Natalia’s P. O. V

I woke up and immediately checked my surroundings. I was still just a step away from crossing the territory border and it was still before dawn. The pain had lessened to a terrible stinging ache. I checked my watch – three minutes to half past four.

I got up, stretched my sore muscles, picked my duffel up and limped as fast as I could across the border and from the Lightwood pack territory.

I stopped making my way through Lightwood Forest when the pack house was just a spec in the horizon even with my werewolf sight. I climbed a sturdy-looking tree and nestled myself in the branches.

Candy woke up from her pain induced slumber in my mind, ‘We need a plan, Nat.’

‘I have one.’

‘Well then, tell me.’, She prodded

‘We need to get into the territory around seven thirty am. That’s when they usually get up after a drunken night. Once they realise that their maid hasn’t picked up after them, they’ll either be furious or panicked. Either way, it’ll be a distraction. During that time, we’ll go to the school and photocopy all of my results then take the originals.’ I explained.

If I was going to get a new life, I needed to finish my schooling. I’d asked the school to keep my results and reports because I was sure that the Lightwood pack members would destroy them if they found them in the house.

I wasn’t going to run away from a house of horrors only to get a dead end job. I wanted to make something out of myself and the first step towards that was a college degree and I couldn’t get that without my results and reports.

The first light of the day was brightening the forest. I checked my watch - six thirty-seven am.

I was almost completely healed. My ribs were only sore and I knew that I could run at my full speed without any problems. With that, it would take me approximately fifteen minutes with my full speed and without stopping.

I used my duffel as a pillow and drifted off to sleep.

**********

‘Nat, wake up!!!’

The sound of Candy’s voice resonated through my mind and woke me up. My ribs weren’t sore anymore. I checked the watch to find that it was thirteen minutes past seven.

I grabbed my duffel and leapt down the tree, landing lightly.

I turned towards the pack house and started running at full speed.

**********

I got to the border and checked my watch - seven twenty-four.

Good enough.

I put my leather gloves on and ran to the school then crept around it until I was at the window of the records and storage room. Luckily, the window was left open so I climbed through it. All the files were ordered on shelves. I scanned the ‘N’ section. Clark had refused to let me use his last name – not that I’d wanted to, it was the school that’d asked - and nobody had known my mother’s so I technically had no family origins.

I found my file and took it to the photocopying machine. I made sure the papers had no dents or overlaps. When I was done, I put the copies back in the file holder and placed it back in its place then found a spare file holder and put the originals in it and placed it in my bag.

I went over to the awards section. All except mine were copies.

With the life I led, the time needed to participate in extracurriculars was a privilege, so the few I was able to take part in, I made them count. Anything that required regular practice to attend was out of my reach, so that meant I had awards from spelling bees, math marathons, science fairs and mixed topic quizzes. I’d participated in swimming competitions, karate competitions and taekwondo fights but my attendance in those had been non-existent, and I’d only replicated thing’s I’d seen to win.

I never took the awards back to the pack house because they’d destroy them so I told the school to keep them too. The pack didn’t even know I took part in any of those competitions.

I put them all in my bag and spotted some textbooks but left them alone since I already had mine.

I climbed back out the window and made sure it was the way I saw it before I ran. Before I crossed the border, I turned back to face the pack house.

‘I’ll be back Lightwood pack… and you’ll be sorry - that’s a promise’

Callum’s P. O. V

I groaned as I woke up. My head was killing me - I’d drunk too much liquor. I tried to get up and realised that Brittany was sprawled on my chest.

My wolf snorted in disgust.

I carefully rolled her without waking her up and checked my clock. It was seven thirty-eight am. I got up on unstable feet and wobbled over to the bathroom.

When I was done with my business, I walked into my room and got dressed in jeans and a lime green t-shirt. I contemplated waking her up but decided against it - she would only whine and complain.

I walked into the corridor and wondered if Natalia was okay after the rejection. The place was a complete mess. There were paper cups and plates littered all over the place. Spills and food stains decorated the walls and floor.

It didn’t stop there. Everywhere was a complete mess and every few metres; there was a sleeping pack member that I had to step over.

