Unwanted

Scott’s P.O.V.

I feel sick as I lay in the bed in my hotel room. I’m glad that we killed everyone from the Blood Fangs, but I don’t enjoy torturing people. I could tell the others weren’t into it either. However, some of my distress leaves me when I think about everything they did and how many pups they hurt or sold.

I can’t wait to see my parents at Silver Moon, but I needed time to get my head around everything. I also wanted to help reconnect people with their families like this group has done for me. I had always thought my birth parents didn’t want me and sold me to the Blood Fangs. Now I know that’s not true.

The pack that Blake sold me to tortured me every day. I was lucky that I was still alive when Grant and Holly came to the pack because many other pups had already been killed. They were a sadistic pack that got off on inflicting as much pain as possible on the young. It messed me up for a while, but staying at the group home really helped. I was almost a new person when I went to live in the pack.

Now I just need my mate. I hope I’m as lucky as the others and I meet her in our travels to other packs. I can’t help feeling jealous of the couples I’m traveling with. I want that. I want a mate who looks at me the way those women look at their mates.

The next morning, we’re driving to another pack that has reportedly bought pups. It’s near Topeka, Kansas. Everyone is pretty quiet on the bus, even Martina, who has the ability to make all the men blush like teenagers. Everyone still looks tired, so I’m sure they had a restless night, just like I did after what we did to the Blood Fangs. Torturing even the worst person can weigh on your mind if you’re good on the inside.

“We know this next pack bought pups from Brock at Silver Moon, but we don’t know why or what they did to them. So Teegan and I will get off first with a couple of guards to speak with the alpha and luna.” Joel tells us as we drive down the long driveway. I have a lot of respect for all of them for caring enough to do this. It’s not easy when you have packs like the last one, which is the worst of the worst. It’s almost like you have to be ruthless like they are, and that’s not a good feeling.

This pack looks like most other packs, with a large pack house and other smaller houses the further down the road you go. People are laughing and smiling. I’m almost sure this can’t be a pack that was buying pups. The people look too happy. I watch Joel and Teegan speak to a man and woman who I believe is the alpha and luna. A few minutes later, Teegan gets back on the bus.

“The alpha and luna are Sally and John. They took over about six years ago when the prior alpha was killed. They aren’t the ones who bought pups, but the other alpha did. John believes there are still a few of them here. Joel said you can come with us if you like.” She says..” She says. Everyone except the four guards that are still on the bus stands up. I need to give someone good news after yesterday.

I take a deep breath of the fresh air and smile. Today’s going to be a good day. However, when I breathe in again, I pick up something else. It’s a scent that makes my body have an immediate response. That’s when I understand what it means. My mate is here.

Brooke’s P.O.V.

I stifle my screams as I wake up in a panic. My entire body is covered in sweat. When I realize it’s another nightmare, I turn over, curl into a ball, and cry. It has been six years, but it still feels like it was only yesterday.

My dad was the prior alpha of the pack. He was a mean bastard that hurt everyone he came into contact with. He began raping me when I turned twelve and killed my mom when she tried to get him off me that first time. I was devastated. He started sharing me with other men in the pack when I was thirteen. I put up with the pain and humiliation until I was sixteen, and then I couldn’t take it anymore. I let my wolf, Raven, out, and she killed them all. I thought the pack would be mad and have me killed, but I was wrong.

When everyone saw what I had done, they were glad and wanted me to take over as alpha. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one those assholes were hurting. I didn’t find out until later that they were buying pups from other packs to use in their sick ways. I know it’s useless trying to go back to sleep, so I get out of bed and head to the bathroom to shower.

When I look in the mirror, I see the dark circles under my amber eyes from lack of sleep, making me look older than twenty-two. I run my fingers through my straight hair that’s so black sometimes it seems like it has a hint of blue. My wolf’s fur is the same. Typically, alphas are the only ones who have black wolves. My parents didn’t have any other children, so I guess mine is black because I should have been the next alpha. That’s a job I didn’t want. John and Sally were the perfect couple to take over. They have been like surrogate parents to me. Sally would come into my room in the beginning when I had nightmares and sit with me until I fell asleep.

After taking my shower, I put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before heading downstairs. I haven’t found my mate yet. Although I doubt once he finds out what my dad and the other men did to me, he’ll want me anyway. It’s best to just be here alone rather than feel that bond for a minute only to be rejected. No, thank you. I don’t need that pain.

“How do you know he’ll reject you? He may be exactly what you need to put some of this behind you.” Raven lectures me. She does this a lot when I think about the possibility of a mate. She’s worried I’ll be so scared of being unwanted that I’ll reject him, so he doesn’t have the chance to reject me first. I have thought about it, but I honestly don’t know how I will react until the time comes.

I hear voices outside when I reach the bottom of the steps. When I peek through the window, I see a minibus and two people talking to John and Sally. Who is this? Did some human tourists get lost or something? I watch the woman step onto the bus, and then several people follow her off. The last one to get off catches my eye. Wow, he’s huge. He stretches and takes a deep breath. Suddenly, Raven starts running around in circles with excitement.

“What is wrong with you?” I ask, still watching the man. His eyes widen, and he starts looking all around.

“Our mate is here.” She almost screams in my head. What? Our mate is here? I take a breath and catch the scent that I had initially ignored. It makes my heart race with excitement. When I look back out the window, I see the large man looking toward me. Is he my mate? What should I do? I feel like running upstairs and hiding under my quilt to prevent the pain I know is coming. When the group starts walking toward the packhouse, I’m frozen. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I turn to the door when they walk in, and the scent gets stronger.

The large man is the last to come in but as soon as he does his eyes meet mine. He walks past everyone else and comes to my side. He has to be at least six foot seven, and I’m only five-two, so I look up at him, waiting expectantly. However, what he does next takes me by surprise, and tears stream down my cheeks. He wraps his arms around me and starts crying as he breathes in my scent before speaking.

“I can’t believe I found you just when I needed you the most.”