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Even if she was still sheepish about it, Jane pulled a tight-lipped smile for me and paid attention while I showed her the various parts and what to do. With some practice hooking the bait and casting it out to the water, she eventually got the hang of it, and we both sent our lures out while we sat on the faded dock.
Eventually, Jane’s line pulled, and while she seemed both excited and panicked, I helped guide her through it.
“That’s it, keep bringing it in!” I said, watching as she reeled in the fighting fish.
Soon enough, the trout popped out of the water as she pulled it closer, and I helped her take it off the line.
“Not bad for your first catch,” I praised her, watching her smile more genuinely than she had all day.
Putting the first catch into a sizeable cooler with water, we returned to the calm lake as she cast the line again.
“I never did anything like this with Sam’s pack,” Jane eventually murmured, looking pleased as she watched the calm water and seemed to gain some confidence. “Some of the women would be invited on hunts, but they were normally the ones he kept in his rotation.”
Catching how she practically grimaced at the word, I glanced at her curiously. “Rotation?”
“The ones he strung along but never made his mate. They were glorified one-night stands, and he always kept them at arm’s length.”
“Like Serena?” I asked, recalling how she had come out with him when I stormed the pack grounds.
She nodded. “She always seemed like the most obvious choice for him, but he still never made it official. She and the others tended to be the worst when it came to harassing others. They usually did it to get Sam’s attention.”
“He set up a hierarchy based on competition and aggression. He’s fostering a dangerous culture, and most packs formed that way always end up crumbling,” I said, recalling what the previous alpha had told me.
“That crumbling started ever since he became the alpha. But I can’t say things were exactly perfect before either,” Jane murmured, enthusiasm dropping as she seemed to maul over her thoughts and memories.
“How so?”
She let go of a deep breath, likely wondering if it was worth getting into. “You and the others did more damage than you probably assumed, and it seemed to set the trajectory of my life for a while. I still haven’t fully healed from it, and it used to make me so angry. Some days, I still am, but I try not to let it get to me anymore.”
Hearing as she opened up to me, I couldn’t avoid how my heart clenched. Knowing I had caused my mate pain, even if I wasn’t aware of it then. In hindsight, it was the most foolish thing I could’ve done.
“I never really had the chance to understand who I was or what I was capable of because of it. I never saw any use in believing in myself when everyone was so hellbent on telling me how useless I was,” she continued, voice wavering as she spoke. “I wanted to be just like everyone else, yet nobody except Ivy would accept me. It made life so hard, and things only got worse when Sam took over. It felt like I never really had a chance there, no matter what I did.”
“I’m sorry I contributed to that. I should’ve known better and stopped the others from doing the same,” I told her, aware of the faint ache that moved through our bond. “I had a lot to learn and wish I had sooner. You didn’t deserve that.”
Jane took a moment to gather her thoughts before she sighed. “That was why I didn’t want to join your pack in the beginning. I was still hurting, especially since Sam handed me over like I didn’t have a single thing to offer him. Like he was more than happy to get rid of me.”
Of course, it wasn’t difficult to see how greatly my actions had affected her and how I was one of the people who made her an outcast. I did that. Even though I was younger, it is no excuse.
How stupid I was to bully my fated mate.
“Sam has no idea who he willingly gave away, but I won’t make that mistake,” I said, looking over at her with as much sincerity as I could muster. “You were underestimated by everyone in the pack, but that won’t be the case here. Even if you’re still understanding yourself, you have more than enough to offer us.”
Jane met my gaze as her eyes softened, taking in my face like she was waiting for the punchline. Warmth moved through our connection for a fleeting moment, only to disappear again as she averted her eyes and shook her head.
“I don’t see how. My ‘abilities’ are useless. Everyone made that very clear from the moment I realized I had them. Even you.”
While those words were like a punch to the gut, I knew she wasn’t wrong. I had been just as guilty as the others.
“That’s because I was ignorant of how useful divine practitioners can be in a pack. Take Nati, for example. She was ostracized for her magic but found a place with us. I realized she had incredible skills that could help the pack every day, and I have no doubt the same applies to you,” I said, hoping to appeal to her. “I was a young, cocky idiot before, but I know what’s important now. I don’t want anyone in the pack to feel like an outcast. We all have our place, and that applies to you too.”
She shook her head, seemingly battling those thoughts of doubt within herself. “But it’s not just that. I don’t…I don’t look like a Luna should. Everyone used to give me a hard time for not having the body I was supposed to. For being different. But I don’t want to be seen as weak because of it.”
Letting go of a defeated breath, the remorse I felt was too heavy to ignore. I wished I could travel back in time and change it all for her, but I lacked that ability and could only change things moving forward.
Reaching out to her, I placed my hand on top of hers and met her gaze. “The Goddess gave you the body she thought you needed, and personally, I don’t doubt her choices. Do you?”
Seemingly caught off-guard by the statement and the contact, Jane’s expression softened. She managed the slightest smile. “No.”
