June 2023 Update

I have been a bit busy over the last couple of months. I got married and my day job has been hectic so I will try to keep my update short, but I aren’t promising anything. 

The Once Upon a Pack Series

Once Upon a Rejection is now in the third and final part of the story. This part will be a little shorter than the previous two parts but I hope that you all enjoy reading it just as much. 

Once this part and Once Upon a Bad Boy Beta’s Redemption have been completed and edited then I will start updating Once Upon a Forbidden Mate. This will at first only be available on Patreon but I will add a couple of others places once I get enough words. 

The Alpha’s Punishment

This story is only a couple of chapters away from completion. After it is finished I will be doing some editing and formatting before publishing it in a few months time. To begin with I will be making this book available on Amazon, Kobo and Barns & Nobel but I might add in more at a later stage.

If you are subscribed to my patreon at the $6 a month or higher tier then you will get emailed a copy of the ebook prior to it being released. If you are subscribed at the $20 a month tier then you will get mailed a signed paperback and some additional book related merch. 

There will be a couple of different editions of the story released but I will explain more about this below.

After this book has been fully published I will move onto the second book in this series. This book should be a shorter story and will focus on Sasha’s story. Although I won’t be starting this for a couple of months I thought you might like to know it would be coming soon. I will probably do a cover reveal in my next update so that is something for you to look forward to. 

The Lost Female Alpha

Part one of this story is now complete. Once I have finished editing The Alpha’s Punishment I will edit part one of this story while I continue to write part two. 

Part 2 of this book as well as the edited version of Part 1 will have chapters from Elijah’s perspective as I know this is something people have been wanting for a while. 

General Update

In order to make my books accessible to a wider range of audiences I will be releasing 3 editions on my books in paperback and ebook. Using The Alpha’s Punishment as an example it would work as follows:

The Alpha’s Punishment – this version would have all 18+ content removed and will be adapted to be suitable for a YA audience. This means I will be adding more high school drama and romance but less passion and violence. I am thinking that I might publish this under a different pen name (Cirilla Wolf) to keep the teen audience away from my spicy work.

The Alpha’s Punishment, After Dark Edition – this version would be similar to the existing story but I would probably add a bit more spice just for fun 🙂

The Alpha’s Omega Wolf – in this version I will be using different lore regarding werewolves. These books will be substantially different from the other stories and will be published under the name Cressida Wolfe. Some of the differences are as follows: All characters will be older (average age of 25+) meaning the setting of the story and many of the story points will change. Werewolves will be different and will have a deeper lore behind them. They will also be more likely to contain darker elements. 

The intention of this isn’t for people to buy the story more than once. It just gives more options to readers on how they want to read my stories. However, subscribers to my Patreon and Ream accounts will get access to Cressida and Cerelia Wolf stories. 

Let me know which version of my books you would be most interested in by commenting on this update. 

A Quick Note On Rewards 

You might wonder why I keep mentioning my rewards on Patreon, Ream or even now Buy Me a Coffee. The main reason is that these services are more beneficial to both you as a reader and me as a writer. 

Not only do you get additional rewards for being a member but you can also be assured that I see far more of the money from these services than I do from other reading platforms (around 92% rather than 8% as on some platforms). 

In addition to this, it is services like this which will enable me to spend more time writing. That means that you will get more frequent chapters and more books. This is particularly important to me right now due to current events. I hate to make it sound ominous but I don’t really have a choice at the moment. 

I am currently on three of these services which have different rewards so you can chose based on your interests: 

Buy Me a Coffee – this is new and is an account for my Cirilla Wolf writing. This is the place to go if you want the stories without the steamy parts. 
I will start uploading chapters from mid June as I start to edit The Alpha’s Punishment.
Link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CirillaWolf 

Patreon – this will have stories for Cerelia Wolf and Cressida Wolf. It will have downloadable ebook versions of my stories once they are complete 
Link: patreon.com/CereliaWolf

Ream – this is the place to go if you like reading online and are not interested in the ebook version. The interface is better for the online format but there is no clear way for me to share ebooks so I have adjusted the rewards accordingly. 
I am new to using this platform and will be uploading my books on there over the next couple of weeks 
Link: https://reamstories.com/page/lhdia00ke6

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The Alpha’s Punishment – Chapter 11

This is chapter 11 of my novel, below is a link to the first 7 free chapters: Chapters 1-7 If you enjoy reading my story then you can comment on or like this page. Jasper Hartford’s POV Lizzy stepped out of her room. She looked absolutely stunning. She normally wore clothes that hid her body,…

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The Alpha’s Punishment – Chapter 10

This is chapter 10 of my story so if you are new to the story you should click the below button to take you to chapter 1 Chapter 1 I hope that you are enjoying my story, please feel free to write comments on my story and press the like button. Elizabeth Summers’ POV I…

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The Alpha’s Punishment – Chapter 9

This is chapter nine of the story, here is a link to chapter one of the story: Chapter 1 I hope you enjoy reading my story, please feel free to comment on or like this post to show your support Elizabeth Summers’ POV I had been sitting on the sofa at home for the last…

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The Alpha’s Punishment – Chapter 8

This is chapter 8 of the novel, if you you wish to read chapters 1-7 you can do so by clicking on the below link: Chapters 1-7 Jasper Hartford’s POV My lips were only a few centimetres away from Lizzy’s. They looked so warm and inviting, slightly parted as though she was waiting for me…

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March 2023 Update

General Update

Firstly, this month’s update is going to be a bit longer than usual. I am not going to apologise for that, there is a lot to update you on.

I have been very busy recently but I finally feel as though I have things in a better place. This should mean that I will be able to be more consistent with my chapters and my writer updates going forward.

In addition to this I have a few holidays and bank holidays coming up over the next few months so you will probably see some additional chapters springing up!

Once Upon a Rejection

This story is now getting more regular updates, which I am sure you will all be grateful for.

As you can probably tell, we are getting close to the end of the second part of this story. I will be rolling straight into the third and final part of the story straight after the second part concludes. The third part is going to be a bit shorter than the other two which means this book is likely to finish completely before the end of summer.

The Lost Female Alpha & The Alpha’s Punishment

I have been struggling for the last few months with the changes implemented by one of the platforms I have this book on. The platform in question made a change which meant that I felt obliged to increase the chapter length on these two stories. That might not sound like a huge deal but it had a knock on impact on my writing and my stress levels.

Trying to force my chapters to be longer meant that I had to either waffle or try to push in part of the next scene into the chapter. It was difficult to do this and still make the chapter make sense. This meant it was taking much longer to write a chapter and I wasn’t even sure if I liked the result at the end of it.

As a result of this I did some analysis on the data (yes, I know that makes me a geek) and I realised a couple of things. Firstly most people on that platform use add or bonus coins to read my story on that platform. This is perfectly fine but it means they are going to be much more concerned with the frequency rather than the length of the chapters. This in turn means that I can write my chapters to the length I find easier without fear of upsetting people too much (which is awesome).

Secondly, I have a few changes I need to make (see “The Future” section of this post).

I’m An Alpha, Not Your Princess

This story is now complete 🙂

The Future

I am sure that I won’t be the first or the last person you hear saying that things have been getting worse for readers and writers on these platforms. So I am going to be changing a few things up for my future stories. Just to be clear, the books I am currently writing will be staying where they are, this is just advanced warning that the future stories will be published using the following model:

As I am writing the stories they will be available to read in three places. My own website (under a subscription model but I will keep the price low) on Patreon and on Radish (I will explain why radish in a bit).

Once I have finished the story it will remain on these platforms for three full months after the month of completion before it will be removed and placed on amazon. Once it is on amazon it will be part of kindle unlimited as well as being available in paperback and hardback.

Why am I choosing radish?

From a reader perspective it is the cheapest platform. My books will be on a wait to unlock basis with a one hour wait time, so that means you could unlock the whole book in a few days and binge in all for free. I have tested this out myself and it is possible.

