We pull up to the pack border at the time that Victor requested. He is standing on the side of the road with a guard. He walks up to our cars. Olivia is in hers, and Benjamin and I are in mine. We climb out and head to talk to Victor.
“I thought I told you that I would escort her?” Victor sneers at me.
“You did, you did, but here is the funny thing. After you failed to protect her for the last two years, we are having a little difficulty trusting you. However, Olivia seems to think that you will still protect her. I am not sure why but she does. I am just here to let you know that Olivia needs to be returned to us in the next hour, or we are coming in after her. I don’t care if you call it an act of war. I will not let her stay in that hell hole you call a pack any longer than that.”
“Shut your big mouth up. An Omega is not worth all of this trouble. Get over it quickly. Are you really so pent up for she-wolves over there that you need to take the pack slut.”
I growl and Benjamin holds me back. He looks to Victor, “Times ticking prick. Your little guard here is not even close to being enough to hold us back.”
Victor sneers at him and then climbs into the passenger seat of Olivia’s car.
VICTOR’S P. O. V.
Why did she have to grow a backbone? She has made so much fucking trouble for me. Somehow my father has heard about everything and he has made it clear that I fucked up in protecting her. I am supposed to treat all pack members equally, within reason. Hell, what did I expect? She was like this when she was little too. That is why we stopped being friends. She thought she could be as strong as me. Me an Alpha. Actually it was my father who said that she was stepping out of line and that I needed to sever ties with her. I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for him.
Here she sits like she is the victim. Still when I look at her I see that seven year old girl who ran around with me. Who raced me and treated me like anyone else. Everyone else treated me like I was someone special, but not her she just treated me like her friend. I guess I liked being someone special better. I look over at her now, she really is beautiful, even though I am pissed as hell at her, I still have these thoughts that I have tried to run from for years. The ones that I ran from last night.
I had my first thoughts of her when I was ten. I thought that if I could pick my mate I would want it to be her. She was strong, just like a Luna should be. I would sometimes pray that I would be blessed to have her as a mate. Then my father told me that I would never be able to have her as my mate, because she was an Omega. I thought I understood but I was still angry. I think I took it out on her. I started pushing her away telling her that she was just an Omega and she had to know her place. I know I hurt her, but I was hurt too. My heart was crushed.
When I found out that Hector was her mate, I couldn’t help but be pissed at him. I wanted to punch him in his ugly face. Yeah, I never liked him anyway. When he started telling me about their night together, it took everything I had not to punch him and make him bleed. I could see her face when he rejected her. I let Hector spread those rumors hoping that it might be true. That I really misjudged her and that she was really not as great as I thought she was. After all, if she was really a slut then I could feel better about treating her the way I did.
Now, I know that it was all wrong. I see that Alpha with his hands all over her. I wish it was me and it pisses me off. Why does he get to do that with her? Why was I told that it wasn’t possible?
I made sure that I was the one to escort her for this reason. I needed to tell her everything before it was too late. I just look at her and I don’t know where to start.
“Will you stop looking at me like that?” She stills under my gaze.
“Like what exactly?”
“Like I killed your dog. You have to understand that I don’t want to say somewhere that I am clearly not wanted.” She sighed. She thinks I am just mad that she is leaving the pack.
“I am not pissed about you leaving. Well, maybe a little bit. I think I am more pissed that I don’t get to say everything that I want to you. You won’t be able to hear everything that I need you to.”
She pulls to the side of the road. “What could you need to say? What could you say that you haven’t already? I know how you think of me. I know how everyone thinks of me. They say these things when I am standing right there. They don’t really care how I feel. Besides you made it clear last night I was just a toy.”
I can’t help it, she is looking so cute. I leap on her. My lips make contact with hers. She starts pushing me back. I don’t care, I am pushing more. My kiss is violent and needed. I feel like I need it to breathe. Her push is irritating, why won’t she just accept me? I pull back and growl.
“What the hell? Why did you do that?” She starts wiping her lips like my lips were poison on hers.
“Nothing, let’s get this over with.” I just look ahead, I can’t even look at her right now. Why aren’t I good enough?
