Cami

"Sit down, Cami." I'm nervous; that tends to happen when you're called into the ex-Luna's office at six in the morning. I'm sitting in front of her in nothing but a pair of flannel pajamas, and my hair is still in a messy bun. As always, Beatrice is dressed impeccably. Her pale pink skirt suit, kitten heels, and hair pulled into a tight grey bun all scream ‘lady in charge'.

"I was told you needed to see me; the sooner the better." My voice wobbles as I pluck at my pajama bottoms; as an Omega, I'm not used to being in front of the Luna. Our Alpha died last month, so her son is going to be sworn in on the next full moon. A son I've been seeing for the previous six months, ever since I first shifted and learned he was my fated mate. I'm nothing but a servant in the eyes of the Pack, so we've had to be discreet until Kol could be made Alpha and deem us Omegas as worthy. It's not unheard of for an Alpha to do this, but it's rare. Omegas are at the bottom of the Pack for a reason. We're weaker and softer and often need a male to protect us from the people who mean us harm. It's not like we're beaten or abused; we just aren't seen.

"Kol told me about his intention to mate you. I thought it was about time we met." I try to hide my surprise as my head flies up to look at Beatrice; her face is pinched like she's smelled something awful. Kol talked about telling his mother about me, but I had no idea he planned to do it this soon.

"I love your son, Luna Beatrice." Technically she's not a Luna right now, but I figure showing her disrespect while sitting in what I can only describe as an old lady's den would be a big mistake.

"You're not who I would have picked for my son, but fate has spoken. We'll begin your training immediately." Beatrice says as she looks down at the small gold watch on her wrist, "Now go home, shower thoroughly, and come back appropriately dressed. Remember, a Luna must always seem composed." I lick my lips nervously as I wipe my sweat-drenched hands down my flannel pajamas. Getting up for the chair, I give her a small respectful bow and head for the door. "Speedy now, Camille." I repress a shiver as I open the door and quickly step through. I hate my full name; my mother always used it when I was in trouble. Now that she's gone, I'm known simply as Cami.

The Pack House is quiet as I make my way down the long hall to the back door; the front door is closer, but as an Omega, I'm not permitted to use it. Being an Omega has never really bothered me; it's just who I am, and I've never seen myself as less. Kol has never treated me any differently; he was standing off to the side when I first shifted, and as my wolf made her way to him, he just stood still while she took her fill of his scent. He never once suggested we couldn't mate; he even made me wait until I officially turned nineteen before we had sex. Our relationship has only been kept secret because of our hard Alpha; he's the one who fed this whole ‘Omegas are less' theory.

"Where in the name of all the shifter gods have you been, Camille Dunn?" I nearly jump out of my skin as I push in the door to the Omega housing; it's at the back of the Pack House and as far from the rest of the Pack as possible. No one wants to live next door to the people who clean your toilets. Robin is standing next to the kitchen sink with a coffee mug in hand, his chest bare, a pair of grey sweats hanging low on his hips, and his deep red hair sticking up in every direction.

"You scared the crap out of me." I hiss as I carefully close the door. I tiptoe over to him and snatch the mug. The Omega housing is home to four female Omegas and Robin, the Pack's only male Omega. Me and Robin get on like a duck in water, but the other Omegas will stab you in the back to get the attention of a higher-ranking Pack member. When the full moon comes out and they shift, they strut around praying to everything above that someone will notice them and claim them as mates.

"Scared you? I wake up and your bedroom door is open—no note, no call, no smoke signal. Be honest, did that naughty Alpha keep you out all night?" He wiggles his eyebrows at me as I take a sip of his coffee; it's lukewarm, which means he's been standing here waiting for me for a while now.

"Shush," I growl at him as I pass him the coffee. The other Omegas don't know about my mate yet; they would only torment me for getting a high-valued mate. I don't see Kol as a prize, but they do.

"Alright, spill it before skank one, two, and three get up and start screeching about how I stole the last of the creamer." I press my lips together to stop myself from laughing; Robin is always messing with the other Omegas. Last week they broke the lock to the bathroom door while I was in the shower; later that night each female found wolfsbane in their shampoo. They cried for hours as their scalps itched; it didn't do them any long-term harm; it only seriously hurts us if we ingest it.

