I open my mouth, about to let out whatever question comes rolling off my tongue first, when Yvonne timidly squeaks, “I have to go,” before spinning on her heel and flashing into her frail wolf form that allows her to disappear back into the forest.
Left staring after her, I reel back, brushing my questions aside to deal with what her second disappearance means.
I can’t turn and walk the other way when an ex-member of my pack suddenly appears right before my eyes. It’s nocoincidence; I know that much. I can feel it in my bones. She might have left the Snehvolk Pack to join the Moonshine Pack, but she was once a part of my pack, and I have to make sure that she’s safe.
If being attacked by her own betas is something she isn’t averse to, then it means that something is terribly wrong, and Yvonne is in danger.
Chapter 3 - Yvonne
Five Years Ago
Pressing the bridge of my spectacles, I push them further up my nose until they’re comfortably set against my eyes, where I can see beyond the book I’m holding to my face. A dry chuckle escapes my lips as my eyes flicker to the edge of the rim, where I’m able to get a better view of the outside, spying what the rest of the pack is up to while I’m in the sanctity of the library, all by myself.
I should be out there, mingling with the crowd as the members of the pack gather supplies in preparation for tonight’s bonfire. But it’s not like I’m going to be there tonight, anyway. Dropping my gaze, my attention is hardly on the words printed on the pages, despite how clear they are through the thick eyeglasses I have to wear to be able to see, but instead on the reason why I’m not out there right now.
No matter how much I've tried, I’ve never been able to fit in with the pack. These glasses are one of the reasons why I’ve been ostracized; I mean, since when does a werewolf need glasses to see, right? Unless it’s to make a spectacle of myself, a complete fool, my weaker vision deems me unfit to be part of the werewolf society.
That’s not the only reason I’ve been ostracized in the Snehvolk Pack. My father and brother committed treason years ago when they led a group of humans to the doorstep of our secluded village under the guise that humans and werewolves could co-exist in a world where humans knew of our existence in the first place. The humans had bad intentions, and my family members were beheaded for their crimes against the pack.
My mother tried her level best to make up for what they did by devoting herself to the service of this pack without taking a penny in return for her work as a cook, but it killed her eventually when her hard work led to a sickness she couldn’t afford to treat. I was left on my own then, lurking in the shadows and hiding away from the torment of those who hadn’t forgiven my father and brother for what they did.
A shiver runs down my spine, leading me to sink further in the chair and pull the book closer to my face. I wish I could lose myself in another Jane Austen masterpiece, but what was once my solace has steadily become an unending wave of uncontrollable fantasies that make it impossible to hold a decent conversation with the only person in the pack who has taken kindly to me.
Alpha Dawson Black.
He’s one of four alphas of the Snehvolk Pack, who’d taken his reign at the ripe age of eighteen and been on the council for the past seven years. Often overlooked as someone too domineering and sovereign to be caught doing ordinary things in the pack, I was surprised when I found him browsing the library one morning a few months ago.
No one else comes up here except for me. I’ve been using this spot as a hideout ever since I found myself alone in this pack, cast out of society without family to keep me company. Three years is a long time for an Omega to be living alone, and I have no prospects of becoming a male wolf’s mate since my weak eyes and small wolf make me unfit to bear a pup.
The library was the one place I could escape, where I didn’t have to worry about all the missed opportunities and lose myself in a fictional world constructed on fantasies to keep me busy.
So I wasn’t expecting an alpha to walk into my life and turn my world on its head.
The unlikely friendship between an alpha and a pariah of an omega who cannot be forgiven for her family’s misdeeds has been strange.
While I try not to read too much into it, it’s impossible to remain oblivious to Alpha Dawson’s presence when it demands my attention. Even now, as I’m facing the window to spy on the village, my nostrils fill with the heady scent of sandalwood and musk that signals his arrival in the library long before I hear his footsteps.
Turning my head slowly, I see him waltzing in with graceful steps that speak of his kind, warm nature, despite how bold his aura is. My breath hitches in my throat as he approaches, and I’m reminded of the feelings I’ve been denying.
I mean, it’s absurd that I would have feelings for the alpha at all. But who am I to deny the effortless charm he oozes? How am I supposed to not lose myself in the depths of his ocean blue eyes, imagining that I’m diving right in and taking a swim? How can I not imagine running my hands through the flowing waves of his dark brown hair while feeling the cushions of plump lips against mine?
Shuddering from the intensity of the awareness that flows into my core, I try to remain as unfazed as possible when I plaster an oblivious, dumb smile on my face. I didn’t think he’d come looking for me, especially this evening, when he should be preparing for the monthly bonfire with the other alphas.
Yet, here he is, floating forward as if his magnificent aura carries him over the floorboards toward me. When he’s beside my chair, he folds his arms across his chest as if he’s purposely flexing his bulging biceps to impress me.
I roll my eyes internally. Why would the alpha want to impressme,a lowly omega who has no place in the society he rules over?
“Hey, Yvie,” he greets me as a smirk tugs one corner of his mouth, his eyes twinkling at the scene of nightfall outside. “I knew I’d find you here.”
“Where else would I be, Alpha Dawson?” I giggle nervously as I follow his gaze to see that the pack members have dispersed from the village square and now make their way toward the pack den at the back of town.
“I thought you’d have finally gained the courage to enjoy the bonfire tonight.” Dawson glances at me, the twinkle in his blue eyes making them appear lighter.
Stifling the urge to blush, I turn my face away fully, not wanting him to know that his mere presence affects me like the characters in my favorite book, who can’t form a coherent thought in the presence of the men they have crushes on.
That’s all this is—a girlish crush, because Alpha Dawson is the only one in the pack who doesn’t harbor resentment toward me because of my family’s history.
“What am I gonna do at the bonfire, anyway?” I ask with a diffident shrug as I pull the book to my chest. “It’s not like I can read my books there.”