“Look at me Victor. I am not pulling away until you answer me.” She is staring at me. I can feel her gaze on me. A part of me never wants her to stop looking at me.
I peek over at her. “I just had to get it out of my system OK.”
“No, not OK. That is not a reason.”
“If you don’t get going I am going to kiss you again.” I smirk, really kind of hoping that she doesn’t pull away.
“What?” She puts the car in gear. “Why did you kiss me in the first place? You have made it clear that you don’t like me.”
“My father was the one that didn’t like you. Not me.”
“Could have fooled me.” She scoffs at me.
“That was the point.”
“Why?”
“Look, do you really want to know?” I sigh it is better just to rip off the band-aid.
“Yes, I really want to know. Why did you push me away?”
“Because I wanted you to be my mate and my father said it wasn’t possible to make you Luna. He said that it could never happen so I need to get it out of my system. So I did what I could to try. I never really got over you, even though I know you never saw me the same again after that. I figured that would be enough. I honestly never thought you would leave me. Now it is too late to fix anything.”
“Why did you let Hector say those things about me?”
“Because secretly I hoped that they were true then I wouldn’t want you so much. I never truly believed it. I am such an idiot.”
“Yeah, you are.” She started laughing. Here I am pouring my heart out and she is laughing.
“What the fuck is so funny right now?” I can’t help but feel hurt.
“When we were younger I used to hope that you were my mate too. I didn’t really care about the Luna thing, I just wanted my friend to be my mate. Then you started treating me like everyone else, just a stupid Omega. That was why I tried so hard to be smart and strong, so that you wouldn’t see me as just an Omega. It didn’t work so I gave up on you. When I found out that Hector was my mate, I was disappointed to say the least, but I thought at least here is a person who will love me. Boy was I wrong. I just can’t be here with all of this anymore.”
“I don’t blame you. I know what I did was shit. I don’t even expect you to forgive me. I just really hope someday you can.”
She has pulled in front of her old house now. “I better make this quick. It is probably best if I just leave quickly.”
She climbs out of the car and heads in. I look at her unlocking the door and decide to follow her in. I feel compelled to be near her. Just like last night I can’t help myself. Her house is nice and neat. Just like her, orderly. She is zipping around collecting things. Photos and collectibles go flying into bags. I just watch her erasing herself from here. Everything she piles into those bags is like a knife to my heart.
After about twenty minutes she stops and looks around. “Well, I guess that is it. I don’t think I really need my dishes right now. I guess I will just get new ones.”
I step closer to her and pull the bag from her hand. I think she thinks I am going to take it to the car so she lets me, but when I set it down she looks confused.
“What are you doing?” She looks up at me.
“I just need one thing from you before you leave me for good.”
“I will be around. I will be at…”
“Just shut up and listen.”
He is quiet for like one second. “OK, what do you want?” Sassy I swear.
“I want you to kiss me without pulling away. Don’t push me. Just give me this one memory please.”
“Victor, I don’t think that is such a good idea.”
“I don’t care if it is a good idea or not. I need this Olivia. Please.” I slip my hands around her waist and look her in the eyes pleading.
“Just one.”
I don’t even wait a second after she says that. My lips are on hers. I feel her tense for a second, but then she relaxes. I deepen the kiss. I need this. I know I won’t be the same after, but I really don’t care. I can’t live the rest of my life without this kiss. I am lost, I don’t even know how long it is before we break. I just want to stay there, looking into those eyes forever.
Then I hear a growl behind me. I turn to look, blocking Olivia with my body.
There in the doorway stands Hector. I have never seen him this pissed.
“Why does everyone keep putting their mouth on what is mine?”
I glare at him. “Hector, you need to leave now. She isn’t yours. Get out, that is your Alpha’s order.”
He glares back at me but he leaves, he can’t disobey me, I am his Alpha.
“We need to go.” Olivia bends to get her bag.
“Olivia, I really am sorry.”
“I know. I just really don’t know where that leaves us. I think it might be too late. Besides, your father would never accept me anyway. Like you said I can never be Luna.” She turns from me and heads to the door. I grab the other bags and follow her.
