She suddenly looked very vulnerable and sort of caved in on herself.
“Tell me what’s going through your mind right now.”
“I’m not worthy of your love. I do put on a mask with people, though I struggle to keep it in place around you. I’m terrified of people seeing the real me, so I hide. What if they see me and don’t like me? I have so many flaws, it’s hard to keep them all hidden. I guess in some ways, that mask is just a layer of protection that ensures no one gets close enough to really see me.”
“You’re really that self-conscious? Doll, you don’t need to be.”
My hand was on her cheek, caressing it.
“You are beautiful, smart, and funny. You’re the whole package. There’s a reason people are drawn to you. You don’t have to hide.”
Zoey
Chapter 24
He didn’t get it. How could he? He lived his life unapologetically himself. He didn’t always follow the norms and didn’t care if people noticed. He was a frat boy who didn’t match the image at all. How could he possibly understand?
“Why did you join a fraternity?” I asked.
He gave me an odd look, shrugged, then answered. “To hang out with my friends. They wanted to join, so I went along with it.”
“That’s it?”
He nodded.
“Monte, most people join a fraternity or sorority to find a place where they can fit in. Because we’re all looking for community and acceptance.”
He shrugged. “I already had that with Remy, Braxton, and Caleb, plus the girls.”
“Girls?” I asked, feeling a sudden surge of jealousy.
“Everything’s been such a whirlwind since we met that you haven’t met them yet, but yeah, the girls are a big part of my community. We all came here together, grew up together, well, not Sadie so much. Sadie grew up on the fringes of our Pack. Her mom was human and her dad a wolf. Josh Maxwell’s father, my former Alpha, put a gag order on the Pack. She had no idea what she was until her first shift just before high school graduation.But Remy had befriended her when they were young and no matter how many times he was told to stay away, he couldn’t seem to do it. I think he helped her with her transition a lot.”
“Are they mates? I didn’t know Remy had a mate.”
“Nah. Just best friends. Sadie found her mate here at the ARC.”
“Wait, I think I know who you’re talking about. She’s Pete’s mate?”
“Yup.”
“I remember him from freshman year. He was quiet and kept to himself, kinda like you. Though he was better about actually attending events and hanging out.”
“I attend events,” he protested.
“Then why did it take until senior year for us to cross paths?”
He groaned. “Theta girls just aren’t my type, so I steered clear of them. Trust me, I’ve heard enough stories.”
As he thought about it, he growled.
I laughed and gave him a little shove.
“I think Theta girls are exactly your type—at least this one.”
He chuckled. “You’ve got me there. Who would have thought I’d be so crazy about a Theta girl?”
I leaned down and kissed him with a smile on my lips, but I didn’t let it linger. It would have been so easy to distract us away from this conversation, but I needed to understand where he was coming from.
