Author: Momo Chan

I was Dominick’s secretary for 7 years. Recently, he got engaged. Holding onto his arm, his fiancée glared at me, “Before we can get married, fire her.” He pushed her hand away, “Really? Let’s not get married then.” …How could I explain I was just his secretary?!

I was an Alpha’s daughter, sheltered and petted, and had just yesterday married my childhood friend. Joyce had always been sweet to me, so I thought he would be a good husband. Little did I know, he had a cruel streak that was going to destroy my whole world. Just after our wedding day. “You know, Evelyn,” he says, interrupting me and taking a step closer so that he’s glaring down at me. “I really thought a girl like you – you know, a pretty girl, a noble girl, would be trained to please her husband. I am so…disappointed. To find that you’re not.” My eyes instantly fill with tears. “Joyce,” I whisper “What did I –“ He comes close to me so that I can smell the whiskey on his breath. “making love to you,” he whispers, “is like a dead fish. You just lay there” he grits his teeth, “like a piece of meat. I wanted a wife to meet my needs, and now I’m tied to you, you pathetic, whiny little pup, forever.” Joyce turns away from me and walks to the window, shaking his head. “What a waste.” I am shocked and mortified. I stand in the middle of the room, wearing only my lacy thong and my stilettoes, trembling as tears stream down my face. “We’ve only had one night,” I whisper. Should I have known what to do? I was so scared – I’ve lived such a sheltered life and, of course, came to my wedding bed a virgin to honor my husband. Joyce laughs and won’t look at me. “Once was enough.” “I can,” I murmur, “I can…get better…” Joyce turns to me, snarling. Suddenly he’s in front of me, wrapping his hand against my throat, pushing me backwards until my back hits the wall. “You can’t get better,” he spits out, “because you don’t have it in you.” “You’re a fucking wolf, Evelyn” his teeth are fully bared now. “A wolf, and you fuck like a rabbit. I thought I would wake it up in you when I took you to bed, but you were…pathetic.” He snaps out the last word. I can feel his spittle drip down my cheek. “You’re no Alpha’s wife,” he says, releasing me to walk away. I drop to my knees, sobbing and gasping. I always knew Joyce was powerful and proud, but I have never seen him cruel. “Joyce,” I cry out, desperate. “Joyce, I’m sorry – I didn’t know! I’ll do anything you want – I’ll learn, I can change!” “Change?!” Joyce furiously grabs me by my hair and hauls me to my feet. “You can’t change what you are, you omega fucking bitch.” He drags me across the room and hurls me into the closet where I fall into a heap. He slams the doors shut and I’m suddenly in darkness, my only light coming from a crack between the two French doors. I hear the closet’s lock click. “You want to learn, Evelyn?” I hear Joyce’s words faintly – he’s across the room by the door to our suite now. “Then watch how a real woman pleases an Alpha. And if you make a fucking noise,” I hear the suite’s door creek as he begins to pull it open, “I’ll gut you like the prey you are.” I scramble for the door and press my eye to the crack. I hear a laugh – a woman’s laugh! – and the sound of footsteps. Two figures come into my line of sight – Joyce, and someone else in silky pink chiffon. Joyce growls and pulls the woman’s head back by her hair, exposing her throat. He runs his sharp teeth down the length of her neck and she laughs, running her hands down my husband’s chest, stomach, lower – until she – I gasp and slap my hands across my mouth. Her hand slips into Joyce’s pants and she groans. He growls and kisses her suddenly on the mouth, hard and slow. She pulls away and runs her hands through his hair, worshipping him. “I only exist to please you, Master,” she says, dropping to her knees and reaching up to unbuckle his belt. Joyce takes a step back so that he leans against the footboard of our bed and I finally see the face of my betrayer. Emma, my own sister, who stood next to me yesterday at my wedding. I fall back into the closet, unable to watch any further, and cry until my eyes are dry. Minutes or hours later – I’m really not sure – I wipe the tears off my face with the palms of my hands, trying to put my world back together. Was it a nightmare? It must have been, except…it was so far beyond anything my mind could have created, even in the darkest dream. My heart is completely shattered. My sister on her knees…my husband…the day after my wedding… Slowly, something awakens in me and I feel warmth spreading through my chest and my veins. Rage, anger, power. I have been embarrassed and betrayed – but damnit, I am my father’s daughter. I will not be humiliated like this. My lips pull back from my teeth in a snarl as I discover that what I want is not my husband’s back, but revenge. My Alpha husband wanted to teach me how to please him, but what he really awoke in me was something more powerful: my own Alpha nature. It has been sleeping inside me, but now it’s awake and hungry for vengeance. I rise to my feet and feel around the dark closet, stopping when my hands feel silk. I pull the dress off the hanger and slip it on. Dress is a generous term, I think, as lace cups my breasts and silk pools around my hips. This is more like lingerie, which I had intended to wear tonight when Joyce and I returned from the Alpha party. This morning I’d have been mortified to be seen in public wearing this. But now, everything has changed. I hunt around on the floor until I find a bobby pin and bend it into the right shape, working it into the lock and quickly turning the tumblers to release myself. I smirk as I walk steadily into the empty room. See, Joyce? I have some skills you wouldn’t expect from a nobleman’s daughter. I stride out of the room and walk boldly down the hallway, drawing eyes wherever I go, but I don’t give them any notice. I’m only looking for one thing. I enter the ballroom. Servants are just putting out their finishing touches on the annual Alpha party, which is a triumph of marble and gold. But that’s not what I came for. I scan the ranks of arriving guests, looking…there. At the top of the balcony stairs, Victor leans against the railing, swirling a Manhattan in his glass. Victor, heir to the Alpha throne, who outranks Joyce in every way and is two inches taller than him to boot. Perfect. I move towards him, keeping my eyes locked on his face, moving in a graceful prowl I didn’t know I had in me before tonight. As I move up the stairs he glances up once, and then twice, his lips falling open as I hold eye contact. “So, how have I never met you before?” He leans against the balcony. I close the gap between us and softly tug the half-full glass of whiskey from his hand.

I’ve been around, I say, my voice low and husky. “I thought I knew everyone in my kingdom,” he says, subtly scenting the air between us, trying to catch a whiff of my scent. “Not your kingdom yet,” I say, smirking, “and apparently, not everyone.” I take a cheeky sip from his glass. I lean in closer, turning my face up to him, bearing my neck. He can smell me now, I know, smell my unique scent as well as my desire. A growl rumbles in his chest. “Who are you,” he says, standing up to tower over me, closing the distance between us so that there is just a sliver of space. “Who is your sire.” “I’m single, and Alpha born,” I say, holding the space between us though every instinct in me tells me to quail. “Don’t worry. I’m no cheap piece of meat.” This time, he lets the growl slip between his teeth. “Come on,” I say, pulling Victor away to a dark corner alcove. “Let’s dance.” Inside, I stand close to Victor and begin to sway my hips to the music that the DJ just stared playing. I looking up into Victor’s face, breathing him in, relishing his smell, like winter air and pine. Starting to feel the music, I shake my head so that my hair cascades across my bare shoulders, but Victor takes my chin in his palm and makes me look up at him. “What’s your name,” he asks. “Evelyn Walsh,” I smile and then turn, pressing my back to his body, letting him feel me. Victor breathes out, a sharp breath, and then I feel him start to move with me. He runs a hand down my side, the other wrapping around my stomach, pressing me closer. As we dance, I feel that new thing rising within me, the wolf that’s never before had a reason to raise its head. But now I feel it racing, a wild thing finally freed. I laugh and reach my arms up, wrapping them around Victor’s neck. Victor turns my face and claims my mouth, as I wanted him to, unable to resist. He kisses me hard, his breath coming heavy against my lips. “Fuck,” he says, breaking away. “I can’t do this.” “No, it’s okay,” I say, closing the distance between us. “I want this. It can just be one night.” “One night,” he growls, clenching his teeth as I run my hand down his stomach, lower, as I saw my sister do earlier tonight. He grabs me by that hand and gives me a warning look as I smirk, knowing I’ve won. “Let’s go,” he says, tugging me towards the entrance, “and be discreet.” Victor takes me back to his room, checking around every corner to make sure we aren’t be seen. As soon as the door shuts, he is on me, running his hands across my body, down my back, grabbing my ass. I give into the impulses that claim my mind, telling me to get closer, to touch more. I hastily pull my dress up over my head, tossing it to the ground and stepping forward. But Victor steps back, away from me, and for a moment I hesitate. Then I see his eyes, hungry, devouring me as I stand before him naked except, again, for my thong and high heels. “God, Evelyn,” he says, his voice a low growl. “Evie,” I whisper, a little breathless. “Call me Evie.” Then, there’s no stopping us. We come together, Victor lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around him, kissing him, running my hands through his hair. He carries me over to the floor-to-ceiling window and presses me against it – I gasp as the cold glass touches my skin. I slip down against the window until I’m lower and I can Victor against me, his hard cock pulsing. I pull his shirt over his head. “How do you like it?” “Um,” I say, biting my lip, suddenly shy. “I don’t…I don’t know.” “Then I’ll show you,” he says, lowering me to the floor. I run my hands down his rippling abs and then slide his shorts off his body. “Fine,” I say taking in the sight of his full, magnificent body – his dick hard and thick. I can feel myself growing slick, ready. Victor turns me around, pressing himself hard against my ass. Then he puts a hand between my shoulder blades and presses gently. “Hands against the window,” he says. I comply. Victor slides my panties off and moves his foot between my heels, tapping against the inside of my shoes to demand, wordlessly, that I spread my legs. I do. I feel him slowly run his hand up the inside of my thigh, higher, higher, until – I inhale sharply, feeling him slowly trail a finger across my wetness, toying with me. I moan as he adds another finger, slipping inside me, and then dipping lower to touch me at my crest. I moan louder now, my knees going weak. Victor pulls his hand away. “More,” I moan, and the next thing I feel is something harder, thicker, pushing against my sex. “Fuck, Evie,” he says, pressing into me, “fuck it, I can’t wait.” Suddenly, he’s inside of me, sheathed to the hilt, and I press my hands against the glass, crying out as I feel every inch of him inside of me. Victor moves, hard, fast, holding my hips against him. I can feel him lean over me, his stomach touching my back, as he fucks me from behind. Suddenly, he pulls away from me, and turns me around, picking me up again and carrying me to the bed. “Please,” gasp as he puts me down on top of the clean, soft sheets. “Please,” I beg, pressing my mouth against him, climbing on top, needing more.

Victor holds me by the back of the neck, biting my shoulder as he reaches down and grabs his cock, and then, gloriously, he’s inside me again. I sit up and arch my back, writhing my hips against him. I look down into Victor’s eyes, my mouth open in awe. I never knew it could feel this good. I press my hands against his chest and close my eyes, moving my hips faster, faster, until – I hear Victor curse beneath me and open my eyes to see him gasp, and then clench his teeth as he comes. The sight of him – so powerful, so strong – sends me over the edge and I yell out, seeing stars and falling forward on top of his chest where I lay, panting and smiling. “God,” I say, after a few minutes have passed. “If I knew it felt like that…I’d have been doing this a long time ago.” Victor cups my ass and laughs softly. “Well get ready,” he says. “You’re about to do it again.” I smile and kiss him. “Yes, Alpha. Whatever pleases you.” In the morning, I wake tangled in the sheets. I blink the sleep away and sit up, looking around. “Victor?” There’s no answer. I move to get out of the bed and hear the crumple of a paper. Turning over, I pick it up. STAY HERE, EVELYN. I’LL STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT. DON’T LEAVE THE ROOM. My stomach drops and, on instinct, I reach for my phone before realizing – duh, of course – it’s not there. Frantically, I grab the remote and turn on the TV to the local news. Has there been some kind of disaster? Then I drop the remote, horrified, suddenly, to be confronted with pictures myself – my face ­– splashed across the screen. “These photos were taken just last night,” says the journalist voiceover, “of soon-to-be Alpha Victor Kensington cavorting with an unknown floozie. Citizens are outraged, as this goes directly against Kensington’s well-known stance on family values.” I gasp as more pictures scroll across the screen. Pictures of me, pictures of me and Victor, pictures of me and Victor dancing in what I thought was our secret alcove – walking down the hall…disappearing into this room. And – oh my God – pictures of us in this room, taken from outside the window – oh my god the window – My hands pressed up against the glass, with Victor behind me – I throw the remote across the room and pull the blankets over my head, sick at what I’ve seen. The fucking paparazzi – I should have known. Of course, I’ve never had a reason to even think about them before –my father has kept me safe at home, no one cares about what I do. The sound changes on tv and I peek out from beneath my blanket. There’s a podium set up on a stage now with reporters gathered before it. A blue box at the top of the screen reads “LIVE.” As I watch, a figure walks onto stage – a too familiar figure: green-eyed, well-muscled, a gaze that could stop a freight train. Victor. I cover my mouth with my hand and lean forward, rapt. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press,” he starts, flashing everyone his trademark smile. “Thank you for attending this early-morning press conference which I have called to stave off the rumors.” Lightbulbs start to flash in the crowd. “As I know many of you are aware,” he begins to smirk, “some rather…racy photographs were released last night, without my permission. “I want to begin by putting to rest the rumors that this was an illicit affair. As your future Alpha leader, I take my actions very seriously. While I wished to keep our new relationship personal for awhile, the press has forced my hand.” He glares at them. “The woman in the photos is not just a one-night-stand, but instead my new girlfriend – Alpha-born Evelyn Walsh, daughter of John Walsh, our nation’s Director of the Interior.” The reporters go mad, shouting out questions. Victor begins to respond, but suddenly a snarl rips out from the back of the room. The primary television camera pivots and turns its own attention to the wolf at the back of the hall, standing with his feet apart, his teeth bared, ready to kill. A shriek claws its way from my throat. Joyce. “Bullshit,” he growls, his chest heaving, his claws beginning to emerge from his fingertips. “Evelyn Walsh is my WIFE!” Joyce charges into the crowd, heading straight for Victor. The reporters scream and scatter and then – the feed cuts out to commercial. I pant and stare at the screen, unbelieving. I wanted revenge, yes, but this has spun out of control. Everything fell apart after that. I can’t say I regret ruining Joyce’s life, but Victor’s…I never meant for that to happen. His reputation was ruined after the press discovered that he lied at a live press conference and slept with another Alpha’s wife. Joyce sued me for infidelity and had me marked as rogue. I was expelled from the pack. After two months of scraping by on my own, I got an even bigger surprise in the form of a positive pregnancy test taken in the bathroom of a gas station. That’s where the world turned for me. I decided my child wasn’t going to suffer for my mistakes. I applied to a smaller, more progressive pack and enrolled in graduate school. It wasn’t easy at the start, trying to raise twin boys and study on the side, but I was determined. Six years later, I see the events of that night as a blessing. I am now a counselor who helps people every day make their relationships stronger. And best of all, I have Ian and Alvin – my twin boys, my stars, my lights in the darkness. Little did I know, my past was just about to return and put it all in jeopardy.

“I need to taste you right now, Evelyn.” Mark’s voice is thick with desire. “Get your ass up here.” I smirk at him, enjoying the view from my position kneeling down by his hips. Mark is all stretched out on my bed, six-foot-five inches of tanned, brawny lycanthrope handcuffed to my headboard. He’s all mine, for now. “I don’t know, baby,” I purr, hiking my silky blue nightgown up over my thighs and straddling him, writhing my hips against him in a way that makes him gasp. “I think I like you just like this.” Mark growls at me and bares his teeth to reveal his sharp incisors. “Come here,” he commands. I laugh softly and crawl up his body, running my hands over every inch of him as I go. “So impatient,” I whisper as I brush his lips with mine. “Uncuff me,” he pants. “I have to fuck you. Now.” I kiss him slowly and move my hand to the bowl on the bedside table where I keep the key, but my fingers slip against empty porcelain. I pull away from Mark in confusion. “Did you move the key, Mark?” I ask, sitting back and so I can look all around. Did it fall under the bed? “Baby,” he says, “please…don’t tease me like this.” “No, really,” I say, tucking a strand of my long brown hair behind my ear. “It’s gone.” The muffled sound of giggles erupts from the hallway. We have our answer. “Boys,” I call, glaring at the door. “You owe Mark an apology.” The door cracks open and two pairs of impish eyes peek around the corner. Ian, slightly braver than his twin Alvin, laughs and pushes the door open. “If he can’t get out on his own,” he says, bounding into the room, “he deserves to stay locked up!” His eyes are bright as he leaps onto the bed. “We know this is mommy’s favorite game – we added a twist!” He smiles wickedly as he begins to bounce around. “It’s no fun if there’s no challenge.” Alvin tiptoes softly into the room, characteristically cautious and shy. “We won’t do it again,” he says, making his way to the top of the bed and artfully unlocking the cuffs with a bent paper clip. “We hid the key!” Ian says, bouncing higher. “We don’t remember where we put it! But we don’t need it anyway.” I narrow my eyes at my boys – I didn’t raise them to be rude. I reach out a hand to snatch Ian by the waist and pull him down to me in a hug. “Enough jumping,” I say, placing a kiss precisely on his nose. “Too early for that, and I haven’t had my coffee. Plus, Mark is waiting for his apology.” “Sorry, Mark!” The boys chorus, Ian’s voice bright and insincere, Alvin’s soft and earnest. “Um…” I hear Mark say from beneath me, his voice unusually timid. I look down and am surprised to see that he’s bright red. “Can I…” he murmurs, “have my pants, please?” I laugh gently at him and reach forward to caress his face, enjoying the feeling of his rough stubble against my palm. “No need to be a prude, Mark, it’s nothing they haven’t seen before. We’re not shy about bodies in this house.” “Yeah!” Says Ian, smiling down at him. “It’s natural! Hey, are you our dad?” Alvin perks up at the question and turns wide, hopeful eyes towards Mark. I laugh at both of them and give Ian a nudge. “Okay, now you really are making him uncomfortable. You know he’s not your dad – the man who sired you is far, far away, and he’s not coming around anytime soon. Uncle Mark is just mommy’s friend,” I say, smiling. “Sometimes he sleeps over.” They’re so curious about their father’s identity, and I don’t mind. They’re just kids. But no way in hell will I ever tell them that secret. “Go on, babies, get ready for school and I’ll come make you breakfast,” I say, ruffling their hair and pushing them towards the door. Mark rubs his wrists and watches them go. “You have a…unique way of handling things, in this house,” he says. I don’t take it as criticism. “It’s true,” I shrug. “But there’s no reason they should grow up with outdated, old fashioned ideas about sex and relationships. I am an independent woman,” I say, leaning my body forward and stretching out against the length of him. “And I’m not going be ashamed of that, especially not in front of my boys.” I run my hand down the length of Mark’s obliques, and then lower, feeling him harden against me. “Now,” I murmur, wrapping my hand around his thick cock. “I still have time before the boys go to school. Where were we?” Our kitchen is a cheerful one, with bright sunshine flooding in through the windows and the smell of coffee in the air. Alvin reads the back of his cereal box while Ian tips toy army men into his mostly-empty bowl, watching them drown in the dregs of milk. I sip slowly from my mug, relishing the warmth that floods my body. I close my eyes for a moment and smile, remembering Mark’s performance this morning. A man of many talents, not least of which are in the bedroom. Now that he’s gone, though, I turn my focus to more important things. “Homework done?” I say, moving to the table to collect my boys’ empty bowls. “Yes!” They chorus. “We have good news, mama,” Alvin says, beaming up at me. I raise my eyebrows at him, inviting him to say more. “We’re going to be in a quiz competition!” Ian takes up the conversation seamlessly, something he’s been doing since the twins learned to talk. Alvin and Ian are so different, I think, looking them over as I put their bowls in the sink. But sometimes they seem like they’re two halves of one person, able to speak each other’s mind. “Oh really?” I ask, “a quiz competition? How did you enter that?” “They invited us,” Alvin says, stepping away from the table and neatly pushing in his chair. “After we played so much on the quiz website and did so well.” He shrugs slightly. “We always know all the answers.” I frown and lean against the counter. “Quiz website? When did you do that?” “At school,” Ian says, collecting his army men and putting them – still wet – in his pocket. “We get bored in kindergarten, and the teacher lets us use the computer. We found the quiz website all on our own, and we got all the answers right, and they want us to come compete!” I nod and smile at the boys, making a mental note to have a conversation with their teacher about how they spend their class time. “Okay,” I say, “Let me look at the details and we’ll see. In the meantime!” I clap my hands twice. “Get your backpacks! Time to go!” The walk to school is quick and I enjoy the crisp air as we walk. Ian scampers ahead, looking for frogs in the damp grass, but Alvin stays close to me, holding my hand. “Mama,” he says softly. “Do you think Daddy will see us in the quiz competition?” I am surprised by the question and look down into his big brown eyes. I run my hand over his hair and cup his cheek in my palm. “Why do you ask, Alvin? Why all these questions about your dad today?” He shrugs and looks away; I can tell he is a little disappointed. Ian is suddenly next to both of us, though I didn’t notice him listening or looking back. “We just want to make him proud,” Ian says, smiling wide and revealing the gap left by the loss of his front tooth just last week. “Don’t worry about that, boys,” I say. “I’m proud enough of you for two parents, all on my own. A thousand parents!” I wrinkle my nose at them, and we hear the school bell ring softly in the distance. “Oh no!” Alvin says, genuinely concerned. “We’re going to be late!” The walk home after I drop the boys off at school is some of the only me-time I get during the day. After this, it’s all work, work, work. As I walk, I pull my phone from my back pocket and open my favorite guilty pleasure app, CelebGoss. Unfortunately, the first thing pops up on the page is not an anonymous, vapid celebrity arrested for a DUI. Instead, it’s Victor. Victora and Amelia, Back Together, Hotter than Ever, the headline reads, followed by dozens of photos of our future Alpha King and his supermodel mate lounging on the beach, her sipping cocktails, him groping her ass. I feel my cheeks turn red and return my phone to my pocket. “Not interested,” I mutter. The last thing I need to see are pictures of Victor and his mate in the next chapter of their toxic relationship. What are the chances that today, of all days, my sons ask twice about their father and then his picture is the first thing I see when I open my phone? Is the universe trying to tell me something? I shake away the anxious thought and hurry home. I promised myself a long time ago that Victor would never know about our children. It’s a secret I plan to take to the grave.

