Chapter 10 The Injured Wolf

Lily's POV

The "Midnight"—the most diluted version of Shadow Brew—was everywhere, staining my skin and clothes with its blood-like color.

The crowd roared with laughter. Through the red haze, I saw Blake smirking, an empty glass dangling from his fingers.

"That's our welcome gift for uninvited little guest," he announced to uproarious applause. "Consider yourself properly initiated into the Dark Moon experience."

Tears mixed with the sticky liquid on my face. I tried to wipe it away, but only succeeded in smearing it across my cheeks. People were pointing, laughing, some even pulling out phones to capture my humiliation.

I stumbled backward, desperate to escape. The mocking laughter followed me as I pushed through the crowd, red droplets marking my path. Each one felt like a piece of my dignity shattering on the floor.

"Aww, is the little flower wilting already?" someone called out, triggering another wave of laughter.

I didn't look back, didn't stop. All I wanted was to reach the exit, to escape this nightmare. The red liquid dripped from my hair down my neck, each cold drop a reminder of my foolishness.

The crowd seemed to deliberately block my way, forcing me to squeeze between bodies, enduring their jeers and mockery. The door seemed miles away, but I kept pushing forward, tears blurring my vision.

Finally, my hand reached out for the exit, just inches from grasping the handle and freedom.

That's when the door exploded inward with such force that the entire frame shuddered. The laughter cut off instantly, replaced by stunned silence.

I looked up through my red-stained vision to see a woman standing in the doorway, her presence commanding absolute attention. The expression on her face was enough to freeze the blood in my veins—and apparently everyone else's too.

In the sudden silence, I could hear my own heart pounding as I wondered who had just entered the Dark Moon Tavern with such dramatic timing, and why everyone—including Alpha Blake—suddenly looked so concerned.

She was tall, statuesque even, with blonde hair pulled back in a severe style that accentuated her sharp cheekbones. Her clothes screamed money—designer jeans, leather boots, and a white cashmere sweater that made my stained delivery uniform look even more pathetic.

But it wasn't her appearance that silenced the room. It was the power radiating from her—the unmistakable aura of an Alpha female.

"I heard there's a little bitch trying to steal my man," she announced, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. Her eyes scanned the room before locking onto me, covered in red Midnight. "Is that her?"

The mohawk guy who'd been laughing the loudest moments before practically tripped over himself rushing forward.

"Mrs. Stone!" His voice had lost all its previous mockery. "Alpha Blake was just having some fun with the pack. Nothing serious."

Mrs. Stone?

My stomach plummeted. Through the sticky bangs plastered to my forehead, I watched Blake casually make his way toward the woman. There was no hesitation in his movements, no guilt, no shame—just the confident stride of a man approaching his property.

His mate.

My wolf, who had been frantically pacing inside me at the moment Blake poured the Midnight on my head, let out a sudden pained whimper that echoed through my chest. The abrupt distress was so jarring I almost gasped aloud. I'd never felt her in such agony before, like something vital had been wounded.

"Katelyn," Blake said, his voice warm with affection as he reached the woman. "I wasn't expecting you tonight."

Without warning, he pulled her into a deep, possessive kiss right in front of me—in front of everyone. The pack members whooped and cheered. I stood frozen, sticky with Midnight, watching my supposed mate claim another woman's lips.

"This flower delivery girl seems to have developed a crush on me," Blake explained after they separated, nodding dismissively in my direction. "As if I would ever betray you for someone like her, darling."

The cold indifference in his voice hurt worse than if he'd slapped me. I felt a sharp pain in my chest, like something breaking. My wolf howled in anguish deep inside me, a mournful sound that no one else could hear.

Katelyn's eyes narrowed as she took in my disheveled appearance. "She looks like she's been swimming in Midnight. Was she trying to get your attention, Blake?"

"I—" I tried to explain, but my voice came out as a pathetic squeak.

"Shut up," Katelyn snapped, stepping closer. The crowd parted like the Red Sea before her. "I asked my mate a question, not you."

Mate. The word was a knife to my heart.

Blake shrugged. "She showed up uninvited. Said something crazy about being my true mate." He laughed, and others joined in. "Can you believe that shit? As if I'd be paired with a nobody flower delivery girl."

The look of fury that crossed Katelyn's face made me instinctively step back, but I wasn't fast enough. Her hand shot out, the crack of her palm against my cheek echoing through the suddenly silent room.

"You little bitch," she hissed, her face inches from mine. "You think you can just walk in here and claim my mate?"

Inside me, my wolf's cries intensified—each one more agonized than the last. The pain was unlike anything I'd experienced, a tearing sensation that radiated from my core. I could feel her thrashing, wounded by something I couldn't see but could definitely feel.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "I didn't know—"

"Of course she didn't know," a female voice called out from the crowd. "She's too insignificant to keep up with pack politics. Probably doesn't even know what a Luna is!"

Fresh laughter erupted. Through blurry eyes, I saw Blake smirking with his arm around Katelyn's waist.

"Pathetic," another woman said. "Thinking she could steal the Alpha from our Luna."

I couldn't breathe. The smell of Midnight was suffocating me, bringing back memories of my father—of finding him passed out night after night, surrounded by empty bottles, the same red liquid staining his clothes. The same liquid that had destroyed our family, that had made my mother leave.

And now it was destroying me too, but in a different way.

"I didn't—" I tried again, the words catching in my throat. "I just felt—"

"I don't care what you felt," Katelyn snarled, shoving me backward. I stumbled and fell, landing hard on the sticky floor. "Stay away from my mate, or I'll make sure you never deliver another fucking flower in this town again."

I nodded frantically, just wanting to escape. My wolf's pain was becoming unbearable, each ragged howl weaker than the last. I'd never felt her so injured, so vulnerable. I pressed a hand to my chest, as if I could somehow soothe her from outside.

Using the wall for support, I pulled myself up. No one offered to help. No one even looked sympathetic. They were all Blake's pack, and I was nothing to them.

Katelyn stepped aside, gesturing mockingly toward the door. "Run along now, little Omega. And if I ever see you near Blake again, a face full of Midnight will be the least of your worries."

I didn't need to be told twice. Clutching what remained of my dignity, I stumbled toward the exit, the laughter starting up again behind me. My chest hurt with each breath, a physical pain that matched the emotional one. My wolf's cries had become softer, more like whimpers of defeat.

The night air hit me like a slap as I burst outside, gulping it desperately. I started running, not caring where I was going, just needing to get away. The Midnight was drying on my skin, making it tight and itchy, but I barely noticed.

It's okay, I tried to reassure my wolf, though I knew it was a lie. We'll figure this out.

Her response was a feeble whimper that broke my heart all over again.

I ran blindly through the streets, tears blurring my vision. I'd never been a strong wolf—never participated much in pack activities because of my father's history with Shadow Brew. But my wolf had always been there, a quiet companion giving me strength when I needed it most.

Now she was hurting, wounded in ways I didn't understand but could certainly feel. Each step sent fresh waves of pain through my chest.

I didn't notice the footsteps behind me until I'd turned down a narrow alley—a shortcut to my apartment. Two sets of heavy footfalls, moving quickly.

"Hey, pretty thing," a rough voice called. "Why you running so fast?"