From a writer perspective I make more there per reader than any other platform. I am not even sure how that is possible given how easy it is to read my books for free on there but it is true, I have done the maths (see below for last months data, all rounded to 3dp):

Platform 1: $0.002 per follower

Platform 2: $0.003 per follower

Platform 3: $0.015 per follower

Radish: $0.220 per reader (based on last few chapters)

As you can see it isn’t even a small difference, it is quite significant.

The other benefits of radish are that I can control how many episodes are free, how often they are unlocked and I can remove my story from the platform when I want to. I also don’t lose any of my rights like I do with the other platforms

This is why I think this change is better for everyone.

I know that by doing this I will probably lose some readers but I have to do this so I can take back control of my own stories and if I can tempt some of you over to join me then that will be a bonus. I expect the first books to be created using this model to be towards the end of this year.

As each of my stories are part of a larger series I will have to do an alternative version of each of my existing stories for this model. I will be changing names, and fixing a few things that bugged me about the original stories.

This won’t mean that you will have to read my stories again to understand what is happening in the next ones (unless you want to). I will make it clear which ones are equivalent to which story so you can easily pick up the laters parts of the series.

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Pain

This week has been painful for more than one reason. The first part of the week was mentally painful, the middle part was physically painful and the end promises to be emotionally painful.

I started this week by trying to update my website. It had been a very long time since I last updated my site and it was in desperate need of being dragged out of the past. My site is mostly there now but it took a lot of time and effort. Time that I would usually spend writing which meant that I had a feeling of being behind right from the start of the week.

Despite this I managed to get plenty of writing done in the first half of the week and released a few new chapters for my current projects. If you would like to read my stories you can do that here:

The physical pain started around the middle of the week. There is a drive towards making us get back into the office. As though that isn’t tiring and stressful enough for an introvert like me, I decided it was a good idea to cycle in. I used to cycle this distance regularly and me (being the idiot that I clear am) thought it would be fine now.

I was so wrong. As it turns out if you don’t cycle for over a year, you can’t get back in the bike again without considerable pain. My legs were hurting so much for the next couple of days that I could barely walk. Also, my ass should not be this sore without good reason, if you know what I mean. Haha!

Finally I come on to the emotional pain. As of today, I am trying to eat more healthy food and less junk food. That means no more crisps or chocolate and I am not sure that I am emotionally ready for it. I have a feeling that I will be grumpy and miserable in a few days while my body tires to adjust to my new diet.

With me luck, I am going to need it!

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New Site Layout!

Over the last few days I have been working to update my author website. It has been a long time since I have done anything to update this site so there was a lot to do.

In addition to improving the look of my site I have added some new pages. I created a brand new home page as well as a page that has information on all my books. I hope you enjoy the new look and layout of my site. Feel free to comment with any feedback that you have on my site.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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The Alpha’s Punishment Chapters 1-7

Chapter 1

Elizabeth Summers POV

“Oh look, it’s the mutt.” Nico Vale, the future beta of our pack shouted as I walked into the parking lot behind school. 

So much for keeping a low profile today. How was it that they always seemed to find me? I thought that by coming into school via the back entrance I would be able to avoid them.

I should have known I wouldn’t be that lucky. It almost felt as though the harder I tried to hide from them the quicker they got to me. I made a mental note to remember to check my belongings for tracking devices when I got home this afternoon. 

I put my head down and kept walking towards the school building. Maybe if I could make it to the door before they reached me then they would lose interest and just leave me alone. I started to walk faster, I was only a few metres from the door. 

I was almost at jogging pace when I felt someone’s hand on my arm. I was jerked back so roughly that I almost fell over backwards. Before I could fully regain my footing I was pulled so that I was face to face with Jasper Hartford. 

Well I say face to face, it would be more accurate to say face to chest. Jasper was easily 6ft5 whereas I was barely 5ft2. That only made him even more terrifying. He was much larger than me, much stronger than me and he absolutely despised me for no discernible reason. 

“How dare you walk away when your betters are talking to you?” Jasper shouted, leaning down so that he could get right in front of my face.

“Sorry alpha.” I said, trying my best not to meet his gaze.

I am the omega daughter of two omega parents. It isn’t in my nature to look an alpha wolf directly in the eyes. Even if I had been living in the same house as the alpha family ever since I was about five years old.

I don’t remember much about my real parents. I know they were both omegas and that my mother was pregnant with her third child, something that was strictly forbidden for omegas in our pack. From what I understand, that third child was a boy so they decided to give me up as I was their only female child. 

The pack’s alpha and luna heard about my situation and decided to take me in and raise me like I was their own daughter. They already had two sons but they wanted another child. They had been trying for the last three years but nothing happened. When I needed a family to take me in, they said it was destiny. I wasn’t sure if I believed in such things but I was happy to have a family who cared for me.

I spent a long time being angry and upset at my biological parents for giving me up. Ultimately though I can understand their position. A male omega has much better prospects to earn money and provide for their family. There are only two roles that a female omega can have within our pack. The first is being a domestic servant for a ranked family. The second role involves spending most of your time on your back serving the males who have yet to find their mate, if you know what I mean.

“Look at me when I talk to you Lizzy.” Jasper said. He grabbed my chin roughly and turned my face so I was looking him directly in the eyes. 

“Sorry.” I mumbled. I held his gaze even though every instinct I had screamed at me to look away.

It was the first time I had dared to look at Jasper so closely. He was truly breathtaking, it was such a shame that his beauty was only skin deep.

“Good girl. Now tell me why you are dressed like this?” Jasper said. His face was mere centimetres away from mine and I could feel his hot breath on my face. 

“This is just my normal school outfit.” I said, trying my best to remain calm. I didn’t want him to know how much he scared me.

“So you usually come to school dressed as a whore.” He shouted. 

I was speechless. I didn’t believe in shaming a woman for what she was wearing but even if I did my outfit did nothing to warrant that title. I was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt which didn’t even show any cleavage. Not that I had a lot to show off in that department.

“Answer me now Lizzy.” Jasper growled. 

“It is just jeans and a t-shirt alpha.” I replied. 

“It shows off every single curve of your body. In the future you will cover up more. Is that clear?”  Jasper growled. 

“Yes alpha.” I said. I didn’t want to risk making him more angry by asking any more questions. It was better if I just did as he wanted.

“Good girl.” He said. He let go of me. 

I froze on the spot for a brief moment. I was too scared to move in case he had more to day, if there was one thing Jasper didn’t like it was me walking away before he had finished berating me.

When it was clear that he didn’t have anything else to say to me I started backing away. I took a few slow backwards steps before turning and fleeing as fast as I could. I know it is weak of me, I know I should be braver but Jasper is so strong and I am just an omega. If he ever hit me he would put me in the hospital for weeks, I didn’t want to risk that.

Chapter 2

There was still some time before class was due to start so I headed for the art studios. It was mine and my friend’s favourite place to hang out. I am not friends with anyone my age from the pack. 

Everyone in the pack knew that the future alpha hated me and none of them wanted to get on his bad side. None of them bullied me like Jasper and Nico. They just pretended that I didn’t exist. 

All of my friends were humans from the smaller human town which was about ten kilometres away from our border. That was ok though. I love my friends. We have even applied to go to the same colleges as each other. Providing that Jasper didn’t prevent me from leaving after he takes over as alpha, I will be out of the pack in less than a year. Hopefully permanently. 

I breathed a sigh of relief as I entered the art studio. My friends were already there. Mia was painting a picture on an easel in the centre of the room while Oliver and Patti were chatting about some tv show near the window. 

“Elizabeth, what’s wrong?” Patti asked as I entered the room.

“The same thing that is always wrong.” I said. Trying not to sound too bitter. 

“Jasper?” Oliver asked, I could see the concern in his eyes. 

