The Alpha's Forgotten Mate

20. My Hope

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"She is my miracle and she is my blessing

She is the reason for my every breath, my every heartbeat

She is my sunshine and my moonlight

My dream and my dawn

My strength and my weakness

She is my worst fear and my greatest despair . . .

But she is also my prayer, my only prayer

She is my love, my pride, my hope

And her life is all I'll ever ask of you.

Fight the evils, fight the curse

Fight every danger that comes her way

Fight the monster that she will become

Fight it all

Fight it till the end

It's all I ask of you, love, fight for her

Fight for our daughter."

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"You are mine."

Maria and Hope cringed as they sat back in their chairs, their anticipation from just a second ago dissipating into thin air.

"They had to go and ruin it, didn't they?" Maria shook her head, getting up from the couch. She could not deal with this nonsense any longer.

"I thought they would execute it better. It had too much potential." Maria just gave Hope a flat look. This was not the first time that the she-wolf had come up with some random show she saw on t****k and made Maria go through the torture of second-hand embarrassment and cringe.

"Shut up, Hope." She said as she walked away.

Hope pouted, folding her arms across her chest as she stared back at the paused show.

"It's not that bad." She mumbled as she fast-forwarded a minute before pressing the play button.

"What are you doing here?" Any other member of the Silver Crest pack would have had their soul leave their body if they were in her place and they heard the Alpha speak in such a tone. But not Hope - she was used to it, used to it all.

"Searching for a cure for cancer." She rolled her eyes, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her hoodie - his hoodie - as she jumped off the couch, in a hurry to get away from her moody mate.

"Thorn..."

Hope hid her smile. At least her relationship was not a total cliche, was it? While others called their mates the love of their lives, hers called her the thorn in his path. She liked the nickname; she thought it suited her perfectly.

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“You are my best friend.”

“I know. But you were never mine.” I sigh as I look down at my shoes but I then I force myself to look back into his eyes. This is the moment of truth, and I need to let it all out. I take a deep breath. “I came through your barriers, I dragged you out into the world, I stayed by your side as you dealt with your asociality, your anxiety, your adjustment issues, your anger issues, I begged the professors to get your deadlines extended, I vouched for you when you got in trouble with the cops, I ditched my father and became your partner when you said you wanted to start your own company, I trusted you and married you when you asked me to pretend for your father’s sake, I dealt with your absence from the company when you weren’t in the mood, I came home and cleaned up the mess every single day, I said goodbye to flowers for you, I even accepted your affair, I accepted you and tried to understand you with everything I have got. But I got nothing… Absolutely nothing in return. Hell, I got mistrust in return, accusations in return… You knew my worst insecurities and you clawed me right there in the center. So yeah, I was your best friend. But you never were my best friend.”

“Vee…”

“You… You ditched me every time you were with a friend, you weren’t there when I went through my burn-outs, you never stepped in for me, you never asked me what I wanted, you couldn’t even let a maid stay for more than a week because who cares right? Violet will get everything done! I toiled and toiled and toiled and hustled for the past six years of my life only to have you call me, ‘A b***h like your mother’.”

“Vee, I was angry-”

“What were you angry at?” I ask, cutting him off yet again. “Correction, what right do you have to be angry at me? Who do you think you are? And what have I ever done to be compared to my mother? Other than the fact that she birthed me.”

“You were never a good friend, forget a best friend. You were never a good husband. You were never a good business partner. You were never a good roommate. You miss me now that your ex left you? Aww, sucks to be you because I realized I was carrying a dead weight all this while now that I am rid of you.”

“SO stay away from me and my life. The divorce is done, and soon I will hand my shares over to you. It’s all done. And I want nothing more to do with this.” I gesture to both of us. “We are done. And done with.”

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Paige bites her lip as she places the phone down.

“She said she’s sorry but she can’t make it.” She says, her eyes brimming with tears.

