“You look so much more energized,” Zach says, as I leave his cabin. “Do you feel refreshed?”He looks hopeful, like he really wants me to like it here.“I do,” I say. “It’s been great. Thank you for bringing me here.”“Thank you for agreeing to come,” Zach says. “I’ve got so much to show you. You’ll love everything, I know you will.”“I’d rather just wander around on my own right now,” I reply, though it pains me to say that. Lines need to be drawn or else my heart is going to collect more bruises. “Is that okay?”“Of course,” Zach says, though he does look a little hurt by it. “Especially after seeing what you did in that fight, I think most everyone around here will be happy to answer any questions you might have or show you around.“Feel free to reach out, of course. I want you to like it here. I want you to feel comfortable here.”I want to like it here too. Though dealing with Lavender and Zach together is difficult, I don’t have anywhere else to go. So, for the rest of t
“I love you,” Zach says.I unravel.“I love you too,” Sasha replies.I can’t believe it. I knew when I saw them together. I just knew they were interested in each other. But I thought I had time. That’s why I threatened her.I thought I had time enough to stop this. I thought if I kept her away from him, I’d be able to keep my mate.Zach is my mate, but now he’s saying all these awful things to her. And I just can’t believe it. I can’t fathom it.Why?What does she have that I don’t have? How could he be so cruel to me like this?I shake with fury and pain.I plan on being the Alpha’s mate someday, no matter what I have to do to get there. I want that status. I want that power. I know I can be a good leader.I know what I need to do.*“I miss you,” Caden says. “I miss you too,” I reply.And I do. Though Zach is my mate and I’ll always want to stay with him because of his status, what Caden and I have is different. It’s hard to explain so I try not to think about i
“I love you.”When I wake up the next morning, I feel amazing. I think about the kisses and sweet exchanges. But most of all, I think about the I love yous.I love Sasha, I really do. And I’m going to prove that today. I’m going to break things off with Lavender.It won’t be easy. Mates breaking up is almost unheard of anyway, but especially not those in my kind of position.I must though. I need to be with my mate. I need to be with Sasha.“We need to talk,” I say to Lavender as soon as I’m dressed and ready. “We do,” she agrees. “There are certainly some things that we need to discuss.”“There are,” I say. I hope this means she sees what’s going on. Maybe she feels the same way I do.I’m not her mate, so maybe she feels that. Maybe she wants to find her mate too.“Let’s go to our spot by the lake,” I suggest. “Where we used to talk as friends.”“So much has changed since then,” she says.“It has, but for the better.”I don’t hate Lavender. I’m just not her mate, so I hop
“Good morning,” I say, to the first member of the pack I see. “Good morning,” she replies shakily. “Are you adjusting well?”“I think so,” I reply. “Though I guess only time will tell.”She seems uncomfortable around me. Most of the members of the pack seem uncomfortable around me. But I’ve accepted that.I’m a stranger who brings some drama with me. I’m not going to let it get to me though. I’ve decided I’m going to do my best to fit in here.Of course, that’s mostly because I love Zach.I love him with my whole heart, and he needs to be here. He’s the Beta of this pack, so I need to figure out a way to belong here as well. So, of course when I see him, it makes my whole day better.I want to kiss him right in front of everyone. I want to show the world he’s mine.“Good morning, Sasha,” he says in a rather cold demeanor.It’s difficult but it makes sense. He has to be careful as the Beta of the pack. He probably hasn’t told them about us yet. “Good morning, Zach,” I say.
