The Lone Wolf

~~NINE~~

"Did I stutter? Where did you get that necklace from?" The girl repeats, and I edge backwards as the she wolf almost stalks me down the stairs, her eyes livid as she holds my gaze.

"I...I..." I struggle for words, stress never helped me with conversation...especially not like this.

"Speak up brat, I don't have all day."

I feel my back hit the wall and gasp, realizing too late that I've just cornered myself between it and the angry blonde...this isn't good.

"My...my mate gave it to me..." Her eyes widen to the size of saucers, and the disbelief in them throws me for a minute.

"There is no way that a Gamma would be mated with someone like you...you're lying!"

Her words leave a painful sting, sounding all too familiar to the ones I heard as a kid...who knew they would still hurt me as an adult?

"But it's true...Dakota gave this to me yesterday..." I don't even sound like I believe it myself, so her doubtful stare shakes me even more.

"Please...you couldn't even please an Omega, what makes you think you could possibly satisfy a Gamma?"

Auroras soft growls in my head can't drown out the cruelty of her words...why is she so angry with me?

"He's better suited with a strong she wolf instead...so why bother lying to yourself?"

My head drops as I close my eyes, and I curl my hand tightly around the pendant hanging from my neck...but the sudden sensation of being pulled somewhere else startles me.

Without even opening my eyes I can see a dark forest setting, the moon is barely a sliver in the sky as its dim light illuminates just enough for me to see...what is this place? I've never been here before...so why does it feel so familiar?

The snap of a twig turns my attention to my left, and the face that appears from the shadows surprises me. Dakota...what's he...where exactly...what is this?

My thoughts whirling, Dakota walks right by me as if I'm not even there...seeming to be searching for something I can't see. I turn to face where he's heading, and I'm shocked to see the girl here...but she doesn't seem to notice me either...Dakota lifts a hand to her face affectionately, the action leaving me shocked.

"Mate." He murmurs softly, and my heart stutters as I realize what this is...the girl was his first mate...the one who rejected him...

"I'm sorry...but no..." She replies, and a sense of dread fills my chest as I realize what's coming...and I can't do anything about it...only watch...

"I want to be a Luna...so anything less than an Alpha isn't good enough."

My heart feels like its twisting into a knot, and I can tell it's Dakota's heart I'm feeling even if I can't see his face clearly.

"I, Cassie Price, reject you as my mate."

Her voice is detached and emotionless, and she turns her back as I watch Dakota sink to his knees...the pain I feel in my chest almost bringing me to mine.

The setting in front of me fades to black as Cassie disappears, and as I blink my eyes open I look up to see the she wolf who broke my mates heart staring at me expectantly...like she just asked me the question.

"You definitely aren't fit to be his mate, that's why he hasn't even marked you yet."

That statement unleashes a flood of anger through me, and I'm a bit surprised when the growl in my head becomes one directly from my throat...but I hold on to it as I go from looking up at the heartless she wolf in fear to glaring at her in anger.