Chapter THREE

　　I spent the next few hours cleaning for Beta Leo and his family, with Bella scowling at me and making my job harder. I think she may have heard what her father was saying but I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes about spreading news that she had caught me trying to seduce her father.

　　That disgusting prick! I always knew he was up to no good with all the lustful glances he keeps giving me but I wanted to give him the benefit of doubt and he proved just how much of a jerk he is. Bloody pedophile! I’m his daughter’s age mate, does he not have any shame? And I honestly thought he was a good man! He was just nice to me because he wanted to get under my skirts? Ewww.

　　I hurried with what I had to do there and left, ignoring Bella’s scowl as I did. I don’t think I would want to be doing any of their chores again. I would have to complain to miss Anna to assign someone else there. Not like she would listen anyway. I’m the freaking gamma’s daughter. How has everyone forgotten about that? I’m supposed to be gamma after my dad but as soon as he left, they assigned a new gamma and his son would be taking my place.

　　I’ve envisioned leaving this pack many times, but it’s not that easy. I can’t leave without my alpha’s permission, except I want to become a rogue, and even after the alpha’s permission, I would need to join a pack in a month, otherwise, I would turn into a rogue. I don’t know of any pack that would take me in so easy.

　　We werewolves guard our packs against intruders. They would want to know why I left my old pack, and my alpha would have nothing good of me to say, that I’m sure of, not after I led his son to his death. His luna who was once a mother figure to me cannot stand to see my face again. It hurts, it hurts so bad.

　　Jordan is going to take the place of alpha now that Jayden is no more. He had been lucky he left that day, it would have been a whole disaster considering the alpha did not have any other children. The title would have left their bloodline.

　　Jordan has not spoken to me since that day, except on few occasions when we had guests in our pack or hosted events of which I was always one of the serving girls. It is only on these occasions that he would hurl instructions and insults at me.

　　He grew up to be just like his father, an arrogant, proud bastard. I wouldn’t blame him though. I would hate me too if I were in his shoes. I hardly ever come across him anyway, his family makes sure I stay far away from them. I’m the bad omen remember?

　　I grew up here but Eclipse pack never felt like home to me, and if I had one wish for my birthday, it would be to leave this place for good. Talk of wishes, I had a cake in my room, all I had to do was set the candles and make a wish right? I don’t believe in wishes and maybe I’m a little too old for that, but hey, there’s no harm in trying.

　　I mind link Layla and ask her to meet me in my room. I have the next thirty minutes to myself, and maybe we could just eat cake and have a few drinks. My mind link is not so strong and can barely travel far because I do not have my wolf yet but I try anyway and she soon joins me in my tiny room.

　　I sat on the only single chair in my room and lit the candles, with Layla grinning behind me. I stared up at her and gave her a warm smile, then closed my eyes and made a wish. It was just one single wish; an opportunity to leave this pack for good…

　　I blew the candle and then cut the cake. Layla was in tears while we ate, I’m not sure why but she cries at almost everything. She’s also the only child of her parents who are delta’s in my pack and she has little to no friends because she chose to be friends with me.

　　Lyla turned eighteen few months ago and she didn’t find her mate. She had been hoping it would be Logan, but she was a little disappointed when she found out it wasn’t him. I hate that she has to deal with his attitude sometimes and I don’t know if I should tell her about his advances towards me. It would break her heart and I don’t want to do that to her. If they eventually break up, I don’t want it to be because of me. I would tell her about it much later, if they break up, but not yet.

　　Thirty minutes went by so fast and it was time to return to my duties. I don’t want Miss Anna sending someone for me or worse still, coming here herself. She’s always on my case, she doesn’t miss any opportunity to frustrate me.

　　By the end of the day, I was already tired and just want to crawl into bed and sleep off, but I begin to feel movements within me, this time I’m so certain it’s my wolf. Finally. I’m consumed with so much joy, I just want to go through my first shift and meet my wolf, but the movement is so faint, I’m not sure I can shift immediately. I wait for her to connect with me but nothing. Just some uncomfortable movement within me.

　　I step out of my room to grasp some fresh air, my room is suddenly too small for me, it’s almost like I’m suffocating. That is when I begin to feel a pair of eyes on me. I turn around, but I see no one, yet I’m so sure someone is staring at me. I should be scared, but I don’t feel any bit of fear whatsoever, instead, I feel excited.

　　It was then that it hit me, the sweetest, yet most intoxicating smell ever. I’d never perceived anything so sweet before. I close my eyes and inhale the scent, breathing in and holding it for a long time. I look around, but I can’t see anyone.

　　I still feel uneasiness within me. I’ve not been this excited in a long time, he’s close, I can feel it, I can smell him. So, I start to follow the scent, but it seems the more I followed it, the farther it went. He’s playing a game with me but it excites me. I hear a twig snap to my right, and when I look, I hear the leaves rustle. That’s where the scent is coming from.

　　I ran in that direction, determined to find who the sweet scent belonged to. It’s pretty late in the night but I’m not scared, and I’m quite familiar with this environment. I kept on walking, following his scent to wherever he was leading me to. It feels like I’m in a trance.

　　I’ve never felt my wolf as much as I feel her now and in the past, I thought she was just my imagination. Now, I’m so sure I have a wolf, coupled with the realization that my mate is close by, I’m so freaking excited.

　　After a few minutes, I realized I may have gotten too far away from the pack and into the woods but I didn’t care, my mate is here. Wait. Realization dawned on me then. I am in the woods, why would he bring me to the woods?

　　I kept following the scent till I can now smell it pretty close. I tell myself not to be scared. This is my mate, he wouldn’t hurt me. Finally, I can see his tall frame. He stood there, on the exact spot where Jayden had been killed. Wait, what? Why did he bring me here? I’ve avoided this place since that night and only visit once a year, on the date it happened. I swallowed hard as the moon rays reflected on his body, same time I hear the clear voice of my wolf in my head “Mate.”

　　I stared at the man in front of me and suddenly I’m scared, he has the meanest look in his eyes. I never envisioned that he would be my mate and the look in his eyes speaks of pure hate for me.

　　He takes a few steps closer to me.

　　“Jordan?” I say in a shaky voice.

　　A wicked smile curved his lips “Tiana,”