Caleb shrugs, taking a sip of his coffee. “No surprise there.”

“What do you mean?” I look at him, and I am met with his judging gaze.

“You all really expect her to show up and humor you after what you all did to her?”

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My dearest daughter, cursed by fate, Your life is burdened, so unjustly great. A gift bestowed, or so they say, But all it brings is fear each day.

Your curse, a mark upon your soul, A transformation, beyond your control. In wolfish form, you roam at night, A sight that fills others with fright.

Yet, my love for you remains unchanged, A bond between us, forever arranged. I'll stand by you, through thick and thin, A mother's love, never to rescind.

The world may shun you, but you're not alone, I'll always be here, to call your own. Your life may differ, from what's known, But your heart, remains as pure as stone.

My dearest daughter, cursed by fate, Your beauty lies, beyond your state. You're a fighter, brave and true, A light that shines, for all to view.

So let them stare, and let them fear, Your courage will always be held dear. I'll love you, through the dark and light, My cursed daughter, my beacon of might.

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Other than the fact that you were too lazy to get this done, is there any other explanation that you can actually give me?

I am honestly tired of all the nonsense that I have to go through in a day because of you, you know. I don't think I get paid enough for all of this.

The moon was full and high in the sky as two werewolves faced off in a clearing deep in the forest. Their snarls echoed through the trees as they circled each other, muscles tensed and claws bared.

The larger of the two, a massive beast with fur as black as coal, lunged forward with a fierce growl. His opponent, a smaller but more agile werewolf with reddish-brown fur, dodged out of the way just in time, snapping his jaws at the other werewolf's flank.

The black werewolf howled in pain and spun around, his eyes glowing with fury. He charged again, but the reddish-brown werewolf was too quick for him, leaping over his opponent's back and raking his claws across the other werewolf's spine.

The black werewolf staggered but quickly recovered and turned to face his opponent once more. He bared his teeth in a menacing snarl, saliva dripping from his jaws as he prepared to attack again.

The reddish-brown werewolf stood his ground, his eyes narrowed and his muscles coiled. He knew he couldn't afford to make any mistakes against such a formidable opponent.

With a sudden burst of speed, the black werewolf charged forward, his massive claws slashing through the air. The reddish-brown werewolf dodged to the side, but the black werewolf's attack was so powerful that it sent him sprawling onto the ground.

For a moment, it seemed as if the fight was over. The black werewolf loomed over his fallen opponent, snarling triumphantly as he prepared to deliver the killing blow.

But the reddish-brown werewolf wasn't beaten yet. With a fierce growl, he sprang to his feet and launched himself at the other werewolf, his teeth sinking deep into the black werewolf's throat.

Blood spurted from the wound as the black werewolf howled in agony. He tried to shake off his opponent, but the reddish-brown werewolf held on tightly, determined to finish the fight once and for all.

Finally, with one last burst of strength, the black werewolf managed to toss his opponent aside. The reddish-brown werewolf landed hard on the ground, his body wracked with pain.

For a moment, it seemed as if the black werewolf had won. He stood over his fallen opponent, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

But then, something strange happened. As the black werewolf watched, the reddish-brown werewolf began to change. His body rippled and twisted, fur and flesh shifting and contorting until he was no longer a werewolf at all, but a human once more.

The black werewolf stared in astonishment, his snarls turning to confused whimpers. He had never seen anything like this before.

The human, still gasping for breath, looked up at the black werewolf with a mixture of fear and defiance. He knew he had won the fight, but he also knew that he was in grave danger.

The black werewolf hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering between the human and the moon. Then, with a low growl, he turned and ran off into the night, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

The human lay there for a few more moments, trying to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. He knew that he had just narrowly escaped death at the hands of a werewolf, and he knew that he would have to be more careful in the future.

As he slowly got to his feet and started to make his way back home, he couldn't help but wonder what other dangers lurked in the shadows of the forest, waiting for their chance.

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