Chapter 2

Paige's POV

Tears threaten to spill, but I refuse to let them. I'm not spending another second crying over that dickhead. Arriving at class, Valerie and I take seats next to her mate, Thomas. I'm glad that Cory doesn't have any classes with me, and I won't have to see him or Amber until lunchtime.

The hours seem to have flown by when the lunch bell rings. The loud ring causes me to groan. My stomach rumbling tells me I'm not allowed to skip lunch. I slowly make my way to the cafeteria, smelling that chicken wraps are on the menu long before I get to the doors. I go through the line and scan the room for my best friend and her mate, finding them in the very back locked in a make-out session. I roll my eyes. Mates can't help themselves around one another.

Thomas and Valerie only found each other about three months ago. Valerie turned eighteen, and Thomas was the new kid in the pack. They've been inseparable ever since. Even with my heartbreak, I can't help but admit how cute they are together. Valerie is a tanned, athletic blonde, while Thomas is almost as pale as his platinum hair, but somehow, they fit. They fit because the moon goddess made them for one another. With that thought, I cry.

Valerie, pulling her face from Thomas's, takes notice and rushes to my side. Thomas packs up our table and pushes us both outside, away from prying eyes. He has no idea how grateful I am for that gesture. I can't tell him because the lump in my throat is holding back my words. Guess I was wrong when I said I would not cry anymore. Once the tears subside and we've eaten our food, we go back inside and go straight to class.

The rest of the day goes by without much of a fuss. I'm thankful it's Friday, and I'll have the weekend to get over Cory. Peyton rides home with his girlfriend, and I'm grateful to have the drive home to sort my thoughts. A jolt goes through me as I pull into my driveway and spot Cory's car. I guess he wasn't at school today, or he never would've beat me here. The images of him stroking Amber's murky brown hair flash through my mind. My sadness is replaced with anger. I exit my car, slamming the door. I walk through the foyer and march up the stairs to my room. I know Cory is in there waiting because I can smell him. He smells of pine. I push my door open to see a crying Cory. The sight of this tightly muscled man with his head in his hand crying is laughable.

He looks up with confusion. "Something funny?"

"You are," I say while throwing my bag down. "Did you really think you could cheat on me and then come crying to my house for forgiveness?"

"I am sorry. It was a total mistake."

"It was a mistake, probably one you'll regret for a long while. I guess there's nothing we can do about it now, though. You can leave now. We're done. Have fun with that skank."

"Please, Paige. It won't happen again. I swear."

"I know it won't. Because you don't have me to cheat on."

I slam my door, but Cory lingers. Once his scent fades, I collapse into my bed sobbing. That was so hard. I wanted to smack him and kiss him. I wanted to hug him. I can't though. I can't forgive him for this. He made his choice. Three years of what I thought was love down the drain. To think I was praying for that poor excuse of a wolf to be my mate. I stay in my bed until my father comes up to get me for a late evening training session. I follow my father outside, noticing how his brown hair is graying. He smiles at me and gets into the fighting position.

"Aren't you getting a little old to be fighting, Dad?"

"I'm an Alpha. I'll never be too old to fight," he replies while lunging at me.

I easily move out of the way, proving my point.

"Yeah, sure."

He catches himself from a fall and gives me the opportunity to tackle his side. We do this back and forth for two hours until my mom calls us for dinner. My dad has been training me since I was little. He knew I would never take over the pack as Alpha since my brother is two minutes older than I am, but he wanted me to protect myself. He trains me twice a day, once with the pack warrior class and once one on one. My mother would prefer I didn't train. She would prefer that I take an interest in throwing parties and shopping. She wants a Luna for a daughter, something I never hope to be.

"You're getting stronger, Paige."

"All thanks to you, Dad."

My dad and I have always been close, much closer than my mother and me. The only thing she and I have in common is the color of our hair.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I invited the Aurora Flame pack to your birthday celebration next week."

"Ummm, okay? Why?"

Dad has never invited Aurora Flame here for family events before. He only invited them to formal pack events, and even then, they didn't show up often. I barely know the Alpha and his family.

"You and Peyton are turning eighteen. You'll be finding your mates soon, and Peyton will take over as Alpha. It's important for him to build a rapport with Aurora Flame."

I feel as if he's holding something back.

"Is that the only reason? You wouldn't be trying to speed up the mate finding process, right?"

I'm not even sure I could handle finding my mate right now. I'm not sure I ever want to; everyone just leaves in the end.

"Never. The moon goddess can handle that on her own."

Frustration fills my chest because I know he's lying. He's hoping for Peyton to find his mate within the Aurora Flame pack, a way to tie our packs together forever. If we become an ally of Aurora Flame, maybe then the rogue attacks would stop. Though I suspect the rogues only attack because we are in the way of the Aurora Flame border. We exit from the woods and head back to our packhouse.

The Omegas have made spaghetti this evening, and it smells divine. I hurriedly make my plate and scarf it down in record time, not missing the disapproving look my mother shoots at me with green eyes that resemble my own. Even though the Alpha eats separately from the pack on most nights, unless there's an event or meeting, she still wishes I would act more ladylike. Whatever that is supposed to mean for wolves. I'll never be her perfect little princess like she had hoped. I inwardly shrug. I stopped trying to be that princess long ago when I realized no one would ever please my mother, much less me.

I finish my two plates of dinner and head to my room. After the grueling, emotional day I've had, I just want a hot bath and sleep. It's not long before I'm in the hot water, and it's doing wonders for my sore muscles. I guess I didn't realize how tough training was on me.

After the bath, I pull on my tee shirt for pajamas. I pull my covers out and remember my phone that still sits where I threw it yesterday. Picking it up, I see how bad the damage is. I'll definitely need a new one. I toss it in the trash and climb into bed. I lay there staring at the ceiling, and I feel comfort. I just feel peaceful suddenly.