"Wake up, please. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please wake up…"
Ryker?
Does he regret it? Is he taking me back?
"No," the voice said, quieter now. "I'm not Ryker. I should've woken up sooner. I should've protected you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
I opened my eyes.
There was nothing around me but darkness.
"Who are you?" I asked. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm your wolf. My name is Lilith. I saw everything. I'm sorry, Ivy. I'm so sorry."
"You're… my wolf? Wow. It's nice to finally meet you, Eros. I thought you didn't like me."
"I do. I was just asleep. I woke when you smelled our mate. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. You're forgiven," I said with a small smile. "But he rejected us."
"I know," Lilith said. "And now…"
Suddenly, agony stabbed through my chest and stomach.
I screamed.
"What's happening?" I cried.
"He's with someone else," Lilith growled. "He's having sex. I can feel it. I can't forgive him."
Tears streamed down my face. "He rejected us… and just moved on?"
"Pack what you need," Lilith said. "But before that, we need to dull the pain."
"Where are we going? If we leave the pack, we'll be rogues."
"We'll go to our brother," he said faintly.
"I don't have a brother," I whispered. "I'm an only child."
"Just hurry. If they don't want us, we'll give them what they want."
I stuffed money, clothes into a bag. "Do you even know where our brother is?"
"Take a breath. We'll think this through."
I did what he said.
"Alright," I decided. "We leave. I have enough money to survive for a while. No turning back."
"Good. Now go to Ryker's room."
I didn't know why, but I followed.
When I opened his door, I saw him… with Jessica, our pack's biggest flirt.
They both stared, startled.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Ryker roared. "Get the hell out!"
"Maybe he wants to watch," Jessica sneered. "Let's give him a show."
And that's when the pain turned into rage.
"I, Ivy Martin accept your rejection. From now on you're no longer my mate."
"Shit, dude! She's your mate?" A person spoke from behind me. It was Connor along with his other friends.
"Not anymore I rejected her already. Oh, by the way you can have him do whatever you want. But don't kill her. I'm gonna play with her a little and then get rid of her." Ryker said with an evil smile. "Now get the hell out of here!" he looked at me one last time as Connor close the door, I saw his eyes flickering, it might have been his wolf, but I can't say for sure.
"Now what do we do with you, little freak." Connor muttered tauntingly.
"I haven't done anything to you. Can't you just let me go." I said, but he just laughed at me.
"I can't do that. But don't worry. We'll gonna play an exciting game." He stalked towards me while I backed away.
"I'm gonna count to ten, and you better pray I don't catch you. Alright, little freak?"
I looked at him in fear, and the he started counting.
"One…"
I began running as fast as I could while him and his friends all laughed as I dashed my way out.
"Two…"
I don't know how long I've been running but soon I heard footsteps behind me as I sprinted to the woods.
I called out my wolf, and I could feel it through our link that she was weakening.
"Lilith?"
I called again but she didn't answer.
I soon stumbled down the ground and their laughter got nearer and nearer, and they were soon standing in front of me, taunting me as they circled around me.
"Please, just leave me alone." I pleaded to them, but they treated my words like air.
"Now…what do we do with you?" Connor crouched down and grabbed my ankles, yanking me to him.
"Your skin is quite soft. Have you ever been touched before?" His question made me tremble in fear.
"Please…let me go." I cried, trying to get away from him. But his grip on me was firm.
"Connor, dude, what are you doing? Don't tell me you like that freak?!" One of his friends asked, snickering.
"Well, just look at her skin, they are soft and nice to the touch. I'm just curious how it would feel." Connor said, and his friends laughed at him.
But then he suddenly towered me while pinning my hand above me with his one hand. While his other hand started crawling underneath my shirt.
"Connor what are you doing?!" His friends tried to pull him away but he just pushed them and looked at me lustfullly.
"Please, don't do this…" I begged.
"Shut up! Shut up!" He got angry and punched my stomach making me close my eyes in pain.
His friends were now looking worried as they looked around the place making sure no one was around.
He slowly pulled my jeans down and when he struggled with it, he ripped it apart and I couldn't do anything to stop him.
I cried and cried, and when he got annoyed at me again he punched my side and screamed for me to stay still.
"Connor, that's enough!" His friend yelled this time, and then he looked me in the eyes, and as if he finally realized what he was doing, he stopped, and hastily let go of my hands.
"Fuck this! If you ever tell anyone about this freak, you're dead! Or better yet, it's better if you just die here!" He said, standing up, kicking my side and walking away.
I could only cry as his friends slowly turned to leave as well, one of them muttered an apology but didn't bother helping me, afraid that they will anger Connor.
I couldn't move, my whole body was in pain. My heartbeat was also slowing down. Is this it? Am I going to die?
"Ivy," I heard Lilith's voice in my head, it was faint and small.
"Lilith, I'm sorry. I'm too weak. I don't deserve you."
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. If it wasn't for me laying dormant all these years, you wouldn't have suffered so much." Her voice got quieter and quieter with each word. "I'm weak from the rejection. But don't worry, I will do everything I can to make sure you're well." With that last sentence, I felt something inside me snapped.
Our connection was slowly breaking.
What is happening?
"Lilith?" I tried to call her but she was no longer responding.
I close my eyes in pain. I tried to get up but it was in vain as I crashed to the ground my strength leaving me.
As I tried one last time, my whole body gave out as I fainted, my surroundings slowly turning darker and darker, until the void completely engulfed me.
…
I don't know how long I've been out, but I slowly stirred awake when I heard someone shake me.
"Selene…Selene please wake up."
Who's Selene?
"Oh thank Goddess you're alive." The man hugged me.
Who was he?
I was then lifted from the ground, and I could feel the breeze brushing past my body as he ran through the woods.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked him. His brown eyes, looking back at me tenderly. A warmth I rarely see from other people.
"Home…I'm taking you home."
It was the last thing I heard before I fell unconscious once again.