Chapter 3

　　Serena's POV. 　　"Be my woman," he repeated, his hands wrapping around mine. "No one will ever hurt you again. You'll be free." His eyes burned with determination. 　　I found my voice barely above a whisper. "Do you know what you're talking about?" 　　He nodded, his gaze never wavering. 　　"I do. That's why I'm asking you to be mine." 　　I flushed as he spoke his next words. "Serena, I've loved you since the moment I saw you. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." 　　Ross kissed me, but the kiss with him felt empty. Instead of sparks, my mind went straight to Richard. I imagined his lips on mine, his touch setting me on fire. 　　I pulled away from the kiss, Ross's eyes filling with hurt. Guilt twisted in my chest, knotting my stomach. 　　Someone had finally shown me love and care, and I was pushing him away. 　　I took a deep breath, the words spilling out before I could stop them. 　　"I'm sorry, Ross. We can't be together. I'm an omega, and—" 　　"I don't care about that. We're good together, Serena. My wolf is strong, and I will protect you. Please, don't say no." 　　His eyes pleaded with me, and I felt a pang of sorrow. I knew I couldn't be with Richard, and Ross was my only option. 　　And if I wanted to move on and get rid of the mate bond, this was the only way to go. 　　But I felt nothing, my emotions frozen in a block of ice. 　　"I accept," I nodded, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. 　　Ross's face lit up with a bright smile as he pulled me into his arms. I stood there, stiff, my heart heavy with the weight of my decision, unable to return his warmth. 　　Then he kissed my forehead. "I love you," he whispered. 　　But I felt nothing, my emotions locked away, numb. 　　****** 　　The next morning, by the time I got to class, I was late, and I quickly found an empty seat. I'd overslept, and Ross had sent me a ton of messages. 　　His kind words kept running through my head, making my heart skip a beat. Maybe, just maybe, I was starting to feel something for him. 　　I sat down, and then it hit me—Penny's assignments! I had completely forgotten. 　　"Shit," I muttered. 　　Penny walked toward me, her arms crossed over her chest. 　　"My assignment," she demanded. 　　I swallowed, my voice shaking. "I... I forgot it at home." 　　Her face twisted in anger. "If you don't bring it tomorrow, you'll regret it." She turned and walked away. 　　I watched her leave, still in shock. 　　The old Penny would've snapped by now, but this new version of her seemed to hold back. Something felt off, though. What was it? I tried to figure it out, but nothing came to mind. Maybe Penny had changed. 　　I sighed in relief and sank into my seat, but that feeling of peace didn't last. A chill ran down my neck, and I turned around. 　　Richard was staring at me, his face unreadable. 　　My mind raced with questions. Did he know I was his mate? Before I could think any more, Penny walked over to him and kissed him. 　　A wave of jealousy hit me. My wolf stirred, urging me to push Penny away. 　　Richard's eyes stayed on me, and Penny noticed where he was looking. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to face me. 　　I quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact to keep her from targeting me later. 　　I pulled out my book, but before I could focus, a low voice whispered in my ear, 　　"I'm sure no one told you how pretty you are today." I turned to find Ross grinning at me. He leaned in and kissed me. 　　"Good morning, sunshine." 　　A flutter ran through me as Ross's warm breath brushed my skin. But the moment was broken by a loud growl from behind. 　　We turned, and there was Richard, his eyes burning with anger. He stared at me, and for a second, it felt like everyone else in the classroom disappeared. 　　His hands slammed onto the desk, startling me. He loomed over us, his anger thick in the air. Without a word, he stormed out. 　　I watched him leave, confused. What pissed him off? Was he jealous? 　　The questions kept running through my mind, but before I could think more, Ross's voice broke the silence. 　　He grinned at me. "Mind if I sit with you, Pookie?" 　　I laughed, and he raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?" 　　"Less than a day since we've been together, and you're already calling me Pookie?" I said, amused. 　　Ross leaned in with a playful glint in his eyes. 　　"You have no idea how many nicknames I've got for you. Pookie is just the start." 　　I smiled, and he kissed my forehead. I moved to make room for him, my heart racing as he sat beside me. 　　As the teacher started the lesson, I felt my classmates' stares, but I didn't let it bother me. 　　With Ross next to me, nothing else mattered. His presence felt like a shield, a comfort, and a happiness I hadn't known before. 　　Ross's lips brushed my neck, making me shiver. His hands rested on my lap, but instead of feeling comforted, I felt uneasy. 　　My wolf growled, clearly upset. I understood why, but I knew the truth—our fated mate was out of reach. 　　I pushed the ache in my chest aside, reminding myself this was a sacrifice I had to make. 　　Rejection was a pain I knew all too well, one my mother had felt when my father left her. The memory of how devastated she was at that time still haunted me. 　　Ross's voice broke my thoughts. "You okay, sugar?" 　　I forced a smile and rested my head on his chest. 　　My phone buzzed, and I looked at the screen. A message from my mom: "Come home." 　　I didn't respond, deciding to deal with it later. 　　After class, Ross and I went out for ice cream. 　　"I'll be right back, darling," he said, kissing my forehead. 　　I smiled and watched him walk away. 　　"Don't take long!" I called out, but he just waved and disappeared around the corner. 　　I waited, the ice cream melting in my hands. As the minutes passed, Ross still hadn't come back. I called him, but he didn't answer. Where was he? 　　I started looking for him, and someone pointed me to the classroom. I reached the door, my smile fading as I heard Ross's voice. 　　"Serena was the one who came on to me," Ross said, full of lies. "I tried to push her away, but she kept telling me how her family ignored her, how trusting she was... I couldn't help but give in to her fantasies. But it's you I love." 　　His words hit me like a punch to the gut. 　　A woman's voice called out, "Are you sure?!" 　　I didn't hear Ross's response. I pushed the door open, and my heart sank when I saw them. 　　Ross was kissing another woman.