Alberta took me into another room while I had my little breakdown, it was one of the small offices, sitting me down on the couch and joining me after locking the door. She briefly mentioned wanting to stop others from walking in.

I was grateful she had thought to do so, I didn't want to be seen like this. Other than with Olena, I hadn't let anyone else see me cry. Even at the academy I never cried in front of others, even when locked in the cell. The only people I ever willingly cried in front of were Alberta and Lissa.

When I had finally cried everything out, Alberta handed me tissues asking, "Did you want to talk about it?"

I snorted, "Do I ever want to talk about it?" I had always been stubborn, from the look in her eyes, she had expected my response. "Family dinners suck."

"I never enjoyed the ones with mine. My parents weren't too happy when I became a pack warrior." Alberta agreed with a sigh, "They wanted grandchildren, I wanted to punch people."

"Punching people is easier than children," I grumbled. I tilted my head up to face her, "Thanks for getting me out of there."

A smile pulled at her lips, "You can thank the Alpha for that."

I sat up straighter, "What do you mean?"

"He told me that you needed a break and to come get you."

That spot of warmth in me grew again. Dimitri got me away from everyone, knowing how upset I was, and he did it in such a way as to not draw too much attention to it. "I don't think his family likes me very much. Especially Yeva," I told Alberta bitterly, "or Sonya."

"Well, Sonya is always in a bad mood, and as for Yeva, she's a woman of few words." She tried to cheer me up, rubbing my back as she spoke, "I don't think she likes anyone."

Her words didn't do much to make me feel better but having her company did. Maybe if things don't improve here, I could just go live with Alberta. Though even the thought of that made my heart clench a little.

"I don't know what to do," I admitted. "This isn't what I thought getting a mate would be like."

"Do you like him?"

I chewed my lip at Alberta's question, "Maybe? I don't know."

She shifted so she was facing me, clasping my hand in hers, "He cares about you. Even now he is asking if you are okay," Alberta pointed to her head, indicating he asked her through a mind-link, "Maybe you just need to give it a chance."

"If it doesn't work, could I stay with you?"

Her arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me in close to her, "Of course. Whatever you need, Rose, I'll be there." She promised, "I'm not going anywhere."

We sat there for a couple more minutes, a small smile on my face. Eventually, Alberta pulled away, brushing my hair back from my face. She used to help me detangle it, putting in products to make the curls more defined, now it hangs limply.

"We should go back out, we'll be running soon."

I stood from the couch, wiping at my cheeks with the sleeves of my shirt. I was pretty sure my face was red from crying. It didn't help that I was feeling self-conscious about running with people I had never met before. I hadn't been on a proper run in years and worried that I would be slow compared to everyone else.

Alberta unlocked the door and held it open for me, "You'll be okay," She assured me, guessing my thoughts, "Don't be afraid to be you."


There was a large group of people out the front of the house, at least a couple of hundred. The pack runs weren't mandatory, and not many showed up in the colder months as Alberta had explained to me earlier today.

First, everyone would gather together, and then they would strip and shift. Dimitri or Ivan would lead the group through the woods that surrounded the town. I was encouraged to stay close to the others, seeing I didn't know all of the boundaries yet. It was unlikely for any rogues to be out, and if there were, the borders of the pack lands were constantly patrolled.

Alberta would be bringing up the rear of the group to make sure no one fell behind, she nudged me toward Viktoria, promising to come see me again when we got back to the pack house. Those that hung around after the run were often treated to hot chocolate and desserts that some of the older women in town had prepared.

Viktoria was standing with two males, both easily reaching six-foot in height. One had shaggy blond hair and the other red. They looked familiar, but I couldn't place them.

Catching sight of me, Viktoria waved me over to join them. It was only once I was closer that I remembered where I knew them from. They were from the academy. I had never spoken to them, but I recognised them from watching them train, they were two of the best, which was why they were here.

"Rose, this is Eddie and Mason," She was quick to introduce us, "They are from one of the academies too."

