Chapter 1

"Get out of my house, I'm not part of your pack any more so I don't have to listen to you and I sure as hell don't want to look at you." Sophie turned her back on the distinguished looking couple who had invaded her sanctuary. In a few short minutes they had stole the small amount of peace she had forged for herself, in the two years since she had last set eyes on them.

"But Sophie, please hear us out. You must understand how important it is that you come back with us to Hollow Ridge, if you don't we could loose everything," said Evelyn, the sneer on her face in no way matching her words.

As Sophie turned, the older alpha female took a step back at the look of absolute fury on the younger females face. In that moment she could see the changes that two years had brought. And she didn't like it one little bit, they had believed Sophie would be easily manipulated. But she could see now that would not be the case. Sophie had become a formidable female.

They had let her down. Badly. She could concede that. But things were different now. They needed her to play ball and if she had her way she would fulfill her obligations to the pack then go away quietly and let them all get on with their lives. But for the moment she had to play nice, and if it meant getting exactly what she needed, then play nice she would.

"I don't have to do anything," Sophie spat. "Just like you all did nothing all those years when I was with that monster, every time he....." Sophie couldn't continue, she felt the bile rise in her throat as memories that she fought every day to keep at bay, threatened to surface.

Ronan, the retired alpha stepped forward, frowning fiercely. "You know why we couldn't do anything to help, even we didn't know how bad thing were." He attempted to soften his tone, a hint of patronisation creeping in. "Had we known maybe....."

"You would still have done nothing and you know it" Sophie shouted, her voice thick with unshed tears. "You choose to look the other way, and now you stand here and tell me you need me. Well I needed you! Every time he beat me, every time he raped me where were you?" Sophie was screaming by the time she threw those last horrific words at them.

She took a deep breath and let it out, slowly raising her eyes to look at two of the people she hated the most in the whole world. They hadn't changed at all since the last time she had saw them. Still arrogant, sanctimonious, morally corrupt beasts. She needed them gone!

"I will ask you one last time to get out of my home and never come back or I will call the police, I don't think you want the attention that would come if I did that would you?" Sophie said contemptuously.

"I think its time we left," Said the deep voice that came from the man stood by the door, who, up till now had been silent. Zack! Her mate! The one male who was supposed to love and protect her above all others. The male who had stood back and did nothing for seven long years while she was abused in the vilest of ways, and the one who had betrayed her in the worst possible way.

For two long, pain filled, agonising years, she had been told she wasn't good enough for their precious son. The Alpha heir. Every time her torturer beat her! And even after she discovered their son was her mate, he told her how she was too damaged to be anyone's mate. She believed him. Even now, after living away from them all, she still believed she would never be good enough to be a mate to anyone, let alone an Alpha. She was broken! Her wolf was broken!

Sophie turned her head to look at the new alpha of the Hollow Ridge pack, hatred blazing from her tear and pain filled eyes. What she saw in his face stole her breath. Such absolute sorrow and pain. Was it for her or for his parents, she wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. She was done with them and done with pack life.

But a small part of her could not help but drink in the sight of him. At well over six foot, with broad shoulders and chest, he was a very powerful wolf. His green eyes were bright and clear, the colour of new spring grass, and his light brown hair reminded her of warm honey. Sun kissed skin that looked almost golden in the late afternoon sun glowed with vitality. Goddess he was still the most handsome male she had ever seen. But he could never be hers!

When she had been a younger, on the few occasions she had managed to escape her prison, she used to watch him working around their small pack town. She would daydream of him rescuing her, and whisking her away from the hell she endured day after day. Maybe even way back then, some deep part of her knew he would be her mate, because the fascination she felt was profound. And even now, after not setting eyes on him for two years, the pull she felt towards him had not lessened. If anything it was stronger. Her wolf whimpered pitifully in distress at being so near her mate, but not being able to be with him.

Sophie took a deep breath and steeled herself, she would not. NO! Could not, show these people any sign of weakness. She had to stay strong. For the sake of her own sanity, if for nothing else.

Evelyn stepped forward once more snaring Sophie's attention away from the tall brooding man who should have been hers.

"We will go for now, but Sophie, you need to come home, we need you. And even if you don't admit it, you need us just as much. The life of a lone wolf is hard, you are at the mercy of any rogue that comes across you. You need to come home! It's as simple as that! If you don't come home and complete the mating ritual with Zack...."

"Oh so now I'm good enough for you precious Son? I wasn't good enough four years ago when I came to you telling you he was my mate. But now you need something from me I'm suddenly acceptable. Not too damaged? Isn't that what you said? Well fuck you! I don't want anything to do with you, your pack or him. Now don't make me ask you again, or next time I will be asking you to leave with my gun in my hand!". Sophie raged!

Evelyn huffed out an exasperated breath and when she went to speak again, Zack stepped forward and put his hand on his mothers shoulder. "Enough, Mother,". Zack said, "we have said enough, its time to leave. We have no right to expect anything from Sophie after what we did." He put his hand up to silence whatever argument his father was about to give. "Lets go!" He ordered.

As he watched his parents turn toward the door he looked at the woman who should have been his and said quietly "Nothing I can say will ever make up for what you went through, but I am sorry, from the bottom of my soul I am sorry...."

"Keep your apologies, Zack, they don't mean shit to me, just like you and you pack. Get out and don't comeback! Ever!" As Sophie turned away. She heard the door open and close, and everything was once again silent.

Until the first sob was torn from her throat.

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