CHAPTER 2

AVA'S POV

“Mate?” Zach repeated, confusion written all over his face as he stared at me. That single word, the only thing he had said all night, left me even more confused.

How could I be mated to Zach Storm? The only son of the renowned beta of this pack, and me—a nobody. At that moment, I didn’t know whether to feel excited at the thought of being mated to the most popular guy in school or terrified by the look Vanessa was giving me. It was as if I had committed a crime.

“There’s no way!” Tracy shouted, looking horrified. “That’s disgusting, Zach. How can you be mated to her?”

Zach said nothing, just kept his eyes fixed on me as he slowly rose to his feet and began walking in my direction. Fear took over me instantly. What was he going to do? Surely, he wouldn’t break the bond—finding a mate was rare, and everyone wanted one—but still, what was he planning?

“Zach, this is ridiculous. She’s disgusting!” Vanessa intervened, jumping to her feet and hurrying toward him, trying to get his attention. “There’s no way you are seriously okay with being mated to her.”

“Just shut up, Vanessa. You never know when to be quiet, do you?” Zach snapped, stunning everyone. Vanessa took a step back, shocked by his glare.

“What?” she said, baffled, before scoffing and crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you just tell me to be quiet? For that thing?” But he ignored her, keeping his eyes locked on me. I lowered my gaze, unable to withstand the seriousness of his stare.

What kind of twisted game was the Moon Goddess playing with me, and why choose today, of all days, for this? 

“Raise your head,” I heard Zach say, his voice soft yet firm with command. I swallowed hard and lifted my head to meet his eyes.

My heart skipped a beat, having him so close. I had only ever watched him from a distance, so being near him now brought strange, indescribable feelings. “The more I look at you…” he trailed off, and I felt my heartbeat quicken in nervousness. “The more I think the Moon Goddess must be crazy.”

What? His words sank in, confusion filling my mind. “Making you my mate? What was she thinking?” Zach continued, and in that moment, I felt my heart clench painfully, tears stinging my eyes.

I glanced back at Vanessa and her friends, all barely holding back laughter, their faces smug. Zach looked at me with disgust before turning away. “Imagine the Moon Goddess telling me *that* is my mate and expecting me to just accept it. What the hell?” he muttered, bewildered. I wished the ground would swallow me up right then.

He turned back, his gaze mocking. “What is this thing I am supposed to be mated to? Her wolf smells just as pathetic as she is,” he sneered. But he didn’t stop there. He pulled out a wad of cash, tossing it directly in my face. “Come on now, stripper. Get naked and dance for us—I just paid you more than you are worth.”

Tears slid down my cheeks, but they were nothing compared to the pain tearing through me. If this was a heartbreak, it was unbearable. I never wanted to feel anything like this again. 

“Come on, Ava, you heard him,” Vanessa said, walking towards me with a smirk. She tried to yank my coat off to expose what I wore underneath, but I struggled against her. She immediately got angry, and slapped me hard, making me stumble to the ground. I held my stinging cheek, consumed by both sadness and humiliation.

The tears kept flowing. The hierarchy in the pack left me powerless, giving people like them the freedom to treat me however they wanted. 

“Look at me,” Zach commanded. I didn’t want to, but his voice grew colder and more intimidating. “*Look at me!*”

With shaky hands, I slowly looked up at him. Zach bent down to my level, his gaze locked onto mine. Then suddenly, he grabbed me by the hair, pulling so hard that I winced in pain. His voice was filled with hatred as he spat, “You don’t even measure up to a bug in my world, so you thinking you can be my mate is beyond ridiculous.” 

Then came the final blow: “I, Zach Storm, reject you as my mate.”

My heart shattered instantly as he said those words. A sharp, piercing pain tore through my chest, so intense I could barely breathe. That was it—I was done. Without caring about anyone or anything, I rose shakily to my feet and stumbled out of the room, the laughter of my tormentors ringing in my ears.

I left the club and broke down, crying so hard it felt like my eyes might burst from the tears. “What is this pain?” I whispered, struggling to understand the crushing ache in my chest. Was this what breaking a mate bond felt like? It was unbearable, like I was going to die.

Going home wasn’t an option that night. Instead, I found a nearby alley and curled up there, letting the night pass with nothing but tears.

When morning finally came, I forced myself to go home. But as soon as I walked through the door, a slap across my face greeted me. I met my stepmother’s furious gaze with a glare of my own, anger stirring beneath the hurt. My attitude only seemed to fuel her rage.

“Look at me like that again, and I’ll rip those eyes out,” she threatened. My fists clenched at my sides, the urge to hit her flaring up, but I held myself back.

She sneered as she said, “Do you know how much those people paid to have you perform privately? And you ruined it. Do you think I would be able to get that kind of money if I decided to wake up one day and just sell you?” 