“Yes, He wanted to have a word with me about the way I was dressed.” I replied. 

I was purposely vague. Oliver already hated Jasper, because of the way that he treated me but things had gotten worse recently. Oliver had started to take an interest in me as more than just a friend ever since the beginning of the school year. 

He had been practically begging me to go on a date with him for the last few months. I have been doing my best to let him down gently because I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. It is just a shame that the only man who has ever taken an interest in me is one of the few friends that I have.

“What did he say?” Patti asked.

“Let me guess, was it something mean?” Mia said, without looking up from her painting. 

“That much is pretty obvious.” Patti said. 

“He implied that I was dressed too provocatively.” I said. 

“He needs to back off.” Oliver said, there was an aggressive edge to his voice.

“What are you going to do about it?” Mia said. She laughed. 

They might not know what Jasper was but his size and his strength was clear to see. Most of the humans were scared of us and Jasper most of all. It is why I had such trouble making friends, even among humans.

“I am going to tell him to leave Elizabeth alone.” Oliver said. 

This was bad. Jasper had never hurt anyone, outside of training anyway, but that was only because nobody had been stupid enough to challenge him. As the future alpha he had to answer any challenge and he couldn’t stop fighting until they conceded to him. Even if the challenge was from a human who didn’t realise the danger he was getting into. 

“That is not a good idea.” I said. 

“Why would you say that?” He asked. 

“I know my step brother. He won’t listen to you, it will probably just make him treat me worse.” I said. 

A smile came over Oliver’s face. I had known him long enough to know that this was the look he got when he came up with some kind of plan. I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like this.

“I promise that I won’t say anything if you agree to go to the game with me on Friday.” Oliver said. 

Oh, I see what he was planning.

Jasper was the captain of the football team. Oliver wanted me to go to the game with him so that Jasper would see us together. I had never told Oliver that Jasper was the reason behind my reluctance. He had come to that conclusion on his own and he was wrong. Why would Jasper even care if I was dating someone? 

“Oh ok, we can all go.” I suggested. 

Nobody said anything but I could feel the atmosphere change. Mia diverted her full attention back to her painting and Patti started to look out of the window. 

“I think everyone else is busy so it is just going to be you and me.” Oliver said.

“That is a shame.” I said. 

“I will take that as a yes, we can arrange the details later.” Oliver said. 

He didn’t even try to hide his excitement. He had a huge grin on his face, he looked almost giddy. I guess I had just agreed to give him the very thing he had wanted for months. 

We spoke for a while longer before the bell rang for class. Oliver wanted to walk me to class but I just laughed it off and left with Patti. On my way out I glanced back at Oliver, he was still smiling but his smile wasn’t as bright as before.

“Why are you so resistant to going on a date with Oliver?” Patti asked. 

We were walking down the corridor towards my first lesson. We were surrounded by other students, most of them werewolves. I hoped that none of them would report this conversation back to Jasper.

“I don’t have many friends, I don’t fancy losing one of them.” I replied.

“Do you think that would happen if you dated Oliver?” Pattie asked. 

“How many times have you known people stay friends after breaking up?” I asked. 

“What about Samantha and Chris?” Patti asked. 

“I think that proves my point for me.” I said in between fits of laughter. 

Samantha and Chris had been so close all the way through high school. That was until they dated for a couple of months last year. They broke up after Chris cheated on her with one of her friends. 

Chris and Samantha stayed friends afterwards but their relationship has never been the same. They went from being inseparable to not being able to be in the same room without arguing. It was hardly the ringing endorsement for the verutes of dating your friends.

“So what are you going to do?” Patti asked. 

“I am going to keep denying his advances until he moves on to someone else.” I replied. 

I was sure it wouldn’t be too long. I wasn’t all that special. Besides, I had seen how quickly some of the men in my pack changed their girlfriends. I had no reason to think he would be any different. In a few weeks he would be dating someone else and things could go back to normal.

Chapter 3

Jasper Hartford’s POV

She walked into the room and my pulse quickened. She was talking to her friend, laughing at some joke. I would give anything for her to laugh at my jokes like that, literally anything. 

She took her seat in front of me. She flicked her long auburn hair over her shoulder, wafting her scent in my direction. I can smell the coconut shampoo she always uses and the slightest hint of sweat on her skin. 

I wanted to run my tongue along her skin. I wanted to taste every inch of her and I wanted to make love to her but she was the only person I couldn’t have. My parents saw to that the moment they decided to raise her like she was their own daughter. 

I have loved Lizzy for the last three years. I have tried everything I can think of to get her out of my mind but nothing seems to work. 

At first I tried to ignore my feelings for her in the hope that if I didn’t acknowledge them then they would go away. I was wrong, they didn’t go away. They only got stronger as time went on.

When it was clear that approach wasn’t going to work I tried to wipe her from my mind. I screwed my way through half the she wolves in our year at school desperately trying to make myself forget about her. I didn’t feel anything for any of those girls, the only thing I felt was guilt and shame. 

I haven’t been with anyone else for the last eight months. I am pinning all my hopes on finding my mate. I turn eighteen in a couple of days, then I will find my mate and all my problems will be over. I will find my luna and she will be my world. Until then I would just have to live with my feelings for Lizzy. 

The lesson felt as though it lasted forever. I spent the whole lesson watching Lizzy. I was sitting behind and slightly to the side of her so I could see some of her face in profile. I could see the look of concentration on her face as she tried to work out the mathematical problems. I could see the slight hint of a smile when she finally solved them. 

I loved to watch her but it was like a slow form of torture. Seeing her beautiful face and smelling her delicious scent for a whole hour and not being able to touch her or even talk to her. My head was filled with all the dirty things I could do to her if we were alone together. 

The bell rang. Lizzy and her friend packed their bags and left for their next lesson. Lizzy didn’t look in my direction, not once. Her lack of regard for me stung like a rejection. How could I love her so much without her even noticing.

I followed them. My next class was in the opposite direction but I wasn’t ready to stop seeing her yet. I stayed a few paces behind them. Far enough so it didn’t seem suspicious but close enough so I could still see her and smell her. I did this a couple of times every day. She has never noticed me. 

“Have you thought about what you are going to wear to prom?” Lizzy’s friend said. 

Lizzy looked at her friend, there was sadness in her eyes.

“I’m not going to prom.” Lizzy said. 

“Prom is a huge deal, you have to go.” Her friend said.

“I know but I don’t want to go alone.” Lizzy replied. 

“I can solve that.” Her friend said. She was smiling at Lizzy. 

“How?” Lizzy asked. 

“I will just mention to Oliver that you want a date to prom. He would jump at the chance to go with you.” Her friend said. 

I felt like my whole world had shattered into a million pieces. There was someone else who wanted to be with my Lizzy. What if she wanted to be with him too. Before I could stop it, a growl escaped from my throat. 

Lizzy turned around, the moment she saw me her eyes went wide with fear. Why was she scared of me, what did she think I would do to her? I would never hurt her. She must know that. 

“What is your problem?” Her friend asked. 

“She can’t date him, she can’t date anyone.” I said. 

My words came out more forcefully than I had intended. I was hurt and I wanted her to know how I felt. Instead I came across as a psychopath. Why did this always seem to happen when I was around her?

“Oh? Why is that?” Her friend asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

What could I say to that? That I love her, that I want her to be mine forever. That I can’t stand the thought of her being with anyone else. That I don’t trust myself not to kill any man who tries to touch her.

“Why would anyone want to be with such a weak pathetic creature as her.” I said. 

As soon as the words exited my mouth I regretted them. That was literally the worst thing I could have said. My head was spinning. Why can’t I think straight around her? Why do I always seem to say things to hurt her? 

“You are a monster. Liz will be so much better when she is at college, hundreds of miles away from you.” Her friend shouted in my face. 

