Strange Man

"Not until you answer these questions." Veinnel moved a bit closer, her smirk deepening as if different ideas were running through her head, all meant to mock Acantha.

"Okay…" Acantha trailed off, hoping this wouldn't take a turn for the worse.

"I want to know what it feels like to be a loser. Try to be as detailed and succinct as possible."

From a certain angle, anyone who saw the bright smile on Veinnel's face might think they were having a pleasant conversation or that she was sharing good news.

"I don't think I understand that. I'm not even a loser, to begin with." Acantha tried to sound as polite as possible.

The huge smile on Veinnel's face disappeared, changing into a deep frown before morphing into anger.

"Then tell me what else you'd call a person who's hated by even her parents.

Everyone hates you, Acantha. No one, not even a single soul in this pack or the entire world, would like you.

Tell me, aren't you a loser that way? Say it yourself!"

At this point, it was clear that Veinnel wasn't just acting out of spite; she seemed to be angry about something else, and Acantha was just the scapegoat for her rage.

Veinnel is her father beta daughter.

"I just want my clothes back, please," Acantha mumbled.

"I asked you a question, and you haven't answered it yet. You're a loser, aren't you?"

Acantha bit her tongue so hard it left a bruise, her fists balling up immediately.

Veinnel was getting on her nerves, and it took every ounce of control not to lash out.

Veinnel was the one who should be called a loser.

She had been mourning and whining over Nico who she didn't even spend up to five minutes with or have a conversation with before he died, and yet she dared to call Acantha a loser.

This was the same person who chased after every alpha and high-profile individual who entered the pack, yet none of them ever took her seriously.

Acantha was certain that Veinnel had even tried to get close to the alpha who had just arrived in the pack today.

Veinnel could very well be tormenting her now because she had been rejected. She didn't take rejection lightly.

"I believe that the moon goddess plans and controls everything that happens; it's far beyond what I can control," Acantha replied.

"You could have just simply not been born. There's no use in you being alive after all. Now, do you agree with being a loser or not? You have five seconds to answer, or I leave with your clothes," Veinnel threatened.

Doing her bidding would be the last thing Acantha would do. She wasn't going to proclaim such things about herself.

Acantha stared at Veinnel with her mouth set in a straight line. Veinnel matched her gaze until her countdown expired, then turned around to leave.

Acantha watched as Veinnel left with her clothes. She would rather go back to the pack house dressed this way than do what Veinnel asked.

Veinnel walked too fast for Acantha to catch up even if she wanted to.

Veinnel ate and trained better than Acantha, so there was no comparison.

Veinnel left Acantha's sight too soon, and Acantha was left to wallow in her thoughts. She sank into the stream, thinking about how she would get back to the pack house without anyone seeing her in just her underwear.

Acantha was so relaxed in the water that she didn't know when she closed her eyes. The next thing she saw was a big wolf with huge brown eyes staring right into her soul.

The wolf was enormous and looked like it wanted to devour her, but Acantha didn't feel scared. Instead, she felt an urge to move closer to it for protection.

Suddenly, the wolf transformed into a very handsome man.

He was so hot that it felt like Acantha's entire body was on fire. The sensation was so intense that it woke her up from her brief sleep.

"How did I even fall asleep here?" Acantha questioned herself as she slowly dragged her body out of the water.

She could only hope to find clothes near the stream. Normally, there were clothes scattered around in case someone shifted, so she hoped to find one.

As Acantha searched, she heard a rustling sound behind her. She jumped up immediately as fear gripped her, feeling a presence nearby.

"Who's there?" she called out loudly.

Her heart raced in her chest at the thought that it might be one or two of the omegas. They hated her very existence, and being alone with them might not end well.

Acantha felt in her bones that whatever made that rustling noise wasn't good, and today might be the last day she saw the sun or the moon.

Acantha could feel it someone was behind her in the woods. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she strained to listen, her breath catching in her throat.

"Who's there?" she called out, trying to keep her voice steady, though a tremor of fear was unmistakable.

For a moment, there was silence, the only sound was the gentle rustling of the trees. Then, from the shadows, a tall figure emerged, and Acantha's breath left her in a rush of relief that it wasn't the omegas. Then she wondered who this person was because she had not seen him in the pack before.

He was imposing, with sharp features and piercing eyes that seemed to look right through her. His dark hair was tousled as if he'd been running his hands through it in frustration, and his clothes were slightly disheveled.

"What are you doing out here?" Acantha demanded, her voice sharp as she tried to cover up the fact that he'd scared her half to death.

Ghod raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by her tone.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied coolly. "But if you must know, I was here for a swim."

Acantha crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing. "In the middle of the woods? You expect me to believe that?"

Ghod smirked, his eyes flicking over her with a critical gaze. "Well, I could ask what you're doing out here in just your underwear, but I figured that might be rude."

Heat rushed to Acantha's cheeks, and she lifted her chin defiantly. "That's none of your business. And for the record, I was here first."

"Right, because you were enjoying a leisurely dip in the stream, and I just happened to stumble upon you by accident," Ghod said sarcastically.

Acantha glared at him, her irritation growing. "If you're done being an arrogant jerk, I'll be going now."

Ghod's expression softened slightly, though there was still a trace of amusement in his eyes.

"Hold on," he said, shrugging off his shirt and holding it out to her. "You can't exactly walk back like that."

Acantha hesitated, staring at the shirt in his outstretched hand. It was worn, soft from years of use, and smelled faintly of him of pine and something else she couldn't quite place.

With a huff, she snatched the shirt from his hand and pulled it on, the fabric hanging loosely on her slender frame.

"Happy now?"

Ghod gave her a once-over, his smirk returning.

"You look better already. Though you could use a sandwich or two."

Acantha bristled, her eyes flashing with anger. "And you could use a personality transplant."

Ghod chuckled, clearly enjoying their exchange far more than she was. "See you around, Lady."

Without another word, Acantha turned on her heel and marched away, her cheeks burning as she tried to ignore the sound of his laughter following her.

She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the strange man than he let on, but she wasn't about to stick around and find out.