I shrugged. “Pain doesn’t bother me like it used to. What I’m afraid of is not being able to bond with the wolf. What if she rejects me?”

Like every other person in my life. Yeah, I know, sob sob, we all had a sad story.

“She won’t,” Simone said forcefully. “She’s going to love you, and you’ll hunt rabbits, and it’ll be like having your second-best friend built in for life.”

No one was replacing Simone in best friend numero uno spot, apparently… not even an entity I shared a soul with.

“I’m almost positive I’ll have control by the third shift,” Simone added, shaking her shoulders in a confident little dance. “I’ve so got this.”

“I have no doubts at all,” I said, meaning every word.

The first two shifts were always a complete loss as the beast took over, our human side barely remembering anything at all. The majority had control by shift four or five, but I wouldn’t put it past Simone to have hers down by shift number three. She was that determined.

Either way for me, the second I had control of my wolf, I was escaping this fuck of a town.

And never looking back.

Just as we passed the main run of lockers for the seniors, a familiar group came into sight, easy to spot as students parted along the hallway for them like they were royalty.

I supposed they pretty much were.

Simone saw them at the same time as me. “Run! ” she whispered harshly, shoving me toward the nearest exit. It was too late, though. They’d seen me, and I couldn’t outrun them. Especially not the two who had already turned: Torin Wolfe and Jaxson Heathcliffe.

Why the fuck were they even at college at all? They’d graduated last year, but for some insane reason, would not leave.

“Stay!”

The command came from Torin, future alpha of the Torma pack. His father, Victor, had ruled us for fifty years now with no sign of retiring. I mean, the fact that he’d changed their last name to Wolfe pretty much said everything one needed to know about how highly he regarded himself and his standing in the shifter world.

And Torin, the precious only son, was the future alpha. With this power, he could command wolves in the pack. Not that he generally needed any help in controlling them, especially the female shifters, thanks to his bright green eyes, chocolatey dark hair, and the sort of chiseled jaw that love stories were written about.

For me, though, he was a horror novel—my worst nightmare.

Two of the three approached now, and my stomach swirled as I prepared myself for what was to come. Torin’s command had been the one to stop me in my tracks, but today he hung back to let his friends have their fun. In truth, Torin had never really hurt me, but he didn’t stop the others either, and that was just as bad in my opinion.

Sisily Longeran, the alpha chick of my year, started to circle me. “Mera Callahan,” she drawled, “the redheaded bitch of our pack.”

She took great pleasure in pointing out on the regular that no one else had my shade of hair color.

The rest of the pack fell somewhere between honey blond to the darkest of raven locks, with all shades of skin color included. I had tanned skin and hazel eyes, the same as many others, but my hair…

A giant fucking stop sign announcing my presence.

“Sisily Longeran,” I shot back, “the next alpha-mate. You and Torin are going to make such beautiful babies.”

Beautiful, evil little shits, but I refrained from mentioning that.

Sisily’s smile spread as she drifted closer to Torin. They did look great together, with her perfect mahogany mane and bright azure eyes so striking against his coloring.

The moment she first shifted, after the solstice moon, their expected bond would kick in, and they’d feel the connection. The mate bond was all pre-ordained. A magical fucking miracle.

I had a mate out there too, but if it was any of the assholes in my pack, I’d rather chew my own arm off.

Sisily, done flirting with the almost-alpha, returned back to me. Her jasmine and lemon myrtle perfume drifted with her, and I almost gagged. This was her signature scent from Thomas, the apothecary master, who handmade all of our skin products so we didn’t react to human chemicals.

And I fucking hated it to the point that one whiff induced nausea.

At least it did usually give me a heads up that she was close by, so I could escape. Not today though.

She bared her teeth, chest rumbling, and knowing what was coming, I braced myself as she slammed me into the lockers. The entire row shuddered under the assault, and heat burned along my back. Shifters healed fast, but I wouldn’t have that ability until my beast was released, so for now, I got to suffer and heal almost humanly slow.

“You are pathetic,” she spat. “Weak.”

“You wish,” I replied, shooting her a dark smile of my own. What she called weak, I called staying the fuck alive until I could escape them. An entire pack versus one wolf? Yeah, who could win with those odds?

I had fought back at the start, but it only made the beatings worse. So now I chose to grow mentally and emotionally stronger, forged in a fire of their hatred, all the while biding my time until I’d be free.

“Leave her alone,” Simone shouted, unable to get to me; Torin was deliberately in her way.

“Simone, it’s cool,” I said, forcing myself to sound cheerful. “Sis here is super clumsy; I’m used to her tripping and falling into me.”