Chapter 3: Cliff Edge

I could feel my wolf howling in pain. She doesn’t exactly understand what’s happening, and frankly, neither do I. 

This was our mate. The one the Moon Goddess gave us to love for the rest of our lives. 

Granted, I couldn’t understand why out of everyone it was Alpha Kage Knight that had been chosen for me, but still. He’s supposed to love us too, right? 

So why? Why is he rejecting us?! 

“Y- you don’t mean that. I’m your mate. Don’t you feel the connection we have? Please, you have to at least want to be with me even just a little bit!” I tried to reason out to him even if I knew that I was somehow just making things worse. 

Still, I couldn’t just leave. I couldn’t just turn around and forget about the one person I was waiting for for my entire life. He was supposed to take me away from this hellhole. He was supposed to accept me the day I found him and we would mark ourselves each other’s forever. 

Not like this. Not Kage who was looking at me like I was some filthy trash that didn’t deserve to be breathing anywhere near him. 

“Didn’t you hear what I said? Are you fucking deaf? I will never accept you as my mate, Hailey. I don’t know why the Moon Goddess gave me you, but it’s got to be some kind of fucking mistake because you are nothing and nobody. I’m Alpha fucking Kage, and I’d rather die than make you my Luna.” 

Kage looked at me disgusted because he was not mated to my sister instead. The blue in his eyes darkened as he shot me a terrifying glare and a fearful growl escaped his lips. 

“Now get the hell out of my face.” 

I wanted to stay there and beg for him to reconsider even though I know that I would look much more pathetic. People around us were already looking and whispering things to each other, but I couldn’t move. My body was shaking in pain and disbelief that I didn’t even know if I could move at all. 

Until, I heard her. 

“Kage, baby. Where are you? Ugh, I got mated to somebody else, some small Pack Alpha like no way in hell I would accept anyone but you. Come on, I already rejected him. Time for you to mark me, Kagey.” Heather’s voice sounded so pleased to have rejected someone without even giving them a second chance, meanwhile here I was, begging desperately to be accepted.

I knew then that I had to make a choice – to stay here and beg for Kage to accept me or wait for Heather to rip my hair off once she found out I was her boyfriend’s chosen one. 

“I’m here, babe!” Kage shouted for Heather before turning back to look at me with a smirk like he knew exactly what Heather would do once she got here and saw us together.

“Don’t do this, Kage… I’m your mate… I’m–” 

“You are a fucking n o b o d y. You will never be as good as your sister. Never as pretty, and sure as hell never as good in bed.” He eyed me up and down like I was nothing but a piece of meat that would never reach his expectations, and it was right there that I knew, all my hopes and dreams of finding a mate that would love me for me was just that, a fucking dream. 

And right now I was living in a terrible, horrible nightmare. 

“Oh, I see you!” Heather shouted back. “Hailey, what the hell are you–”

My feet managed to unfreeze from the ground and from there I just turned around and ran as fast as I could. I didn’t care that I was bumping into everyone that was on my way. My tears had flooded my eyes and my vision was blurry, but I just kept going and going and going. 

Once I got to the door, I pushed it open and sprinted like my life depended on it, because maybe it really did. 

I had no idea where exactly I was going, but my heart and wolf longed to cry and howl all our pains and frustrations out so a few minutes later, I could already sense and smell the scent of the wild nature. 

I slammed open the door before turning for a quick second to see if anyone behind me was following me, but I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was just an empty hallway. 

I wasn’t looking where I was going so I was surprised when I heard an ‘oof’ after I had bumped into what did not feel and smell like a tree. 

The strong arms steadied me before we could both tumble on the ground, much unlike earlier.

When I looked up, I was met with green-gray eyes and the same shade of brown hair as Kage’s. For a split second, I panicked thinking Kage had somehow teleported and was already here, but I blinked my eyes and realized it was somebody else that just resembled him. 

“Kylo…” I said his name a little breathless from running. 

He looked at me confused and worried. “What’s up, Hailey Hails?” He said with that charismatic voice, followed by that charming smile. 