I didn't bother pointing out it was mine, I doubted they even remembered seeing me there. I gave them a half-hearted wave, "Hey."

While I don't remember them ever being stuck up towards me, I didn't doubt they held the same prejudices our teachers do.

The redhead, Mason, gave me a half-smile that I would almost say was flirtatious, his eyes moving down my body and then back to my eyes. "Hey. Which academy did you come from?"

The other, Eddie, elbowed him, "She's from ours, remember? She punched Ralf last year."

I was a little surprised that Eddie remembered that, but what surprised me more was that he sounded proud when mentioning it. Ralf was an alpha that had tried feeling me up outside the cafeteria. I had punched him in the jaw and ended up with detention. Mrs Moss had used her cane on my hand until it bled, but I never regretted doing it.

"Oh shit. That was you! That was excellent!" Mason exclaimed.

Not the response I had expected. I shrugged, playing it off, "He had it coming."

"Yeah, there's a few that deserve it there," Eddie agreed with me.

The more we talked, the more I realised that I had been wrong in my assumption about the guys, they both easily conversed with me to the point that I actually found myself enjoying it.

When Alberta told me to not be afraid to be myself, I didn't know how to respond because I didn't know who I was anymore. I didn't feel like the girl that would take no shit and easily spoke my mind, but I didn't want to be that scared, timid girl that the academy wanted me to be. Talking with Viktoria and the guys made me start to feel like maybe I could be like I was before again.

So caught up in the conversation that I didn't notice everyone was starting to undress until Mason removed his shirt. My eyes widened in shock, darting down to the ground. Being naked in front of others was common for werewolves, considering if we shift with clothes on, they end up ruined. But I hadn't shifted around others in a long time, that time in front of Dimitri did not count because it was out of desperation to escape.

But here people were casually talking while undressing. I didn't know them, and I definitely didn't want to be naked in front of them. I could only imagine the looks I would gain if they saw my scars, Viktoria would ask questions and I didn't want to talk about any of it.

Lost in thought, I was startled by Viktoria grabbing my hand and then yanking me to follow her as she ran to the side of the house. "Go behind here, I'll make sure no one comes around." She told me with a nod.

I raised my eyebrows but did as she said. There was a bush on the side of the house that hid me from the view of the others. I quickly removed my clothes and laid them down in a neat pile, concealing them a little so no one would steal them. I peeked over and saw Viktoria with her back to me, taking a deep breath, I allowed my body to shift.

It was always a strange feeling, but one I welcomed. I didn't get a lot of chances to shift at the academy, and when we did we weren't allowed to for long. I used to sneak out at night and into the surrounding forest of the academy, it was my one way of coping with everything. For an hour, I would run around feeling free again.

That was until Kirova was told about it.

I dug my paws into the soft ground, taking a moment to enjoy my enhanced senses, smells becoming stronger, my eyesight improving. The colour of a wolf's fur tends to be similar to the person's hair colour, and the deep rich brown of mine definitely carried over to my wolf. At night like this, I practically looked black in colouring, the hues of brown only noticeable in the sun.

I nudged Viktoria's hip with my snout, I was short for a wolf, most omegas were. When she turned to face me, her jaw dropped.

"Wow, Rose. You're so pretty," Her fingers grazed the tips of my fur, I snorted at her comment. Without the mind-link, I had no other way of communicating with her in this form. She chuckled, "Dimitri said we are going to go soon. Stay close to me, okay."

I nodded, waiting for her to shift, her wolf was similar to Dimitri's in colour, though not as tall. She still towered over me, as most alphas did. Following her back to Mason and Eddie, I felt like a kid surrounded by the three large wolves. Even Mason was large for a beta. Thankfully, it didn't intimidate me as much as it used to.

I felt a buzzing in my head, recognising it was Dimitri trying to communicate with me. He hadn't tried mind-linking with me since that first day, this time I allowed the connection to form.

"Rose?"

"Yep," I responded to him. I swear I could hear his sigh of relief.

"If you need anything, just ask, okay?"

