Chapter 18: Kindness of Strangers

OLIVIA

The shower’s hot water cascaded down like a waterfall, and Olivia couldn’t help the satisfied groan that escaped her lips. This was what she called a ~shower~.

After a proposal that had her cheeks burning, Alexander had led her to the third floor of the pack house.

He had shown her a room with a massive king-size bed and an attached bathroom.

She didn’t ask, and he didn’t tell, but she had a hunch this was his room.

Initially, she was reluctant, but he had left the room, his face tight with discomfort, and she had given in to the allure of the glass doors and the luxurious fixtures. Honestly, she didn’t regret it one bit.

The water pressure was strong enough to ease the countless knots in her back from her grueling work shifts. It was easy to let her guard down, but she couldn’t completely—not when she could ~sense~ him.

Sure, her sense of smell was superior to a human’s. She could detect the presence of her…~kind~. But this was different, this was something more. His ~presence~ resonated within her, and she was certain she could pinpoint his exact location.

It was absurd, wasn’t it? Perhaps an alpha’s presence was more…intense.

Yes.

That must be it.

Olivia ran her hand through her wet hair, tilting her head back to let the water trickle down her face.

She had been in the shower for quite some time, long enough for the blood to wash away, leaving the water clear again.

As comforting as the warmth was, it was hard to ignore what was to come.

She had attempted to escape—~again~. He had stopped her and persuaded her to stay a bit longer. Now she was—possibly—in his shower. And she was contemplating staying a bit longer.

She had been so furious when she was turned.

Angry at everyone, everything. It hadn’t been fair. She had been left alone, isolated... And knowing that the beast that had attacked her had intended for her to die...

She shouldn’t be here, she shouldn’t be standing in Alexander’s shower.

Her entire perspective had been flipped, and she had been left alone to make sense of it all.

Will had appeared like a savior. He had taken her in, supported her, and taught her everything she knew.

Just like she had been angry, he harbored a deep-seated rage, a bitterness within him. He would never forgive anyone for what happened to his parents. She couldn’t fathom carrying such a burden; being the only survivor.

He wasn’t perfect. Neither was she. She had been so engrossed in her own perspective—in his—that perhaps she had been too narrow-minded?

As much as she wanted to despise Alexander, as much as she wanted to be far from him, she also ~didn’t~ want him out of her life.

So far, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Maybe it was all a trick, but she couldn’t figure out his motive. If he was deceiving her, what was his end goal? What would he gain from it?

And just like that, she was frustrated again.

So much for a relaxing shower.

Olivia reached for the knob and turned off the water. She had only intended to wash off the blood, hadn’t she?

To erase all signs that she had been in contact with other werewolves. So Will wouldn’t find out. Will was her pack, Will was all she had left. But the same couldn’t be said about him.

He had Jess and one day he would probably have a family of his own. Would there always be room for her in his life?

What if one day…what if Jess discovered the truth? What if she forced him to choose? It was clear that he wouldn’t choose Olivia.

The first time they had sex, the night she had given him her virginity, had been a whirlwind. Her heat had taken over, and she had surrendered herself to him—completely.

She remembered waking up the next morning, wondering if they were more than friends. But they weren’t. They were friends who had sex. Jess was his true love. Olivia was his best friend.

She would understand if he had to prioritize his love.

But where would that leave her?

She could recall the pain, the yearning she felt when she saw the pack together. She wanted ~something~, someone. Anything.

~A pack, you want a pack.~

Olivia’s hands clenched into fists at the sound of ~its~ voice echoing in her mind. ~Go away. Go away!~

She pounded her fist against the pristine white tiles of the shower, her eyes squeezed shut. No.

Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to calm her racing heart. She turned to pick up the soft, yellow towel Alexander had given her, wrapping it around herself before stepping out of the bathroom.

It was only then, standing there with water droplets falling onto the floor, that she realized something. All she had were her old clothes, stained with blood.

What was the point of showering if she was just going to put on dirty clothes again? She hadn’t thought to ask him for a change of clothes.

~Knock. Knock.~

“May I come in?”

That voice wasn’t Alexander’s.

She cleared her throat, “Y-yes.” Even though the voice was clearly female, Olivia held the towel a bit tighter.

The door creaked open, revealing a petite redhead on the other side. She gave Olivia a warm smile before stepping in and closing the door behind her. “Hello, I’m Maya.”

“Olivia.”