That was the final straw. The thought of my Lizzy surrounded by men trying to get into her underwear was just too much for me to deal with. I had to put a stop to it.

“She is not going anywhere. She is staying here with me.” I shouted. 

I was aware that people around me were stopping to listen to our conversation. Most of them were members of my pack and they were very interested in who had pissed off the future alpha. 

“She is going and there is nothing you can do to stop her.” Lizzy’s friend said. 

She was challenging me in front of my pack. I couldn’t stand by and let it happen. She may be human but that didn’t mean a thing. My pack needed to know that I wouldn’t let anyone get away with challenging my authority. 

I took hold of the human’s neck and pushed her against the wall. 

“She will do exactly what I tell her to do, whether she likes it or not.” I shouted into her face.

I could smell the human’s fear but it had no effect on me. I would have said more, the only thing that stopped me was the look on Lizzy’s face. Her eyes were filled with fear and sadness, I hated seeing her like that. 

I let go of the human and walked away. I didn’t look back, I didn’t want to see Lizzy looking at me like that ever again.

Chapter 4

Elizabeth Summers’ POV

Jasper had his hand around Patti’s throat, I could see the fear in her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath. She was scratching at his hands trying to get her freedom but it was a futile attempt. He was a werewolf, he was much stronger than her. He probably couldn’t even feel her nails as they scratched at his skin.

“She will do exactly what I tell her to do, whether she likes it or not.” He said. 

His voice was harsh, I could feel the venom and hate behind his words. His hatred for me was so clear but I still don’t understand where this hatred was coming from.

I wanted to help my friend, he was going to kill her but I couldn’t move. Even though he didn’t have his wolf yet his alpha aura was enough to keep me frozen in place. 

He was going to kill my friend while I was standing within arms length of her and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I could feel myself whimpering and crying like the pathetic omega that he claims I am. 

Jasper looked at me, our eyes met for a second. He must have decided that Patti wasn’t worth the trouble it would get him into to kill her. He let go of her and walked away. He glanced over his shoulder at me before he disappeared into the crowd. 

Patti fell to the floor. She started coughing and gasping for air. I crouched down next to her and checked her neck, it didn’t look as though Jasper had done too much damage. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” Patti said between wheezing breaths.

“Still, I think we should go to see the nurse.” I suggested. 

“I’m…..” Patti interrupted herself with another bout of violent coughing. 

“No excuses, we are going to the nurse.” I said.

I put her arm over my shoulder and pulled her to her feet. I could tell that Patti was shocked by my strength but I had other things to worry about. I failed her by not doing anything to help her when she needed me, the least I could do was make sure that she got properly checked out.

By the time that we got to the nurses office I could already see the bruises forming on Patti’s neck. The nurse heard us coming and helped us into her office. She sat Patti down on one of the chairs and started to examine her.

“Who did this to you?” She asked, her voice was full of concern. 

“Jasper Hartford.” Patti’s answer came out as a raspy whisper.

The nurse froze. She was a werewolf and a member of his pack. She knew he was going to be alpha in a few months. She seemed to be having second thoughts about treating Patti in case she got on his bad side. 

“I will be back in a moment.” The nurse said before hastily leaving her office. 

“Does that mean I am ok to leave?” Patti asked. 

“I have no idea.” I replied. 

We waited in the nurse’s office for the rest of the lesson period but she never came back. Patti was much better by this point so we decided to leave anyway. It was lunchtime and there were students rushing all around us. 

Word must have travelled about what happened because everywhere I looked people were gossiping about us. I could hear them saying mine and Jasper’s name in the same sentence. They all had their own theories about what was going on. 

Patti noticed it too. Even though she wouldn’t have been able to hear most of what they were saying. She could see the way that they were looking at us and whispering. She was more self conscious than was usual for her. 

“There you are, I was worried when neither of you showed up in class.” Oliver said, running towards us. He stopped when he saw the bruises on Patti’s neck. He looked concerned but this was quickly replaced with anger after he realised that the bruises were her only injury.

“What did he do?” Oliver asked. 

I explained what happened, leaving out the details of what Jasper had said about me. Oliver was angry but he agreed that he wouldn’t confront Jasper but it was getting harder to convince him. I knew that one day soon there wouldn’t be anything I could say to change his mind.

“I have a good idea.” Oliver said, once he had calmed down.

“That would be a first.” Patti said. She seemed to be feeling more like her normal self, that was a good sign. 

“I think we should skip the rest of the day.” Oliver said, ignoring Patti’s remark. 

“What would you like to do?” I asked. 

Oliver smiled at me. 

“My parents are at work so we could go back to mine and watch films.” Oliver suggested. 

“It sounds nice but you live a long way from my house.” I said. 

I dreaded to think what Jasper would do if I was late home. I know that luna Hartford would worry about me. Jasper would want to punish me for making her worry the next time we were alone together.

“Don’t worry about that. I will drive you home, you won’t be late.” Oliver said. 

I felt hesitant. Jasper had been particularly difficult to deal with today. I could never tell what was going to set him off next. I didn’t want to have another run in with him.

“Oh come on Liz, you need to relax a little.” Patti said.

“The world isn’t going to end because you miss a couple of classes. I will even let you choose the film.” Oliver said.

“Fine.” I agreed.

I still had some reservations but these quickly disappeared once we arrived at Oliver’s house. I had known Oliver for years but I had never been to his house. It was a lot smaller than the alpha’s house but it was cosy and homely. I liked it.

Oliver brought us snacks and soft drinks from the kitchen. He put them on the coffee table and sat down next to me on the sofa. He put his arm on the top of the sofa over my shoulder. 

“What would you like to watch?” Oliver asked.

“I think we should watch something romantic.” Patti said. I scowled at her. She knew how Oliver felt about me, it wasn’t fair to encourage him.

“I was thinking something scary.” I replied. 

“Oh come on Liz, you don’t want me to have nightmares do you?” Oliver said, he and Patti were both pouting at me. 

“Fine.” I replied. Sometimes I hated being an omega, it made me so easy to manipulate. 

The next few hours were really awkward for two reasons. Firstly, I don’t like watching romantic films around other people. I turn into a blubbering mess of emotions, it is completely embarrassing. 

The second reason was Oliver. Every time there was an emotional part in the film he would inch his way closer to me and try to hold me. By the end of the second film I was practically sitting on Patti’s lap.

When 3pm came around we all got into Oliver’s car. I made a point of getting into the back seat of the car with Patti. Oliver dropped Patti off at her house before driving me back home. 

As we were pulling up I could see Jasper outside of the house waiting for me. He looked worried until he saw me in the car with Oliver and anger took over his features.

Chapter 5

Jasper Hartford’s POV

I had been looking for Lizzy all afternoon. She had skipped classes, she never skipped classes so I was naturally worried about her. I know I had upset her and her friend, I wanted to apologise to her although I wasn’t sure exactly how to go about it. 

I couldn’t find any trace of her scent in the school so I had come home hoping that she would be here. When I couldn’t find any trace of her here I started to panic. She was never late home, if anything has happened to her it would be all my fault. 

I needed some air. I was planning to go on a walk but once I stepped outside I could hear a car approaching. Lizzy can’t drive but maybe one of her friends is bringing her home. I watched the car pull into our driveway and then I saw him. 

She was in a car alone with that boy she hung around with. I had seen the way he looks at her, I would have to be blind not to. He was constantly watching her when she wasn’t looking and his eyes always lingered too long over her body. 

Lizzy didn’t seem to look at him the same way but that didn’t make me feel any better. He wanted her and I didn’t trust him. For all I knew he might get her drunk and take advantage of her. I wasn’t going to give him the chance. I had to protect her from him. 

He stopped the car directly in front of the house, only a few metres away from me. He stopped the engine and turned around in his seat. He had a huge grin on his face as he spoke about some cheesy romance that they had been watching together. 

