Chapter 5

Tishas P.O.V

My chest tightens breaths short and sharp. My hands tremble uncontrollably. The aftershocks, the fear, the sheer idea of what almost happened in there have me shaking with no control. I press my back against the cold stone wall, trying to melt into it, disappear.

Years—so many years, and for what? Everything suddenly makes sense—the classes, the smiles that sent shivers down my spine, the constant warning bells. This is why he kept me untouched by other wolves. His personal pet.

The hallway felt too bright, too open. I need to leave this place now. I got lucky, but who knows how much luck I have left.

Legs still unsteady, I force myself toward the Omegas' baths. His scent clings to me. I need it gone.

The shower runs for what feels like hours. My skin turns blotchy, red, and raw. I scrub until I can’t scrub anymore, but I still feel his hands on me. Tears fall harder. I can't crumble. Not for him. The reality of it, threatening to pull me under.

“Tisha, are you in there?” Kimberly’s voice cuts through, muffled by the door. I don't want her to see me like this, but I can’t move. I'm on the floor, letting the water wash everything away.

“O.M.G. Tish!” Her voice trembles as she crouches beside me, pushing my wet hair back from my face. She sees it. Broken. There's no hiding it.

Without a word, she pulls me close as I fall apart in her arms.

Time blurs. Silence stretches. The chaos of my mind fills every space, but nothing is said.

“Tish, it’s time to get up.” The water has stopped. I don’t know when she turned it off, or who brought a towel for me to cover myself with. My body feels distant, numb, moving on autopilot.

Kimberly helps me stand, her voice soft. “Baby, you need to get up before you get sick.” I could hear her words, I could feel her hands on me but I couldn’t understand what she wanted from me. All I wanted to do was bury myself in this place and never leave or do anything. Why doesn’t she see that?

We walk past the Omegas' quarters, and I hear the whispers, the gasps. I don’t care.

“What is that?” I ask Kimberly, standing upright as we clear the corridors heading to the dorms. The scent of lavender and wood clouds my senses pulling at something deep with my chest.

I want to follow the scent, I want to find it hug it and keep it close but I can’t my legs feels heavy and rooted. The scent draws nearer and all I can do is stand and hope the scent finds me.

“What’s going on here?” Jase's voice echoes. Alpha Damien’s son, future Alpha of Blackwood Forest stands in front of me full and covered in my new found scent. People move aside for him to see me clearly.

“Mate?”

Shock and something akin to disgust lace his voice, his eyes searching mine. I struggle to keep my hands to myself the desire to hug him, hold him, and keep him Strong and primal.

His expression is sharp with rejection. Rooting me to the very floors “This has to be a joke.”

His words are heavy, his actions weighing on something more the world fades and everyone disappears but him. It feels like a private moment where two souls meant to be intertwine in a dance but something feels wrong I can feel it in the strings that flow freely between us "Jase, did you just call this thing…your mate?” Stella sneers, venom in every word. “You know this is a mistake, right? I’m your mate. Not this stray.” She says her hands hanging on to him. I want to claw at her for laying her hands on what’s mine but I focus on him waiting for him to claim me, to shake her off and tell her I am his only mate but the words never come.

“Yeah, this can’t be.”

"Jase..." My voice cracks. I can see what is about to happen before he says anything and my heart can’t take it.

He steps closer. His eyes lock on mine, voice low.

“Don’t.”

I try to let him see me pleading, searching for his wolf to not let him do this to me “Jase, please.” I whisper I’m barely holding it together. The pain in my chest tightens with every snicker, every cruel laugh.

“That’s enough! You’re weak, unworthy. You will never be my Luna. This pack deserves better.” His words slice through me like a knife- “I reject you, Tisha, as my mate and future Luna.”

Laughter fills the hallway. So hollow, so cruel.

