Lesley's POV

The next morning I'd managed to avoid Trevor during breakfast, before hurrying upstairs to help my aunt. And as always, she's being difficult as hell.

"Stop that!" "That hurts!" "You bitch!" "Stupid!" "Incapable brat!"

And at the end of every one of those, I was slapped. My cheek was red and swollen and I honestly had to battle my tears and anger at every turn. Whoever, said 'turn the other cheek' clearly didn't get bitch-slapped!

What I wanted to say:

"HEY! I'm trying to pull off your disgusting, grown-ass diaper and give you a bath, so stop slapping me, while I'm trying to help your sorry little paralyzed ass!"

What I had to say:

"I'm sorry," I said softly, with all the self-control I could muster. I wish I could say that I felt some kind of sympathy for her, but I really didn't! She was a first-class asshole and a drama queen! As in if you looked up the definition of a drama-queen in a dictionary, there would be a huge ass picture of her and her ginormous ego!

She scoffed like an 80+ smoker/alcoholic and finally let me bathe her. But because she didn't stay still, I of course got soaked. I wanted to kill her so badly. It would be so easy.

Sorry, she got cut in the curtains. UPS!

Yeah, because she was gonna make me a murderer! (note: sarcasm!)

I was so caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice my grip on the soap loosen and I dropped it. I accidentally sighed out loud, before bending down and getting it back. And they say that you should not bend down in the prison! I say: depends on the prison!

"OH!"

My aunt suddenly cried out. I looked up, confused as hell. What the shit---? But I quickly noticed what she'd been doing.

Forming on her thigh, was a huge red spot in the shape of the showerhead. I sighed! Come fucking on! Not this again.?! Yeah! She did that too. She would deliberately hurt herself and blame me! Uncle Harry would always see red when his mate was hurt. And she enjoyed seeing him beat the crape out of me.

"What's going on?!" my uncle yelled only a second later, as he stormed the bathroom. I jumped up.

"It was an accident!" I tried to holler, but it was useless! I knew that trying to claim innocence was only going to make things worse, but the second I saw my Uncle's eyes I knew I was fucked!

"You little.," he yelled, grabbing a fist full of hair.

I didn't remember much after that.

I vaguely remembered him grabbing my head and slamming it against the bathroom tiles. The tiles broke and shattered around me. I felt blood running down my face and left ear. I barely had my hands up in defense as the punches landed one by one. Everything after that was just so---distance. My uncle screaming, my aunt's fake sobbing, the pain. It all drowned in a loud noise of nothingness. Like my ears were too full to take it in.

I scrambled to my feet and got out of there. I barely reached downstairs when the sour and vile liquid started to run up my throat and my stoma content wanted to make a run for it. I threw up in the kitchen sink, making the room spin even worse. My head felt like it was about to explode, and I couldn't stop throwing up.

Amanda came over and got me to school, but I honestly didn't remember much. What day it was, what class I was in, what the hell I was doing.

All I knew is that I wanted to throw up! NOW!

I rushed out of class, found a bathroom, and once again exited my internal organs into the toilet. Or at least that's what it felt like! Fuck!

I grabbed the side of my head. The bleeding had stopped but seeing my reflection in the mirror, honestly almost gave me a heart attack. My eyes were bloodshot, and my chin was bruised and swollen to almost twice its original size. Lines of dried blood colored my face, making me look like a victim of Dracula! I carefully touched the cut, only to feel a stinging and burning sensation rush through my body.

Fuck!

I turned on the tap and started to wash my face. Or at least get some cold water on it, but this turned out to be a bad idea. The second I moved my head, the room started spinning again and I felt sick. I crept over to the closest corner and just sat there; waiting/hoping for death to bring an end to it. I brought my knees as close as possible, resting my head on them and my body against the cold wall.

Just be still, I continued to tell myself, trying to breathe normally. The pain comes to an end. Everything comes to an end.

"I'll be ok," I sighed out through my teeth, trying to make it through the pain. "No matter what I'll be fine!" I pressed down the tears and although my heart was aching to cry, I didn't. I was never letting anyone know, that they got to me. At least Dean was right about that! That's how you survive.

That's when I heard them. There were four boys. This I smelt because my hearing was still all fucked up. What the fuck were they doing here? And that's when I finally realized. Great! I was in the men's bathroom! How did I know? Well, one clue was the four boys walking in, but honestly, the smell! Boys just stink!

"What the.?!" one of them screeched, making my eardrums bleed. Oh god, just shut the fuck.! Yeah, I was in the wrong bathroom, but seriously?! They acted as if they'd never seen a girl before. I scoffed. Probably hadn't!

