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"You're drawing attention, this doesn't look good for your relationship." Zed murmurs, trying to step between us like we're so easily talked down.

Two Alpha mates in one room, considering drawing blood on one another. Not a good combination.

"You can sleep elsewhere, or I will." I spit.

Storming out of the kitchen without a response, I rush up the steps and into the bedroom, locking the door behind me. My hands shake with anger as I grab my phone, naturally the first thing I want to do is call my family.

But what family? All I have is Hardin, and the pack.

Tossing my phone aside, I rip my clothes off and climb in the shower, the hot water washing away my tears as I sit on the shower floor crying.

How could he belittle me, his own mate?

How could he chose someone else to train the wolves?

How could he chose his ex above all the other wolves willing to help him out? The questions and insecurities kept coming, and I hated it, I hated feeling like I'm suddenly second best.

I just couldn't understand why, why her?

***

"Why did you do that?" Beck speaks with anger.

"I planned to tell Kali." Hardin exhales.

"She is Alpha too, she has every right to make that decision with you. How do you think this makes her feel, Alpha Hardin? You're letting another she-wolf belittle her, in her own pack." Becks voice rises in temper, to hell with consequences.

"Hate to say it, Hardin, but I agree with him." Zed chimes in.

"Lorelei has more training behind her, besides, It was her father that insisted she come." Hardin glares at his beta and soldier, not pleased with them standing against him.

"Yeah? Well your little business agreement, might cost you your mate. Think about that." Beck snaps at his Alpha without fear, before storming off.

"Just get rid of her, we don't need her-"

"She's a guest, like it or not. If Kali can't deal with that, then perhaps she needs to grow up." Hardin snaps at Zed, his closest and oldest friend.

Zed rolls his eyes.

"I forgot how much of a prick you become around her." Zed scoffs, throwing a glare at the brown haired goddess across the room.

"She doesn't mean anything to me, you know that." Hardin seethes, gripping Zed by his face.

"Doesn't look that way." Zed retorts sarcastically, shoving Hardin off and exiting the kitchen.

Jackson stays behind to keep eyes on the female, not liking the way she's looking at Hardin. For Kali, Jackson is fully prepared to smack a bitch if necessary.

**

That night I laid there, exhausted and unable to sleep. A tiny part of me wonders if Hardin is with her right now, but even I knew he wouldn't go that far. And I'd feel it, every touch.

Still, sleep didn't come no matter how long I wait, and neither did Hardin. I'm not sure it that pleases me, or upsets me more. The bite is practically numb, which is both our faults.

Figuring that I'm not about to get any sleep anytime soon, I slide off the bed and exit the bedroom. Creeping downstairs and out of the house, I shift into my wolf and take off into the woods, heading for the edge of trees and distant mountains.

Right now the last place my wolf wants to be is near Hardin, or his scent.

We slept for a matter of hours, until the suns morning shine pierced through my woods closed lids. Figuring that my wolf is a little more unstable than I, I shift into my human form and begin walking back to the pack house.

The air is a little bitter with cold, the ground almost frozen as the sun hasn't begun warmed it yet. I love the colours that cascade across the trees, the new leaves coming in, the plants and life that seems to grow as the warmer weather comes. Spring is easily my favourite, it's not hot, and it's not cold, it's like everything comes back to life in the spring.

"Guess it's true what they say about mates, how they can't sleep on their problems." The sound of her voice, is not what I want to hear so early in the morning.

My steps stop instantly, and I stare over at her with calm eyes. I could see her judging my naked flesh, the scars, the marks that she doesn't have.

"Hardin didn't get much sleep either." She tells me, staring me dead in the eyes.

Brave, and stupid. I thought bitterly, my anger instantly rising with her words.

"I get the feeling you don't like me." I comment, slowly walking closer to her.

"I have specific standards." She has the nerve to say to me.

"I know what you're doing." I chuckle, shaking my head a little.

"Yeah?" She looks me over like it's funny, amusing that I can actually figure something out.

"The thing about mates, we don't get jealous, or possessive...because we don't need to fight for something that is already ours." I tell her, staring her dead in the eyes.

"What we are, is territorial and I have killed for far less." I whisper softly, my tone vicious with promise.

"Except you won't kill me, Hardin would never forgive you." She whispers back, having the balls to actually smile in my face like I'm an absolute joke.

"Besides, kill me and everyone will see you've made no progress in therapy." Lorelei grins nastily.

My heart literally drops. He told her? No, he wouldn't tell her something like that.

"Oh, Hardin hasn't told you? Last night we had a good heart to heart." She winks.

Breathe, just breathe. She's toying with you, she wants you to snap so she can play victim. I tell myself, feeling the racing of my adrenaline course through my veins.

"Breakfast will be ready soon, will you be joining us?" I offer her with a smile, forcing every bone in my body to remain calm.

