Chapter 12

Twelve

JADE

S crambling up, I closed my legs and pulled my dress over my exposed breasts.

"Dude, we're playing truth or dare," growled Dravin.

"You ruined the fun," sighed Nick, a visible erection in his pants.

They all sat around the couch like we had before we started playing the game. My heart was still beating fast, and I was still aroused.

"Looks like someone's back," muttered Caleb, looking at Bruce as he plopped onto the big chair.

Bruce walked over to me and stood next to me protectively. His shirt and pants were wet from the rain outside. His face looked livid.

"Are you alphas toying with her?" he asked darkly. Then he turned to me. "Did you want to be part of our pack?"

"I mean," I stuttered. "I…I wouldn't mind."

"Do you, Caleb, want Jade to join our pack? She's not some common omega to play with," said Bruce, turning on his heel to face Caleb.

I also looked at Caleb to see what he would say. Butterflies swirled around my belly, and I wanted to throw up. I wasn't sure what I wanted him to say.

Caleb didn't say anything as he stared down at Bruce. His jaw was tensing, and I knew that was a no.

Biting my lip, I slowly got up and calmly pulled my dress over my head. I felt like a fool getting naked so many times with them. They weren't remotely attracted to a chubby omega like myself. They were probably looking for a supermodel omega, considering how good-looking these alphas are.

When was I ever going to learn?

"I just wanted to thank you guys for letting me stay," I said after I had the dress on messily.

I had to say something to break the awkward silence.

They were all looking at me with pity in their eyes, and I just wanted to run. I wanted to fucking run out of here and never come back. My throat was tight, and I willed myself to hold back the tears. I couldn't cry a second time today over rejection. For some reason, this one hurt more. I spent time with these alphas, and it was near impossible not to get attached.

Before I could take a step, Caleb stalked over to me and pulled me onto his lap on the couch. His heavy breathing in my ear made me stay still. His feral side was coming out, and I had no idea why it was provoked.

He was the one rejecting me .

"The reason why I can't have you," he said as he cupped my pussy over my dress. "I would protect every inch of you. You would be completely mine. I messed up before not protecting my past wife, and I won't make that mistake again."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, squirming on his lap. His body felt warm and hard underneath me, taunting me with what was near but so far.

"If you were my omega," he said, grasping my breasts. "I would bathe you, feed you, carry you everywhere. And no omega wants that."

I gulped. This was a lot.

Something was clearly wrong with him to feel that overprotective.

"Maybe you're right," I said, pulling away from him, and he released me. "I like my freedom, and I think I'll keep it that way."

His eyes darkened.

"Just like I thought. You're not my type Jade."

"That's fine. I'll take a taxi," I said. "Thank you all again. Bye Nick, Bruce, and Dravin."

I didn't even wait for their reply before I rushed out the door with my phone in my hand. I needed out of there. It was still raining, and my ankles instantly got wet. I didn't care right now. I had to get to my cozy apartment and away from these fucking alphas.

It was pitch dark outside.

I was walking fast in the general direction of the road. I needed to use the flashlight from my phone. As I fumbled with my phone, I suddenly dropped my phone into the water.

"Damn it," I muttered, bending down to feel for it on the ground. I couldn't see a damn thing in the night. Then, suddenly, I heard a harsh whisper in my ear.

" You're mine, bitch. "

My heart jumped in my throat. Freezing midway, I heard the voice veer off into a loud cackle.

"Who's that? Is that you Caleb?" I said loudly, my heart racing. Chills went down my spine. There had to be someone out here. The top of my right arm felt like it was burning, and I screamed.

There was something out here attacking me. Ditching my phone, I started running back toward the house but crashed into someone.

"Jade! Are you okay?" asked Caleb, shining a bright flashlight into my face. His face was twisted in concern, wondering why I was screaming like a mad woman.

"Something just attacked me," I shouted, breathless and grabbing my arm. The burning was still there, but it had died down a little bit. "My arm."

He shined the flashlight onto my shaky arm, and I was horrified to see four long scratches on it. Like wolf claw marks.