"The old bag wanted to see me." I keep my voice low because I can hear someone walking around upstairs; the last thing I need is one of them overhearing me. Robin's eyes flick to the ceiling as he dumps his coffee in the sink and flips on the faucet. It won't do much to hide our conversation, but someone will need to listen hard to overhear us.

"What did she want at six in the morning?" He whispers as he leans closer to me; if anyone walked in, they would think we were up to no good. Being this close together and Robin barely being dressed, good job my mate hasn't shown any jealous tendencies, not that we spend much time together in the open.

"He told her about us." I purposefully speak cryptically because I hear the stairs creaking, which means our time is up. As soon as Florrie hits the bottom step, looking like a model in her skin-tight cleaning uniform I jog past her to head to my room. Robin plasters on a fake smile as he greets her, but his eyes never leave me. I can see the worry in them, but I refuse to acknowledge it.

Kol

Pulling the water from the sink I use my hands to throw it on my face, I should probably shower but I need to meet up with the Pack enforcers and then my Beta. Later tonight I have a meeting with my mate and for that to happen without interference I need Rock to keep my mother occupied. It's a dirty trick but one that's necessary when your mother won't stay out of your business. Patting my face dry I look in the mirror, I need a shave but Cami likes the scruff so I've been growing it out, my mother shows her displeasure with her pinched face each time I see her. My brown hair is damp and flopping just over my green eyes, I'm tired and the dark bags under my eyes are showing it for everyone to see. My father died last month, two days after the full moon so the Pack has been in turmoil since then. By shifter law, I can't take my rightful place as Alpha until I can stand under the full moon and say the oath.

"Kol are you still in bed?" I grit my teeth as I hear the bedroom door being opened with my mother's shrill voice echoing right through to my reasonably sized bathroom. Gripping the side of the sink I lower my head as I breathe deeply, it's something I have to do around my mother a lot. She has this way of getting under my skin, she means well but I don't think she ever really got the message that I grew up.

"Mother, what if I was naked?" I growl as I push myself off the sink and slam the bathroom door open, she's got one of Cami's t-shirts in her hand, her nose crinkled up as she holds it out on one finger like it's diseased. Cami showered the last time she was here and I gave her one of mine to put on, I didn't even realise it was still there. I mean what kind of twenty-three-year-old man needs to hide his mate's clothes?

"I've seen you naked many times, Kol. Are we letting the Omegas run free in the family home now?" She drops the shirt on the floor, I don't bother catching it. It's a shirt and I've learned over the years to pick my battles with my mother.

"You know Cami is my mate, the least you can do is show a little respect." I cross my arms over my chest as my mother glances around my room. I keep my space tidy but she always has a problem with what I do, she thinks I should be up in the Alpha room instead of here on the second floor. Little did she know that I had no desire to sleep in the room next to her or claim a room where my father took his last breath. I loved my father, but the loss hurt me, he was a hard-handed Alpha and I didn't understand nor respect all of his decisions but I was still closer to him than my mother. She's not cruel, she's just judgemental of everything. I'd come home with an ‘A' on a report from school and she would belittle me until I came home with an ‘A*'. Just little things but those little things built up over the years and created a bridge between us nothing can seem to cross.

"About that, are you aware that most Alphas have more than one mate? How about a party? We could get some single females in, see if any of those take your fancy." I shake my head before she's even finished speaking. I know Alphas can have more than one mate, I know one Alpha who claimed two females but that's not me. I love Cami, I've known she was mine since I was eighteen, waiting for her to shift and scent me was painful but it meant I got to watch her from a distance.

I watched as Cami worked night and day in the Pack House, stayed long into the night to cook baked goods, and then delivered them to the elderly Pack members. I saw her with Robin, her best friend, how they comforted each other as the other Omegas would torment them. Never once did she bite back, not my mate, she just held her head high as if she knew some secret they didn't. My mate is an Omega and she's perfect. I never bought into this whole ‘Omegas are weaker and therefore useless', they're just Pack members and unlike most, I can admit that without them other Pack members would suffer.

