Chapter 2

CLEMENTINE

~“Clementine…tsk, tsk, tsk. Wake up.”~

As I jerk up from my sleep for the umpteenth time because of this dream, or voice, or whatever it is, I think, ~This is the first time I’ve heard something besides my name.~ I look around, inspecting every corner of my room, but there is no one. The only possibility is that I’ve gone crazy.

I check the clock. It’s 4:30 a.m., but I can’t go back to sleep, so I decide to start my day. If I finish my chores quickly, maybe I can leave for my shift early.

I take a quick shower and do my usual business in the bathroom. I then pick out a mid-length black skirt, a long-sleeved black shirt, and white converse. Finally, I place the clothes on the bed before leaving my bedroom to start the chores.

I start with the bathrooms, leaving mine for another day because my mother couldn’t care less if my room or bathroom were clean. After, I clean the kitchen and living room, since no one is in those rooms yet.

As I finish in the living room, I hear footsteps on the stairs. When I look up, I see my sister.

“Go clean my room,” is all she says to me.

I nod and walk upstairs to Joana’s room, surprised that she woke up so early, but I decide not to dwell on it since I do not give two shits about her sleep schedule.

Joana’s room is a mess, and I just cleaned it yesterday. How and when she managed to make it this messy, I don’t know, but I start with her bed. Pieces of chips are spread on the sheets, making them smell bad.

I then organize Joana’s side table, which has several drawers, and her closet. Clothes are thrown here and there as if there isn’t a place for them, and I wonder what she’ll do when she finds her mate and he sees how messy she is. I know a mate is supposed to love you, but this trashy room makes me want to gag, so I can only imagine how he’ll feel.

I feel sorry for him—and her.

After cleaning Joana’s room, I go back downstairs to check if anything is out of place in the living room or kitchen. I cringe at the sight of a huge coffee stain on the rug in the living room; stains take forever to clean.

Once I finish, I make my way to my parents’ room, since they just woke up. Thankfully, my mother is too sleepy to talk to me, so she doesn’t throw a comment my way. My father, on the other hand… Well, I’ll save his story for another time.

After I’m done cleaning my parents’ room, I get ready for my shift, which starts in two hours. I have to do my work and save the boy before the pack takes the rogues away.

Usually, if there’s only one or two rogues, the pack kills them in the cells, but when there’s a whole group, they slit their throats and throw them from the nearby cliff. As much as Alpha Jake hates rogues, he doesn’t like torturing them, but this method isn’t better. He shouldn’t condone it.

There are many ways the alpha could solve the rogue problem, like teaching them and helping them recover from their pasts. He could make them feel part of a new family—what’s wrong with that?

I put on the clothes I placed on the bed before doing my chores. As I lace up my white converse, I think about how they’ll make it easier to run if something happens.

Hopefully, the alpha doesn’t know that I have it in me to go to the cells and break someone out. He knows little of what I can do.

After all, I may not be able to do much, but I ~am~ determined.

***

I exit my house before anyone can call for me, but insults immediately come my way.

“Slut.”

“Weak human.”

“You don’t belong here, human.”

Even though I’ve been hearing these comments for years and am generally immune to them, they still sometimes hit me like a ton of bricks. I no longer care whether people want me in the pack or not, but their words remind me that even my family hates me. That I am abnormal.

In the infirmary, I greet Erika and get to work. There aren’t a lot of patients right now, which is a good thing. Everyone is probably getting ready for the event Erika and Alex told me about yesterday.

As if he heard my thoughts, my brother is waiting for me by the door when my shift ends.

“You go straight home, okay?” he says worriedly.

I give him a reassuring smile. “Okay, don’t worry.”

Alex walks me outside, and I pretend to go home, but once he’s out of sight, I turn and walk toward the cells. Every few seconds, I look back to check whether someone is following me.

Outside the cells, I make sure the coast is clear, open the gate, and carefully walk inside. There must be many guards down there, so I’ll have to lie about why I’ve come. Otherwise, my plan will fail.

~What am I doing? I’ve never done anything like this before. The most I’ve ever done is open windows to help rogues escape the infirmary.~

Suddenly, an idea comes to my mind. I’ll fall onto the floor, cry my eyes out, and claim that there’s been an attack on the pack.