Lorelei shakes her head. "No, Hardin and I are going into the city for breakfast."

Is that a fucking joke? He's going to have breakfast with his ex girlfriend?

"No worries, he has a meeting at eleven with Alpha Maddox so he needs to be back." I tell her, acting like I need her to not distract him.

"No promises." She flashes that smile, and the urge to slash her face open is suddenly so very tempting.

Perhaps my therapist would overlook one incident? I thought with false hope, wishing it could be true.

Leaving Lorelei to herself, I head inside the mansion and hurry up the steps. Suddenly being nude is extremely uncomfortable, the thought of everyone seeing the scars, the history so obvious on my flesh.

The second I enter the bedroom, I sense his presence before I see him. As he exits the closet, I grab the bed sheet and cover my body, despite him having seen it a thousand times, it just felt wrong right now.

He gives me a strange look.

"What are you doing?" He asks, rolling up his shirt sleeves.

"Could ask the same." I shrug, acting clueless.

"I have to run a few errands, I won't be gone long." Hardin sighs lightly, moving to kiss me.

Immediately I dodge his touch, hating that I want to be near him, but to angry and upset to care. The flash of pain in his eyes makes me feel awful.

"Don't touch me." I mutter, heading over to the shower before dropping the cover.

Hardin doesn't take long to leave, not bothering to even say goodbye as he heads off with his whore. I felt my entire body tremble, angry that he lied straight to my face, angry that his ex is making me feel so small in my own home, angry that he's so naive as to what she's doing.

How can someone so intelligent, and powerful, be so naive? Is it because she's a pretty face? Is he distracted?

Scrubbing harshly at my skin, I rush to shower and get dressed, brushing my teeth before I head down to the empty training room and begin releasing my anger. The punching bag is always the easiest option.

"We didn't see you at breakfast...you okay?"

My knuckles bloody and bruised, the flesh raw from beating the leather so furiously. I basked in the pain, it distracts me from thinking about her.

"Wasn't hungry." I breathe, using my baggy t-shirt to wipe the sweat off of my face.

"For what it's worth, we tried talking to Hardin." Beck tells me softly.

I kept my back to him, my chest heaving slightly. For the most part I just didn't want him or Zed to see me cry. Right now I feel weak, like I've lost control of everything, and I don't even know how to approach Hardin about his ex without becoming livid with him.

"Can you just go? I'm not in the mood." I snap, blinking in attempt to stop the tears from falling.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Kali. I know how much you love him, and it's obvious that his decision to have another she-wolf here is crushing you." Beck sounds so convinced.

I hated myself for feeling so vulnerable, so insecure because of that stuck up bitch.

"He lied straight to my face, Beck." I sniffle.

"Lorelei has always wanted more from Hardin than he was ever willing to give, but with you...he hasn't held anything back, Kali." Beck attempts to ease my worry.

"I'm not enough anymore, Beck...look at me, I'm damaged, a-and ugly, and used!" My bottom lip trembles as I spin around.

Arms wrap around me, warm and comforting, but not the arms I hoped for. Beck holds me as I cry, soothing me as best as he can. I didn't let it last long, part of me knows Hardin won't be back for the meeting, and I'll have to deal with it.

"What happened?" A vicious growl thunders from the doorway, catching Beck and me of guard.

I finish drying my face on my t-shirt.

"Nothing." I mutter.

"You're crying, and I know it isn't because of your knuckles." Dom's anger is loud.

"I have work to do." I say, brushing past Dom and heading off to prepare for the meeting.

Locating the right file on Hardin's laptop takes me some time. Reading over the words, I realise this meeting is a negotiation. Hardin wants more wolves, and he's willing to offer a treaty to Alpha Maddox in exchange for one hundred men.

What the hell does he need all those wolves for?

Checking the time, I quickly head out front to greet the wolves arriving in fancy cars. I presume they're not from a nearby pack, given their choice of travel.

"Alpha Maddox." I greet with a polite smile, immediately sensing the authority on the guy exiting the back of the car.

His brown eyes are hard, almost ice cold as he glances me over.

"Where is Hardin?" He questions bluntly, not looking pleased in the slightest.

"Not here obviously, or I wouldn't be standing here." I retort sharply.

The guy seems a tad taken back by my attitude, finally taking a second to look at me, properly this time.

"You must be Alpha Kali, I've heard a lot about you." The guy smirks slightly, like he enjoys whatever rumours reach him on the other side of the world.

"Hardin is willing to offer a treaty, in exchange he wants one hundred wolves." I straight up tell the guy.

The look on his face tells me everything. He thinks Hardin has lost his mind, and truth be told, I thought the same when I read the file.

"However, Hardin isn't here to make the deal, I am." I offer a smile.

The Alpha seems intrigued. "You wish to do business with me solely?"

"I do." I confirm. "Follow me."