I wave goodbye to Melissa, my client, as she wipes her eyes and walks to her car. She’s going to be all right – but wow, what an exhausting session. As she drives away I click my phone open and check my email, pleased to see that the confirmation I was looking for is there. “Boys!” I call, “get your shoes!” My children clatter around in the living room before spilling into the hallway, Ian hopping on one foot as he pulls on his sneaker. Alvin carries his shoes carefully and sits down to tie his laces. “What’s happening, mama?” I feign surprise, teasing them. “What, didn’t you want to go to the quiz show?” “Really, mama?!” Ian’s face lights up and he throws himself against me in a hug. “We can really go?!” I laugh and hug him back as Alvin joins us. “Well, you earned it, and I could use a break from my work. I contacted the show and it’s all real – you earned your place. Since you qualified together, though, you have to play as one. Are you okay with that?” “Yes!” they say together, two pairs of bright brown eyes smiling up at me. “Okay, into the car!” I say, smacking their bums as they pass. Off we go. “Alvin and Ian Ortega,” the receptionist says, her eyes wide. “This…this is them?” I nod, a hand on the shoulder of each boy. “Yes,” I say. “Is there a problem?” “No,” she says, shaking her head, surprise clear on her face. “They’re just so…young. You know,” she tears her eyes away from them and looks at me, “most of the contestants on this show are…adults. Doctors. Lawyers. Educated people.” “It’s not a mistake!” Alvin chimes in. “We qualified!” He slips his printed-out paper onto the desk. Ian gives the receptionist a gap-toothed grin. “Well,” the receptionist said, taking up the paper. “I guess…everything’s in order!” She laughs, “you’re the youngest contestants we’ve ever had! This will make for quite a show.” The receptionist waves a hand at the backstage door and the boys scamper off towards it. As I begin to follow, she stops me with a light hand on my arm. “You know, you really are lucky,” she breathes, “to have two such children, so handsome, so smart…” I smile warmly at her and gently pull my arm away. “Thanks,” I say. “I know. I count my blessings every day.” I catch up with my boys at the door and wrap each up in a hug, placing a kiss on the top of their heads. “Be good,” I said. “Try hard, of course, but overall you must remember to have fun, and be polite.” I narrow my eyes at Ian in particular. “No funny business.” “Okay, mama,” Alvin says, smiling his sweetest smile. “I wish dad were here,” Ian says, looking at me a little wistfully. “I want him to be proud.” My stomach turns with guilt, but I put on a smile anyway. “We’ve talked about this, boys. Your father is a great man, but he’s very busy – he’s out there doing big, big work, and helping people. He loves you,” I say, hoping, deep down, that it’s not a lie. “He just needs to be somewhere else. But he’s out there, thinking about you, and he’s proud.” The boys nod at the familiar story and a stagehand calls “Ortega?” from the backstage area. I gently push the boys forward and watch them run away to be prepared in hair in makeup, or whatever they do. I shrug and move to the craft services table, pouring myself a cup of coffee. The competition is very intense. I sit in the audience with my hands wrapped together in my lap, my legs bouncing with anticipation. I try to keep my face smooth so that if the boys look out into the audience they will find their mother placid and serene. Ha, what a lie. “Is the answer….magnesium?” Alvin ventures, his voice tremulous. The boys stand on stage behind a podium. Their answer appears in text on the front of the podium. A big pause, and then… “Yessssssssss!” The announcer shouts enthusiastically, and the crowd goes wild, me included. I am on my feet clapping for my boys, shouting their names. “You’ve done it!” The announcer says, “On to the final round! Congratulations, Ian and Alvin Ortega – you have the chance to be champions of Quizzzzz Nation! We’ll be back, after this commercial break!” A red light above the stage goes off and assistants rush around, blotting the host’s face with makeup, moving Alvin and Ian to a new set of podiums where they will face the previous champion, a scientist from LA. He generously shakes hands with the boys, who, I am pleased to see, greet him politely despite their excitement. “Thirty seconds,” an announcer says. Stagehands scatter and I take my seat. “Now before we get into the final level, let’s take a moment to get to know our newest contestants. Alvin and Ian,” the announcer says, leaning casually against their podium. “You are our youngest contestants ever and have, amazingly, made it to the final round on your first try. To what do you owe your amazing accomplishment?” “Our mom is real smart,” says Ian, and the crowd laughs. I blush and smile. The announcer smiles back at them, charmed. “And what will you do, if you win Quiz Nation? Spend your money on big prizes?” “We’re gonna find our dad!” Ian says, and the crowd hushes awkwardly. I huff out a breath of air and paste a smile on my face. What is with the dad stuff lately? “Yeah,” says Alvin. “Our dad is real busy, but we want him to know he can be proud.” “I am sure…he is very proud of you already,” the announcer says, a little stiffly, and then moves on the show. “Let’s play Quizzzzzzz Nation!” The competition continues, heating up as the twins fend off question after question. Behind the stage, an intern walks up to the title sponsor, carrying the trophy in her hand. “Um, sir?” she says, not daring to tug on his sleeve to get his attention. “What,” the man snarls, spinning to turn his angry attention to her instead of to the woman with whom he’s arguing. “Um, it’s almost time to present the trophy?” The intern whispers. The man grabs the trophy from her and she skitters away. He could care less about Quiz Nation, it’s just another media appearance to demonstrate to his people that he’s invested in arts and culture. Whatever. “It’s just not in the cards right now,” Amelia says to him, her arms elegantly folded across her chest. She leans back slightly, unphased by his rage. “I’m not having a baby.” “Deciding you’d rather defer having children for another time is different” he growls, “than getting pregnant and taking abortion pills to kill my child. Did you do it?!” His face grows red with rage. “Look, leave those stupid rumors aside, Victor,” she says, cool under pressure. “The fact is, I’m not into having a family right now. My career is on the rise – I’m scheduled to walk at Paris fashion week in the spring. I’m not giving that up to pop out a kid.” She narrows her eyes at him. “You never respected my career, my dreams. I don’t just exist to fulfill your demands and bear your pups. I have a life too, Victor,” she says, turning away in disgust. “I’m not playing your game.” Victor stands, clenching his teeth and rubbing his brow. His Beta comes forward to stand next to him, silent in black, but there if Victor needs him. “Maybe you’re right,” Victor says, rubbing his brows. “Maybe we do need to go to counseling.” “It can’t hurt, sir,” the Beta says, stoic. “In the meantime,” he gestures towards the trophy still gripped in Victor’s hand. “Right,” Victor says, “this stupid thing. What’s this show called, again?”

There’s a pop and confetti fills the air. “Ladies and gentlemen!” the announcer shouts, “for the first time ever, we have a tie for the win of Quiz Nation!” The twins jump in the air, shouting amongst the noise, while the two contestant podiums display the same final answer written across their fronts. The announcer presses his finger to his ear, listening to his tiny earphone. “I am told,” he says, “that according to the Quiz Nation handbook, that we are obliged,” he pauses, letting the crowd cool down to listen, “to award the Quiz Nation title to the returning champion!” Half of the crowd cheers while the other half boos, clearly rooting for Alvin and Ian. I boo along with them, disappointed for my boys. “The rules state that in the rare case of a tie, the team with the smaller number of players wins! As Alvin and Ian are a pair, and Jim played individually, he is our winner! All of this knowledge coming from one brain instead of two is just a more impressive feat.” The boys’ faces fall in disappointment. “But we worked so hard!” Ian shouts. “And we’re so young -” “But that’s not all!” he announcer says, interrupting him. “In recognition of their great accomplishment, today Alvin and Ian Ortega are being awarded the rare People’s Choice award, to honor them for winning our hearts! Congratulations, boys!” I laugh as the boys begin to jump and cheer again, their sadness easily wiped away. I guess any trophy is just as good to them. As the boys rush forward to wave to the audience, I slip out of the room, hoping to get a bathroom break before I meet the boys backstage. All that coffee was a mistake. On stage, Alvin and Ian shake hands with the winner and come forward to receive their prize. A tall man comes forward from the left stage wing, carrying two trophies. He hands one to the victor, shaking his hand, and moves forward to chat with the host. “Do you see him?” says Ian. “He’s so tall. He looks like me!” “He looks like us,” Alvin corrects, staring at the man with the trophy with wide eyes. “Wow. I wish he was our dad, that’s what I always imagined he looked like…” The man finishes his conversation and turns towards the boys, ready to present them with their prize. When he sees them, though, he stops dead, the blood draining from his face. He hunches his shoulders instinctually, a predator, and comes towards the boys, scenting the air between them. The boys stand stock still, not afraid, but cautious. When the man gets a whiff of them, he gasps and the trophy slips from his fingers to the ground, breaking into three pieces. The man stumbles back, staring at them, and then turns, storming towards the wing. The boys watch him go, not even caring about their lost prize. In their hearts, they know what they have found. Victor paces back stage, mind-linking to his Beta, demanding that he come heel immediately. The boys were his children – there was no denying it. But how – where – He runs his hands through his hair and grits his teeth. Where did they come from?! How did he not know?! His Beta arrives with a quick salute. “The boys, who won the competition,” Victor spits out, the Beta nodding, “find whoever brought them here. Bring her to me, immediately.” “Yes, sir.” The Beta is gone in a flash. There is a blur of motion from the stage area and suddenly Victor feels two small somethings crash into him. Looking down, he sees a little boy attached to each of his legs, their arms wrapped around him like tiny koala bears. One boy even slips to the ground, wrapping his legs around Victor’s ankle, determined never to let go. “It’s so nice to meet you!” That one says, beaming up at him. “We’ve waited our whole lives!” “We know you’ve been busy, we understand,” says the other, smiling up at him and revealing a missing front tooth. “We got our wish!” Says the other, his eyes shining with joy. “Because we worked so hard, and won the competition! We wished for our dad, and we got him!” “It’s our prize!” Says the other, burying his face in the side of Victor’s suit jacket and sniffing deeply, learning his scent. For a moment, Victor freezes, not knowing – for the first time in his life – precisely what to do next. But then, he feels a warmth in his stomach, an instinctual urge, and he places a hand on each child’s head, caressing them. “If you won a dad, then I won the better prize,” he says softly, “I’ve been waiting a lifetime to meet you.” Victor stares down at the boys, feeling both delighted and overwhelmed at once. They were such an utter surprise – so handsome, energetic, smart and – well, so much like him. He could smell it on them, and see it on their faces – they were of his body, he had no doubt. Exhaling a big breath he didn’t know he was holding, Victor shakes his head at the boys, marveling that a life’s dream could come true in such an unlikely fashion. He had been longing for a child – hoping to have one with Amelia, his beloved mate and the future Luna. But she had put him off year after year, wanting to accomplish other things first. His family, too, had begun giving him sidelong glances at holidays and making hints about grandchildren and heirs. The newspapers as well had to begun to make sneaky jibes about infertility and look elsewhere amongst the pack’s Alpha population for the heirs to the line. All of it had filled Victor with anxiety, with rage. But here, suddenly, were the solutions that put all of that to rest. And made his hopes a reality. Two boys, even – what a blessing. But where…who… The sound of frantically clicking stilettos fills the room as a woman turns the corner, anxiety in her voice as she calls “Boys!? Boys!” The Beta strides around the corner just after her, working to keep up. Evelyn stops mid-step, frozen, staring at the image of her boys wrapped around the legs of…of… “You,” rasps Victor. “Oh my god,” says Evelyn, at the same moment. “It’s you.”

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Anxiety gripped my heart, squeezing it until I thought I would puke or pass out. I glanced at the mirror in the break room. A tangled web of purple and black pulsated over my head as I held the phone to my ear. He’s not going to answer, Lily muttered, but I ignored her. When I was about to give up, Robert answered the phone with a gruff “Hello?” “Hi, honey. I’m so sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to remind you that the cruise is tomorrow. We have to be at the port by 5 PM,” I said cheerily, fighting past the lump in my throat. “Yeah, yeah. Tomorrow at 5. Listen, I have to go,” and before I could say anything else, he hung up, leaving me with the sound of a woman’s husky laugh ringing in my ear. Who the hell was that? Lily demanded, but I was just as much in the dark as she was. Probably just a customer at the bar, I told her. It had to be. I trusted Robert completely. Still, I put the phone back into my apron pocket with a sigh. “What did he do this time?” a voice asked from behind me. I jumped and turned to find Cathy glaring at me. I grimaced as I saw the swirling vortex of neon orange above her head. She was extremely annoyed. “He didn’t do anything. He was just busy at work,” I said softly, hoping to placate her. But Cathy was very protective of me and didn’t like Robert. “Right. If you can take double shifts for two weeks straight to buy these cruise tickets, the least he could do is give you some of his precious time, Almara” Cathy snapped and I winced. But what else could I have done? It was for his birthday and I had just graduated college. It’s not like I came from money either. “He didn’t make me do it. I wanted to. I like doing nice things for the people I care about,” I smiled at her, trying to convince her and myself that everything was fine. She rolled her eyes and clacked her Candy Apple Red nails at me. “Well, I’ll be here for you when you get your heart broken. I love you, sugar,” and with that she walked back into the restaurant. I slumped down into one of the chairs, putting my head into my hands. I was really hoping this cruise could turn things around for us. Robert had been distant lately and I wasn’t sure why. We’d known each other since we were cubs and had grown up together. It had turned into a romance when we got to high school and we’d always been super affectionate. But things had changed once we graduated. We both had our own jobs and couldn’t be together as often as we used to. If the separation was the only issue, then being together for seven days on a cruise would surely fix it. I shook my head and straightened my shoulders. Robert and I would get married like we always planned. We would be happy just like my parents. All of our dreams would come true. At least that’s what I told myself. * * * The cruise ship was more magnificent than I could have possibly imagined. It glowed a moonbeam white in the light of the dying sun.   I’d read somewhere in my research for this trip that the owner was the youngest billionaire and the most luxurious room on the ship was permanently reserved for him. Not that I could ever afford it. People like that basically lived on a different planet. Luxury like this was probably second nature to him, while I had almost worked myself to death just to experience this. But it didn’t matter. I had done it out of love. Robert and I were going to have a perfeect trip. The cool wind from the sea brushed my cinnamon brown hair away from my shoulders, revealing the heart-shaped neckline of my emerald green dress. The long sleeves would help fight off the ocean chill, but the linen made it breathable. It was the perfect dress for a cruise and I felt pretty for the first time in a long time. “Almara! There you are, sweetheart!” I turned with a big smile on my face, waiting in anticipation as Robert pushed his way through the crowd, his rolling suitcase running over a few toes in the process. I was happy to see a bright yellow over his head. He was actually excited about this trip. When he was finally in front of me, a flash of red jolted through the yellow and my smile turned stale. What could I have possibly done to have drawn out that color?

  “What are you wearing?” Robert asked, eyes roaming over my body, making my cheeks heat with embarrassment. He didn’t approve. I ran my hands down the dress self-consciously. “I bought it for the cruise. Don’t you like it?” “It’s fine, I guess. But look around. You stand out like a sore thumb.” He waved his hand to encompass the rest of the cruise guests. Most of the women were scantily clad. My cheeks burned hotter. “I’ll keep that in mind next time,” I smiled tightly at him, wrapping my arms around my waist. The momentary joy I had felt was disappearing. Robert grunted his agreement and pulled me along, cutting in front of people to get to the front of the line, ignoring all the angry grumbles that followed us. “Hi! Welcome aboard! We’re letting all of our passengers know that we’re having a Moonlight Promenade on the second floor of the deck in the ballroom around 9 o’clock tonight. We hope to see you there!” A member of the crew greeted us at the door, handing out pamphlets as we passed by. I inwardly cringed. Robert loved to dance and I had zero rhythm, but I knew we were going to be there. “You most definitely will!” Robert told her as we followed another crewmate to our room. •* * The ballroom was beautiful, but I couldn’t appreciate it. I was too focused on not spraining an ankle in the ridiculous heels that Robert had insisted I buy at the cruise’s boutique. He’d also made me buy a new lemon yellow halter dress with a plunging neckline. I could feel the lewd stares coming from the male passengers and tried my best to ignore it. I instead focused on Robert and the way that his face was lighting up as he looked around. “Isn’t this great, Almara? When’s the last time we went dancing?” He asked excitedly, making a beeline straight for the dance floor where couples already gyrated against each other to the music. I had thought they would play waltzes or something similar, but they were playing club music instead. “It’s been too long,” I agreed, but inside I was thinking it hadn’t been long enough. He pulled me against him, arms sliding around my waist as he led me into a sensual dance. I tried my best to keep up, swaying my hips to the beat, but I knew it wasn’t a fluid motion. It felt choppy and out of sync. But Robert didn’t seem to mind. His eyes were trained on my cleavage and a healthy dose of pink started spreading through the yellow cloud above his head. Lust. I hadn’t seen that color in awhile. Robert’s hands slid lower, giving my backside a healthy squeeze. I jumped and playfully slapped his hands away. Robert gave a low chuckle in my ear and put his hands right back where they had been. I squirmed out of his embrace, murmuring that I had to go to the bathroom. I wasn’t a virgin in any sense of the word, but PDA was not my thing and he knew that. I had to escape and cool down a bit. When my nerves were under control, I left the bathroom and was immediately greeted with a sight that set my blood boiling. Robert was dancing very intimately with a strange woman bedecked in jewels. The cloud above his head was a deep pink and so was the woman’s. What the hell? Lily growled, her anger mingling with mine. I took a deep breath. Robert just likes to dance, I tell her, knowing it would do nothing to placate her. Right, if that’s what you want to call it. Lying to yourself doesn’t make it go away. He’s not our mate. Leave him. That was all fine and well for her to say, but I had never been lucky in my life and I knew the chances of meeting my mate were slim. Besides, the wedding planning was already under way. And, most importantly, I loved Robert. Wanting to avoid conflict and ruining our trip before it even began, I decided to walk outside to get some fresh air. Resting my arms on the handrails, I looked out over the ocean, enjoying the spray of sea foam on my face. “Will you marry me?” a deep voice floated on the wind and I glanced over. A man with his back to me was down on one knee in front of a gorgeous woman.

