Unwanted Mate (The Alpha Shifter Collection)

“A freak?” Books asked.

“What does that mean?” Liam asked.

Sofia glanced around the room and pushed the blanket off her body. She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and in front of them, she stabbed it through her hand.

A scream filled the air, her own. The pain was still there.

“What the fuck?” Liam yelled.

Caspian was by her side and the other pack members stood up, each looking to stop her.

She pulled the knife out with another scream, and held it up, letting them all see as her body started to recover. “A freak.”

****

Breakfast had been going so well until Sofia decided to freak out the pack.

Caspian saw them all out, and they stepped further away from the cabin, going toward the much larger one that was designed to house multiple people. This was where the guys were living. Melissa and Raine had another smaller cabin just opposite.

“Holy fucking shit,” Liam said. “Did you guys see that?”

“I saw,” Raine said, arms folded. “She considers herself a freak? Does she realize how strong she is?”

“You’ve seen this before?” Books asked.

“It’s rare, but it happens,” Raine said. “I’ve only known of one other, and that was in my old pack, but they were revered. It was an elder.”

“An elder?” Melissa asked.

“Yes. No one knew their exact age. Their ability to heal slows down their aging process.”

“Wait,” Sean said. “You’re saying that she could be a lot older than she is?”

“She looks about twenty years old,” Raine said. “But … this could have been going on for a lot longer.”

“How old was your elder?” Caspian asked.

“Close to three hundred. They mature at the normal rate, but then, it’s like time slows down for them.”

Caspian glanced behind him, wondering how old Sofia was.

“I saw what they did to her,” Melissa said. “She didn’t fight back.”

“Because she was ordered not to,” Sean said. “And alpha’s rules are law.”

They all shook their heads.

“She is damaged,” Raine said. “I see that.”

“She doesn’t think she is,” Caspian said, finally speaking up.

“Then she is going to be one fucked-up woman,” Raine said. “I’m speaking plainly here. We, as a pack, scare her.”

Caspian couldn’t deny it. She’d been so tense throughout the whole dinner.

“What do you want us to do?” Simon asked.

“I want you all to stick around. We’re still pack, and until Sofia gets used to it, then I think it will be much better if we keep our distance.”

“The heat is nearly with her as well, but it was like she was hiding it,” Melissa said. “Is that normal?”

Raine shrugged. “I don’t know. The elder was respected in my old pack. When he spoke, people listened, even if they didn’t like what he had to say. I’ve never known anyone to hurt someone like that.”

Caspian sighed. “I’m heading back. Don’t go far, and if you hear screams, don’t come running, just stay alert, okay?”

“What if they’re your screams?” Sean asked.

“If they’re mine, come running.”

The pack chuckled, and Caspian stepped out into the cold. He walked back to his cabin and paused with his hand on the doorknob.

It wasn’t even dark.

They’d enjoyed breakfast, and he hadn’t brought an end to the conversation because he figured the more Sofia got to know the people who were now part of her pack, the better it would be.

Seeing her stab her palm, hearing her scream, it had shaken him to the core. Sofia might be able to heal quickly, but it didn’t stop her from feeling pain.

He twisted the doorknob and stepped inside.

Sofia still sat on the sofa, her palm face-up, resting on her thigh. He saw there was no more blood, and the cut was gone. No scar.

“I’m sorry I sent your pack running,” she said.

“You didn’t send them running.”

“They think I’m a freak.”

“Nope, they don’t.” He closed and locked the door, going toward the coffee table and resting his arms on his legs. “They’re worried about you.”

She shrugged. “They don’t need to be. I’m fine.”

“Says the woman who just stabbed her hand.”

She lifted said hand. “All gone, look. It’s like it was never there.”

He took hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb across the center. “Doesn’t mean you didn’t do it.”

“Didn’t you know? If there is no scar or bruise, it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

Caspian wanted to go back to her pack, line every single person who did her wrong, and kill them all.

“You had bruises.”

“They faded, eventually.”

“Your ability to heal, did it piss them off?”

“Yes,” Sofia said. “They hated that nothing they did to me could be long-lasting.”

He gritted his teeth as anger filled his body.

Caspian had no choice but to stand and pace. When that didn’t work, he went straight to the liquor, the hard stuff.

“Does that help?”

“Nope. But it stops me from going and slaughtering every single one of those assholes.” He knocked it back, let out a gasp, and poured himself another.