Mated to One, Wanted by Two

####TRIGGER WARNING:s****l ASSAULT#### As I sprinted down the dimly lit, echoing halls of the deserted high school, the sound of footsteps reverberated unnervingly behind me. Suddenly, I collided with something solid that stopped me in my tracks. The impact might have sent me sprawling to the ground if not for a pair of strong arms that caught me mid-fall, steadying me against their grip. I looked up, my breath hitching in my throat as I found myself face to face with the very man I was trying to escape—Luca. His face was twisted into a malevolent grin, a look that sent shivers down my spine as he forcibly propelled me toward an empty classroom. The door slammed behind us as I stumbled into the room, colliding with a desk that jutted out unexpectedly. I quickly regained my balance and turned, only to find Luca standing there, his presence looming ominously. My eyes widened in terror as I noticed his friends—Joseph, Mason, and Julian—were also grouped together in the dim light of the classroom, their expressions unreadable. Mason approached the door deliberately, the soft click of the lock echoing in the silence, sealing off any chance of escape. Meanwhile, Luca advanced toward me, a smirk playing on his lips as he reached out, gripping my hair and forcing my gaze upward, his eyes narrowing. “What do you want from me?” My voice trembling as the reality of my situation settled in around me like a heavy fog. “You know exactly what I want. Get on your knees, trash.” He growled, starting to unzip his jeans. “Please, don’t.” I pleaded. “You’re going to do me and then Joseph and Mason and Julian. Now get on your f*****g knees.” He demanded, pulling me downwards by my hair until I was on my knees. ************* I jolted awake in a cold sweat, the remnants of a nightmare clinging to me like a chilling fog. As I frantically looked around my familiar surroundings, I was grateful to find myself in my safe bedroom in Shreveport, far removed from the haunting memories of the wolf pack and the menacing Alpha’s son who had invaded my dreams. The persistent ringing of my phone beside the bed finally broke through the haze of my panic, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart as I reached for the device. The name blinking on the screen was a comforting sight: Lily, my best friend who had anchored me in this human world we now called home. “Hello?” I answered, my voice still laced with remnants of sleep. “Hi. Is everything alright?” “Yeah. Why?” I asked, trying to shake off the lingering unease from my dream. “Because this is the third time I’ve tried to call. You never miss my calls.” “Yeah, sorry. I fell asleep,” I admitted, glancing around my room at the chaotic scene—school books strewn across the bed like leaves caught in a storm. “s**t. Sorry. Are you trying to get that assignment finished?” “Trying to. Not having much luck right now,” “Well, I have some exciting news.”Lily said, her voice brightening. “What?” I asked, curiosity piqued, as I leaned back against my headboard, attentive. “You know Tate at school?” “Of course I do. Everyone does.” His popularity and charm were undeniable—he was the kind of guy who turned heads and stirred whispers in the hallway. “He was asking me questions about you today. He wants to ask you out.” “Really? I had no idea he was interested in me,” I said, surprised. The thought of Tate, with his effortless charisma, having a crush on me was both flattering and confusing. “I think you should call him,” “Are you sure?” I hesitated, the idea pulling at nerves I didn’t know I had. “Yeah. Don’t worry about me. We were just fooling around. But I think you should go for him. He’s a good guy,” she assured me, her encouragement wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. “And you’re a good friend. I’ll think about it.” “I better go. my mom’s been such a pain in the ass. Let me know how it goes with Tate!” she replied with a hint of excitement. “Thanks, I will.” With the phone in hand, I glanced down at my clothes, drenched in a cold sweat, as I remained haunted by the vivid recollection of my nightmare. If only it were just that—a nightmare—but the reality was far more unsettling. My mother had become pregnant with me at just sixteen, and from what I could gather, my father was not her mate. I had never met him, and my mother didn't speak of him, but the shadow of his absence loomed large over my existence. When I was born, my mother faced the scorn of our pack, ostracized not just by them but by her own family as well. We had been forced to live in a dilapidated trailer in the forest, exiled as if we were pariahs. Yet, my mother fought against the odds; she put herself through high school, college, and then med school as a single mother against a tide of adversity. I respected her bravery more than anyone else in the world, and despite her long hours, she remained my confidante and my unwavering support. We had fled from the pack three years ago, sneaking away under the cover of night. Living in the human world had its challenges, but it also brought us solace and safety—an undeniable improvement after our tumultuous past. However, the path that led us here was not devoid of pain; I was still haunted by the memories of cruel kids bullying me at school, and my mother’s desperate decision to escape came as a result of that heartache. Not to mention, knowing that we are being hunted and have been for the last three years, while we have tried to create normal lives for ourselves. Shaking off the ghosts of the past, I changed out of my soaked clothes and padded down to the kitchen, my stomach rumbling in protest. I rummaged through the fridge and grabbed a bottle of juice. As I strode toward the glass-fronted cabinets, ready to pour myself a glass, something in the corner of my eye made me freeze. A reflection—a man standing ominously behind me. I spun around, heart racing, to see him smirking at me, his canines gleaming menacingly. Just as shock coursed through me, another man entered the room, his presence amplifying the dread that surged in my chest. “Alpha Jackson has been looking for you for three years. You aren’t going to believe how happy he will be,” one of them declared, his words sinking in like a stone in my gut.