“Drinking that much is not good for your health, you know. If you’re trying to commit suicide by alcohol poisoning, please don’t do it in my presence. And try not to make it too obvious—it’s embarrassing, especially for you,” Alpha Jake said bluntly, glaring at me as usual.
I scoffed. “Why would I commit suicide? I’d rather just kill the source of all my depression instead. And drinking a couple of glasses of wine never killed anyone.”
He rolled his eyes, and I almost laughed at the sight. It was actually adorable. “You might be the first,” he muttered.
“That’s ridiculous, and you know it,” I replied, feeling my annoyance growing.
“What’s ridiculous is your stubbornness,” he shot back.
I widened my eyes and carefully placed my glass of wine on the table in front of us. “I am *not* stubborn—you just think you know it all. What are you, a doctor or something? You can’t tell me what to do. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’ll drink as much as I want,” I whisper-yelled at him, folding my arms defensively.
He just smiled—*the fool actually smiled.* *Bipolar ass,* I thought to myself. “Why are you angry, little mate? And, for your information, I *am* studying to be a doctor. I’m in university. The whole high school thing was just a cover so I could keep an eye on you, as your protector. Then you turned out to be my mate.”
I frowned. *Of course, more lies.* Why was I even surprised? “I’m not angry,” I lied, my voice tight. “And you studying medicine doesn’t change the fact that you can’t tell me what to do. You’re an Alpha—isn’t that already a huge responsibility? Why would you even want to be a doctor?”
“It is,” he said, leaning back with a smug expression, “but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Nobody wants an uneducated Alpha, after all. In my pack, education is compulsory for every child, no exceptions.”
He paused, his voice growing softer but more commanding. “And, yes, I can tell you what to do. You’re mine. *Mate.* You’ll learn to listen eventually. Now stop being stubborn—it’s not cute.” He leaned in and snatched my glass of wine from the table, draining it in one quick gulp before setting it back down.
I opened my mouth to snap at him, but of course, *the almighty annoying Rebecca* had to make her presence known. She swayed her hips as she brushed up against my mate, clearly enjoying herself. I mentally rolled my eyes, and Jake visibly tensed as soon as she approached, even his smirk fading.
“Jake, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! You just left me with those awful gossip girls,” she whined dramatically, taking a seat far too close to Alpha Jake for my liking. “They wouldn’t stop talking—I thought I was going to rip their mouths off if I had to listen to one more stupid story.”
I raised an eyebrow, stifling a laugh. *Where is that waiter? I need more wine.* Or maybe something stronger, though I doubted they served beer at fancy events like this.
“I had other important matters to attend to, Rebecca,” Jake replied, not even bothering to look at her. His eyes remained on me, intense and searching, like he was trying to read my mind. “If you didn’t like their gossiping, you could have excused yourself.”
Rebecca pouted, her voice dripping with entitlement. “I know, but still, I would have felt bad, you know?”
“Well, that’s your problem, love,” Jake said dismissively, still not sparing her a glance.
She was clearly annoyed now, glaring at him as if her frustration could burn a hole through him. Jake seemed to notice but chose to ignore her. At least he had stopped patronizing me about my drinking and stubbornness. I allowed myself a brief moment of relief.
That relief didn’t last long. A waiter appeared and handed Jake a note, a look of urgency flashing across his face. He stood up, looking down at me with a mix of hesitation and concern.
“Well, excuse me, ladies, I have something I need to attend to,” he said, his tone more serious. He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on my cheek, and whispered, “Don’t wander off too far. I’ll come find you soon—and no more wine tonight.”
I blushed, nodding slightly. He could be sweet—what a shocker. As he walked away, I shook myself from the warm haze he’d left me in, only to feel Rebecca’s death stare boring into me. If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under by now. Scratch that—thirty feet under. She had a real talent for glaring, like she had a degree in it.
I cleared my throat, desperate to break the awkward silence. “So, uh... how are you finding the party?” I asked nervously, biting my nails.
Rebecca gave me a look that screamed, *Are you stupid?* before she finally spoke. “The party is fine. Every party I plan is perfect. I make sure of it.”
“Oh, you organized this? You did a great jo—” I started to say, trying to give her a compliment, but she cut me off before I could finish.
“Listen, I didn’t come over to talk to Jake,” she said, her voice low and dripping with venom. “I came to tell you that you’re wasting your time if you think Jake will ever love you. He’s the Alpha of the strongest pack in Europe. He needs a strong Alpha female by his side. You, on the other hand, don’t strike me as strong. You’re weak.”
I blinked, the sting of her words settling into my chest like ice.
“All you do is wander around the pack like a ghost. You’ve hardly made any connections with the pack members or even with your mate. You’re always fighting with Jake, and that’s not what the pack needs. And newsflash—the pack will *never* accept a witch as their Alpha female. Jake agrees with me. He proved it when he was making love to me last night.”
Her words sliced through me like a dagger. My heart felt like it had been shattered into a million tiny pieces. I had known Jake didn’t like me much, but this? He had slept with Rebecca? And the pack didn’t want me? Even my own mate didn’t support me.
I felt hot tears sting my eyes, threatening to spill over at any second. My life was falling apart. My mate didn’t want me, the pack hated me, and on top of it all, I was being hunted by forces I couldn’t even understand. And I missed my parents so much it hurt to breathe.
Without another word, I stood up and walked away, my vision blurring with unshed tears. I needed to get out before I completely broke down in front of everyone.
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