GREY’S POVMy breathing came out in jagged, short breaths. I’d been sparring with Ray for a while now, a little over an hour. At first, it started out as practice, but now, it was getting more aggressive from my side. He wasn’t backing down though. When I had walked into the kitchen earlier and saw all of them at the table eating and laughing, something moved in my chest. I became angry. Angry at the fact that someone else was making my mate laugh. Making her happy.Of course, it wasn’t logical to take my anger out on the poor guy, but I didn’t care. I had remembered the scene from the other day when I saw them together outside, and it made me mad that she was free with other people and not with me. Especially since she was free with Ray and preferred to be with him instead of me. “Not like you ever gave her the chance to be free with you,” my wolf reminded me, but I didn’t care. I realized that we were both on the mat now. I was on top of him, punching him in the face, and a few se

BLOOM’S POVI felt stupid. Stupid that I had my hopes raised and expected something good from him. He’d made it clear that he didn’t want me, that I was someone whose presence ruined his plans, that I was a useless mate and didn’t deserve to have him as a mate, that even though I had Alpha’s blood running through me, I was still low. Yesterday things got out of hand, and we kissed. At that moment, it felt like the best thing in the world to me. It was perfect. I felt wanted and wanted to stay with him like that, just laying in his arms for a long time. I wanted him to want me and look at me like he did yesterday. But the next morning, he quickly dashed the hopes of that ever happening again. He said it had been a mistake. When I woke up and didn’t see him beside me, I felt disappointed. That he just left me alone. Stupid of me to have expected a little bit of care from him. My mistake was expecting much from him. I never got any care in my life before and I was used to being alone,

BLOOM’S POVI tiptoed to my room, trying to stay as quiet as I could. I could feel Grey was inside his room already and didn’t want to wake him up as I felt that he was already sleeping. When I slipped into my room successfully, I leaned against the door, my heart was beating very fast. I didn’t want to have to explain to him where I was coming from this late at night. My clothes were sticky and sweaty, so I took them off and threw them on the floor, and then I picked up my phone from the bed to check the time. It was just past ten. I already figured out most of the features of my phone, but using it was still a little bit strange to me. I had downloaded a bunch of fashion design videos on YouTube.I had a thing for it since I was young, but most of my ideas remained in my head as I didn’t have a way of implementing them. I had one sketch pad back in my former Pack given to me by Lydia, but I hadn’t been able to take it with me. The designs were still in my head, but I hoped no one

BLOOM’S POV All eyes were on Grey as he stormed out of the dining room. Or did he stalk out? With the anger seeping out of him, I would say he stormed out. “Are you okay, Bloom?” Ray’s voice brought me back to the present, and I looked up to meet the gaze of everyone at the table. Richmond wasn’t there, so he must have left while I was lost in thought. “What did you say?” I heard him the first time but acted like I didn’t to shake their gazes off my skin, still, they stared at me like they expected me to be rattled by my mate’s outburst. I from weeks ago would have been shaking and might have even burst into tears, but the present me, especially me from this morning was getting bored with his antics.“Are you okay?”“Yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” I deflected by answering his question with a question. Sure, I was meek, sometimes slow, but I wasn’t stupid that I didn’t know they knew what was going on. From the way I was stick-thin, to the way I covered up, to the way I stammere

GREY’S POVThe second she walked into her room, regret washed over me. My wolf growled at me. “I warned you not to say those things.” I ignored him and shoved him into the corner. Yes, he did tell me, but I still ran my mouth. Her expression from a few minutes ago flashed into my mind, and the regret hit me harder. Fuck. I really should have kept quiet. Her face had been so blank, and her body still, and if I hadn’t seen her eyes I would not have known she was rattled by my words. A few maids walked past, all bowing, and I jerked from my position, realizing I was standing out in the hallway with my mouth slightly open. I gave a wave of my hand, acknowledging their greeting, then entered my room and closed the door. Leaning against the door, I surveyed the room. Nothing was out of place, but as I walked deeper into my room and inhaled, I could still smell her scent. It was so sweet and I felt the urge to hold her in my arms and kiss all her bruises away. Where did that come from