He was wearing an expensive deep blue suit, the matching sapphire cufflinks glittering in the moonlight. “Arthur, I told you I’m not ready. How many times must I repeat myself?” she asked, red-orange swirling above her head. She walked away, heels slapping angrily against the deck The man’s cloud turned a deep blue. He was heartbroken and my own heart went out to him. “As many times as it takes,” he whispered before standing. When the moonlight illuminated the man’s face, I stared at him in stunned silence. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I couldn’t help but stare at him. His midnight-black hair framed and an olive-tone faced. His forest-green eyes peered through thich eyelashes, gazing at the woman across from him. “Don’t start with me, Arthur,” Sofia snapped, flipping her honey-blonde hair behind her shoulders. A small carry-on was beside her. Did she mean to leave the ship? “We’ve been together for eight years, Sofia. On top of that, we’re fated. I don’t understand why you keep denying me.” Arthur’s voice came out strained, the heartbreak evident in every syllable. Despite his earlier attitude, my heart went out to him. “We’ve been over this. You only want to marry me so that I can provide you and your family with heirs. And you know as well as I do that being fated doesn’t equal love. You don’t actually love me,” Sofia said matter-of-factly. I wanted to tell her that that was a lie, but nobody knew about Lily’s ability to read emotions and we had to keep it that way. Arthur’s body stiffened. “I do love you.” Sofia scoffed and put both hands on her hips. “No. If you loved me, you would have waited until after the ballet tour. You would have waited for me to fulfill my dreams. Expecting me to drop everything isn’t love. It’s a cage.” She took a deep breath before continuing in a softer voice. “I know your grandmother wants grandchildren. But I can’t sacrifice everything I’ve ever wanted for my career just to make her happy. And pregnancies are definitely career killers.” Arthur moved closer to her, taking her hands in his. I really shouldn’t have stayed to witness this, but I couldn’t seem to make my body move or tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me. “My grandmother is sick, Sofia. She might not be here for much longer,” his voice was now pleading, asking her to understand. I honestly could not grasp her unwillingness to have a family with him. A family of my own was all I ever wanted. “What does that have to do with me? All I want right now is to be the best. And having children will keep me from that. I’m sorry, but your grandmother’s wishes do not trump mine,” Sofia said with a note of finality, throwing Arthur’s hands off. She side-stepped him and walked toward the railing. Where was she going? “Fine. You’ve made your point, Sofia. Just go.” Arthur still had his back to her and his voice was deceptively calm, but the storm brewing over his head told a different story. Alarming shades of blue and black twisted together. The poor man was in agony.   I went to step forward, feeling like I had to do something, anything, to help these people work it out, but without warning, Sofia picked up her carry-on and jumped over the side of the ship. A strangled cry left my lips and I threw myself into the railing, peering into the dark as if I could actually do something to save her. But my fear was unwarranted. There had been a speedboat waiting for her and it was already taking her away from the cruise ship. I could only stand there in shock, watching as Sofia disappeared from view. Well that was dramatic, Lily interjected, snapping me out of the daze. I shook my head to get rid of the rest of the fog. That’s a bit of an understatement, I agreed, putting a hand to my head. Maybe this had all been a fever dream. My skin felt clammy, but that was due to the ocean, not a fever. How’s the eye candy doing? Lily asked and this time I did roll my eyes. But she was right. I should check up on him. Arthur hadn’t moved from where Sofia had left him. I thought I heard a sniffle, but I couldn’t be sure. A second later he brought a hand up to his eyes, wiping away moisture that I couldn’t see. I think he’s crying. What should I do? I asked. I didn’t want to leave him to his own devices. Not in his current state. But he was also a stranger. Why don’t you go over there and comfort him? I’m sure there are plenty of things you can do to get his mind off his situation, Lily offered suggestively and my face burned. I’m with Robert, I reminded her firmly. You need to get your wolfy urges under control. Says the woman who needs a change of undies, Lily snarked and with that I shut down our mental link as well as I could. There wasn’t really a way to shut out Lily completely, but I could make it clear when I’d had enough of her meddling. While Lily and I had been having our little debate, Arthur had finally moved. He was closer to the railing and I could clearly see his red-rimmed eyes and the tears that were falling freely down his cheeks. The storm above his head had developed into a tempest. A jolt of fear passed through my body. From a very young age, I could see others’ true emotions floating above my head. I’ve kept it a secret. It’s not common for wolves to have extra powers, especially a nobody like me. I wanted to believe it was a gift from the Moon Goddess. But there was a chance not everyone would think that. So I kept it to myself. The vivid colors of people’s emotions are what had initially sparked an interest in painting. I had wanted to capture everything that I saw. And for the most part, the colors were calm and happy. But this…this was the worst emotional state I had ever seen before and I had no idea what to expect. Lily, you don’t think he’ll jump, do you? I asked, opening myself up once more to my wolf. Oh, now you want my advice? Lily quipped but I could still feel her concern as we both watched Arthur take another step toward the railing. But to answer your question, no, I don’t think he’ll jump. How can you be so sure? My breath hitched as he took another step. I can’t let that happen. He’s not going to jump, Lily said again, but I wasn’t listening. Arthur had reached the railing and was climbing up onto the first rung. My body moved before my mind could catch up to what was happening. I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him from behind, using all the strength that came with being a wolf to keep him pressed against me. “No!”

“What do you think you’re doing, little wolf?” Arthur’s voice was all growl but it didn’t scare me. Given his current emotional state, I was surprised that he could speak at all. “Please don’t do this. Think about your poor grandmother. How would she feel if you were gone?” I pleaded, burying my head into his back. I tightened my arms around him, hoping that he could feel that at least one person was here for him tonight. Arthur firmly, but gently removed my hands from his body, his strength overpowering me. I felt like a child compared to him. He stepped down from the railing and turned, pushing me back with his hands on my shoulders. Arthur frowned down at me. “Did you really think I was going to jump into the sea?” I furrowed my brows. “Weren’t you? You were obviously upset…and crying…” My voice trailed off as he glared at me and I ducked my head to escape it. Arthur sighed. With his thumb and forefinger, he cupped my chin and lifted my face back to his. “I wasn’t crying. The sea breeze irritates my eyes. That’s all it was.” That’s a lie, Lily chimed in and I shushed her, even though I knew she was right. But if Arthur wanted to hide the truth, it wasn’t up to me to expose him. “Then why did you go up on the railing?” I pressed, not willing to let it go. He didn’t know that I could see his emotions swirling around over his head. I could see everything he was trying to hide. “Sofia isn’t the only one who’s dramatic,” he gave me a sad smile and dropped his hand, putting it into his pocket before opening it to show me a glittering diamond ring. “I was going to get rid of this.” My face was hot as I stared at the ring. This was so embarrassing. I told you he wasn’t going to do it. You should have listened to me, Lily said and I couldn’t even bring myself to argue with her. I one-hundred percent should have listened to her this time. “Here. I want you to have it,” Arthur said abruptly, placing the ring in my hand. He closed my hand into a fist around the ring. I just gaped at him. “I couldn’t possibly accept this,” I protested, trying and failing to give the ring back. He stepped away, clearly not wanting anything more to do with the ring. “You can and you will. Think of it as a reward for your kindness. Even if it wasn’t needed,” and with that he walked back toward the ballroom and presumably his room. I stood there, frozen. What the hell had just happened? I’d only come out here for some fresh air. I hadn’t expected to get wrapped in someone else’s drama. You have too much of a bleeding heart, Almara. You could have just stayed out of it. You know the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, Lily unhelpfully supplied and I had to admit that maybe she was right. I was too much of a bleeding heart. I opened my fist to look at the diamond ring again. It must have been worth a small fortune. Perhaps having a bleeding heart wasn’t such a bad thing after all.   I hurried into the ballroom, searching for Robert. I wanted to tell him about everything that had just happened. I wanted to tell him about the hail mary that we had been given. Neither of us had a lot of money. The jobs that we had barely paid for the bills and we didn’t have much in savings. Not to mention the wedding costs. This ring could change everything. However, I couldn’t find him. He wasn’t anywhere on the dance floor or at any of the tables. I was headed toward the bathrooms when a waiter suddenly grabbed my wrist. “Miss, are you looking for the gentleman you arrived with?” “Yes, I am. Do you know where he went?” The waiter grimaced and I knew that it wasn’t going to be good news. “He and the woman he was dancing with had a lot to drink. Too much actually. They were, um, very affectionate. We had to ask them to leave,” he informed me and I felt the blood leave my face. No. He had promised he would never do this again. Lily growled. I warned you this would happen again. He’s a gold-digging, two-faced ass. You know he wants more than the simple life you have planned. Tears filled my eyes and a lump formed in my throat. No. He wouldn’t do this to me. Not again. “Here. I think you need this,” the waiter said softly and handed me a glass of red wine. “Thank you,” I whispered and downed the entire thing in one go. The sweet wine burned on the way down and warmed my belly. The rush felt good and I greedily reached for another glass before the waiter left to continue his shift. I downed the second glass too and my body instantly felt hot. I set the wine down and brought my hands to my face. Yep. My skin was indeed on fire. Forget that you’re a lightweight? Lily asked and I giggled. I hadn’t thought that information was relevant. I deserved to have some fun, too. Get to bed before something happens. You’re burning up. We could shift by accident. There are quite a few human passengers on this cruise ship. I don’t think the humans would appreciate a drunk wolf running around, Lily griped and I pouted. I didn’t want to go to bed. Lily swiped a metaphysical paw across my middle. Not enough to hurt, but I knew she was closer to the surface than she should have been. I definitely didn’t want to shift in the middle of all these people.

  I took a few steps and knew that I wouldn’t make it too far in these heels. I kicked them off, leaving them where they landed. They weren’t my style anyway. I quickly stumbled away and tried to keep my eyes focused. But it was getting harder. The room had started to spin. Get to the room. Get to the room. Get to the room. I repeated it like a mantra. I could lay down once I got to the room. Things would be a lot better once I got to the room. When I reached the door, I leaned my head against the cool steel. I fumbled in my purse for the key card and slapped it against the pad. Nothing happened. I looked at the room number. It was definitely the right one so why wasn’t the door opening. Maybe I’d missed. I slapped the card against the pad again, turning the handle at the same time. The door opened. Thank the moon! I slipped in, closing the door behind me. Why was the room so hot? I couldn’t breathe. This dress that I hated was too tight. I allowed my hands to grow claws and ripped the dress off of me. In the process, I accidentally cut off my underwear as well, but I didn’t care. I was burning up.   I climbed into bed and moaned at how cool the sheets felt. They were like a soothing balm against my skin. The bundle of sheets on the other side moved and I realized I wasn’t alone. Robert was here and already asleep. He hadn’t abandoned me. The relief I felt was almost corporeal. I moved over and wrapped myself around him, burying my face into the nape of his neck, breathing him in. He smelled really good tonight. He does smell really good. That’s strange…but I didn’t hear the rest of what Lily was saying. Sleep pulled me under and I was dead to the world.   Sunlight streamed in from the window as I woke up. I groaned and brought my hand to my eyes to shut out the light. It was too bright and it definitely wasn’t helping the headache that was threatening to rip my head apart. What happened last night? Well, you threw back two glasses of wine like you had been stranded in the desert and they were the first water source that you found, Lily informed me and I groaned again. What had I been thinking? I slowly lowered my hand and looked beside me. Robert was gone. Maybe he had gone to get us both breakfast. Or, at the very least, some coffee. I desperately needed it. I slowly stood up and made my way to the bathroom. I’d freshen up some before he got back. I didn’t want him to see me like this. I splashed water on my face and reached for my toothbrush, but it wasn’t there. Confused, I looked around and, with growing horror, realized that none of the things in the bathroom were mine or Robert’s. The bathroom was extremely luxurious. The room had a soft and elegant fragrance, not like the generic scent in ours. The faucets were inlaid with gold, inlaid with blue gemstones, a far cry from the basic silver I had seen. Even the toilet was gold. Who had a gold toilet? Alarmed, I walked back into the room and finally noticed how nice it was. Much nicer than our room. Much nicer than we could ever afford. This far exceeded my imagination of luxury. This wasn’t the right room. I had spent the night in a stranger’s bed. And my memory was fuzzy. I remembered cuddling, but anything past that was gone. Had we done…stuff? I had to find Robert. But how was I going to explain this to him? My dress was in literal pieces on the floor. And I couldn’t exactly leave the room naked. I had no other choice but to raid the closet. There wasn’t much in the way of clothes so I settled for a long dress shirt. I buttoned it all the way to the top and it was long enough to cover all my bits. It would have to do for now. I bundled up my clothes from the floor and swiftly left the room. On my way out, I looked at the room number. It was 1100. Our room was 1200. I wasn’t even on the right floor. Not wanting to linger in case the stranger came back, I made my way down the hall and up the stairs. Thankfully, there weren’t any other guests to witness my potential walk of shame. After what seemed forever, I finally made it to the right room. I carefully touched the key card to the pad and was rewarded with a beep that let me know that this was indeed the right room. I breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door. I heard them before I saw them. “Harder…yes…like that…yes…yes…” Soft moans emanated from the bed and I watched in horror as Robert pumped in and out of the woman from last night.

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On our first wedding anniversary, my husband said he bought me my favorite flowers. I took the flowers and thanked the delivery guy with a smile. But I never liked the white roses. These were my sister Brenda’s favorite, not mine.

The day I found out I was dying, Byron broke up with me. I have been Byron Evan’s “contract lover” for five years, until his true love came back. He canceled our contract and told me to get lost. I thought that after five years, his frozen heart would thaw for me. How wrong I was. So I packed my things and left. Without telling him… I only had three months left to live. —— Byron Crawford’s private jet landed at LAX international airport at 7:00 PM. By 7:30 P.M, Athena Newton was taken to the Silver Tower Penthouse as requested. Per their contract, she had to be thoroughly cleaned “inside and out” without any traces of perfume or makeup. She strictly followed his preferences, thoroughly cleaned herself, changed into a silk pajama, and then went to the bedroom on the second floor. Byron was already working on his computer. When Athena entered the room, he gave her a casual glance. “Come here,” he demanded. His voice was cold and emotionless, weighing heavily on Athena’s heart. Byron was enigmatic, Athena didn’t dare to hesitate for a moment, worried that he might get angry with her, and quickly walked over to him. Before she could steady herself, he pulled her into his arms and lifted her chin with his long fingers. He lowered his head and kissed her ruby lips, the kiss was aggressive, without any traces of warmth. Byron might seem noble and restrained, but he showed no such thing when it came to sex. He was never tender with her. No sweet talk, no soft kisses. Just sex. He had been abroad on a business trip for three months, he probably wouldn’t let Athena go easily tonight. As she had expected, he was rougher than usual. Byron didn’t stop his thrusts until she was too exhausted. … When Athena woke up, she found herself alone in bed, but the sound of running water came from the bathroom. She looked in the direction of the water sound and saw a slender figure reflected on the frosted glass. Athena was surprised because Byron usually left without waiting for her to wake up after their encounters. But this time, he didn’t leave. She struggled to sit up from the bed and quietly waited for the man to come out. A few minutes later, the sound of running water stopped abruptly, and Byron came out wrapped in a bath towel. Water droplets from the tips of his hair fell onto his bronze skin, slowly sliding down his abs, the firm and strong lines carrying a deadly temptation.His face was finely chiseled, exquisitely handsome, with sharp, distinct features. His eyes, almond-shaped in hazel in color, were aloof and distant, deep and unreadable. Byron’ charm armed him from head to toe, and so did his cold aura. In one glance, you can tell this man was not easy to get along with. Seeing that Athena was awake, he gave her a cold look and said, “You don’t need to come anymore.” Athena was stunned. What did he mean by “No need to come anymore?” Byron withdrew his gaze from her, turned around, and handed her a document. “I’m canceling our contract, you’re fired.” He said fired. Not break up. Because that’s their relationship, the employer and the employee. Nonetheless, his words stung. As soon as Athena saw the document laid out before her, she understood. He didn’t leave early today because he didn’t want her to be his secret lover anymore. After being with him for five years, Athena always knew this day would come, but she didn’t expect it would end so abruptly—No reason or explanation. It was five years ago when the debt collector came knocking, and her grandma, Romy Lewis, fell seriously ill, desperately in need of money. Just when all hope seemed lost, Byron came in. Word had it that Athena bore a striking resemblance to his one true love, Freya Bates, , who went abroad and married a renowned European aristocrat after Byron’s accident left him in a coma. It was difficult for him to move on when he recovered and realized he had been cast aside. And then, Athena came into his life. He helped her settle her family’s debts and arranged for the best medical care for her grandmother. And so, she took on the role of Byron’s secretary, while secretly becoming his lover. Suppressing the sharp pain in her heart, Athena slowly raised her head and gazed at Byron, who was now fully dressed. “The contract will expire in six months. Can’t we wait for a little longer?” she asked, somewhat pleading. The doctor said she only had three months left and she wanted to stay with him until the end of her life. Byron didn’t respond, just looking at her with a cold gaze, showing no regret at all, as if he was kicking away a toy he had grown tired of playing with. His silence was all she needed, it meant, his decision was final. After five long years of trying, Athena had failed to thaw Byron’s frozen heart. She knew it was time for her to wake up from her illusion. Athena took the contract and put on a fake smile, attempting to feign indifference. “Don’t be so serious, I was just joking.” she teased. “I’m glad this is over, I get six months off, how perfect!” Athena added as if to convince herself. Byron paused as he adjusted his shirt sleeves, then lifted his cool gaze to size up Athena. On her face, there was no sadness, only a hint of excitedness… or relief? Byron frowned and asked, “You’re glad it’s over?” Athena nodded like she didn’t care. “Yes, I’m not young anymore. It’s time for me to get married and have children. I can’t always be with your contract lover, can I?” What a perfect lie. She laughed at herself in her mind, it was impossible for her to get married or have children, but in front of Byron, she had to leave with dignity and grace. She forced a smile and asked Byron, “Does that mean I can finally have a normal boyfriend once I leave here?” Byron’ eyes were filled with deep and unidentifiable emotions. After staring at her for a while, he put up his watch and turned to leave. “Do whatever you want.” Those were the last words he said before he left. Looking at his back, Athena’s smile faded. Byron hated it when other people touched his things, including his woman, but he didn’t react when he heard she wanted to have a boyfriend. Seems like… He really is sick of her.

