Don't lose HOPE [COMPLETED]

Chapter 15

ZEKE

I stand outside the truck and talk to Chris and the others while Hope rests. "Keep your ears up to what everyone is whispering about. I didn't like some comments from the guys in there," I say, growling quietly.

"Yes, Alpha."

Most girls whisper about what I'm doing with Hope and how much better I would be off with someone like them. Even if I wasn't a werewolf and had a mate, I would still pick Hope over anyone of these fake bitches. Hope is the opposite of them, and she's also the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Yes, that can be the mate-bond talking, but she is. Some guys seem to pick up on it now that she's with me, and I sure as fuck don't like it. I heard them in class and in the dining hall.

"She's not that bad looking, though. She's just really weird," one of them said.

"I bet she's fucking hot under those clothes."

"You know, Zack tried to ask her out once?"

"Really, how did that go?"

"He never even got an answer out of her. I wonder how this guy did it?"

"Have you seen him? He's like Hercules on steroids, man. Every girl here is drooling over him and the rest of the bodybuilders. Makes us look like sticks for fucks sake. I haven't got laid since they came here."

That one made me chuckle, though.

I wake Hope up before it's time to head inside. "Are you sure that you can go on for the rest of the day? We can skip the last classes and head home if you'd like."

She yawns and shakes her head. "No, it's okay. Thank you for letting me rest here."

"You don't have to thank me. I've got you," I say, smiling and putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

She blushes a little and looks at me with big eyes, like she's thinking really hard about something. "Why are you doing this?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'this'?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I like you, Hope."

Her eyes get even bigger.

"Come on, we need to head back inside. Don't overthink it," I say, smiling. I lift her down and take her hand.

She doesn't say much for the rest of the day and seems to have some internal struggle. In the last class, she mostly sits looking out of the window. I so wish that I could read her mind right now.

On the way back home, she sits quiet in the truck, looking out of the window. "You can't like me," she suddenly says quietly.

"Why the hell not?" I say, a little angrier than necessary.

"I-I'm broken and I'm not sure if I'll ever be okay. You deserve someone better," she says, looking down.

That pisses me off.

I pull over and stop the truck. I mind-link Chris, who drives behind us, to keep going. I clench the steering wheel and try to calm down so I don't scare her.

"You're not broken. You've just been treated like shit for way too long. It's everyone around you that's broken and stupid for not treating you right and seeing who you are." I take a deep breath and talk a bit calmer. "You're going to be okay. It might take time, but you will be and I'll make sure that you'll be happy. I want you to be happy," I say, looking into her eyes and grabbing her hands. "And I'm sure as hell not better off with someone else. I like you, Hope, because you're kindhearted, and even if you've been treated like shit and no one has cared for you, you still care about other people. You didn't let them poison your mind."