Chapter 11

Emily’s PUV

“ She’s not meant for this life, ” Nathan stated, his voice flat and empty. “ She isn’t the right match for me. The Moon Goddess made a mistake. ”

The rest of their conversation was lost to the wind. They walked away, disappearing around the corner of the backhouse until they were completely out of sight.

Standing at the window, even the biting wind didn’t feel cold anymore. Nothing did. There was only a heavy mptiness left inside.

I lay down in bed. Tears burst from my eyes, carrying out all the bitterness of the day.

The next morning, bright sunlight woke me up. I tried to block it with my hand, but the golden light still filled the

oom and warmed everything. The bed next to mine was still made. Poppy had evidently not returned from her

night shift at the clinic.

My feet hit the cool wooden floor. I grabbed my towel and headed down the hallway.

The girls ‘ shower room sat at the very end of the corridor. I opened the door and saw a large changing area with

wooden benches, rows of lockers, and a long counter lined with mirrors. Past the counter were several private

hower stalls with frosted glass doors. It was still early, and the only sound was water running in one of the

howers.

I put my things on a bench and reached for a locker. Then heard the main door open behind me. I turned around.

Stella stood in the doorway with a towel over her arm. She looked surprised to see me at first, but then her face

urned cold. When our eyes met, she bared her teeth.

“ Great. Just what we needed, ” my wolf muttered.

“ A shower won’t help you, ” the tall blonde girl said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “ Water can’t wash away

vhat you are. ”

“ What do you want, Stella? ” I kept my voice even, refusing to let her see me shake.

“ I want you to stay away from Nathan, ” she snapped, closing the distance between us.

I stepped back until my shoulders touched the cold tile wall. “ Then tell him to stay away from me. ”

I spoke before I could stop myself.

Stella lunged. She grabbed my wrist and squeezed. A sharp flash of pain shot up my arm, and a gasp escaped my

hroat.

“ You’d better not disrespect your future Luna, ” she hissed, her fingers digging deeper. Before I could react, she grabbed my hair and pulled hard. My head jerked back. My eyes burned, but I held back my tears.

“ You won’t be in my way for long, Emily, ” Stella whispered, her face inches from mine. “ I have a plan for you. ”

The shower spray cut off. A accend later, a stall door swung open.

What’s going on here? ” Poppy stepped out, wrapping a damp towel around her hair.

Stella dropped her hands and stepped back. “ Nothing, ” she said, her voice instantly smooth.

Poppy frowned, looking between us. “ Didn’t look like nothing. ”

“ Relax. ” Stella shrugged, tossing her hair. “ I just came to take a shower. ”

She walked past us toward the lockers, acting like she hadn’t just been threatening me. I didn’t waste a second. I grabbed my clothes and bolted from the shower room.

A few minutes later, I was back in my room, feeling safe. Poppy came in right after me.

“ Emily, what was that? ” she asked, studying my face.

“ Nothing, ” I lied, keeping my eyes down. The last thing I wanted was to drag her into this mess.

“ How was your night shift at the clinic? ” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

A small smile broke through her worried expression. “ Interesting. ”

“ That sounds dangerous. ”

“ Maybe a little, ” she laughed. “ Doctor Reed taught me how to fix a dislocated shoulder. ” She looked me over with

grin. “ You don’t need anything fixed, do you? ”

A small laugh actually escaped me. “ No. But good to know I have options. ”

“ Good. ” She sat on her bed and grabbed a hair dryer. “ Give me ten minutes to dry my hair, and then we can get

reakfast p>

A loud knock interrupted her. Before we could answer, Jessie walked in.

“ Alright. ” Jessie crossed her arms tightly. “ What are you two doing today? ”

Poppy opened her mouth to speak.

“ Wrong answer, ” Jessie cut her off. “ Because Tessa needs our help in the garden in thirty minutes. ” She tossed a rown paper bag onto my bed. “ Emily, I brought you some clothes for work. ”

I opened the bag and found a red and yellow plaid shirt, black jeans, and a thick canvas apron inside.

“ So you don’t have to worry about messing up your clothes, ” Jessie said.

Her words made me remember last night. “ Poppy, I’m still really sorry about your black dress, ” I said quietly. “ I lidn’t mean to spill the soup. ”

“ Emily. ” Poppy rolled her eyes, looking at me like I was crazy. “ It’s just fabric. I have tons of dresses. In this pack, we care about people, not clothes. ”

Exactly, Jessie said, nodding. She pointed at Poppy. “ Hurry up with your hair. ” Then she pointed at me. “ And you have five minutes to get changed and get your butt down to the kitchen. Don’t make me come back up here and drag you out. ”

She left the room, and I quickly changed. The jeans were loose, but the shirt fit well. The red made my pale skin look brighter and matched my white blonde hair perfectly. I liked how I looked in the mirror.

“ What else do we need for happiness? ” Nyx whispered in my mind. I gave her a silent smile.

As I walked down the stairs into the dining hall, sunlight poured through the big windows, making everything outside look bright and green. Walking over to the door leading to the kitchen, my heart raced as I heard deep male roices from within. I didn’t want to go in, but I couldn’t hide forever. So I pushed the door open and froze where I

was.

Liam, Nathan, and Marcus all stopped talking and stared at me. But neither Jessie nor Dorothy was among them.

“ Am I allowed in the kitchen? ” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“ Of course. ” Liam’s voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “ Why wouldn’t you be? ”

“ My ex – Alpha … he had told me it would trigger my nesting instincts. ” I stared down at the floor, unable to meet

heir eyes.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

“ Did he at least give you a bed? ” Marcus asked. His voice was dangerously low.

“ Not really … but I had been allowed a mattress, ” I admitted.

“ And blankets? ” Liam pressed, his knuckles cracking with a sound like dry wood breaking.

I couldn’t look at them. I stared at a vase of flowers on the counter. “ No, ” I whispered.

Nathan looked at the flowers too. Suddenly, the mug in his hand broke. Pieces went everywhere, and hot coffee pilled on the floor. Before I could think, my body reacted on instinct. I dropped to my knees and reached for the

roken pieces.

“ I’m sorry, Alpha! I’m so sorry for upsetting you! ” Panic washed over me as I cried out.

“ It’s fine, Emily, stop. ” Liam reached out for me gently. But I was too panicked to listen.

Suddenly, a piece of the mug cut into my palm. I gasped as pain shot up my arm and blood pooled in my hand. Before the glass could slip from my fingers, a large hand gripped my wrist.

Nathan. He was suddenly on the floor with me. His thumb pressed against my pulse as he looked at the blood on my hand. A low, wild growl came from his chest.

“ Are you insane? ” Nathan snarled. His dark eyes flashed a lethal, predatory gold – it was the gaze of his wolf.

“ I was just trying to clean it … ” A single tear ran down my cheek. I braced myself, expecting him to call me a

Ppp

12:19 pm

useless Omega.

But he didn’t. Instead, his large, powerful hands were incredibly gentle as he found the sharp shard embedded in my palm and carefully pulled it out. I flinched, but he held my wrist steady, his thumb soothing my racing pulse.

Without a word, Liam stepped forward and handed him a clean towel. Nathan took it, his focus never leaving my injury, and tenderly wrapped the soft cloth around my bleeding hand.

“ Nathan! ”

Stella walked into the kitchen with confidence. Her sharp gaze went to Nathan, then to the floor where he was

neeling beside me. For a moment, her smile faded, and jealousy flashed in her eyes.

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Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.