Chapter 5. A Connection?

The sound of Maddie’s slap echoed through the hallway, and a collective gasp rose from the onlookers. Jacob stumbled back, his hand flying to his cheek, eyes wide with shock and fury. He scrambled to his feet, his face contorted in rage.

Somehow, she knew deep down that Jacob was never going to mark her as his mate. She knew that but she still chose to believe otherwise. It felt good to hear him say it though, almost freeing. But it also hurt like sh*t.

The comment about her knowing how f*ck deeply hurt her too. Maddie was not a virgin, and she may have pretended like she did not care about that, but the truth was that she did.

She hated that she was not a virgin, she hated that it had been taken away from her without her permission. She could still remember it, almost like it was yesterday when one of the caretakers at the Omega House had pinned her down one cold night, covered her mouth, and raped her.

She was so young when it happened and it ruined her mind and view on sex. The guy had threatened her and said that if she told any soul, he would not only kick her out of the place but would kill her. She did not want to leave because she had no family and nowhere to go, and she also did not want to die.

So yeah, she had kept her mouth shut. Since then, she did not hold back and had sex with all the guys she dated. She did not view it as sacred anymore but just as an activity. She made sure that she was good at it too, because she needed the, to mark her, so yeah.

Maddie knew that getting a guy to mark her should not have been because of her sexual abilities but she felt like she did not have much of a choice considering that she was an omega. And to make matters worse, she was not the traditional pretty girl, she was not a virgin, and had no idea how to shift into her wolf.

Maybe there was just no hope for her.

“You b*tch!” Jacob snarled, lunging toward her with speed and precision. He grabbed her by the neck, lifting her until her feet were off the floor.

Maddie gasped for air, her vision darkening Jacob’s grip tightened around her throat. She struggled, her hands clawing at his, desperate to break free. The onlookers around them watched in horrified silence, too stunned to intervene.

Just as Maddie felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, a powerful voice cut through the tension.

“Enough!”

The crowd parted as a tall, imposing figure strode forward. It was Alpha Nate Thorn, the leader of their pack. His presence commanded immediate respect and fear, and the room fell silent.

Jacob hesitated, his grip loosening slightly as he turned to face the Alpha.

Nate’s eyes were like steel as they bore into Jacob. “Let her go. Now.”

Jacob swallowed and then turned away from the Alpha, his grip now getting tighter and tighter as he stared straight into Maddie’s eyes as she was being choked.

“I said f*cking let her go!” Alpha Nate exclaimed as closed the distance between him and the guy, punching Jacob straight in the face, causing his hold on the omega to fail. Jacob fell to the floor, but Nate was not done yet.

He was going to make sure to teach Jacob a lesson or two.

He landed another punch in the guy’s nose, causing him to become limp for a few seconds on the hardwood floor. Then he sat on top of him, releasing one hard punch after another.

It was graphic, but what could Maddie do? She just stood there and watched, holding her neck as it burned in pain and trying to catch her breath. The room was filled with a tense silence, punctuated only by the sickening sound of Nate’s fists connecting with Jacob’s face.

The onlookers seemed frozen in place, unsure whether to intervene or let the Alpha continue his brutal punishment. Blood splattered across the floor, and Jacob's groans of pain echoed in the hallway.

Finally, Nate stopped. He stood up, his chest heaving with anger, and looked down at Jacob’s battered form. “You will never lay a hand on her again,” He growled, his voice filled with cold fury.

Jacob coughed, spitting out blood, but said nothing. The message was clear.

Nate turned to Maddie, his expression softening as he approached her. “Come on, let’s go somewhere quieter. I need to talk to you.”

Maddie nodded weakly, still holding her neck as she followed the Alpha down the hallway and reached a staircase that led them upstairs. He led her to a room and gestured for her to enter before he did.

Nate lingered for a moment outside the door, gathering his thoughts before heading downstairs to fetch some alcohol wipes and other first aid supplies. When he returned, he found Maddie sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, her eyes downcast, one hand still gently touching her bruised neck.

“Why are you with that douchebag?” He broke the silence, keeping his attention on the things in his hand.

Maddie looked up at him and asked, “You mean Jacob?” Her voice was small.

“You know who I’m talking about,” He replied gently, pulling up a chair and sitting in front of her, setting the supplies on a small table close by. “From what I saw, he does not treat you well at all.”

Maddie took a shaky breath, feeling the sting of alcohol as the Alpha dabbed at the marks on her neck with the wipes. She winced slightly but stayed still, grateful for his help.

She swallowed, avoiding his gaze, his blue eyes were even more electric up close and her heart skipped a beat every time they locked eyes, even if it would be for a brief second. “Um…I love him, I guess,” She lied.

Alpha Nate chuckled, clearly seeing that it was a lie. “You don’t love that guy. Now tell me, why are you with him?”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” She replied in response. She did not feel comfortable just opening up to him about her life and emotions. Yeah, she may have had a crush on him like all the other girls in the town, but that did not mean that she trusted him like that.

Nate was done wiping Maddie’s neck with the wipes, and he was a bit annoyed that she did not want to open up to him but he also knew that it was not his business and had to respect that.

He too had a past that he would not easily share with anyone. He had lost his mother at a young age to rogue werewolves. It was a dark day for the pack that day, everything stood still when they lost their Luna.

His father was now old and sickly, the trauma of losing his wife messing with his mental health so Nate had to rise to power and lead the pack at such a young age. He was only thirteen when all of that happened, it was like his life had been jerked right out of his hands.

Being the youngest Alpha the pack had ever produced, he ruled with wisdom, strength, and pain. He had the strikingly blue eyes as his mother, so every time he looked in the mirror, he kind of saw her.

His blonde hair was short and also reminded him of his mother. He hated it because every time he would see his own reflection, the pain would grip his heart. There were times when he would even dye his hair brown or black but it got tiring because the blonde would always find its way back.

He had dated a few girls but found none of them worthy enough to be his true mate. So for now, he was single, trying to find his way through life.

Alpha Nate was pulled out of his thoughts when Maddie breathed out a sigh. He did not want her to leave, there was something about her that he could not explain. “I understand, but Jacob’s not good for you.”

Maddie scoffed very faintly. She was about to speak but then her heart fluttered as she locked eyes with the guy again. It was like something was pulling her close to him and she could not fight against it, she did not even want to fight against it.

“So who’s good for me?” She asked very softly, her voice breathy as she continued to feel drawn. She was now very close to him and did not even realize it. Their noses were almost brushing against each other as her heart thundered.

Little did they know that this was the start of something that neither of them could have ever anticipated, especially when Maddie heard the Alpha whisper back, “Maybe…you?”