"There will be no party." I growl as I snatch up a dark blue t-shirt, I give it a quick sniff, it's clean enough so I pull it on, "Cami is my mate. Get used to it Mother," I stomp past her as I head for the door, "and don't go fucking with her either. I won't have my mate run off because of your games, no training, no lectures, nothing." I look over my shoulder and hold her eyes until she lowers her gaze and gives me a small nod. She might have been a Luna but I'm the Alpha now so she will show me respect and obedience when I demand it.

I don't slam my bedroom door but don't close it gently either, I don't worry about leaving her alone in my space. Anything of value or important information is kept with Rock, the only thing my mother will find in my room is a box of condoms and a pair of Cami's panties. Red lace, I bought her them for Valentine's Day, they were a treat to pull off of her milking skin.

"You're thinking dirty thoughts." Rock is leaning against the wall as I walk out of the Packhouse. He refuses to come in while my mother is there because she's as racist against black men as Omegas. Rock tries not to let it bother him but until I can officially put a stop to her behaviour he avoids her as much as possible. His family moved to a neighboring Pack when I was ten but Rock came back last month when my father died. We always knew it would be the two of us against the Pack and when I was old enough to sneak out we would meet halfway and train.

"Can't help it, you've seen her." I wink at Rock who throws his head back and laughs loudly, I never say Cami's name out loud. Until I'm Alpha I can't protect her, right now I'm just the Alpha Heir, and as much as I wish I could, I wouldn't be able to stop the Pack if they rebelled against Cami and the other Omegas.

"Warriors?" Rock asks as he pushes off the wall, we walk side by side out of the Pack House garden. Someone once told me that if we shared the same skin colour we could have been brothers but I don't see it. He's buffer than me, the muscles on his arms stretching his t-shirt to capacity and his jeans tighter on the thighs and waist than anywhere else.

"Yeah, let's go and get some fresh air. I need you to make sure my mother is busy tonight." Rock nods without hesitation and mumbles something about an enforcer owing him a favour, I can't help but feel sorry for that particular guy.

Cami

I hide my smile as I eat the food that was placed in front of me by Robin. I'm just waiting for the nod of approval, and then I'll be shooting off to go and meet Kol. We're going for a nighttime walk, which is something I'm excited about after a grueling day with his mother. Beatrice's idea of training was pointing out every way I'm not suitable to be a Luna—my nails are too short, my hair is dull, I slouch when I walk, I'm too short, my hips too narrow to carry an Alpha's child—the list just goes on and on until all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry.

"Cheer up silverlocks." I give Robin a small smile as he sits next to me at our small kitchen table; he's called me'silverlocks' since we were five. He told me we should be friends because I had hair that looked silver in the sun; it's not silver; it's just natural, pure white blonde.

"I'm going out soon," I whisper to him; he gives me a knowing nod before looking down at his food and shoveling it into his mouth. He's tiny with barely any body fat, but I swear he never stops eating; he told me once it's the joys of male Omega genes.

"Where are you going?" I feel my eyes widen in shock as Florrie flounces into the kitchen. I had no idea she was there; I didn't even think to check. It was reckless, and now I have to lie out of my ass. I've always been a bad liar. My mother used to tell me I give too many details and my face goes bright red. I was eleven, and now at nineteen I still can't lie.

"Work," I mutter as I keep pushing my food around the plate. I'm not hungry; I'm nervous as hell waiting for my time with Kol. It's the good kind of nervousness, though, the kind that makes you feel invincible and like you can do anything.

"We're all finished for the day, so where are you going?" Florrie asks as she pulls her red hair into a messy bun that settles on the top of her head and then starts looking in the fridge. Robin cooked enough just for the two of us, which I know won't sit well with the rest of the Omega house.

"Jesus, she has shit to do that's got nothing to do with you, Florrie." Robin growls as his phone beeps; he pulls it from his jeans and then glances at me; his small nod has me standing from the table. I barely hear Robin and Florrie growling at each other about boundaries as I grab my leather jacket and practically run from the house. The text would have been from Rock saying that Kol was on his way to meet me; I hate that we have to be so secretive. Four more days, that's all it is until the full moon, and then we can step out of the shadows.