She took a deep breath, her gaze hardening as she said, “I don’t have time for you today. Go clean up, and by tonight, you will be going to her house to finish what you couldn’t yesterday.”

“But I don’t want to…” I began, my voice shaking.

“You don’t have a choice!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the house. “I am this close to putting you on the streets where you belong, so you better straighten up.” Her eyes ran up and down me, full of hatred. “Now get out of my sight.” I said nothing, just glared at her before walking past.

Up in my room, I decided I was done with tears. Exhausted from staying out all night, I soon drifted off to sleep. But the peace didn’t last long—my stepmother's knock on the door woke me, reminding me it was time to go back to that life she forced on me.

I couldn’t do this anymore. I needed to find a way to escape, at least long enough to gather some money and make a plan. The thought of facing Vanessa again, and this time in her home, filled me with dread. What could she possibly have in store for me?

The taxi finally pulled up to the address I was given. I stepped out cautiously, my heart racing with fear. I had never been to this part of the city before, where only the rich and influential of the pack lived—naturally, Vanessa’s territory. 

I reached the massive mansion, knocking gently on the door. Seconds later, it swung open, revealing Vanessa’s smiling face. “Oh my, I didn’t think you would actually come. Please, come in,” she said sweetly.

I swallowed hard, clenching my fists as I entered. I knew she was the Alpha’s daughter, and provoking her could ruin my future, but I couldn’t help shooting her a glare.

As I stared at the mansion’s grand interior, I couldn’t hide my amazement; everything looked pristine and extravagant. Vanessa smiled at me, her eyes glinting with malice. “Today, we are going to have even more fun than yesterday. Are you excited? Because I am,” she said, laughing as she led the way. I followed, knowing her idea of fun meant more torment for me.

The music grew louder as we walked deeper into the house. Neon lights hit my face as we stepped into the backyard, where a massive pool party was in full swing. Nearly everyone from our class was there. My eyes scanned the crowd, landing on Zach, who was seated with a girl perched on his lap. They were deep in a kiss, and for a moment, I felt nothing but pure heartbreak and maybe disgust. I quickly looked away.

What the heck was she planning? I wondered, watching Vanessa head over to the DJ, whisper something in his ear. The music stopped abruptly. Vanessa took the mic and began, "Thank you all for coming to my birthday party tonight..."

Wait. Birthday party? Tonight was also Vanessa's birthday?

"And I want you all to meet Ava. I am sure you all know her—our very own stripper," Vanessa continued, her voice  one of pure amusement. "And as my birthday gift, she's agreed to give us all a private show tonight. So, is everyone excited? Because I know I am."

Cheers erupted, and the crowd began chanting, "Strip, strip, strip!" I shot a glare at Vanessa, who smirked back at me, clearly proud of herself. 

There was no way I was going to get naked in front of all these people. Absolutely not. "Come on, Ava, give us some entertainment! If you want, we can pay you," Vanessa said, her comment making the crowd laugh. Anger ran through me as I clenched my fists. There was no way I would let myself be humiliated like this.

Phones were already out, cameras pointed at me, recording as if they were all waiting for me to give in. Vanessa strode toward me, mic in hand. "What are you waiting for? I paid you for this. Get to work," she said, her voice cold.

"I'm not doing this," I replied, shaking my head. "You can't make me."

"Oh yes, I can!" She snapped her fingers, signaling to someone behind me. Before I could react, two large men grabbed me, holding me firmly as I struggled against their grip. Vanessa walked closer, an evil glint in her eyes, reaching as if to tear my clothes away.

At that moment, something snapped inside me. Enough was enough. I kicked Vanessa, hard, sending her tumbling backward into the pool. I stomped on one of the men’s feet, making him release my left arm, and swung at the other, landing a punch to his face. He let go too, stumbling back in surprise.

I felt intense pain in my fist, but I couldn’t worry about that now. I needed to get out of there, fast. "Get her!" Vanessa's voice screamed from the pool, but I took off, not daring to look back.

There would be consequences, but I would rather face them later than strip for an audience of phones and gawking eyes. I sprinted through the mansion, yanking open the door and darting outside, glancing over my shoulder to see the guards on my heels. I turned back around just as—

Thud. I collided with something solid, falling to the ground with a groan. "Ouch..." I muttered, rubbing my temples. When I looked up, I froze. Three pairs of eyes stared down at me, their expressions cold and unreadable, as though they were studying me.

My heart stopped. I didn’t know why, but there was something about them. My wolf stirred inside me, that familiar, indescribable feeling taking over me.

"All three of them," my wolf spoke suddenly.

All three of them what? I asked, confused.

"All three of them are our mates.”