After Byron left, his assistant walked in with the pill. He handed the pill to Athena and said respectfully, “Ms. Newton, please take it as usual.” This was a birth control pill. He didn’t love her, let alone allow her to get pregnant. After having sex, Andrew would always come with the pill and he would stand there watching to make sure she took it. Staring at the pill, Athena’s heart started to hurt. She wasn’t sure if the pain was caused by heart failure or Byron’s cruelty, but regardless, it was so intense that she struggled to take a breath. “Ms. Newton…” Seeing that Athena didn’t take the pill, Andrew urged her with a nervous expression, afraid that she would cause trouble on the last night with Byron. Athena glanced at him, took over the pill, and put it in her mouth. She didn’t even drink water with it and forced it down. Andrew let out a breath of relief, then he took an apartment deed and check from his briefcase and placed them in front of Athena. “Ms. Newton, this is Mr. Crawford’ compensation for you. In addition to real estate and luxury cars, he also gave you 5 million dollars. All yours.” How generous. Too bad, he never knew what she truly wanted. “I don’t want it,” Athena looked up at Andrew with a smile and said. Andrew was stunned and confused. “Do you think it’s not enough?” Hearing this, Athena felt heartbroken. Even Andrew thought she was doing it for the money, let alone Byron. He offered her such a high breakup fee. Was it because he was afraid she would pester him again for more money in the future? Athena picked up the bag beside her with a bitter smile, took out a debit card, and handed it to Andrew. “This is all the money Byron paid me over the years, I never spent a single penny. You can give it all back to him. Oh and the pin number for this card is his birthday.” Andrew was dumbfounded. Did Ms. Newton really never use any of Mr. Crawford’ money in the past five years? Athena didn’t care whether Andrew believed her or not. She placed the card on the pile of documents Andrew brought for her. Then she turned around and left the Silver Tower Penthouse At the same time, she submitted a letter of resignation to the company. … Winter was cold in the city. Athena walked alone on the empty street. Her thin figure was cast on the ground by the street light, looking gaunt and fragile. She tightened her beige coat, gritted her teeth, and walked back to her apartment in her high heels. She pushed the door open. It was huge inside, taking up an entire floor. Despite the luxurious decorations, the apartment couldn’t seem to dispel the chill that permeated Athena’s heart. She sat on the sofa, stared blankly at the surroundings for a moment, then Athena began to pack. This apartment was also given to her by Byron. Since he did not want her anymore, she would not take anything that he gave her. Athena took out her suitcase, opened the closet, and put all her clothes into the suitcase. She didn’t bring many things here, and after a quick pack, she left the apartment with her suitcase. After getting into the car, she sent a text message to Andrew. [Andrew, the password of Hudson Apartment is 0826.] Andrew was smart. He immediately understood when he saw the text message. Not only did Ms. Newton not spend a penny from Mr. Crawford, but she also didn’t want the apartment Mr. Crawford gave her. She had packed her stuff promptly and efficiently, she was nothing like the girl from five years ago. The crying girl who needed Mr. Crawford to save her grandma. Andrew returned to the company, handed the things back to Byron, and told him what Athena said. With an indifferent gaze, Byron glanced at the items on his desk. Then, his cold gaze was fixed on the debit card. “There is an added one million dollars in there?” he asked Andrew coldly. “Yes.” Andrew nodded. Before Andrew returned to the company, he went to the ATM to check the balance on the card. Other than the money that Mr. Crawford transferred to Amilea every month, there were another million dollars in it. Obviously, Athena paid him back the money he had spent on helping her with her grandma’s medical expenses. Byron frowned. After pondering for a while, he stretched out his hand, picked up the card, and snapped it in half He pushed the pile of deed certificates and other things towards Andrew and said in a cold voice, “Get rid of it then.” Andrew opened his mouth and wanted to say something nice for Athena, but Byron had already turned on his computer and started to work. Andrew sensibly shut his mouth, picked up the pile of documents, and left the office.

The other side,Athena decided to buy a plane ticket back to her hometown. Once she arrived in Greeli City, she purchased a bouquet of roses and purple daisies, along with two bottles of wine. She hailed a taxi and headed towards Colwi Cemetery. It started to drizzle as soon as she arrived. The security guard spotted Athena from a distance and hurried over with an umbrella. “Athena! I didn’t expect you today!” “I just wanted to pay a visit,” she explained. After a brief chat, she left a bottle of wine as a token of appreciation for the guard. With an umbrella in hand, she walked alone into the depths of the cemetery. The guard, holding his wine, gazed at her slender figure and sighed with sympathy. “What’s the matter? Do you know her?” a janitor leaned in and asked. The guard shook his head and sighed again, “Poor girl. She was just a little kid when she laid her mother to rest here. Then at the age of ten, she bid farewell to her grandfather, and just six months ago… her grandmother passed away. At her grandmother’s funeral, she stayed by her grave all day without eating a thing.” Athena quickly located the tombstone. Her grandparents lay side by side, with her mother nearby. The roses were for her grandma. When her grandfather was alive, he would bring a rose for her every single day. The purple daisy was for her mother, her favorite flower. Finally, Athena poured a glass of wine for her grandfather. “Grandma, Grandpa, and Mom. I have something to talk with you…” She was silent for a few moments. “I’m terminally ill and only three months to live.I’ll be with you soon.” In Girard City, the President’s Office at Imbe Group was abuzz with gossip today. News of Athena’s resignation had spread like wildfire. Everyone knew that only Athena could handle the difficult president. As suspicions grew, the new secretary arrived early this morning, led by Liam straight into Athena’s old office. The arrival of the new secretary, Ruby Holland, caused quite a stir in the company. She bore a striking resemblance to Athena. Rumors about the relationship between Byron and Athena had been circulating in the company. With Athena resigning and someone so similar to her appearing out of nowhere, wild speculations began to fly. Byron had a morning meeting with the overseas project department. By the time the meeting ended, it was already noon. Upon returning to the President’s Office, Ruby approached him, looking upset. “Byron! Is Miss Newton unhappy because I took her place? I didn’t see her at all today.” He furrowed his brows and glanced at Liam. “Where is Athena?” As soon as Liam heard Ruby’s words, he realized the game she was playing. “Mr. Crawford, Miss Newton had some personal issues and requested time off,” He quickly explained. “I apologize for forgetting to inform you. I was busy preparing for the meeting this morning.” “She has personal issues? Hmm, she left so abruptly without telling Byron. It must be serious,” she feigned concern for Athena and tried to approach Byron. He distanced himself immediately. “If she’s not here to train you, you can go now. Come back when she returns to work.” Ruby instantly sensed Byron’s foul mood. She was always good at reading people. So, after exchanging a few sweet words, she promptly left, shooting an annoyed glance at the secretary’s room on her way out. Athena must purposely be making things difficult for her. She didn’t buy the excuse that she had something urgent to attend to; she thought it was a deliberate attempt to teach her a lesson. “Just you wait! You started this. I’ll get back at you someday!” Liam began reporting Byron’s schedule. “Mr. Crawford, you have a golf game with Mr. Franco, the president of Colas Construction, at three o’clock this afternoon…” From the corner of his eye, he could see that Byron’s eyes were getting darker by the second. After taking a sip of his coffee, his expression grew even more grim. “Call Athena and tell her to come back immediately!” With her gone, the office staff couldn’t even make a decent cup of coffee anymore! “Yes sir!” Liam quickly grabbed his phone to make the call. Byron’s frustration intensified as he glanced at Liam. Since she had left so abruptly, Byron assumed her grandmother was unwell. Athena hadn’t visited her grandma for over six months. “Forget it.” Byron impatiently pushed away his coffee, grabbed a document, and stared at it with a brooding expression. Liam held his phone tightly, afraid to utter a word. He quietly stepped aside and sent Athena a WhatsApp message: [Athena, Mr. Crawford has been in a terrible mood all morning. Finish up and come back to save us!] After visiting the cemetery, Athena had nowhere else to go. When she received Liam’s message, she realized it would be best to complete the handover quickly and leave. The next morning, the people in the President’s Office were thrilled to see her. “Athena, why did you quit?! What are we going to do without you?” “That’s right! Mr. Crawford is terrifying when he’s angry. I was too scared to even breathe yesterday!” “Miss Newton, please don’t leave. We can’t handle Mr. Crawford without you!” As they chatted, the president’s elevator lit up. They immediately straightened up and stood neatly at the elevator entrance. A moment later, the doors opened. Byron, dressed in a black designer suit, stepped out with Ruby by his side. “Good morning, Mr. Crawford,” everyone greeted in unison, including Athena, who was standing at the back. She was still wearing her usual work attire, with her long hair cascading down her shoulders. She no longer looked timid and submissive, but indifferent. Byron led Ruby towards her. “This is my new secretary, Ruby Holland,” His voice was ice-cold, devoid of any emotion. “Show her the ropes and fill her in on all your responsibilities.”

Athena raised her gaze and locked eyes with Ruby. She couldn’t help but notice that Ruby resembled Freya, even more than herself. “I will,” Athena nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Athena. I’ll put in my best effort to learn quickly!” Ruby’s voice dripped with sweetness. “You’re welcome,” she replied politely, as she always did. Byron couldn’t detect any signs of displeasure or jealousy from her. “She doesn’t care because she’s not jealous…” These words echoed in Byron’s mind, irritating him. “I need coffee,” he grumbled, storming into his office . Later, in the break room, Ruby and Athena were finally alone… “Miss Holland, Mr. Crawford is quite particular about his coffee’s taste, so—” “Athena, I suggest you avoid being around Byron in the future. Whenever he sees you, it puts him in a bad mood. He is my man now, and I don’t want him to be unhappy,” Ruby interrupted, crossing her arms and staring at Athena with arrogance, as if she were Byron’s girlfriend, not his secretary. “Miss Holland, if you want me to leave quickly, you might want to stop talking and focus on learning,” Athena calmly responded, grinding the coffee beans. Ruby had said those words to provoke Athena, hoping to trigger her anger and make Byron hate her even more. But Athena didn’t take her words to heart at all. Ruby gnashed her teeth in frustration. The truth was, Ruby was sent to Byron’s side several months ago. Athena blocked Ruby’s path, capturing his attention first. She believed Athena must have used some underhanded tactics to gain his favor, even though Ruby resembled his love Freya more. So far, Byron hadn’t shown any interest in Ruby whatsoever. Aside from occasionally zoning out while staring at her, he rarely smiled. She glared at Athena with resentment. “You’re just a loser who got dumped by Byron. What are you so proud of?!” Ruby sneered. Athena looked at her with piercing eyes, as if she could see her inner thoughts. “Today is our first meeting, right? Why do you hate me so much?” Ruby was caught off guard and instinctively retorted, “I— I don’t!” “Is it because you haven’t slept with Byron yet?” Athena teased. “D-Don’t be ridiculous!” Ruby was clearly frustrated at being exposed. “On the desk in the secretary’s room, there are two sets of notes,” Athena plainly explained. “One is Byron’s secretary handbook, and the other is his lover’s handbook, which contains all his preferences.” “What do you mean?” Suspicion was evident in her voice. She couldn’t believe Athena was being so helpful. “I’m just handing over my work. What do you think I mean?” Athena added with a smile. “Miss Holland, I don’t care about Byron as much as you think. It’s just a job. I’ve always been professional when it comes to work, and I’ll teach you everything I know. But how much you can learn and whether you can please Byron… that’s up to you.” Ruby furrowed her brows and looked at her skeptically. She still couldn’t fully trust Athena. After a moment, Ruby finally said, “You better do as you say!” Athena brewed the coffee, pushed it towards Ruby, and flashed a gentle smile. ” Since you’ve been talkin’ so much, I’ll give you a heads up too. I’ll let it go this time. Just go on and do whatever pleases Byron, and steer clear of me. Don’t mess with me, or I can’t promise what might go down.” Under her piercing gaze, Ruby felt a shiver run down her spine. She never expected Athena to fire back, considering everyone always said she was forgiving and non-confrontational. But right now, she seemed completely different. Just then, there was a knock on the door. “Athena, the head of the sales team 1 is looking for you!” “Coming!” Athena lightly tapped the table and said, “Why are you still standing there? Take the coffee to Mr. Crawford.” With that, Athena left the break room. “Athena!” As soon as she left, the director of the sales department rushed in. “No wonder you screwed up so badly. Looks like you’re on the verge of quitting! If we hadn’t scheduled a meeting to go over the plan ahead of time, you would’ve bailed ages ago! I bet you took some cash from our rivals and deliberately sabotaged our agreement so we would lose this partnership!” Eric Lane, the sales department director and leader of the first team, was known for being blunt and hot-tempered. He had been working closely with Athena in the past few days. “Mr. Lane, can you please calm down? What’s going on?” Athena asked. “The contract data and the list from Maxwell Electronics were provided by you, right?” Eric replied angrily. “Yes,” she nodded. “I carefully checked all the data and handed them over to your sales department after making sure there were no issues.” “Nonsense!” Eric shouted. This order was crucial for his team. Losing this order meant losing out on significant commissions, and the company’s resource priority for the next quarter would be given to other teams! “Take a look at your massive screw-up! This order is worth billions. Do you even have a clue about the blood, sweat, and tears our team’s poured into this?” Eric slammed a stack of documents onto the table in front of her. She picked them up and examined them closely. The problematic sections were marked with a red pen. There were a total of six errors, all of which were difficult to spot, and two of them involved numbers. This wasn’t right… “This isn’t the one I gave you,” Athena stated firmly. “So what, you’re saying our sales department created this to set you up, at the cost of giving up our big commission?” Eric slammed his hand on the desk . “What’s all the commotion about?” Byron emerged from his office at that moment. “Mr. Crawford!” Eric rushed over and angrily explained the situation to him. Beside Byron, Ruby put on a surprised expression. She gave Athena a quick glance and said, “Mr. Lane, it seems like Athena’s got some family stuff going on lately. Maybe that’s why she’s not herself and messed up. You should go easy on her. You’ll get another order. It’s not worth getting yourself worked up!” Athena stared at her angrily. It seemed like Ruby wasn’t taking her warning seriously… “Miss Holland, I didn’t mess anything up. Are you accusing me without any proof?” she asked sternly. “Athena, you’ve got me all wrong! I’m just trying to lend you a hand… Byron, I’m just trying to clear things up for Athena! She’s being so rude!” He looked at Athena with narrowed eyes, and thought to himself. Athena had finally shown her true colors. “I see.” Byron said to Ruby. She quickly hid behind him, pretending to be terrified. Athena was at a loss for words. “If Ruby can’t blame you, then what about me?” His words felt like a sharp knife stabbing her heart. For a moment, she froze, her eyes slightly turning red. Byron didn’t believe her…

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Margot“Daddy, please don’t do this.” My father ignores my pleas and shrugs off my hand, grimacing and brushing his sleeve as if my fingers have dirtied him. The one man in my life who is supposed to love and protect me no matter what has betrayed me. Again. My father pushes me out of the SUV’s open door. I fall to my knees on the dirt road in front of a huge warehouse. I glimpse the busted-out, cracked windows lined with brown paper bags. My heart pounds, and my vision swims. This can’t be happening. He yanks me to my feet. “Get the fuck up.” There’s nothing. No sign, no cars, no people. And no lights other than the full moon and a single red light above the door. His grip pushes the thin gold bracelet deep into my wrist. I’ve worn it for the past five years. Ever since I was thirteen—when I was supposed to get my dragon. It’s kept me from reaching her ever since. I don’t even know if I can, if I even have a dragon. I’ve read that some people born to dragon shifters never get their dragon because our genes aren’t strong enough anymore. “Please,” I whisper. “Why does it have to be me?” He grabs the back of my neck and pulls me close to speak into my ear. “Keep your mouth shut.” I already know the answer. It’s because I remind him too much of my mother. My stepmother and her daughters have taken any scraps of love my father might have had for me and used them all up. Just like they’ve used up all of his wealth. I’m not the one who’s put him in debt, but I’m the one he’s going to sell to get out of it. Dragons are supposed to be possessive, to protect and hoard their belongings. But it’s clear my father didn’t get that gene when it came to me. As soon as I turned eighteen, my father announced he was selling me. At the enormous metal door, he knocks. A small window slides open. “Name?” comes a male voice from inside. “Winston Brummel.” The window snaps shut, and the door opens toward us. My father yanks me in behind him. A skinny man with tattoos up his neck and slicked-back dark hair sits behind a podium. I catch of a glimpse of his dragon in his eyes as he looks me over and his pupils turn to vertical slits. He has a little black notebook in his hand and turns to my father. “Item number Fifty-Two,” my father says. The man eyes the bruises on my arm, makes a notation in his little black book, and motions my father to head down a long, dark hallway. It opens into a large room that takes my breath away. Sparkling crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and bottles of fancy-looking liquor line the mirrored back bar in the corner. Barely dressed women are making drinks for men in expensive tuxedos. Opposite us is a large stage in front of rows of plush loveseats, high-back chairs, and assorted couches. I’ve always known my father was rich—most dragons are—but this is more than I could have imagined. An older man walks up, leering at me as a server passes by with drinks on a black acrylic tray. The man reaches out and grabs her ass, but she doesn’t so much as glance our way, just continues walking as if his assault is expected. He has a thin black line of mustache and a balding head that shines under the lights. I shudder as he flicks his tongue out at me repeatedly like a snake trying to taste its prey. I haven’t been around humans much. This man looks…weak, is the only way I can describe him. But also like he’s used to getting whatever he wants. However he wants it. He’s wealthy, like my father, and the men he invites to our home. “I heard you were bringing a treat to the auction tonight, and you didn’t disappoint, Winston. This one looks delightful.” The man licks his thin lips and scans the bruises on my arms, souvenirs from my stepmother and half-sisters. “She even looks a little broken in, too. Just like I prefer them. How do you make the marks stay, though? She is of your kind, isn’t she?” I don’t want this man to like me, and I try to step behind my father even though I know he’ll offer no protection. The man reaches out to stroke a chilly finger along my arm. Not surprisingly, Father lets him. He grins. “She’s definitely of my kind.” He lifts my arm to show off my bracelet. “Hexed gold with a dragon slayer’s blood in the core. She’s powerless to access her dragon.” Klaus looks intrigued. “Can she remove it?” My father snorts. “Not a chance. It’s permanent, and I killed the witch who placed it to be doubly sure.” Klaus swipes his tongue over his lips. “Any restrictions on the merchandise?” “None. Once it’s sold, I never want to see or hear about it again. Do what you please. No returns, of course.” “Of course,” Klaus coos. “So, I can dispose of it in any means I desire. That’s promising.” The blood rushes out of my head, and the room starts spinning. I knew I was being auctioned off to become a rich man’s sex slave, but this is worse. Anyone who buys me can do whatever they want with me. Even kill me. For years, I’ve yearned to be free of my father’s rage and the abuse from his beloved second family…but not like this. “You never want to see it again? Did I hear you correctly, Brummel?” A new voice. Deep, dripping with chocolate and honey and savage, almost like a growl. Unexpected warmth rushes through me and stirs low in my belly. The gold bracelet burns me. I have practice holding back my cries when I’m being hurt, but I’ve never felt a pain like this. This man swivels to look at the sound of my tiny whimper. His blue eyes pierce mine. Another slow roll of sensation centers between my thighs. Fresh pain stings me, but this time, a pleasure echoes with it. I barely suppress a moan that I can’t tell is of fear…or something else. This man is more dangerous than Klaus.