I hadn’t realised how tedious cleaning up after our parties was. We had a party for practically every occasion and every morning after the party, the whole house was spotless and nobody was asleep outside their rooms - she probably led their half sleeping forms to their respective rooms.

Again, I realised that she did so much and received only beatings and nastiness in return.

‘I can’t think like that.’ I reminded myself.

I walked to Harry’s room and knocked. I heard loud crashes and grunts before he opened the door in his boxers.

“What do you want, Cal?” he grumbled.

“Happy birthday to you too, Harry. I wanted to remind you that some of us have exams today.” He groaned, “What’s the time?”

I checked my watch, “Seven forty-four.”

“I’ll be out in ten minutes.”

He closed the door. I found a clean part of the wall to lean on and waited.

After some time, he came out showered and dressed. He took one look at the corridor and growled.

“Where is the omega? Why didn’t she clean up?!” He roared.

I raised my hands in the universal ‘I surrender’ sign, “Hey, man, I have no idea. I woke up to this mess.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

He growled and stomped up to the attic room, waking the sleeping, hungover people on the way with me trailing behind him. He flung the splintered door open and marched into the room.

It was empty.

“WHERE IS SHE?!?!?”

Obviously, there was no answer.

I circled the small room and spotted folded papers on the thin mattress. They all had the name of who they were addressed to in her delicate cursive scrawl. That’s when it hit me.

She was gone.

Natalia was gone.

“Uh… Harry, I think she’s gone. She left these.” I held the letters addressed to him, Kylie, Brittany and the pack out to him and hid the one to me in my back pocket.

He snatched the papers, “Call a pack meeting.”

He turned and left.

**********

Thirty minutes later, our sleepy and hungover teens of the pack were assembled in the trashed living room. Harry wasted no time.

“You may be wondering why the place is still a mess. The omega is gone. She left a note addressed to the pack and I will read it now.

Lightwood pack,

You’ve tormented, teased and tortured me. I’ve cleaned up after you since I was eleven years old and what did I get? I got beatings, bruises and pain. Pack members are supposed to stick together through thick and thin but I know that if I go into battle with you at my side, you’d be more likely to stab me in the back than the enemy. You’re a despicable group of people and most of you would do anything for a higher rank - even betray each other. Don’t worry, this isn’t the last you’ve heard from me. When you least expect it, I will come back, you will need me and I will destroy you from where you will be defenceless.

With hatred and spite,

The former omega.”

The room was silent. There were looks of shock and shame but the most common were anger and disgust. We had never expected this to happen. We had always thought that she’d remain with us forever. We disregarded her and forgot that, like us, she also had feelings, thoughts and limits but, unlike us, she never showed them.

My heart broke - she was gone. She’d left me.

Cade scoffed at me then snarled, ‘She didn’t leave us - you chased her away. What did you expect, idiot, after you marked her, then rejected her, then marked and mated with another girl? Did you not think that she’d feel everything? You put her through so much pain and you thought she’d be okay with seeing your face again? I don’t even want to be anywhere near you and I’m your wolf. Unless it’s a life or death situation, don’t bother me until I’m done mourning the loss of my mate.’

And with that, he retreated so far into the shadow of my mind that I could barely feel him.

‘Great’

I’d just lost my mate and my wolf was pissed at me.

Everyone was ordered to go back to their rooms and begin cleaning from there. I walked back to my room and looked around. It wasn’t that bad - the only thing messed up was the bed.

Shuddering at what I did last night, I changed the sheets and tidied the mundane stuff. When I was done, I sat at my desk and pulled the note out of my back pocket. Again, I noticed how beautiful her delicate cursive scrawl was.

Callum,

I’m hurting so much right now - because of you. You’re supposed to be my mate. You’re supposed to care for me and love me but I guess I’m not what you want. I was willing to forgive you for all the horrible things you did to me. I was willing to put them behind us and love you with all my heart because I believed in you - in us. It appears that my love and forgiveness is unwanted. Don’t worry, I’ll be back and when I am, you’ll realise that you made a mistake but it will be too late because I’ll have moved on. I despise you from the very depths of my heart. You will pay for the pain that you put me through - that’s a promise.