“What happened?” Caden asks as he looks at me with concern.“My heart is shattered,” I admit. “Want to go grab some food?”He looks at me warily, but we grab a whole plateful of random stuff before finding a picnic table by the lake to eat on. “So, I want to know what’s been going on with you since you left,” I say.I hope that will distract me from Sasha. Having to banish her is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Even though I know I had to do it, I already miss her. I still love her. “You know, just exploring the woods,” Caden replies, as he looks down at his food.It makes sense. This conversation is probably tough for him if he felt even near the same way about Sasha as I do. Though it’s difficult to imagine that would be the case. I can’t fathom anyone loving her as much as I do, but I guess it’s possible.I guess I didn’t know her at all anyway.“I want to know what’s going on in your mind though,” Caden says. “It’s concerning, how distraught you look. I’m worried about
Water hemlock.The answer is so simple. I look at the leaves and I question what to do next.I never wanted to die before all this. But this is too much.My whole pack, my friends and family, they were all slaughtered. I was forced into this terrible situation with Tobias and his awful pack. I was terrified, fighting for my life, thinking that my new friend could die. Then, I met Zach and I thought I found my place. But I didn’t. I guess I didn’t because he’s banished me from the only place I had to go.I’m without a pack, without a mate, without anything.All of the things I once had are back at my old home, and I can’t go back there without risking my life. I doubt any other pack is going to take me in.How am I supposed to survive on my own?I’m not one to just give up, but I don’t have any other choice.I look out at the lake. At least the last view I have will be beautiful and all this hurt can end. All this drama can be done with.Everything will just stop.That’s all
“I want to start by making it up to you right away,” Zach says. “So, if you’re willing to go with me, there’s somewhere I want to take you.”Though I’m scared to get my heart broken again, I’m not scared of Zac. I know he wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt me.“Okay, I say. “I’ll go with you. Just try to be careful with my heart. I don’t want you to break it again.”“I won’t,” he vows. “I’m going to prove that to you.”He takes my hand and leads me away from the water, away from the poison. I hope I’m moving in a much more pleasant direction with him.“What are you going to do about Caden and Lavender?” I ask.“I don’t know yet,” Zach says. “What do you think I should do about them? I’ll do whatever you want. You’re the one they hurt most of all.”I think on that for a moment. “I don’t know,” I say. “But I think you should wait to cool off a little before making any big decisions.“I don’t want to come between you and your best friend, and I even worry about Lavender
“Lavender, we need to talk,” Caden says.By the way he says it, I can tell it’s going to be more difficult to get him to help me with any of this moving forward. He chose Zach and Zach didn’t choose me.When he went after her, I knew.He’s convinced she’s his mate. He’s going to replace me.Or at least, he thinks he is.I won’t allow that to happen.“I need time,” I tell Caden.I can’t look him in the eyes because I do have feelings for him. I know he has feelings for me. But he doesn’t have the same status Zach does, so it could never work. I’m too ambitious for him.“We can talk after, okay?” I say. “I just need to take a walk or something.”“Are you going after him?” Caden asks, his heart clearly broken at the thought.“No,” I tell him. “He’s running after her. Trying to stop him now would only result in him being furious at me. I’m not going to even try chasing after him.”It’s the truth. There’s no point in running after Zach right now.Caden nods.“Okay,” he says. “I
It’s a special day for us, for the whole pack. I couldn’t be more excited. Though I know there is something we must do first to move past everything. There’s something we have to do to get a good start on our life. Zach and I walk into the jailhouse together. We’re going to face this together, just like how we face everything else. We’ll stand as a united front, as we always should be.Lavender is waiting in a corner cell. We’ve made sure she’s been cared for during this time, getting adequate food and water as needed. Her life here hasn’t been comfortable, but we’ve granted her more mercy than she should’ve been given considering all of the hurt she’s caused.She looks up at us with fear on her face as we approach her. I think after staying in her for quite some time, she has realized that Zach isn’t going to come in and save her. She has to pay for her crimes.“We’ve finally decided on a fate for you,” I say, standing in front of her.“Please, don’t let her kill me,” she says t
“You need to leave,” Lavender says, trying to take control of the situation. “Right now. You came in and disrupted everything, you hurt Zach, you’ve caused so many problems in our pack.“I’m not going to let you ruin my wedding too. You need to leave.”I don’t pay attention to her though. My gaze stays on Zach.“Please, Zach,” I say, “none of this is what it looks like. I can explain. Just give me a chance.”Zach glances at Lavender, then back at me.“Okay,” he says. “I will give you a chance. Though after what happened, I’m not sure there’s much you can say to make that better.”“I know,” I reply. “And if you don’t want to talk to me after this, I understand. I’ll leave and I’ll never bother you again.“I’m sorry for what I said. I’m sorry for hurting you and embarrassing you in front of the pack. That’s why I’m doing this here now, in front of everyone. So, you can get your revenge if you want. You can reject me or you can accept me.”I start walking down the aisle towards hi