"Is she passed out?" another one asked, slowly approaching me, like I was an exotic and dangerous animal. I'm both, but still!

No, she's still here, desperately trying to pass out, so shut your trunk and get out!

Again, this was what I wanted to scream at them, but I didn't have the strength to even move at this point.

"Man! She must be so high!" another one giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Isn't that Lesley? You know, the slut Trevor's always going on about?"

Of course, that bastard is talking shit about me!

"She's so cheap, he gets it for free," the other one laughs again.

Yeah, right!

I could hear them whisper. Somehow that made me more nervous. I had to get up and get away. Something bad was gonna happen. I just knew it! I tried to steady my hand and get up, but the second I tried to move, the room was spinning, and I felt like I was gonna throw up.

That's when I suddenly felt the warm liquid on my body.

Oh no! They didn't.!

But of course, they did!

They literally peed on me!

In the werewolf society, if you were trying to hide your scent, that's a very efficient way of doing it. In the "normal" society, it's just gross! And talking about hiding my scent?! The only thing that did was make me smell like a bad combination of puck and urine!

They giggled like schoolgirls, laughing and calling me names. I didn't care. I wanted to cry. This was beyond humiliating. Beyond any stupid, boyish prank! This was wrong! I didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve any of this!!!

With that, my anger had finally built up, giving me the strength, I needed to stand. I drained my wolf of her healing ability, making her pass out in the back of my mind.

Don't worry, girl, I softly told her, feeling my bruises heal and wounds closing. This will be worth it!

"Oh fuck, she's mad," one yelled, still smiling while they hustled to put their junk back in their pants. Through my blurred, foggy vision, I saw them head for the door. Anger turned to rage. Oh, I don't think so!

The next second I slammed it shut. I used my werewolf speed to cut in front, staring them down, with a look that will hunt their nightmares forever.

"How the.?!" one exclaimed, his expression becoming a mix of horror and surprise.

"You think this is funny?" I sneered and a low growl escaped my lips. My fists were clenched at my side and I was honestly enjoying the sudden pale and terrified expression on their faces.

"Now I'm gonna have some fun!"

Lesley's POV

I got downstairs into the girls' locker room and headed to the showers. Luckily PE wasn't until the afternoon, so I was alone. I got out of my clothes and turned on the shower. The water was freezing at first, making my entire body cringe. But it also felt good. My bruised knuckles appreciated the cold and so did the bruise on my chin. Bastard! I didn't see that ring coming. I smiled though. He didn't seem to particularly like it when I ripped his piercing out. So, I guess that's a comfort.

The fight flashed back in my mind. I'd barely held anything back. My fist connected with his jawline. The second's nose. I kicked the third in the knee and finally took the last one by the head and introduced it to the bathroom toilet. And that's when they started to fight back. I guess they didn't want anyone to know, that four boys couldn't take down one girl.

They didn't hit as hard as Uncle Harry, but my ribcage got an unexpecting blow, draining my lungs for air. And my jaw was hurting from a lucky bunch; hey they were still four against one! Cut me some slack! The scratch on my chin was however entirely my fault. I saw it coming and yet I let him hit me because he was the last one standing. I was planning on taking him out right after, and then he had pulled some fucking mobster bullshit like that! This is a 'no weapons allowed' school. I'm just saying: brass knuckles are a fucking weapon!

Well, all's well that ends well, I suppose. And by 'well' I mean them all crying and/or unconscious on the bathroom floor, hopefully with some serious broken bones and a concussion, that matched mine. Well, thanks to my wolf I didn't have to worry about that too much now, but these new bruises were gonna take forever to heal, now that I'd drained my wolf completely.

I rarely did that I and I always felt bad after. I didn't sense her much, so I restrained myself from using any of her already depleted strength. She did let me through and I sometimes could feel some small amount of pride emit from her, every time I used her strength to stand up against Fraya, Trevor, or just an asshole who I deemed worthy of a serious beat down. Like today. Today definitely made it to the top three of bad schooldays.

The water turned warmer and washed my sweaty, puck-y, and urin-y body clean. Or---cleaner! I used the dispenser soap available to wash my hair and body, and I did not mind smelling like honey and coconut! Anything was better than before. But of course, since I belonged to a werewolf society, they were definitely gonna give me some strange looks today and cringe their noses. One of the many pros, living with werewolves.

Yeah.!

(enthusiasm not included in the cheer!)

I was definitely gonna have to make some 'pee jokes' today then.