My lizzy had skipped school to watch romantic movies with this guy. I felt the sting of betrayal thinking of them snuggled together watching a film. I imagined him leaning over and kissing her on the lips. The way I had wanted to every time we were in the same room as each other.

“So did you enjoy this afternoon?” He asked. 

I need to stay calm. I took a series of long breaths. I was still holding onto the front door knob, my knuckles were turning white as I gripped it too tightly.

“It was good to spend time with you and Patti. Maybe next time we can invite Mia too.” Lizzy replied. I relaxed slightly. That was a nice deflection, she clearly wasn’t interested in him.

“I was thinking of something more intimate. Just you and me in my room.” He said. 

I wanted to kill him. He was trying to steal her from me and she didn’t even seem to realise what he was doing. She looked so uncomfortable. How dare he treat her like that, he had to pay. 

I hadn’t made a conscious decision to move but I had already crossed the short distance to his car and opened the door. I dragged him out of the car.

“What are you doing?” He asked, his voice was high and squeaky with fear. I still had a tight grip on his collar.

“You will keep your hands off Lizzy.” I said. 

I saw Lizzy getting out of his car. She looked worried about her friend so I let go of him but I didn’t back off. I glared at him, I wanted him to know how serious I was. He couldn’t have her, she is mine.

“I won’t and there is nothing you can do to make me.” The boy shouted.

I saw red. I punched him in the face, hard. He staggered backwards into Lizzy. Lizzy was knocked off balance and went head first into this boy’s car door. Her head made a dull thudding sound as it hit the metal door. She lost consciousness instantly and she collapsed to the floor like a ragdoll. 

I pushed the boy away from me and ran over to lizzy. I checked her breathing and her pulse. It was slow and steady, she was fine, just unconscious. I sat on the floor next to her and cradled her head in my arms, there was a trickle of blood falling down her forehead. 

“Oh my god, is she ok?” The boy asked. 

I ignored him and scooped Lizzy up into my arms. Her body was so light and fragile. I kissed her hair, I wanted to hold her in my arms and never let her go. 

“I am so sorry baby, I will never let anything hurt you ever again. I promise.” I whispered as I carried her towards the house.

“Maybe I should drive her to the hospital.” The boy said. 

“I think you have done enough.” I snarled without breaking stride. 

He put his hand on my shoulder to stop me. This fucking boy had a nerve. He was lucky that I was too busy looking after my Lizzy to worry about him otherwise I would truly make him pay. 

“You can’t possibly be blaming me for this.” The boy said. 

“This is all your fault, you were trying to steal my mate from me. Now leave before I put you in the hospital.” I said. I shrugged off his hand and started walking towards the house once more.

“Take her to her room.” My mom said. 

My mom and my dad were waiting just inside the house, I wasn’t sure how much of what had gone on they had seen. I felt a little embarrassed. I had always tried to hide my feelings for Lizzy from them, from everyone. 

“When you get her comfortable, meet me in my office.” My dad said. 

I took her into her room. I haven’t been in Lizzy’s room before. It wasn’t as grand or spacious as mine. It was decorated in the pack colours, just like the rest of the house and it looked pretty cosy.

She didn’t have anywhere near the amount of electronics as I had. Those she did have looked older but they were beautifully maintained. Now that I think about it I never remember her asking for things the way me and my brothers did. She always seemed so content with what she had.  

I laid lizzy down on her bed and kissed her forehead. I didn’t want to leave her. I wanted to get into bed next to her and hold her until she woke up. Of course then I would probably look like a complete creep for being in bed next to her. I sighed. 

“She will be fine. I will keep an eye on her while you speak to your father.” My mom said. 

I hadn’t noticed that she was standing in the doorway. I considered refusing to leave but I guess it would look weird if I did that. I stood up and walked away from her reluctantly, taking one last glance at her unconscious body as I left the room. 

My dad was waiting for me outside of his office, he ushered me into the room and closed the door behind me. His facial expression was neutral so I knew I was in trouble. 

My dad hardly ever showed any outward signs of anger. He had too much self control for that but when he stopped smiling you knew he was annoyed at you.

“I saw what happened.” He said. Oh, I really am in trouble now. 

“What makes you think she is your mate?” He asked. 

I called her my mate? I didn’t mean to say that, particularly not in front of a human. It would make sense though. It would explain why her presence drives me crazy and why I can’t stand any other males near her. 

“It’s hard to describe but it is like she is the air I need to live. Whenever she isn’t around I feel like I am drowning.” I said. 

I am glad that this room is soundproof. If anyone heard me talking like this then I would be a laughing stock. Nobody would ever take me seriously as their alpha. 

“Oh, you are in serious trouble.” My dad said. 

“What are you going to do?” I asked, in shock. I was confessing my deepest hidden feelings and my dad wanted to punish me for it. How was that fair?

“Not from me. If Liz is your mate and if what you said is true I think she might be, then you’re in trouble.” He said. 

“Why?” I asked. 

Surely it was a good thing that my mate was so close by. I wouldn’t have to search the whole country looking for her. She was right here.

“Do you really not know?” He asked. 

I looked at him blankly. 

“You and your future beta have bullied her for years, even after I told you time and time again to leave her alone.” He said, his eyes changed colour for just a few seconds as his wolf fought him for dominance.

“That wasn’t bullying. The other men in the pack were showing her too much interest and I couldn’t let that happen.” I said. I could feel my anger rising just thinking about the way some of them looked at her. 

“That doesn’t justify the way you treated her and even if it could you, you didn’t exactly show her the same consideration.” He said. 

“I thought that I was discrete.” I replied. 

“Really?” My dad asked, raising one eyebrow at me.

“I guess not.” I mumbled.  

“You have quite the reputation in the pack. Everyone thinks you are a violent bully who only cares about chasing women. If Liz is your mate then you will have your work cut out to convince her you are anything else.” He said. 

I really was in trouble. I needed to change my ways before I lost her for good.

Chapter 6

Jasper Hartford’s POV

“Where is Lizzy?” I asked.

I hadn’t seen her since her accident and I had done nothing but worry about her for the last 24 hours. My mom had kept her out of school to make sure that she was fully recovered but part of me wondered if it was just a ploy to keep her away from me.

I felt like I was dying without her. She was all I could think about and it felt as though there was a knife in my heart not knowing where she was or how she was. The whole time I was at school she never left my mind once. 

Now I was sitting at the dining table with the rest of my family but Lizzy was nowhere in sight. That only made me worry more, she never missed a family meal and she was never late to anything.

“She will be here in a moment” My mom replied. 

“Good.” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. 

I started to fill my plate with the food on the table in front of me. I was only distracted when Lizzy walked into the room. She was wearing a dark knee length dress and she looked completely stunning. 

She froze in the doorway when she saw me, her eyes went wide with shock. It felt like being stabbed in my heart to see her reacting like that to my presence. 

I was across the room standing in front of her before I had a chance to think about what I was doing. Lizzy flinched but he didn’t move away from me. I took her hands in mine and looked her directly in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry about what happened yesterday, I never wanted you to get hurt.” I said. Lizzy flinched again, it looked as though she was fighting the urge to run away.

“It is ok, I forgive you.” Lizzy said. 

I wanted to wrap my arms around her and kiss her but I didn’t think that would go down very well. After my dad’s talk yesterday I realised that I needed to do things differently. I would have to take things very slowly with Lizzy if I was going to prove that I wasn’t the bully she thought I was.

I kept hold of one of her hands and took her to the table. I sat her down next to me rather than her usual place next to my mom. She seemed nervous but I was sure that she would relax given time. I wanted her to start feeling more comfortable around me, it thought this was an easy way to start.

“Are you nervous about your first shift later?” My dad asked. 

I would turn eighteen at midnight and experience my first shift. It was meant to be painful the first time that you shifted but that didn’t worry me. 

“I am looking forward to going for a run.” I said.