His face suddenly turned white as he shined the flashlight everywhere. To my shock, nothing was there.

"I need to get you out of here," he rasped. He knew what it was.

"Wait, my phone fell in the water," I said.

He helped me locate my phone with his flashlight, and then he grabbed my hand - quickly leading me toward his truck. There was something out here that he wasn't telling me about.

"Get in," he said, opening the passenger door for me, and I quickly hopped inside. I couldn't stop staring at my arm. It was unbelievable. Could it have been an alpha in his shifted state? But it didn't explain the creepy voice. It couldn't have been an alpha whispering and then shifting in a matter of seconds. That was impossible. At least from what I knew.

Caleb climbed into the truck, revving the engine the minute he shut the door.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Down King's Aisle Street. Maybridge Apartments," I said.

"Got it," he said. The island wasn't that big, and he would know the general area at least.

"Do you know what attacked me?" I asked. He silently zoomed down the road, intent on getting the hell out of there. "Caleb? You clearly know what it is, but you're not telling me. Do you have a pet wolf or something? Tell me!"

"I didn't tell you how our wife died," he said. "She was found with claw marks and mutilated beyond recognition."

My hand flew to my mouth.

"Oh my god," I said. "That's so horrible. I'm sorry."

"It was five years ago," Caleb continued. "We had only been married for six months. We left her just one night to have a alphas' night out so she could relax at home and…well, I paid for it dearly. I made a vow to never, ever do that again. I abandoned our omega at the time that she was the most scared. The time she needed her alphas the most. I will never forgive myself."

No wonder he was overprotective and overbearing. His past had left a scar on him. I was starting to understand his fear now of taking on a new omega. The huge responsibility on his shoulders for his new mate.

I didn't know what to say. I've never had to deal with the death of anyone close to me. But simply imagining his pain made me want to bawl. I looked at the scratches on my arm, bleeding down my dress. He handed me a tissue, and I held it to my wound.

"Mistakes happen in life," I said. "Who or what do you think could have attacked her?"

"I have no idea," he said. "Glenda was such an introvert. She didn't have any friends, really, just family. I can't think of anyone who would want to attack her so violently."

"I can't even imagine," I said, cradling my arm and pressing the tissue against it. This wasn't my imagination. The scratch was clearly there, and there was a voice before it attacked me. I didn't want to tell him about the voice and what it said. It was too bizarre and I would sound insane.

I turned my phone on, hoping it would still work after being submerged in water for so long. After a couple of minutes, it finally lit up, and I was relieved. Pulling up my text messages, I realized I hadn't texted any of my friends back for several hours and had missed calls from Keera. When I got home, I was prepared to tell the girls my sob story and what happened. They were so excited that I was finally going to get matched to a pack, and it still hadn't happened.

I felt like such a failure.

"Now that I've disclosed nearly all my secrets," said Caleb, glancing over at me while driving. "Tell me about your past dating life. It's not often that an omega isn't a virgin."

It was true. Omegas were supposed to save themselves for an alpha pack. We were the only ones capable of producing alpha babies on Howl's Edge. I lost my virginity out of the spur of the moment and because I couldn't resist a particular alpha.

"I didn't date often," I said. "I lost my virginity during a masked party seven years ago when I was twenty-one- masquerading as a beta girl."

"Hmm, a masked party?" he asked inquisitively, looking at me- his eyebrows rising as he looked back at the road.

"Yeah, it was a random Halloween party for crazy college kids," I said. "I don't even remember the guy. But I remember the tattoo of a leaf between his shoulders on his back. We were so drunk, I could barely remember it. It's whatever. I was gone by the time he woke up, but it was one hell of a good knotting."

Caleb's arms suddenly tensed on the steering wheel.

"Are you sure?" he asked, turning to me.

"Sure, what?"

"That the tattoo was a leaf?"

All of a sudden, my hands turned clammy, and my face became hot.

"Yes," I whispered.

"That's me. It was me who you slept with that night."