It's cold and dark. I've been standing in the small clearing where I normally meet Kol for about three hours now. He never normally keeps me waiting; if he's going to be late, he tells me either by calling or by talking to Robin. I can't help but think something has happened. Maybe his mother had told him how useless I was today; I didn't think my Luna qualities mattered to Kol, but maybe I was wrong. He is an Alpha after all. I start walking in a circle as I rub my hands up and down my arms; the small leather jacket I've put on does nothing to keep the cold out. I figured I was going to be wrapped up in Kol by now, so I wasn't thinking about warmth when I left the Omega housing.

"Cami?" I hear my name being hissed from within the dark, causing me to jump as I spin around. It's close enough to the full moon that I can feel my wolf, but until the night off I'm alone with only slightly better strength than a human.

"Robin?" I call out quietly. I think it is him, but his voice is so soft I barely recognise it. The sound of twigs cracking has me turning to the left to see Robin walking towards me in jeans and a t-shirt. Despite how cold it is, he's sweating like he's been flat out running to get to me. My heart rate kicks up as a bad feeling fills me. There are only two people in this Pack that I care about, and one of them is in front of me, and the other is uncharacteristically missing.

"You need to come; something happened to Kol." My stomach fills with ice as I step back and lean against a tree. I knew something had happened; his not showing up was just so out of character for him.

"He's dead?" I ask between gasps; we haven't marked each other yet, so I wouldn't feel it if something happened to him. Robin wouldn't have come here if it wasn't bad, though.

"No, he's at the Pack House with the Doc; he thinks it's wolfsbane poisoning, but he can't be sure. Another Alpha has already been called." I nod my head, but I feel numb. I don't think I hear him as he steps closer to me. "You need to be strong, Cami. Come on. Your mate needs you." I barely feel my feet move as Robin clutches my hand and practically drags me back through the trees. We aren't too far from the Pack House, but it's far enough for my mind to start conjuring up all kinds of awful endings to the night.

Wolfsbane when ingested can kill us. It doesn't matter how little we ingest; it wreaks havoc with our system and destroys the wolf inside, which ends our life. The only way to get it out of your system is a blood transfusion, and it has to be done quickly. Only Alpha's blood holds the key ingredient to heal us; we don't know why; it's just one of those things. Kol can't heal himself, which means he needs to wait for this visiting Alpha. I hope he gets here in time. I'm not sure what I'll do if I have to lose my mate just as I've found him.

"Ready?" I blink up at Robin to see where he is already standing at the back door of the Pack House; I don't even remember walking through the garden, let alone getting to the door. I think I might seriously be in shock.

"I don't know," I whisper. He quickly pulls me in for a hug as I dash away the tears rolling down my face. Kol is a strong man; I don't know if I'm ready to see my mate weakened by wolfsbane. He won't wake up; he won't be able to talk to me, and if the other Alpha doesn't get here, then he never will wake up.

"What're you doing here?" Me and Kol spring apart to see Beatrice standing at the back door, her face red from crying, and her normally perfect hair is loose and a little unraveled.

"Robin told me about Kol, so I came to be here with him." I try to hold myself up straight, but I can see her looking at me with disgust, which is making me wilt under her stare.

"Go home, Omega; the Pack House is closed tonight." I feel Robin tense beside me as Beatrice slams the door in our faces. I hear the door click, telling me she's firm on her decision to keep me out.

Rock

"You must be Alpha Novak?" I say to the massive Alpha standing just down the hill from our Pack, Beatrice sent me down to meet him with Kol still being out of commission. I've never met this Alpha, but I have heard of him; he's the guy who gave Kol the idea about making the Omegas free members of the Pack. He runs the Pack about sixty miles from us; most Packs keep to themselves, and Novak is no different with his.

"That's me; this is my daughter, Kimberley." A young woman steps from behind him; she's stunning and nothing like her father. She must have hit every branch of her mother's DNA when it was created. Novak is tall with dark hair and hazel eyes; his body is full of muscle, and I swear he has a slight tan to his skin that has nothing to do with the sun. Kimberley has blonde hair, blue eyes, perfectly kissable lips, and a little button nose. I'd hand over the keys to my Harley if she's over five foot two.

