{edited/rewritten}

i've got to be strong,

and trust where you're heading.

___

It's been a couple of days since Chance had brought me officially into the pack. I wasn't the official Luna yet, by law since Chance hasn't marked me. I wasn't ready for that and Chance respected that but I do know that I can't keep him waiting forever. In the eyes of the pack, I was their Luna and that counted for something.

Today, Chance is having another fighting lesson. We have yet to fight in our wolf forms because Chance wants everyone to be confident in our human forms before moving on. I wanted to learn to fight in wolf form, knowing how useful it can be. Chance said the fight today was at noon and I still had about fifteen minutes till then.

I was alone in the pack house this morning. Most of the wolves were patrolling the boarders today because there was more than one breech at our boarders with rouges last night. Chance wants everyone to be safe so he has more security on our boarders just in case more come back.

Shaking my head, I forgot about the rouges. I know we can handle them. Chance's pack was pretty large and rouges were just wolves that went crazy or needed a new home. Our warriors were well trained and could fight to keep our pack safe.

I know I shouldn't worry, but I did because anything bad can happen to our pack, me, or even Chance.

***

Chance wasn't happy. When I arrived at the building where we have our lessons, he immediately contacted me through our link. You're seriously wearing that?

He had growled lowly and I didn't quite understand why he was getting so worked up. I was wearing sneakers, gym leggings and a sports bra. It's the same outfit I wore to all the other lessons. My hair was in a pony tail. I looked a mess so I didn't understand why Chance was getting so angry. Chance, being Chance, growled again which caused everyone to look at me when I walked in.

I responded to Chance out loud. "You really need to stop being so over bearing."

Many people snickered and Chance's eyes flashed yellow, his wolf coming to the surface. Was he seriously this mad over my gym outfit? "You need to stop wearing shit like that out in public."

I started getting angry. "I thought we were going to try and get along?"

"If you're going to dress like that then, we're not getting along at all."

I sighed, growing even more frustrated, "Chance, I wear this stuff all the time when I come to these lessons. You didn't care what I looked like before the initiation."

The way Chance spoke to me made me sound like I was dressing like some whore when in reality, I wasn't. There were other females in the building that were dressed the same exact way as me. Most of the guys didn't even wear shirts. I felt a little hurt but my wolf reassured me that Chance was just being protective and letting everyone know that I'm his.

Before class could begin or before Chance could say anything else, a red headed she-wolf spoke up. "If I may say so, Alpha, I agree with you as well. The Luna should never be dressed like that out in public."

The girl turned away from Chance and smirked at me. I could tell she was trying to get me riled up but it wasn't going to work. Chance would take my side and wouldn't let anyone insult me but, I was wrong, "Thank you, Jenna. Luna's shouldn't dress like that."

I frowned and tried to act like both their comments didn't hurt me. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that I'm not the Luna, right? After all, I have yet to bear your mark, Alpha."

This caused Jenna to scowl and Chance growled again, making some people jump. I laughed, enjoying this a little bit no. Chance said something to Ryan and then class began.

This was going to be a long ass lesson.

***

At the end of class, Chance wanted the person who never got pinned to pick another wolf to spar. He turned towards me, anger still evident in his voice. "I don't know how you did it, but you were never pinned again. Pick another wolf to spar with you."

I looked around, pretending like I was trying to pick someone but I already knew who I wanted. "Jenna."

Jenna smirked and walked up towards the front where Chance was standing. She brushed against his shoulder and then stood way too close to Chance for my liking. It made me angry which fueled my energy for this fight.

Ryan came up beside me. "You guys know the rules. You fight to pin. Whoever pin's the other for more than five seconds will win."

Jenna and I stepped up onto the makeshift ring and we stood at opposite sides. Ryan counted down and told us when to begin. My wolf was yelling at me to actually kill Jenna but I knew this time I couldn't let her talk full control again. Jenna was overly confident, thinking she could beat me. The fight lasted about six minutes because Jenna's moves were sloppy and it was easy to see when she was going to lunge at me. She would put her left foot out, stop for a few seconds , and then throw a punch. I caught on and dodged every single one. I punched her twice as many times and by the time I had her pinned to the ground, she was unconscious.

Ryan came up to me and smiled. "We have a winner!

Some wolves clapped in the crowd and a few came up to me, congratulating me again. "Can you teach us how to fight?"

"Yeah! Me too?"

"You didn't even break a sweat, that was awesome!"

"Alpha Chance doesn't teach us very well in human form, can you teach us?"

I smiled, my wolf beaming with pride. I looked at Chance and then back at the wolves. I didn't even ask Chance for permission to do this. "Of course, I can. We can set up times that will work with everyone."

***

Chance and I were fighting.

"You didn't even fucking ask me! I'm your Alpha!

I laughed bitterly. "You're going to play that card on me? Are you serious right now? You agreed with Jenna that I was dressed like some cheap whore when every other girl dresses the same way when working out and fighting!"

Chance frowned and sat down on my bed. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

"Everyone else fucking thought you did!"

"Stop cussing!"

This time, I was the one growling at Chance. "You were cussing at me first."

Chance stood up from my bed. "You said you weren't Luna!"

I pulled at my hair, growing more and more frustrated. "Because I'm not! We aren't mated and stop growling at me all the goddamn time, it's so annoying."

"You're so annoying! I'm glad I haven't marked you yet because then I wouldn't be stuck forever with some weak wolf!"

I chuckled and moved away from Chance. "I'm weak? Last time I checked, I beat your sorry ass and knocked you out. I'm going for a run and don't fucking follow me. I thought I'd give you a chance and hopefully get along with you, but then I realized how much I hate you!"

