Odessa POVI watched my mother as she readied herself to speak. She sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it go.“When I was old enough to go out on my own, I left the pack. There was no one holding me back, so I bought a bus ticket and rode the bus until its final stop in a small fishing town east of here.”“A fishing town?”She nodded. “A fishing town that knew how to have fun.”“Okay…”“I met four guys who might be your father.”There was no way this was a normal conversation. In a perfect world, I would choose to never know about this. However, in my imperfect world, I need to know the unsavoury details.“I first met a man named Robin Handler. He owned a local butchery, and the reason I remember this was because he was in competition with the fishers because they were stealing each other’s business.”“Why is this relevant?” I asked.“Because the other guy I slept with was James the fisherman, who was Robin’s business rival!”I massaged my face and groaned. At least I was getting
Odessa POV“Ugh, Alpha Maverick needs his wounds cleaned. You need to get out!”I blinked a few times to clear the blurry image of the woman who barged into the room. Maverick shifted under me and groaned.“You okay, Wildcat?” Maverick asked, his voice thick with sleep.I nodded, rubbing my eyes.“Didn’t you hear me?” The nurse barked.I scowled. “I’m leaving.”“No,” Maverick said. “She’s ice cold. Check her out.”“Maverick, I’m fine. Nothing a hot shower can’t fix.”My wolf felt like she’d been running a marathon all night. If I asked her to shift right now, she’d beat me up. My bones were heavy, and my eyes stung from the dryness.“I’m not doing anything unless you’re checked out, Odessa.”My jaw dropped. Could he really be this stubborn?The nurse planted a hand on her waist and popped out her hip.“Alpha Maverick is a special case. Regular patients have to go downstairs.”“I’m a regular patient, Mav. Don’t argue with the nurse and let her clean you.”“It might help if you left,” t
Odessa POVWorthless tears stained my face. They couldn’t erase what had happened to my mate. I watched him lay unconscious on a hospital bed through a glass window. Maverick was in a private room. Not all the medical staff knew he was here.“Has he woken up at all?” I asked.“He’s been in and out of consciousness. The silver was too strong,” Storm said, his voice strained.He was pissed off, but he was also scared. This was the second time he had been down since we started our relationship. This time was scarier than when he collapsed at the Daisy Den.“What do I do?” I turned around to ask the group.I didn’t have my herbs because Maverick hadn’t returned them, but if I got my hands on a few herbs, I could come up with something to heal him faster.“You’re his mate. You two need to bond,” Sienna explained. “Your wolves need to connect. It’ll give him strength, but it’ll take away some of yours.”“It’s dangerous for you,” Gage spat.“It doesn’t matter,” I responded quickly. “You’re
Odessa POV“Where is she? How could she invite me for drinks and not show up?”I was sitting alone outside the bar, freezing my ass off because my best friend was not returning my calls or texts. I had one sweet margarita in front of me. Alcohol wasn’t helping me the way I thought it would.“Talking to yourself again, Wildcat? I’m starting to think it’s a habit.”“Ryder,” I said.He wore a red and white Daciana Devils jersey over a black shirt.“What are you doing here? You don’t go to school here, do you?”He frowned. “I didn’t go back to college as soon as I turned pro. My dad hated it, but there was nothing he could do.”“So you let the rest of us slave away, I see.”He chuckled and pulled out a seat. He was my mate’s worst enemy, but there was something about Ryder that made me believe he wasn’t the demon everyone made him out to be.“What are you doing here?”“I was meeting a… a friend.”“You mean a girlfriend? You’re over eighteen, Ryder, I’m sure you’re old enough to date.”He
Maverick POV“So what are you saying?” I asked Rex to clarify what he’d just told me.I brought a sample of Odessa’s hair and a toothbrush a few days ago. Yes, she had a toothbrush at my house before things went south.“I’m saying your girl’s a rare species. A sick one too.”“Sick?” I blasted. “You didn’t say that earlier.”“You didn’t give me a chance. From the samples you gave me, this wolf is abnormally weak.”“She’s an omega,” I said. “Are you telling me she’s not?”“There’s no telling unless I run more tests. I could find out her sickness with a blood sample.”“Do you know how hard it was to get her hair?” I asked, strained.Rex held his hands up. “Okay, but I’ve never seen an omega with venom like that. It must be the type of wolf species she is. Nothing in here matches the information I could find from our sample.”“So you’re saying my girlfriend’s a mutant wolf?”Rex chuckled, but there was nothing funny about this.“No, Maverick. She’s a different species. Like a white wolf.”
Odessa POVThe jig was up. Mom called Evyn’s mother to ask how long I’d stay at their house, and the cat was let out of the bag.After the good sob I had when I got home, I felt better. It was like emptying all the filth I felt inside.“There you are!” Mom yelled, throwing her hands in the air for added effect.“Hi, Mom,” I mumbled.“That’s all you have to say to me?”“Mom, I’m sorry I ghosted you. I just needed time to myself.”“Did you get that pregnancy test?”“Yes,” I said through my teeth. “It came back negative.”She planted her hand on her chest and collapsed on the couch.“I thought I was going to be a grandmother. I’m too young for that.”“I’m happy for you,” I mumbled.She laughed. “Odessa, don’t tell me you’re disappointed? Are you really going through all this because of a boy? What did I always teach you?”I paused before I climbed the stairs. It would have been easier to run upstairs and let her rant until her heart was content. I balled my hands into fists and turned ar