Roxie could barely register what just happened. There was another mate. That same smell, the smell that reminded her of earthy tones and spices wrapped up into one yummy package. Unfortunately for her, the smell came when her highschool bullies had decided to gang up on her. Maddie and Taylor specifically had heard the rumors that James had rejected her, and the sideways glances he shot her somehow set them off. They had decided to take turns kicking and beating her into submission. Her white knight came for her then. The smell of him was beyond intoxicating, and he commanded a powerful and dominating pressence. The way he threw those girls was beyond startling, but beyond that. She knew that she had to look out for herself, and what he did wasn't actually helping her case.
You rejected our mate! How could you do that to us?
Vera didn't seem pleased. The last thirty minutes replayed in her head like a picture show and the true realization hit her. Shit. It didn't matter, she probably rejected the dude before he could reject her. Might as well get it over with, she thought to herself. Roxie pushed all the negative thoughts away, and headed towards her next class. Her stomach and her ribs hurt like hell, but it wouldn't take long for her to heal. She already had her wolf, and all that shifter blood was good for healing broken bones and topical wounds. She was no stranger to physical pain.
She wondered about the guy that had came to her rescue. She'd never seen him before, she didn't know who he was, and more than that, that dark angry expression on his face as he confronted her bullies made her somewhat fearful of him deep inside. What if that anger had been directed at her instead? Would he too shove her down, or injure her in some way? It was a lot to think about. It didn't matter, she still had a plan in place. She would be finished with school in just a little over a week now. She would pack what little belongings she had and go rogue, just long enough to get herself in with another pack and be far away from this little shit show.
After school had ended, Roxie veered off from the normal path that everyone else took. She needed to avoid those awful girls at any cost. She took a scenic route home, stepping through the small pathways in the wooded areas until she came up on the backside of her house. Her father would still be at work, luckily. Her father was tolerable during his sober hours but the second he hit the bottle... He became a force of mean drunkeness that she didn't want to be around. She wasn't hit so very often, which she was lucky for but the emotional and threats of assault were neverending.
He did get violent at times, but she supposed that had something to do with her small stature, and the fact that her mom had left because of her. He hadn't forgiven her for that. She understood that coming out wrong was probably her fault, carrying a child isn't easy, and if she had somehow made her mother sick to begin with, then everything happening after was entirely her fault. It was her own burden to bear.
Roxie slipped inside her house through the back door. Her father wouldn't be home from work until a few hours later. She set her stuff down in her room and went back downstairs. She took out the kitchen trash and set a new trashbag in. She drug the tall trashcan into the living room and went to work on collecting all the empty bottles and cleaning up the living room before he got home. She ended up taking out another bag of trash between the living room and the kitchen and worked on vacuming the carpet and mopping the kitchen and bathroom floors on the first floor and by the time her father came walking in from work, she was already mid way through cooking dinner. She decided on making an alfredo bake with garlic knots from scratch. Her father really liked it, and she was in the middle of prepping a side salad when he stumbled into his chair.
"Hey! Rox. Get daddy a beer would you? What's for dinner?" She heard him call from the living room. She set down her knife and walked to the fridge and pulled out a long necked beer bottle she grabbed the bottle opener from the drawer and headed into the living room. "Alfredo bake, garlic bread, and salad." She said absently as she popped the beer and handed it to him. She almost got away with simply heading into the kitchen when he grabbed her wrist. "You're a good kid, too bad you were given a short hand." He said with a sigh. "You ended up with a worthless pop like me. You deserved better, I wish your mama could've understood that."
Roxie sighed and slipped her hand from his and touched her hand to her father's head and ruffled his hair. "It's alright. We're okay, and I don't think you're worthless. You just need to drink less before you kill over." She said. Her old man laughed in response. "I was rejected by my own wife, it hurts to think about. You ever been rejected? It's like having your heart ripped from your chest." He said. Roxie sighed. "Yes. I found my mate, and then he rejected me." She said in response.
"Go get yourself a beer then. You deserve it." Roxie scoffed and shook her head. "No, it's alright. I have to finish dinner, it'll be ready soon." Roxie headed back to the kitchen to finish dinner. When all the food was finished she set the table and prepared two plates of food. She poured herself a glass of sweet tea, and placed a fresh beer for her father at the dinner table. She called out to her father and sat at the table and began eating her food.
"This is good, kid. Anyway I did have something to tell you. The man your mom left us for has finally killed over, Alpha in the next town over. She still hasn't shown her face, but that kid of his is supposed to take over. Good riddance to the fucker, but if your mama shows up here, try to be nice." Roxie dropped her fork when she heard that news and she sucked in a deep breath. She hadn't seen her mother since she was around five years old. Would her mother actually show back up now? It was hard to believe.
