Danica's POV
Two Weeks Later
"Be careful Dani!" My mom yelled to me I ran out of the house to school.
"Yeah I know." I replied through our link, not bothering to strain my voice on yelling.
I've been doing make up work to catch up on the school work I've been missing. Today marked about a week ortwo since I've been back and I didn't want to go but I needed to graduate. I just hope they don't make me doubleup another year because of my absence.
Recently I haven't heard anything about Richard and I honestly just hoped he would stay gone. Although, I need tostill reject him but I assumed if maybe we just stayed away from one another and maybe if I found someone else in the future, the bond would break on it's own, but then again that was just my assumption.
I hoped it was right. My mind has been on him lately and I kinda missed him. Damn mark. It still hurt to touch itbecause I refuse to accept it but when it itches and I can't scratch it, oh man that's hell.
As I walked along the sidewalk, a beeping of a car was heard behind me so I turned around and it was a blackBMW. I eyes it suspiciously as it pulled it up next to me.
Relief flooded me as the window rolled down and I saw Aiden.
"God you scared me!" I exclaimed and he laughed.
"Get in,we seem to be going the same way." He said with a shrug and I gladly got in and secured on my seatbelt.
"It's been a while since I've seen you, how are you?" Aiden asked me and I smiled at the sincerity in his voice.
Since I left Aiden's pack, we haven't seen much of each other since he's back to his usual busyness of pack duties and I'm focusing on school so there hasn't been much time for us to spend together.
But despite that we've been good friends above it all.
"I'm good Aiden." I replied and raised his brow while staring intently at the road.
"You sure?" He asked and I nodded, reassuring him.
"Have you found him?" I asked after a brief millisecond of silence and Aiden tensed. His pack Alpha and minehave been working together to find Richard, hence the reason Aiden is on our territory.
"No. We had a lead but it turned out blank. He's an older male which makes him more intelligent in hiding histracks. Everything we find we follow then nothing." Aiden said with a defeated sigh and I felt my eye twitch.
"It's okay. It's not your fault." I said but my words didn't seem to help as his defeated look didn't even falter.
"Has the mark bothered you?"
"No, not really" I said, resisting the urge to touch it, "It itches a lot at times and burns on random but besides that, it's good."
Aiden seemed satisfied with my answer and didn't pester more on the subject, but my curiosity was suddenlypeaked as a thought occurred.
"Have you found your mate yet?"
Again, Aiden tensed and shook his head.
"Don't you want to find her?"
"No." Aiden said suddenly and I rolled my eyes.
"Why not?" I asked cautiously but by the way Aiden looked at me through the corner of his eye, I felt like I alreadyknew.
Aiden stopped the car and parked on the side of the street.
"I want you Danica, just you. I've liked you for so long and I felt like you never saw it. At some point, I avoided youbecause of some my bro-Alpha gave me to just stay friends with you but I can't. Please, just give me a chance."
My eyes were as wide as saucers as I took in his words. He literally threw the friendship card in the shredder.
"What about your mate?" I asked and he shrugged.
"I could reject her so we could be together. Who knows? She probably has someone else or is in a whole other stateor continent. I may never find her."
"It doesn't matter where she is or who she might be with" I yelled as my anger flared,"You can't do that to herbecause if you do, then you are no better than Richard." I finished with a disgusted tone then hurriedly got out ofhis car and jogged down the road, ignoring Aiden's calls for me to come back.
Chapter Seventeen.
"I wonder if she's fucked her step-dad recently."
"She's such a freak."
"Ha, jus proves the Goddess doesn't love every one of us."
These were just a few of the things I've been hearing for over a week since I came back to school. Eventually, word around that Danica 'The Freak' Monroe was mated to her mother's husband and wanna guess whathappened? The story got bigger and bigger until it reached to the point where they began to say I slept with himand boy did it get worse when they saw me marked. I would be a liar if I said it didn't bother me and make me wantto just leave sometimes but people will talk and I can't control what is being said. I know the truth, those whomatter know the truth and that is all that matters.
I turned up my music in my earphones. My new favor song Castle by Halsey was playing and I gladly allowed myselfto be pulled into the lyrics of the music.
I'm heading straight for the Castle They want to makeme the Queen
But there's an old man sitting on the throne now saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
As I entered my class, my teacher nodded to me and I nodded back, taking my seat in the front of the class.
"Now class" The teacher began," Today we find out which of you are eligible to graduate in three weeks. I'll becalling out the names, whoever isn't called means that you repeat this class next year. Listen carefully."
I crossed my fingers and prayed to the Goddess that my name would be called.
"Avery Michaels, Wade Killan, Iris Thomas, Summer Haides .... "
Small cheers and high fives errupted around the class as multiple heard their names being called. Mine was yet tobe called and as the number of whose uncalled grew smaller, I began to slowly lose hope.
"Skylar Quinn, Kellan Grey, Danica Monroe... "
"HELL YES!" I jumped up and shouted then quickly sat back down and blushed profusely from my outburst. Myteacher smirked at me then continued to call the names on his paper.
I did it..I'm going to graduate!
~•~
After school finished, I rushed home to tell my mom the good news. Things weren't exactly 100%. In some ways, itwas awkward to be around her and felt weird but I'm glad I still have her and that she never disowned me.
As I walked along the sidewalk, my mark began to burn and itch like hell. Trying my best to ignore it, I continuedto walk as quickly as I could to home. Despite the burning from my mark, my spirits were high and nothing couldruin it for me.
......
I rushed into my house and dropped my bag at the door.
"Mom! Mom! Where are you! I have great news!"
"Kitchen Dani!"
I used my enhanced speed and bolted into the kitchen and frown as soon as I came in.
"Why is he here?" I asked, pointing to Aiden who was casually sipping orange juice without a care in the world,like we didn't just have a disagreement this morning.
"Oh Jaden-" my mom began but got cut off by Aiden.
"Aiden."
"Same thing" Mom shrugged, "Aiden came over to see you.
"Okay then well mom I have news!" I squealed and clapped my hands.
"What?" She asked then took took a gulp of her juice.
"I'm graduating!" I screamed and the juice she had taken a gulp of was now on Aiden as she spit it out and began toscream with me.
"Ops, sorry Jaden."
Aiden groaned in disgust.
"It's Ai- you know what forget it."
"I'm so proud of you Dani!" My mom exclaimed and gave me a hug.
"Thanks mom." I said with a smile and pulled away from her embrace then face Aiden who had a sad smile on hisface.
"What did you want to talk about?"
I hoped he wasn't going to mention this morning when I have just got the best news I've gotten in a real long time.
"Well..." He said and scratched the back of his neck.
"What is it Aiden?" I asked with a tilt of my head.
"We found Richard."