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? 

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