Chapter 8: Zoey

"Are you sure you really want to hear it? I mean... I'm nothing special. Very far from it in fact. I'm just a lone wolf, pretty much useless to a pack since I'm basically human. Really… I'm just… worthless."

My eyes widened and I shrank back into the chair a little as all three men gave deep, menacing growls. 

"You. Are. NOT. Worthless." Asher's eyes glowed a brilliant gold. "I NEVER want to hear you say that about yourself again."

"Trust me, you're ANYTHING but worthless." Deacon's brown eyes held a dark fire. "Don't doubt how much you mean to us. How special you are to us."

"You're someone precious and irreplaceable. You're beautiful and I can sense how strong you are." I lost myself for a moment as I stared into Jericho's glowing green eyes. 

I swallowed hard. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. They thought I was special? I'd never heard those words before. Usually, I just heard I was a mistake.

"Wow… I'm… not sure what to say to that except thank you? I've never had anyone think I was something special before or worth having around."

I cleared my throat and took a long drink of my coffee. I took some courage from the sweetness. I'd never told anyone my story but, for some reason, I knew in my heart and soul I could trust these men now that I had gotten to know them. And to think I was scared to be seen by them. I shook my head.

"Well… my story isn't exciting and definitely isn't a pleasant one. My father was the Beta of our pack. He died in a pack war with a neighboring pack before I was born. My mother never wanted me, and my father had stopped her from aborting me because he at least wanted me. After he died, she was told it was too late to abort. She made sure I knew every day that I was a mistake and a burden to her. I was mainly left on my own when I was five. I learned to take care of myself and scrounge for food. Mother never left anything around the house. She spent every cent on herself to make herself look beautiful because she was trying to seduce the pack's Alpha to gain status and money.

People in our pack usually shifted around eight years old but I still hadn't shifted by the time I was ten. It made me different, and the Alpha was brought in to try to force the shift using an Alpha command. Needless to say, it didn't work. I was named an outcast, but I was allowed to stay on pack lands since I was so young. My mother lost all status since she had produced a 'defective' wolf and she lost any chance of becoming mate to the Alpha. She was furious and from then on beatings were a daily thing as she took her disappointment and rage out on me. She blamed me for everything that had gone wrong in her life. She abandoned me when I was twelve and left the pack to start over in a new pack, hoping to gain the status she wanted somewhere else. I was placed with a foster family that already had a daughter. And she, unsurprisingly, was less than thrilled to have me there. 

Once it was determined I didn't have a wolf, I was basically ignored by the adults, which I was fine with. I had more than I could handle from the other pack kids. I became a target for every mean trick and a good amount of physical abuse. It only got worse as I got older. My hair lightened to its current color by the time I was sixteen. It made me a freak with my pale skin, light blue eyes, and silver hair. I was often told I was ugly and unwanted. Strange. Cursed. The only positive thing I ever heard was that I had big tits and a nice ass. I'm sure there were many guys that would have forced themselves on me had I not been branded untouchable by the Alpha so that my 'strangeness' didn't pass on to anyone else. One of those guys was the Alpha's son. He lived to make my life hell and since he was the future Alpha, there wasn't anything I could do about it. I'll be honest, I have a lot scars inside and out from that guy. It's amazing how inventive someone can be when it comes to hurting someone but not killing them. 

I was excited when my eighteenth birthday came. I was finally supposed to find out who my true mate was. I was hoping the bond would lead me away from the pack. But I have shit for luck because as the moon rose on the night of my birthday, fate hands me the worst person I could've ever had for a true mate, my biggest tormentor. None other than the Alpha's son, Brad Montgomery."

I flinched when Asher's growl rang through the room and he bit out through his teeth, "Montgomery!? As in from the Dark Moon pack? That Montgomery?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. That Montgomery. Do you know him?"

"I know both him and his father and they are both pieces of shit. I can't believe he was supposed to be your true mate. What happened when it was revealed it was him?"

I shuddered. "He rejected me. Harshly. And in front of the whole pack. He told me how ugly, useless, and worthless I was to any pack. He said I couldn't protect even the smallest child if we were ever attacked and proved it by beating me within an inch of my life. He said I was a drag on the pack. And then he chose my foster sister Jessica as his chosen mate. And, as was tradition, he fucked with her in front of the pack to 'seal the deal' so to speak. My heart was broken, and my soul was shattered. My true mate had rejected me and forced me to watch as he claimed someone else. 

It wasn't even that he rejected me that devastated me. I couldn't stand the little prick, and I mean that literally. Guy seriously had the smallest dick I've ever seen. I have no idea how Jessica felt a damn thing. But that girl can fake moan like a porn star. No… it was that my dream of having someone care for me, to love me, was broken. I hadn't known a single shred of love or kindness my entire life, but I'd dreamed of the day my true mate appeared. I just knew he would love me and want me, even if I didn't have a wolf."

"So, you've seen a lot of dicks then?" 

Jericho had jealousy written all over his face. I gave a laugh. 

"Porn is a wonderful thing, isn't it?"

All three men snorted laughter at that. 

"Yeah, I guess it is. Sorry, just had to ask and I'm sorry I interrupted. Please continue."