"You can't be serious! Have you looked at her?"

A familiar growl reverberated from outside my room. "I would appreciate if you didn't talk about my mate like that, Delta."

I woke up to voices. It didn't take me long to recognize Alpha Ashford's, given how my body immediately reacted to it. My shoulders sagged in relief, hearing his voice after a few days had passed.

I clamped down the urge to ask why he hadn't bothered to come visit me after the day I'd tried to escape.

I pushed out the dark thoughts and looked around, realizing I was now in a bedroom instead of the hospital bed.

When had he moved me? And how did I not wake up during it?

The thought unsettled me more than I cared to admit.

Natural light filtered in through sheer curtains, casting a warm glow across the soft, off-white walls. A plush area rug was sprawled across the floor, and the furniture seemed to be meticulously chosen. It was exactly how I pictured a guest room would be.

I pushed myself up and examined my body under the plush duvet. My bruises had faded considerably, the pain subsiding, but I still had an IV and monitors checking my vitals. My hair was a grimy, knotted mess.

"She's been here for days. Any normal werewolf would be up and running by now." The Delta's unfamiliar voice was firm. "You can't possibly tell me that you're even considering this right now."

I held back the humiliation that crept up as the truth behind those words sunk in. The Delta was right—I wasn't like the others, and I never would be.

I shook the thoughts away and ripped the IV from my arm. I could prove myself capable. Pain pulsed through me, but I pushed it aside as I jumped off the bed.

The sudden movement made my head dizzy. I tried to hold on to something to help maintain my balance and accidentally knocked the clock off the bed side table. Alpha Ashford immediately burst in, warm hands latching on my waist to stabilize me.

"Are you okay?"

His warm scent invaded my senses and this time I felt dizzy for completely different reasons. I bit the inside of my cheek as he helped me stand straight. For some reason, I found it hard to look at him so instead, I kept my eyes on the cabinet in front of me.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Now if you would please stand about ten feet away so that I can breathe, that would be great," is what I wanted to say but my mouth refused to move so I simply nodded.

"To the bathroom?" he asked, his voice warmer than the one he used with his Delta.

I nodded yet again. This wasn't what I was planning at all. I wanted to march into the bathroom, freshen up and face him as strongly as I could but all he had witnessed till now was proving his Delta's words true.

I felt my cheeks get hotter when his grip on my waist tightened as he helped me walk towards the dark wood door in front of us. He wasn't even directly touching my skin and yet the place where his hand felt scorching hot. I almost wondered if there was a bruise there I didn't know about.

Thankfully, the torture didn't last very long and we were inside one of the best bathrooms I had ever been in. The tiled floor was cool beneath my feet, offering a refreshing contrast to the warmth of the room's overall atmosphere. Soft, neutral colors dominated the palette, complimenting the bedroom.

But the best part of the entire bathroom was the bathtub. A sleek, porcelain tub was flanked by large, frosted windows and I had to resist the temptation of going for the longest bath possible. I kept that idea for after I figured exactly how I was going to survive the next phase of my life.

Almost as if Alpha Ashford read my mind, he motioned towards the bathtub. "Do you want me to draw you a bath?"

"N-No, that's fine," thankfully, the words managed to come out of my mouth this time.

I stole a quick glimpse at him. He looked like he wanted to say something but changed his mind at the last second. "Will you be okay in here?"

"Yes, thank you," I nodded, still not looking at him. I stepped away a little and his grip loosened on me. He examined me as if to make sure I would be able to take a shower without dying.

I wanted to roll my eyes at him but I felt slightly embarrassed so instead, I continued to avoid eye contact like my life depended on it.

"I'll be outside if you need me," he finally said, making a move to leave.

"You don't have you stay. You can ask someone el–"

"Absolutely the fuck not," Alpha Ashford growled, making me jump in surprise.

That sound wasn't foreign to me since I was always surrounded by werewolves but the way he did it, my body reacted to it in a way it never had. I gulped, fisting my hands before I did something stupid.

"I-I need to shower," I said, hoping he would get the hint.

Thankfully, he did and without a word, he left, closing the door behind him. I finally myself breathe.

I really need a shower to wash these thoughts out of my body.

***

After Alpha Ashford left, I took a much needed hot shower, letting the heat of the water wash away everything that was weighing me down. I drowned out everything that caused me pain and let myself pretend that the streaks down my cheeks were just the shower droplets.

When I stepped out into the steamed-up room and looked at my reflection in the mirror, I felt different. My face had healed from the worst bruises and all that remained was the fading yellow hue on the side of my cheekbone. My hair now cascaded down to my waist in slight waves.

I looked into my deep grey-coloured eyes, gazing at the returning colour in my pale cheeks. I looked like my old self, which hadn't happened in a very, very long time.

Something stirred inside me.

I stepped back, meeting my reflection, and my breath hitched.

My eyes were violet.

I blinked and it was gone. Was it a hallucination?

I leaned in closer, waiting for the change in colour, but nothing happened. Did I really imagine it?

Shaking my head, I grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack and stepped out into the room. My heart beat fast at the possibility of what I just saw. Pushing the thoughts aside like I always did, I headed over to a stack of clothes laid out for me. Next to the white dress was a note.

My office is on the ground floor, the second door to your right. It has my designation on it – Kayden

I slipped on the outfit, a full-sleeve cotton A-line dress that landed a little above my knees and covered the remnants of my wounds well. I pulled my hair into a bun and stepped into the flat sandals that were near the door.

If Alpha Ashford's office was on the ground floor of this building, it was highly likely that this was the pack house. My stomach went queasy at the thought of meeting other pack members, especially the one who had strongly disapproved of me.

The pack members had probably seen me all beaten and wounded when I was brought into the pack. There was no doubt there'd be questions.

Questions that I didn't want to answer.

Climbing down the two floors, I considered the possible outcomes for the meeting.

If Alpha Ashford was anything like Alpha Simon, he'd want me to become a trophy mate to show off like a glorified doll. I was anything but. Just the thought of it made me nauseous.

If he wanted a mate to love that would love him, he was going to be very disappointed too. Love was one emotion I had forgotten how to feel completely.

And if he was looking for someone who would help him lead a pack, I was the worst choice. I'd already failed to protect everything that mattered to me once before. I didn't have it in me to do it again.

The only conclusion that made sense was that he'd have to reject me. I could only hope that he would be nice enough to not force me to go rogue. Going back to Red Moon was out of question. That was a death sentence.

I reached the office door Alpha Ashford had mentioned in the note. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself for every possible consequence and knocked.

I heard his velvety voice through the door as he asked me to come in. Shoving the shiver away, I pushed the wide oakwood doors open and stepped inside the office.

Just like the magnets, my eyes immediately found his. With the daylight reflecting in them, they were a brighter shade of blue. I drank in his features once again.

He was breathtaking.

I forced myself to look away, but I didn't miss how his eyes travelled down my body. I couldn't miss it even if I tried, because wherever his gaze landed, my body felt hot. I ignored the burn of his stare and instead chose to look at the other people in the room.

There were three other werewolves, all clearly high ranking. I was startled to see a woman sitting on one of the chairs. Everything about her screamed fierce, and there was no doubt that she held authority in the pack.

A little ray of hope buzzed inside me.

"That's Beta Tate Andrews," my mate said, nodding towards a black-haired man sitting in one of the chairs to the side. He was also good-looking, with roughened-features and deep brown skin. He had a blank look on his face, but his hazel eyes reflected curiosity.

"Next is Gamma Ava Miller and Delta Ben Smithson."

Gamma Miller was a stunning woman with copper hair neatly braided into a French twist that complimented her oval face. She carried herself with dignity, and her form told me that she was a fighter.

Alpha Simon would balk in disgust if he ever saw the dynamics of Silver Crescent. The thought itself had me forcing down a smile.

I shifted my gaze to the last person in the room and immediately knew I wouldn't like him. Delta Smithson followed his superiors in looks with his sandy hair and a lean but built body. But I didn't see anything else going for him. He seemed like an asshole.

And that asshole was scowling at me, clearly unhappy with my existence.

I was a little surprised when I realized I wasn't backing down from his glare like I usually would.

"Let's get back on the topic, shall we?" It was the Beta who spoke.

I swiftly nodded in acknowledgement. Alpha Ashford gave me his seat, leaning against the table instead and crossing his arms. His muscles strained against the fabric of his shirt.

I pushed down a wave of unfamiliar desire that pooled in my stomach from that small action and stared at the table instead.

"So, let's begin with the main topic at hand. Kayden found his mate, which is clearly a big deal considering we almost thought that she didn't exist," Beta Andrews said.

Gamma Miller snorted at that. "No shit."

I kept my face blank despite my urge to quirk my lips. Beta Andrews just rolled his eyes before continuing. "And we don't really know much about our new Luna, so—"

Delta Smithson's loud scoff interrupted the Beta. "You know as well as I do she isn't Luna material, and there's no way she's going to be able to become one either."

Beta Andrews frowned. "Ben, don't."

Ben, however, responded with an ugly sneer. "What? You want to say that a weak ass Omega who was the scum of Red Moon is going to rule this pack?"

Disdain dripped from every word he spoke, and while it was factually true, it didn't mean that it didn't hurt me. I really did look like a worthless mate. I was one.

I bunched up my dress, fisting it in my palms to try to force the prickle of humiliation that was creeping up inside me to go away.

Alpha Ashford growled at the blatant disrespect his Delta threw at me, and if his glare was anything to go by, the Delta could very well wish his life goodbye. But I knew that Alpha Ashford wasn't going to choose his newly found, unworthy mate over one of his in-commands.

Alphas rarely tolerated disrespect towards them, their mates, or their pack. Wanting me or not was not going to make a difference.

"You know nothing about me," I whispered. The silence was thick enough for everyone to hear. I hadn't meant to say anything, but something in Delta's words made me slip.

All of them snapped their heads towards me.

The Delta scoffed once again. "What else is there to know? Sera Roberts, 21 years old. Ran away from the pack at 14, came back four years later to live with her grandmother, Delilah, until she passed away. Born to a rogue father and an Omega mother. In charge of trash disposal and cleaning at Red Moon. Has a dormant wolf and zero training. Do you need me to go on? Your previous pack was gracious enough to inform us of your records and history."

The Delta smirked.

I looked at him. While recalling the details of my life in Red Moon, he had also forced my mind to go into a dark corner. He didn't have the faintest clue about my life and yet I couldn't do anything to correct him as he sat there looking all smug.

So I did the only thing that I knew would rob him of a little bit of satisfaction. He wanted to see me cower, but I put on my best poker face instead and stared straight into his eyes.

He would not see me break.