I could picture that half-smile he would give me, his tone caring. "I will. Thanks, comrade."

I heard him chuckle softly before the connection was dropped. Speaking to him, even for that short moment, made me feel better. I didn't know how to explain it and chose to not think too much about it when Viktoria nudged me. It was time to run.


They were running at a slow pace, and I realised it was for me. Viktoria, Eddie and Mason stayed close to me, leaving us hanging towards the back of the group.

It took me a couple of minutes to become used to running again, enjoying the feeling of it. When I noticed what the others were doing, I felt a sense of competitiveness that I hadn't felt in a while.

I huffed at Viktoria before increasing my speed. I had always been fast, Alberta even had to work to keep up with me when we used to run. It was one of the reasons I assumed I would be an alpha. I heard a surprised bark behind me, then watched as the three of them caught up. And so I kept pushing myself, seeing if they could keep up, moving further up through the group.

It was exhilarating. There was nothing like running freely in my wolf form, feeling the power in my legs as I ran through the forest terrain, jumping over falling logs and stumps. It's been over two years since I've been able to do this, and I didn't want to stop.

Here there was no one telling me no, or forcing me back. I didn't have to worry about acting like I was less than I am for fear of punishment.

Right now, I feel like me again.

I almost stopped when I smelt it. That scent. Fresh pine, and so very enticing.

Forgetting that I was meant to stay with Viktoria, I sped up again focused on finding the owner of that scent. It was much more intense now, my nose guiding my paws past other wolves, weaving between them quickly until I was at the front of the pack where Dimitri and Ivan were leading.

The scent led straight to—Dimitri.

My shock almost made me fumble, but I managed to catch myself before I fell flat on my face. Dimitri was watching me out of the corner of his eye, I swear his wolf was twice my size, and those amber eyes stared with such an intensity that my stomach flipped. I don't know how I never noticed his scent before, or that the one I had been finding comfort in was his.

Dimitri yipped at me, tilting his head to the side. "I'll race you." He challenged me and I eagerly agreed. Breaking off from the rest of the group, Dimitri and I took off deeper into the forest. I wasn't sure where we were going but I just focused on running, becoming more playful as we went.

I climbed up some rocks to get the height to jump off a tree trunk, the momentum of it made it easy to jump over Dimitri so I was in front of him. I laughed, noticing him slow down in surprise. I could hear the sound of water close by, reaching through our connection to him.

"First one to the water wins." I took off before I finished speaking, determined to beat him.

It seemed Dimitri was just as competitive as me. While I had a head start, he was quick enough that he was beside me within seconds. I swear he winked at me as he passed me just as we emerged into the clearing. A small lake, blue flowers around the edge of the water. With the moonlight hitting the water, it looked magical.

We were both breathing heavily when we stopped at the bank, but I have never felt more energised. Dimitri shifted, a large smile on his face, "That was impressive, Roza."

I shifted back as well, any of my shyness at the lack of clothes forgotten as my excitement took over. "That was so much fun. I haven't felt like this in ages. Thank you, Dimitri!"

I'm going to claim the fact I was so caught up in the moment for what I did next. My hands cupped the sides of Dimitri's face, pulling him down as I stood on my toes to press my lips to his.

His hands came up to rest on my waist, holding me close. I became lost in the warmth of his body and his scent filling my nose. I drew back a little to see his eyes, they flashed amber again when they met mine.

It was only when I felt his thumbs brush over my skin that everything came crashing back. A blush had tinted his cheeks and the tips of his ears, his eyes staying purposely above my neck. I leapt back from him, trying to cover myself as best I could. "Oh god. Umm… sorry. It was—I mean…"

"It's okay, Rose," Dimitri assured me, turning his head to the side to give me some privacy, though he did nothing to cover himself. Not that I was looking. "We should head back before you freeze."

I nodded, becoming more aware of the chill in the air, making me shiver. I missed Dimitri's warmth. "Yeah. Sounds good." I quickly shifted back into my wolf form, thankful that the darkness would have made it harder for Dimitri to see my scars.

