The Rogue's Redemption: His Scarred Mate

Zodiac POV. “Mommy, daddy, what’s wrong with her face?” I tilt my head slightly up to see the curious, inquisitive little boy. I see his blonde head peek out from behind his mother as he clutches her leg. My good eye scans slowly up the leggings of a woman before my gaze lands on the swell of her belly. My wolf hearing picking up on the beating of the heart of the baby safely nestled within its mom. The woman has a perfect blemish free smooth face. Her blue eyes are wide with shock or is that embarrassment? Her shoulder length highlighted blonde hair sits perfectly straight on her shoulder. On top of her head sits a sand-coloured hat. She mouths the words, I’m sorry. What is she sorry for? It’s not like she did this to me. My gaze moves from her to the strong, muscular man who clutches his woman to his side. I say nothing. I do nothing. This is nothing new for me. I know how I look to everyone. I’m a hideous monster, bearing the scars of my shame. I lower my head and pull the hood of my hoodie lower. Paying the family of three no mind. That was meant to be me once upon a time. My seemingly happy life turned to s**t sixteen years ago. I was eight back then, happy, carefree, amongst a family and pack that loved me. But not anymore. The memory comes forward. My hands ball tightly into fists in my leather jacket pockets. My claws piercing the soft flesh of my palms. My finger tips slick and warm with blood as the memory of that day plays in my head. FLASHBACK! “Zoe, can we play now, pwease?” I place my pen down after I have just finished my homework. I look up at my three-year-old little sister Meghan as she looks at me with her doe eyes and her dark hair in little pig-tails. “Ok, come on sweetpea.” I say, standing from our kitchen table and offer Meghan my hand. She smiles her toothy grin and takes my hand as I lead her out to the back garden to play. We run around playing tag, going up and down the slide, playing on the swing and finally playing with her pink ball. We are laughing and having fun. “Girls, dinner is nearly ready. Come inside and wash up. Daddy will be out of the shower soon.” Mom calls from the back door. Our parents are the beta pair of the pack. “Coming mom.” I shout before I turn, smiling only for the smile to freeze on my face. My eyes widen, taking in the black wolf that is slowly stalking towards me and my sister. I take Meghan’s hand in mine, not taking my eyes from this unfamiliar wolf. “Meghan, when I tell you to run, you run and get mommy and daddy. Ok?” I say as I have Meghan behind me as I take slow steps back. “I scared Zoe.” She mumbles and I keep pushing us backwards. “I know, sweetpea. Please do what I say. Ok?” I say, not blinking, just staring this predator down. “Okay.” Meghan mumbles. “RUN!” I shout. Turning, I shove my sister, and she takes off running screaming for mom and dad. I turn around only to see the large black wolf, jaws open, paws raised, as his razor-sharp claws swipes across my face. I scream as I hit the grass. My vision blind and blood pooling. The burning, raw pain is unbearable. I try to move. My mom screams. I stare at my little sister, who is laying face down on the grass, her back ripped open, her dead eyes looking right at me. A sob works up my throat when a silver grey blur, my dad, attacks the black wolf. Just as the sirens blast. Signalling rogues. I woke weeks later in the hospital. The right side of my face felt tight, yet numb. I couldn’t open my eye. My mom sobbing next to my bed, holding my hand. I became a recluse, refused to leave the house. The pack shunned me, my scars hideous. The alpha’s son, Lucas Ferrell, was my best friend, but even he turned his back on me. My life was lonely. I blamed myself for what happened that day. If I didn’t play outside, if I got Meghan inside sooner. Then my little sweetpea and dad wouldn’t be dead. I would leave the house at night just so I wouldn’t see anyone. Mom had abandoned me for her second chance mate when I was sixteen. The gamma. I was all alone. Just me with my guilt, my rage, my scars. Then on the night of my eighteen birthday, I was in the woods when I caught the scent of my mate. Most wolves receive not only their fated mates but their wolves when they turn eighteen. No one knew I already received my wolf on my sixteenth birthday. She is beautiful. Her fur is as white as snow with tiny silver flecks that make her fur shine like thousands of tiny diamonds. We grow up hearing stories about how your mate will love you unconditionally, they will protect you and be there for you. Or so I thought. It turned out Lucas, my ex-best friend and future alpha, was my mate. I hoped everything would be ok. I was naïve and stupid. He came to me and asked me to meet him at the packhouse because he wanted to talk and to show me something. I went with him. We went up to his room. I was so happy, finally I would be able to feel some kind of normalcy. Boy, was I wrong. He opened his bedroom door, and I stepped inside, smiling like an i***t, only to stop in my tracks. There was a naked woman on his bed. “You will stay, you will watch. You will never be luna. You are too f*****g weak and honestly Zodiac, who would want you? You make me sick.” The bastard commanded me to stay. I watched as he mated her. I screamed, feeling the pain. But couldn’t run, I had to endure it, hours and hours of pain. My stomach was black with bruises from his betrayal. When he marked her. I couldn’t see out of my good eye for the tears, but they weren’t from heart break they were from blind rage. “I, future alpha Lucas Ferrell, hereby reject you Zodiac Jones as my mate and luna. You are not worthy of the title. You are not worthy of me, my pack, or anyone. You are nothing but a dead-eyed, scarred freak.” He spat and the woman who he is now his mate laughed before she lowered her head and started to suck his c**k. “I, Zodiac Jones, accept your rejection, future alpha Lucas Ferrell. I Zodiac Jones, hereby reject the silver claw pack as my pack. I declare myself my a lone wolf.” I say my head high, not allowing the pain of the rejection and my declaration as a lone wolf to show it hurts me. Wolves around the pack howl as I give one last look at Lucas before shifting into my white and silver wolf and dart out of the packhouse and towards the treeline to the border. Never to return again. END OF FLASHBACK! I declared that day I would hunt the rogue that destroyed my life. I would show them no mercy. I am no longer Zodiac “Zoe” Jones. I now go by the name of Berserker. My wolf, she is called Ċarnage and together we are the ones who the packs call when they have a rogue problem. Something warm drips from my chin. I unclench my fists to see the wounds heal before I wipe my cheek and chuckle, tears. The first I have shed since the day I left six years ago. This is my life now. For I am not only scarred physically because of some rogue, but I am scarred emotionally and mentally. But what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. “Are you the rogue hunter, Berserker?” I turn my head to the man who is standing in a dark suit and he reeks of pack. His hair slicked back as he stands tall and imposing in the fresh powder-like snow. That is why I am here. To meet the representative of the pack that is not far from here. The River Wood Pack. “Whose askin?” I ask, not looking at him. I turn my gaze to the frozen lake in the middle of the park. “I am gamma Trevor of the River Wood Pack. My alpha, alpha Colton Reed, has sent me to get your assistance with a rogue problem we are having. We will pay you handsomely,” Gamma Trevor says and I smirk before I stand and lift my face higher. “Lead the way.” Maybe this time I will find the bastard who destroyed my life and I will rip him to shreds.