“Are you sure that you don’t want me or your mom to come with you?” My dad asked.

“No, I am fine.” I said. The alpha in me hated the idea of anyone seeing me in a weakened state. 

“I bet you are excited to meet your mate, you should make sure that your room is ready for her to move into.” My mom, she sounded excited.

Lizzy chuckled to herself. 

“What?” I asked. Why was she laughing at me?

“Nothing.” She mumbled without looking at me. 

“Please tell me.” I said. I needed to know what she was thinking. 

“Ermm. I was just thinking that you should probably make sure you remove all traces of the other girls you brought there.” She said. 

Those words stung more than I wanted to admit. I didn’t think she knew about my history and now I was worried about what she thought about me. I was looking at her but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. 

I could feel my panic levels rising. Would she reject me because I had slept with so many women? She wouldn’t do that, would she? She must know that they didn’t mean anything to me, that she was the only one I even had feelings for.

“Are you excited about finding your mate Liz?” My mom said, changing the subject.

Lizzy shook her head. She looked down and started prodding her food with her fork.

“Why not? Don’t you want to find the love of your life?” My mom asked. 

“It’s not that.” She said, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

“Is there nobody in the pack that you would like as your mate?” My mom asked, not wanting to drop the subject despite Lizzy’s discomfort. 

Liz looked at everyone around the table as though she was looking for a way out of this conversation. I felt a surge of jealousy, was there someone else that she liked and secretly hoped would be her mate. 

This would be the point where I would have done of said something stupid in the past. I could feel the urge to lash out strongly within me. I clenched my fists and bit down on my tongue, forcing myself to stay quiet. 

“It’s not like that.” Lizzy said.

“Then what is the problem?” My mom asked.

“There isn’t anyone in this pack who would be happy to find out I was their mate and I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.” Lizzy said. 

She was trying to sound strong but I could see the pain behind those words. She was worried about being rejected and unloved so she didn’t want to meet her mate. Maybe that would mean that she wouldn’t reject me if she realised how much I cared for her. 

“You know that is not true, you could never be a burden.” I said. 

She glanced in my direction, looking at me through her eyelashes. Even that was enough to make my heart skip a beat. I wondered what it would feel like to kiss her and hold her in my arms.

“Thank You.” She mumbled but I could tell that it lacked sincerity. She didn’t believe me, I think she even thought I was mocking her.

This was going to be harder than I thought. I had never had to try to gain a woman’s affections before, they normally just threw themselves at me in the hope of becoming luna. Lizzy wasn’t like that and I had no idea how to show her how I felt about her.

I spent the rest of the meal silently eating while keeping one eye on Lizzy. Once the attention was no longer on her she relaxed instantly. She ate her food and even joined in with some of my family’s conversation. After dessert I dismissed myself from the table. I went upstairs to clear one of my closets and some draws for my luna. 

Once I was done it was already getting late so I headed into the forest. I walked around for about an hour before finding a quiet spot and stripping off ready for my first shift. The first traces of pain started just after midnight and I was fully shifted only a few minutes later. 

I looked down at myself. It was strange, my wolf was a lot smaller than I thought he would be. Alpha wolves are usually much larger than any other rank. I could tell from my line of sight that I wasn’t the right height for an alpha or even a beta. 

‘That is because I aren’t an alpha or a beta.’ My wolf said. What the hell did that mean? 

‘I am an omega wolf and my name is Garnet.’ My wolf said. 

That can’t be true. My wolf can’t be an omega, that is impossible. I am the son of an alpha, my wolf had to be an alpha. This had to be some kind of mistake. 

I had only ever heard of two cases where the child of an alpha didn’t have an alpha wolf. Both of those were born to alpha’s who rejected their fated mates and marked someone else. Even then they were only slightly weaker, still strong enough to carry the beta rank. My parents were fated to be together, how could I be an omega? 

‘Don’t ask me, I’m just a wolf.” Garnet said, laughing. Why was he laughing, this was serious?

 ‘Chill out, there is no need to be so serious all the time. Let’s go for a run.’ Garnet suggested. That was the first rational thing he ever said. 

I let Garnet have complete control. He ran through the forest for at least an hour while I thought about how to deal with this problem. I needed information. I had to find out if anything like this had ever happened before and if there was any way to fix it. 

Whatever the reason was, I couldn’t let anyone else know that my wolf was an omega. If anyone found out then it would put me and my family in a difficult position. 

They would have to choose to either disown me as their son or risk others seeing our pack as weak and attacking us. I had no other option, I had to keep this a secret from everybody. 

The house was dark and silent when I got home but my mate’s scent was so strong. I followed the scent to Lizzy’s room and opened the door ever so quietly. Lizzy was in bed, fast asleep. She looked so beautiful lying there, her hair all messed up from sleep. I wanted to lie in bed next to her and stroke her hair. 

‘Do it.’ Garnet said.

It was so tempting but I knew if she found me in bed with her then she would freak out, understandably so. I had to be careful with her. I needed her and if I was going to keep her in my life I had to go about this the right way.

I watched her for a few moments longer before I gathered enough strength to drag myself away. I would see her again in the morning and I would spend the whole day proving myself worthy of being her mate. 

Chapter 7

Elizabeth Summers’ POV

When I woke up this morning my room smelled faintly of Jasper. It was almost as though he had been in my room watching me while I was sleeping but that couldn’t be true. I had to be imagining it, at least that is what I tried to convince myself of as I got dressed for school. 

After all, the alternative was just strange. What possible reason would Jasper have to be in my room? I didn’t have anything that he could want unless he wanted to see me. No, I must have been imagining it, he usually tried to stay as far away from me as possible. Come to think about it, he was uncharacteristically kind to me last night. 

I heard some of the omega’s talking yesterday, they said that Jasper and his dad had an argument after what happened to me the other day. Maybe I am being overly optimistic but I think it might have had an effect on Jasper’s attitude. Hopefully this would be a permanent change and I could stop looking over my shoulder all the time.

The alpha and the luna were already seated at the table by the time I went down for breakfast but Jasper and his brothers were nowhere in sight. That was nothing unusual, they normally woke up later than I did. I took my normal place at the table next to the luna and started to help myself to breakfast. 

“Did anything interesting happen last night?” The luna asked. For a moment I thought she was talking to her husband but when I glanced up I realised that they were both staring at me. What was that all about? 

“Not really, I just finished my homework then watched some films.” I said. 

They nodded and smiled at me but they seemed to be disappointed in me. I guess I wasn’t exactly a normal teenager. I didn’t go out partying with my friends, I didn’t even date. I could see why they would be disappointed in me but it wasn’t my fault. None of the other werewolves wanted to invite me to their parties and they certainly didn’t want to date me. 

I was just about to try to alleviate some of their concerns by telling them about my sort of date tonight when Jasper walked into the room. He normally sat next to his dad but this morning he sat next to me. 

His presence next to me made me feel uncomfortable. He had inclined his body towards me and I could feel his eyes on me. Had I done something wrong? He always made a big deal over the way I dressed but I made sure to dress conservatively today not to anger him. 

“You look beautiful today Lizzy.” He said. He nibbled his bottom lip lightly as he waited for my response. 

“Thank-you.” I replied. He was making me nervous. He was looking at me intensely and if I didn’t know any better I would say there was lust in his eyes. 

“Are you looking forward to my party tonight?” Jasper asked.

Jasper was having a birthday party after the game today. Everyone from the pack was invited. The werewolf girls at school had been talking about it all week, they were all hoping that Jasper would recognise them as his mate and announce them as luna at the party. 

I personally didn’t see the point of being there. Nobody would talk to me, it would be just like school except the only friends I did have couldn’t be there. It would just be a depressing reminder of how much I didn’t fit into this pack. 

I would say that I was looking forward to getting away and going to college but Jasper didn’t want me to go. I hadn’t quite worked out how to deal with that problem yet. I sighed. 

