004_Please Don't!

Jessica's POV

I watched as he raised Richard to his eye level and glared at him. It was like they were communicating. With a grin on his face, he hit Richard hard across the face.

It didn't end there.

"Dad! That's enough!" Rebecca, the Alpha's other daughter who just got to the scene, yelled.

But he didn't stop at all. Even when the other pack members gathered around, he still didn't stop. He kept kicking and hitting Richard. We could hear the sound of his bones breaking, but he wasn't trying to shift.

"Is this some kind of training or what?" Lisa asked as her eyes darted from me to the scene.

I didn't know what to say to her. I didn't know exactly what was going on. Just then, my eyes landed on Ethan. He wasn't just staring at the scene, he was enjoying it.

"I hope I don't get to go through this type of training," Lisa said.

"It's not a type of training," I muttered, turning towards Ethan again. "It's a punishment."

I stared at Ethan, hoping he would see me in the crowd. But I couldn't get his attention.

Then a thought came to my mind. I wasn't sure if it was going to work. It's not even supposed to, but a part of me still felt like trying it.

"Ethan! Ethan!" I called out using the mind link.

He looked undisturbed.

"Ethan! Can you hear me?!" I called out again. I watched as he turned and searched the crowd. It worked. "I'm standing next to the moon goddess statue." I directed him.

The moment his eyes landed on me, they widened. "Jess! How are you doing this?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter, just meet me at the basement in ten minutes," I said and walked away.

It's not like I could explain what happened. I couldn't at all.0w

I made my way through the crowd, and back into the pack house. When I got to the basement, I sat down on my bed and started thinking.

Lately, I have been experiencing a lot of weird things. I stared at my palm as I recalled how the claw marks vanished without a trace, and now the mind link. Then there was the sensation that engulfed me when Richard was caressing me.

I never attended the Unchanged class, but Lisa told me when we come of age and want to shift, there are weird sensations we would feel. Like a tingling that runs through our veins. Was all this happening because I was going to have my first shift in a week?

Just then, the basement door opened and Ethan hurried in. It wasn't up to ten minutes yet.

"How were you doing that?" He asked immediately.

"Why are you here now?" I asked, standing up. "It's not time yet."

"That doesn't matter, just tell me what happened out there. How were you able to talk to me?"

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say.

"Has it happened before?" He asked.

I remained silent. I didn't want to share anything else with him, especially after what I just saw.

"You told the Alpha," I said as I searched his eyes, hoping for my thoughts to be wrong.

"What?" He asked in a confused tone.

"Did you tell him about what Richard did earlier?," I asked. He was shocked, but he didn't deny it. I ran my fingers through my hair. "How could you, Ethan?"

"I had to, Jessica, or else I would..."

"Or else what?" I questioned, feeling my heart tighten.

He was silent at first. "He found out that I was here, and that I grabbed your wrist. If I hadn't said anything, then I would have been in trouble with him."

Hearing those words, I couldn't help but laugh. He didn't even do it so he could help me, he just did it for himself. He just ruined me, so he could save his own ass!

"I'm such an idiot," I muttered. I couldn't help but think about the past.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You are such a selfish person!" I yelled.

"You can't be serious, Jessica; I did that to protect you too."

I laughed. "Protect me too? Really?" If only he knew what they were going to do to me for revenge.

"Yes, Jess, I—"

"—Do not call me that!" I caught him off.

His eyes widened as he fell to the floor. "What... What the heck?" He exclaimed. "How did you—"

Before he could complete the words, I ran out of the room. I didn't want to be close to him. I hated him for acting like he cared when he didn't. As fast as I could, I ran out of the pack house and into the woods. Finally, I got to the cave. It was another one of my hiding spots. A dark cave deep in our woods.

I wanted to be alone. Away from every single person. All the world has ever done to me was hurt me.

***

Drops of water from the top of the cave landed on my face, waking me up. I had slept in the cave. It was already dark outside and raining too.

"Darn it!" I yelled when my chores came to my mind. Beatrice was going to kill me.

I made my way out of the cave. It was so dark I didn't know what I was stepping on.

Just then, I realized something. It was quiet, too quiet. No crickets or even bird chirping sounds at all. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

I wasn't alone.

I was about to turn around and look behind me when I heard a branch snap. Then I started running. I ran as fast as I could, gasping for air at every step I took. Turning to check, I found a dark silhouette chasing after me. Before I could jump over a log in front of me, I was grabbed by the hoodie and pulled backward.

I winced as I hit the ground.

The dark silhouette climbed on me, and that was when I was able to make out the face underneath the Moon Goddess's reflection.

With a grin on his face, Richard said to me. "Did you think you were going to get away with what you did, Jess?!"