Kylo Knight is the younger brother of Kage by six months. They look so much alike you’d think they were twins, but unlike Kage who had green-blue eyes, Kylo’s was more gray than blue. And unlike Kage who was a complete asshole to me, Kylo was nice ever since we were kids. 

Sometimes. 

The thing with Heather and Kage is that, once they pick you as a target and ‘crown’ you as the loser, you have no choice but to not be associated with them. So as nice as Kylo is, it’s only when nobody else is around. He gets quiet and doesn’t speak up when everyone else is there. 

“Wha– what are you doing here? Why aren’t you inside the ballroom?” 

“I should be asking you the same thing,” he chuckles softly before letting me go after doing a dusting motion on my arms like he was cleaning dirt off me. “My reason though is that those things bore me and I was sure that Kage was going to get Heather so why bother?” He shrugged his shoulders like he really couldn’t be bothered to participate. 

I wish he was right. I wish that were the case, so then I wouldn’t be terrified right now thinking that my life was in danger by my own sister’s hands. 

The silence must have confused Kylo because he looks back at me like he knows I’m not telling him something. 

“Wait a second… Kage isn’t the mate of Heather?!” His eyes almost popped out of his socket as he stared at me in shock. 

I swallowed nervously as I shook my head slowly. “I… I…” I try to tell him, but it’s like my throat is suddenly all dried up. 

“You’re…?” Kylo is looking at me impatiently. “Don’t tell me you’re my brother’s mate. That’s impossible,” he chuckles but I don’t say anything and just stare at him blinking. 

That was enough for him to realize that he hit the nail on the head. 

“Oh, fuck.” He blurts out like he had just made a grave confession. 

“Yeah, ‘oh fuck’ is right.” I said trying to make light of the situation, but I knew better. I knew deep down that my heart was getting crushed by the second. 

“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry, Hailey. That’s… that’s fucking weird and totally unexpected, but I mean it’s not the end of the world, you know?” 

I don’t say anything and I’m surprised when he places his hands on my shoulders and says, “Look at me, Hailey. I know life can get real shitty for you and I can only imagine how much you were waiting for this moment only to find out that my asshole brother is your mate.” 

I’m surprised that Kylo actually had a very spot on summary of what I’ve been going through. 

“But just remember, mates aren’t always final. We believe it is, but if it was, how come there are second chance mates or marked mates? We make our own destiny sometimes, Hailey Hails. Don’t let this destroy you. Just reject Kage and then someday, your second chance, who I’m pretty sure is going to be much better, will appear. Just wait, alright?” He gives me a reassuring smile and I don’t know if it’s my nerves in my stomach or if there are actual butterflies. 

Kylo and I have been playmates since we were little. We’ve gone to the same school since we could go to school, and since Kage was always at our house, Kylo would be with him from time to time, too. 

Even if he wasn’t the type to defend me when stuff got bad, I remember him being there after. He would pass me a drink or leave a note in my locker from time to time. Kylo was definitely a hundred times much nicer than Kage. 

So why not him? Why didn’t the Moon Goddess have just given me someone that cared about me even if it was just maybe fifty percent? It was unfair. So, so fucking unfair, but this is my reality and I had to accept it because I had no choice. 

I let out a deep sigh. “You’re right… and thank you.” I said to him weakly. 

Suddenly, my adrenaline is crashing and all I want to do is just lay down and sleep and forget all of this happened. I’d wake up and it would all have really just been a horrible nightmare and Kage was never actually my mate, but my sister’s all along. 

Everything will be fine. Everything will be–

“HAILEY YOUNG, YOU FUCKING BOYFRIEND STEALING SLUT!” 

Fuck. Shit. Everything will not be fine and I won’t ever have a chance to find my second chance mate if I can’t live to see another day. 

“Is that–”

I nodded my head terrified. “Heather. She’s pissed that I was mated with Kage.”

“How is that your fault, though? It’s not like you’re the one who decides that.” Kylo said and he had a valid point. A very, very valid point, but one that Heather, though the smartest in our school, somehow doesn’t see, or just doesn’t want to. 

I have a strong feeling it’s the latter.

