"Soph, what's wrong?"
I blink, looking at Reagan then back at the entrance of Cipher where I saw Kaden. But there's no one there. Was I hallucinating? Am I pining after a man so much that I've started conjuring him up? He looked so real. Older, different, and... Yeah, that was so not him. The guy I thought I saw looked at the car. At me. But Kaden couldn't have looked at me because he was born blind. This only goes to show how much I need to get over him.
"Let's go," I say getting out of the car. This obsession I have with that man ends today. I refuse to be a slave to these feelings. Before I left, Kaden had found his mate. The Alpha was over the moon because his son had finally found his other half. I remember wanting the earth to open up and swallow me. There I was, building a future in my head with a man that wasn't meant to be mine. I felt so stupid and heartbroken that I didn't say goodbye to him before I left. After spending hours crying and begging LC, she finally gave in and packed our things. I purposely let slip to Rina that we were leaving. She was Kaden's cousin and knew we were friends. I know she would have told him about it.
A small part of me thought he'd come to see me off. I know how consuming the mate bond can be. How enamored they would have been with each other but I still hoped he would remember me. I hoped... I hoped for a lot of things that never happened. I'm a grown-up now. It's time to let go and start over. After Reagan pays the driver, we enter the club. The sound of loud music assaults our eardrums but it's the scents filling the place that makes me come alive. Alcohol, sweat, arousal, and sex. Who knew those smells could be so potent when mixed together?
"Wow, let's get a drink first" I pull Reagan toward the bar. We find a spot in the corner and motion for the bartender to serve us.
"What can I get you, ladies?"
"Cloudy eclipse for two please" he nods and leaves to start working on our drinks.
"So what are you looking for exactly?"
"Someone hot"
"Soph, being hot doesn't guarantee they'll be good in bed. And if you're trying to forget a certain man, I think you need someone who'll blow your brains away"
"You're right. But how do I know if they're good on not? Do you have a magical device that will point me in the right direction?"
"We should have found a witch before coming. I'm sure there's a spell out there that can do that"
"Right? Goddess, what I wouldn't give to erase him from my mind"
"And heart? Shouldn't you start from there?"
"I fucking hate you. You know that?" I groan leaning forward to see if our bartender is done with our drinks. I'm in need of liquid courage. Werewolf drinks are different from human alcohol. For us to get drunk, the drinks have to be laced with wolfsbane. Depending on the amount, it could get you drunk or kill you. I notice the stares directed at us, sure that most of them are looking at Reagan. I see a guy start to approach us but halfway through, he shakes his head and starts going in another direction. Weird.
"Here you go, beautiful. Enjoy"
"Thank you" we both murmur. I lift my glass to my mouth and gulp down half of it. As I'm placing it on the table, I notice another guy coming toward us. He's tall, has long shoulder-length hair, and the grey t-shirt he's wearing clings to his chest and arms. I discreetly kick Reagan, motioning to the guy with my eyes but when he's a few feet away from us, his eyes change. They're unfocused the way someone would be when they're talking to another person through the link. Then to my surprise, he also shakes his head, turns around, and leaves. Without talking to us. I was pretty sure he was heading our way. Why did he leave? Am I seeing things?
"What's wrong?"
"Turn around. Pick any guy and give him clear signals that you're interested in him. I'll do the same"
"Why?"
"Because I think I'm losing my mind" first Kaden, then these two guys who changed their minds before talking to us. What the hell is going on? Did someone get inside my head? My gaze runs over the club and stops at a guy who is already looking at me. There are two women beside him but the second we lock eyes, he pushes them aside and gets up. I see the way he drops his eyes to my chest and then smirks. Cocky bastard, is he? Although, I can't deny that he's hot. Blonde hair, blue eyes, banging body, and a mouth that is too confident it can please any woman. The way he swaggers, expertly avoiding other women who try to stop him tells me everything I need to know. He's good in bed. A bit arrogant but good. It's not like I'm going to mate with him so I don't care about anything past his expertise in bed.
"Well would you look at that," he says stopping in front of me "A rare beauty. I've never seen you around. Are you new?"
Translation; I'm a regular here and have slept with almost every woman in this club. In one word, manwhore.
I remind myself that I'm only after his dick and nothing else "I don't go out much. I'm Sophia"
"Logan"
"Nice to meet you, Logan. Let's not waste time with useless chitchat. Your place or hotel?"