"I got peed on, imagine that! Haha!"

"This is why they shouldn't put urinals in the lady's room! Haha-haha."

I had to practice my laugh and smile, so they wouldn't know how utterly humiliated and absolutely worthless I felt.

When I was finally clean, I sighed in relief. But it came out as a hard sob. What---?! I felt my cheeks. I hadn't even realized I was crying. I'd just been ignoring the pain, the humiliation, and anger, I didn't even notice I was crying. I tried to push them back, but they didn't want to. They kept pressing, strong and harder. And the more I kept pressing, the worse the pain got. In my throat, my gut, my heart. everything ached! I felt so low and miserable.

So weak.

I stopped fighting it. I crumbled and cried. Just cried until I was done. Until I couldn't feel a thing. I could do, 'feeling nothing'. I was an expert in that. I felt exhausted from all the crying, but I didn't feel anything else. So, I could fake whatever feeling I wanted. Easy peasy. once you have 6 years of experience.

I got up and whet to the lockers. Luckily, I always kept an extra set of clothes at school. Like I'd said, I wasn't exactly the most popular girl and even at school my pack members kept away because they were afraid of Fraya and Trevor. Well, all except Amanda, but I'm not counting that backstabbing bitch right now. Any-hore, I was more often than not the fool to play a prank on and so my clothes were wet, dirty, smelly, or gone most of the time. In the end, it was just more efficient to have a spare lying around.

It wasn't anything fancy: just leggings, a tank top, and one of Dean's old hoodies, that was about three times bigger than me. And undergarments: panties and a sports bra I'd gotten from Amanda on my 16th birthday. She always bought me those things and I loved her for it. Like seriously! I didn't get any money to buy myself stuff like that and it's not like Uncle Harry cared! Hell, he probably preferred me 'all natural'.

I took my dirty clothes and stuffed them in my bag. When I was done, I noticed that people were coming in and getting ready for PE. Everybody giving me strange looks, nervous whispers (that I did not bother trying to listen to), and speed texting, you'd think their thumbs were related to The Flash.

I sighed. This was heading one way fast.

And to my not very big surprise, I barely reached my locker, before.

"Lesley Williams!"

I gazed up and noticed one of the teachers storming toward me. Eyes wild and nostrils flaring.

"The Principal's office! NOW!"

I didn't argue. I closed the door and made my very familiar way to the principal's office.

"So," the tall human Principal said, sitting on the edge of his desk right in front of me. His name was Mr. Gregory Flinze and usually, he was a kind and fair, although strict man, who wasn't afraid to take on hormonal rage and drama. But right now, he probably wasn't the most pleasant man to be around. Or was it just because I was his latest victim? His arms were crossed, and his tiny glasses pressed all the way at the end of his nose. Give him a tall hat and a long beard and he'd be an angry Dumbledore! "Anything you want to say for yourself?"

I sighed. I honestly wanted to tell the truth. What they had done, just to see their shocked faces if I actually for once did tell the truth. But seriously, do you know how much trouble I would get into if I told the truth? As in getting my ass handed over to Homeland Security trouble!

But then again, I thought, as a brilliant idea struck me. This didn't have to be a bad thing.

"They started it," I defended myself with a smile, crossing my arms in front of me while sinking so deep into the chair as possible and stretching my legs out in front of me. "I just ended it."

I knew this irritated the shit out of him, but I kinda liked having the power over the Principal. I knew exactly what to say, to send him into a raging fit or blink and say sorry, turning him into pudding in my hands. Right now, I wanted him mad. I wanted to be sent home, so I could avoid Trevor. I didn't care about the cost.

"You beat the crape out of four freshmen boys," the Principal pointed out and held up a bunch of pictures that had been taken for insurance purposes. "It doesn't matter who started it."

Like a disappointed father, he slammed the papers down on his desk, probably hoping to make me flinch so I'd finally break down and tell the truth. But I'll never let my feelings show. So, all I did, was follow his moves, with a smirk on my face. As if I found this as funny as I kept telling myself that it was.

"Now, I'm only gonna ask this once and you better not lie to me," he continued, sitting down in his seat, trying to stare me down. Oh, a staring contest, I tried to humor myself, so I wouldn't have to look at the pictures in front of me or even the fact, that the man in front of me actually cared about me. He gave a damn about my well-being and believed I wasn't the monster I made myself out to be. And I was digging a sword into his chest.

"But have you had any sort of training? Like martial arts training?"

"No," I answered, not counting Dean's self-defense classes for 'martial art' or the fact that even as an omega, I was still stronger than your average human.