Dimitri was quick to follow suit, once shifted he gently nudged me. I leant into his large form, his scent potent again and still so captivating. I wondered if he smelt like this to everyone or if it was just because of the mating bite. I still didn't know enough about mates and what it all meant.

I didn't want to ask Olena, worried about bringing up unwelcome memories, and Alberta had never mated so she wouldn't know. No one outside of the family knows we are mated and to ask anyone else would just be uncomfortable. Because we wanted to keep humans from finding out about us, I can't really Google for the answer.

It didn't take long for the playfulness to return on our run back to the pack house, nudging each other as we ran. Everything seemed easier when a wolf, my worries and insecurities disappeared, and I could enjoy the time with Dimitri.

When we reached the house, I was sad that it was over. While he went to find his clothes, I pawed over to where I hid my clothes behind the bush, looking around first to make sure no one was around before shifting back. There were voices coming from the pack house, so I assumed that they were all inside.

Once dressed, I returned to the front to find Dimitri waiting for me. Memories of kissing him returned, making my lips tingle. It was nothing more than a peck, but it was enough for me to remember what his lips felt like.

When he noticed me, his eyes studied me, a ghost of a smile on his face, before his expression dropped into a frown. "I'm sorry about my grandmother."

Being reminded of that made me frown as well. For a brief hour, I was able to forget about his grandmother's and sister's reaction to me. "Yeah. She's an interesting woman." I replied, trying to keep my dislike of her from my voice, but failing terribly. "Good thing I'm used to people not liking me."

"It's not that she doesn't like you." I raised my brow at Dimitri, so he quickly amended, "She just doesn't know you. You aren't weak, Rose."

I stepped a little closer to him, feeling the warmth in me grow at his words. I swear I could still feel the ghost of his hands on my waist, part of me wanting him to hold me close again. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him properly. If he would be gentle and slow, or would he be more rough and passionate.

"I don't know what other lies that academy has been telling you but you definitely didn't slow anyone down tonight."

I blushed, dropping my eyes. Why did it feel so good hearing him say that? I gasped as he curled a finger under my chin, using it to lift my head back up.

"You are incredible, Roza."

My heart was beating so fast, I could hear it in my ears. Unlike earlier, the look in his eyes didn't make me uncomfortable.

Before I could open my mouth to speak, the front door was thrown open and two people stepped out. I quickly stepped away from Dimitri, dropping my eyes to the ground out of habit. I felt his on me for a moment before he turned to the people leaving.

"Alpha, I was wondering where you disappeared to." The male spoke. From the brief glance I had of him, I recognised him as the man that fixed the bedroom door, which means he knows who I am.

"I wanted to show Rose the lake," Dimitri explained in a friendly voice, shaking the man's hand.

I pushed past the shyness that had been ingrained into me, lifting my head up to look at the couple in front of us. Dimitri took the chance and introduced me.

"Rose, this is Mikhail and his mate, Sonya."

Mikhail gave me a kind smile, he was a bit older than Dimitri, most likely in his early thirties, same with his mate. She had long brown hair and curious eyes, looking at me much the same as had last time. Like she knew something.

"She looks better," Sonya commented, tilting her head up at Dimitri, "Brighter."

I didn't know what to make of it, neither of the men looked put off by her comment, making me think this was a common occurrence. I shot Dimitri a look but didn't mention it, instead, I just gave them both a polite smile.

"We're going to head home, but hopefully we will get to see more of you, Rose. It was nice to officially meet you." Mikhail told me politely, putting an arm around Sonya and leading her away towards the cars parked in the long driveway.

"Sonya can see auras," Dimitri explained once they were out of earshot. I stared up at him, not any less confused. "Colours that reveal a person's mood. I don't know much about it, but she's never been wrong about anyone."

"Sure," I replied, still sceptical, "And what did she mean about me being brighter?"

He shrugged, "You would have to ask her." I rolled my eyes at his answer. Dimitri's hand moved to the small of my back, gently pushing me forward, "Let's head inside. You still need to eat something."