MargotI can’t stop staring at him. Hair the color of black licorice brushes the cheekbones of his perfectly tanned face, and his suit looks stupidly expensive. His white button-up shirt shows a peek of a chiseled chest, and I’m angry with myself for not looking away. He intrigues me and disgusts me at the same time. I fight the butterflies swirling in my stomach as he looks me up and down, his eyes flashing amber with his dragon. As if he’s hungry. And…is that a hint of smoke coming from his nostrils? “Whoever wins her can do whatever they want with her.” Father gives the man a snide grin. “If you want her, you’ll have to pay big, Harrison. No returns or refunds on this one.” The sound of disgust in his voice sends wave after wave of shame boiling inside me. If my own father despises me enough to do this, to sell me, what are the chances anyone here will find enough value in me to buy me? And what will he do to me then, if I can’t even earn him the money he needs? Harrison steps toward me. He’s so close I can feel his body heat as he slides a finger down my cheek. A swirl of emotion twists around my spine before he pinches my chin between his fingers. His grip is hard, just shy of hurting me. A look I can’t interpret shines in his eyes. That hidden spot between my thighs tingles, and his nostrils flare—definitely a wisp of smoke this time. Almost imperceptible. Embarrassed heat floods me. He’s scenting me, and the sensation between my legs tells me exactly what he can smell. Again, my wrist burns. I don’t understand what’s happening to me—only that I want it to stop and also wish it will never go away. “I can’t imagine possessing something as exquisite as this and ever letting it go.” He squeezes my chin just a bit harder, until my lips part. He studies my open mouth with narrowed eyes. Assessing. Calculating. Roughly, he pushes my face away from his touch, and I almost stumble. Without a word, Harrison stalks toward the black leather couch near the center of the stage. He sits in the middle, his ankle over his knee and one arm draped across the back of the couch as he looks at his phone. “You might be worth more than I thought, Margot.” “Who was that?” “Shut up.” Father yanks me to a chair in front of the stage. “Bidding’s about to begin.” A man in a long, black, hooded robe steps up to a podium holding a black gavel. “First up, we have Item Thirty-Seven, a seventeen-year-old virgin. Human. Natural red hair and blue eyes. And yes, the carpet does indeed match the drapes.” There’s a smattering of chuckles, and my stomach rolls. They’re selling humans here, too, not just dragons? I look around at the men and women in their expensive clothes, laughing like this is some kind of party. I guess to them, it is. No more outrageous than buying a painting or a pony. “This item is lease-only for thirty days. Item must be returned to the owner without any permanent marks, tattoos, or scars of any kind. Item has a clean bill of health. As with all of our auction items tonight, our doctor can verify innocence for a small fee before leaving the premises if the winning bidder so desires.” No returns. Father’s words echo in my head. Terror dries my throat and freezes me solid. Wildly, I look around and spot Harrison on the black couch. He’s not looking at his phone now. His avid gaze, flashing amber, is pinned… On me. The ringing in my ears drowns out everything, and I can’t focus on anything happening around me. Girl after girl is paraded across the stage, the auctioneer listing their “attributes.” Virgin. Slightly broken-in. Experienced in extreme BDSM. Permanent marks permitted on torso only. Lease-to-own available. I don’t understand any of this. Who are these women? Some human, some dragons, all beautiful and terrified and broken. They can’t all belong to rich families down on their luck, can they? I hate the moment of hope that fills me at the thought—that I am not alone in my humiliation. “For our final auction, we present…Item Fifty-Two. Bidding starts at one hundred. Do I have one hundred thousand?” My legs are jelly as Father hands me off to the escort who leads me onstage. I don’t want to, but I look out into the crowd. I need to see what sort of people are out there and who will bid on me. Who might own me. Men and women of all ages stare back at me, assessing me, judging me, whispering to each other. One woman even holds a baby, and bile chokes me. Some prepare numbered signs to place a bid, including that man, Harrison. “Five hundred thousand!” Klaus yells, and I cringe. “Do I hear six hundred thousand?” The auctioneer pauses, and another sign pops up. “Do I see seven hundred thousand? Does anyone want to pay seven hundred thousand for this premium virgin? She’s yours to keep! No returns on this item.” “One million!” Klaus raises his number. My breath catches. Dear Goddess, please don’t let him win me. I close my eyes, to stop myself from fainting. “I am personally taking Item Fifty-Two as a Tribute,” Harrison’s dark honey and chocolate voice says. I open my eyes. Icy fire burns my wrist. My moan is lost as gasps scatter around the room, the whispers rising to a suffocating white noise. Tribute? What does that even mean?

Harrison What the fuck did I just do? Do I really intend to take this woman—the daughter of one of the most despicable pieces of shit I’ve ever met, as a Tribute? “Tribute? Harrison, be reasonable!” the dirtbag whines. “She’s worth a mill—” I take two steps toward him as my dragon rumbles, shining through my eyes, black scales rippling across the backs of my hands. I’m bigger than this prick. Stronger. Faster. I could lengthen my claws and tear him to shreds in seconds, and he knows it. I wouldn’t even need my fire against a pitiful shit like him. Incredibly, he whirls to face the auctioneer. “She had bids! There was money on the table!” “You know the rules, Brummel,” I say coldly. This asshole isn’t worth raising my voice for. “Yes, I know the rules, but—” “No buts. Hand the item over, or you know what happens.” The woman’s been silent this entire time. Her pale eyes are open wide. So’s her mouth. And fuck me to the darkest depths and back again, it’s that mouth that had me stepping up to declare that I was taking her. That and those lush curves, just aching for my hands on them. The moment I saw her, my dragon had surged, heating up and rising for her. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to taste that untouched treasure between her thighs. It’s too much. I’m suspicious of it. I came here tonight to keep an eye on things at Laurent’s request, but none of the items up for bids tonight caused such a reaction in me or my dragon. The fact she’s Brummel’s daughter is enough for me to assume there’s something wrong with her. Virgin? Not likely. The man’s a cheat, through and through. I could change my mind. Send her off with Klaus, that disgusting weasel. He’ll use her, abuse her, might even do worse than that, but at least with him she’ll have a chance at surviving. If I take her as a Tribute to compete in the Games, I can almost guarantee she’s not going to make it. Not with those slender limbs, that weak constitution. She’s trembling. Can’t even meet my gaze head-on. I’m surprised she’s still on her feet, based on the way she’s swaying. “It’s unorthodox but completely within the regulations, Mr. Brummel,” the auctioneer says apologetically. “Unless you wish, as the property owner, to purchase the item yourself at an approved increment beyond the last bid…” Brummel goes pale. Obviously, he doesn’t have the money, which is why he’s selling off his daughter in the first place. He can’t match the price, which means— “She’s mine.” The growl ripples up my throat. The woman flinches at the sound of it, her eyes closing. She sags, then tumbles to the ground in a slow, graceful spiral. I’m aware of all eyes on us as her father bends to slap her face over and over, until I catch his hand on the upswing. I haul him off of her and shove him back. “Enough!” I growl, a low warning that has anyone near me taking a step away. Brummel sprawls on the floor, staring up at me in surprise. He opens his mouth to say something, but I growl again, and he abruptly closes it. One of the item escorts rushes forward with a bucket of water and a cloth. It’s not the first time an item has fainted on the auction floor. The escort dabs her face with the cloth, and another comes to rub her arms. “Everyone, please adjourn to the reception room,” the auctioneer announces to get people moving. “Winners, please visit the desk to settle up your accounts. Enjoy the rest of the evening!” This crowd loves a good drama, but they love free booze and food more. And many are eager to make it home with their new prizes. They disperse, some to the reception hall, others to the office. I’m left standing over Brummel’s daughter, who sits up with a woozy expression. Brummel struggles to his feet. I hold myself back from punching him back to the ground and letting my dragon out to rip him apart. Instead, I reach for the Tribute’s wrist to haul her upright. “The fuck is this?” I hold her against me since she’s still clearly unable to stand on her own. I hold out her arm and the gold band encircling it. No wonder she’s so weak. Brummel gives me a greasy grin. “Hexed. Means you can do whatever you want to her, and she can’t—” “Defend herself,” I say through gritted jaws. “Protect herself.” It makes her a lovely little slave, especially for the humans who get off on using our kind, but it makes her basically useless as a Tribute. As she presses against me, her scent rises. Arousal. Terror. Confusion, too. But more than that. That bracelet means she can’t access her dragon, which means mine can’t reach her. I have no clue what this connection could be, but I fucking hate it. I shove her off me but keep a grip on her arm until I’m sure she’s not going to keel over again. I wait until she looks into my eyes, her own hazed with uncertainty. “Let’s go,” I order. “We’re leaving.” She doesn’t move. Her gaze flickers from me to her father and then back again. She has no idea what’s about to happen to her. “It’s time to begin your training.”

Margot “What’s your name?” “Margot.” I stutter it out as I manage to follow. His legs are twice as long as mine, and I almost have to run to keep up. I’m afraid of what will happen if I don’t. “Don’t know why I’m even asking. Should just call you Fifty-Two,” he mutters. My stomach twists. I don’t know what a Tribute is, but the way my father reacted, I have to wonder if it’s worse than being sold off to Klaus. “Mr. Blackstone!” a voice calls. He stops so fast I run into his back. He holds me at a distance. His eyes are full of disdain. I’m still woozy, but I manage to stand—if only so Harrison doesn’t have to hold me up. I send one last look over my shoulder at Father. I wish I could believe he’s shaking with grief at losing me, but I know it’s with anger that he’s not getting paid for selling me. I don’t want to go back home, but at least there, I know what I’m getting. I can put up with the beatings, the chores. But the unknown of what this man might do to me… I rush to my father, tears streaming down my face. “Please don’t let him take me!” Father shoves me away. I reach for his arm, but he pulls it away as if my touch will burn him. “You’re his now. His…” He pauses, and then says, as if choking on the word, “Tribute.” Tribute. There’s that word again. With that, Father turns and walks away. I cover my face with my hands as I sob. Rough fingers bite into my bruised flesh and pull me away. “Stop. You’re making a fool of yourself.” I start to respond but somehow know better and shut my mouth. My body moves as if on autopilot. Harrison leads me out of the building. A black stretch limo waits outside, and Harrison opens the door. He raises an eyebrow at me, but I hesitate for too long; he pushes me into the backseat before coming in behind me. Before I can sit, he smacks my ass. Hard. Like I’m being spanked. Punished. My stomach flutters. A pulse centers between my legs. “Faster next time. Never hesitate when I tell you to do something.” I crawl to the farthest corner away from him. His lip curls as if I amuse him. I maneuver my body into a ball, making myself as small as possible. Harrison’s unbothered. He settles in the leather seat and pours a whiskey from the bar. Bright-red neon lights the interior in strange ways that give me an even bigger headache. My bottom still throbs from the slap. He opens a small icebox and drops a couple of cubes into his drink, swirling it around while eyeing me, the ice tinkling loudly in the silence. “Are you a virgin?” I nod. “You know I’ll check?” I nod again, wondering how he’ll do that. “Have you ever kissed a boy?” I shake my head. “What about a man?” He takes a swig of whiskey and narrows his eyes when I shake my head again. Is he going to kiss me? I squeeze my arms tighter around my legs. His eyes flash amber, and I can tell he likes that I’m afraid of him, of everything. “When we arrive at the compound, you do what you’re told—and immediately—when you’re told. You are not to ask questions, and you keep your eyes down. Do not look anyone in the eyes unless they tell you to. If you disobey any single one command, your punishment will be swift and harsh. Disobedience will not be tolerated. Is that understood?” “What will I be asked to do?” Harrison’s knuckles whiten around the glass. “I just told you not to ask questions. I’ve claimed you, so you belong to me. You have no agency, no autonomy, and never forget, you’re just one of many. You can be easily discarded if you are more trouble than you are worth.” He pauses for a drink and then enunciates each word he speaks next. “Is. That. Clear?” I swallow and nod. “Yes, sir.” One of many, I think. At least I won’t be alone. Harrison is silent for the rest of the ride, ignoring me. He refills his glass several more times and chugs each one in such a distinctly powerful way I can’t keep my eyes off him. The windows are tinted so dark that I can’t see much except city lights in the distance. It’s hard to tell how long we’ve been driving. Every quiet minute with Harrison feels like an eternity, and I don’t know if it’s been ten minutes or ten hours. But it doesn’t matter. The longer we’re in the car, the longer I can put off whatever is about to happen when we get to the compound he mentioned. I’ve almost started to nod off when the limo stops. Harrison opens the back door, a fresh drink in his hand as he unfolds his tall, muscular frame and exits the vehicle. “Get out. Now.” I don’t hesitate. I inch from my corner, terrified to leave the limo and be…wherever we are. “I said out.” His voice is gruffer. “Now.” I almost fall back into the limo when I see I’m standing in front of a literal castle. With towers and everything. I can’t hold back my gasp. It’s beautiful. But what does that matter? I’ll probably have to sleep in the basement with the rats. Harrison begins walking toward the massive wooden double doors. One of them opens as he gets close, and he turns his head slightly to look back at me. “It’s time to get ready for Master. And he’s very…particular.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397399”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #BDSM #Dragons #Steamy #ForbiddenLove #Slave #Dominant #Alpha #Sex #Erotic #Spanking

Nina It was the night of my coming-of-age party. I was most of all excited for one thing: tonight, Justin would finally announce that he was my boyfriend. Justin and I had been seeing each other for a couple of months now, but we had kept things under wraps so far. Frankly, I would have preferred to make our relationship public right away — he was one of the most handsome and popular guys on campus, and was on the hockey team — but he insisted that we wait until the right time. “I want to save announcing our relationship for a special night, baby,” he had told me. I had been asking when he would make our relationship public for a while, but maybe he was right; it was best to wait until a special time. That meant that he really loved me, right? As I stood in front of the mirror and admired myself, I felt confident that Justin would announce our relationship tonight. I picked out special lingerie, which I wore under my outfit now, because I was certain that we would finally have sex for the first time. I was ready to lose my virginity. Aside from the lingerie, which was a sexy red set that I picked out at the mall a couple days before the party, I was wearing a short, tight skirt that showed off my thighs, a pink crop top, and heels. I wore red lipstick and black eyeliner, too. I felt a bit awkward wearing an outfit like this, as I usually dressed in jeans and hoodies; but my roommates, Jessica and Lori, insisted that I dress up for the party. The only thing that I kept the same about myself tonight was my hair, which was black with bangs and two long braids. I always wore my hair like this and never liked it any other way. Some people said it was childish, but I thought it was cute and practical. “You look so hot, Nina!” Jessica said as I came out of the room. “The guys are gonna be all over you!” I didn’t say anything about Justin. Even my own roommates didn’t know about our relationship. Lori looked at her phone and took another swig of her beer. “Everyone should be here any minute,” she said in her low, sultry voice. Lori was the quintessential “goth girl” on campus, which was a stark contrast from Jessica’s bubbly nature and my studious attitude. Somehow, though, we were all best friends. Just then, the door burst open with the first guests arriving. The group of guys and girls flooded in carrying cases of beers and whooping and hollering, excited for the party. With a grin, Jessica cranked up the music and started greeting people while I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Lori walked over to the couch and sat down, scrolling on her phone; she really only ever came to parties for the alcohol and the weed. Soon enough, the suite was full of people. The LED lights flashed red, green, and blue while the music played loudly, and the guests started getting drunk and playing games. The main attraction seemed to be the beer pong table, where the boys competed like their lives depended on it, but people also hung out around the seating area, played drinking games, and smoked on the balcony. A while into the party, Justin finally arrived. I got excited, but instead of coming over to me and greeting me, he simply made a beeline for the beer pong table and joined the game. During a lull in the game, I sent Justin a text: “Well? Are we gonna announce it?” I watched from the corner as he pulled out his phone, read the text, then pocketed his phone again. He looked at me and subtly shrugged, then returned to his game as though he didn’t even know me. “Are you okay?” Jessica said, coming over to me with an extra beer in her hand for me. I shrugged and finished off the last of my beer. “I’m just not much of a partier, that’s all,” I said. Jessica pursed her lips and handed me the other beer. “You just need a little liquid courage, that’s all!” she said, clinking her bottle with mine and taking a big swig. I looked down at my beer and frowned. Jessica was right, but beer wasn’t going to cut it — not with how Justin was treating me tonight. “How about vodka?” I said. Jessica’s eyes lit up and she turned around to face the group, cupping her hands around her mouth to shout. “Hey everyone!” she shouted. “The birthday girl wants shots!” By my seventh shot, however, I started to feel woozy and felt like I was going to throw up. I stumbled down the hall to the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time. When I was done throwing up, I stood up and made my way over to the sink, where I splashed some cold water on my face and took some deep breaths to sober myself up. I looked at my smudged makeup and my messy hair in the mirror, trying not to cry as I thought about Justin. Why was he treating me like this? Just a few days ago, we were making out behind the hockey arena and now he was acting like he didn’t even know me. Was he just nervous about announcing our relationship, or was it something else? Taking another deep breath and wiping the tears off of my face, I straightened up and decided to go talk to Justin. When I left the bathroom, however, he wasn’t anywhere to be found. “Hey, have you seen Justin?” I asked a guest. She just shrugged her shoulders and pointed toward my bedroom. Maybe he just went inside to be alone for a minute, which would give us some time to talk. I made my way over to my room, weaving drunkenly through the crowd. When I opened the door, however, I wished that I had just stayed away. Justin was in my bed, but he wasn’t alone. He was with another girl. I recognized her immediately from her platinum blonde hair and thin body — it was Lisa, the cheerleading captain. They were tangled together in my bed, Justin’s pants pulled down and Lisa’s panties on the floor as they had sex in my bed. “What the fuck!” I screamed. The party went silent, aside from the music, which someone quickly shut off. Justin and Lisa sat up in my bed; Justin looked even more drunk and high than before, but immediately jumped up when he saw me and yanked his pants up. “Nina, it’s not what it looks like,” he said, stumbling toward me while Lisa simply stood up with a smirk and pulled her panties on, smoothing down her skirt. She strutted out of the room and bumped me with her shoulder on the way out as I continued to stare at Justin in shock and disbelief. Justin stammered as he tried to explain himself. “I’m so sorry, I-” “Justin…” I interrupted, my voice shaking. “We. Are. Done.” Without another word, I turned away and stormed out of the suite with Jessica and Lori calling after me. I walked out of the dorms into the cool spring air, turning this way and that for a bit before deciding to make my way toward town. I walked for a while, fuming the entire time and muttering to myself, until I finally made it to a local bar. I nodded gratefully as the bartender poured me a glass of rum and coke, and I sipped it miserably while he disappeared into the kitchen. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to see that I had several missed calls and “Where are you?!?” texts from Jessica and Lori, but I ignored them and tossed my phone down on the bar, taking a big swig of my drink and cursing to myself. “Yeah, I hate my phone, too,” a male voice said from beside me. I looked over to see a guy pulling up a barstool a couple seats down. He was wearing a red flannel shirt and had curly brown hair, and a sharp jawline. He was muscular, too. “I hate everything right now,” I said, swirling my drink around in my glass with my straw. “How come?” The boy looked at me, and just then, I came to a shocking realization: this was Enzo, Justin’s hockey captain, the star of the school, every girl’s dream boy. And he was sitting next to me, in this quiet dive bar, talking to me.

