Spy Wolf | ✔

Chapter Sixteen

I closed my eyes, snuggling closer to Dale's warm figure. He raked his fingers through my hair to which I sighed contently, rubbing at my already red and puffy eyes. Life couldn't get any worse. I'd just lost the only person that cared about me, and we didn't even part on good terms. It was only then I began to sob again.

"Shhh," Dale cooed, pulling me closer. "Everything's going to be fine." I fought the urge not to reply with a witty comment, knowing that he was only looking out for me. With a deep sigh, I got off the bed and sat on the edge with my head in my hands. Things weren't unfolding into what I wanted them to be. The door creaked loudly as it flew open and Gabriel entered with a tray of food. He stopped dead in his tracks once he noticed Dale on the bed, a frown forming on his face.

"I brought lunch for you," he said, all emotion void from his tone. I forced a smile, taking the tray from his hands. However, I exited the room with it, not enjoying the tension that was in the room. I thought these two were best friends. Why were they so unnerving around me?

I walked down the halls in nothing but a green jumper suit and brown slippers and stopped in the dining room, placing the tray on the table and pulling out a chair. I was only picking at my toast when I heard the voices growing louder gradually until the Alpha and Paige came into my peripheral vision. She gasped once she saw me, her face filled with agony as she rushed to me with a bear hug.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered, her voice muffled by my shoulders.

"You heard?" I squeaked, once she pulled away, taking a chair right beside me. The Alpha quietly walked away, giving us some privacy. He hadn't said much to me after we'd all watch the video. I mean, what would I have said if I was in his shoes.

"I would have come right away, but my mom didn't want me on the streets until we were sure it was safe," she explained. I sniffled a bit, nodding in comprehension. Paige looked up from her hands to me, tilting her head to one side with a sad frown.

"You haven't cried, have you?" she asked accusingly.

"What? Of course I did shed some tears." I cried in front of Dale, wasn't that enough?

"Sam, you need to cry. You can't be bottling these emotions deep inside," Paige scolded, pulling me to my feet. I stumbled forward, grumbling as she led me to the front door and exposed me to the annoying sunlight. I groaned as I covered my eyes from the bright light. Paige pulled me along while we walked the small dirt path that led to a park nearby. It was the same training park where I had those miserable days of the 'big' girls and Murphy. I sat on a bench with Paige, not uttering a word as the humid air dawned on us. I wished it would rain later.

"Promise me you would cry," Paige said, breaking the silence. I turned my head to hers, giving her glare.

"I'm not going to be a baby about this," I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't want to be the whiny brat that just lost her mother and expected everyone to dabble her until everything was alright. My mother raised me better than that. You never really know the value of what you have until you lose it... A bitter but true factor of reality. Something you wish you could just write on a piece of paper and crumple, or burn, ceasing its existence. 

Paige sighed helplessly, growling a bit later when we both noticed Louise strutting our way. Louise stopped directly in front of me, not even acknowledging Paige. She sized up the both of us before taking a seat next to me.

"It's odd that I always find you here, on the same bench," she said absentmindedly. I rolled my eyes.

"If you came here to start a conversation with me, you can leave," I replied, pointing at the direction she came. She narrowed her eyes at me, leaning forward to get a look at Paige, who was busy scrolling through her phone. She looked up, staring at Louise questioningly.

"Can we help you?" Paige asked impatiently. I secretly liked the way venom dripped from her tone, knowing she wasn't usually the mean one in our friendship. This was progress and I was proud. Paige tended to be too kind at times. You can't have people thinking you're a bunny that gives out spring items when instructed to. That was an awful comparison, but it was all I had. Louise raised a brow and then turned her gaze to me.

"Actually, Sam and I have unfinished business. Luckily for me, Gabriel won't here to interrupt me this time." She had a malicious glint in her eyes, and without warning, she reached out with her hands and yanked my hair, gripping it with such force. I cried out and Paige was on her feet in an instant. "I don't like you," Louise muttered in my ears. "And God alone knows what I do to people I hate, especially disrespectful ones like you."

Paige frowned at her, a smirk crawling up her lips. 

"Is this about Sam embarrassing you in front of the whole school last semester?" she asked. Once Louise growled, we took that as confirmation. I wrapped my fingers around her wrists. I wondered why she would choose this time to come at me for that petite occurrence. Some people just mastered the art of holding grudges. Using the training Smith gave me, I had her pinned on the ground in less than a minute.

"Oh, the runt knows something?" she taunted beneath me, her signature smirk present. I felt my skin run cold; no one had ever dared to call me a runt. It wasn't something that sat well with me. No wolf deserved to be called something like that anyway. Louise hadn't looked one bit remorseful, her features exhibiting the foul character she was; the dirty bitch who's head I wanted to bash in the pavement until there was nothing left but skull fragments. 

The anger boiled within me as I was about to turn and leave her there, but I had to give her something. Leave her with a mark that would remind her to never trouble me again. I struck two blows in her stomach with my knee, but the funny thing was that when I was ready to stop, I couldn't. I wouldn't. Even when Paige was yelling at me to stop, or even when Louise started coughing up blood.

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Taja D'amore.