"I'm fine," I replied automatically when in actuality I was starving. Dimitri gave me a look that told me he didn't believe me.

Unable to convince him otherwise, I went with him through the house and into the kitchen. Most of the pack still here were in the rooms down the hall, the recreation room having pool tables and couches for them to use. The kitchen only had a handful of people, most of which was Dimitri's family. Luckily for me, Alberta was also in there.

"There you two are!" Olena exclaimed, bringing everyone's attention to us, "Where did you go?"

I left Dimitri's side, coming to stand next to Alberta, "Dimitri wanted to race me," I explained with a smirk. Alberta laughed.

"Did he win?" She asked, an amused glint in her eyes.

"Just barely. But I'll win next time."

Alberta pushed a plate of cookies towards me, which I tried to be sly about grabbing a handful of. "You should have seen her before, no one could catch up. Which was terrible when I had to try to find her," She explained to the room, earning a fond laugh from Olena.

"It's been years since I've been able to run like that. I'm sure I'll get faster again." I replied without thinking, not realising what I had implied until I saw Dimitri and Alberta looking at me sadly. I grabbed two more cookies, making my escape from the room, "I'm going to go find Viktoria." I dashed out before they could stop me.

I didn't need their pity.

Sure enough, I found Viktoria in the recreation room sitting on the couch by the fire, laughing at something Mason was telling the group. There were some other people with them, but I felt more confident after interacting with Mason and Eddie. Plus, Ivan was there, and I doubt he would let anyone get away with saying anything too rude to me.

I took a seat on the ground beside Viktoria's legs, close enough to the fire that the heat easily seeped through my clothes, ridding me of the remaining chill from outside. I passed a cookie up to her, which she happily took.

I felt Mason's eyes on me almost instantly, a smile aimed at me. "Damn, Rose. You didn't mention you were the fastest wolf here."

I snorted at him, chewing on the cookie. Viktoria nudged me with her knee, agreeing with him, "You just took off. I was almost worried until I saw who you were running with." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, but I ignored her.

"Who were you running with?"

Eddie smacked Mason on the arm, giving him a look of disbelief, "That was Alpha Belikov." Mason made an 'O' with his mouth.

"He was just showing me the borders because I haven't been here long," I tried covering. I wasn't ready yet to reveal to everyone about our mating. Because I hadn't returned the bite, and we weren't around each other a lot, my scent hadn't changed to blend with his yet. Once that started happening, they wouldn't need to see the bite to know.

The topic got dropped, thankfully, Mason continued his story from before about a training mishap from the other day. I was happy to just sit and listen, enjoying the attention not on me.

The only issue I had was a girl sitting on the couch opposite me, every time I looked her way she would turn her nose up at me. I wasn't sure what I did to offend her, but she annoyed me.

"So, when did you get here?"

I blinked in surprise, realising that the question was aimed at me. I turned to face another beta on the couch, her green eyes wide and curious. "Umm… about a week ago."

The girl leaned forward in her seat, "I heard that there was a new pack member but no one knew who you were. You must be a good fighter if you moved here, right?"

I chewed on my lip, unsure how to answer. Luckily, Ivan came to my rescue. "Rose is a close friend of Alberta, just checking out the pack for now."

That seemed to be enough to quell the girl's question until she jumped back in with more. "What do you think of it so far?"

I shrugged, "It's nice." I cringed internally, very much wanting to get out of this conversation. It was feeling like all I was doing tonight was trying to escape awkward situations. "I'm going to find Alberta. I'll see you later." I told them, once again dashing out of the room. This time deciding to avoid getting stuck again I was going to just go up to my room and sleep.

I had made it to the steps before a hand caught mine, using their strength to yank me back and into the shadows under the stairs. I gasped when my back hit the wall, a few explicit words on the tip of my tongue for whoever had just thrown me, but when I looked up, I froze.

Staring down at me was the person I truly hated the most, one that I had hoped I wouldn't have to be near again.

Jesse Zeklos.