Chapter 111 - Unreject Me

Natasha's pov

Humans suck. I assumed they would give me Asher's money after my puppy was born. However, they were still in need of additional proof that this was Asher's son. They said that Asher had no family and had given them instructions to donate his portion to charity in the event that no one from his side would come forward to collect it. They wanted strong evidence, like a DNA test, or at least two witnesses to back up my claim, even after I insisted that it belonged to his son. That would be impossible for me to find, though. I wouldn't have continued the pregnancy if I had known they would require all of that.

The damage was done, and I could no longer return to the Wood Stone. Heck, I couldn’t go back to the wolf territory, fearing having to face them. They would surely lock me up. If they hadn’t gotten on my back about Asher’s attack on Kaizen, I could have considered going back. I had severed my connection to them just so they wouldn’t be able to trace me with ease.

Another thing was Theodore. He suspected my pup was his relative, and if I returned, they would surely get that damned test done. That would only confirm I knew Asher. Now, I was left with no choice but to live in the human city like one of them, and that meant I had to look for a job so I could afford to live there.

It was expensive to be alive while simultaneously keeping my pup alive. Rent, power expenses, and even food were extremely pricey. Back in the wolf packs, we could reside in houses for free. Utility costs were nonexistent, and food was easily accessible. I missed living in wolf territory, but I had already made my bed, and I had to lay in it.

Fortunately, my body was on my side. I was lucky to be a wolf. Giving birth didn't strain my body, so finding a job and doing daily tasks was no problem. I had brought records of my academic achievements and professional experience. With years of expertise behind me, a corporation employed me within two weeks. I found a job well before my savings were depleted.

Working took my mind off problems. Meeting new individuals and developing new acquaintances were beneficial. But I was never able to hang out with them. As a single mother, I had to return to my flat to relieve the babysitter. Even if I arrived a minute late, she would charge me extra. I began to regret continuing the pregnancy. So many things could have been prevented if I had ended it. Kaizen and Nikita would not have discovered the connection between Asher and myself. Theo would have no reason to demand a DNA test. I could have lived peacefully in the wolf realm, but greed had overcome me.

As the days went by, I began to loathe the pup. He was not the product of love. It was simply one lusty night that I regretted a little too late. However, I begrudgingly did everything for him. Despite my dislike for being awakened up in the middle of the night and having to change nappies all the time, I did it. There were times I thought about abandoning him somewhere, perhaps in the woods. I procrastinated, thinking hard and long about it. I knew the chances of my pup being killed were high. If that happened, I would be a murderer.

It wasn't until I overheard one of my coworkers talk about an orphanage that I stopped thinking about leaving him in the woods. My coworker worked as a volunteer, and lately, someone abandoned an infant on the doorway. They were distraught. I, on the other hand, thought it was a fantastic method to get rid of my baggage without breaking the law.

When the humans went to bed that night, I looked up the location of the nearest orphanage. I bundled my pup in a warm blanket and walked all the way there. It was a fifteen-minute walk down the deserted streets. I wasn't afraid. I knew I could handle the bandit humans even if they dared approach me. Anyway, the walk was eventless. I put my pup in a cardboard box, just like my coworker said they found that infant, and then left.

It seemed weird to ignore his crying. Maybe it was the harmony of the night and my enhanced wolf senses that allowed me to hear him long after I had moved quite a distance away. I feigned not to hear him. But when his cries stopped, I came to a halt and cast a sidelong glance. The orphanage's entrance was no longer visible to me, but I heard a human female's soft tunes. She sang a song till my pup calmed down.

My heart dropped, and my wolf howled in agony. She was lamenting for our pup. When I first thought about abandoning him, she said nothing. She didn't protest when I wrapped him in the blanket, intending to leave him at the orphanage’s entrance. When I put him in the box, she didn't raise an objection. It was too late now. The door shut, and the human’s melody vanished.

They had taken him in.

I exhaled a deep breath. He became a burden to me ever since the humans declined to transfer Asher's shares to us. I just wanted to get over him so I could lead the life I desired. However, when I finally was able to achieve it, it was just so strange.

So very strange.

***

Adjusting to the human world was hard. Even after months of living among them, my wolf hadn't grown accustomed to being repressed. She insisted on going for runs to grieve with the loss of our pup, which I found risky because I lived among humans. She attempted to take over my body on several occasions, but I was able to restrain her.

