, it's a wonder anyone would want you as a mate," Xander mused.

"Who would want a girl with puffy, red eyes and

a heartbreak that's written all over her face?" Xavier added, "It's no wonder that your mate rejected you. You're just not worthy of anyone's love."

Their cruel words struck me like a battering ram, each syllable another blow to my already broken spirit. I couldn't bear to look at them, to see the satisfaction in their eyes as they tore me apart. "Stop," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Please, just stop." But they didn't stop. They reveled in my anguish, their laughter ringing in my ears. Today was the day they'd been waiting for, the day they could heap even more abuse on their weak

and vulnerable sister.

Xander's face contorted into a menacing grin. "You know, Selene, you're nothing but a disappointment to the family. We'd be better off without you." My eyes stung with fresh tears, and I felt my heart shatter all over again. The bond with Damon had been severed, but the emotional bonds with my brothers were still painfully intact.

I turned and fled from the kitchen, escaping their torment for the moment. But there was no escaping the reality of my existence. I was alone, unwanted, and unloved. The heartbreak from Damon's rejection had only intensified the relentless abuse I endured from those who were supposed to be my family.

I couldn't take the torment any longer. The pain of Damon's rejection, coupled with the relentless abuse from my own family, had become unbearable. It was a suffocating darkness that threatened to consume me, and I knew I had to escape.

I packed my few belongings into a small bag, my hands trembling with a mixture of fear and determination. The letter I wrote was a confession of my vulnerability, a plea for understanding that I doubted would ever be heeded.

The words flowed from my heart onto the paper, my tears blurring the ink as I put my

innermost feelings into words:

"To those who may care, I can't bear it any longer. The pain is too much, the torment too relentless. The rejection from my mate, Damon, has shattered me, and I can't find solace in this world any longer. I've always been the weak one, the Omega who was a disappointment to my family. I endured the abuse, the taunts, and the humiliation, but now it's become unbearable. I'm not strong enough to continue living this way. I never asked for any of this. I never asked to be wolfless, to be rejected by the one person who was supposed to love and protect me. But now, the bond is severed, and I'm left with nothing but a broken heart. I need to find a place where I can heal, where I can be myself without fear of judgment or cruelty. Maybe there's a pack out there that will accept me for who I am, Omega or not. I'm leaving, and I don't know if I'll ever return. But please know that I'm not doing this out of spite or anger. I'm doing it for my own survival, for a chance to find some semblance of happiness. To Damon, my mate, I'll always carry the pain of your rejection with me. I loved you, and I still do, but I can't stay where I'm not wanted.

Goodbye,

Selene"

With the letter placed on my bed, I shouldered my bag and took one last look at the room that had been both my sanctuary and my prison. Then, with a heavy heart, I left the pack house behind, no one noticed, no one cared. New York City, a sprawling metropolis of towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, welcomed me with its cacophony of sounds and its overwhelming anonymity.

I had escaped the suffocating grasp of my past life, but in this vast city, I was just another face in the crowd. The city's relentless energy coursed through my veins, pushing me forward, but I had no destination in mind. I navigated the streets aimlessly, my eyes wide

with wonder at the towering buildings and the rush of people.

And for the first time in a long while, I felt a glimmer of freedom. But that freedom was tinged with uncertainty. I was alone in a city that never slept, and I had no idea where I was going or what I was searching for. But I knew I was going to survive.