Chapter Six Author: Alicia S. Rivers Last Updated: 2024-09-22 10:57:54

I walked to my room and screamed when I was tackled to the ground. I started laughing as Cassie got off me. “Why the heck didn’t you tell me you were coming?” She punched my shoulder as I stood.

“I didn’t know until this morning.” I hugged her to my side. “I missed you.” “I missed you too.” She pulled back and tossed me a small box. “Happy birthday.” I laughed again. “With everything that has happened, I had pretty much forgotten that it’s my birthday today.” “The big eighteen. Have you shifted yet?” Cassie jumped up and down with excitement. I just shook my head. “I don’t shift. You know that.” My face fell. I heard chuffing inside of my head. “I think you are just blocking it. You have a wolf. We all feel her.” She bumped her hip into mine. “I can feel she wants out.” My wolf chuffed in agreement.

Cassie is smarter than you. My wolf’s voice ricocheted in my mind, and I just smiled. There are things I cannot tell you, even now, but eventually, if we are lucky, you will find out your answers.

I rolled my eyes. Yet another non-answer from Nix, my wolf. She snorted back to me and then receded into the back of my mind. “Nix still not answering you?” “She is, but it’s more of her non-answers.” I grabbed my bag and opened it up. “You will never guess what happened today.” Cassie flopped on my bed. “Tell me everything.”

I opened my mouth to tell her I lived before, and my father’s voice sounded in my mind. Baby girl, I know you might want to tell Cassie what happened with your first life, and I understand the need, but don’t tell anyone yet. You can’t seal their tongue, and our heritage is dangerous. Okay, Dad. I won’t. I love you. Then his voice was gone, and I had to reorganize my thoughts. “Tell me.” Cassie threw a pillow at me, and I shook my head. “I think the alpha’s son is my mate, and so does Shannon. She lost her ever-loving mind and was stealing my clothes so that he would pay attention to her.” I shook my head in disgust. “She was trying to steal your mate?” Cassie’s eyes flashed. “She can have him. I don’t want or need her sloppy seconds. Even if she hadn’t already fucked him, which I am sure she has, I wouldn’t have wanted him. He is mean and vindictive. And just… small.” “Like small, small?” Cassie held her finger and thumb close together and shot her eyes to the apex of my thighs, and I bent over laughing, tears springing to my eyes as she joined in.

“I have no idea.” I wiped my eyes after I calmed down. “Nor do I want to. I just mean, even as an alpha, he gives off small man energy. I don’t even know how to explain it exactly, just that even when he is pushing his alpha aura, I feel nothing, not even a little bit, not even a fraction of what my dad does.” I sat down on my bed. “And you don’t want to be with a mate that is weaker than you?” “No, it’s not that.” I shook my head. I wasn’t explaining it right. “I know that, if given an excuse, he would betray me. His devotion would be weak, just like his aura.” “Ah. Now I understand.” Cassie rolled onto her back and huffed. “That would be the absolute worst thing. I don’t know how your dad is dealing with the pain.” She shot her eyes to me and grimaced. “Did everyone here know the truth?” Cassie shook her head. “No, but once you guys left, and the Alpha never stayed with the she-wolf—with any she-wolf—we figured something was wrong. Then the wolf was born, and we could all smell the girl’s mate on the pup, and we knew they lied. We just don’t know why.” Cassie rolled over. “Do you know?” I nodded. “My dad told me the truth today when I told him I wanted to reject my mate.” “Well, this is just depressing. Let’s go out and do something?” Cassie sat up, and I just shook my head. “C’mon.” “I have training in the morning, and my dad said it was going to be brutal.” “So you can’t go out today? Bull. Get up. We are going shopping, and then I will parade you in front of everyone to make them jealous that my best friend is the Alpha’s daughter.” I perked up. “Has anyone been giving you issues here?” Cassie shook her head, but I could see someone had. “Cass?” She huffed and then nodded a little. “Just a few she-wolves that think their shit doesn’t stink and have a higher rank.” Amanda and her little posse, I could only assume. “Do they give you a lot of trouble?” “Only a little.” She just grabbed my arm and pulled me to the door. “Enough of them. I don’t care. I just missed you, and I want to parade around with my best friend.” “Deal.” I couldn’t say no to her when I knew she was being bullied. Cassie was weaker than me, but then again, everyone was. But she was sweet and had been by my side since birth. Her mom and my mom used to be best friends. “But you need to point out who is bullying you.” “No way. I can handle it.” “I know you can, but you shouldn’t have to.” I could feel Nix coming closer to the surface. My anger was already rising. “You aren’t here enough.” Her whisper had me pulling her to a stop. “I don’t mean to make you feel bad, but you aren’t here enough to start something with them for me because it will only get worse once you leave again.” She looked back at me with sad eyes. “So, can we just drop it?” I nodded my head but swore to myself that I would figure out this situation. “Let’s go have some fun. Parade me all you want. I’m here all summer.” I smiled and pushed the Amanda bullshit to the back of my mind. I would handle her as soon as I could.