Chapter 2 C2

On getting home from school, I kept thinking of how I'm ever going to find my mate who seems unwilling to find me. There's no male in this pack without a female companion. I can't even get close to any of them because everyone avoids me, apart from Renee, my friend. Even my own brother is distant from me.

Shaking off my thoughts, I remained firm on my bet and decision to find my mate as soon as possible, even if I had to shift to do so. Maybe he isn't avoiding me, and he's also looking out for me, but there are obstacles in our way to meeting each other. Shifting would get me banished, and I would have nowhere to go, but my wolf was dying inside.

I checked the time, and it was time for the Pack's dinner. Everyone who came always brought their companion, and I've never felt any sort of connection to anyone because I'm always at some distance from them. That was how much they hated me. My mate should be somewhere among us, but I couldn't sense his presence yet.

"I haven't eaten since morning when I left for school. I'm dying of hunger. You said I only get to eat once a day as part of my punishment for a crime that actually wasn't my fault, just to keep me alive, yet you are giving me only a little food for dinner?" I asked the Pack's cook as everyone was being served dinner. I was ignored as usual, as my pack members began mocking me again as if I had cracked a joke.

"You should be grateful you get to eat at all. You are just a waste of space here in this pack. What makes you think you are special and deserve special treatment?" A girl spoke out.

"After what you've done, you still have the guts to complain? You should be thankful you are still being allowed in this pack because of a lack of strong evidence that you intentionally killed your parents." A boy added.

"Shut up, Kat. You are not better than any of us here. As a matter of fact, you are nothing. You are dull in class, you can't even fight, and you are weak. No matter how much you are being denied food, you still cannot lose weight; you are fat and ugly. Are you not ashamed of being a werewolf?" Another girl spoke, and there was heavy laughter among my pack members.

I ignored them and managed the tasteless food. I'm sure everyone else got something better to eat. Renee kept comforting me after the dinner, but my own brother, Ace, cared less about how everyone was treating me. The Alpha and his mate were aware of all these and did nothing to help my situation. If I had somewhere to go other than this pack as a teenager, I would have left long ago, but there was no nearby pack or anywhere I could run to. If I tried, I would probably die on my way out of severe hunger, even if I shifted to my wolf. I could be preyed on by wild animals out there because I am weak from severe starvation.

After my second class, I slipped my backpack over my shoulder and was the last to leave the classroom as usual. I ignored the jeers and whispers about me from my classmates as I walked past them.

Then all of a sudden, there was this familiar scent hitting me, yet again. It was that of my mate as far as my wolf's sense recognized it. I was extremely desperate to meet him this time around. I turned around quickly, looking for the one behind the scent. A shiver ran down my spine. He must be close by. The bet between me and Jake made me breathless, and I couldn't wait to catch up with my mate and let him know that I was beside him. What made me even more excited was that, unlike last time, his scent didn't disappear immediately, but got closer and closer to me.

I stroked my dry curly hair nervously with my hands, took a deep breath, and turned around. This time, I saw him, my mate.

He was tall, standing in the shadow at the corner of the stairs. He was wearing a hat and a sweatshirt, standing motionless. I knew he was looking at me.

I couldn't see the expression on his face, but a smile was forming on my face.

The scent of mate excited my wolf, and it kept running around in my mind.

"Mate! It's our mate! Let him claim us!"

My heart was also surging and excited. After having a mate, my wolf can go out for a run. Maybe we can be with our mate, and that will be the best thing in the world!

I slowly approached, expecting my mate to give me a big hug. I endured too much in this pack to wait for him, and I couldn't wait to tell him about my sad experiences. Maybe when he hears them, he will love me, protect me, and make me forget it all.

When I walked in, he was still standing there, as if he had been waiting for me for as long as I've been waiting for him.

However, when I saw his eyes, my wolf became more excited, but my heart slowly sank.