We climbed back in the car. I can’t keep quiet now. Time is running out. I can’t just let her go.
“I don’t care what my father thinks. I know I love you. I always have. Please at least be my friend again. Please I can’t just let you slip out of my life forever. I know I fucked up, and I fucked up big I know. Please just tell me you will be my friend. At least give me that.”
“Victor, I can’t just forget what you did.” I am waiting for more. She can’t not want anything to do with me. “But I can forgive. I will give you a chance to be my friend. But I swear, one fuck up and you are out of my life for good.” She smiles at me.
“Can you do one more thing for me?”
“What?”
“Don’t swear to the Black Forest Pack yet. I know you will, just don’t do it yet please. I still want to feel connected to you a little longer.”
“What is waiting going to do?”
“I will be able to speak to you through the link for a little longer. Just like when we were kids. I won’t pull you back I swear. I will give you your freedom.”
“As long as you don’t pull that Alpha order crap on me I guess I can do that for now.” She smiles at me.
“Have I ever made you take an Alpha order? I would never force anything on you.”
“Except that first kiss.”
“I couldn’t help it. You were just so cute over there. I promised I wouldn’t force my kiss on you again. I won’t. I may ask again, just a warning.”
“Well, you never were one to follow your own rules.”
“What are you talking about? I always follow the rules.”
“Yeah right like that time we raced through the woods and you took that ‘shortcut’.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t take shortcuts.”
“It is implied in a fair race.”
“You know I just didn’t want you to win.”
“Yeah I could beat you now no problem.”
“Sure, I’ll race you again, but I get to pick the stakes.” I raise my eyes suggestively.
“Yeah, right Alpha boy. Like you would win anyway.”
“Maybe if there was the right prize at the end.”
“Funny, I will tell you one thing, I am glad to have my friend back.”
I reach over and put my hand on her thigh. “Me too. I have missed you. You are the one person who never took my shit. You called me on everything. You make me a better person. I will be making some changes in this pack because of you. Just so you know. I will also deal with Hector. I will make sure that everyone knows what a liar he is.”
“I appreciate it. I would like to not have to walk through campus with people behind me talking about what a slut I am.”
“Why did you sleep with him in the first place?”
“It seemed like that was what he wanted. Like it was going to make us closer as mates. I wanted to be happy with my mate. Even if I was disappointed in who it was. I didn’t really even know him. I just thought that he was my mate, and so many people don’t have their mates anymore. I thought I had to do whatever it takes to keep mine.”
“Maybe you were supposed to reject him.”
“Yeah, if I did then I would be the bitch. I know how that works. I don’t have any regrets. OK, maybe letting Hector be my first but I can’t take it back so no use crying over it.”
“Hector was the first?”
“And only.”
“Well, I can fix that.”
“No thanks. I am not sure I ever want to do that again. It didn’t end so well the first time.”
“So that’s all I need to do to get you out of my system. Get you in my bedroom.” I look at her thoughtfully.
“You are full of jokes today.”
“Yeah, I’m a laughing riot. I am laughing through the pain.” I look out the window. How did we get to the border so quickly? No, this time can’t be over. Not yet.
“I guess this is it. I will see you tomorrow though.” She smiles at me.
“Give me a hug before I get out.” I lean across the car to her.
She leans back and hugs me. I hold on to her a little longer than I should have. I really don’t care anymore. I can hear Peter and Benjamin growling at me, I smile, they have a little more competition than they thought.
I climb out of the car and head over to them. “She has her stuff. See you boys tomorrow.”
“What does that mean?” Peter growls.
“We made up. She is going to be my friend again. You will have to deal with me being around. I am not going to let her go without a fight.” I smirk at the two wolves in front of me. “Good luck boys.”
I turn back to Olivia and look at her through the window. “I will be seeing you too. I am not losing you without a fight.” I link to her.
“Victor friends, first.” She links back and then I can see her shake her head.
“You didn’t say no.” I link back. I show her a big toothy grin. “As long as there is still a chance then I will be here.”
I stand there and watch her drive away with those two behind her. “The game is on.”