"Call me Kim." Her voice reminds me of a teenage girl who's trying way too hard to sound mature while speaking to a grown man.

"You were told to come alone," I growl. It's unusual circumstances, and we made it very clear that while our Alpha is down and out, Novak was not to bring anyone else into our Pack. It could be seen as a challenge, and with our Alpha unable to defend himself, we didn't want to risk any issues.

"She comes or I go," Novak growls, his nostrils flaring as he pulls his daughter into his side. She looks up at him like he hangs the moon, which he probably does in her eyes. With little choice, I just nod my head and jump back on my bike.

"Keep up," I growl as I gun the throttle. I've not gone far when I hear their SUV behind me. I ride slowly so they don't lose me on the mountain road. There aren't many turn-offs they can take, but if they do take one of the few, they could scare the shit out of some kids or even elderly Pack members.

I pull up on the Pack House drive, the enforcers giving me odd looks as the SUV pulls in behind me. They've been here since last night under Beatrice's orders; she doesn't want anyone to know her son is hurt. We still don't know how it happened. He was in the lounge with me and his mother. He opened a bottle of whiskey, took one large drink, and dropped like a stone. I'm not concerned about the wolfsbane; if I have to, I'll take Novak's blood by force; it's the fact that he hit his head on the marble fireplace when he went down. I've heard head wounds bleed a lot, but I had no idea until Kol was bleeding out in front of me while Beatrice screamed blue murder. My ears were still ringing from her shrilling as I tried to stop the bleeding while calling the Pack Doc with my other hand. She was useless.

"A show of power?" Novak growls as he gets out of the SUV. Kimberley pushes into his side like a scared child, but I see her making eyes at the enforcers. It's obvious what she's after, but she won't get it here.

"Our Alpha is sick; it's for his protection. Come on." I hold my head high as I guide Novak and Kimberly into the Pack House. I try to look at how they must see it, but I've always hated this house. The carpets are dated, the walls stained with damp and years of smoking from Kol's father. I know Kol wants to knock it down and rebuild, but his mother won't allow it—something about six generations being born here.

"Well, this is gross." Kimberley groans as she looks down at the key bowl sitting on a chipped side table right at the door.

"You can change things," Novak whispers. I don't get a chance to ask why Kimberley would be changing anything in our Pack House because Beatrice comes running down the stairs. I honestly had no idea the old bat could move so quickly.

"Novak! Thank God, please come!" She waves him up the stairs without even looking at me; she hates me because of the color of my skin, but I won't let that stop me from being beside my Alpha when another is so close by.

Novak and Kimberley push past me so they can follow Beatrice up the stairs. I have no idea why, but she has Kol up in the old Alpha room. It makes no sense to me, but it's not like I'm in a position to argue. By the time I get to the top floor, all three of them have gone into the room, and the door is slammed shut in my face. I go to open it, but I find it stuck, almost like some heavy weight is pressed against the door. The hairs on the back of my neck go on end; something isn't right here.

"You remember your deal, Beatrice." I hear Novak growl as I push on the door; no matter how much effort I put in, the thing doesn't budge though.

"Our doctor assures me the damage is enough to affect his memory; we simply place Kimberley into his life and we remove the Omega. Please heal him; we don't know how much he had or how it got in the whiskey." I go cold at Beatrice's words; if anything happens to Cami, Kol will never forgive me. He's been head over heels for her since he first scented her; I've never seen two mates fall for each other so quickly. It's gross and sappy, but I won't begrudge either of them their happiness; I have no issues with Omegas, and from what I can tell, Cami loves him just as deeply as he does her.

"Beatrice! Open the door!" I bang on the wood until my fists hurt, but it's no use; they either ignore me or just don't care. That's when it occurs to me: if they're going to get rid of Cami, I need to get her to safety, but also they'll get rid of anyone who knows about her and Kol. That means Robin and I are in danger.

I don't want to leave my Alpha alone, but I need to make sure the rest of his world is safe before I can protect him. With one last swift kick to the wooden door, I run down the stairs. I fly through the house like the hounds of hell are on my heels. I have no idea where Cami is right now, but I know where Robin is; he's working at the enforcer housing today, so I'll go to him and make sure he gets Cami away from the Pack and Beatrice.

