21: New Life
VERENA
“Sweetie, could you pass me the salt?” Ruth calls out to me from the other end of the kitchen, and I turn around to face her. The old lady’s eyes are focused on the pot, her gray hair pulled up in a tight bun.
My lips curve into a smile, “Sure, here you go.” I grab the nearby salt canister from the white countertop and walk over to her. Ruth gestures for me to sprinkle some salt into the simmering tomato soup. Due to her simple appearance anyone would mistake her for a regular staff member working for the Alpha of the Mountain Cross pack. However, she is Carlisle’s nanny and a respected member of the packhouse.
It has been a month since I left the Iron Claw Pack and started living in the Mountain Cross Pack. This pack has a different atmosphere and culture, leaning more towards a slow and peaceful lifestyle compared to the fast–paced city life of my old pack. Half of the landscape is filled, with pine trees and towering mountains that reach up to the bright blue sky.
“Look at her, she doesn’t even dress properly,” one of the girls whispers to the other.
“Goddess really played a big joke on the Alpha by making her his mate,” the other girl snickers.
Well, not everything has changed. Just like in my previous pack, I am hated here too. It’s because someone has spread the word that I’m the rejected trash of Alpha Elijah. Carlisle’s men who were there that day seem to share the same opinion, as they don’t appreciate their respected Alpha picking up the trash discarded by another Alpha.
Elijah is highly respected as the Alpha of one of the strongest packs, so news of him rejecting and banishing me has sown seeds of doubt in people’s minds. They think it’s my fault, that I must have done something terrible to be banished.
+15 BONUS
“Just wait and watch. Alpha Carlisle will soon realize how pathetic she
is and kick her out too.”
I ignore their comments and the tinge of hurt in my chest, and focus on pouring the batter into the greased baking dish. There is no point in trying to prove myself. I just want to live a normal life with my pup that’s growing inside. That’s why I am helping in the kitchen of the pack house so I am not a burden to Carlisle.
I know that I don’t have a powerful identity because I don’t come from a reputed family. Other than being Elijah’s rejected wife, I have not other identity. That’s not my concern though. I am more worried about how long I can stay here before Carlisle finds out that I am a wolf–less orphan who carries the child of another man.
The people of this pack have started to suspect my absence during the pack runs, and there are rumors that I might have problems shifting. So I don’t know how long I can keep up this facade. I am already looking for some packs or human cities where I can blend in as someone else and live my life peacefully. But it’s hard to find one when I am constantly under watch. Being Alpha Carlisle’s mate has garnered me unnecessary attention.
My back hurts as I bend forward to slide the baking dish into the oven. Doing simple chores like these is becoming harder because my body has been affected by banishment and pregnancy. Sometimes the pain gets worse at night, and I am forced to endure it while keeping my cries as low as possible to not disturb anyone.
My eyes flit to the window, where I watch a little girl giggling while holding her father and mother’s hands. They look so happy, it makes me envious. A part of me wishes my child could have that too, a happy family. But that’s just wishful thinking.
Elijah must be happy now. He has Nixie and people who admire him as the Alpha. He no longer has to deal with me. My heart weighs heavily at the thought, and suddenly a warm hand on my shoulder makes me jerk out of my thoughts.
+15 BONUS
Ruth’s gentle smile greets me as she asks, “Can you tell me if the soup tastes good or not?”
I regain my composure and return her smile, “Yes, why not?”
P