Avery's POV This was absolutely insane. He had full intention of rejecting that girl on the spot, but he couldn't understand this feeling in his chest. Something about that look on her face when she looked at him, and those large doe eyes of hers had drew him in for a moment and made him hesitate. She had been attacked, and he suddenly felt the urge, an anger inside him that he didn't recognize. He wanted to protect her.We have to make her take it back! She is ours! His beast was stirring inside of him, going mad with what had happened yesterday. Avery didn't know what to think, he was trying to make himself understand. He didn't want a mate, or at least he didn't... until he saw her. She's so tiny. He had no idea who she was, or even acutely aware of her age. She could have been a freshman, a young teen. Did she have her wolf? She has a wolf! Don't be stupid. I could sense her.. and she sensed me.. I want her we want her! Make her take it back! Aries was actively screaming at him
It took some time, but eventually Roxanna's eyes fluttered open. With her renewed consciousness, came back all the pain from her ribs. Her head hurt the worst, but there was also this searing pain to her left side. That bitch Maddie had stabbed her with something. It was taking her wolf, Vera some time to get her healed up. Her broken ribs would heal in a matter of hours but when something like silver touched her skin, it seared and left a scar and took time to heal from the internal damage. When her eyes focused, she could smell him again. The smell of spice and earth... Her mate. As her eyes focused on him, she was finally able to take all of him in. From his eyes to his broad chest, to his facial features that looked like they were chisled by the Goddess herself. He was handsome. Painfully so, and the fact that she still felt the pull this strongly, it meant that when she rejected him, it didn't take. "Hi." The male said. She didn't even know his name. Had he once again come to he
Roxie's body grew stiff as her mother walked across the room and hugged her. Something was definitely off. If everything her father said was correct, the only reason that her mother would be back was because the man she chose over them was long gone. She was about to say something, when she heard someone clear their throat from behind her. She had almost forgotten about Avery. The pull her wolf had towards him, hadn't faded since her rejection. Perhaps it didn't take. Part of her wanted to reject him and get it over with, but the rest of her wanted to latch onto him. That was still something she needed to deal with. There was a confused look on her father's face, as Roxie stepped out of her mother's grasp. "If there are to be introductions. You must be Roxie's parents. My name is Avery Jackson. I'm the new Alpha of Red Moon. Roxie is my mate." There was a look on my mother's face. Recognition, disgust, but it was there only briefly. Replaced by a smile. "Oh, isn't that great, Collin?
Avery made his way into school the following morning with his sister at his side. He had already made his way into the principal's office and made sure that most of his classes with the same subjects were switched to classes with Roxie. Mr. Shaw wasn't excited about the change at first, until Avery and his sister told him of the situation. It was decided that the classes they had the same subjects in were changed for him to attend class with her, and her extra classes that he wasn't enrolled in, Avaline was placed in instead. Such as art, and physical education. He went to his first class that morning expecting to see Roxie in their English class. He even went so far as to ask which seat was hers and took his in the middle row in the back,, so he could sit next to her. However, as the bell rang and class began.. There was no sign of her anywhere. When the homeroom teacher began taking attendance, he made his way up front to ask if Roxie had called in sick, but as the absense was just
Roxie's head felt like it was swimming. She felt woozy. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that it was hard for her to focus as the room was spinning. What was clear, however was the fact that she was no longer in her bed at home. She moved to sit up, it was a difficult task, but she managed. She moved to stand up. She was a little lightheaded, but was able to do it. She checked out her surroundings. The room was made up of a single twin sized bed. There were no windows, which made her think that it was a basement room of some kind. One large door sat in the room as the entry and exit point. There was a dresser, a nightstand. There was another doorway but it had no door, just hanging black beads that set it apart from the rest of the room. For the most part, the room was clean and organized, but for the life of her she couldn't really remember how she got there. Come on, Roxie think. How did we get here? What was the last thing we remember? She chided herself. She decided to try t
Avery sat in his office as Sienna made some calls. Then realization struck him. "Look into Celia Harlowe." He commanded, then Sienna stopped cold. "Why?" She asked. "That's her mother." Sienna paused and looked back at Avery like he had grown a second head. "Celia Harlowe was thrown out of the pack after your father died. She was the mate he chose over your mother and you guys. I'm guessing Roxanna Harlowe is your fated mate? Poor girl. She grew up with that thing as her mother. Well, a very absent mother but she was born the biological child of that vile woman. Avery, I support rescuing her a hundred percent. Who knows what Celia is planning, but the chances of your mother accepting her as your mate... are very slim." Avery growled at that. "I don't care what my mother's hang up is. She is my mate and I will bring her with me. There's not enough school left for her to be kept captive. Nevermind that. Who else was absent from school yesterday!" He roared. Avaline held up her hand. Sh
Grayson held her down with one arm, as she flailed against him with her hands. Attempting to free herself. "Don't fight it!" He roared as he reached down and yanked her shorts from her body, tearing them in the process. He grabbed her shirt and pulled it up, trapping one of her small nipples in his mouth. She growled in frustration and reared her head back and smacked him with her forehead when he moved to look down at her again. His hands went to his nose. "You little bitch!" He growled. She attempted to roll off of the bed but he caught her again this time he grabbed her by her thighs and slid her down on the bed. He forced her legs apart and pried her open and began lapping at her center with his tongue. Everything about that sensation felt wrong to her. She didn't want him to do it! She wanted... AveryShe sucked in a deep breath and reached down. She took her sharp fingernails and attempted to gouge his eyes. Blood began seeping from the corners of his emerald eyes and he ended
Roxie sat back in the hospital bed. She was so tired. Her throat hurt, she was unable to speak. There was so much she wanted to say to Avery. However, she was unable to do so. When she attempted to speak, it felt as though her throat was on fire. She was thankful to Avery for saving her, but now all she wanted was to tell him, how thankful she was. She knew that her father was coming to the hospital, but she did not want to see him. She partially blamed him for allowing her mother to do the things that she did. As it stood, the only person in that room that she trusted, was Avery.Collin had got the call from the hospital while he was at work. He couldn’t believe that something so horrific had happened to his daughter. When he left for work that morning, he was under the impression that his daughter, and his estranged wife were out together. He was shocked to learn that not only was that not the case, but now his child was in the hospital with serious injuries. as he arrived at the ho