"Rock, wait!" The shout behind me is familiar; I stall for a second, but when I look back, I see six enforcers heading for me, and none of them are any I would call loyal to Kol. I start running again, knowing these guys are here to stop me. I pull my phone from my jeans as I run through the trees.

"Rock, is it Kol?" Robin says through the phone, I can hear the men getting closer to me, but I keep running.

"Robin, listen to me." I'm panting, but I keep running. I know I can't stop until I've told Robin everything. "Kol is hurting more than you think; I don't know how bad it is, but you need to take Cami and run. She's not safe here!" I feel something wrap around my legs a second before I hit the ground; the phone goes skimming across the leaf-strewn floor, and dirt fills my mouth as I hear the faint sounds of Robin shouting my name from the phone, too far away for me to reach. The last thing I remember is a weight on my back and then a sharp pain in the side of my neck while Robin screams my name. I hope he gets her out; she can't fight for Kol if she's dead.

Cami

I don't want to leave the Pack House garden, but Robin insists that we need to before the enforcers come looking for me. I'm scrubbing the hall floor in the Pack House, but I barely see it; I'm too busy straining my ears to hear anything about Kol. I was supposed to be over at the enforcer housing today, but some carefully placed words with Florrie as she practically jumped to swap jobs with me. I've heard some of the enforcers talking about the Alpha and him being here. I have no idea where he is or how long it's going to take, but I'm hopeful Kol will wake up any minute and then I'll be able to go to him.

"Omega Cami?" My head pops up when an older guy walks down the stairs; there's no mistaking him for the Pack Doctor. I've never met him before, but then I'm a healthy Omega with no reason to see a doctor.

"Doctor." I stand from the floor as I wipe my wet hands on my dark blue apron. I keep my eyes on him as he looks from side to side like he's checking for people. When he's convinced that we are alone, he gestures for me to follow him; I don't even think twice before I rush after him. There could only be one place the doctor is taking me.

I'm confused when he leads me past the landing with Kol's bedroom on it and carries on up to the Alpha's bedroom. I know from past conversations that Kol hates this landing. His father died up here, and despite him being an asshole, Kol loved him; he'd never want to be in the room his father died in.

"Inside quickly." The doctor says it's the first time he's spoken since he called out to me on the stairs. He holds the door open for me so I can see a very sick and pale Kol lying in the massive bed. I don't even register the doctor closing the door; I'm too busy grabbing Kol's massive sweaty hand into mine. His skin is sunken, sweat clings to his body, and his eyes are closed. I want them to open, but I know they won't.

"The Alpha hasn't done the transfusion yet." I ask the doctor without taking my eyes off Kol's face.

"How much do you know about wolfsbane poisoning Omega Cami?" I hate that this doctor is putting my designation before my name, like he needs to remind me who and what I am. He doesn't need to; I know who I am, but I also know what I mean to the Alpha who lay dying before me.

"I know it kills and that you need the blood of an Alpha to rid it from your system. Why hasn't he been transfused?" Tears are streaming down my face as I turn to look at the doctor; he doesn't even glance at Kol, almost like he's embarrassed to look at a patient he's not helping. He's just standing in his slacks and freshly pressed suit and staring at the wall above our heads.

"We can't. He needs something from you first." I shake my head confused; nothing about wolfsbane poisoning can be cured by an Omega; there is nothing I can do for Kol. I wish there was because he would be awake already.

"Tell me and I'll do it." The doctor's composure breaks as he looks down at me. I see something flash in his eyes that I can't identify, but he shakes it off as he moves his gaze back to the wall.

"He's a bonded Alpha without a mark, weakening his wolf. You can't mark him without his mark in return, so there is only one other option." I'm shaking my head back and forth; I know what he means and won't do it.

"No," I growl as I clutch Kol's hand even tighter in mine.

"Reject him to save him, Omega Cami. I can give him the transfusion, but it's useless without a strong wolf to heal him. Only you can do this." I shake my head as my tears come thicker and faster. I can't reject Kol; he's all I have. If I reject him, there is no taking it back; our bond will be broken, and I'll never be able to fix it. I look over at his face as I mentally will him to wake up. I need his guidance right now, but my eyes stick on the bandage around his head, the blood seeping through it. Proof that his wolf isn't healing him the way he should be.

