Forever (Book 1) (Editing)

Chapter Thirty Four

I sat at the edge of the pool with my feet encompassed by the cool water. Just like I'd told Colt I'd taken a run and found my feet leading me to the cave once again. Something always seemed to be drawing me here when I found myself upset. This place always offered comfort to me, it made me feel safe and as if I really belonged somewhere. Sure Colt and I were on good terms and if I was completely honest he comforted me more than this place did, but I just couldn’t bring myself to be around him right now. It wasn’t his fault that the pack didn’t give me the respect they should. In all fairness they shouldn’t have to. Respect, or rather their trust, should be earned and although werewolf law states differently, it’s unfair to expect them to take a ‘mere human’ as the alpha female.

That was only the small thing that was bothering me. The larger fact was that I know knew how true Liam’s words had been earlier in the hall. Even if I could manage to repair the damage between he and Greg and Colt, the rest of the pack would never accept him as a person, let alone my best friend. They would always be sure to make him feel unwelcomed and as though he had no right to be a part of their lives. Sure Liam meant a lot to me but to the rest of them, he’d always just be the fairy boy of the town. It broke my heart to know that they didn’t accept others who were different, when they too were different from the majority within this world.

I grew up in a human world where people who were different were still accepted by some. Sure even they didn’t always accept those who were different but I’d assumed the werewolf population would be different. They were supposed to be the protectors of the human world. They were supposed to accept those who were different seeing as they were different themselves. I realised while sitting with them at lunch, I was expecting too much of them. They were no different than the ignorant population that filled this realm.

Sighing, I once again reached up to wipe away the stray tear that slid its way down my cheek. I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to sit here and feel a section of my heart break for what was becoming my life. Liam was the first real friend I’d ever made. He was the first person I was ever able to be honest with aside from my aunt. He was the first person to ever accept me, all of me. Sure a few weeks ago I hadn’t wanted friends in this town, I’d been content to live the lonely existence that had been my life. Then Liam had come into it and everything began to change. Greg and Colt had become a part of me as well.

 I didn’t want to just accept that Liam and I couldn’t be friends. I didn’t want to just sit back and let him willingly walk away. Friends are supposed to stick by each other and I hadn’t done anything wrong to have him not want me to be a part of his life. He knew about the wolves of the town, he knew there was little choice when it came to mates. Sure I’d kept him in the dark over some of the facts but I’d done so because I’d thought it was the right thing to do. He should be happy that I’d accepted my mate, that I was willing to give what the fates had determined a chance. I still needed Liam though. He was the one who I could talk to about it.

I couldn’t help but wonder that if the wolves found it so hard to accept Liam because of his differences, then how would they react to me when they learned that I wasn’t what they thought? When they learned that I was an absorber as well as a werewolf. Or better yet, that I was royalty. At lunch today I’d been more than tempted to tell them just that. To throw it in their face that I myself was different. The only thing that stopped me from doing so was that I knew Colt would’ve been disappointed, as well as the current Alphas. To have done something like that would’ve shown them all that I wasn’t ready to accept what the fates that had dealt me. To have said what had wanted so badly to slip from my lips would’ve shown them all that I wasn’t worthy of their respect and that I allowed my emotions to rule my judgement.

It killed me that Liam had made me choose between him and Colt. He knew in the end my choice wouldn’t have been him. I couldn’t turn from my mate. Not now that he’d claimed me, now that I wore his mark like a tattoo branded on my neck. I didn’t want to lose the friendship we had though and I needed to think of a way to get it back. I needed to come up with some way that I could have both. Colt held the biggest chunk of my heart but Liam held a part of it as well. He was my best friend.