Chapter 43: Insults and Retaliation

Words : 1398 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 43: Insults and Retaliation Natalie~ I should have known the past wouldn’t stay buried. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, my stomach twisting into painful knots as I slowly lifted my head. And sure enough—there she was. Marissa. President of Griffin’s personal fan club. The omega who had dedicated years of her pathetic existence to making my life a living hell back in the pack. I should’ve known I wouldn’t be lucky enough to never see her again. For a split second, my mind was flooded with memories—memories of Marissa’s cruel laughter as she shoved me into the mud, of her sharp nails digging into my skin, of the whispers she spread, the lies she weaved, the bruises she left behind. She was untouchable when it came to my case, she and everyone else who fought me were protected because they were doing everyone a favor by troubling me. Natalie Cross was the dirty stain that everyone wished would disappear. But not anymore. Not today. Today, I wouldn’t cower. I met her gaze, my chin tilting up defiantly. "What do you want, Marissa?" Marissa’s lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, look at you. Thinking you can talk back now, huh?" She tilted her head, crossing her arms. "Just because you’re not in the pack anymore, you think you can misbehave? Where’s that pathetic, trembling girl who used to grovel at everyone’s feet?" I didn’t respond. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. The woman sitting beside her—Griffin’s girlfriend, I assumed—perked up at that, her curiosity spiking. "Wait, you know her?" she asked, turning to Marissa. Marissa snorted, flipping her silky brown hair over her shoulder. "Know her? Lisa, I know you just joined the pack but you should have heard about her. This is Natalie Cross. A former member of our pack. Well—" she laughed, her eyes glittering with malice, "until Alpha Darius threw her out like the trash she is." Lisa’s eyes flickered to me with mild interest, but I ignored her, keeping my focus on Marissa, whose lips curled into an even wider smile. Marissa’s voice became razor-sharp. "You know," she mused, "I was so happy when you were finally thrown out. It was like seeing a bad disease finally taken care of." My hands curled into fists. "You know, Lisa, Natalie’s father was a good-for-nothing dirty traitor. And her mother? A whore. Just like—" The slap echoed through the hotel lobby before I even realized I had moved. Marissa stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek, her eyes wide with shock. I leaned in, my voice low, cold. "Say another word about my parents, Marissa, and I swear, I’ll make you regret it." Silence stretched between us. Then, Marissa’s expression twisted in rage. She reared her hand back and slapped me across the face, the sharp sting snapping my head to the side. The entire room seemed to freeze. "You dare hit me?" Marissa hissed. "Your father was a traitor, and you—" her lips curled, "you sold yourself to the Alpha while you had a mate like Griffin. Tell me, Natalie, was it worth it?" Lisa gasped. "Wait—what?" She turned to Marissa, shock flashing across her face. "What do you mean ’her mate’?" Marissa’s grin returned. "Oh, you didn’t know? Natalie was Griffin’s mate. But he rejected her in front of the whole pack when he found out she had been warming his uncle’s bed. Not only that—" she sighed dramatically, "she’s wolfless. A complete embarrassment." Lisa’s expression twisted in disgust as she looked at me. I clenched my fists, swallowing down the burn of humiliation. I refused to let Marissa win. I turned, forcing myself to be the bigger person and walk away. But before I could take another step, Marissa grabbed my wrist, her nails digging into my skin. "Where do you think you’re going? I’m not done with you yet." Big mistake. Roland’s self-defense training kicked in, and without hesitation, I twisted her arm, flipping her off balance. With a sharp yelp, she crashed headfirst into a chair. A perfect landing. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and for the first time in her life, Marissa looked stunned. And then— "NATALIE!" The lobby erupted into gasps just as Griffin walked back into the room. I turned just as he stomped toward me, fury blazing in his emerald eyes. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?" he snarled. Marissa scrambled to her feet, clutching her side and playing the victim perfectly, her eyes welling with fake tears. "Griffin," she whined. "Natalie just attacked me! She saw Lisa with you, got jealous, and tried to fight her! I stepped in to protect Lisa, and then she slapped me and threw me to the ground!" Lisa nodded in agreement. "She tried to fight me, babe." Griffin’s glare snapped to me, his lips curling in disgust. "You just can’t let go, can you?" His voice was low, venomous. "I rejected you for two reasons, Natalie. One, because you slept with my uncle." He took a step closer. "And two, because you’re wolfless. Get over it and stop attacking my girlfriend." I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Trust me, Griffin, even if you were the last man on earth, I wouldn’t want you. Get off your high horse. You’re not worth fighting over." His jaw tightened, his eyes darkening with fury. "How dare you—" He raised his hand, but before he could strike, a firm grip caught his wrist mid-air. Griffin winced, his eyes widening in shock. Jacob. His fingers dug into Griffin’s wrist, tightening until Griffin let out a pained whimper. "Who the hell are you?" Griffin spat, trying to yank his arm back. Jacob smirked. "I’m with Natalie." before he let go of Griffin’s hand. Griffin scoffed, rubbing his sore wrist. "Of course. She never changes. First, she was with my uncle, then Cole Lucky. Now, she’s with—" Jacob’s expression darkened. He took a step closer, his voice dangerously low. "Finish that sentence, Griffin." Griffin swallowed, suddenly unsure. Marissa, sensing the shift, interjected. "And who are you supposed to be? Do you even know who you’re talking to?" Jacob turned to her, completely unimpressed. "Marissa, why don’t you go sit down and keep your mouth shut?" How the hell did he even know their names? To my absolute shock—Marissa did as she was told. Lisa and Griffin both gasped. Lisa grabbed Marissa’s arm, shaking her. "Marissa? What’s wrong with you?" But Marissa just sat there, her lips pressed together, silent. Griffin turned to Jacob, eyes narrowing. "Are you a wizard? What the hell did you do to her?" Jacob smirked. "Nothing yet." Then, his smirk faded as he gave Griffin a slow once-over. "So you’re the one who was her mate?" I stared at Jacob in shock. How did he know that? Jacob shook his head, muttering, "I would have to ask Mom what she was thinking when she did that." I stared at him in confusion. What? Before I could ask, Jacob turned to me with a grin. "Well, congratulations, Natalie. You dodged a bullet." Griffin’s face burned red with anger. "You think you can insult me and walk away?" Jacob’s expression turned cold. "Oh, I wasn’t finished." He glanced at Marissa. "Since you love running your mouth so much, Marissa, I think it’s time you retired." Marissa’s eyes widened in horror. Jacob snapped his fingers. Marissa’s hands flew to her throat. She tried to speak—but no sound came out. Lisa screamed, drawing attention from the rest of the lobby. Jacob smirked as Griffin lunged at him. "What did you do to her?!" Jacob shrugged. "She’ll never speak again. Honestly, it’s an improvement for everyone." I gasped. "Jacob—" But he just took my hand, his smirk widening. "Let’s go." His hand squeezed mine as he turned to look at Griffin one last time. "Let’s not test our strengths here, I promise, we’ll meet again, Griffin." He said I barely had time to react before he pulled me away, leaving Griffin and his silent minions behind. For the first time in my life—I didn’t feel powerless. I felt... free. Even though I knew nothing about Jacob’s power or who he really was, I could feel it deep in my heart that I could trust him. And so, without a word of protest, I let him lead me away.

Chapter 43: Insults and Retaliation

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