With fiery hate,

Your rejected mate.

Tears landed on the paper, smudging some letters. I wiped my eyes. I’d brought this upon myself. I’d pushed her away and caused her pain. And now, her heart that was supposed to love me hated me instead. The paper slipped out of my hand as I sank to my knees. Sobs wracked my whole body as I drowned myself in my sorrow and regret.

‘What have I done?’

Harry’s P. O. V

After the meeting, I handed Kylie and my sister their letters then marched off to my room. How dare she run away? I slammed my door and flopped onto my bed then opened the letter.

Harry,

What did I ever do to you? Why did you hate me? If you can’t handle the fact that your father raped my mother, don’t take it out on me because it’s not my fault. If you’re frustrated because your Alpha voice doesn’t work on me, deal with it. I can’t help it if I’m not submissive. Whatever the reason for your despicable actions towards me is, I don’t really care. You are weak and selfish and you will pay for the pain you’ve caused me. I will make something out of myself. You will need me and I will prove your weakness then I will destroy you. I’d say ‘watch out’ but it’d be pointless 'cause you’ll never see me coming.

With hate,

The former omega.

I crumpled the paper and tossed it in the bin. I would catch her and she’d be sorry for disrespecting the pack. For disrespecting me.

I called for Andrea through the mind link.

‘Andrea.’

‘‘Yes, Alpha.’

‘Take two of the trackers and go find that bitch. She needs to learn some respect.’ I smirked as I thought of what I’d do to her.

He paused before replying, ‘As you wish, Alpha.’

Brittany’s P. O. V

How dare she?! If I ever got my hands on her, she’d be sorry. As I was walking to my room, Harry handed me a folded paper with my name on it and walked off without a word.

I entered my room, slamming the door behind me. Now I’d have to clean! If we found her, I’d make sure she knew her place. I laid on my bed and opened the paper.

Brittany,

You think you’re so much better than everyone but you’re not. You’re just a whiny bitch. Simple as that. There’s not much I have to say to you, really. You put me through hell and when I get back, I’ll do the same and then some. You will beg for mercy when I get a hold on you. Good luck - you’re gonna need it.

With hate and vengeance,

The former omega.

How dare she?! If she got back, I would put her through more than just hell and she could count on that.

Kylie’s P. O. V

When the meeting was over, I was beyond scared. I had no doubt that she would come back for revenge. On my way back to my room, Harry gave me a folded paper with my name on it then walked away in silence. I rushed to my room and locked the door for privacy. I recognised her beautiful cursive script that I’d always been jealous of.

My blood ran cold.

I slowly unfolded the paper – prolonging the inevitable.

Kylie,

I loved you like a sister. I’d have done anything for you and you betrayed me. You joined them in beating me. I’m fine with the fact that you’ve found friends in the slut squad but you got serious with my mate and I’m not fine with that. And you will be sorry when I’m done with you. I will make something out of myself then I will DESTROY you so badly that you will want to stop breathing. I will tear the pillars of your life down and expose every single secret you have - especially the deepest, darkest ones. There will be no salvaging of anything. You will become an outcast even with your family and those closest to you. I despise you with every fibre of my being and you will feel the heat of my hate. Watch out cause you’ll never see me coming.

With wrath and fury,

Your soon-to-be destroyer.

The icy talons of terror gripped my heart as the blood drained from my face and I knew that when she came back, she was going to do exactly what she said. She always did what she said she’d do.

I’d never been so scared in my life.

Kirstin’s P. O. V

I walked to my room, locking the door behind me, and sat on my bed. The omega was gone and from the sound of the letter, she hated the pack. And so did I.

It was not lost on me that what she said was true. You couldn’t trust anyone in this pack. It was no secret that Kylie had been her best friend and had betrayed her. In all honesty, I always wanted to find out what the omega was like - she seemed nice when she wasn’t within fifteen feet of us.

As I was cleaning my room, I remembered seeing Harry give Kylie a letter as I was passing. The handwriting was cursive and I didn’t recognise it. That could only have meant that it was from the omega.

I smirked as a plan formed in my mind.

‘Watch out, Kylie.’