. . .

EVAN WOLFE

My whole body feels like it is burning, I was so drawn to him. I couldn't take my eyes off his body, his face. Not even sparing a look at the rest of his pack that stand behind him.

His face was chiseled, boys would die for bone structure like that. Two titanium piercings sit in either side of his nose, one is a stud and the other a small ring. He raises his large hands to clasp each other, thick rings on his long fingers.

Jaxon pats him on the back and turns around to face us. "Everyone," he says loudly. "This is Caleb and his pack, our grandparents used to be in the same pack when they were children."

Caleb smiles towards Jaxon, then his eyes dart around the clearing to look at everyone. His green eyes settle on mine for a second before he looks back to Jaxon and Kayden.

My heart sinks into my stomach, he didn't even acknowledge me.

I lower my eyesight as embarrassment and rejection crashes over me like a tonne of bricks. My eyes felt heavy and my body felt like it was going to crumble into a million tiny pieces.

"We were just about have a game of tag to warm up for training," Jaxon informs Caleb and his pack. "Would you like to join us?"

I grit my teeth at his words and look down to my feet.

"Sure, we love a bit of competition," his voice was deep and dark and sounded like sex.

Not that I've ever had sex but he could do things to me with that voice.

The hairs on my arms stand up again, I quickly wrap my hands around my arms to hide my goosebumps. My body shudders and I clamp my eyes shut so tightly it felt like my skin was going to rip open.

Jaxon's laugh fill the air. "As do we," he says. "We'll give you a head start, you might need it."

Caleb chuckles back to him and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. "Trust me we don't," he says, his voice dripping in confidence. "But we'll take it."

I glance up quickly to look at the scene before me, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to focus on playing a game of tag whilst I knew my mate was playing amongst us.

My head was all over the place, the burning pain in my heart is what made it harder.

Caleb and his pack began to race off through the trees.

Jaxon and Kayden both nod at each other before Jaxon's loud voice startles me. "I want you to be all on top form, I don't want any of you embarrassing the pack. Do you hear?"

"Yes Alpha," we shout back.

"His dad is one of the most powerful werewolves across the American district, none of you are to act up! We need to show them how strong we can be." Jaxon says before yanking his top up and over his head.

"Yes Alpha," we say again.

"Don't let me down," his eyes scan across us all, they settle on me before he raises his eyebrows in my direction. I nod once at him. "Clothes off, shift."

Everyone around me begins to remove their clothes before shifting into their wolves. Jaxon's black wolf stands before me, he howls into the air.

When his eyes watch me I quickly fumble to take my clothes off and shift.

My wolf was tiny compared to everyone else's, I felt so weak and unimportant. But that's because I was.

My little grey wolf couldn't run as fast as everyone else, he couldn't fight as well as everyone else. He had gone into his shell and never wanted to be seen again, I didn't blame him. I guess that's why I'm so harsh on myself; if my wolf isn't happy then I will never be happy.

The rest of the pack run off in different directions, I stand in the clearing alone. Silence completely swarms me and it was deafening.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't act like I was fine.

Hearing a rustling tree behind me after a few moments, I turn around sharply but I see nothing in sight. Then all of a sudden I'm on my paws, weaving through the trees. The only benefit of being so small is that I don't make any sound, even though I can be heavy on my feet I don't create any noise.

I'm too good at hiding when I should be fighting. I was good at being invisible, maybe it's the only thing that I'm good at.

When I think to myself that I am finally alone, I perch myself behind a thick tree and catch my breath.

Then I hear the rustling of leaves again, my ears are rigid as I listen and my snout begins to sniffle. My small paws start to back away from the tree slowly as I run off again.

When I get to a good running pace my body is tackled down onto the ground, I yelp out as my skin scrapes harshly against the rocks and branches on the floor.

My ribs felt like they had broken.

I don't realise that my eyes are shut until my body begins to shake as I open them. My heavy breathing was all that I could hear, blood rushing to my ears.

Then that's when I smelt it—the gasoline.

Rolling onto my back I look up to a midnight black wolf, his fur was even darker than Jaxon's and I didn't know that was possible.

The black wolf shifts and Caleb stands in front of me stark naked. I wince when my eyes look down to his manhood, why do I do this to myself?

Almost every inch of his skin was covered in dark ink, every little intricate detail my eyes were drawn to.

