"Why are you still here? Didn't you already lose the ability to shift? You are wolfless and worthless." Sapphire's world changed in a snap. The woman who used to be regarded as the best is just a woman who lost her wolf because she was rejected. Sapphire lived her last five years hating the people that claimed to be her pack but also couldn't look at her without disgust in their eyes. And just when she thought that it was the last time she would be rejected, she met Crawford Lyall, the alpha of their allied pack. Sapphire discovers something behind his intimidating and cold look. Something more dangerous was afoot, and Sapphire couldn't let it happen. She regained her wolf in the most painful way possible. The man broke her heart, more than she could handle. The mate bond was a gift, but she sees it as a curse. Having a second rejection was already atrocious, but what would happen if she realized that she was mated to another man who wasn't even in the same kind as her? She meets Marius Damian, a pureblood vampire who seeks revenge on the very man that ruined her life. And how would she be able to handle it once she realized that her bond to Crawford didn't fade and now she was mated to an alpha and a pureblood vampire?
The serenity of the place was quickly ruined by the group Sapphire least wanted to see. She braced herself for their insults and faced them with a stern face. The woman isn't afraid of them, but she has already lost her will to even fight against them.
"Why are you still here? Didn't you already lose the ability to shift? You are wolfless and worthless." Pristine spoke while wearing her best, triumphant smile. Sapphire has the urge to claw the woman's eyes out, but she doesn't even have the ability to do that anymore. Their strength and supernatural abilities came from their wolf, and now that her wolf had totally shut her down, she was powerless, almost like a human.
Sapphires heard laughter from the other girls with her. She starts to think how funny it was that the group seemed to be forming their own little pack. They were always together and acted loyal to each other when they probably badmouthed each other when one wasn't looking.
"If I am so worthless, then it's a waste of time talking to me, don't you think?" She also gave her best fake smile and headed back inside the pack house. Sapphire was supposed to stay outside to catch some fresh air, but the thought of breathing the same air as Pristine and her minions disgusts her.
Leaving quietly was her plan, but Pristine isn't taking any of it. She used her speed and pushed the woman, causing Sapphire to land on the ground.
"Stop being cocky. You might be the strongest among us she-wolves, but that's all in the past now. I could snap your neck if I wanted to. " Sapphire glared and couldn't take it anymore. She attacked and was fast enough to take Pristine by surprise, but was not fast enough to dodge Pristine's counter attack.
She ended up on the ground for the second time. Sapphire wanted this to happen somehow. She wanted her wolf to get triggered and to let her fight back like they always do, but nothing came. The connection she had to her wolf was totally shunned after she found her mate and got rejected by him.
Pristine leaned in and forced the woman to face her, "A rejected wolf like you doesn't have any place in our pack." She grinned menacingly, simply wanting to rub in Sapphire's face that she was in this situation because Brennan rejected her for Pristine.
"What are you doing?" The question came from Raven, Sapphire's older brother. He rushed towards them and almost pushed the daughter of the alpha away from his little sister.
He growled, "Do you think the alpha would consent to such behavior just because you're his daughter?" Sapphire could feel his anger with his hands already formed into fists. He was close to shifting and pouncing at the women, humiliating his little sister.
Sapphire honestly didn't expect this behavior from her brother. They would always bicker non-stop, in which they ended up brawling more than what Sapphire could remember and count. She appreciated his help, but it was hurting her pride at the same time.
She used to be the strongest. Sapphire could fight for herself like the she-wolf she is, but things changed in a snap just because her wolf couldn't handle their rejection from a man she never thought was her mate.
With folded arms, the woman bravely answered, "We were just playing around. Aren't you the one overreacting? " Her eyes turned to Sapphire. There was nothing but contentment in her eyes.
"I would love to hear the alpha's thoughts about you playing around like this." Raven challenged her in a heartbeat. He knew their alpha. He was always just in his decisions and thought about the pack first.
Pristine rolled her eyes but was obviously defeated.
"You should be thankful that my father didn't throw you out when you were wolfless. You don't belong here, not anymore. " She spat another insult before leaving with her minions.
Sapphire punched the ground in annoyance. Small bruises and wounds were never her worry before, as werewolves have great regenerative abilities, but even that was taken away from her. Pristine was right; she's just a human now.
"Are you okay?" Raven asked, but quickly regretted that he asked. Who would be okay after all that happened to her?
He offered his hand to help her stand, but Sapphire stood on her own. "I'm just wolfless, not invalid."
They would have been bickering in this kind of situation, but Raven chose to tone down and understand what his sister was going through.
"Tonight is the full moon. I strongly believe that your wolf wouldn't be able to resist the pull of the moon. It'll come back to you, and you'll have no problem shutting the mouth of that pretentious bitch on your own." His words made her laugh bitterly. Sapphire wouldn't feel this helpless if she could feel any hope that her wolf would come back at the full moon.
Werewolves couldn't resist the full moon. Everyone's attitudes and emotions are heightened as early as two to three days before the full moon. It affects their mood to a great extent and also their power.
But Sapphire couldn't feel anything. She couldn't count the times she tried communicating with her wolf, but it totally caved in away from her consciousness.
Sapphire didn't answer and headed back inside and went straight to the shared room. She sighed after seeing her state in the mirror. Her shoulder length hair was a mess and her face was covered in dust because of being pushed to the ground relentlessly. She hated to admit it, but she felt hopeless and weak right now.
Werewolf packs used to live together just like their ancestors, but humans have been evolving fast. Human technology is advancing, and they have been really nosy about a lot of things. They eventually learn to adapt. They scattered all over the city, but still gathered when it was time for the full moon. They had the forest to themselves as it was the pack's property and was heavily guarded on other days. This is their only way to adapt to the human-dominated world.
They might be superior to humans in terms of strength and physical capabilities, but their kind are advocates of peace. It was the total opposite of what humans painted them in fictional media. They have good control of their wolf selves and wouldn't hurt anyone unprovoked.
"I hate this," she muttered in pure dismay. She always remembered the tales her mother used to tell her and Raven when they were young. Her mom always said that their kind were the most favored by the mighty goddess of the moon and that they were closest to her. Because of that, the goddess bestowed a gift on their kind; the ability to sense their mates.
Sapphire could remember how excited she was whenever their mother would tell them the story. The concept of having another werewolf that is half of your soul feels magical from a child's perspective, but only that the elders often forget to mention the curse it holds.
She flinched after feeling a sharp pain on her lips. She was biting into it hard enough for it to bleed.
"I hate this!" she exclaimed again and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes.