Chapter 19: Sweet and painful memories-2

I sneered, "He's not just another male, he's Josh, my friend. Something you've not been for years. He's always loved and supported me, took care of me when all you did was ignore me and my existence. So no, Damian, he's not just a male, he's my friend, and he's everything to me that you are not."

Damian took a step closer, his eyes flashing with anger and hurt. I raised my hand, placing it on his chest, halting him. "Back off, Damian. I don't want you."

He seemed to wrestle with his wolf, then sighed in defeat. "Fine, but let's talk for a few minutes."

I shook my head, my voice firm. "No. Get out, Damian."

He must have sent Josh away while I wasn't paying attention. The air was thick with tension, the mate bond pulsing between us.

Damian's eyes flashed, but he didn't move. "I'm not leaving you like this."

I glared, my emotions boiling over. "Get. Out."

He hesitated, then turned to leave. "I'll be outside if you need me."

As the door closed, I slid down, back against the wall, and let the memories consume me…

Three Months Later………..

It's been three months since everything went down, and honestly, it hasn't been easy. The day I told Damian to stay away from me is still fresh in my mind. We haven't seen much of each other since then.

With the recent rogue’s attack, he's been really busy and stationed two warriors to guard the house, which is really unnecessary. But alpha protectiveness, there's nothing I can do about it. And I really enjoy the fact that he respects my decision and gives me the space that I need. It's good for both of us, but I know that the mate bond will have a down effect for being strained for too long.

When I went back to school, some bullies from other parks still tried to mess with me. But once they found out I was mated to Damian, they backed off. Some teachers who'd stood by and watched Vanessa bully me were dismissed from their jobs. It made me wonder how Damian had such power – sacking teachers from other packs wasn't something an alpha could do lightly.

Lora, had been worried about me. She'd tried visiting, but the alliance between our packs had almost broken because of Matthew. It took a few weeks to resolve, but everything's back to normal now. She's been helping me catch up on what I missed while I was recovering.

I moved into Granny Aria's house, and Josh and Mark helped me set it up. Damian sent omegas to bring over the new things he got for me, new clothes, shoes, and stuff – but I just left them in the wardrobe. I went back to the pack house and got my old things from the small room I'd stayed in.

My father's been checking in, making sure the omega he employed is doing a good job. The house might've been empty for years, but it's been well maintained. He handed me a credit card, meaning I have my own account now and access to all the money Granny Aria left me.

I've been training with Josh and Mark – they're tough teachers, trying to be even tougher than Granny Aria. "When your enemy attacks, they won't take it easy on you," Josh says. So, they're not going easy on me.

I've also started training with Albaz, trying to figure out our powers. She knows more than she's letting on, but she says it's not the right time for me to know yet. I've been doing some research on my own, and I've noticed she's been comfortable with me avoiding Damian. Makes me wonder if she doesn't want Storm...