I shake my head unsure. “I don’t know. I really don’t, but she’s out for my freaking head and I need to get the hell out of here before she finds me.”

“Get your ass back here, Hailey! Ugh! I can’t believe I’m related to you!” She shouts again and I can hear her voice getting closer which is scaring me even more. 

I don’t know what to do. Fuck.

“Run, Hails. You have to run.” Kylo says as his eyes stared into mine. 

Oh, shit. He was serious. 

“Where do I go?!” 

“Anywhere. Just hide until things die down, maybe until tomorrow. I’ll tell them you went that way and you go the other way. Go, Hailey.” He nods his head and smiles at me even though I know he’s also a little bit scared. 

“Thank you, Kylo. You have no idea how–”

“I see someone over there!” I hear Kage’s voice and it feels like I’ve been pushed into ice cold water, but in this case, I’m drowning in fear.

“Go, Hailey!” Kylo turned me around and gently pushed me so I could get a headstart. 

I don’t have time to finish thanking him nor do I get a chance to give him one last smile for everything that he’s ever done for me since we were little because before I knew it, I was almost tripping on my own feet as I kept on going with no idea where I’m headed, but with one thought in my head – run.

I don’t know how far I had gone or how long I had been going at it, too. All I know is that I could no longer hear their angry shouting, my feet were in so much pain and my dress was all torn up and dirty from falling a few times. I was so tired and all I wanted was to be back in my bed. 

I knew if I shifted I could run further and faster, but that would also make my scent stronger, making them find me easier so that was a no-brainer. 

“Shit!” I cursed loudly when I felt giant raindrops start to fall from the sky, hitting me directly. It felt like it was cleansing me, but at the same time pushing me underground as I slowly became one with the wet soil. 

I wanted to just stay here. Lie down and forget the world as the rain washed me away and away. 

Away from everyone. Away from the pain. Away from this horrible life. 

“I think I saw someone here!” 

Fuck! How the hell did they get to me so fast?! 

Every part of me is activated into panic mode and I scramble to get away faster. When I fell and skinned my knee, I didn’t stop. I knew blood was dripping down to my leg, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t. I just had to run. 

“Shit, shit, shit.” I managed to stop myself from going any further, my body tumbling backwards so I wouldn’t fall straight at the edge of the cliff. 

Oh my Goddess. I had been running so much that I reached the edge of the border. Not a lot of people know this place because it was forbidden to get this far. Only the Pack guards come here to survey and look out for. 

Right now though, they were probably busy at the party. 

I wish I was still there, too. Even if everyone stared and laughed at me, I would prefer that rather than being followed to the point of no escape. 

Then I remember him. Steely gray eyes. Dark black hair that looked smooth to touch. Soft lips made to be kissed.

Lycan King Hunter Beowulf. He was a handsome and intimidating man. 

For a split second, I wondered how life would be if I had been mated to him instead. Would they be kinder to me? Would they finally realize that I could be someone and not just a nobody? Would they finally, finally love me? 

But then I snapped back to reality when I heard a thunder roar so loud it was almost like it was right next to me. 

Me? Mated to a Lycan and the King at that? Impossible. There was no fucking way because they’re right. They were all right. 

I was a nobody, and I was going to stay that way forever.

“Hailey Young, when I find you, you are so fucking dead! Do you hear me?!” 

I hear her. I wish I don’t, but I do, and that’s how I know that they’re near, and at the edge of a cliff…

There was nowhere else to go, nowhere else to run, and nobody to ask for help. 

I took a few scared steps closer to the edge, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably and I looked up. 

There was no sign of the moon because it was raining and it was dark, but I wanted to talk to her anyway. 

I closed my eyes and took another step forward – the last step until there was no more ground and I was going to fall to my own death.

“I hope one day I get to live a life where I am not a nobody. A life where somebody loves me, where a mate would do everything to have me as his, and not just be in somebody else’s shadow. But I know right now that is not possible so for now, this is goodbye. Still, Moon Goddess…”

I sucked in a lungful of air before opening my eyes to the dark sky. 

“Thank you,” I whispered just before a bright light appeared and then…

Darkness.