“I wasn’t going to go, I was just going to stay in my room and read.” I said. 

“Don’t do that, the party wouldn’t be the same without you. Mom got you a beautiful dress and I was looking forward to seeing you in it.” He said. 

“I am not sure that I would be welcome.” I said looking back at my plate. 

“Please come, for me.” He said. 

He put his hand on top of mine. I could see him looking at me in my peripheral vision but I was too scared to meet his gaze. I couldn’t predict him anymore, if I looked at him I didn’t know if I would see him mocking me or smiling at me.

“Ok, I will be there.” I said. 

How bad could it really be? I could go for a while, listen to Jasper’s dad give his speech and be there for the start of the party. I could then just sneak out once nobody was paying attention to me anymore. That wouldn’t be more than an hour, I was sure of it. 

“That is brilliant.” He said, the excitement was clear in his voice. Then he did the one thing I least expected.

He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. I felt his warm lips press firmly against my skin for just a few seconds. Then he sat back in his seat and started eating breakfast as though nothing had happened. 

My eyes shot to him, he was smiling as he put food onto his plate. He was acting as though his kissing me was so insignificant. That was my first ever kiss and he was just going to act as though nothing had even happened. I felt angry and ashamed. 

It wasn’t a romantic kiss and it wasn’t even on my lips. It was exactly the opposite of how I imagined it. I wanted to cry and I wasn’t even sure why. I wasn’t sure if it was because Jasper had taken one of my firsts without asking or because it seemed to mean so little to him. I guess I couldn’t really be surprised, he had kissed most of the girls in our year already. I guess I was just one more on his list. 

I finished my breakfast in silence, stealing glances at Jasper whenever I thought he wasn’t looking. As soon as I finished I set off for school. I had left my bike at school the day I went to Oliver’s so I had no other choice than to walk even though it was more than an hour and a half away. 

I only made it about a quarter of the way there before Jasper pulled up alongside me. He was driving his favourite car, his ferrari. He didn’t normally drive this car to school because it was so flashy but I guess he was happy for the extra attention on his birthday.

“Get in.” He said as he leaned over and opened the passenger side door for me. 

“I wouldn’t want to get in the way.” I said.

“You could never be in my way now, get in the car.” He said.

He was smiling at me so I decided to do as he asked. I took off my backpack and got into the car next to him. Once I had settled and shut the door behind me he started driving again. 

“Why would you think that you would be in my way?” Jasper asked. 

“The girls at school like this car, don’t they? I thought you were trying to get the attention of one of them.” I said. 

“I wouldn’t waste my time with them, I only want my mate. Her attention is all I need.” He said. He was smiling, even his voice sounded happy. 

“I can understand that.” I said, trying to keep him in this strange happy mood he was in. I really hoped that he met his mate today, maybe then he would continue to be happy and leave me in peace. 

We pulled up in the school’s car park almost an hour before the first lesson was due to start. Being this early meant that I wasn’t even sure if my friends would be here yet. I got out of the car and started heading towards our usual place regardless. Maybe I could get some art done before lessons started for the day. 

As I expected, the room was empty when I arrived. The room was dark and silent. I left the door open and used the light flooding through to find the light switch. 

It was unusual for me to be the first person here, I had never seen this room looking so creepy and ominous. Maybe I was a complete wimp but I hated how much like a horror movie this felt. I was so relieved when I found the switch and the room started to look more normal. 

I must have been distracted because I didn’t even realise that Jasper had followed me here. I didn’t even see him until I went back to close the door and almost closed it in his face. Seeing him standing there watching me made me jump. 

“Jasper.” I whispered. 

He bit his lower lip and took a step towards me. I knew that I should back away from him but I was too scared to move. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I wanted to see where you always run away to.” He said. 

He was so close that I could feel his warm breath on me. I was terrified that he was going to lose his temper and hurt me but there was something about the way he was talking to me that was comforting. 

His eyes drifted towards my lips. I felt my heart skip a beat, he couldn’t possibly be thinking what I thought he was thinking. Could he? 

If you like this story so far then you can read more here:

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The Lost Female Alpha

For as long as I can remember I have had the same nightmare every time I fall to sleep. Every morning I wake up tangled in my bed sheets and drenched in sweat with a lingering feeling that I had forgotten something really important. The worst part of all of this is knowing that my nightmare isn’t a nightmare at all but a memory. 

The nightmare always starts with my mom reading me a bedtime story while my dad is watching us from the doorway. I can’t be much older than four years old at this time in my life and my parents look at me with so much love. That was how my life used to be, loved and adored by both of my parents.

The story that my mom is telling is almost over. The characters are past their struggles and only moments away from their happy endings. All of a sudden my mom stops reading. She was in the middle of a sentence, the story can’t be over. I am about to say something when I hear the noises coming from outside. 

My mom and dad look at each other for a moment before springing into action. My dad pulled a backpack out of my closet and started stuffing my clothes and belongings into it frantically. My mom pulled me out of bed and started to help me get dressed. 

I could tell from her movements and her breathing that she was panicking. She is usually so calm and her panic is frightening me. I start to cry. My mom didn’t have time to worry about my tears, she continued to dress me without making any attempt to comfort me. 

Moments later she was holding me in her arms while we were running down the corridors towards the small secondary staircase at the back of the building. My dad was slightly ahead of us. He was on high alert. His head was moving around constantly as he tried to predict anything that could be a threat. When his beta Christian ran around the corner towards us he reacted purely on instinct. 

My dad grabbed Christian and threw him sideways. Pinning Christian with his back against the wall so that my dad’s left arm was across Christian’s throat before any of us knew what was happening. Christian’s wife Kerry inhaled sharply and hid her son behind her.

“I am sorry.” My dad said. 

He let go of Christian and looked around nervously. When he was sure that we were safe, at least for a few moments he turned his attention back to Christian. 

“What is happening?” My dad asked. 

“Some of our pack have joined forces with the Thorne and Grove packs to attack us. Our fighters are trying to hold them back but at this point it is just a matter of time till they break through.” Christian said. 

“We need to get out of here.” My mom said. She was trying to calm me down by stroking my hair but her anxiety was evident in her voice. 

“Everyone, follow me.” My dad said. He was using his alpha tone to make him sound confident and cover for the fact that he was just as worried as the rest of us.

We started moving again. Through the last corridor and down the stairs This took us to a small utility area next to the kitchen. My dad left us huddled together in this room so he could check if the coast was clear. He was back moments later and I knew it was bad news before he even opened his mouth. 

“Looks like they predicted we might come out this way. There are about ten of them out there. They are waiting for us just beyond the tree line.” He said. 

“Is there any way we can get past them without being seen?” Kerry asked.

“No. They have the entrance covered.” My dad replied. He looked truly worried for the first time. 

“Not all of us can but if we created a distraction some of us could get out unseen.” My mom said, everyone turned their attention towards her. 

“If we go out and draw their attention Christian and Kerry can sneak the children out while they are distracted.” My mom continued. 

“It is risky but it might work.” Christian said. 

“There is a cottage that we own about fifty kilometres away from our territory. Do you know the one I mean?” My dad asked. 

“Yes.” Christian replied. 

“I want you to head there. We will meet you there in a few days once we can be sure that nobody is following us.” My dad said. 

Everyone agreed to the plan. My parents gave me a hug and then started heading towards the back door. I was silently sobbing as I watched them walking away. I was scared and all I wanted was for things to go back to normal again. 

I wasn’t tall enough to see what was happening through the utility room window but I could hear it. At first I heard my parents shouting for them to stay away from their daughter. Then there was more shouting that I couldn’t quite make out and eventually growling and whimpering. 

I wanted to know my parents were ok. I tried to get away so I could go to them but Christian stopped me. He picked me up with one hand and held me to his chest as we made our escape. We moved quickly but silently through the house into the dinning room. Christian looked out of the window, once he was happy that it was safe he hopped out closely followed by Kerry who was holding their son. 