"I won't be able to take it back." I gasp as I lift Kol's hand to my lips and lay a soft kiss on his knuckles.

"You'll be saving his life." Five simple words that make my mind up for me. I'll do anything for Kol, even if it means destroying a part of myself. This is going to hurt, but it will hurt more if Kol dies.

Time stops still as I memorise everything about Kol's face, the tiny scar above his lip where he walked into a tree when he was five. The little lines around his mouth show when he's smiling, the stubble for the beard he's growing because I made an offhand comment about liking men with beards. I take it all in as I keep a death grip on his hand. I know the words I need to say, but I don't think I can. This is worse than him dying; he'll still be here, but he won't give me a second look; it will be like I don't exist. I'll be changing both of our lives without asking him what he wants; this might be the most selfish and selfless thing I'll ever do with my life.

"I, Cami of the Crescent Pack, reject you, Kol, as my mate and partner in life." I'm gasping out the words as my tears flow like a river: "No longer will we hunt together; no longer will I share flesh with you; no longer will I share my life with you. I cut all ties with Crescent Pack and you as my Alpha." Something inside of me breaks; I feel it like a glass breaking deep within my very being. It splinters out until my entire body is riddled with pain. Kol's hand falls from mine as I feel someone pulling me from his bedside. I barely recognise their touch as I'm pulled from the room; someone is screaming, but I can't focus enough to figure out who it is.

I become aware of my throat hurting when I look around to find myself sitting in the hall next to my mop bucket. I have no idea how I got down here, but my arms hurt like someone was holding me with a serious grip.

"Cami?" I hear Robin, but my vision is so blurry I barely see him as he skids into the hall. "Cami, what happened?" I shake my head because I can't tell him, How do I tell my best friend? I think I just made the worst mistake of my life.

"I didn't mean it. I'll take it back." I'm rambling as Robin lifts me off the floor; he's wiping at my face, but it does nothing to stop the tears from running down my face.

"Cami, listen to me." Robin shakes me as he glances behind me; it's only now that I see the worry on his face. "We have to leave; something happened to Rock; he told me to get you and take you away from the Pack." I nod because away from here sounds good to me; the last thing I want is to see Kol. He'll wake up and realise what I've done; he's a great guy, but I've seen him angry at others, and I have no desire to be on the other end of that rage.

Robin pulls me from the entryway and out the front door; I don't even have time to tell him we shouldn't have used that door because he's shoving me into a blue car I've never seen before.

"We'll just drive until we run out of gas," Robin tells me as he straps me in, slams the door closed, and runs around the driver's side. I look up at the Pack House to see Beatrice looking out the window; she has a sly smile that makes me feel sick.

Kol

Something is broken inside of me. That's the first thought I have as consciousness finally comes back to me. My head hurts, my body is exhausted, but it's this deep-rooted pain that I can't figure out. I have no idea what's happened, but it has to be serious.

"Baby, baby, can you hear me?" I feel a small hand press over my chest, but it feels weird, like a slimy claw that has no business touching me. I pry my eyes open to see my father's bedroom; I don't understand what's going on. My mouth is crying, Doc is looking at me from the end of the bed, and a woman I've never seen before is crying as she spreads her manicured hands over my bare chest. I try to sit up, but it's like my body has been zapped of all strength. I look at the woman to try and find something familiar, but there's nothing. I wrack my brain to figure out what's happened, but the last thing I remember is leaving the enforcer housing after a night of getting drunk off my ass.

"Who are you?" I ask the blonde-haired woman; she has beautiful blue eyes and perfectly kissable lips; definitely the kind of woman I would spend the night with, but why would a booty call be here with my mother and Pack Doctor?

"Baby, it's me, Kimberley." Her name, her voice, her face—none of it rings any bells with me. I have no idea who she is. "What's wrong with him?" Kimberley looks up at the Pack Doctor, who is looking at me with concern on his lined face.

"Sweetie, what's the last thing you remember?" My mother asks softly; I don't remember her being this kind to me. She's never been abusive with me, but she's never been a warm and loving kind of mother.

