The song for this chapter is "" by Disturbed.

Enjoy

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I knew simply walking away from Nate would be too easy and he did not seem to be the type of person who liked to take that route and seconds later he proved that to be true. "Where do you think you're going?" Nate spat curiously, his raucous voice burning my eardrums along with his heavy taunting footsteps that followed behind us.

"I'm not staying with you" I hissed in response, not bothering to turn around and face him. Instead, I continued my walk down the stairs, holding Carter's warm hand tightly, the simple gesturing bringing me a certain inner peace that I desperately needed.

Not liking my argumentative nature, he let out a low growl. "You're not going with him" he ordered sternly as I spun around so quickly, I nearly gave myself whiplash. Who did he think he was? Gazing up I watched the icy shade of blue disappear from his eyes only to be replaced by an endless onyx pit. It was as if there was no soul behind them, he was lifeless and fueled by rage. He glared back at me, the darkness taking over to were barely any white was visible. His lips formed a perfectly straight line as he gestured to his Beta without an ounce of care.

Mustering up the confidence I continued to fight him ignoring the dangerous aura that surrounded him. "I don't have to listen to you" I murmured, my voice coming out shaky instead of assertive. Biting the inside of my cheek as I tried to ignore my wolf who was pleading with me to stop fighting and go with him. How could she care for him? He was not our mate and did not deserve our loyalty.

"Yes, you do" Nate seethed, his jaw clenched tightly as he tried to remain calm. His intense tone was continuing to irk Carter and drive his wolf into protector mode. Placing his hand on my shoulder he gave it an encouraging squeeze as if trying to tell me to let him handle Nate, but I would not allow that.

"You're not my mate nor my Alpha!" I screamed frustratedly, not caring about the crowd of their pack mates that was beginning to grow as they watched the drama unfold on the staircase.

Amused by my banter, he snickered. Leaning down he made sure his breath would fan my face as he spoke. "That's where you are wrong princess, I'm both" he gloated his sinister smile growing which only caused Carter to growl as he stepped up to my side. This only seemed to make Nate fill with joy as he watched his Beta become aggravated. It became clear more than ever that Nate's main goal was to hurt Carter and the more he implied I was his the more he succeeded.

Feeling the need to defend him I shot back once more. "I don't care if you marked me, you will never be my mate" I grunted with distaste as sharp silver streaks shot through his eyes like a firework in the sky. My jaw unhinged, shaking as I watched him, nothing but pure terror filling my being. "Carter is my mate, he was chosen for me" I added weakly as his massive muscles flexed under his shirt. Hearing my harsh reality, the vein in his neck began to pop out and his large hands began to take the form of fists.

Though instead of the raged fueled response I expected, he sighed relaxing his entire frame as he did. "Think whatever you want for now, but I can already feel your wolf wanting mine. Soon enough you'll want the same" he predicted brushing past us on the stairs purposely hitting his shoulder into Carter's as he passed.

I cringed as Nate charged down the steps holding my breath the entire time until I heard the front door slam. I spun slowly so I was now facing Carter again, taking in the scraps boarding his face from his previous scuffle. "We will figure this out" he promised me for the second time tonight as I nodded hopefully holding back the waterfall of tears ready to pour out.

He smiled weakly seeming unsure of how to go about this as he picked up my hand once more, holding it firmly as if he were afraid, he would lose me without doing so. For the first time, I took in my surroundings, nervously scanning the house. Where I was at in Nate's room was on the top floor, every inch of it was clean and nothing was out of place. As Carter led me down one floor, I was instantly greeted with a small sitting area that gave off an inviting feeling. The white leather couches complimented the dark wood floors begging me to curl upon them. As he pulled me farther four large doors came into view. "This floor has all the Beta family" he informed me as we passed two rooms. This pack already differed from mine whereas each family in my pack had their own house Nate's pack all lived in one large house.

"That's my parents' room" he pointed to the first door "my brothers" and "ours" at this I blushed instantly. The thought of their being something that was both mine and Carter's pleased me immensely and for a second, I did not think about the fact that he was not the one to mark me. As if in some parallel universe I may live here and be the Beta's mate.