"Shift," he demands, his eyes turning darker as he looks down to me on the floor.

I whine and shuffle away from him, my back felt like it was on fire. I had definitely cut open my skin.

"I said shift!" He shouts completely using his alpha tone on me.

Hanging my head, I close my eyes and shift back. My arms instantly wrap around my exposed body as I stand up from the cold floor.

Caleb stands almost a foot taller than me, I gulp when he backs me into a tree. The sharp bark stabs into the wounds that cover my back. I almost hiss out at the contact but I keep it inside.

I cannot look him in the eye, his stare was so intense it made me feel nauseous. I couldn't ignore the way my stomach twisted in knots being this close to him, his smell completely swarming me. I felt like I was suffocating.

"What is your name?" He asks gruffly, his jaw is tightly pressed together.

My lips part as I go to speak but nothing comes out of my mouth, I couldn't talk because I was going to have a heart attack any second.

Caleb's eyes grow angrier. "I asked for your name," he growls out.

I flinch at his tone but that doesn't seem to bother him, he just wants to intimidate me.

"Evan," I say eventually.

For a split second I thought he was going to ask me again because I spoke so quietly.

Caleb narrows his eyes at me, moving closer so that his breath can be felt on my face.

The fact that we were both naked was making me feel uncomfortable, I hated anyone seeing me naked. I didn't want anyone to ever see my scars.

"Evan what?" He breathes out.

My skin shudders as he speaks my name, tears of pleasure well in my eyes and it made me feel disgusting.

"Evan Wolfe,"

Caleb looks back at me like I'm joking, then he lets out a cold laugh. Lowering his head for a few moments as he smiles, displaying those perfectly white teeth. He then raises his head back up to me. "Wolfe?" He repeats before chuckling again. "Puppy more like."

He's taunting me.

"Don't call me that," I find my voice but I just sounded like a pathetic school boy.

Caleb has a glint in his eye that I didn't find welcoming. "You don't like that pups?" He raises an eyebrow.

I frown at his words, why is he doing this?

"Now you acknowledge me as your mate, hm?" I snap back at him, I'm almost shocked myself that these words have left my mouth. Standing up for myself is something I have rarely done in my lifetime. Maybe I was just sick of being treated badly, maybe I didn't care what would be the outcome if I said or did something out of line.

Caleb retreats quickly and turns around, I can only assume he's making sure that no one was around to hear me say that.

When he twists his head back round to me, he squares up to my body and pushes me back into the tree. His eyes are now full of fury and I can't see one splash of green in them. They were pure black. "Say that again and I'll fucking kill you," his voice was deadly and I knew he probably could kill me. He'd have absolutely no remorse.

The pain that races through my body is almost unbearable as he says these words. But I wasn't going to let him think that I was desperate for his need and attention, in fact I wanted him to know that I couldn't give a single shit about him if he was going to treat me like a piece of crap on his shoe.

So gathering the remaining courage that I have, I square up to him as much as I can. My eyes narrow into small sits as I scowl up towards him. "Don't hold your breath," I spit in his direction as my eyes flick between his. "The feeling is mutual."

I move past him quickly and my shoulder brushes his arm. I can sense his body shake in anger but before he has the change to pull me back and rip me a new one, I shift and run faster than I ever have before.

A wild burning flame stretched throughout my body, I have never felt this empowered ever.

I just did that.

Enjoying the feeling for a few moments as I attempt to start playing in Jaxon's game as a way to distract myself from the pain that I know I'll endure later.

The pain of knowing I'm going to be rejected.

The pain of knowing that my mate is an absolute asshole.

. . .

I was really worried about writing again because I thought it would be utter shit but here it is, let me know what you think. I feel so rusty and I hate it lol

But I've been thinking of this story a lot and I honestly think what I've got planned for the storyline is my favourite one yet. I almost cried thinking about it.

Also I know what you're thinking 'ffs angry alpha who doesn't want his mate, in denial and an asshole' ya I know it's cliche asf but you know what? I haven't written about an asshole Alpha before and I wanted to make it my time to shine lol

It might be cliche but it will be different from the rest, watch this space

Also thanks for everyone being big babes on the last chapter, you guys honestly make me so happy and feel so loved and supported❤️ ily

See you guys soon, Savanna x