My heart shatters as our bound snaps the remnant of what’s left of me bare for the world to see. The hallow void left drowning every Pain hitting me like a tidal wave, ripping through every part of me. My vision spins and my legs give out leaving Kimberly to hold my weight as I crumble.

Jase looks at me and something flickers in his eyes. Pain, buried deep as his wolf shows and for a moment, I hope he’ll take it all back.

“I deserve better” His voice is quiet, final.

“What’s going on here?” Alpha Damien’s voice booms, breaking the silence. The crowd parts. And the walls close in around me.

I won’t let them see me break. Head raised I let him see my pain, rage and disappointment eyes holding his I take a shaky breath letting him see and remember“you’ll regret this”

 “What did you say?” Jase asks his voice cold filled with rage.

The rage, the pain, it all swells. “You will.”

“That’s enough, Tish!” Alpha Damien’s voice cuts through. Everyone turns, including Jase, avoiding his father’s glare. Damien's eyes bore into mine. “Tish, look at me.”

“Mate!”

The room falls silent. Alpha Damien whips around, doing a double take at the figure behind him. “What did you say?” His voice wavers.

The figure steps forward, eyes glowing. “What is my mate doing on the ground?” A growl rumbles deep in his chest. The tension spikes.

Alpha Jackson.

My mind reels. Everything from today crashes down, impossible to piece together. Alpha Jackson... He’s taller than Damien. Handsome in a way that doesn’t seem real, like he’s been carved from stone; I think I have seen him before just not sure where-

He crouches down, his hand brushing my cheek. The touch sends shockwaves through me. “I thought one had to die before seeing an angel.” His voice is soft, teasing. I stare at him, stunned.

“Give me your hand.” His words break through my defenses. I lift my hand and he pulls me up, his gaze never leaving mine.

For the first time, people are looking at me with something other than disgust. And for a moment, I feel wanted.

“Come, princess, let’s leave.” He holds my hand, guiding me through the hall, whispers trailing behind us.

Alpha Damien tries to follow. “Alpha Jackson, there must be some mistake. My son already rejected her.

Jackson’s grip on my hand tightens. He doesn’t look back. “That’s his lose and my gain I guess”

“We have a tradition surely you will let us honor our tradition and say our goodbyes before she leave” alpha Damien tries again, his agitation raising with every step we take. Jackson doesn’t let go, he holds my hand in his as we walk to the cars.  

“I’m sure she won’t be missed.” He nods to a man by the car and two figures are dragged forward, bags over their heads.

Damien flinches as Jackson removes the bags, revealing two men, bound and trembling. “Do you know these men, Damien?” His voice is calm, too calm.

Damien stiffens. “What are you accusing me of?”

“Nothing you haven’t done.” You know, it is so bold of you to have sent spies into my territory and believe they would make it out without being caught.” Jackson’s voice is ice. His body seemingly relaxed but I could feel the tension coming off him in waves.  He whispers something to Damien that makes him jerk and for a moment I see fear in alpha Damien’s eyes.

 He kisses my hands for a moment before letting them go “don’t go anywhere” he says to me eyes warm and welcoming Then, without warning, Jackson beheads one of the men with his hands the same hands that just held me so tenderly. The head rolls to Damien’s feet and growls erupt from the pack.

Jackson doesn’t flinch. He moves to the second man with so much ease I can’t help but look this was dominance and untamed power.  “I should spare you...you know show mercy but then again I’m not known for mercy.” His claws sink into the man’s chest, pulling out his heart with ease.

Stunned at the display of strength not a single hair out of place I watch this man turned monster in awe and fear I try to look away but I can’t.

Jackson tosses the heart aside. “Let this be a warning. Next time, it won’t be the lackeys that will die.” He says facing the alphas all standing behind Damien.

I stand frozen in place the blood, the tension, the rejection —it all settles like a weight over me. He takes my hands but I don’t feel it the dizziness, the pain, the metallic scent of blood stiff in the air, suffocating.

I have been fated to the devil as my secound chance mate  and he’s taking me away.