"I want to meet them tomorrow" I whispered as he nodded agreeing a satisfied smile stretching his lips as he showed off two rows of perfectly straight teeth that belonged in a Colgate ad.

Slowly he opened the door revealing a large room like Nate's. Though Carter's room had a much more welcoming feel than Nate's did where Nate's had a more neutral theme with light gray walls, white carpets, and dark furniture. All in all, his room was tidy yet felt cold and incomplete.

Carter's walls were a pale green color while the same dark wood from the hallway met his floors. All his furniture was white and polished to perfection, not one item having a scuff or scrap on them. "Do you like it?" He questioned nervously his hand squeezed mine encouragingly. Feeling his eagerness for my acceptance my heart swelled up.

"It's cozy," I told him honestly as he closed the door behind us giving us our much-needed space. "And it smells like cinnamon apples" I chuckled causing a hearty deep laugh to leave his lips and cause butterflies to attack my stomach once more. Something about it instantly put me at ease, as if hearing him happy could solve all my problems even though it could not.

"Are you okay?" He asked sobering up quickly as he noticed that this whole ordeal could not have been easy on me. I sighed quietly as he led me to the bed, wanting me to sit and fully relax knowing I was safe behind his door.

Peeking up I examined the stray pieces of his chestnut hair fall against his forehead, buying myself time as I tried to understand everything that took place tonight. "Honestly, no..." I gulped looking anywhere but at him. "Why would Nate mark me?" I could not help but ask as he shifted behind me. His hands shot out as he slowly began to massage my shoulders in what I believe was an attempt to put me at ease.

"Nate's complicated" Carter sighed; the confusion evident in his voice. "A couple of years ago his father died and his mother took off with a rogue since then he's never been the same" he admitted quietly. I could feel my wolf instantly sadden from hearing this as her sympathy grew for him. I would be lying if I said I did not feel the same heartbreak for him, but I would not allow that to persuade my opinion on him. I just could not.

"That's horrible" I murmured fiddling my thumbs in my lap as I tried to imagine my life without one of my parents let alone both. "What's going to happen when he finds his mate?" My voice was low, but I knew he could hear me by the way his heart began to beat at a high-speed pace.

Carter remained silent for a minute making me think he was trying to decipher the answer but when he spoke I knew that was no mystery "He already denied her" He informed me, his voice weak and barely above a whisper. Shocked I leaped from his loving hold and turned to where I was facing him. If Nate denied his mate and she would not be coming back that means that my escape would not be easy if even possible. Parting his lips, the saliva smacked around in Carter's mouth as he tried to formulate a proper sentence "I just don't think he could handle it, he found Heather too soon after his mom left" he defended his Alpha though the way his eyes shifted around nervously I couldn't help but think there was more to the story.

I shut my eyes wanting nothing more than to wake up in my bed and be able to redo the day. I would not have let Carter leave me and I would have avoided Nate at all costs. Clenching my lids even tighter, the tears finally fell only to be wiped away. "I don't want to be his" I spoke up honestly after a moment of eerie silence. My body felt weak as if I may vomit just thinking of all the possibilities. Feeling dizzy I laid back down, enjoying the soft fluffy pillow against my pounding head. "How can we undo this?"

"We can't un-mark you but maybe I can mark over it?" Carter suggested unsurely. "I don't know if it will work but it's worth a try" he added as I nodded. It cannot possibly make this any worse.

"I will do anything" I vowed as his coffee-colored pools darkened slightly with lust from the thought of being so intimate with me. Though his exterior appeared to be amused by this, his wolf was terrified. Terrified that it may not work.

"I want to do this right" He smiled convincingly, pushing his fears to the side as he tossed his leg over me, so his lean body was straddling mine. "I'm sorry this happened to you" his pointer finger ran along my cheekbone as he apologized picking up any stray tears on its way.

"It's not your fault," I told him twisting my hand in his shirt as I pulled his face closer to mine. When he was close enough, I wrapped my arms around his neck continuing to tug him closer. I did not want to admit it but wanting to pursue this was not because I was ready to take my relationship with Carter to the next level, this was pure desperation.