Of course, the alpha would mind-link the guards if there was a problem, and they’ll tell him that I lied to them. But it’s the only plan I have.

When I turn a corner, I hear them. I peek around a wall and count four cells with two guards each.

I didn’t bring any weapon because how could I kill a man if I can’t even kill a fly? Besides, even if I did manage to kill a pack member, I would be executed. And honestly, I don’t want to die too soon.

I am about to show myself when a voice stops me dead in my tracks. ~“Clementine…”~

Fear spreads through my body.

~“I could help you. Help us,”~ the voice from my dreams says.

I want to ask how, but I don’t. It’d be stupid to, since the voice couldn’t hear me.

~“Oh, I can hear you, Clementine. We are one.”~

My heart feels like it’s about to leave my body. ~Is this voice my wolf?~

~“No, I am not. I am much more.”~

I don’t know what to do, but somehow, hearing the voice during the day makes me feel safe.

~“I am glad, Clem,”~ the voice replies. ~“Now, do you want to help the boy escape or not?”~

I smile. I do want to help him.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, my body jerks toward the guards. One of them opens his mouth, about to speak, but I charge and punch him before he can. I kick the second guard and then the third, fourth, fifth.

When all eight are down, I look around in disbelief. ~I can’t believe I just did that.~ It’s like my body attacked the guards all by itself.

As if by reflex, I search for the cell keys and open the one that the boy is in. As much as I’d like to help all the rogues, the alpha would kill me.

Rogues don’t live long because they are hunted and killed, so that means the others must have gone rogue recently. Unlike the boy, they were old enough to make the choices that landed them here.

I grab the boy’s arm. “Let’s go!” I tell him.

As we make our way aboveground, I periodically check ahead, but no one is around. Now there’s only one door left between us and the outside of the pack house, and my nose picks up a mesmerizing scent. A scent consisting of cherries, forest, and mangos. It’s a weird combination, but I love it.

I turn around, and my eyes catch the most beautiful ones I have ever seen. Green with yellow specks.

The man with the beautiful eyes is standing with Alpha Jake, and a brunette woman holds his arm intimately. But as he speaks with the alpha, his eyes never leave mine.

The alpha begins to turn around, and I shake my head vigorously, as if telling the man to distract him. As if he understood me, the man talks faster, and the alpha stops.

I quickly grab the boy’s arm again and open the door to leave.

***

Once we’re far from the pack house, the boy cries, “Thank you!” He then hugs me and asks, “What’s your name?”

I smile. “Clementine.”

“I am Elijah.”

Elijah looks like he wants to say something else, but I pat his back and tell him to run, and he does.

After the boy is out of sight, I turn around and make my way back to the pack house. But as soon as I get inside, Alpha Jake emerges from nowhere, blocking my way. I can also feel the heavenly scented man standing behind him…with the woman.

I don’t like how she’s clinging to his arm, not even one bit.

“You did it, didn’t you?” Alpha Jake’s voice holds anger—so much anger.

“Did what, Alpha?” I ask, trying to focus on the conversation and not that scent.

~Why am I smelling his scent? Why is it so appealing? How do I even know it’s coming from him? I’m not a wolf.~

“Don’t play dumb, Clementine,” the alpha growls, bringing me back to the present.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I lie.

“So, you’re telling me, if I go to the cells right now, I’ll find the boy?” he asks, lifting his brow.

At this point, I feel trapped. If I say yes and he finds the cell empty, I’ll be in more trouble than if I just tell the truth.

“I had to,” I admit, my voice raspy. I am scared, so scared.

“Clementine!” the alpha growls, and charges toward me.

A hand grips his shoulder, stopping him. “I think we have an event to attend, don’t you think, Jake?”

The man’s voice is heavenly but firm, holding anger and dominance at once. It does so many things to my heart.

“Yes, you’re right, Alpha,” Alpha Jake says. As he turns around, he adds, “I will deal with you later, Clementine.”

The man doesn’t follow, still looking at me with his eyes narrowed. The woman clinging to him nudges him to go inside.

I am beyond mad, but I don’t know why.

As they leave, I think, ~But seriously, how is my smell so good? I’m human, and humans do not smell things from far away.~

~Unless…I’m not.~