human since then and nothing's made my wolf emerge. I inhale a sharp breath that burns against my chest as I hold onto hope that this time will be different. "Wait for the full moon ceremony tomorrow."

"And miss the opportunity of seeing you on all fours and in heat?" He steps closer to me, invading my

space. What he really means is he wants to ruin me, break me, and make me a submissive Omega that begs for his

touch. No thank you.

I take a step back, struggling to hold my anger. Lashing out against the Alpha's son won't get me any brownie points. "Leave me alone."

"Soon you'll be begging for my cock during your first heat." He wipes his mouth with his thumb like I'm a juicy steak he wants to tear into and I want to vomit.

The wind whips around us, making me shiver.

All the wolves around him laugh at my expense. My hair sticks to my face and I sigh, doing the only thing I can despite knowing I'll be punished for it. I flick him off.

Casey's lips curl back in a snarl, his eyes lock on mine and I feel the cold air in my lungs 

his eyes lock on mine and I feel the brush of rage rising.

"Fucking bitch." He leaps at me.

Before I can react, his wolf granting him speed, he slams into me. His fist collides with my jaw. Pain radiates along half my face.

The ground rushes up, slamming into my body as I roll.

Throbbing pain radiates through my skull and the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth.

"You think you can get alway  with that Jessie ?" Casey growls, his eyes locking on mine, a predatory gleam in them. "You think you can walk away from me?"

"I-I-" I'm not sure what I'm saying. My jaw throbs and I'm having trouble breathing. I can't believe the Alpha's son did this. If my pack found out, I'd be forced to leave. Cause nothing was ever Casey's fault. It's my word against his and his pals.

Fear claws up my throat. I'm trembling as I scramble backward, trying to get away from him. My ass hits an oak tree that blocks my escape.

"You know what?" Casey reaches down and grabs me by the throat, hauling me up to my feet. "I think it's 

time I teach you a lesson."

My feet dangle in the air as I struggle to kick him. I claw at his hand and he laughs.

"It would be so easy to squeeze your fucking neck. End any nightmare of you mixing blood and tainting our pack with your kind."

"I-I'm wolf too," I choked out against his hold.

"You're no wolf." Casey's breath tastes like stale beer with a hint of corn and his touch is slimy and sticky with a greasy, rubbery feel to it. "You're puny and weak. I'm gonna make you every male's Omega bitch- our pack needs a prostitute 'cause no

one will want to be your mate."

No, they just want to use me and throw me away like garbage. A fire burns in my chest as I mentally scream at my wolf to come out. She's been hiding too long, afraid of being banished or whatever the hell is keeping her caged, but Casey is going to kill me if I don't shift.

There's nothing except an emptiness where I think my wolf 

should be. A nothingness that feels like a black hole that if I fall into it, I'll never return.

His free hand strokes my cheek as he chokes me. "You like this huh, bitch. Someone to give you pain and pleasure and put you in your place.

I bite his hand and he roars, releasing me. I drop to the ground. I curl my hands into fists and I wish for the first time in my life that I felt powerful. That I could protect myself.

"Stay away from me," I warn him, my voice shaky from not being able to open my mouth a lot with my face swelling from his punch. I hold my head high despite the pain.

Casey lets out a laugh. "Really? You think you're going to fight me?"

The wolves around him join in with his joke, laughing and saying, "That's right, misfit. You're a loser."

I give him them my fiercest glare and growl.

"You're nothing but a weak runt." He spits at my feet. "No good for anything but taking the edge off."

He's lightning-fast and snatches me by the throat again. This time, his 

should be. A nothingness that feels like a black hole that if I fall into it, I'll never return.

His free hand strokes my cheek as he chokes me. "You like this huh, bitch. Someone to give you pain and pleasure and put you in your place.

I bite his hand and he roars, releasing me. I drop to the ground. I curl my hands into fists and I wish for the first time in my life that I felt powerful. That I could protect myself.

"Stay away from me," I warn him, my voice shaky from not being able to open my mouth a lot with my face swelling from his punch. I hold my head high despite the pain.

Casey lets out a laugh. "Really? You think you're going to fight me?"

The wolves around him join in with his joke, laughing and saying, "That's right, misfit. You're a loser."

I give him them my fiercest glare and growl.

"You're nothing but a weak runt." He spits at my feet. "No good for anything but taking the edge off."

He's lightning-fast and snatches me by the throat again. This time, his 

fingers dig into my flesh, cutting off my air.

"No." I struggle to keep his hand from choking me to death. "Let...me... go.

"I think I should show you what the real world looks like."

He throws me to the ground, and I skid along the dirt before coming to a stop. He's going to kill me.

"Stop," I half-shout, half-scream.

"Make me," he challenges.

"Casey," the Alpha bellows from the end of the path and all the wolves around me slump their shoulders. "That is no way to treat a pack member."

I push away until my back hits a pine tree.

"But she's not pack, never has been." Casey throws me a glare. "Just look at her. She can't shift no matter how much we try to push her."

"Tomorrow night at the bonding ceremony," the Alpha who looks like an older version of Casey with a half-bald head and eyes that are harder than coals says in a voice that doesn't give me anything but bad vibes. "We'll bring out her wolf. Mate her with one of the packs... regardless