Page 36 of Two Years Gone

Ella lowered her face in submission and turned to grab Mariah’s breakfast. Hers was different from the others—apparently she got a special one every day. I could feel my eyes darken.

“Mariah, you will no longer be receiving special meals.”

Every pack member in the dining hall looked up in shock. Mariah let out a laugh.

“What?”

“You heard me. The pack cooks are not required to cater for requests. They are here to feed the entire pack and are only required to make changes for those with restrictions.

“Starting tomorrow, you will no longer be receiving a special meal from the pack house. You want it, you may cook it yourself.”

I could see the fury in Mariah’s face as her glare went from me to Ella.

“Did you complain about me, Omega? Is making my breakfast just too hard for you? Weak skank… I don’t even want to know what you did to get him to leave me.”

Mariah walked away before turning back.

“You are nothing compared to me you little omega slut.”

I could feel my wolf trying to take over. He was on the edge. I looked back at Ella, only to find she was gone.

I looked up to Sophie, who nodded toward the back hallway.

“Ella?” I called as I entered the hallway. I could see her standing by the wall, her arms wrapped around herself and her shoulders tight.

For a moment, I thought she was crying, but she wasn’t—she was standing there with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths.

“Ella, I—”

“Don’t,” she interrupted, her blunt response taking me by surprise.

“Ella, are you okay?”

Ella turned to me, anger and defiance in her eyes. I had to keep from laughing at her look, imagining that was what her father saw that day he gave Ella her nickname.

“Am I okay?” she fumed. Her anger tore me from my amusement.

“Zane Davis, I don’t need your help. I’ve been doing just fine on my own without you.”

“It didn’t look like—” I started before Ella interrupted me again.

“What did you think happened when you left? That once you rejected me and went away, everything would be fine? I spentmonthsdigging myself out of that hole.

“Every day being reminded by Mariah and her little posse that I was nothing, that I meant nothing. Every day having to deal with her verbal abuse and torment.

“Every day having to sit there in submission while she talked down to me about the fact that I wasn’t wanted and she was the one in your bed, in your life.

“Every day having to hope that the mate bond would fade and go away so I could stop hurting and stop feeling. It was all gone! My mate bond was gone! It took two years, but I was over you.

“You didn’t want me, and my wolf and I accepted it. After two years, I was finally piecing myself back together again.”

I stood there in shock as I watched the dam finally break. Ella wiped tears from her face.

“After two years, I was okay. I was making a life for myself. And then you came strolling back in, claiming you own me, claiming you want me. You don’t get to switch it on and off like that, Zane!

“You don’t get to decide after rejecting me, without even giving me a chance, thatnowyou want me. Just because you got bored with Mariah doesn’t mean I need you to be my knight in shining armor.”

I finally woke from my stupor and my wolf flashed through my eyes. I stepped forward, forcing Ella’s back against the wall.