~She probably already knew that.~

Olivia was usually the shortest in a group, but Maya was even shorter. Her long, red curls bounced as she moved, her green eyes sparkling as she handed Olivia a stack of clothes.

“Thought you might need these. Alex thought we’d be about the same size.”

“Thank you,” Olivia responded, accepting the clothes.

When Maya didn’t leave, Olivia realized she was expected to change with Maya still in the room. Werewolves were known for their comfort with nudity.

She glanced at Maya again before awkwardly changing, keeping the towel draped over her shoulders.

Once she was dressed, she cleared her throat and Maya turned back around.

“Did you need anything else?”

She hadn’t really interacted with anyone besides the children, and she was curious. Maya ~seemed~ friendly, and not in a forced way.

She had a bubbly energy that was infectious. But what could Olivia say? She barely knew her. “No, thank you, this is more than enough.”

“That’s nothing,” Maya replied, waving her hand dismissively.

“You’re pa—” She stopped herself mid-sentence, laughing awkwardly and scratching the back of her head. “Sorry—I forget that you’re not…”

Maya had never met her before, but she was ready to call her pack? Olivia thought being part of a pack was sacred. She’d done nothing but reject their offers to join.

Why was Maya so accepting?

Especially considering how Olivia came to be. “It doesn’t…bother you?”

Maya tilted her head, looking confused. “That you don’t want to be…part of the pack?”

She chose her words carefully, as if afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Olivia shook her head. “That I’m—you know.”

Why was she avoiding the answer? Wasn’t it obvious? “Bitten.”

The word left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Maya tilted her head, pursing her lips. She furrowed her brows, touching her neck. “Is—is that why you don’t want to join the pack?”

“What?”

Before Olivia could react, Maya had closed the gap between them, taking Olivia’s hands in hers. “We don’t care that you were bitten.” She wrinkled her nose.

“I mean, we care because whoever did it was reckless and dangerous, but we don’t care that you’re bitten.

“We don’t see many bitten, but it happens. It’s more complicated because you’re new to this and you still have a lot of human ties… But you’re still one of us.”

Her lower lip trembled, her thoughts stalling as a fluttering sensation filled her stomach.

“I thought—” she stuttered. “He—I—I thought born werewolves looked down on…”

She searched Maya’s eyes for any sign of deceit, but found none. This wasn’t an act. The warmth of Maya’s hands was real.

She wasn’t forcing herself to touch Olivia. The gesture was genuine.

Maya’s laughter broke the silence. “Sounds a bit old-fashioned, doesn’t it? That some of us would think we’re superior. Like some sort of royalty.”

Olivia was aware that Maya hadn’t intended to offend her with her response, but it didn’t prevent her from feeling foolish. It had been so simple to despise them all. After all, one of them had done this to her. Not this pack specifically, but a werewolf nonetheless.

Her anger had been ignited by Will’s words. But his words—they didn’t seem like lies. He’d been wounded, he’d been furious…

Could it have been a terrible pack? Had he made a sweeping generalization?

At first, she’d been terrified of him, assuming he’d harm her like the monster that had turned her.

And she’d naively isolated herself based on that. She steered clear of all werewolves. It took her some time to fully trust Will.

As she gazed at their intertwined hands, she felt something damp touch her wrist. She shifted her gaze, noticing the water on her skin.

Water?

As a chilly, sharp intake of air resonated through her lungs, she felt it: the tears cascading down her cheeks and dripping from her chin. She was weeping. ~Weeping…why am I weeping?~

The door burst open, startling them both, as Alexander hurried into the room. “Why is she weeping?”

Maya’s hands released hers immediately. “Calm down. I don’t know!”

She wanted to speak, she wanted to say it wasn’t Maya’s fault, but she couldn’t find her voice. The emotions swirling within her chest brought back memories of that night by the fire.

It was suffocating her, a lump of words lodged in her throat. Maya took a step back while Alexander moved forward.

“Leave.” It didn’t sound like a command, but his tone was icy.

Maya nodded before retreating from them.

She muttered a barely audible ~sorry, and perhaps the word ass?~ as she exited, shutting the door behind her.

~Stop weeping. Stop it.~ But the tears kept flowing. Her vision was blurred as she watched his hand approach her face.

His thumb wiped away a few tears.

The action was so tender, so gentle, it was shattering her heart. What did she desire? Did she want his hands to be harsh? Did she want him to be heartless?

Did she want him to match the image she had of an alpha?