I stormed out of my room and ran down the steps, passing pack members with wide eyes. I pushed a few out of my way and when I opened the kitchen back door, I shifted into midair, shredding my clothes in the process. My wolf was hurt and angry at her mate. Her emotions and thoughts were running wild in my head and throughout my body.

He didn't mean what he said, he was just upset. We'll all makeup and live happily ever after.

I mentally scowled and my wolf. She was so naïve when it came to him. If he didn't mean it, then why would he even say it?

She didn't respond for a little while until we were at the river. I sat down and stared at the water. He was angry.

I sighed and drank some of the water. Angry or not, words cut deep like knives.

She shut up after that. Thinking of Chance made me think of his wolf and the wolf I had grown to like in the woods outside of my grandparent's house.

With sad thoughts, I laid down on the wet grass. I placed my head on my front paws and dozed off into a restless sleep, blocking out Chance and the pack members voices.

***

The sound of a tree branch breaking woke me up. My ears went up, listening to see where the sound was coming from. I pinpointed it to the right of me. I stood up, getting in a fighting position. To my right, a wolf appeared and I instantly knew he wasn't a part of my pack. On the left of me, another wolf appeared and then another one came out in front of me.

I sniffed the air, the grey wolf in front of me smelling familiar. Something told me that I was in trouble and that I should start running. I was going to run but the two wolves on my sides were twice the size of me and kept inching their way closer to me. My heart was beginning to race. I can fight, I can take on people, but I've never trained in my wolf form so how could I take one three giant wolves?

I tried contacting Chance but it seems as though he's blocking me out. I mentally cursed, my fear skyrocketing.

"Well, well, well, who would have thought you would be mated to an Alpha?"

The voice in front of me had my hair standing up, chills running through my body. There in front of me, where the grey wolf used to be, was him, Carter.

"Oh, are you shocked to see me or something, sweetheart?"

Carter threw me an oversized t-shirt. "Shift and change."

I was about to back up and shift behind the tree but his two companions trapped me in the middle of the clearing. Carter chuckled. "No, shift right here. It's nothing I haven't seen before, right Bailey?"

I whimpered and shook my head, my wolf scared. "Fucking shift, Bailey!"

Carter commanded me and before I knew it, I was shifting and covering myself up. I tried to put the shirt on as fast as I could, not wanting any wandering eyes to linger on my body longer than necessary. If Carter commanded me, does this mean he is an Alpha? A werewolf?

"You must have so many questions, baby."

I didn't say anything which only seemed to angrier Carter. "Did the cat catch your tongue?"

I still didn't say a word, fear paralyzing me. Carter came towards me and grabbed my face. I flinched, all the memories of him hurting me resurfacing. "Do I need to yell at you? Beat you? SPEAK TO ME!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and whispered. "How are you a werewolf?"

Carter stepped back, releasing my chin from his hands He smiled, enjoying this. "A werewolf? I wasn't always a werewolf. I wasn't born into this like you. I was bitten! By the look on you face, you mustn't have known that that was possible. Well, my beautiful little mate, if an Alpha bites a human, releasing their venom into the human's veins, then you can turn someone."

I cringed when he called me his mate, my wolf becoming angry. I calmed her down, reading her that we were not match against three male wolves. Carter smirked, "The problem, however, is that my wolf doesn't get a soul mate. If you're bitten, you don't get a soul mate because you are cursed and tainted and messing with the balance of the moon. In other words, I get to pick me mate. I always knew you were a werewolf. Oh, don't be so surprised. I did some research on your family history. It's your dad, right? Your mom is the human? Yes, this is why I hurt you, Bailey."

I frowned. "You hurt me because you knew I am a werewolf?"

Carter smiled big and clasped his hands together, his eyes going wide. "Oh! You can speak! My little mate, I did some more research. I knew your wolf wasn't there yet. I contacted some other wolves. They told me they use a pain on wolves that have yet to shift. If you beat someone, hurt them so bad, their wolf might end up coming out wanting to protect their human. I tried but I couldn't seem to bring her out."

I stepped back. I felt like I couldn't breathe. "Abusing me and raping me? That was your plan to bring her out?"

Carter frowned, his eyes flashing to red. "Rape? Oh no, sweetheart, everything we did sexually was out of consent. You wanted all of that just as much as I did. You weren't fighting me, we were role playing."

I felt like I was going to throw up. "I want to go home."

Carter growled, his eyes red, the color of rouges. "Home is with me, Bailey. My wolf wants you because you are our mate. I know you think your mate is Chance Hayes, but it's not. Your wolf belongs to mine just as much as mine belongs to yours. I came looking for you because you want us, right?"

"No, Carter, you're not my mate. You're not anything. How did you even escape jail? Why are you here? We put you behind bars for life!"

Carter stepped towards me and I took a step back. "I was never supposed to be in jail! Everything I did, was for us. Don't you see how much I love you? I hurt you because I love you! The Alpha that bit me, got me out of jail. He killed for me and then I killed him because I love him! I killed him and took over his rouge pack just for us. I'm an Alpha now, you want me, right?"

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "I don't want you. I want Chance."

Carter came towards me and slapped me, his eyes bright red. "You don't want him! You want me!"

Carter voice echoed into the woods and I started crying, fear paralyzing me. He touched my face, wiping away my tears. "I teamed up with other rouges, little mate. I sent a lot to your old pack. In the next ten minutes, the Black Wolves Pack will cease to exist. Then, we can fully mate and you can give me children to take over our pack in the future. This is for the best."

I stopped crying and turned behind me, sensing more wolves. "You're wrong, Carter."

"I'm never wrong."

I tried smiling, but I was broken again. "Are you sure? I can feel my mate here, right now."

"What?"

Before Carter could turn around, a steel black wolf jumped over my head and attacked,

All hell broke loose.

____

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