Chapter 4

Today I left the company early. I had too much on my mind to focus on anything. My mind was all over the place, and I couldn't get myself to concentrate on one thing at a time.

I was currently in an ice cream shop, eating a big bowl of vanilla. It was my guilty pleasure and usually has a way of making me feel better, making me feel grounded and relaxed.

My mind was still on what Claire told me about Krystal, and also about my upcoming prenuptials. I was worried that Krystal wasn't doing as well as I had thought, or that Miranda wasn't treating her as before. I was also worried about how people would react to me mating with Sebastian—how Claire, Krystal, and even Darren's parents would react.

I haven't talked to Darren's parents since I left a year ago, and I haven't seen them since I came back. I would always love them because they loved me as their own, but having them in my life after what their son did to me would be too painful.

“Lauren? Is that you?” A pause, then, “Oh my god, it is you!” then an excited squeal.

I turn in the direction of the voice, only to find two of Darren's pack members staring at me in shock. Megan and Lily had been my friends; at least that's what I had thought until the saga with Darren and Miranda.

They had shunned me together with their mates, their mates being among those who had supported Darren in leaving me. Megan and Lily had cut all contact with me, refusing to pick up my calls and even turning me away when I went to their houses.

Once, during a charity event, I had seen them with Miranda, talking and hugging each other as if they were all best friends. They had ignored me throughout the event, not even sparing me a look.

"What do you want?” I groan.

"We wanted to say hi, but we weren't sure if it was you. You look so much different,” Lily said in excitement.

They go to hug me, but I stop them, putting my hands in front of me as a barrier.

"What the hell are you doing?” I ask.

"Hugging you. We've missed you so much,” Megan says, as if it were so obvious, as if they had forgotten what they did to me.

I laugh at that, but it comes out sarcastically.

"You've got to be shitting me right now. Do you have selective amnesia or something?” I ask them, but they don't answer.

I was getting angry. In fact, I was beyond angry; I was livid. I felt the darkness within me start to rise up. I wanted to tear into them; I wanted them to scream in pain. I force its ugly head down, refusing to give in to the bloodlust.

“I know we haven't been the greatest of friends, and we are sorry,” Lily says carefully, as if she were talking to a wounded animal.

“You're right, you haven't been the greatest of friends,” I breathe. “In fact, you've been the worst kind.”

I look at them in disgust before standing up to leave.

Megan stops me by grasping my hand. "Please, just listen to us, Ren. Please,” she begs pathetically.

“Like you listened to me, right? Were you listening to me when I called you countless times, but you never answered? Or when you shut your doors in my face when I came to see you? Let's not forget how you threw me aside in favor of Darren's side piece. Were you my friends then?”

They don’t answer me. They actually had the gall to look guilty, to look remorseful.

“I thought so,” I murmur before taking my belongings and leaving them staring and calling after me. Both of them and Darren expected too much of me. They expected me to be the same woman I was before, as if they hadn't broken me, as if they hadn't shunned me and betrayed my trust.

Nobody stays the same, especially when pain and heartbreaks are involved. Those two things change you, sometimes for the good and other times for the worse.

Once I'm outside, I quickly get inside my car and drive off. Megan and Lily have already ruined the peaceful energy I had started feeling, and I despised them even more for that.

I decide to drive home, since there wasn't anywhere else I could go. Lately, I feel like my life revolves around work, the hospital, and home. There's no excitement like before—no Krystal to take care of, no lunch dates with friends, no nothing. I didn’t have Krystal, and my only remaining friend was Claire.

When I start getting close to home, Blue starts being restless, prancing around my mind in agitation and nervousness.

"What is it, Blue?” I didn't like how agitated she was, 'cause it was making me really anxious.

“I don't know... I just sense trouble.”

The tremble in her voice makes me want to turn back around. I stop myself, though, assuring both of us that everything was fine.

Everything wasn't fucking fine.

The moment I drive into my driveway, I see why Blue was so anxious. Standing on the steps to my cottage were three scary-looking men I have never seen before.

They were buffed up, and they looked really mean. They looked like the type of men to scare little children just for fits and giggles.

I got out of the car, and their scents hit me. Fuck. They were werewolves. Their eyes, which had been fixed on me since they heard my car, remain on me as I approached them.

“May I help you?” I ask them once I'm a foot away from them.

They look at each other before nodding. “Are you the one renting this cottage?” the guy with a goatee asks. His voice scratched my insides, sending a strange fear down my back.

"Yes, is there a problem?” I manage to say.

"Oh, there's a big fucking problem. You're trespassing on our pack lands,” the guy with a snake tattoo on his face answers.

“I'm sorry. I didn't know it was on pack territory. I'll leave immediately.” I go to bypass them, but they block me.

These three screamed danger. I couldn't stop myself from shaking. They didn't seem like the reasonable type.

“I'm afraid it ain't going to be that easy. You trespassed on our land, and we're going to teach you a lesson. We have certain punishments for bitches like you,” the third guy says menacingly.

My voice breaks. “I swear I didn’t know.”

They don't listen to me. Instead, they advance as I take hurried steps backwards. I swallow hard, my flight-or-fight response kicking in.

"We don't fucking believe you. Did someone send you here to spy? Thinking that just because you have a pretty face and long fucking legs, we would let you be?” tattoo guy asks.

“Nobody sent...” goatee guy interrupts me before I finish. "How much are they paying you?"

I was pretty scared by now. They didn’t want to listen to my explanation; they didn't want to believe me. Something in their eyes told me that this was more than just about the territory—they were intent on harming me.

“If you could only listen to me... Nobody sent me to spy on you.”

"Shut your fucking mouth, you cunt. As if we'll believe your filthy lies. We're going to have some fun with you before we send you back to your pack in a body bag,” the shorter guy says.

I knew what they meant, and I couldn't allow myself to get raped and then killed by these monsters. With my heart in my mouth, I turn around, about to run, but one of the guys grasps my hand. His grip is so tight I think he might just break it.

"You're not going anywhere, bitch. We're not yet done with you,” he says, his eyes flashing in excitement.

The fear inside me takes control. The darkness that I've been pushing down takes my moment of vulnerability to come out.

“Let go of me, you fucking bastard!” I yell, then claw his face.

He roars in pain and then punches me. This is the second time I've been hit by a man, and it fucking hurts. I fall to the ground, my head swimming.

Before I even recover, a kick lands on my stomach, making me scream. “Scream all you want. Nobody is coming to save you,” I hear, which is then followed by malicious laughter.

Another kick lands on my lower back and the next on the back of my head. The pain is excruciating and unbearable.

I start losing consciousness, and just as I think they're going to finish me, I hear a terrifying roar—one that literally shakes the ground I was sprawled on.

I don't need to be told who it is. His aura is enough to announce his presence.

Sebastian was here.