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Three

The second the bell rang, I rushed out of the classroom. I darted into the girls' bathroom, praying he was not mad enough to follow me.

I sat down on the floor and hugged my knees to my chest. I buried my face in my knees and took deep breaths to try to calm myself.

"Did you really think hiding in here would work?" 

The terror siezed me completely and suddenly I couldn't stop shaking. "Liam, please don't," I whispered, my voice breaking.

"You are a pathetic, worthless omega, you deserve everything I give you!" He snarled, grabbing my hair and yanking me to my feet. "You took everything from me, you're the reason they're naming Derek tonight and not me!"

"They were my parents too, it isn't my fault they're gone," I sobbed.

He smacked me hard across the face and my cries grew louder. I tasted blood in my mouth and gagged. He let go of my hair but not before shoving my head against the tile wall.

"It is your fault, you were the one who killed them."

I could barely see and I was on the verge of retching all over the bathroom floor. "I'm sorry," was all I could manage. It was practically incoherent but he wasn't listening anyway.

I doubled over when his knee connected with my stomach and fell to the floor. My head throbbed and tiny spots filled my vision. The ringing in my ears was back—it wouldn't be long now. I had maybe a couple of minutes before it was over.

"Do you even regret what you did?" he snarled, bringing his face down close to mine.

"I had no choice! He was going to kill me!" I screamed, sobbing hysterically now. My body was starting to go numb, but remembering what happened that day was far more painful.

"Then you should have let him kill you," he spat, kicking his foot into my healing ribs.

I howled in pain as a sickening crack echoed through the bathroom. A hand slapped over my mouth and my cries were muffled. "Shut up," he snapped.

I quickly swallowed the scream building in my chest, terrified to anger him further. His hand suddenly wrapped around my throat and my eyes widened when I felt him start to lift my body off the ground.

My hands clawed at his and I gasped for air. He shoved me against the tile wall of the bathroom, lifting until my feet were no longer touching the floor. His fingers tightened around my neck and I saw black spots flood my vision. The couple of minutes I had turned to seconds.

My body started to go limp and I saw his lips curl in disgust before my eyes rolled back.

***

"Liam! Slow down!" I huffed, wishing I could run faster.

"Hurry up, we're going to miss it!" My brother hissed, holding out his hand. I smacked it away and pushed myself harder.

We burst through the trees and I stopped dead in my tracks. I gaped. The entire clearing was decorated for the beginning of the Summer Festival. Lanterns hung in every tree, flowers blanketed the shrubs, and little tent shops were set up every few meters. And then there was my brother, the biggest grin on his face as he watched me.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to a small shop that was selling beautiful jewelry. He whispered something to the older woman behind the table and she chuckled with a smile.

She glanced briefly at me before walking to the back of her tent. She returned a few moments later with a small red box and handed it to my brother who gave her some money in return.

He turned to me and my eyes widened in surprise when he held out the box.

"It's for me?" I asked.

"Yeah, go ahead Rox, open it," he urged and I pried the lid off the box. I squealed and bounced up and down. Inside was a beautiful necklace with a bone pendant that had been carved into a howling wolf. There were small violet crystals for the eyes and the chain was gleaming black metal.

My eyes watered at the precious gift as I ran into my brother's outstretched arms. I hugged him tightly, making him laugh a little. He stroked my hair gently and hugged me back. "Happy birthday Roxie," he chuckled, lifting me up and spinning me around until I squealed.

"Thank you Liam!" I exclaimed with a grin.

"I love you little sis," he whispered, hugging me tighter.

"I love you too."

***

I opened my eyes with a small groan. My hands rubbed my eyes roughly and I looked around. I couldn't see anything, even with my enhanced vision. I was half sitting up with my back against a corner.

I tried to push myself up more but immediately fell back as pain shot through my ribs. It hurt to breathe and my side was swollen and tender. My ribs were probably cracked or broken, again. Damn it.

Taking shallow breaths and clenching my jaw against the pain, I managed to push myself up to my knees. I could feel bruises around my neck and the blood that coated my face told me that Liam threw in a few extra hits after I passed out.

After several minutes of effort, I struggled to my feet and found a door handle. I opened it and saw the familiar tiling of the school's floor. Liam shoved me in one of the janitor's closets. The clock on the wall said lunch would be over in a few minutes.

I hurried to the bathroom and washed the blood off my face. The bridge of my nose hurt and it sat at an awkward angle. Grinding my teeth, I cursed my brother's name a dozen times. I held my breath and quickly pushed it back into place, hissing at the pain that made my throbbing headache worse. My eyes watered horribly and made the cuts on my face sting. I popped three more of my pain meds, cringing when I realized I only had a precious few left.

My bag was shoved under the sink so I gently pulled it over my shoulder. I trudged out into the hallway again, quickly checking to make sure there was no sign of my brother.

The bell rang and the hall instantly filled with students. An incredibly alluring smell suddenly hit my nose. My stomach flipped. Oh Goddess please not now, I pleaded. Not when I looked like I just got run through a damn meat grinder. 

I turned sharply on my heel, in the exact opposite direction of my mate's scent. I headed straight for the school's exit but someone grabbed the back of my sweatshirt and yanked me around. I almost fell over but his grip was firm and held me upright.

My eyes locked with his and for a moment, all I could feel was elation, until I remembered who he was. He was Derek Thayne, the next alpha of our pack. Fuck.

"It's you," I murmured and laughter erupted around me. 

His face suddenly turned to stone and he grabbed my arm, dragging me back into the janitor's closet. "I, Derek Thayne, reject Roxanne Meyers as my mate," he said immediately. 

My lips twisted into a grimace. "I accept your rejection," I spat.

I turned away from him and stalked out of the closet. I didn't even look back. 

If it weren't for my brother, none of this would have ever happened. My pack wouldn't hate me, wouldn't abuse me, my mate wouldn't have rejected me, and I wouldn't have had to accept it all.

***

I shoved my only clothes into my bag along with a few treasured possessions I still had. I rolled up my blanket and shoved it in there as well before dashing out of the door.

I pushed myself as fast as my legs would carry me, ignoring the pain that coursed through my body. The trees flew past me in a blur and the wind rifled through my hair. I was leaving. Or I was going to die trying. I had nothing left for me in this pack now. 

I ran for more than a dozen miles before the border of the territory was finally in sight. I still knew the territory like the back of my hand, it was easy to avoid the guards. The border was a different story though. I panicked at the sight of four massive wolves spread out along the edge.

Taking a sharp turn, I nearly hit a tree in my frenzy to remain unseen. The signaling howls behind me sent a chill straight down my spine. I might be able to escape these ones, but I don't stand a chance against the beta or the alpha.

I glanced behind me and saw all four of them chasing me, quickly gaining. I turned back and kept my eyes locked onto the line of charred sage bushes that marked the border.

Just as my foot crossed the threshold, teeth latched around my leg. I howled in pain and they bit down harder, the awful sound of crunching bone echoing in my ears. I collapsed onto my hands and knees, my fingers digging into the ground as they dragged me backwards. My eyes moved to the boundary line just a few feet away and I clenched my jaw tightly. Sticks and barbs ripped through my skin but I fought against it. I painfully tore out of the wolf's grip, but was already surrounded by more.

When I tried to stand, my leg gave out and I fell onto my knees in the dirt. The wolves snarled, flattening their ears against their heads and baring their teeth. One snapped his jaws at me and I skidded back to avoid his razor-sharp teeth. My heart fluttered in panic.

I suddenly saw their eyes glaze over and swore aloud, the alpha is definitely on his way now. I forced myself to stand but two of the guards blocked the border.

My eyes drifted past them, to the dozen growling wolves slowly moving closer. My eyes widened in surprise when I realized they weren't from my pack. And they weren’t growling at me.

They stalked towards the guards who were now joined by my alpha and several others. I was trapped between two lines of bristling wolves and I wasn't sure who the enemy was.

The alpha from my pack and another wolf on the other side both shifted. Two massive men stood naked, facing each other with burning hostility.

My pack's alpha was much older, while the other wolf―also an alpha from the power he radiates―was very young and very fit.

"What are you doing here Xavier?" my alpha snarled.

"I heard howling, now tell me, how can you stand by and allow four trained guard wolves to attack a single defenseless wolf, Thaddeus?" The alpha―Xavier―replied, spitting out the name like it was poison.

"If a wolf tries to escape from the pack, they will be caught and dealt with accordingly. It's the law."

"What are you doing to your pack that would make them try to escape? Surely it can't be for no reason," Alpha Xavier replied with a smirk.

My alpha gnashed his teeth, I could just imagine smoke coming out of his ears. "I have had just about enough of you interfering in my pack's business," he growled and turned to me. "Get back to the pack house, I'll deal with you later," he ordered me through gritted teeth.

I felt my body slowly start moving back towards the territory, entirely of its own accord. I tried to fight against it but it was no use. No one could disobey a command from their alpha. 

"This wolf is coming with me, she's obviously injured and will not be put through anymore of your abuse. Come here," Xavier demanded and I paused. 

A horrible sensation exploded in my mind as my body tried to obey both commands, it felt like my skull was being stretched and needles were piercing my brain. I gasped and clawed at my head. Blood flowed beneath my fingernails and I winced when I saw the red liquid trickle down my fingers.

My alpha should have more power over me but the other alpha's voice was somehow making me submit. I could hear yelling and snarls erupting around me but the commands still echoed in my head, growing louder until they were practically screaming inside my head. It had me howling on the ground in agony until I finally fell unconscious.

***

My eyes snapped open and I sat up with a gasp. Pain immediately shot through my skull and I collapsed back onto something soft. I groaned, rubbing at my temples. Breathing through the pain, I lifted my head more slowly this time. 

I looked around with wide eyes at the massive bedroom. Beneath me was a very big, very comfortable bed. The sheets were black silk and the mattress felt like a cloud. It barely registered in my mind that I was in someone else's bed. It was so soft, it brought back memories of what seemed like another life.

"Comfy isn't it?" A voice asked and my body shot up again in surprise. I yelped, grabbing my head as the pulsing ache behind my eyes returned.

He rushed to my side and pushed me back down onto the bed. "You shouldn't move much, your body has been through a lot," he said.

"Who are you?" I rasped.

"Xavier Harke. What's your name little wolf?" he asked and I suddenly remembered everything that had happened before I blacked out.

"Roxanne," I muttered sheepishly.

He grinned. "Welcome to the Night Pack, Roxanne."

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