Independent She-wolf novel Chapter 22

But the point I was getting at was sometimes the alphas did not always make the best decisions for the pack. Still, the pack had to follow their leader. That pack just proved my two points.

Anyway, I looked for a sheet of paper and a pen. Quickly, I scribbled down a note to Jace telling him that I had to go. Before I left it on his bedside table, I looked it over.

Jace -

I had to go home. I couldn't sleep and just needed some time on my own to think about things. Thank you for everything you did for me. I'm sure I'll see you soon, though. Until then, don't freak out because I left. I'm sorry.

- Dani*

Satisfied, I put the note down, but didn't realize I'd left the window open. Without me knowing, the note blew under the bed. When I left the room, I ran into none other than Barbie.

She looked at me and must've smelt Jace's scent on me, but she didn't glare like the time I'd first seen her, instead she apologized. All the while I was thinking: what the hell?

"Hey," she said. "I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't realize that you were the alpha's mate. I kind of thought you were, well flirting with my mate. I'm Savannah, by the way. And my mate's Henry, the beta."

Still kind of lost in complete and utter shock I nodded. "No, hard feelings," I said to her. "I guess I would've felt the same way. "I'm Dani, it's short for Danielle. And I'm not Jace's mate. I didn't accept him."

"But you will, right?" she asked. "I mean you didn't see how frantic he was when he'd realized you'd been kidnapped last night. He was on the verge of losing it, Dani. How could you not accept someone that loves you that much?"

"It's complicated," I said. "I've got to go. It was nice meeting you," I said and left before she could say anything else.

Once I was outside of the house, I went to the woods. Soon I was out of sight and I removed my clothes. I didn't bother taking them with me, I just threw them off to the side. The only thought that occurred to me was that I had to get away.

My head needed to be cleared, my thoughts sorted out, and my emotions....

Well those always sucked either way. I could never, ever get them to what I wanted them to be. I tried to cut myself off of Jace, and it only made me want him more. I tried being angry with my family, but it only upset me because I should be happy with them. When I tried to be happy, I couldn't be.

And that's when I told her my story.

Jace's P.O.V.

The council meeting was so boring, well up until Alpha Dom of the Redsin pack started talking. He wanted to expand his territory into the Freeland. The Freeland was land in which no alpha owned. It was crawling with loners of every sorts. Just male loners, though. No threat to a pack unless it wanted to take one over, which rarely happened. We all protested.

"He wants more power," Alpha Kane explained to me. I knew this, but didn't want to be rude. So, I muttered a thank you.

Alpha Cray of the Yurama pack opposed first. "We set of that land for our packs to travel through in peace, Alpha Dom. It is where loners reside as well. Leave it to that or you will start a war among all packs and loners."

Dom didn't like this. "A war for a scrubby piece of land that no one uses?"