My nightmare always ends with Christian carrying me into the forest and me straining to catch sight of my parents. Hoping desperately than none of the whimpering I can hear is coming from them. The worst part is I will never really know the answer. It is almost fourteen years later so by now it is safe to assume that my parents died that night. It still hurts not to have any closure over the events of that night. 

We waited at that cottage for ten years. Christian and Kerry worked in the human town nearby and I attended school with their son Ryker but eventually this life became too lonely for us. Being the only werewolves and having to keep part of ourselves a secret from everyone around us was stressful and isolating. We started searching for a pack that we could join but as it turns out this was a task that was easier said than done. 

Without a pack we were technically lone wolves but most pack wolves don’t see any difference between lone wolves and rogues. This made most packs unwilling to even talk to us as there isn’t a pack in the world that would accept a rogue into their pack. We tried all of the packs within a hundred kilometres of the cottage but none of them would give us a chance so we had to start looking further afield. 

Eventually we found a pack. The alpha of this pack had recently taken over a neighbouring pack. There had been some kind of disagreement and the other alpha had challenged him. After the other alpha lost the fight he had to give up his pack and land. Unfortunately this meant that our new alpha’s pack doubled in size overnight and the losing alpha was now a rogue carrying a grudge. As a result they wanted to boost their defences. 

As Christian was a strong fighter they agreed to let us join the pack as long as Christian agreed to provide training for the pack. He also helped them to bolster their defences using the techniques my parents taught him.

We have moved on with our lives now but I still have so many questions about my past that I know I will never have answers to. I don’t know why they were attacking us. I know it was something to do with my mothers wolf and that when I turn eighteen in a few days time I will find out if I have the same trait. 

I don’t know what that trait is but I am scared. I want more than anything to be a normal werewolf. That way I can do all the things that the other werewolves my age do like finding my mate and going to college. 

I opened my eyes. The room was still dark so I knew it must still be early. I picked up my phone from the bedside table and looked at the screen, it was 5am. There was still two hours before I needed to set off for school. 

I tried to close my eyes but the memories from my dream were still too painful. There was no way that I was going to be able to get back to sleep again. I may as well get up. I reluctantly sat up in bed. I spent a few minutes mindlessly scrolling through social media before finally dragging myself out of bed. 

I took a quick shower and got changed into some black skinny jeans with a studded belt, a black band t-shirt and my leather jacket. As you have probably guessed I am a bit of a rock chick. I spent a lot of time and effort trying to hide anything that might make me stand out when I first moved to this pack. Dressing and acting like the popular kids in the fruitless hope that they would accept me. I was so desperate to fit in and make friends that I almost forgot who I really was but it didn’t matter. No matter how hard I tried they still treated me like an outcast. 

I even went through a stage of trying to fade into the background by wearing huge baggy clothes to hide my curves and slouching so that my height was less noticeable. If anything that seemed to make the rest of the pack bully me more. 

That was when I came to the realisation that I wasn’t the problem. There was nothing that I could do that would make them like me so I should stop living my life on their terms. From that day on I have dressed exactly how I wanted to and I don’t care what they think of that.

I would finish my look with dark makeup and jewellery after breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, I was starting to feel very hungry. I headed downstairs and started preparing coffee, bacon and scrambled eggs for me and Ryker. 

Our house was a lot smaller than the mansion I was born in but it was bigger than the cosy three bedroom cottage that we had all lived in for ten years. Downstairs there was a comfortable living room, a large kitchen with a large dining table and a formal dining room which Christian used as his office most of the time. Upstairs there were three large double bedrooms and two bathrooms. It may not have been the most lavish home but it was comfortable and I love it here.

“Oh my god. Diana, this smells amazing.” Ryker said, causing my heart to skip a beat. 

I may have grown up with Ryker and been living with him for most of our lives but we were not related in any way. I haven’t admitted this to anyone but over the last couple of years I have developed a huge crush on him. I can’t help it, he is 6th3 with a muscular build, long blond hair, blue eyes and the kind of face that could break hearts with a single smile.

What makes it worse is I know that he feels the same way about me. If our situation was different I would have asked him out in a heartbeat but our current living arrangement would make any kind of relationship awkward. I hope that once I turn eighteen my wolf will recognise him as our mate and then we can be together without feeling guilty. Until then I guess we’ll just have to settle for silently pinning for each other. 

“I know I do but what about the food?” I joked. 

“That smells almost as tasty as you do.” He said, there was a slight husky growl in his voice. 

I wished I hadn’t started flirting with him now, we weren’t meant to get this involved. Heck we weren’t even meant to acknowledge our feelings for each other. He walked towards me, he poured himself a cup of coffee and put some bread in the toaster. I was so busy focusing on the eggs that I didn’t notice how close Ryker was until he started to turn the bacon in the pan right next to me. 

I was suddenly conscious of how close he was to me, I could even feel the heat coming off of his body. If I just leaned slightly my whole body would be pressing against his. I could just lean over slightly and kiss him, then I would know if he tastes as good as he smells.

This is bad, I need to put some distance between us before I do something that I will later regret. Ryker took two plates out of the cupboard next to me, I could feel his breath on me and I could see the smile crossing his face out of the corner of my eye. He knew exactly what he was doing to me and he was enjoying this. Damn him.

I backed away from him slowly and walked over to the jug of coffee. I picked my favourite gaming related mug out of the cupboard and poured myself some coffee. I breathed in. The moment the coffee hit my nostrils it was as though my body suddenly started to come back alive. I quietly moaned although it wasn’t quiet enough to escape Ryker’s notice, his eyes shot in my direction straight away. I could feel my cheeks heating up, apparently I was determined to make a fool out of myself today. 

I walked over to the kitchen table and sat down so that he wouldn’t be able to see my face. I hope that he doesn’t notice. There are only a few things you can guarantee in life: death, taxes and that Ryker will take every opportunity to capitalise on my embarrassment. 

“I don’t know how you can drink black coffee.” Ryker commented as he started to put our breakfast onto plates. 

“It is like my soul.” I joked. 

Ryker was laughing as he set the plate in front of me. Hopefully my dark humour is enough to break the tension between us and we can eat breakfast together like normal people. 

I try to focus all my energy on the plate of food in front of me, something that I normally have no problem with. Today however, I find myself glancing in Ryker’s direction every so often. I even caught him doing the same thing more than once. The tension between us was so strong that I could hardly bear being in the same room as him. All I could think about was how much I wanted to kiss him.

Things aren’t usually this bad between us. A few weeks ago things were almost normal but then I broke up with my girlfriend Mary-Anne. Ever since then our feelings for each other have been growing stronger. It is starting to get to the point where neither of us can hide how we feel. I am so glad that my birthday is only a couple of days away. 

I saw Ryker glance my way out of the corner of my eye. He looked me up and down while nibbling on his bottom lip. Ok, I need to get out of here right now. I stood up from the table and started walking towards the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He said, his voice was huskier than normal. I turned to look at him. He was still sitting at the table but he had turned his whole body so he could look at me. 

“Just going to put some make-up on before school.” I said.

I was trying to sound nonchalant but I missed. My voice was a few octaves higher than it should be and my breathing and heart rate were a dead give away of the effect he was having on me. 

“Someone as beautiful as you doesn’t need make-up but I could think of something else we could do with the next half an hour instead.” He said. 

He stood up and started walking towards me, the look in his eyes was so intense that it made my heart skip a beat. I licked my lips. It wasn’t intentional but it was probably the worst thing that I could have done because I heard his heart rate instantly accelerate.

He took a step closer to me and raised his hand to touch me. His fingers were millimetres away from my cheek when I heard a door open upstairs. He looked up towards the noise so I took the chance to slip away before he could distract me again. I have never run up stairs even half as quickly as I did at that moment. 

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