"I know a hotel that's five minutes away from here"
"Let's go then" I place my empty glass on the counter. Opening my purse, I take out a few bills and slide them to the bartender who's already moving toward us. Thinking that maybe I was imagining things. I turn to Reagan to tell her I'm leaving only to find her eyes trained past me.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Who?" I follow her gaze to see Logan bent over, holding his head as if he's in pain. His claws come out, followed by fur sprouting on the back of his hand.
"Yeah, you don't want someone who can't keep his beast in check," Reagan says wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close to her. Two men push people aside and stop beside Logan.
"Alpha, what's wrong?" One of them asks. So Logan is an Alpha? I wonder which pack is his. They each take his hand and carry him out of the club.
"There goes my hook-up" I sigh, leaning back to rest my head on Reagan's shoulder.
"You dodged a bullet," the bartender says taking the money "He's an ass"
"He is?"
"Have you two never heard of Alpha Logan? Sick sadistic bastard. Unless you're into weird kinks, stay away from him"
"Okay. I thought he was just arrogant" I say and Reagan asks,
"What just happened to him? It looked like he was trying really hard not to shift" before the bartender can answer, someone, bellows for a refill. He only shakes his head then moves to the demanding customer. I feel defeated. It's like I can't even get laid in peace. Over the years, I've slept with a few guys here and there but clearly, it wasn't enough to get Kaden out of my system. Now I can't even find a one-night stand. It's as if the goddess is finding a way to punish me. I fell in love with the wrong person and I'm doomed forever.
From the second we arrived, men have been devouring us with their eyes. Most of them are interested in Reagan but I saw a few look my way. Why aren't they making any moves? If something is not holding them back, why not approach me? Should I just make the first move? I look around. Trying to find one man to fuck tonight. But no one is interested in us. It's like a switch has been turned and we're now invisible.
"Time to hit another club," I tell Reagan straightening "I will not stop until I find someone"
"Not happening. We're going home"
(Yes, you're going home. You'll forget about finding another man)
A voice in my head says. I'm pretty sure it's not mine but it's in my head. Who else could it belong to? My link isn't open and the only person who can force their way inside pack members is the Alpha. So if this voice isn't mine, who does it belong to? How did they get in there?
******************************************
I pop my eyes open and stare at the ceiling. Focusing on the light bulb because my mind is blank. There's nothing. No thoughts of anything or anyone. Even my wolf is almost non-existent. A fly buzzes above my face and I settle for watching it. What does it feel like to float around in the air? Do flies have thoughts? Like do they understand each other the way humans do? How did it get in here anyway? I'm sure the window is closed and I used a net to cover the vents so I could keep out lizards and spiders and anything that crawls through there. Fucking insects. Tired of the buzzing sound coming from the fly, I time it. My eyes track its movements and when it's close enough, slap it. The action requires me to lift my head from the pillow and just as I go to lie back down, everything comes rushing back. I jerk upright. "What the fuck?" How did I get home? The last thing I remember is Reagan suggesting we go home. There was a voice in my head agreeing with her. I know for a fact it wasn'
"Are you going to hide out here forever?" "I'm not hiding. This is my way of saving LC's life. If I see her in the next forty-eight hours, I swear I'll rip her apart" "She doesn't know who Logan is. You didn't either when you met him. Looks can be deceiving" "Are you defending her?" Reagan sighs "I've been thinking. What if they're just rumors? You saw the guy. He's smitten. The man you're in love with found his mate and Fred couldn't wait for you. What if this is the goddesses' way of making it up to you?" "By sending me a billionaire dickhead? No thanks," it's been two days since Logan showed up at my house. I don't know what he told my mother but she's now obsessed with him. LC has been singing his praises non-stop. Even after I made it clear to both of them that I wasn't looking for a mate, they still wouldn't listen. It doesn't help that he's sent enough gifts to fill my house even after I kicked him out. Now it's not just LC that's pushing me to mate with him. Even Alph
Sweat trickles down my hairline, back, and the valley between my breasts. I spent the last hour running because my wolf is hiding. She's still hurting from Fred's rejection. As much as I hate to admit it, LC was right. Saying the words isn't the end. A week after rejecting each other, my wolf became depressed. Which means I am also depressed. Negative thoughts have been popping out of nowhere. All of a sudden, I'd wonder if I wasn't pretty enough for Fred. Then I'd start thinking about his mate and how she looks. If she's better than me. More than once, I've caught myself on the way out to go looking for him and ask him that. He showed me a picture of his children but not her. Judging by how beautiful they were, I'd say she's pretty. But Nova just told me the other day that he would leave his fated for me. Why couldn't Fred leave his chosen for me? Was LC right? Should I hunt them down and break them up so we can all be miserable? Will that make me happy? It's thoughts like these tha
