Chapter 15 No more forgiveness

Today, Zenab left the office early, her mind too cluttered to focus on anything. Thoughts swirled chaotically in her head, making it impossible to concentrate on a single task.

Now, she found herself in an ice cream shop, savoring a large bowl of vanilla—a guilty pleasure that usually had a way of grounding her and restoring her sense of calm.

Yet even while indulging, her thoughts drifted back to what Jaymie had shared about Emerald and her upcoming prenuptials. A sense of unease settled over her as she worried about Emerald's well-being and whether Miles was treating her as kindly as before. She was also concerned about how people might react to her mating with Sander. The potential responses from Jaymie, Emerald, and even Dave's parents weighed heavily on her mind.

She hadn't spoken to Dave's parents since she had left a year ago, nor had she seen them since coming back. Despite loving them for all they had done for her, the thought of having them in her life after the way their son had treated her felt too painful to bear.

"Zenab? Is that you?" There was a short pause before one of the voices exclaimed, "Oh my god, it is you!" followed by an excited squeal.

Turning toward the sound, Zenab was met with the shocked expressions of two of Dave's pack members.

Milly and Lesley had once been her friends—or so she had thought—before the fallout with Dave and Miles. They had shunned her along with their mates, who had supported Dave when he left her. Milly and Lesley cut off all contact, ignoring her calls and turning her away whenever she visited their homes.

Once, at a charity event, she had witnessed them laughing and embracing Miles, acting as if they were the best of friends while they completely ignored her presence.

"What do you want?" Zenab groaned, bracing herself for their response.

"We wanted to say hi, but we weren't sure it was you. You look so different!" Lesley exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

As they moved in to hug her, Zenab raised her hands in a barrier, stopping them in their tracks.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded.

"Hugging you! We've missed you so much," Milly replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, seemingly oblivious to the hurt they had caused her.

Zenab let out a sarcastic laugh. "You've got to be kidding me. Do you have selective amnesia or something?" she challenged, but they remained silent.

Frustration bubbled inside her, escalating into a fury that threatened to overwhelm. She felt a dark anger rising within, an urge to lash out and make them feel the pain they had inflicted on her. With a surge of effort, she pushed the dark thoughts down, determined to resist the bloodlust.

"I know we haven't been the best of friends, and we're sorry," Lesley said carefully, her tone cautious as if speaking to a wounded animal.

"You're right; you haven't been great friends," Zenab replied, her voice steady but cold. "In fact, you've been the worst kind."

She looked at them with disgust before standing to leave.

Milly grasped her hand to stop her. "Please, just listen to us, Zen," she begged, her desperation obvious.

"Like you listened to me? Were you listening when I called countless times and you never answered? Or when you shut your doors in my face? Not to mention how you abandoned me for Dave's side piece. Were you my friends then?"

They fell silent, their expressions shifting to guilt and remorse.

"I thought so," Zenab murmured before gathering her belongings and walking away, leaving them staring after her, calling out in vain.

Both Milly and Lesley, like Dave, expected far too much from Zenab. They wanted her to be the same woman she had been before, as if they hadn't shattered her and betrayed her trust. She knew that nobody could remain unchanged, especially when faced with pain and heartbreak. Those experiences alter a person, sometimes for the better, but often for the worse.

Once outside, Zenab quickly climbed into her car and sped away. Milly and Lesley had already tarnished the peaceful energy she had managed to cultivate, and she resented them even more for it.

With nowhere else to go, she decided to drive home. Lately, her life felt confined to a monotonous cycle of work, the hospital, and her house. Gone were the days of excitement—there was no Emerald to care for, no lunch dates with friends, nothing. Without Emerald, her only remaining friend was Jaymie.

As she neared her home, Red grew restless, prancing around in her mind with agitation and anxiety.

"What is it, Red?" Zenab asked, feeling her own unease rise alongside her companion's.

"I don't know... I just sense trouble," Red replied, tremors of fear evident in her voice.

The tremble made Zenab want to turn around, but she steeled herself, reassuring them both that everything would be fine.

But everything wasn't fine.

As she pulled into her driveway, Zenab understood why Red was so anxious. Three imposing men stood on the steps of her cottage, their demeanor intimidating and unfamiliar. They were muscular and looked menacing—exactly the type to frighten small children for amusement.

Stepping out of the car, their scents hit her like a brick wall. Damn. They werewolves. Their eyes, fixated on her since her arrival, remained locked on her as she approached.

"May I help you?" she asked, her voice steady as she came within a foot of them.

The three men exchanged glances before nodding towards her. "Are you the one renting this cottage?" asked the guy with the goatee. His voice scraped against her nerves, sending a chill of fear down her spine.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Zenab managed to reply, her voice steady despite her rising dread.

"Oh, there's a big fucking problem. You're trespassing on our pack lands," the man with a cobra tattoo on his face snapped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was pack territory. I'll leave immediately," she said, attempting to step around them, but they blocked her path.

A palpable danger radiated from them, and Zenab couldn't suppress the tremors that coursed through her. They didn't appear to be the reasonable type.