Nina Enzo must have noticed the expression on my face when I finally recognized him, because he smirked and held out a napkin for me. “Your makeup is smudged.” I blushed and grabbed the napkin from his hand, using it to wipe away my makeup while Enzo continued to stare at me. “Rough night?” he said once I finished cleaning up my makeup. “I guess you could say that,” I replied. “You know,” he said, his deep brown eyes studying my face, “you look better without makeup.” His words made me blush even more. What were the odds that the hockey captain would be hitting on me on the night of my birthday, right after my boyfriend had cheated on me? “Do you treat all the girls like this?” I said suddenly, surprised and embarrassed at my own question. It must have been the alcohol. Enzo simply smirked again and finished the last of his drink. He reached forward and brushed a bit of hair out of my face. “If you’re so intrigued by how I treat girls, why don’t you come see it for yourself? I live in Dorm B, fourth floor. Room 409.” His voice was low and sultry, and as we leaned closer together, I felt my breathing become slower and more aroused. I frowned then and pulled away. I needed comfort tonight, but not that sort of comfort. “No way,” I said, crossing my arms. “I know your reputation. You’re a player.” “So what if I am?” Enzo murmured. “It’s your decision, but my room is open to you all night. You can just walk right in. No need to knock.” With that, Enzo sat back up and tossed some money down on the bar. “I’ll pay for the lady’s drink,” he said to the bartender, then threw his jacket over his shoulder and sauntered out of the bar. I kept sipping my drink while I thought about the unexpected proposition of sex. Enzo was well-known as an adonis, a handsome player. Ever since Enzo and Lisa — the cheerleader who stole my boyfriend — broke up last semester, Enzo’s dorm had a constant stream of gorgeous girls going in at night and walking out the next morning, their lipstick smeared and their hair a mess. No girls ever went back; Enzo only participated in one night stands. I had never been interested in one night stands. In high school, I was nerdy and never had a chance with any of the boys. The one time I thought I had a chance, when the football quarterback asked me to prom, it turned out to be a prank. The whole school had laughed at me as I showed up in my blue dress, excited to dance with the quarterback, only for him to trip me and make me fall on the dance floor. “Why would I want you?” he had said, pointing and laughing. “Ugly Nina will never have a boyfriend!” After that, I swore that I would just focus on my studies. I eventually grew out of my ugly duckling phase once I started college, and lots of boys tried to get me to hook up with them, but I just wasn’t interested. If I was going to let a boy interrupt my studies, he would have to be perfect — someone who I would be willing to share my body with. I had thought that Justin would be the one. He seemed so sweet and kind, but I guess that wasn’t the case. After this, I felt like never falling in love again. “Sorry to say this, young lady, but the bar’s closing soon,” the bartender said, breaking me out of my deep thought. I nodded and finished off the last of my drink, then stood and left the bar. The thought of going home right now almost made me sick. Maybe I didn’t have to go home tonight. I showed up at Enzo’s place a little while later. Before I entered, I hesitated for a little while as I considered just keeping my dignity and going home. But I was all dressed up tonight with expensive lingerie, and besides… with Justin and Lisa’s double betrayal, what would be a better way to get back at them both? Taking a deep breath, I turned the knob and entered Enzo’s dorm. He was sitting on the couch when I entered, as though he had been waiting for me. “Changed your mind, eh?” he said, standing and crossing the room toward me. He was much taller than me, and muscular to boot. This close, I could smell his cologne. It made my panties wet, almost like a pheromone. “So,” he said, “what changed your mind? I thought my reputation scared you.” “I just… Could use a little comfort,” I said. Without saying anything, he leaned down and cupped my chin with his hand. He kissed me deeply, his tongue exploring my mouth in a way that Justin’s never had. After we kissed, he wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the bedroom. Our lips smacked together the whole way there. I bit his lower lip, which caused him to groan, and when we entered his dimly lit bedroom he slammed the door behind us and laid me down on the bed. I was trembling, but there was something surprisingly gentle about Enzo’s touch. I had expected a careless brute who only cared about getting himself off, but as he leaned over me and slid his fingers down my panties, I realized that my assumptions were wrong. Enzo kissed and licked my neck as he rubbed my clit, letting his fingers get wet with my juices as I moaned into his mouth. He pulled away briefly to remove his hand from my panties and let me taste myself off his fingers, then returned to touching me. Before he entered me with his fingers, however, I grabbed his wrist and stopped him. “I should tell you that I’m a virgin,” I whispered. Enzo was silent for a few moments. I was worried he wouldn’t want to continue after learning this about me, but then he merely smirked. “I figured,” he replied, leaning down to nibble my ear. “I’ll be gentle with you.” I let out a loud moan, arching my back as he let his long, thick fingers slide into me. He slid them back and forth, going faster and faster, until I was soaking wet and moaning loudly. I kissed and bit his neck as he fingered me, and moaned into his skin. When he was finished pleasuring me, he removed his hand from my panties and looked me deeply in the eyes while he unbuttoned my skirt. I was still trembling, partially from nerves and partially from the tingling in my body. “Lingerie, huh?” he whispered, sounding somewhat amused when he saw my lacy panties. I blushed. “Since you went to all that trouble, why don’t you give me a show?” Still blushing, I stood and began to nervously remove my clothes. I removed my top first to reveal my breasts, which practically spilled out of the top of my bra, then slipped off my skirt to reveal my waist and thighs. I could see Enzo’s erection straining in his gray sweatpants as he bit his lip. When I saw his huge erection, I knew that I wanted him. Saunter over to the bed, I pushed on his chest and pushed him down onto the mattress. I reached down and stroked his cock over his pants before sliding my hand inside and gripping it, feeling its warmth and girth in my small hand. He let out a groan as I stroked up and down his cock with my hand. I pulled my hand out and slid down his sweatpants so that I could see. Enzo must have seen the surprise on my face when I saw how big he was, because he chuckled and propped himself up on his elbows. “Scared?” he said. I shook my head, licking my lips. “Can I taste it?” I whispered, to which he nodded, his dark eyes fixed on mine. I opened my mouth and took his cock inside, slowly working my lips and tongue up and down the shaft. It was awkward at first — I had never done this before — but the sounds that Enzo was making told me that I was doing a good job. We laid naked together beneath the sheets, our limbs tangled together. Enzo spit on his hand and rubbed it along his shaft, pressing the head against me to go inside. I flinched at first, but Enzo reassured me that it was okay. “I’ll be gentle. I promise,” he whispered into my ear, his breath hot on my neck. …… When it was over, Enzo and I laid in bed for a minute before he got up and put on his underwear. I sat up, feeling both heavenly and ashamed of myself, and pulled my panties on. There was something different about Enzo now that we had had sex; his body language seemed more wild and dominant, and when he looked at me, his pupils were dilated. His eyes almost seemed like a different color. He smiled at me then and his teeth were sharp and glistening. My heart started to race as I felt like he was a wolf and I was his prey. Swallowing, I stood and put the rest of my clothes on. “See you around.” Before Enzo could reply, I rushed out of the bedroom and left the dorm. What was that look he gave me? Why did he look so… feral?

Nina It was almost four o’clock in the morning by the time I finally returned to my dorm. Jessica and Lori were already asleep in their rooms judging from how dark and quiet everything was. The suite was a mess from the party and we would no doubt be spending the next day cleaning, but I was too hungover and tired to care at the moment. It appeared as though Lori and Jessica must have changed my sheets for me though, which I would have to thank them for in the morning. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep on the same sheets that Justin and Lisa had sex on. As I laid in bed trying to sleep, I was kept awake by my regrets. Had I just given my virginity to a near-stranger? A playboy? All to get revenge against Justin and Lisa? I had never been so impulsive like this, especially when it came to love. Right now, I felt embarrassed and ashamed of this blunder. Enzo was incredibly attractive and the sex was wonderful, but right now, I just wanted to forget about it. When I woke the next morning, my head pounded and my stomach hurt from all of the alcohol from the night before. I groaned and rolled out of bed, ignoring my appearance as I stumbled into the kitchen in my oversized t-shirt and shorts. I just needed some coffee. “You know, you could’ve at least told us where you went last night,” Lori said from her usual spot at the kitchen island. She had a cup of coffee in front of her and was reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. “I’m sorry,” I replied, my face turning red as I remembered what happened after the party. “I just needed to get out.” “Why didn’t you tell us that you and Justin were a thing?” Jessica suddenly said, emerging from her room with a towel around her hair while she wore a fluffy pink robe and bunny slippers. She folded her arms and glared at me, pushing out her lower lip in a pout. I hung my head low as I poured myself a cup of coffee. I tried to hide it as the tears started to well up, but it was no use. Jessica rushed over to me and wrapped her arms around me while Lori watched with a sorry expression on her face. “I’m sorry,” I said between sobs. “H-He told me he just wanted to wait until the right time to make our relationship public. I t-thought he was just being a gentleman.” “Men are trash,” Lori replied. “Most of them, anyway. Don’t beat yourself up over it. You can do way better than Justin Thurlow.” Jessica nodded and rubbed my back, agreeing with Lori. “Yeah,” she said. “Screw boys. You’re smart and hot and you’re gonna be a doctor! Who needs boys? C’mon, let’s go get some breakfast.” Jessica and Lori were right. Boys were just a waste of time, and I had more important things to think about. I changed into my usual jeans and hoodie, brushed and braided my hair, and went with my roommates to the dining hall. “Oh my god!” Jessica exclaimed as we approached the dining hall. She squealed and pointed at none other than Enzo coming out the door. Jessica’s excitement garnered the attention of other nearby girls, who also squealed and waved as Enzo approached. I grabbed my hair and used it to shield my face. I just wanted to shrink down into myself. Why did I have to run into Enzo right now, the morning after we had a one night stand? To make matters worse, he approached us and stood in front of us. Even Lori seemed a bit excited at his presence. Did he even remember our night together, or was he confused by how strangely I was acting? “Hi, Enzo!” Jessica said, twirling a bit of her blonde hair around her finger. “Are you excited for the homecoming game today?” I kept my gaze fixed on the ground, letting my bangs fall into my face, but I could feel Enzo’s stern gaze on me. “Yeah,” he replied. “Although, it’s not as exciting when we always know we’re gonna crush the other team. I hope they put up a good fight.” Jessica giggled like a giddy schoolgirl. I took a chance and glanced up, hoping to see Enzo walking away, but was met instead by his strong gaze fixed on me. He looked far less animalistic now; maybe his appearance last night was just a trick of the light, or a result of the alcohol. Enzo had his arms folded across his muscular chest as he looked at me. He looked almost disapproving. Was he upset that I walked out on him last night? It hardly seemed likely, given his reputation, but my heart still ached a bit. “You ready for practice, Enzo?” another guy said, striding up to us. He looked Jessica up and down hungrily, then glanced at me before looking at Enzo. Enzo nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets, his brown eyes still on me. “Yeah. Let’s go.” Later that afternoon, after we had cleaned up the dorm, I was in my room studying for an upcoming biology exam when Jessica came into my room. She was wearing a pleated pink mini skirt, a fuzzy white sweater, and white sneakers with leg warmers. She had a full face of makeup on and her hair was curled perfectly. “Oh my god, you’re not ready yet?” she said, storming over to me and snapping my book shut unceremoniously. “Hey!” I said, throwing my pen down on my desk. “I was studying.” “Studying can wait,” Jessica replied. “Come on, let’s go to the hockey game! I heard some rumors that Enzo is planning on using some new moves.” My heart leapt up into my throat. “I’m not going,” I said, opening my book up to the page I was on. Jessica clearly didn’t like my response, because she stamped her foot on the ground angrily. “Aw, come on!” she whined. “You’re not really gonna make me go alone, are you?” I didn’t have the heart to tell my friend the truth about where I was last night. If she knew that I slept with Enzo, she would be heartbroken. Jessica had been pining away for Enzo since our first semester. He had never given her too much attention, but still she went to all of his games, cheered him on, and even watched all the livestreams of his tournaments online. She always talked about how he was a genius, how his physical abilities were godlike, how he easily won every game he competed in. “Come on,” Jessica whined again. “Please? For me?” She batted her eyelashes and stuck her lower lip out. I sighed and closed my book again, rubbing my tired eyes. “Alright,” I replied, although I really just wanted to hide in my room and never see the star hockey player again. “I’ll go. But you owe me.” Jessica grinned and pranced out of the room while I got ready. I wanted to blend in, so I just wore a hoodie with the university logo on it and jeans. Jessica seemed a bit disappointed in my outfit choice, but didn’t say anything as we made our way to the hockey arena. The whole way there, Jessica prattled on about Enzo. “His body is just so perfect,” she said. “All of those muscles just make me wanna bite him!” I hated to admit it, but hearing Jessica talk about Enzo made the memories of last night come flooding back; his muscular body, the way he touched and kissed me, how he felt inside of me… It made my body tingle. I tried to shake the thoughts out of my mind the best I could as we got in line to enter the arena, but I just couldn’t. The feeling of Enzo’s strong eyes on me as we laid in bed together, our limbs intertwined, was burned into my memory. I only hoped that I could leave this game without being seen by Enzo or Justin.

Nina We entered the arena, which was already packed full with excited students. Half of the arena was reserved for our university, while the other half was reserved for the other university. Our school colors were burgundy and gold — the other university was blue and black. “Let’s find a good seat,” Jessica said. I followed her up the stairs, then we shimmied between rows of seats toward a couple of empty spots. Once we had our seats, I could hear the conversation between other girls around me; their talking points mostly centered around Enzo. “Do you think he’ll make us win again?” “Of course! Enzo always plays perfectly.” “I feel so lucky just to be attending the same university as him!” I cringed a bit at the conversation and scrolled on my phone while I waited for the game to start. Beside me, Jessica pulled out a pair of binoculars and started scouring the ice rink. I can see the cheerleaders performing an energetic opening dance on ice skates before the game, with Lisa in the lead. She looked dazzling in her skimpy uniform, with her perfectly tanned legs and platinum blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail with a bow. She waved her pom poms around to hype the crowd up. Looking at the girl who stole my boyfriend made me sick. I had never been much of a sports fan, but the way the crowd was getting excited made me excited, too. As the hockey players skated out onto the rink, some of them skated up to certain cheerleaders who were their girlfriends and kissed them publicly. I could see Justin and Lisa exchange glances. Justin had never brought me to his games, even though we had been dating for a couple of months. When I did go to his games, he never paid any attention to me until after. I thought that he was just shy at the time, but now I knew that he just didn’t want Lisa seeing us together. “Don’t pay any attention to Justin,” Jessica said, handing me the binoculars so I could see better. “He’s not worth your time.” I took the binoculars and peered through them. For some reason, I searched for Enzo. I didn’t know why I wanted to see him so badly, but I did. And he saw me. Somehow, despite the thousands of students in this massive arena, Enzo looked directly at me. It was as though he had a sixth sense, like he knew exactly where I was without even having to think. Even from here, I could see the hint of wildness in his eyes from the night before; like I was his prey. I quickly gave the binoculars back to Jessica as my face turned red. Enzo turned away and skated out to the middle of the rink, skating around in circles and pumping his hockey stick in the air while the crowd cheered. All around me, girls screamed and swooned while guys whooped and hollered. The game started. I lost sight of the puck quickly, but was able to follow the game by watching Enzo, who skated as fast as lightning and moved nimbly around the rink as though he was born with ice skates on his feet. He would perform quick moves with his hockey stick to fake out the opponents, hitting the puck between their legs to one of his teammates before zooming away. He moved so quickly that he was almost like a flash. For some reason, it seemed almost supernatural to me… but no one else seemed to notice, so I figured that it was just in my head. Soon, the opponents became frustrated and aggressive. One player in particular — I think he was the captain of the other team — started following Enzo closely and trying to trip him up. “C’mon, Enzo!” Jessica shouted. “I hope he doesn’t get hurt,” another girl said from beside me, sitting up in her seat to see over someone in front of us. Enzo scored a goal, and suddenly, the other team’s captain threw his stick and his helmet down on the ice and tackled Enzo. The crowd gasped as they tussled on the ice. The other player threw punches at Enzo while Enzo only blocked and dodged, clearly not wanting to hurt the other player. It was now that I finally realized how much pressure was on Enzo as the star hockey player. I held my breath as I watched the fight, images of us in bed flashing in my mind. For some reason, I cared enough about Enzo to not want him to get hurt. I didn’t care to look at Justin for even a second. The referee blew his whistle and broke up the fight. The crowd cheered as Enzo stood and put his helmet back on, covering his curly brown hair. The other player was put on the bench for his behavior and the game continued with a penalty for the other team. During halftime, the cheerleaders returned to the rink and began their halftime show. “You hungry?” I said to Jessica. She looked at me and shrugged, too involved in her conversation with another girl about how hot Enzo looked dodging the unsportsmanlike competitor during the fight. As long as I had known her, Jessica always had an easy time making friends. I didn’t mind it, because I was more introverted and appreciated the fact that she usually took control of all of the socializing at things like this. I stood and shimmied out of our row, then went down the bleachers toward the food stands. My stomach was growling and the smell of soft pretzels was making me even more hungry. “One soft pretzel, please,” I said to the vendor. “And a water, too.” I handed my money to the vendor and waited for my pretzel. Just then, I felt someone watching me and turned around to see none other than Enzo. He was standing with his teammates by the side of the rink as they rested and drank water, but he was staring right at me. His brown eyes almost glowed. My heart started to race as I found myself unable to break away from his strong gaze. Something about him made me want to walk over to him as if I was in a trance… “Miss? Hello?” The vendor broke me out of my trance. He was holding out my pretzel and my water. “Oh… Sorry,” I said. “Thank you.” I took my pretzel. When I turned back, Enzo was no longer looking at me and was instead entrenched in a conversation with a teammate as though he hadn’t just been staring into my soul. I considered going back to Jessica, but after the encounter with Enzo finding me in the massive crowd and staring at me just now, I only wanted to leave. I decided to make up an excuse later and just go home; Jessica had made some friends already and probably wouldn’t even notice my absence. She could fill me in on the results of the game later. I left the arena, tossing my uneaten pretzel in the trash on the way out as my stomach suddenly felt too sick to eat. The cool autumn air was a bit of a relief as I walked back to the dorms, although I still felt stifled like I was being watched… or hunted. How was Enzo able to spot me in the crowd like that? And why did he always look so animalistic and hungry when he looked at me? I had never heard any of his many other flings complain of such a thing, so maybe it was all in my head. It had to be. Why else would Enzo seem like such a predator?

Nina Just as I thought, Jessica came home an hour later with a frown on her face. “Where did you go?” she said. I looked up from my book as I sat on the couch. Thankfully, I had prepared an excuse beforehand. “My stomach started to hurt,” I replied. “Probably from all the alcohol last night. I couldn’t get through the crowd to make it back to you, so I just decided to come home.” Jessica let out a sigh and walked over to her door. “I hope you’re feeling better now at least, because there’s a party at the fire pit later since we won the game. And don’t even think about saying no! You have to put on a sexy outfit and show Justin what he’s missing.” With that, Jessica disappeared into her room — presumably to get ready for the party. I sent Lori a quick text. “Where u at? U going to that party later?” A few minutes later, Lori replied: “Yeah. I promised Jess.” I put my phone away with a sigh and closed my book. It was already seven o’clock, so the party would probably start in an hour or two. I decided to shower and change. For some reason, as I got ready, I found myself actually caring about looking good… But not to make Justin jealous. I wanted to look good for Enzo. Jessica, Lori and I made our way to the party around nine o’clock. It was located outside, about a mile into the woods behind the school. It was an old campground from the 1970s with several little cabins, which had been cleaned up and repurposed by the students here for generations to use for… Well, you know. At the center of the circle of cabins, there was a large fire pit, where a huge bonfire was already burning and loud music was playing. As we approached, I could see rambunctious boys whooping and throwing beer cans into the fire and flirting with girls. Alongside the fire, guys and girls danced and grinded on each other to the music. “Like a bunch of monkeys,” Lori grumbled. She had her hands stuffed into her pockets and had her hood pulled up. Almost as soon as we arrived, she pulled out a joint and wandered off to go sit and smoke by herself. Jessica and I had become used to this by now, and didn’t mind our strange friend’s loner nature. “You look good, by the way,” Jessica said, nudging me with her elbow. I had picked out a short black dress with tights and boots, and wore a leather jacket on top. I still had my hair in braids, but I put on a little eyeliner and lipstick. Hopefully I wouldn’t cry tonight. “Thanks,” I replied. “You too.” I walked over to a cooler nearby and grabbed a beer while Jessica stopped to flirt with a drunk guy. I took a sip and looked around as I tried to decide whether I wanted to join the dancing or sit by myself. As I stood there, trying to decide what to do, I overheard what sounded like angry voices coming from inside one of the cabins. I was nothing if not a bit nosy, and nonchalantly walked over to the cabin, pretending to look at my phone while I eavesdropped. “Listen, I think I made it pretty fucking clear that I was just having fun!” I recognized that voice immediately: it was Lisa. And with her was none other than… “I broke up with my girlfriend for you! You said we would get together!” Justin. I heard Lisa scoff. “I never said that,” she replied. “Besides, you knew what you were getting into. Why would I make things exclusive with you when I could pick any guy I wanted? Ugh, you’re pathetic.” “Oh yeah? Any guy, huh?” Justin said. “How about Enzo, then? Everyone knows you’re still pissed that he broke up with you. So why don’t you go out there and ask him to dance, since you’ve apparently got the pick of the litter?” I heard the sound of stomping across floorboards, and then the door swung open. Lisa looked down at me from the top of the steps with a smirk. “If you’re gonna eavesdrop, at least don’t make it so fucking obvious,” she said, then flipped her hair over her shoulder and jogged down the steps. I followed her with my gaze all the way to the fire pit, where Enzo was standing and drinking while a group of girls — Jessica included — fawned over him. “Hey Enzo,” Lisa said in a sing-song voice, her ponytail bobbing as she sauntered up to him. Most of the other girls at this university wouldn’t dare walk up to Enzo so nonchalantly with so many girls around him, but seeing as Enzo and Lisa used to date, it wasn’t entirely unexpected of her. “Hey,” Enzo replied. Much to my surprise, his eyes flickered to me briefly over Lisa’s shoulder. I felt like he was looking into my soul again, but it was over quickly when he looked back at Lisa. Lisa folded her arms across her chest — no doubt pushing her breasts together — and rocked back and forth from her heels to her toes. “Wanna dance?” she said. “I haven’t had a dance partner yet tonight.” Enzo frowned and took a swig of his beer, looking Lisa up and down. Around them, people began to watch the scene. “We broke up ages ago, Lisa,” Enzo said. Lisa dropped her hands to her sides and balled them up into fists. “Aw, come on!” she said. “You can’t tell me you don’t miss this.” She gestured to her body, which was still dressed in her tight cheerleader uniform. Enzo simply shrugged and returned to his conversation with the other girls as though Lisa wasn’t even there. With a huff, Lisa stormed off. When she was gone, however, his gaze traveled over to me once more and fixed on me. His eyes almost seemed to glow again, and I felt afraid all of a sudden. I involuntarily dropped my beer and quickly walked away, making for a spot behind one of the unoccupied cabins. I just needed a few minutes alone, and then I could return… Hopefully Enzo would have his eyes set on another girl by then. “Hi, Nina.” I practically jumped out of my skin at the sound of Enzo’s voice behind me. I whirled around to face him; blocking the light of the fire with his huge body, he looked somewhat menacing in the darkness. Something else occurred to me, though… When we met at the bar, we had never exchanged names. How did he know my name? Wordlessly, I tried to step around him to go back to the fire as this whole interaction made me feel uneasy. However, Enzo blocked my path and folded his arms. “Why are you avoiding me?” he said, sounding a little hurt. I stopped and bit my lip, peering around him to see Jessica dancing by the fire with a new boy. “I’m not avoiding you,” I said. Enzo sighed and unfolded his arms. “It sure seems like it,” he replied. “You left so abruptly last night.” “What do you want me to say?” I whispered so that no one could hear if they were eavesdropping. “You had your one night stand with me. You never see girls more than once. You should be thanking me, because I’m just making it easy for you.” “Is that what you really think of me?” Enzo asked. He didn’t try to hide his voice at all. For some reason, I felt more confident confronting him now. “Everyone knows you’re a playboy who only sleeps with girls once before moving on to the next,” I said, stepping around him. He didn’t block me this time, but turned and frowned. “Well, you’re different,” he replied. Was this some sort of prank? The hockey captain, the star of the school and a playboy, thought I was “different” enough to keep talking to me after we slept together? I wondered if Lisa or Justin put him up to this to rub it in that I would never find love. Enzo stepped closer to me and brushed a bit of hair out of my eyes, finally lowering his voice to a whisper. “I want to have a second time with you.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397398”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #YoungAdult #Campus #Werewolf #YATeen #BadBoy #Playboy #Alpha #SportsStar #Hockey #Humor