“Why are you weeping?”

His tone was gentler than the one he’d used on Maya.

“Did you want us to despise you? Because you used to be human?”

~I am human.~

That was what she wanted to shout, but it would be a lie. She felt human most of the time, but that wasn’t who she was now.

“I was so furious.”

“I know.”

No, he didn’t know. He didn’t know because he wasn’t there.

He wasn’t there when she was at her lowest. He wasn’t there to pick up the pieces. Will was. And now… now she was forced to confront the fact that the reality he had painted for her was all a mirage. She couldn’t comprehend why.

“He wouldn’t lie,” she said between sobs.

His eyes narrowed, his body tensing as her words registered. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he was restraining himself. “Do you want us to despise you? Do you want us to reject you?”

Each word was spoken so slowly, so cautiously as if it hurt him to even utter it.

But why? They had one unfortunate encounter. It shouldn’t be enough for him to care or chase after her.

“Why do you care?” She tilted her head back, meeting his gaze. His eyes penetrated her soul, compelling her to keep looking at him.

His breathing grew louder as his hand flexed, his thumb pausing on her face.

His lips tightened and his eyes hardened… Was he angry?

“You’re so fucking oblivious.”

The curse word should have made her recoil, but there was such humor intertwined in his tone that she was more taken aback than anything else.

Her lips parted in confusion. “W-what?”

A smile graced his face, and that was the only warning he gave her before leaning his head forward. He moved his hand to cradle her cheek, drawing her face closer to his before kissing her.

Her mind panicked for a moment, and she lifted a hand to place on his arm. Except her body remembered. Instead of stopping him and pushing him away, her fingers formed a tight grip.

Why was it that every time he touched her, she felt as out of control as she would during her heat? Her body was heating up, their closeness making her dizzy.

Her mind was foggy as she felt his soft lips moving against hers.

His free hand came up to her head and tangled his finger with the loose strands of her hair, pulling her in closer.

Their bodies were pressed tightly against each other and she was powerless to stop herself from grabbing his shirt.

She felt like she might crumble if she didn’t find something to hold on to.

Her body was ablaze, every nerve ending screaming for attention. His tongue traced the line of her lips and she responded by parting them. A moan escaped her as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

His hand found her waist, fingers digging into her skin. His scent was intoxicating, teasing her senses. Had he always smelled this good?

She moved her hips forward, unable to ignore the hardness pressing against her. Her fingers traced the muscles of his arm, each one taut beneath her touch.

A hiss escaped him, breaking their kiss.

She yearned to touch him, to feel every inch of him beneath her fingertips… But she couldn’t. She needed to regain control. She needed to calm down.

As if he could sense her thoughts, she felt his teeth graze her throat. Her blood rushed to the surface, but her skin remained unbroken. She shivered in his hold, her grip on him weakening.

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. Her own fear was deafening.

She tilted her head to the left, pressing her nose into his hair and inhaling deeply.

His response was to press himself harder against her, his arousal promising more.

A fire ignited within her, the feel of his body against hers making her feel like her brain was melting.

And then it was gone.

When she opened her eyes, he had stepped back.

His touch lingered on her skin, her swollen lips the only proof that it hadn’t been a dream.

He covered his mouth with his hand and she thought she heard him curse.

“Do you wanna leave?”

How had he returned to his normal self so quickly? As if nothing had happened?

Her body was still shaking. From a kiss. ~A kiss.~

And now he was trying to get rid of her?

Was he?

She couldn’t think clearly. Her heart hurt. Her body ached.

“I-I could eat.”

She didn’t want to say she’d stay.

She should leave. It was safer. Staying… It was too much. But she did. The lid was off and everything had spilled out. Now she wanted to refill herself with…the truth? Hopefully.

She wanted to fill the void in her heart, the missing piece in her chest. There was no logical explanation for how she felt, but she knew he could do it. He could give her answers.

Despite how many times she told herself she couldn’t trust him, no matter how many times she pushed him away, fought him, she trusted him.

It was terrifying, but not enough to keep her from seeking the truth.

She couldn’t keep moving forward blindly. She’d learn as much as she could. And then she’d figure it out.

“Let’s eat then.”

A hint of a smile played on his lips as he extended his hand.

“Too soon, huh?” He dropped his hand and gestured for her to go ahead.

“Thank you.”

She needed more time.

Time to figure out why her heart and her head were at war.

Just time. Right?