*Author's Note* This is a flash back chapter to explain Ella & Victor's relationship. I hope it explain a bit more for the readers who are a bit confused. I usually don't write chapter by chapter, so this kind of explains why the story might seem a bit jumpy.
I am glad to write extra chapters to explain the characters more.
Thank you again for you positive feedback.
CHAPTER 4
She was cold. She could hear voices, and knew she was safe but she was confused. She sensed her wolf in the corner of her mind, hiding. She remembered when she was a young girl, how she and her wolf would play, and how she knew she could shift before all of the other kids. Then it ended.
She remembered the man who threatened to kill her wolf. Then she remembered nothing at all. She hated this. She wished she could go back to before she had met Jake.
Jake. He was another problem. She knew he had bit her, tried to mate with her, but she didn't want too. Her wolf claimed he was their mate, but Ella didn't really feel it. She had attraction for him, and felt safe when he held her, but to go and call him her mate. She felt she couldn't do that.
She liked Victor. She smiled as she thought of him, just as her wolf growled. If she could choose she would pick Victor over Jake. But right now it wasn't her choice. The Alpha said she was Jake's mate, Jake said it, and her wolf. But wasn't she supposed to say it too?
The feelings she had for Jake came from her wolf, not her. She knew it now. Now that they were two separate beings again.
I'm sorry. She said to her wolf. I don't want him as a mate.
But he is our mate! The wolf claimed.
How can you not see that? Why aren't you feeling it?
I don't know!
She didn't know, and that was what was most confusing. Looking back over the past month, she realized what a bitch she had been to Jake. All he wanted to do was love her, but instead of just rejecting him, she led him on. Now she was half mated to a man she didn't want.
She wanted Victor. But Victor wasn't her true mate either.
She had met Victor the first day that she had been in the Pack House. She had woken up in Jake's bed, in his room, and felt odd. Her bags were at the door, still packed. The Alpha told her to move in, and make herself comfortable. She was anything but.
She had gotten up, dressed, then ran out of that room as fast as she could. She would ask the Alpha for a different room, something that was hers and not Jake's.
She had headed down stairs for breakfast, to the main cafeteria, and ran into her friend Olly.
"Hey Ella, Feeling better?" Oliver asked as she smiled at her.
"I guess so," Ella said, looking at her feet.
"Hey, cheer up," Olly said. "Look, I don't know what is between you and Beta Jake, but I won't say anything to anyone. Why don't you come eat with us," He motioned to some wolves about her age sitting at a table together.
"Sure, thank you, Olly." Ella smiled at him. In school he was one of the only ones who didn't make fun of her. He didn't stop it, but he never joined in.
The walked over to the table, and Olly put his arm around Ella. "Hey gang, this is Ella, she just moved into the Pack House. Turned 18 yesterday..." A mutter of Happy Birthday's ran around the table. "Ella, this is Dorothy, Kevin, Joe, Julie and Victor." He introduced each person. "We are all Beta's in training. Do you what you're gonna be?"
"I dunno," Ella said. She was just a human. Would probably be an Omega if she had a wolf.
"Come sit down here," a deep sexy voice said. Ella turned and looked at the one Olly introduced as Victor. He had long black hair, bright green eyes, and a smile that made her knees weak.
"Thank you," Ella said as she sat down beside Victor, who smiled at her. He had a wonderful smile.
Soon Olly put some food in front of her, and they all started to eat. This was honestly the first time that she had ever felt accepted. She liked her new friends, she didn't want to lose them. Having a 30 year old mate, who was their superior, might? She wanted to keep that secret. Pretend he didn't exist. Until he was out of the Rogue Cave, she could do that, as terrible as it was.
She ate dinner with them that night, then they all went to the media room to watch a movie. Victor ended up sitting beside her and put his arm around her. She blushed. He touch felt nice. Not the tingling that Jake's touch had, but she liked it better. This made her sure that Jake was not her mate. What she was doing was just fine. Unmated wolves could date who they wanted. She was unmated.
After the movie he had walked her back to her room. He didn't even question why she was staying in Jake's room. The house was full, from the pack members who needed a place to stay while their homes were being fixed. Jake was away, and it was an empty room. Hopefully that's what he would think.
He gave her a kiss goodbye, then left, like a perfect gentleman. Ella leaned against the door smiling as she watched him go down the stairs, then he paused and looked back at her. "Dinner tomorrow? We can go into town?"
"Sure," she said with a smile. He smiled back and headed down the stairs.
Ella walked into the room, and laid down on her bed. Her thoughts were far from Jake. She was only thinking of Victor.
****
Jake laid on the cold ground, trying to sleep. He was hungry. They had barely given him enough food. He tried to get a message to the Alpha, but it was blocked. He closed his eyes and thought of Ella. He felt her. She was happy. That made him happy. If he had known the reason for her being happy, it would have killed him.
****
For the couple weeks, Victor took Ella out almost every night. They went to dinner, to the movies, to a club, to a play, and her favourite, a walk in the park. Surrounded by humans, not wolves. He bought her ice cream, and they talked about their future and their past.
She told him about how she had no wolf, and that made her feel like an outsider. He told her that his mate had died last year, in child birth. This was sad but brought her hope. His mate was gone, so he was allowed to mate with another wolf. She didn't tell him that part though, and she left out the part about Jake claiming she was his mate.
The more time she spent around Victor, then more she was falling in love with him. They more she knew that Jake was not her mate, that when he was released she would reject him, then hopefully she could be with Victor.
When she got home that night, she went to her new room. Once the pack members started to move back to their homes, a room opened, and Alpha let her stay there, he warned it was just until Jake was free, and they mated. She didn't tell him she didn't intend to mate with Jake.
The moment she opened the door, she felt nervous. The Alpha was standing in her room, frowning at her.
"I have been busy this past week, since my Luna has given me a daughter," he said.
"Yes, congratulations," Ella said as she put down her back.
"Tell me, Ella, why are you being seen with a young wolf, I believe his name is Victor, when your mate is locked up."
"I don't want Jake as a mate," Ella said. "I don't feel it like he does."
"That is impossible!" The Alpha roared, Ella stepped back. "I saw you in his arms, you were attracted to him."
"Yes, he's a good looking man, but I don't love him. I don't feel the love. I'm falling in love with someone else." She said.
"Unacceptable!" the Alpha shouted. "Look at me!" He commanded as her took her head between his hands. "You will not see any unmated wolf again! You will have no contact with them. You will keep yourself pure for Jake. This is an order, as your Alpha do you understand!"
Ella nodded.
The Alpha let her go. "I will talk to the unmated male wolves as well, to keep them off you."
"No, please don't!" Ella begged. "They see me as a friend. I don't want them to know about all this until he's free."
"Very well. But I better not see you with another wolf." He turned and walked out.
Ella fell to her knees. He had given her an Alpha Command. She thought about it, thought about Jake, and then thought about Victor. Her feelings hadn't changed. She wondered if she would feel differently in the morning when she saw him.
****
Jake paced the Rogue Cave. He was missing her. He had become so attached to her after... He didn't know how much time had passed. He felt that she was scared, then confused. He hoped she was okay. He knew the Alpha would take care of her. He had promised.
