Free Web NovelChapter 7: Chapter 7
The temporary pack housing wasn’t terrible. Basic furniture, decent security, and best of all – no memories of Tom.
"Home sweet home," I muttered, dropping my single suitcase on the bed.
The apartment was small but functional. Beige walls that had seen better days, furniture that screamed "budget-friendly," and a kitchen barely big enough to turn around in. But it was clean. And it was mine.
My wolf sniffed around the space, unimpressed. After Christian’s penthouse, everything felt... inadequate. The memory of floor-to-ceiling windows and that ridiculously comfortable bed flashed through my mind.
"Stop comparing," I told her firmly. "That was a one-time thing."
Mate, she insisted for the hundredth time.
"Will you quit with that? We don’t even know his last name!"
I unpacked, trying to ignore how pathetic my life looked condensed into one suitcase. Five years with Tom, and this was all I had to show for it. Some clothes, a few books that had survived Lily’s rampage, and a framed photo of my parents that Maria had rescued from under the couch.
My wolf paced restlessly. She’d been acting strange since we left Christian’s place.
Usually, after a mate rejection, wolves retreated into themselves – became shadows until the pain faded. Mine was more energetic than ever, constantly pushing forward with opinions and wants.
New start. Better. She nudged at my consciousness. Him. Better.
"Will you please just shut up about him?" I snapped, slamming a drawer harder than necessary.
A knock at the door saved me from arguing with myself more. A cheerful redhead stood there with a basket of muffins, green eyes bright with curiosity. She was small but carried herself with the confidence of a dominant wolf.
"Hi! I’m Jenny, from 4B. We like to welcome new pack members properly." Her smile was warm, genuine in a way I wasn’t used to in pack politics.
"Thanks," I managed, taking the basket. "I’m Sophie."
"Oh, we know!" Her smile widened. "The Alpha told us you were coming. Strategic Operations at Knight Industries, right? That’s huge!" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
I blinked in surprise. The Alpha knew about my job? That was... unusual. Pack leaders generally didn’t concern themselves with members’ human careers unless they reflected poorly on the pack.
"Word travels fast around here," I said cautiously.
"Oh totally. But in a good way! We’re not like some of those traditional packs." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "No archaic hierarchy stuff here. The Alpha’s super progressive."
That caught my attention. "Progressive how?"
"Female betas, for one thing. Career support. No forced matings." She ticked off points on her fingers. "Oh, and rejected mates get full pack support. We had another member join last year after a rejection. She’s head of our security detail now."
Something loosened in my chest. Maybe this place wouldn’t be so bad after all.
"Anyway, there’s a pack dinner on thursday if you want to come. No pressure though!" She bounced away before I could respond.
I set the muffins on the counter and surveyed my new kingdom again. One bedroom, living area, kitchenette, and a bathroom with questionable water pressure. But it was mine. No Tom, no Lily, no drama.
Just me and my traitorous wolf, who wouldn’t shut up about a certain amber-eyed stranger.
"Fine," I grabbed my phone and ordered enough Chinese food for three people. "We’re having a pity party. Happy?"
My wolf just huffed.
While waiting for the food, I tried unpacking the few personal items I had left. The pathetic collection only emphasized how much I’d lost. Or maybe how much Tom and his pack had taken from me over the years.
"When did I stop buying things I liked?" I wondered aloud, holding up a beige sweater I’d never particularly loved. "When did I start buying things Tom and his mother approved of?"
My wolf had no answer for that one.
The food arrived quickly. I ate it straight from the containers, sitting on my second hand couch, trying not to think about leather seats and expensive wine. Trying not to remember how it felt to be desired, respected... seen.
"What happened last night?" I asked the empty room. "It’s all... fuzzy."
And it was. The memories were there, but dreamlike. The bar, the car, the penthouse. Christian’s voice, his hands, his power wrapping around me like a blanket. But the details slipped away when I tried to focus on them.
My wolf stirred. Christian, she supplied helpfully. Mate.
"Yes, I remember his name. I remember... parts."
Parts like his laugh. His scent. The way he’d looked at me like I was something precious instead of broken. The way his power had called to mine, filling the hollow spaces where Tom’s rejection had left me bleeding.
"Stop it," I told myself firmly. "Tomorrow’s your first day at your dream job. Focus on that."
Knight Industries. Strategic Operations Manager. The job I’d spent years working toward. The position that had made Tom so insecure he’d started sleeping with my best friend.
My phone buzzed with a text from Maria: Settled in?
I typed back: Sort of. Temporary pack housing. Feels weird.
Her response was immediate: Any sign of Mr. Mystery Alpha?
Heat rushed to my face. NO. And there won’t be. One-night stand. Moving on.
Suuuure. That’s why you smell marked by him.
I nearly dropped my phone. WHAT?
Not like a formal claim. But his scent is... integrated with yours? Hard to explain. Tom noticed too.
Great. Just great. That’s all I needed – pack gossip about my rebound hookup.
I’ve got to go. First day tomorrow. Talk later.
I turned my phone off before she could respond. The last thing I needed was to be thinking about Christian right now.
Which, of course, guaranteed he was the only thing I could think about.
I cleaned up my takeout mess and decided to explore the apartment complex. Maybe a walk would clear my head.
The building was nicer than I’d expected. Clean hallways, decent security, and a small gym on the first floor. Several wolves nodded to me as I passed – no hostility, just acknowledgment. One older male even smiled.
It was jarring after years in Tom’s pack, where unmated females were ignored, and rejected ones were treated like they had a contagious disease.
As I was heading out of the laundry room, a sudden voice made me jump."Your new?"
A tall woman, her silver hair cut short, was leaning against the wall.
Everything about her screamed.
"security."
"I Just moved in," I confirmed. "My name is Sophie Turner."
"Mara." She didn’t offer a hand to shake. "Pack security. Alpha mentioned you’d be joining us."
There it was again. The Alpha’s personal interest in my arrival.
"Is that standard procedure?" I asked carefully.
Her lips quirked in what might have been a smile. "Nothing standard about you, Turner."
Before I could ask what that meant, she pushed off the wall and headed for the door.
"Welcome to Shadow Ridge. Different from what you’re used to, but better. You’ll see."
Shadow Ridge. The name triggered something in my memory, but I couldn’t place it. My wolf perked up with interest.
Safe here, she insisted. Good pack.
"You don’t even know them," I muttered as I headed back to my apartment.
Know enough, she replied smugly.
I got ready for bed mechanically. New sheets on the strange bed. New pajamas because the old ones were probably being shredded by Lily right now.
New life, new pack, new job, new everything.
So why couldn’t I stop thinking about him?
I opened my laptop, finger hovering over the search bar. One quick search and I’d know more about Christian. Where he lived (besides that ridiculous penthouse), what he did, which pack he belonged to.
But something stopped me. Maybe I didn’t want to know, maybe it was better to leave him as a perfect memory – the stranger who’d made me feel whole when my world was falling apart.
Or maybe I was just a coward. freewebnoveℓ.com
I closed the laptop without searching. Tomorrow was about my future, not last night’s questionable decisions.
I fell asleep clutching my pillow, dreaming of amber eyes and a voice that made my wolf dance.
The dream shifted. I was running through a forest, my wolf joyful and free. Another wolf ran beside me – larger, darker, radiating power. We moved in perfect sync, two halves of a whole.
Mate, my wolf sighed happily. Ours.
The other wolf turned, amber eyes gleaming.
Christian.