"Are you sure?" Carter asked sweetly feeling my swirling emotions before he kissed me, his orbs twinkling happily as they met mine.

"I'm sure" I vowed as his lips crashed into mine eagerly. The familiar electric sparks pulsed my mouth as we touched causing me to immediately moan on his slippery lips. Loving the reaction, he was getting, he kissed harder and more passionately.

He bit my bottom lip tugging ever so slightly giving me the opportunity to bring my tongue into his mouth. Our tongues rolled around with one another's for a minute before Carter diverted his lips across my cheek and down to my neck and more importantly my sweet spot. The fireworks that were currently going through my body stopped as soon as his lips hit my marking spot. Instead of the pleasuring feeling I expected, I was greeted with an uncomfortable burning, but I did not stop him.

"Do it" I begged my nails meeting his back roughly as I dug them in nervously. This is it. Our one chance. Carter sighed in my ear as his canines plunged into my neck where Nate's previously were. Instantly my wolf was scrambling around trying to fight his off since we were already claimed. I could not help the desperate whine that escaped my lips as Carter tried to take over my body and my wolf's previous claim. My entire being tightened up, my eyes clenched, my fingers gripped his skin harder, digging my nails deeper. Salty droplets flowed from my eyes, each one making my skin feel like it was on fire.

"Get off!" Nate's loud voice met my ears causing Carter to pull back and spin to look at his Alpha who was standing casually in the doorway. The look that dominated his face was like a kid caught with his hand stuck in a cookie jar. He was stunned by the fact that his Alpha could now feel my emotions and knew of our intentions.

As I looked up, I saw his focus was already glaring at me with disapproval. His chest was rising and falling drastically as my wolf coward in fear of what else he was capable of. "What do you think you're doing?" He turned his attention to Carter who was still straddling my body sexually. His arms were planted on both sides of my head, caging me in so he could protect me if necessary.

"I'm trying to fix what you did!" He shrieked angrily his brown hair flopping around as he hollered.

"You can't change it now so stop trying!" Nate demanded without listening to us and our needs "I told you Jamie is my mate now" He continued. Hearing my name come from his mouth for the first time felt weird. My wolf buzzed around joyfully, hearing it as magical as it came from his mouth. I, on the other hand, did not understand why I did not hate it. In fact, a small part of me enjoyed his husky voice purring my name out. Shaking my head, I rid it of those thoughts.

"I'm not your mate!" I hissed ignoring my wolf again as he quickly moved from the doorway and made it way toward us. Within seconds he was bent down, maneuvering so he had a good view of me. His sharp face leaning dangerously close to mine as he continued to taunt me, knowing I feared him.

"You are Jamie. What you're doing here" he pointed to Carter "is cheating on your mate." He spoke so confidently as if what he said was true. As though he truly believed that what he did was acceptable and what I was doing was immoral.

I could feel my eyes widened in disbelief. He was clearly delusional. "He is my mate!" I spat to make him see reality. Nate was not my mate; he was the devil that marked me. We had no instant connection, no need, no pull, nothing.

"Was. He was your mate" Nate corrected. "Now let's go" he gestured standing up and extending his hand for me to grab. "I've had enough of this." He opened and closed his hand twice, impatiently telling me to go with him peacefully before he had to take other measures.

Flabbergasted I stared at his hand, remembering how it held my hips previously, forcing my body to stay put as he dominated me. "I told you I'm not going anywhere with you" I fought back as Carter's hand traced along my side to calm me.

"You can't just mark someone and expect them to love you, Nate, it doesn't work like that" Carter spoke up as the two glared at one another. "That is why you are given a mate. Someone who will love you no matter what, right, wrong or indifferent" he added his golden flecks shinning as though there was a hidden meaning behind his words. Next, he turned to me a loving smile plastered on his face making me blush again, feeling a childlike innocence around him. I wanted to make him proud.