"I'm going for a run" I call out pulling the front door open and slipping outside. LC is still busy calculating what she'll do with the money to pay me any attention. If she looked up, she'd see that I'm not dressed for running or doing any exercise. Granted I'm not taking any luggage in case I bump into someone and they go talking but she could at least look up. I don't know when I'll see her again. I'm not even sure where I'll end up. But I have to go. Glancing one last time at her, I step out and close the door behind me. Aside from my phone, I have a purse with my savings and ID card. In case things don't work out where I'm going, I can have some money to relocate. As I walk towards the east, I take in Bittercrest for possibly the last time. There's no guarantee I'll be coming back. We've moved to so many packs that a part of me resented LC for uprooting us. I wished we would stay in one place and never move again. I wanted to plant roots so my kids could have a place they called
Past I'm an almost eighteen-year-old virgin and Walter thinks it's time I get some experience under my belt since I'm about to shift. His argument was that it would be embarrassing if I met my mate and didn't know what to do with her. Being blind doesn't mean I'm inexperienced in other areas. But he's my older brother and I know he only wants to help. Out of everyone, only Walter and Dad don't treat me like a disabled person. They don't feel sorry for me or whisper behind my back the way others do. I think the rest of the pack doesn't understand that my other senses work just fine. Maybe a bit too fine if you asked me. Especially my hearing. I could be sitting in the pack house but hear a conversation that's going on at the other end of the territory. Compared to humans, wolves have advanced abilities but our sense of smell is the sharpest. In my case, I've come to realize that every other sense is better than even my father's. Walter once told me that maybe i
Past I almost crumbled right there. I've never had anyone speak to me like that. He's the cutest boy I've ever met but he has the filthiest mouth. Not five minutes after we met and he was offering to pay me double to sleep with him. At first, I thought he was pretending to be blind. These disabilities are rarely found in werewolves. They're not unheard of. Just happens like once in a decade or a millennium. So my first thought was that he was pretending to be blind so he could sleep with me. But it's real. Not that it bothers me in any way. I could spend all day staring at his handsome face. It's even better since he can't see me doing it. I wonder why he needed to pay someone to sleep with him. I wouldn't need money to do it. His hand lands on top of mine then slide up my arm and to my neck to hold my face."You have the smoothest skin," he says rubbing his nose along my cheek. Should I stop him? There's no way he'd want to have sex here. Right? Do I want to
"Why? What's wrong?" "I just... I can't be here, Hector. Please turn..." Someone knocks on his window, cutting me off. Hector rolls it down. I half expect to find Kaden standing there but I remind myself that he's blind. He won't receive visitors. Besides, the pack members won't let him do anything. He's probably screwing his mate in that cabin or in their house. Or maybe he's trying to put their pups to sleep. Bile rises up my throat, and I struggle to swallow it down, blinking against the tears that are threatening to spill out. This is so much worse than mating with Logan. I'd rather go back and do it than hide out here. "I'll have some guys unload the cargo. Come with me. We prepared a room for you. I bet you'd both kill to lie on a bed" "You have no idea" Hector pushes his door open and gets out while I continue to sit there, frozen, my insides twisted into knots. Images of Kaden kissing his mate pass through my mind. The both of them walking hand in hand with a little girl
Resisting the urge to bury my nose in the crook of her neck, I lift her and carry her to the living room. Ignoring the way it feels to have her back in my arms. She's changed. No longer the teenage girl I met at the cabin in the woods. Everything about her is different but somehow still the same. Lowering her limp body onto one of the sofas, I take a step back before my hands develop a mind of their own. Leander peers around me, curious about her. "I bet it's because she's hungry. She hasn't eaten anything for almost two days" he says his tone accusing. "Your point?" "You shouldn't have made her sleep for so long. Yesterday night would have been a good time to let her wake up and eat and probably talk. It's her, isn't it? I knew it the second I caught her scent. It's the same as..." "Leander?" "Yes sir" "Get lost" "Yes sir" he scurries out of the pack house. No doubt going to gossip about everything he heard and saw. He's the only person I talk to and that is because he p