Chapter 9

Olivia's POV:

"Hmm, the food smells delicious. I thought Mark didn't like you, why then did he buy this expensive meal for you?" Erica asked, as she moved to take a seat in the room, clearly not ready to go home.

I shrugged. "I do not know. Maybe he just feels concerned about how his family treated me."

"Mmm. I heard his coach's daughter's birthday is tomorrow. Are you going to attend it? Rita is going to be 18 tomorrow and find her mate. Do you think that Mark might be Rita's mate? With the way she openly gawked at him, and she is among the Yellow Ballers cheerleaders, do you not think that there's a possibility that she could be his mate?"

I nearly choked on my meal as I coughed out. Luckily, Erica quickly helped me with a bottle of water as she brought it from her bag.

"I do not think so. Although, I know that Mark has many girlfriends. So why would Rita want to waste her time picking him as her mate? Unless it's the moon goddess's choice for them," I said, but I felt my voice become shallow as my heart ached painfully at the thought of Rita and Mark becoming mates.

Why do I feel this way? Why am I unhappy to hear that Rita could possibly become Mark's mate the following day?

"You're right. We shouldn't concern ourselves about them. I am just concerned more about you. So since your stepmother refused to support your dream to enter the university, what do you want to do now? Apply for a job?" Erica asked, her voice tinged with concern for me. Her eyes peering at mine seriously as I sat on the hospital bed and docilely ate my dinner.

"I do not know," I admitted, my voice sad. "Will anyone or any company want to employ a wolfless girl like me? I think I don't deserve to live."

I sobbed again, my heart aching painfully, and Erica stood up from the chair and rushed over to meet me on the bed.

"It's okay, Olivia. I believe that you will get a good job. You do not have to cry. I wish that I had the money to sponsor your dreams to become a nurse like me and my sister," she said, her voice choked with sobs. And indeed, studying nursing at the pack's university was expensive.

For a starter, I had to pay up to 1 million for a year, and I didn't have the money. I was hoping that my foster parents would help me out, but they were barely entertaining me in their house. They knew that the chances of me finding my real mate were thin, because I didn't have a wolf.

"Stop crying," Erica tried to comfort me, her hand reaching to wipe the teardrop from my face, but I couldn't stop my tears from fallen.

"Why am I born on a moonless night?" I sobbed painfully, my eyes reddening, and Erica held me closely to her chest.

"It's okay, Olivia. You're not alone," she said, her voice like a whisper and cool breeze against my ears. It was supposed to calm me down, but I sobbed the more.

However, the hospital room door burst open, and Mark stood there elegantly, his golden eyes bloody red like a beast, and I hadn't seen him this way before.

"Mark, what do you want here again? Why are you here?" Erica stood protectively in front of me, blocking me like a mother hen trying to protect her little chick from a predator, because Mark looked like a daredevil at this point.

Strolling into the hospital room without saying a word to Erica, I noticed that Mark's yellow shirt and deep blue shorts were wet, like he had been beaten by the rain. Where did he go? I pondered as my heart raced. But Mark moved toward my bed and shoved Erica aside.

"Stay away from Olivia. Why are you hurting her?" he asked Erica, his voice cold, but softening as he peered at me.

Erica's and my eyes widened in surprise, as we didn't know why Mark returned.

"It's none of your business, Mark. Just go away, and Erica is not hurting me," I said, my voice cold, almost losing my appetite at the sight of him.

"Ain't you happy to see me?" Mark asked, his voice gentle, and my heart exploded with warmth at the way he spoke to me, so lightly.

Why is Mark's voice having an effect on me? Why is my heart reacting and racing to him? I looked at his handsome face that I had seen many girls in our pack wrestling with one another to gain his attention.

"Why did you come back? I thought your father summoned you home?" I asked Mark, shifting the topic away from Erica.

Erica stood aside, peering at me and Mark in shock, her jaw dropped because she knew that Mark didn't use to talk to me before, let alone stand this close to me.

"Mm. I felt like you were in danger, and I came here to see you. I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something is wrong with you," Mark admitted, his golden eyes not shifting away from my face, and my jaw dropped as I peered at him in shock.

As his hands reached to take my hand into his cold palms, I felt the sparkles and swiftly pulled my hands away from his touch.

"Stay away from me, Mark. What's wrong with you?" I asked him, trembling and feeling my heart thudding faster at the way he looked at me like he wanted to kiss me or do something unthinkable to me.

Mark had not looked at me this way before. I felt my whole body becoming hot.

And Erica's cheeks flushed red, as I knew that she secretly had a crush on Mark, but she avoided discussing about him and knowing that I didn't like him.

Mark was so handsome, with his high cheekbones, full brows and lips. And that was why his sister, Emily, had so many female friends, because many of those young ladies in our pack crushed on her brother, even when she wasn't aware of why they were friends with her. It was all a scheme to get the basketball star player—Mark George.

"Um, Olivia, I have to head home now. My mother is calling me again. I promise will be here to see you tomorrow morning before you get discharged," Erica said, as she swiftly grasped her black bag and darted out of the room before I could stop her. I didn't want to be left alone in the same room with Mark.

With the way he had looked at me since the previous weekend when he defended me, I didn't like it.

"Wait…" Before I could stop Erica, she had rushed out of the room, her scent fading away. I knew that she was uncomfortable around Mark. Many of those young ladies were, as they couldn't stop themselves from drooling at his handsome face. They crushed on him more than on Alpha Bryan Anderson, Alpha Johnson's son.

"Why haven't you finished your meal? Do you want me to feed you?" Mark finally asked, as his hand moved to pick up my spoon, but my reflex was faster as I caught the spoon and glared at him.

"Stay away from me, Mark. I didn't call you back here. Just shift away," I gestured for him to move aside, because I couldn't breathe. His forest grass scent was filling my nostrils again and making my pûssy ache. I had not felt this way with any man, and Mark was the first guy getting this close to my space.

Isn't he supposed to be my brother?

However, Mark was stubborn, so he didn't shift away. Instead, he invaded more of my space, filling me with more of his scents as he asked, "What if I do not want to shift away? What if I want to be close to you?"

"Huh?" My jaw dropped as I looked at his handsome face in shock.

"Just eat your food, and we will talk about that later. Or should I feed you?" Mark's hand reached for my spoon to take it, but my hand quickly held his own, stopping his hand immediately.

"No way," I quickly grasped the spoon away, feeling my heart throbbing faster.