“Daisy, I’m so sorry that I can’t celebrate your birthday with you,” my only friend Amy told me over the phone. “I would definitely be there for you if I wasn’t sick…” “Amy. It’s fine. I already got the cake you ordered for me and it looks delicious,” I said, looking at the small yet beautifully decorated birthday cake in my hand. Amy was my best and only friend at school. I wanted to tell her that school days when she couldn’t attend were long and lonely. But I don’t want her to feel worse. “I didn’t have my first shift last night, so today can’t be my actual birthday. You still have your chance to make it up to me,” I said. Orphans like me don’t know when we were born or if we are Alphas or Betas until our first shift. Werewolves never shift until midnight on their eighteenth birthday. Today was September 5th, the birthdate on my adoption papers. It was assigned to me by officials when I was only a few months old. A shy, geeky werewolf like me couldn’t be an Alpha, but I didn’t care if I was a Beta or an Omega. I believe that everyone deserves a happy, productive life. Still, I couldn’t wait to shift. It would be awesome to know my actual birthday. And after I turned eighteen, my adoptive family would no longer control my life. I was working hard and saving my money for the day when I would be on my own and not need to depend on anyone. Especially people who didn’t want me. I walked in the back door of the house that never felt like my home and placed the cake on the kitchen table. Everything was quiet. Maybe my adoptive beta parents, Cecilia and Andrew Smith, and their real daughter, Andrea, had forgotten my birthday. Again. After they were told they couldn’t have a biological child, the Smiths adopted me and named me Daisy. I remember feeling happy and safe for a brief time. But when I was six years old, Cecilia gave birth to Andrea, and my life changed. From the moment Andrea was born, I was unwanted and ignored by the people I thought were my parents. It hurt the first few times I was called the adopted one, but I grew to not want them either. I gazed at my reflection in the hall mirror and hated what I saw. My frizzy hair and big glasses made me look like a bug-eyed freak, but at least the glasses helped hide my bushy eyebrows. And the baggy jeans and sweater I bought at the second-hand store hung on my thin body and made me look like a scarecrow. But the thing I hate the most about myself is the way I stutter when I’m nervous. When people hear me stutter, they assume I’m stupid or strange. And knowing it’s going to happen when I’m nervous, makes my stutter much worse. Everyone always called me the adopted one. They joked about how I would never be pretty or popular like Andrea. I guess they were right. “Daisy, is that you,” Cecilia’s voice called from the dining room. “Hurry into the dining room. We’re about to eat dinner.” I grabbed the birthday cake from the kitchen and followed Cecilia’s voice as she urged me to hurry and join the family. Maybe they didn’t forget my birthday like they did every other year since I was six. “Look, everyone,” I said as I entered the dining room. The startled look on their faces made me wish I’d left the cake in the kitchen. “Amy o…ordered me a buh … birthday cake.” The room went silent as Andrea rolled her eyes. They had forgotten again. They didn’t care about me at all. “I’m sorry, Daisy,” Cecilia apologized, but her eyes were cold. “I’ve had such a busy day that I forgot it was your birthday. I barely had time to grab a pizza for dinner. But we can go to a restaurant to eat if you like.” “No way,” Andrea said with a shake of her head. “I don’t feel like going anywhere, Mom. And you know I love pizza.” Her eyes dared me to argue. “And why does Daisy’s birthday matter? She doesn’t know when she was born.” “P … Pizza is fine, Cecilia,” I said as I placed the birthday cake in the center of the table. “We can sh … share the c … cake afterward.” I hated it when I stuttered. Why did I allow people, especially these people, to make me nervous? I help the family whenever I can, and I’ve never forgotten their birthdays. Cecilia gave me a tight smile. “Well then, Daisy, I promise we will take you somewhere to celebrate after your first shift, okay?” I nodded and sat down to eat pizza. The cake was the best part of the meal. I cleaned up the mess and did the dishes after we ate, and joined the family in the living room to watch the evening news. The top story was about the billionaire leader of the United Association of Alphas, Alex Wilson. Alex Wilson had been searching for his missing daughter for years. Alberta was lost to him after the Wilson family was involved in a horrific car accident. But Alex never gave up on finding his beloved daughter. The search for his heir intensified after his cancer diagnosis a few months ago. It was sad to think he could die without ever seeing Alberta again. The werewolf community was assisting their leader in finding the missing Alpha Princess. They all wanted her to be found so she could claim her inheritance and marry her chosen fiancé. Alberta’s husband would be the next leader of the United Association of Alphas. The camera cut away to another reporter interviewing one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. He was Victor Klein, another Alpha billionaire. After graduating from college, he became CEO of his family’s company and made it an even more successful business empire in just a few years. Alex Wilson and the alliance had chosen Victor to be Alberta’s husband and the next leader of the United Alliance of Alphas. The werewolf population needed the best leader. And he was indeed breathtaking. Victor spoke to the reporter about his recent trip to the hometown of Alex Wilson’s deceased wife. He accidentally found a rare childhood picture of hers. The camera shifted to a photo of Alberta’s mother, the one that everyone has seen in the news before. The Alpha female was beautiful, with long straight hair and delicate eyebrows. But the following image the newscaster showed was of Alberta’s mother as a child. She actually had naturally curly hair and bushy eyebrows as a kid! “If anyone knows the whereabouts of Alberta Wilson, call this number,” the reporter said. By now, Alberta would be almost eighteen and perhaps look similar to this photo.” I gasped as Cecilia, Andrew, and Andrea turned and stared at me. I was almost eighteen, and I did have curly hair and bushy brows. “The lost Alberta Wilson could be anywhere,” the newscaster said. “And she may not know who she is.”

I turned away from the TV to keep my foster family from noticing my interest in the news. I especially didn’t want Andrea to see me staring at the handsome Alpha male who was the missing girl’s fiancé. I could still hear the reporter’s words as he delivered the story. His voice seemed to echo through my mind. “So, I have a message for all you girls who will soon be eighteen,” the reporter said. “If you have thick eyebrows and naturally curly hair, please call the number at the bottom of the screen. You could be Alberta Wilson, the heiress of dying billionaire Alex Wilson.” “You should call the number, Daisy.” Cecilia tugged on a lock of my wild, unruly hair. “Maybe this is your real family.” Andrea let out a whoop of mocking laughter that made me cringe. “Daisy … a missing heiress!” Andrea laughed again. “Alex Wilson is the leader of The United Association of Alphas.” She rolled her eyes. “No way is Daisy an Alpha.” “Sweetheart, stop it.” Cecilia winked at her daughter. “There’s no way to know if Daisy has Alpha blood before her first shift on her eighteenth birthday.” I acted as if I didn’t see Cecilia’s wink or Andrea’s smirk. I was used to this kind of treatment from them. But it didn’t make it right or make it hurt any less. I shook my head at Cecilia. Andrea was right. I was no Alpha Princess. There are many girls my age with thick eyebrows and curly hair. Checking to see if I’m a missing heiress would be even more ridiculous than throwing away my money playing the lottery. I was working and saving my money. After college, I’ll get a good job and have my own home. It was the only way to be totally independent and never rely on others again. Besides, I didn’t want to be an Alpha. I’ve heard stories about how they stuck together to exploit Betas and Omegas while trying to satisfy their greed and lust for power and wealth. “No, thank you. That life is not for me,” I whispered to myself just before the phone rang. “It’s your geeky, little friend,” Andrea said and tossed the phone into my lap. I ignored the insult and put the phone to my ear. “Hello.” “Hey, Daisy,” Amy said. “Sorry again for your birthday…Dad wants to ask you something I think you’ll like.” “Daisy? It’s Alan Gray.” Mr. Gray was Amy’s father and my boss. I genuinely liked him because he was a kind man and sometimes treated me better than my own foster parents. “Hey, Mr. Gray, what’s going on?” I said. “Tomorrow is Saturday. I know you’re working the lunch and afternoon shifts, but I need somebody to work the dinner shift too. Leah needs the day off to attend her grandmother’s funeral.” “Extra hours would be great,” I replied. “I worry about you working too hard,” Mr. Gray sighed. “I’ll be fine,” I assured him, touched that he cared. “Then we’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and hung up. More work was exactly what I wanted. It was the only way to escape this life and build a better future for myself. I tossed and turned most of the night, unable to get the Alberta Wilson story or Victor Klein out of my mind. Both made me feel a strange pull in my soul. Warm sunshine woke me the following day. It had to be late morning. Panicked, I leaped from the bed and hurried to get ready for work. Then I rushed downstairs to the kitchen. “You should be on your way to work by now,” Cecilia said with her hands on her hips. “I … I know,” I replied. “I couldn’t get to sleep until almost dawn.” “You’ll have to eat while you walk to work.” She handed me two slices of toast that sat on the table. “Thanks.” I took the toast from Cecilia before rushing out the back door. I nibbled on the toast as I walked. It was cold and tasted strange, but I was hungry enough not to care. By the time I arrived at the restaurant, both pieces were gone. With the sun warming my skin and fresh air cooling my lungs, I couldn’t help stopping outside the restaurant’s front door. A few moments to enjoy the moment before going inside to begin work was irresistible. It would be dark by the time I came outside again. The sound of a crowd across the street caught my attention as I reached for the door handle. A deep, masculine voice could be heard above all the others. Scanning the crowd to see who he was, I gasped. The missing heiress’s fiancé was speaking to the large crowd! Victor Klein was pure Alpha as he captivated his audience with his charm. Everyone hung on his every word. I was fascinated about by him too. “This entire neighborhood will be improved at no cost to any of you,” he promised the cheering crowd. “And all expenses for the renovations will be paid for by me.” Wow. Maybe not every Alpha is a greedy jerk. Victor clearly wants to help the werewolf neighborhood and make their homes and businesses better. I envied the way Victor easily spoke in front of his audience. He was so masterful, so confident. And it was a pleasure to look at his handsome face, muscular body, and broad shoulders. He was masculine perfection. Watching how his sensual mouth moved as he spoke made me tingle in a way I didn’t understand. Mr. Gray appeared at the restaurant door. “I was getting worried about you, Daisy. You’re usually early for your shift.” “S … Sorry,” I stuttered like I always do when I’m nervous. “I … um … overslept.” I looked back at Victor. “Isn’t it wonderful what he’s doing for the local werewolves?” Mr. Gray frowned. “Victor Klein does nothing for others,” he said and motioned me inside. “But I … I heard him tell everyone he’s going to pay for improvements to this neighborhood.” “He didn’t tell the crowd that he owns every building on this street,” he said. “And I’ve been warned that I need to shut down the restaurant while the improvements are being made, and afterward, everyone’s rent will be doubled.” “Victor is going to make a fortune!” I exclaimed. I felt so stupid. Victor was exactly what I expected from a wealthy Alpha. Mr. Gray gave a huge sigh and put on his chef’s hat.“Time to get to work,” he said warmly. The restaurant soon filled with the lunch crowd. I hurried from table to table, giving the best service to my customers that I could. But I began to feel sick in my stomach, and it made it hard to concentrate on my work. Can toast go bad? As I was bussing a table, I saw a couple being seated at a booth in my area. Grabbing menus, I braced myself before approaching them. It would be hard to talk to them because the attractive couple looked like rich Alphas. They always made me more nervous. “Hi, I’m Daisy, and I’ll be your server today.” I managed to keep my voice from shaking, but my queasy stomach fluttered when I looked into the man’s eyes. It was Victor Klein. “Hello, Daisy,” Victor replied with a smile that took my breath away. I stuttered again while taking their drink order and stumbled away in a daze. I needed to calm down before I returned to his table. I mustered the courage to deliver their drinks. But I blushed at the sight of the female Alpha slipping off one high-heeled pump to caress Victor’s ankle with her toes. It seemed like such an intimate gesture. “The profit margin is fantastic,” Victor told the female Alpha. “The U.A.A. will be pleased.” He didn’t acknowledge the feminine toes rubbing his ankle, yet there was a hint of a smile on his sensual lips. Poor Alberta. If she’s found, she will be shackled to a greedy player. I quickly served Victor and his companion their drinks, took their food order, and moved on to check on another table. Keeping busy, I tried not to stare at the Alpha pair as they ate. I was growing more nauseated and wanted this long day to be over. It was a relief when Victor signaled me for his check. “Was everything okay?” I asked as I handed him his bill. “Yes, thank you.” Victor stood, pulled out his wallet, and placed enough cash to pay the bill, plus a two-hundred-dollar tip on my serving tray. “I … I’ll be right back with your change,” I stammered before heading for the cash register. Victor and the female Alpha were gone when I returned to their table. It felt wrong to keep all the money, but a sudden gurgle in my stomach made me rush to the hallway where the bathrooms were located. I forgot all about my stomach when I spotted a man in the hall coming my way. It was Victor. My mind spun. Should I thank him for the tip and offer him his change? Did I have the courage to talk to him? His sensual smile widened as he drew closer. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t utter a word. Instead, the contents of my stomach gushed from my throat.

Victor stared at his stained clothes, his face filled with shock and anger. I … I’m so … so suh … sorry,” I stuttered and rushed to the ladies’ room, where I vomited, over and over, into the toilet. After my stomach settled, I leaned against the wall to catch my breath. I threw up on Victor Klein! I’d never been this embarrassed in my life. I let myself slide down the bathroom wall until I was seated on the floor. Then I pulled my knees to my face and cried. What I had done wasn’t good for the restaurant. What if Amy’s dad fired me? Where else could I get a job? I had to return to the dining room, find Victor, and apologize. Hopefully, Victor wouldn’t blame the restaurant for what I had done. After rising to my feet, I washed my face and hands before rinsing my mouth and checking my clothing and apron for vomit. They were okay. Most of my spew had hit Victor. Ugh! The situation was unbelievable. When I got up the courage to walk back into the dining room, I saw a young man I recognized from the TV as Victor’s assistant. He held a clean suit jacket as Victor buttoned a new dress shirt over his masculine torso. The beautiful woman who had been with Victor was gone. “I’m sure it wasn’t on purpose, Mr. Klein,” Mr. Gray told the wealthy Alpha. “I must be working her too hard. I do apologize for the mess.” I’m the one who should be apologizing, I told myself. Mr. Gray was helping me by giving me more hours, and I ruined the restaurant’s reputation by vomiting on an influential Alpha. As I forced myself closer to Victor, I could tell he was angry by his grim expression. He tossed his dirty clothes into a pile at his assistant’s feet and looked around the restaurant. I cringed when he spotted me walking his way. “You.” He pointed at me. “You ruined one of my best suits.” “I …I’m suh… sorry.” My face felt like it was on fire as I forced the words from my mouth. I looked at the floor and took a deep breath. “Let … let me clean it for you. I will s…send it to the d…dry-cleaning place.” Victor’s assistant snorted. “Do you expect Mr.Klein to wear this again?” the assistant snapped. He glared at Mr. Gray “Everyone should know what kind of riff-raff you employ as wait staff.” “Don’t be so harsh, Findlay,” Victor told his assistant. He turned to Mr. Gray. “We’ll forget this incident happened if you leave a…let’s see…three-thousand-dollar check at my company’s front desk within the week.” “Three … three thousand dollars?” I sputtered, hoping the assistant had been mistaken. “That’s correct,” Victor replied. “I already cut the price in half for you.” Was he trying to be nice? Should I be grateful for that? I stood open-mouthed, thinking of a way to get that much money together in a week. I couldn’t let Amy’s dad pay for my blunder. It wouldn’t be fair, and he and Amy were so good to me. I nodded at Victor, and he strode toward the door. “I’ll be checking the front desk for the money,” Findlay said as he followed Victor to the exit. Three thousand dollars seemed like nothing to werewolves like Victor. The wealthy assumed everyone had thousands of dollars lying around. Victor was the same as other rich Alphas. They’re all greedy and heartless. How could I have thought for a moment that he was any different? “You couldn’t help getting sick, Daisy,” Mr. Gray said. “I’ll pay for the suit. “No,” I insisted. Amy and her father worked hard every day in this restaurant to make a living. I couldn’t let them pay for my mistake. “I’ll find the money. And I’m sorry if I made you lose any customers.” Mr. Gray is a well-known chef. His upscale restaurant could be ruined if Victor chose to spread the story of what I had done. It would be a terrible way to repay Mr. Gray for his kindness to me by making him pay for my mistake in any way. “Victor cares about his public image too much to talk about what just happened,” Mr. Gray said, brushing aside my concerns. “Most people eating here tonight know nothing about what happened.” Victor didn’t need the money for that suit. He cared so much about his public image, but he didn’t care enough to think about if three thousand dollars already exceeded everything I had. Why do rich Alphas have to be such jerks? *** I went home early. My stomach had settled, but I felt terrible about what had happened. “Daisy, you’re home early,” Cecilia said. “I thought you’d be eating at the restaurant. We finished dinner a little while ago, but I didn’t save you anything.” “I’m not very hungry,” I said. “A little soup would be good, and then I want to go to bed.” Cecilia followed me to the kitchen. “You’re awfully down tonight,” she said. “Is something wrong?” I nodded. I was too upset to keep it inside. I had to talk about what happened with someone. Cecilia listened as I stammered every detail of my encounter with Victor. Her eyes showed anger, and her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline by the time I was finished. “There is no question that you need to pay for the suit,” she told me. “And how could you not tell the butter on the toast was bad?” “I don’t know,” I replied. “Maybe it was the toast, or maybe I have a stomach virus. Amy stayed home from school today because she wasn’t feeling well.” I slid a bowl of soup into the microwave. “If you help me pay for the suit, I promise to pay you back.” “I’ll help you,” Cecilia said and sighed. “I don’t want your mess to reflect on this family.” “Thank you, Cecilia,” I said. “But I want you to change your mind about working a job like waitressing,” she added. “I know you’ve been saving money and I don’t know why. I barely even see you spend the money we gave you…. But if you really need a lot of money, you should probably pay more attention to your appearance. There are a lot of rich men out there looking for a young wife.” I couldn’t believe what Cecilia had suggested. Didn’t she know me at all? “I won’t marry someone for money,” I replied, my voice steady and determined. “I like waitressing, And I can take care of myself.” “Then take care of this problem yourself,” Cecilia snapped and began walking away. “I swear, you must get this stubborn streak from your birth parents.” After I ate the soup, I went to my room and counted the money I had saved in my secret hiding spot. There was a little over two thousand dollars. Where could I get a thousand dollars in less than a week? I needed to look for another job. I turned on my ancient laptop and searched for a job to make money quickly. I searched for twenty minutes, getting more depressed, when I found only a few jobs for a high school student, and none paid very much. I was about to give up when a giant ad caught my eye. Alex Wilson was offering one thousand dollars to qualified girls around eighteen with naturally curly hair！ All I had to do was call the number, arrange to give them some information, and let them take my DNA. There was no way I was Alberta Wilson, but it would be an easy way to get the rest of the money I needed to pay for Victor’s suit. I immediately dialed the number.

