The sun was almost setting, so we made it into the pack house when Hazel and her group of minions approached. Her knee-length skirt was worn in an odd fashion, and the white shirt she had on was knotted below the stomach, revealing a bit of cleavage.
She sashayed her way towards me, her wolf lurching into her eyes when she neared me, "If it isn't the wolfless bitch."
I grimaced, "What do you want, Hazel?"
"Do you think you should be here? This isn't a place for people like you, Isla. You have no place here," she paused, noticing how her words got to me, and I winced. "Except, of course, you're here to show everyone what a little slut you are."
The three girls behind her chuckled excitedly at her harsh words. I clenched my fists, my knuckles nearly turning white as I struggled to fight the overwhelming urge to hit her across the face. When I moved, Cale's grip tightened around my wrist.
"Back off, Hazel!" Cale growled behind me, her wolf eyes glowing as she snarled.
Her lips curled back to reveal her set of menacing canines, "Once my mating ceremony with Arden is done and I finally become the Luna of this pack, I will make sure I have you kicked out for good. Mark my words, Isla." With that, she turned to leave with a triumphant smile plastered on her face.
"Why do you let her speak to you that way?" Cale inquired, equally upset at Hazel's show of stupidity.
"How?" I snapped.
She circled behind me to stand right in front of me, her arms folded to her chest with her now chestnut-brown eyes scrutinizing me.
"You let her talk down on you. Why?"
I glared at her like she'd asked the most ridiculous question, "She's the soon-to-be Luna."
"So?" she continued.
"Look, I've had enough bad days already, so don't add to it. You've said it yourself, I'm not from here. I don't even belong here! The last thing I want is a bunch of sadistic wolves on my neck because they think I disobeyed their queen. Don't pretend to care about me, Cale, you don't. None of you do!"
I walked away briskly, leaving her behind when I felt tears gathering and ready to fall. I wouldn't let Hazel have the satisfaction of seeing me broken. I couldn't give any of them that satisfaction.
I had no place in mind, I just walked to the far end of the house, finding myself in the middle of the arena where the pack had their meetings. I settled myself on one of the logs of wood placed to encircle the area.
Letting out a sigh, I raked my fingers through my hair that fell across my face. I leaned back, with hands placed at both ends of the log, basking in the peace and quiet around me.
"You're not celebrating with the others; I'm guessing you're also an outcast?"
Startled, I jumped to my feet only to be met with the most beautiful set of grey eyes I'd ever seen. They drew me in, seductive and intense. I cringed from the heat of his stare when his gaze swept through my face.
He was much older, the stubbles on his chin the tell-tale signs of maturity. I couldn't place a certain age on him because he still exuded vibrant youthfulness, but he had to be in his thirties.
His face was one I'd never seen or come across in the pack. I wondered who he was, concluding he was someone from another pack who came to celebrate Alpha Sage's arrival. Remembering I'd been staring at him for too long, I hurriedly lowered my gaze.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to—"
"—Why are you apologizing?" he cut in.
I couldn't tell why. I wasn't doing anything wrong, but standing in front of him felt entirely wrong. I felt a shiver run through me when he suddenly approached, and I swallowed hard.
"All the unmated she-wolves are at the lake, ready to shift and receive the moon goddess's blessing for a mate once the moon peaks. Why are you here and not there?"
Fidgeting, I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing at my shoulders when I suddenly felt cold.
"I don't have a wolf," I replied, exhausted.
His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then his lips raised in a smile, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.
"An anomaly," he mused. "That shouldn't stop you from celebrating tonight. Who knows, the moon goddess might be kind enough to grant you a wolf."
I never believed in the moon goddess; I always concluded she favored only those she loved and turned her back on those without a wolf. Honestly speaking, I resented her.
She watched me go through torment, through hell at the hands of her children and never thought to help me, not even once.
"Do you believe she exists? Do you believe in the moon goddess?" I asked.
"I don't," he replied coldly. "I don't put my fate in the hands of a god or goddess to decide for me."
I faltered, a frown etching itself on my face. He didn't believe, "You also think I'm hopeless, like the others," I whispered, but he heard anyway.
"No. On the contrary, I don't think anyone's hopeless. You can either sit out here and cry about it or take your fate into your own hands."
Just as he ended his words, he walked away, not even bothering to give me a chance to speak. When I was finally all alone, I pondered hard on what his words had meant.
Almost like he was giving me an option: to choose to be trampled upon by the pack or to fight for a place among them.