Page 8 of The Wolf's Bullied Mate
We had lost contact then, and I had heard later that she had moved out of Fairlake with her parents, leaving the pack behind.
I wondered where Pauline was now. What was she doing? What was her life like?
I wouldn’t mind if my fated partner ended up being someone like Pauline; a little bit shy, a little bit awkward, but so cute nonetheless. Someone whom I could protect. Someone who would accept me the way I was. Someone who wanted to build a new life together with me.
I filled out the survey thinking of my shy and caring childhood crush.
The survey asked me if I minded if my potential mate had children. I pondered the question for a moment and concluded that I didn’t have anything against falling in love with her kids either. I loved children. They didn’t have to be my own for me to accept them.
I finished the survey and hit send.
As I leaned back in my chair, I wondered how long it would take for the agency to find me a mate. I had to admit I was excited about what the future might bring.
Chapter 3 - Pauline
A modern clock with a numberless face ticked as the minutes passed by in deafening silence. Only the clicking of utensils interrupted the quiet.
I pushed the broccoli on my plate to the left, then to the right. No matter how often I told my mother I hated the taste of this forsaken vegetable, she still put it on my plate. Sometimes, I wondered if she did so on purpose. Considering all the other abuses I had suffered from her in my life, the inclusion of broccoli in my meals against my wishes made sense, even if it wasn’t the worst thing she had ever done.
I shouldn’t complain, since she made and served the meals. She never let me cook, always saying I would destroy her brand-new designer kitchen.
Funny how my parents had enough money to afford luxuries like cutting-edge appliances or the latest phone while I barely scraped by. Even despite their obviously better financial situation, I still had to submit half of my income into the family fund to be able to live here. As a result, I barely had any savings, so moving out was not an option and probably would never be.
I only cared that Ray was provided for and happy, though.
I glanced at the door to the corridor. Ray was in his room upstairs. Thankfully, Mother hadn’t wanted him around for this particular dinner.
There was a reason for my son's absence at the table—and the reason sat opposite me, avoiding my gaze each time I looked at him. Jeffrey. The father of my son. The man I had once loved.
He was a handsome bastard; I had to give him that much. With a well-defined jaw and shiny black hair, he always had many women from the pack looking at him. Now that I could see things clearly, though—no longer blinded by the rose-colored glasses of love—I realized that his nose was a bit too pointy, hischeekbones too sharp, and his lips crooked at one corner, which made him look like he was constantly smirking, and one of his eyelids drooped. He was not the god of beauty he made himself out to be.
Jeffrey was the most arrogant asshole I had ever had the ‘pleasure’ of interacting with. My own father was an ass as well, but he paled in comparison to Jeffrey. At least Father listened to one person’s opinion—mother’s. Jeffrey was his own island. He ruled over his own little world, and everyone else had to bow to him.
I’d had to listen and submit to him during our relationship together, but back then, I had thought such obedience was normal. The fact that he had not mated with me was a good thing, although it pained me that Ray didn’t have a father around.
I pushed the broccoli to the left again, then to the right, the plate the sole focus of my attention.
As to why the man who had abandoned me and my son and clearly thought I was worthless was at our family table tonight, Jeffrey was part of the same enforcer unit as my father. They were friends from work.
Yes, my father was also an enforcer—a strong wolf great at fighting. His abilities were why he had been invited to join the Lone Bite pack and why my parents received such a good income. Enforcers were very respected in this pack where strength was what mattered the most.
Lone Bite was very different from my old pack, Moondust Hollow. My current pack didn’t feel like a community. Everyone cared about themselves first and foremost. Abuse was commonplace. Conflicts were solved by fights in wolf form. It was a bleak and unsafe place to live, especially for someone like me, whose wolf was small and weak in combat.
Speaking of my wolf, she was deeply unsettled by seeing Jeffrey again. She growled and pounced around in my soul, well aware that he was the man who had abandoned us and our child. I had to try to keep my animal side from overtaking my emotions. I didn’t want to get into an argument with Jeffrey. I didn’t want another fight.
We finished eating, and Mom brought beer and three cans to the table: one for Jeffrey, one for Father, and one for herself.
“How’s work treating you?” she asked Jeffrey in a sweet voice.
“The Midnight Glow has been attacking our borders lately. We’re busy enough,” he smiled at Father.
Father smiled back at him. “Yes, Jeffrey has been doing a great job defending the pack.”
“Oh please, you’re on par with me when it comes to kill count,” Jeffrey replied.
They both laughed, and Mother joined them.
I felt myself getting sick. They talked about taking lives so easily. Disgusting.
