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3 - The Creekwood Pack

The next day, Clare packed her things and checked out of the hotel room, heading for a cheap motel she had found online. She booked a room for a few nights before heading to the pack house.

The Creekwood Pack House was a small apartment building where pack members gathered. Alpha Robert and his family lived on the top floor with some of the other wolves living in the other apartments of the building. There was also a common area for everyone to gather.

The pack house was meant for werewolves who needed a place to stay or wanted to be close to the pack. Otherwise, most pack members lived in their own homes across the Creekwood Territory.

They would gather at the pack house for any group gatherings or when they needed to meet with the Alpha. Which was exactly what Clare needed to do.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Clare pulled open the glass door of the pack house. She entered the small lobby only to hear a growl.

“What are you doing here, Maledictus?” A female werewolf spat out from her desk in the corner.

Clare looked over at the Pack Guard, hating the name she had been called. Maledictus. Cursed One. It wasn’t like the she-wolf was wrong. Those without wolves were said to be cursed.

Still, Clare didn’t want to give the other werewolf the glee of knowing she had been affected by her words.

“Nice to see you too, Sarah.” Clare muttered as she headed for the stairs, acting as if she hadn’t just been insulted.

Sarah, however, moved quickly to block her path. “And where do you think you’re going?”

“The common area, where else.” Clar rolled her eyes. “Now move aside. You have no right to stop me.”

While Sarah could easily kill her, Clare didn’t want to appear weak. It would only make the bullying worse in her experience. Werewolves hated weakness more than anything else.

“You should have left after your father died. Probably better if you had died to save your father from the disgrace of having you as a child.” Sarah growled, moving aside. “The pack is better off without a stain like you.”

Clare bit her lip until it bled to stop herself from crying as she hurried up the stairs. She hated herself for letting Sarah’s words get to her.

Her words weren’t untrue though.

Because of her, Clare’s father had suffered much in the pack while he was alive, even losing his rank as Beta. Still, he stayed in the pack, protecting Clare from much of the hatred, not wanting her to suffer more by being a lone wolf.

There were times where Clare wondered if her father ever hated her for being alive. She had brought so much suffering into his life after all.

When he died, Clare wanted to leave the pack but the only thing stopping her was that she would be giving up everything her father had fought for.

It was the only reason she stayed despite the bullying getting worse after his death.

Clare soon got to the common area, some werewolves lounging by the sitting room. Others sat in the dining room with a few pups running around.

A typical Saturday morning at the pack house.

Walking to the Alpha’s office at the end of the giant room, Clare heard a few growls and murmurs. She quickly hurried away not wanting to hear what they say but also not wanting for one of them to her.

Once she got to the Alpha’s office door, she swiftly knocked on it, waiting for Alpha Robert to call her in. Normally she would have mind-linked the Alpha but she couldn’t.

Only others could mind-link her. Not that anyone would do that.

Mind-linking meant you were close with another wolf except for the alpha who was mind-linked to everyone in the pack.

When Clare didn’t get a response, she sighed and waited in the empty hallway. Hopefully no one would bother her until Alpha Robert arrived.

Suddenly, a pair of large arms wrapped around her waist and a head buried itself in between her shoulder and neck. Clare’s body tensed up, instantly remembering something important.

There was one werewolf that was obsessed with making her his slave.

“I heard you and Matthew broke up.” A male voice murmured into her hair. “You should have listened and become my slave instead of wasting your time.”

Clare turned her head and glared at the male werewolf. “I’ll never become your slave!”

“Feisty as ever.” The male werewolf chuckled, straightening up and letting go of Clare. “But you should know that what I’m offering is not bad. A werewolf like you will never find her mate.”

“Stop lying Jace. Mates are determined by the Goddess not your species.” Clare growled, moving away from the big male.

Jace’s blue eyes gleamed cruelly at Clare as he grabbed Clare’s chin and lifted it so they were gazing into each other’s eyes. Clare tried to pull away but Jace tightened his grip.

“And yet the Goddess made your ex-boyfriend and best friend mates. You have no wolf, cannot mind-link and yet you think you can get a mate bond. You’re delusional.” Jace growled, letting go of her chin.

As he said those words, Clare felt her stomach drop and blood drain from her face. Matthew and Natalie were mates?!

Before she could ask any more questions, a voice suddenly called out, “What’s going on here?!”

Clare turned to see Alpha Robert standing in the hallway staring angrily at the two. The middle aged man stalked towards them, power radiating off him, making Clare tremble.

“Nothing father.” Jace sighed. “Was just letting Clare here know that Matthew and Natalie were mates.”

“Tsk!” Alpha Robert clicked his tongue. “Did you really think a Beta’s son would stay that long with you. You were just a plaything until he found his mate.”

Clare gulped, trying to keep her tears at bay. She wanted nothing more than to run away but not yet. She still had one thing left to do before she disappeared.

“I wish to leave the Creekwood Pack.”

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