"I was out drinking with the enforcers, erm," I scrunch my eyes up as I try to remember what happened. "We drank some more at the enforcer housing, and then I came home and then, nothing." I've never gotten so drunk that I've blacked out before. I'm partial to my whiskey, but not that partial.

"He wasn't with the enforcers last night; he was home with me when he drank and then smacked his head off that damn fireplace." Kimberley is hysterical as she practically screeches at my mother. I want to cup my ears and block her out, but my body is too heavy. I feel like I could go back to sleep, but something is bugging me; something is seriously wrong here.

"Come on, dear, let's go and get Kol some food while Doc looks him over." Kimberley nods her head at my mother and kisses my knuckles before getting up from beside my bed. Something about the gesture is familiar, but I can't put my finger on what.

Once I and the Doc are alone, he moves to the side of my bed and sits in the chair that Kimberley just left; he looks exhausted like he's been up all night.

"Kol, you were poisoned with wolfsbane." He says firmly, I guess that explains the weakness and the reason my body is so tired. I look to my left and see a bag filled with blood, a tube leading to my arm. The blood is being transfused into me; it must be my father, yet I don't see him anywhere.

"My father's blood, I presume?" I look back at Doc to see he's gone pale, shaking his head back and forth.

"Kol, your father died last month; in two days you're going to be sworn in as Alpha." Fresh pain lances through my chest; the loss of my father must have been the pain I felt when I woke up. No wonder I'm hurting; my father was the only stable parent in my life, and now he's gone.

"I'm only twenty-one; I can't be Alpha." I've barely even finished speaking when the Doc starts to shake his head again. Jesus, how much time am I missing?

"Kol, you're twenty-three." My head feels like it's going to explode. I reach up to rub at my temple, but all I feel is a heavy bandage. "You hit your head pretty hard; I'm thinking it's caused some short-term memory loss. It should get better the more you heal; it will just take time." I nod my head because I'm not sure what else I should say right now. Two years. I've lost two years of my life, my father is dead, and it seems like I have a girlfriend. What the hell else am I missing?

"Thanks, Doc, am I good to shower?" The doctor nods his head as he pushes out of his chair; he makes quick work of pulling the blood tube from my arm. When I look up at the bag, I see it's practically empty anyway. Hopefully, that means the wolfsbane is working its way from my system; I should be back to normal soon. I can only hope my memory follows suit.

Once alone in the room, I pull my heavy body from the bed; it takes enough effort that I'm dripping in sweat by the time I make it to the bathroom. At least I know this room; I've sat on that bed often enough while watching my father shave or get ready for some important meeting. I brace myself on the white sink and look in the mirror; my face doesn't look all that different. The bandage is heavy around my head, my hair is a little longer than I remember it, and for some reason, I have a heavy scruff covering my chin. I hate beards; I have no idea why I would ever consider not shaving.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I mutter in the mirror; my reflection doesn't answer me back though, so I push off the sink and push off my pajama bottoms. As soon as I'm in the shower, I turn on the water so it comes as heavy, fast, and hot as possible. I let the heat soak into my skin as it washes the sweat from my body. Using one hand, I lean against the tiled walls as I try to remember anything after leaving the enforcer's house. It was a full moon, so surely I was heading to the Pack clearing to shift with the rest of them, but I can't remember shifting or getting to the clearing. If the Doc is to be believed, that was two years ago. I slam my fist into the tiles as I growl out. The frustration inside of me grows heavier. I'm so confused. I wish I could remember something, anything.

"Babe, I got you some food and pulled you out some clothes." Kimberley's voice comes from the bedroom; I guess it's time to learn who my girlfriend is. She was crying beside my bed while I was poisoned, so she cares about me a lot, and we would be in a serious relationship if I told my mother about her. The only thing I can come up with as I turn off the shower is that she must be my chosen mate; I can scent her and know we aren't fated. If I'm being made Alpha, then I'll need a mate; the Pack wouldn't be able to wait while I hunt for my fated mate. I guess Kimberley was the female who called out to my mate. With a heavy sigh, I step from the shower and wrap a fluffy towel around my waist, preparing myself for the most awkward second first date ever.