Chapter 17 Chapter 17
ZANE
I watched her with amusement as she gawked at her room. I had never noticed how nice the rooms were before. Having grown up here, I was used to them.
“Well, if you need anything, I’m right next door,” I offered as Ella turned to me, her face flushed with excitement.
“Thank you for your help.” She gave me a warm smile before throwing herself on the bed.
If I had stayed a minute longer, I would have lost control and kissed her hard, right then and there. I quickly excused myself and went to my room.
I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling, attempting to calm my heart. I finally was able to do so when I heard her heartbeat from the next room, slowly calming down before resting at a steady rhythm.
“She’s asleep,” I mumbled as I began to drift off myself.
The next morning, my eyes snapped open as I heard an alarm clock go off. I groaned and rolled over, smacking my clock. But it wasn’t mine.
“What time is it?” I mumbled, rubbing the haze out of my eyes. 5:30 a.m. Who got up so early?
I lay there, trying to get back to sleep, but I needed to pee. I grunted as I got up out of bed and made my way to the bathroom.
Half asleep and irritated, I walked out of my room toward the kitchen for a drink of water.
I was surprised when I caught the smell of apple cider. My eyes immediately perked up to see Ella hunched over the counter, nursing a cup of coffee in her hand.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I walked past her to get a glass out of the cupboard.
Her head jolted up.
“Have to start on breakfast,” she said sleepily.
I took a sip of water before looking at her like she was crazy.
“You mean to tell me you get up this early every day to make us breakfast?”
“What, do you think breakfast magically appears in the morning?” she asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes at me.
“Technically I get up at five every day, but now that I’m at the pack house I can sleep in a bit longer since the kitchen is just downstairs.”
Ella cupped her coffee in her hands as if she was willing the warmth to give her the energy she needed. I watched her take a sip, wanting so badly to be that cup and feel her lips on mine.
I shook the thoughts out of my head. Before I could speak again, she hopped off the stool and walked toward the door.
“See you at breakfast.”
“See you,” I replied quietly.
I decided to go back to bed and get a few more hours of sleep. I woke at seven and decided to get up for the day.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that she worked so hard, all day, every day. She and Sophie never took a break.
“Good morning.” I smiled as I walked into the kitchen.
“Good morning, Alpha Zane,” Sophie greeted me. Ella gave me a small smile before handing me a plate. My hand brushed hers as I took it, and it sent shockwaves through me.
I had to remember to take a breath. She was starting to affect me more and more.
The moment was ruined when Mariah walked up to the counter.
“Omega, where is my breakfast?”
Ella lowered her face in submission and turned to grab Mariah’s breakfast. Hers was different from the others—apparently she got a special one every day. I could feel my eyes darken.
“Mariah, you will no longer be receiving special meals.”
Every pack member in the dining hall looked up in shock. Mariah let out a laugh.
“What?”
“You heard me. The pack cooks are not required to cater for requests. They are here to feed the entire pack and are only required to make changes for those with restrictions.
“Starting tomorrow, you will no longer be receiving a special meal from the pack house. You want it, you may cook it yourself.”
I could see the fury in Mariah’s face as her glare went from me to Ella.
“Did you complain about me, Omega? Is making my breakfast just too hard for you? Weak skank… I don’t even want to know what you did to get him to leave me.”
Mariah walked away before turning back.
“You are nothing compared to me you little omega slut.”
I could feel my wolf trying to take over. He was on the edge. I looked back at Ella, only to find she was gone.
I looked up to Sophie, who nodded toward the back hallway.
“Ella?” I called as I entered the hallway. I could see her standing by the wall, her arms wrapped around herself and her shoulders tight.
For a moment, I thought she was crying, but she wasn’t—she was standing there with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths.
“Ella, I—”
“Don’t,” she interrupted, her blunt response taking me by surprise.
“Ella, are you okay?”
Ella turned to me, anger and defiance in her eyes. I had to keep from laughing at her look, imagining that was what her father saw that day he gave Ella her nickname.
“Am I okay?” she fumed. Her anger tore me from my amusement.
“Zane Davis, I don’t need your help. I’ve been doing just fine on my own without you.”
“It didn’t look like—” I started before Ella interrupted me again.
“What did you think happened when you left? That once you rejected me and went away, everything would be fine? I spent months digging myself out of that hole.
“Every day being reminded by Mariah and her little posse that I was nothing, that I meant nothing. Every day having to deal with her verbal abuse and torment.
“Every day having to sit there in submission while she talked down to me about the fact that I wasn’t wanted and she was the one in your bed, in your life.
“Every day having to hope that the mate bond would fade and go away so I could stop hurting and stop feeling. It was all gone! My mate bond was gone! It took two years, but I was over you.
“You didn’t want me, and my wolf and I accepted it. After two years, I was finally piecing myself back together again.”
I stood there in shock as I watched the dam finally break. Ella wiped tears from her face.
“After two years, I was okay. I was making a life for myself. And then you came strolling back in, claiming you own me, claiming you want me. You don’t get to switch it on and off like that, Zane!
“You don’t get to decide after rejecting me, without even giving me a chance, that now you want me. Just because you got bored with Mariah doesn’t mean I need you to be my knight in shining armor.”
I finally woke from my stupor and my wolf flashed through my eyes. I stepped forward, forcing Ella’s back against the wall.
“Little wolf, I’m warning you. You need to stop before I can’t control myself anymore.”
Ella’s face went from anger to fear in a split second. Suddenly, I realized what had happened and took a step back.
“Ella, I’m sorry. I—”
Ella slapped me across the face before running upstairs to her room, leaving me frozen in confusion in the middle of the hallway.