Seeing the interaction between us Nate let out a long breathless groan. "Well, you no longer have one of those" Nate dismissed dangerously becoming more and more annoyed with us as the seconds ticked on.

To make him understand that Carter was still my mate I stopped arguing and instead tried to explain. "He's still my mate...I can feel it when I kiss him" I told Nate as he stiffened like he did not believe that to be the case. "You are marking me doesn't change the fact that Carter was made for me and I was made for him."

"Yes, it does" he argued back stubbornly as his nostrils flared due to his heavy breathing. "Like it or not you're mine Jamie, not his, not your own, no one's but mine!" He growled loudly his strong voice echoing through the room making me realize he was not kidding around and being here I could not change the fact that I was under his command. "You've seen for yourself he can't change the fact that you've been marked so give it up." He continued only pushing my wolf farther into believing him.

"I don't care if he can't mark over you, I'll do whatever it takes to break our bond" I spat leaning up on my elbows in a challenging way. Realizing what I was implying, his jaw tensed and cracked as he clenched it. His soulless eyes burning into mine trying to instill more fear with the hopes that it alone would control the outcome.

"No, you won't" He demanded as his large fists wound tightly at his sides, the veins along his arms began to protrude as his irritation grew.

"I hate you!" I hollered and within a second, he stood up yanking my body out from underneath Carter's causing him to tumble to the side. With little effort, he tossed me over his shoulders seemingly unaffected by my attempt to fight back and get free. As I squirmed against him his words truly became clear, there was no stopping him. He had the ranking, he had a claim over me, and he was stronger than Carter and I combined.

"Nate!" Carter yelled his voice low and angry as he hopped up from the floor and charged toward us. Dark fur that seemed to belong to his wolf began poking through his skin, quickly covering it.

'Don't fight him' my wolf begged though I did the opposite and beat on his back. How could she have love for him?! He was not chosen for her, he took us- he stole us!

"I swear to God if you don't shut up Carter, I will ban you from our pack. What's done is done!" He screamed in response as I punched his backside continuously which only caused his grip to tighten on me and a pain to shoot through my already sore body.

"I hate you!" I whined as I continued to hit him over and over not thinking about the consequences. It was true. Nate ruined everything.

"Stop saying that!" He demanded digging his sharp claws into my thighs hard enough to break the skin. I squealed as he slammed his bedroom door, a wicked vibration echoing throughout the still place. Flipping me back over he threw my body with little effort. To protect myself, I pulled my legs up, shielding me from what was to come which turned out to be a bed. "I'm your mate and your Alpha now and you will respect me" he seethed, forcing himself on top of me. His large hands grasped my wrists, pulling my arms up above my head. My eyes narrowed as they locked on his, neither one of us ready to back down.

"I will never forgive you" I vowed as his face softened quickly showing me a sign of vulnerability however, he quickly covered that up with an emotionless look.

"I don't care if you forgive me the fact is that you will do what I say when I say. Got it?" He hissed dangerously as I nodded letting my fear take over as it watched the seriousness in his orbs. "From now on you and Carter will not be alone until your bond is broken."

"You can't do that!" I cried as he applied more pressure on my wrists causing me to wince though he did not cease his tight hold.

"I can and I will. He is no longer your mate and the sooner you realize that the better" His sturdy voice informed me as he leaped off of me but not before his core brushed mine causing an uncontrollable moan to escape my lips. As soon as it did, he turned back to me his eyes filled with lust as if his wolf felt the same desire as mine.

"And you try to act like your wolf doesn't want mine" Nate teased as he turned his head to the side in the cockiest way possible. He then grabbed my hips and jerked my body sideways until I was facing him "Now I have no doubt that she does" he whispered huskily kneeling, so we were at eye level once more. Though this stare was not a challenge. The darkness faded from his telling windows as a familiar turquoise shade set in. Ones that instantly brought life and character to him. They twinkled as if encouraging me to confirm my wolf's wants.

"She might but I never will" I vowed harshly causing him to shove my body away quickly as if he were disgusted by me. I could never want a man like Nate, he was not for me and he was by far the most selfish, self-absorbed Alpha I ever met.