(A/N: NOT EDITED)    

~~~  

I continued to run until I realised, too late, that I was no longer in my territory. Viscious howls echoed through the air and I darted into the trees again. However, I knew I was way too tired to avoid their chase for too long. 

With each step I took, I could hear the howls grow louder and I whimpered in despair. Before I could even ackowledge what had happened, a large amber wolf appeared in front of me and I quickly slide to a halt. When I turn around I note that I'm surrounding and proceed to back away, tale between my legs, whimpering.

I watch, with misted eyes, the brown wolf shift into a devilishly handsome young man before I quickly look away. Shifting back to human form always results in nudity. I return my gaze to his after he throws on some jeans that sit dangerously low on his hips. 

"Shift." He commands. 

I look nervously at the surrounding wolves. Though I wanted to shift, I did want to maintain my dignity and would not achieve this my shifting with all these wolves watching my every move. 

The guy must have sensed my uneasiness and makes a comment. "You are allowed to shift behind a tree but know that, if you dare to run away, you will die."

I nodded my big head and did as he asked, throwing on some baggy sweatpants and an oversized jumper so that it was not as obvious how obese I was. 

Walking out from behind the trees I let my brown hair flow down my back and notice that the other wolves have shifted into their human form and, my God, they were all good-looking. There must have been something in the water where they were from.

"Are you aware that you have trespassed on my brothers land, Rogue." Rogue. The word stung as much as the vile words that I was used to being thrown my way, but I guess this was what I was reduced to. A rogue who had dismissed her pack. 

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." I stutter, voice soft. "I ran away from my pack and I didn't realise I had trespassed until you guys started chasing me." Nervously, I looked at all the guys as they stared back at me, not saying anything. 

Finally, on one of the guys spoke up. "What were you doing running away from your pack?"

I directed my gaze at the brown haired guy who asked me the question. He stood next to a guy who was obviously his twin as they looked exactly the same despite a few minor differences in hair colour and cut. 

"They don't want me. I'm a pathetic excuse for a werewolf because I'm overweight. I was bullied a lot and I wanted to get away from it... So here I am." I shrug, like it's not important.

"What kind of pack calls one of their own fat?" The other twin exclaimed.  

"I agree, but you're leaving something out." The black haired guy says. The one who had the amber wolf.

"Umm, do you mind if we discuss this somewhere else. I don't have a problem with telling you the rest, but I don't exactly like being out in the open." I ask.

"Sure, we can go the pack house. I think our Alpha would be very interested in your story, anyway." He replies.

"Hey! Maybe you could join our pack!" A guy with blonde hair says excitedly.  Shouts of agreement ring out and I almost cry at how kind they were being. They barely knew me and they were already offering me to join their pack. 

"Come on. Let's go." The twins walk over to me and put their arms around my shoulders and lead me to the pack house.  

***  

(Cade's POV)  

I was sitting in my father's office, helping him sort out files with a few of my friends when my best friend, Alex, barged into the room and begins throwing files and decor around before smashing his fist into the wall. 

 "Alex, could you please explain what the fuck are you doing? Calm down, brother!" I shout.

His eyes are raw with rage and unshed tears as he turns his glare on me. "Don't you dare tell me to calm the fuck down and you are not my brother! Thanks to all you dicks my sister is gone. POOF!" He makes exaggerated gestures.

Wait--Scarlett is gone?! No.  "What do you mean?" I ask, deathly afraid of the answer.

"She left. Because you assholes were so mean to her. I knew it was inevitable. There was only so much she could take. I only just stopped her last time. But now she's gone." He holds his head in his hands and starts cursing with tears running down his face. Never in my life had I seen Alex cry. He was always the stronger of us two, emotionally. 

"You have no proof. How do you know she isn't with Alyssa or another friend?" John, my fathers beta, asks.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that I already called them and they said they hadn't seen her since you asked to talk to her," He points at me. "and all her stuff is gone from her room. Maybe because she left this fucking note on the kitchen bench." He says through clenched teeth and throws the crumpled note at me.

I quickly scan over her delicate handwriting and feel tears building up in my eyes. This was all my fault. I caused her to leave. It even says so. God, I'm such a dick.

"I'm going to fucking kill the stupid idiot who rejected my sister!" Alex kept on going on.

My heart clenches. There was no doubt in my mind that the words he spouted were the truth. There was no way I could tell him that I was the one responsible for her departure. Instead, I tell him to send organise a search party and call every Alpha in the area and tell them about our situation. He agreed, but there was still anger and sadness in his eyes. I knew this was going to be hard for him.

I didn't want to reject Scarlett. Despite the fact that she was more curvaceous than others, she was still beautiful. My rejection was based on the decision that she could never find out about my dark past. I wasn't a good person. She deserved better than me, someone who would make her laugh. I would only cause her pain. 

"Someone," I say softly. "Who is not me."   

By hurting her now was so she didn't experience the feeling tenfold later.

***  

(Scarlett's POV)  

I sat on the couch in the living room of the pack house, waiting for their Alpha. The guys were playing Call of Duty when someone cleared their throat. I looked up and was faced with the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes I'd ever seen. His brown hair was spiked in that stylish way that most guys had their hair these days. The fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt made me think he had just returned from a run. 

Everyone, including me, stood up and bowed their heads respectfully as he walked into the room. He nodded at each of his pack members before facing me.  Before I could say anything, the brown wolf I had come to know as Daxton spoke up. "Kaiden, this is Scarlett. Scarlett, this is Alpha Kaiden." 

I smile, shyly. "Hello." 

He walks over to me and sticks his hand out. "Hi." He replies with a small smile.

We continue to stare at each other, lost in our thoughts, when a cough brings us out of our state. "Alright, so now you can tell us the rest of your story." The blond guy, Jamie, says.

So I do, I tell them everything. I don't know why I felt like I could trust them, but I did. "...And then my mate rejected me, calling me all these names. I'm fat, ugly, a pig. I guess that's what finally made me leave. My brother always told me my mate was supposed to protect me, but it's like he's the one I need protection from." I shrug. "It's obvious he doesn't want me." I hold back the tears in my eyes.

Tristan and Christian, the twins, pull me into their arms and I cry softly into their shirts.  "Sshh, it's okay. We're here for you. Even if that bastard isn't." They murmur, over and over. 

"Scarlett," Just his masculine voice sends a shiver down my spine. I turn to Kaiden. "You are free to join our pack if you wish. We will train you to become the best fighter and provide you with a home. A family." He tells me.

"Why are you helping me? You don't even know me." I ask.

"Yeah, we do. Your name is Scarlett and you need a place to stay. Our pack is it." Kaiden replies with an encouraging smile.

"Okay." A smile tugs at my lips.

"Okay?" Kaiden questions.

"I'll join the pack."   

~~~  

First chapter! :D What'd you think?

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