"Have you done drugs?"

"No."

"Don't you dear lie to me!"

"I never lie."

"Lesley," he warned me, hoping that a deeper and more threatening voice would work. "You always lie!"

"No. I. don't!" I barked back. What?! I didn't lie! "I just have a slightly more optimistic view of the truth."

I was shown out with a note in my hand. I looked at it once again, just to confirm that it was true, before sprinting down the halls.

"YES!"

I jumped down the stairs and hoped to be running home. The alpha command would last a week, and I just got myself suspended for a week! Which meant, that half the day, I could do whatever I wanted – which basically meant catching up on homework – and for the other half, I just needed to avoid Trevor until nightfall. And considering I knew his schedule; I knew exactly where not to be!

I was so caught up in my own celebration, that I didn't notice the car until it was too late. I was still airborne when my heart hit the deck. Fuck! This was gonna hurt.!

The car came to a screeching halt; brakes whining like a choirboy before finally coming to a full stop. I didn't watch my landing, so I fell flat on my face, only centimeters away from the blue hood. I literally could smell the gas and motor oil that got burned through, in order to stop.

I sighed in relief. Shit, that was close! And just as relief washed over me, it quickly was replaced with another feeling: anger! What. The. Fuck?! What was this car even doing here?! This was the path to our pack.

Outsiders were not allowed!

"Hey!" I yelled at the car stumbling back to my feet, making my hoody fall away from my face and revealing my long, curly blonds. I turned to the car, with fire in my eyes. "Watch it, asshole!"

I kicked the bumper. Childish, I know, but I was hoping it would make him turn around once he saw the dent I made. Guys and their toys, right?

For a split second, I made eye contact with the driver. Jerk! He was wearing sunglasses, but I knew he was looking back at me. Somehow, I could feel it. I don't know what it was – fear or rage – but even my wolf suddenly stirred uneasily in the back of my head. Ok, this is probably not the best time to just stand around.

Before the driver could react, I ran off and disappeared into the woods.

Cedrick's POV

"Who is that?" I asked, still too shocked to believe what had just happened. That girl! She was---

"That?" Anja giggled and looked at my shocked expression, not suspecting a thing. She was a beautiful young woman, in her mid-20s; chestnut brown hair, dark eyes, and long, beautiful legs, seductively sticking out from under her pencil skirt. She was a Healer and originally belonged to this pack, but was training with our pack Healer since her father and he were old friends. And for the past 4 years, she'd been my girlfriend.

"That's Lesley Fuck's-A-Lot," she continued, as the girl disappeared into the woods. "She's kinda our pack's slut, but she's a sweet girl."

My heart cringed and my wolf growled. I clenched my hands around the steering wheel and tried to calm him down. Thanks to the sunglasses, I'd seen her eyes, but she hadn't seen mine, so she didn't know, we were mates. My wolf wanted to go after her, but I found myself conflicted. The pack's slut? Lesley Fuck's-A-Lot?! What the---?! Why would I want a mate like that, when I had a perfect, beautiful, and kind girlfriend sitting right next to me?

I'd barely finished the thought when my wolf went completely nuts and dangerously close to taking control of our body!

"Why the sudden interest?" Anja asked, finally realizing my sudden change of state.

"That's our mate!"

I don't know if it was me or my wolf who said it. It's not like I wanted to keep secrets from her, but. A mate?! Again.? I felt so confused and. strangely happy! I had a mate! I had gotten a Second Chance Mate! Only one in a million got those! And thoughts like that calmed my wolf down. He was getting a second chance.

But I also felt guilty about that! In my time alone, I'd gotten used to the idea of having – not a mate – but a girlfriend. I loved her, as much as I could, and she loved me back. But a mate.

My wolf was whining, wanting to follow his mate. He never wanted Anja's affections, but tolerated her, as she satisfied my needs and his. But every time I talked about making it permanent with Anja, he would scowl and frown and become like a 3-year-old toddler blowing a tantrum! He didn't want another. He wanted a mate.

And what about when she finds her own mate? He'd often asked me, clawing at the back of my mind, trying to take over and knock any such idiotic ideas out of our heads. What then?

I'd never answered that question. I guess I always thought I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. And now it looked like I was going to cross it. But not in the way I'd imagine it.

"What?"

Anja asked, confusion and surprise written all over her face. I knew she heard me, but as if I couldn't believe it myself, I repeated the sentence:

"She's my mate!"