As the days passed by, my wolf became extremely rebellious. I thought I would be able to live in peace once he was out of my life, but I was wrong. My wolf gave me a hard time. She demanded that we return to the orphanage and claimed the pup as ours. She even wanted to shift and barge in there. However, once I warned her about the risk of being killed on the spot, she stopped trying to do that.

However, I had to agree to take her out for morning runs every day and occasional midnight sprints. I agreed, hoping that would keep her from acting up.

I got up early and went for a run before the joggers left their homes in the morning. By the time the sun rose, I'd be back in my human shape, clothed in workout gear, and on my way back to my apartment building. The distance from the woods to the building I resided in was not particularly short, but neither was it excessively far for a wolf like me. Things were going fine until a human spotted me in the middle of my shift. Our gazes connected, and I realised that completing my metamorphosis back to human would be troublesome, so I swiftly returned to my wolf form and fled away.

He continued to scream for help as I ran with my heart thumping in my chest. I spent most of the day in the woods and only returned to get my clothes when it was almost sundown. I made sure no humans were around when I shifted back to my human form. That day, I returned home to find several missed calls and texts from my friends from work. I responded to them with a lie I invented—I was under the weather, so I decided to take the day off. Thankfully, my boss was rather lenient, especially since I was one of his favourite employees.

What took me aback was the response of my co-workers. Did the monster in the woods scare you too?

What monster? I asked them.

Didn’t you see it? Some guy claims to have seen a half-wolf, half-human this morning. He made a video explaining what he saw, and it is all over social media.

I froze and suddenly, my wolf went completely silent. We both knew that meant trouble, especially if he had captured any images. I quickly responded to the text I received.

No. I haven’t checked my socials yet. I slept most of the day. Any pics?”

It felt like the longest few seconds while I waited for her to type her response.

Well, he has a picture of a wolf running away, but that doesn’t support his claims, does it? He is just crazy. Don’t worry about him.

I heaved a breath. At least he didn’t capture me mid-shift.

But what if he went back to capture more evidence? I didn't like the thought of humans watching me transform into my beast. It was an invasion of my privacy.

“Esther, no more runs. We can’t get caught.”

She didn’t respond and just disappeared into the oblivion of my mind.

***

My wolf seldom helped me with anything after that day. Slowly, I found myself relying more and more on my abilities as a human without relying on my beast. I stopped sniffing the air whenever I passed by the orphanage, and the craving to see my pup slowly ceased. With the money I earned, I was able to live comfortably. Although it wasn’t even close to the standard of the life I wanted to have, at least I was living in peace with no drama in it.

That was until my boss hired a new guy to work with us. I didn’t think much of it until his scent hit my nostrils. My eyes widened. Although I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t. There was no denying that another wolf was in the house, and I dreaded coming face to face with him.

I hid when our section head introduced him to everyone. The intensity of his scent was overpowering. To be in the same room with another wolf was just bizarre after all that happened in the past. I avoided him the longest I could, but running into him was inevitable.

Our gazes met, and I could have sworn he froze on his spot. I gulped and forced a smile. At least he wasn't someone I had dealt with before.

“Hello, my name is Chad,” he said.

, and

The hair on the back of my neck rose and a shudder ran down my spine. I sucked a breath in, trying to hold in my emotions.

“H… hi. I'm Nat.”

He smirked, revealing a simple on his left cheek. “You're pretty,” he said.

My heart raced.

“Thanks. You're handsome too,” I said.

I liked how he stared at me. It reminded me of how the wolves looked at my body when I danced for them in the Black Woods. It had been a long time since I had a worthy partner in bed. The humans I took home after a night at the club were terrible. They were nothing like the wolves, but I still returned to the clubs, hoping to find something different.

Perhaps something different found me instead.

The anxiety I previously experienced vanished, and I started to think of a plan to get Chad to bed. I glanced at him. I could have sworn he was staring at my breasts, but I didn't want to get too excited.

“Let's grab a coffee during our break. Just you and me. What do you think?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Sure. Why not?”

“Maybe I can take you out on a date too? Yeah?” he said.

My lips twitched into a little smirk. Oh, getting him to bed wouldn't be too hard.