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I ask. I’m not sure if I’m asking because I’m not okay with this or because I suspect he’ll change his answer. Maybe both. I know this will hurt him. It’ll hurt me. This is all wrong, but it feels like I’m destined to be tortured like this.“I am,” Caden says, as he straightens his tie. His body is rigid though. His words are clipped. It seems like he’s struggling to hold onto his composure.“It hurts,” he admits. “It really does. But it’d hurt more to be with someone who doesn’t want to be with me. I can’t make her want to be with me.“I love Lavender, but if she can’t see it, this is for the best. I want to find someone who will love me back. And I’m starting to question if she is my mate at all. I don’t think a true mate can hurt you like that.”I nod. “I understand. That’s how I feel about Sasha. I feel it in my soul that she’s my mate, but I don’t understand how she could hurt me like that if she is. It’s all so confusing and awful.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Gretta says, as I panic. “I can fix this.”What if Zach is my mate? What if I’ve hurt him for no reason?If even half of what he says is true, this is awful. What I did to him is awful and I don’t think he’d ever forgive me.“It might not be true though, right?” I ask. “Zach still could be lying. That doesn’t mean he’s my mate. It doesn’t necessarily mean I ruined things.”“That’s right,” Gretta says. “You don’t know anything for sure because your mind is in a compromised state.“First, we have to get rid of the fog. Then, you’ll know that the truth is. Then, you’ll know what you have to do.”“How do we get rid of it?” I ask.“Through another potion,” she says. “But we can’t do that today. Your body is already worn down by the potion you ingested. “Your brain can be negatively affected if we keep pumping it with potions. It’s changing the way you think and feel. You can’t keep doing that without bad side effects.”“So, what do I do?” I ask. “I have to
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Zach asks. “I thought Caden was the person you truly love.”“Caden?” I ask. He nods.I’m honestly not sure how I feel about Caden. He doesn’t have particularly high standing in the pack, so I’ve never truly thought about it. I don’t allow myself to think about it.If I fully allowed myself to dwell on it, I don’t think I’d like the answer I’d land on. So, it’s better not to let those thoughts even flutter into my brain.“He’s not,” I say. “You’re the person I love. What would give you the impression that he is the person I love?”“He told me so himself,” Zach explains. “He said that the two of you are mates. I don’t want to get between the two of you. Especially not if you are mates.”“We aren’t,” I insist. Though I know I can explore that further even if I get married to Zach. Caden and I have had our moments together before. He gives me status, while Caden can give me something else.“He may think we are,” I say. “But we’re not. And
“I’m sorry,” I say, turning to see Zach one more time before I go.I don’t know why I do that. I just feel this awful feeling of regret in my heart. Maybe I just feel bad for him because he seems so sad about it.What am I supposed to do though? Be with a stranger because I don’t want to make him sad? That isn’t fair to me or him.“I love you,” he says.Kara and I walk away for real this time.“I’m so glad you came,” I tell her. “The timing is perfect. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t here.”“I can’t imagine,” Kara says. “That was all a lot.”“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean for all this drama to happen. I especially didn’t mean to drag you into it.”“I know you didn’t,” she assures me. “It’s okay.” Kara pauses. “Do you know why he feels that way?” she asks.“I have no idea,” I reply. “I really don’t. I barely know him.”“That’s so strange,” she says. “And scary. To have someone you barely know become obsessed with you like that…”We both shiver. As women
“Are you okay?” Caden asks, as he catches up to me.This is why I couldn’t be angry at him forever. He’s my best friend. Despite everything, I need him.“No,” I answer, as if it isn’t already clear. “I don’t know what happened. Sasha said she was my mate. We love each other. Or at least, I thought we did.”“I’m surprised too,” Caden agrees. “It seemed like the two of you were meant to be.”“We are,” I insist. “We have to be. I’ve never felt that way about anyone else, not even close. I know we are mates.“So, I don’t understand it. And that was humiliating. It was already tough enough to get up there in front of everyone and tell them that the arrangement between Lavender and I is off. I already knew some people might judge me for it.“So, for Sasha to do something like that… And even call me out for breaking off the engagement with Lavender…”“Do you think you would forgive her?” Caden asks. “If she asks you to forgive her, of course.”“I would,” I say quietly. “It was embarra
“Is that her?” Kara asks while peering into the woods.“It looks like it is,” I answer, as I see Sasha and Zach walking towards us.“I’m sure Sasha is going to be hungry and thirsty,” I say. “Let’s make sure to get them something to eat and drink.”Kara looks over at Sasha. She wants to go see her friend right away, but I want to avoid the crowd that’s going to be around them. And I need Kara to do something for me.“Okay,” she says. “As long as it’s quick though. I do want to go see her.”“Of course,” I say. “It’ll be super quick.”It doesn’t take long to whip together a quick snack for the two people I despise most right now, and to make Sasha a drink with the potion.I guess I won’t despise Zach soon, but I’d like to eventually find a way to make him pay for all the pain he’s caused me. After he’s securely mine again though. I need to get him away from Sasha first.As the initial craziness settles down, Kara and I walk over. The moment Sasha sees Kara, she bounces towards
“Lavender, we need to talk,” Caden says.By the way he says it, I can tell it’s going to be more difficult to get him to help me with any of this moving forward. He chose Zach and Zach didn’t choose me.When he went after her, I knew.He’s convinced she’s his mate. He’s going to replace me.Or at least, he thinks he is.I won’t allow that to happen.“I need time,” I tell Caden.I can’t look him in the eyes because I do have feelings for him. I know he has feelings for me. But he doesn’t have the same status Zach does, so it could never work. I’m too ambitious for him.“We can talk after, okay?” I say. “I just need to take a walk or something.”“Are you going after him?” Caden asks, his heart clearly broken at the thought.“No,” I tell him. “He’s running after her. Trying to stop him now would only result in him being furious at me. I’m not going to even try chasing after him.”It’s the truth. There’s no point in running after Zach right now.Caden nods.“Okay,” he says. “I