I leaned back and again watched the spot, where she'd disappeared to. Fucking mate-bond! I literally felt more connected to a stranger I'd just sat eyes on – a stranger who through I was an asshole I might add – than I did to the woman sitting next to me. A woman who'd given me four years of her life and to whom I'd whispered many sweet nothings during passionate and heated sex. And because of some stranger, I felt like I'd been wasting my time, lying, and being unfaithful.

Great!

I tried to look at Anja again, but her expression didn't make sense to me. She was trying to figure this out, just like I was I guess, but I didn't have a single clue to, what was going on inside her head right now. Even after 4 years, I still didn't understand her. But then again, I never understood women.

"I'm sorry."

It was the only thing I could say. I felt like I owed her an apology. I did! I felt like shit for everything, but at the same time, my wolf was on cloud nine, still gnawing at the mental barrier between us, trying to take control, so he could follow his mate. Our mate. He was ready to move on, but I wasn't. I knew it was wrong to just drop and forget Anja. I couldn't do that to her. She deserved better.

"But-but.," she stuttered, but I don't think she knows what to say. "Where does that leave us then?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, although my wolf would disagree. "I-I never expected--- this, but."

I tried to give some sort of explanation, but nothing came to mind or even made sense. My wolf was whining about his mate getting away, so it was hard to think. And his emotions were wreaking havoc on my own, so I didn't even know, what I felt.!

"You could just avoid her," Anja carefully suggested, glancing my way. "If she doesn't know, the bond won't grow."

"Don't suggest that," I growled--- or rather, my wolf growled. He became so furious I didn't have the mental strength to hold him down. And it took the rest of it, only to push him back.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, while Anja seemed to be ready to jump out of the car, in case her life suddenly became endangered. Wise choice! I was an alpha and I didn't have a mate that had that usual calming effect on the male wolf. If I lost control, there was no telling what I might do or who I might hurt. Normally I killed and shredded my enemies, but everybody in my pack knew it was best never to anger me.

"My wolf becomes quite agitated if you suggest that he's not getting his mate," I managed to press between my clenched teeth but avoided looking at her, in case he was gonna fight for control again.

"His second mate," she spat. I snapped at her, but my heart cringed, and my anger quickly subsided, when I saw the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Are you really willing to go through that again?"

That!

I tried taking another deep breath, but only partly succeeded in NOT thinking about that. The time when my life was nothing but darkness and chaos. Where I never lived, only existed.

"I'm sorry," I said again, not knowing if I meant it this time or not. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to figure out something. "I'll drive you to your pack. We'll talk when you get back home, ok?"

"You're gonna chose her," she snapped angrily mostly just confirming the statement rather than asking a question. Tears were running down her face. "Her over me?"

"She's my mate," I answered also feeling frustrated and angry. "I'm not choosing this. It just--- happened!"

"Asshole," she sneered and got out of the car. Wise choice! I sat back and watched her in the review mirror, while she grabbed her bag. She looked hurt. Tears ran down her face while anger and frustration were radiating off her body. She slammed the door as hard as she could and I'm pretty sure she was trying to break the handle.

Then she suddenly opened my door, towering over me and blocking the sun, casting a dark shadow over me. They say that there's nothing more terrifying than a woman scorned. Then imagine how terrifying that woman would be if she was part wolf!

"Oh, and plot twist," she sneered, poison and hatred dripping from every word. "She's an omega too!"

The door slammed back in my face. The window shattered and the splinters rained over me like pearls of rain. But I honestly didn't care! I barely noticed the cut forming on my face.

An omega!

Just like Sandra.

"Fuck!"

I sighed and leaned over the steering wheel. My mate – my first mate – had also been an omega. And she rejected me. She rejected me because I was born an alpha.

Can anyone say déjà vu?!

Want my advice? My wolf growled finally sitting still, but angry as hellfire!

No! I muttered, knowing he wasn't going to listen to me.

We mark and mate her now! GO!

We are not on the same page here, I sighed still not ready to give in to the mate-pull. Not only would I lose an amazing girlfriend, but I'd been gaining another omega. Omegas were weak! They couldn't handle the pressure of being a Luna or carry the responsibility that followed being the Alpha Female. That I learned the hard way. And yet fate decided to pair me together with yet another one?! Seriously, what kind of twisted joke was this?! Just as I was getting my 'happily ever after' with Anja.

You chose to fall in love with the bitch, not me! My wolf howled this time, getting more and more pissed, that I wasn't getting off my ass. Now go get our MATE!

Not until I've settled things with Anja! I yell back and finally got my wolf to back down. It's the right thing to do. Besides she's an omega! What's the worst that could happen to her?!

I never expected to learn later on the sick and twisted irony in that statement.