Stolen Scent, Stolen Heart

(Ashley POV) “I will not plan anything with you from now on,” I said, looking towards Diana, my only best friend in this pack. “Sorry, Ash! I was just wrapping up my chores, so I can spend more time with you.” She gave me her cheesy smile, and my heart melted. “Fine! Let’s go,” We headed towards the mall, where we had to buy a gift for my parents’ anniversary and a suitable dress for her younger sister. After spending hours in search of the most appropriate gifts, we finally came out of the mall. “F*ck! I think I am going to die with this much fatigue,” She complained, and I rolled my eyes after hearing her comment. She was literally the drama queen, but I still love her so much. “Freaking hell! I forgot my wallet in the last shop,” She searched for her wallet for a few minutes and then announced it like breaking news. “I am already dead tired, Dee. You have to go alone,” I announced before she could convince me to go back. “Fine!!! But wait here for me… I will be back in just a few seconds,” She said and almost ran towards that shop. I looked around and then walked towards the nearest shop, where there were a few empty chairs. It was a perfume shop. “Oh my God!!!” Is it true?” I heard the female customer gossiping about someone with the shop owner. “Of course! A little, weak omega tricked the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack for three years straight with a false mate bond.” I heard hushed voices, and my interest piqued. “How can this be possible? How can a scent be sold? It felt like a big fat lie,” the customer commented. “Yeah! It seems so magical and forbidden. But a dark witch resided in the deep, dark forest, dark, scary, and omnipotent. She helped her for a hefty amount.” The owner answered her question. “How can this be possible? Maybe it was just a rumor, and these ladies love to gossip in their free time, right?” I thought and shook my head to get rid of all the irrational thoughts, but this new information really shook my mind. Every werewolf scent is unique, and the only way to find their mate, a person the moon Goddess hand-picked for you, but what will happen if people started doing this for personal reasons… No, It will be a great mess and cause utter chaos in the werewolf world. I quickly got up and tried to leave when I bumped into someone hard. “I am sorry… You!!! What are you doing here?” I was about to apologize, but when I saw the face of the person standing in front of me, anger filled my veins. She blinked her eyes like an innocent doe and showed me the bunch of wildflowers in her hands. Beta David adopted her as his daughter just a few years ago, and I didn’t mind her presence back then, but with the passage of time, she started showing her true colors to me. She loves to stir up trouble and then puts all the blame on me. I tried to prove her wickedness many times, but she was really clever. So, I decided to ignore her from now on, but she loves to cling to me and Diana. Even though I avoid her like the plague. “Who told you we are here, Kathy?” I crossed my arms across my chest and looked at her face. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Sis! I was just passing by when I noticed you and came here. Did you mind my presence?” She asked in an innocent tone, and I wanted to snatch and burn the Doe mask, which she loves to wear everywhere. “There is no one here besides us, Kathy. "Seriously, stop with the innocent act, it's making me cringe." Her smile fades, revealing anger in her eyes, but she quickly forces her smile again. F*ck! She really deserves an Oscar for her performance. “Okay! I just came here with Jack. He loves me a lot and loves to take care of me, right?” She said with a wink, and I clenched my fists to control my temper. She already knows that I love Jack. As the Beta’s son, he is already better than everyone in the pack in strength and in intelligence. But he has a soft spot for Kathy in his heart, and she loves to take advantage of it at every step. “I have never seen a more shameless person than you,” I commented, and she chuckled. “Oh, really? And I have never seen a more hopeless romantic than you. Stop dreaming about Jack. He will not give a f*ck about someone like you. He is already wrapped around my little finger. Just a taste of my body… he will get addicted to it… Believe me,” She explained in a shameless tone. “Bullsh*t! He treats you just like a sister, so stay away from him or I will not hold back,” I warned her in a serious tone. An evil smile appeared on her face but it quickly vanished. “I am so sorry, sister, if my presence bothers you. I will try to stay away… Ahhh!” She stepped towards me and then fell back like I pushed her hard. My mouth hung open, but before I could utter a single word, I heard a masculine voice on my back. “What the hell! How can you treat her like this, Ashley?” I gritted my teeth in anger and helplessness. He walked towards Kathy and helped her quickly, as if she were some kind of damsel in distress. This b*tch knew all my weak points and how to use them effectively, time and again. “I didn’t push her, Jack,” I quickly clarified before he put her fall in the wrong way, but I didn’t realize that I was too late. “Shut up, Ashley! You already know I hate liars, and I have already seen everything with my own eyes.” His harsh tone was unbearable to me. Unshed tears pricked my eyes, but I controlled them as much as I could. “How can you be so mean to someone like her? She came here to give you some flowers, which she picked up with so much difficulty, and this is how you are treating her? As the only daughter of the Alpha, I expected so much more from you,”he reprimanded me like a child in front of the public, and my face turned with shame, anger, and embarrassment. I looked at her like I wanted to kill her with my bare hands. “Jack, please give me a moment to explain…” “I don’t need it, Ashley! I have already given you so many chances, but nope! You refuse to treat her like a normal person, and I can’t bear this rude behavior anymore.” He announced before walking towards his car with Kathy, and I looked at their backs like a helpless person. “What happened to you?” Diana asked after looking at my face, and tears rolled down my cheeks. I hugged her and started crying. I explained everything to her between my tears. “My 18th birthday is just a week away. What if she ruined everything for me? How will I love without Jack?” I asked her, and she consoled me, but she was lost in deep thought. “We have to do something with Kathy's issue,” she mumbled under her breath, and “Let’s go, Ashley! No need to dwell in his sorrow in the middle of the road,” She pushed me towards the car, and I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. “I will not let her steal my love… not at any cost,” I vowed to myself, that I will fight till death for my love. “What’s going on in your little head, Bestie?” Diana asked when I didn’t answer her question. “Nothing, Dee!” I didn’t tell her everything about Kathy and Jack. Jack and I spent our childhood together, and he already knew about my love for him, but everything changed when Kathy stepped foot in our pack house. It seemed Jack had changed in a single night, and after her arrival, all he cared about was his little sister. At first, I didn’t take her as a threat, but with the passage of time, I realized her hidden motives, but it was already too late. Now, I don’t know how to stop loving him, but I also can’t ignore his growing infatuation with his so-called sister. If Moon Goddess paired me with him, then I will be able to separate him from Kathy’s witchy charm, but it will only reveal on my 18th birthday, which is just a week away. “We are home, Ashley,” Diana announced and opened the door on her side, and I just gave her a nod before looking at the gifts that I bought for my parents’ anniversary.