I wanted to do the test as soon as possible, but the earliest I could schedule an appointment was the following Saturday. I guess there were more girls taking the test than I thought. I arrived at the clinic on time. The number of other girls my age with curly hair waiting for their turn with the nurses was staggering. They were seated in every available chair, but most stood in long lines as they waited their turn to speak to ten different nurses. I never saw so many girls with curly hair all in one place. As soon as one of the girls finished speaking with one of the nurses, another girl took her place. Many left abruptly after answering the nurse’s questions, while others went through a different door and into another room. I overheard chatter from two curly-haired girls around me. They claimed the girls who left had been rejected when the nurses felt they couldn’t be Alberta Wilson. The others were considered possible matches and continued on to the DNA testing—the girls who were chosen to take a DNA test left with their thousand dollars. I needed to be one of them. But it was disheartening every time a girl was rejected and left the clinic empty-handed. They all looked much more like an Alpha than me. If I was rejected before giving my DNA sample, where would I get the money to pay for Victor’s suit? Finally, it was my turn. The middle-aged receptionist immediately asked for my adoption certificate. She examined it and me closely. The way the woman stared at me made me feel like I was doing something wrong. “Is your hair naturally curly, or is it permed?” she asked as she touched my hair. “You realize this is serious business, yet many of you girls are here to get some of Mr. Wilson’s money.” “I’ve nuh … never need … needed a perm,” I stammered. “My hair is nuh … naturally curly.” The nurse was making me so nervous I could barely breathe. The room seemed airless as she studied me. Could she tell I was there for the money, too? Then I had an idea and took out my phone. “Lah … look, here’s a puh… picture of my suh … school ID from three years ago.” The photo showed me at the beginning of my freshman year. My hair was just as curly as it is now. The woman took my phone from my hand and compared it to a photo I saw on television. It was the photo of Alberta’s mother when she was young. After a minute, she handed my phone back to me. “Okay, Daisy, I’ll need some more information.” The nurse took out a form and wrote my name on the top line. Not wanting any trouble from Cecilia, I gave her Amy’s address for the second line. After asking me more questions, some that I couldn’t answer, the nurse handed me the form and told me to walk through the doorway on the left side of the large room. It was where other girls had gone for testing and their thousand dollars! I walked to the other room, not looking at anyone, and with my fingers crossed. This room was less crowded. I took a deep breath and walked up to another nurse who was sitting behind a desk. This nurse asked me more questions about my health and family. Again, I was examined and asked if my hair was naturally curly or permed. After the other nurse completed my registration, I agreed to have my cheek swabbed and a tube of blood drawn. I didn’t like having a needle stuck in my arm, but I was happy to have gotten this far in the process. There were dozens of racks of samples covering a table. Alberta had to be among the girls who came for testing today. Surely the lost Alpha Princess would be found. That thought made me feel less guilty about what I was doing to get the money to pay for Victor’s suit. After the DNA samples were taken, I was told I must have photos taken to be compared with old pictures of Alberta’s mother. There were five photographers and their equipment set up at the other end of the room. Nearby, a middle-aged man in a suit, tie, and mustache sat quietly, watching everything around him. He reminded me of one of those proper, stuffy butlers in a TV series. The man also looked very tired. This part of the search for Alberta had to be tedious when this many girls showed up to be tested. He didn’t seem to see me at all, even though he looked my way several times. Sitting before the bright lights and the camera, I squirmed and wished this would be over. All this attention directed at me was making me shake inside and out. I couldn’t wait to leave and take the money to Victor’s office. When the first photo was taken, I cringed and closed my eyes as the bright flash went off with a pop. I couldn’t keep from closing my eyes on the second try, either. I always hated getting my photo taken. Why would anyone want to preserve an image of me? The photographer tried to be patient, but I couldn’t help it. I felt as if everyone in that big room could read my thoughts and knew I wasn’t Alberta. They probably suspected I was just another greedy girl wanting the money. “Let’s try a photo without your glasses,” the photographer said. “I can’t see your eyes very well when the flash goes off. The lenses reflect the light.” I took my glasses off and felt much more at ease because I couldn’t see all the people around me as clearly. I relaxed a little and told myself they weren’t staring at me anymore. But I could see well enough to know when the butler suddenly raised his head and stood. The photographer seemed as startled as me. Was the butler staring at us? Why? The butler quickly regained his composure and apologized before sitting down again. Who was he, and what part was he playing in the search for Alberta? I kept my eyes open as the photographer took two photos of me without my glasses before handing me another paper. He then told me to go to another woman sitting at a desk near an armed guard. This woman was young and pretty. She examined the paper from the photographer and asked me to sign the bottom on the solid line. Relief flowed through me when I read the paper before I signed my name. I agreed that the thousand dollars would be delivered to the address I’d given them within forty-eight hours. I would receive the thousand-dollar payment and be able to pay Victor. With all the girls here, I was lucky to get it in writing before they found Alberta. But as I began to walk toward the door to the outside, I heard a man’s voice. I turned back and saw it was the butler. He was speaking to the photographer who had just taken my photos. “They look too similar,” the butler said. “That girl must be her.” Who was he talking about? Had they really found Alberta? I’d better leave before they wanted their money back.

Early the next morning, I woke up and wished I could stay in bed all day. I hadn’t slept well, and I looked more of a mess than usual. But it suited my mood. I was about to wash up and go downstairs to eat breakfast when someone rang the doorbell. After pulling on my old sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, I ran to the front door. It was still early, and the house was quiet. Cecilia, Andrew, and Andrea must still be sleeping. I looked through the peephole and saw Amy impatiently shifting her weight from foot to foot. What had her so excited already this morning? I opened the door and motioned her inside. “You’re up early,” I said as I led her to the kitchen. “Want some juice?” Amy shook her head. “Did you do the genetic test for Alex Wilson and give them the referral information?” “Yeah, why?” I replied while pouring myself a glass of orange juice. Amy held up an envelope addressed to me. The return address was Alex Wilson’s corporation. “Oh, yeah. I used your address. Cecilia was on my case about marrying a rich Alpha who could take care of me. I didn’t want her to get any ideas about me being a billionaire’s heiress.” “Yeah, what a horrible fate,” Amy teased. She crossed her eyes and giggled. “I don’t want to marry any man I don’t love. And I’m far from ready to get married.” I stuck out my tongue at her and changed the subject. “Wow. I can’t believe the money arrived so quickly.” I took the envelope and began to slit its end with a letter opener. “It’s weird. The envelope didn’t arrive in our mailbox,” Amy said. “A very distinguished-looking man delivered it to my house. He wasn’t a regular delivery man or anything. He was wearing a suit and tie.” “Unbelievable! You got tested to see if you are Alex Wilson’s lost Alpha Princess,” Andrea said with a laugh as she popped into the kitchen. “You’re delusional, Daisy. What makes you think a geeky nobody like you could be Alberta Wilson?” “I duh … don’t think I’m Alberta Wilson,” I told Andrea, inwardly cursing my inability to speak without stuttering when Andrea was around. Why was Andrea always sneaking around, listening to my conversations? “Wuh … why are you always so nasty to me?” “Buh … because you’re such a dweeb,” Andrea replied, mocking my stutter. “I can’t freaking believe you think you’re an Alpha. It’s too funny.” I felt my anger rising, but I tried to concentrate on staying calm and speaking clearly. “I wuh … wouldn’t want to be a spoiled, rich, Alpha girl. I’m happy being me.” Andrea couldn’t understand that I didn’t need to be rich or powerful to be happy. I have a few people who care about me, and I am willing to work for what I want. “You’re lying. You were hoping you were born a rich Alpha.” Andrea rolled her eyes. “Why else would you get tested?” “I needed the thousand dollars Alex Wilson is giving all girls who got their DNA tested to see if he’s their father,” I admitted. Hearing myself say it out loud made me feel worse than I had yesterday. “Using people isn’t something I would normally do,” I explained. “But it was either take the test and get paid a thousand dollars, even though I knew I was not the missing heiress, or I had to allow Amy’s father to pay for an expensive suit I ruined.” I handed Amy the envelope. “Give it to your dad and the other money I have in my room. He can make sure you know who gets the money.” I couldn’t bring myself to mention Victor’s name before Andrea. Amy shook her head. “I can’t take your money, and my father won’t either. You worked hard for every dime you have, and you never spend any of it. You’re going to take this check and cash it. Put it into a savings account for college.” Amy pulled the check out of the envelope and froze. “How much was Alex Wilson paying girls for a sample of their DNA?” she asked. “I thought you said a thousand dollars.” I nodded. “Yes, they were advertising that they would give a thousand dollars to any selected girl who took the test.” “But this check isn’t for a thousand dollars,” Amy said. She pulled the check away from Andrea, who was trying to grab it from her hand. “Oh, no,” I groaned. “I n … need a thousand dollars more to pay for that suit.” “You’ll be able to pay for that suit,” Amy said. I could tell she was trying not to grin. “You can buy any suit you want. Look.” Amy held the check in front of my eyes. It was made out to me for one hundred thousand dollars.” I let out a squeal. “It’s a mistake. I need to return it and get one for the right amount.” “Boy, you are dumb,” Andrea said. “You should keep your mouth shut and give that check to my parents. They’ve raised you all these years. You owe them.” “That would be stealing. It’s not my money,” I told her and examined the check closer. There was a phone number under Alex Wilson’s address. “I’m calling Mr. Wilson to tell him about the mistake.” But the doorbell rang once again before I could dial the phone number. “Maybe they dis … discovered the mistake and tracked me down to get their check back,” I said and ran to see who was at the door. I opened the door, ready to hand over the too-large check. But when I saw who was at the door, I couldn’t move or speak. It was Victor. He stepped into the house wearing a formal suit with a large bouquet of bright red roses in one of his hands. He was more handsome than ever, and he smelled like an expensive cologne. Behind him, his assistant was carrying more than a dozen expensive gift boxes with various designer brand names on them. What was going on? Victor glanced at me and my messier-than-usual morning look, and his face froze. But after a moment, he flashed a super charming smile as he walked forward into the house. He looked over the three of us. “Which one of you is Daisy?” he asked politely. I came back to my senses and replied stiffly, “I’m Daisy.” Why was he here? I bit my lip and tried to keep my face away from Victor. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize me from the restaurant. But Victor looked me over from my frizzy hair, held back from my face with an elastic band, to my baggy sweatpants with holes in the knees. His expression showed that he didn’t find me attractive, but he didn’t seem to remember me either. “So … you’re Mr. Wilson’s lost child.” He seemed earnest, but this had to be a joke. “I brought a few things, gifts that are rightfully yours.” “No … Wait … what?” I stammered. “What … what do you mean?” My mind spun. Was Victor saying what I thought he was saying? “I’m your fiancé, Alberta,” Victor said with an attractive smile.

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Abby “If you want to meet with the Alpha, you’ll have to book ahead of time. And he’s booked out for three months.” The cool words of Karl’s secretary run through my mind for the millionth time. I tried reminding her he’s also my husband, but it didn’t matter. He’s been so busy with work that I haven’t spoken to him in a month. But it’s finally Christmas and all the Alphas are expected to be home celebrating with their families. I stop in front of the mirror one last time, just to make sure everything’s perfect. I run my fingers through my silky black hair, marveling at the new color. He loves black hair, so I decided to surprise him. I’m wearing a red lingerie set I bought especially for tonight and red lipstick to match. I feel Karl’s presence, and turn to look at him, a wide smile already on my face. I have to resist the urge to run across the room and jump into his arms. His expression is unreadable. His brown eyes meet mine, but there’s none of the usual warmth when he looks at me. “What’s wrong?” I ask, taking a step forward. His eyes sweep over me, but he doesn’t comment on what I’m wearing, or my hair. “Abby.” His voice is harsh, and I shrink back a little. “Let’s get a divorce.” Three Years Later “Hey, Abby.” I smile at my restaurant manager, Olivia. “Hey, how are things going out here?” I walk around the front desk to stand beside her. “Another busy night, it seems.” I look around at the packed restaurant. “Sure, is.” A sudden feeling of pride flows through me. When I started here, hardly anyone knew about this place. Now it’s one of the most popular eateries in the capital, all thanks to me and my team. My best friend Chloe walks in with her friend, Jennine, her smile widening at the sight of me behind the counter. She walks up and nods hello to Olivia. “Look at you.” Chloe practically beams with excitement, and I can’t help but grin. “If he could see you now.” I don’t have to ask to know she’s talking about Karl. It’s been three years since the divorce. At first, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I felt lost without my role as Luna, but now I own a restaurant and I’m a chef. It might not be what I expected, but I’m happy. “He’d go crazy if he saw you like this,” Chloe continues. He certainly would. I don’t think he’d be able to handle knowing that his ex-wife is doing what I’m doing. But he gave up his right to dictate my life when he ended our marriage without warning. The door opens, and Emily enters. The minute she sees me behind the desk, a sympathetic look crosses her face. I know she enjoys seeing me like this, but I plaster on my best customer-service smile. “Hi Emily, how are you?” Her husband enters behind her, his gaze locked on his phone. “Good dear,” she says. She lifts her hand to adjust her bangs, a diamond tennis bracelet glinting on her wrist. Emily is outrageously wealthy. We knew each other back when we were both Luna, and I know she just comes in here to see me is all my ‘misery.’ “Oh, just the regular for us, dear,” she says. She’s taken to calling me dear now that I’m a restaurant owner and not a Luna like her. It’s always said with pity, but I don’t let it get to me. I return with their drinks moments later, placing them carefully on the table. Emily takes a sip and smiles up at me. “Who would have thought we’d end up here?” I know she really means me and not ‘we,’ but I just nod my head. “Abby, the envy of the town, now a waitress.” I don’t bother pointing out that I’m the owner and chef. “Who ever thought that after divorcing Karl, you’d end up a staff member?” She’s got that fake sympathetic smile back on her face. I know what she’s thinking. Poor Abby, abandoned by Karl. “I certainly am a little envious,” I say, glancing at her husband. A smug look crosses her face. I know that one reason, if not the main reason, she comes in here is that she enjoys seeing me like this. I’ve used that to my advantage. My former role as Karl’s wife has allowed me to turn this restaurant into a place where the elite gather. “Your waiter will be right with you,” I say with a diplomatic smile. “I’m here if you need anything.” I retreat to the counter when she waves me off. This restaurant is the first thing I’ve owned. The first thing that’s truly mine, and a few mean comments can’t take that away from me. I know she’ll be back, eager to watch my downfall. From Luna to a mere chef–but I don’t mind. The room is packed with all the wealthy people I used to run in the same circles with. I know where they like to sit, their tastes, what they usually order to eat and drink. All the qualities that made me a good Luna have made me great at my job. A man in a tailored suit walks in, his dress shoes shining in the restaurant lights. He approaches the counter and I give him a welcoming smile. “Hi, how can I help you today?” I ask. I’ve never seen him before, but he certainly looks important. “I want to book this restaurant,” he says. I glance at the books and frown. “I’m sorry, Sir, but we’re fully booked for the week. You’ll have to wait until next week.” He frowns and takes a somewhat menacing step forward. “Don’t you know who I am?” he seethes. My eyebrows go up. “My boss is Karl from the Moon River pack, one of the most powerful Alphas. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?” I step around the counter and smile at him, my hands clasped in front of me. “Tell Karl that I’m the boss. If he needs anything, he can make an appointment with my restaurant manager.” I nod at Olivia, who smiles. The man shakes his head. “Are you sure about this? Do you know his background?” I know only too well, but I just raise an eyebrow. “If it’s Karl, his appointment will be scheduled in three months.” I turn and walk back through the restaurant, leaving Olivia to deal with him. I push into the kitchen and breathe in the scent of cooking food, a satisfied smile overtaking my face. Maybe it wasn’t the most mature thing to do, but I couldn’t help myself. It’s time Karl gets a taste of his own medicine.

Abby “Abby, these are so good,” Leah says, humming slightly as she chews her lemon poppyseed muffin. They’re a specialty of mine. Leah, Chloe, and I have a standing afternoon tea date in the capital. Once a week, we get together to catch up on everything we’ve missed. “Thank you,” I say, blushing slightly. I have a contract to provide desserts for this restaurant and a few others. “Your desserts are getting better and better,” Chloe adds. She’s already finished her blueberry scone and has several others in a box to take home to her mother. “All thanks to you guys,” I say. “You’re my first tasters after all.” Leah wipes some stray sugar off the edge of her lip. “A role I treasure.” “You’ll never guess who came into the restaurant the other night,” I say, doing my best to sound nonchalant. “Who?” Chloe asks, pushing her hair behind her ears. “A member of Karl’s staff. He wanted to make a reservation.” Leah looks up, closing the compact mirror with a loud snap. “Tell me you didn’t say yes to him!” I laugh. “I told him we’re reserved three months out. He doesn’t stand a chance.” Chloe grins and high fives me. Across the table, Leah gives me an approving look. “Good, I’m proud of you, girlie.” “I know you guys never really liked him…” Chloe shakes her head. “I liked him at first, but he dragged you along way longer than he needed to. He never treated you right.” I sit back in my chair, trying to quell the rise of indignation. Far be it from me to suddenly stand up for Karl, but I do believe he truly loved me at one point. He couldn’t have faked everything without me picking up on it. There was a time when I meant the world to him. “You sacrificed too much for him,” Leah adds, probably noticing my skeptical look. “You think?” I ask. She nods. “Everything changed the minute you married him. You had to dress the way he wanted you to dress.” I concede that point. Karl never liked me to dress too flashy. He preferred me to dress more conservatively, so that’s what I did. At the time, I didn’t really mind. I was willing to do just about anything if I knew it would make him happy. “Don’t even get me started on the black hair,” Chloe jumps in. I push my long, golden curls off my shoulder. It took me forever to get it back to my natural color. “He loved the black hair,” I say. Leah frowns. “He was too controlling.” “Way too controlling,” Chloe agrees. I know they’re right, but I hate admitting it, even to them. It’s hard to think about all the things I changed about myself just for him. I changed so much that when I look back at pictures from that time, I don’t even recognize myself. That’s why I hide all evidence of my past life at the back of my closet, where I can pretend it doesn’t exist. “He also hated when I cooked,” I say in a small voice, kicking myself a little for how feeble I sound. I’ve always loved to cook, but Karl never understood why I wanted to spend my time in the kitchen when I could have been reading or studying instead. And, like everything else, I resisted the urge to do what I really wanted so I could do what he said. “And you’re so talented at it,” Chloe says, gesturing to the crumbs on her plate. I was a good housewife, and I did whatever I could to please him, but even that wasn’t good enough. He still left me, for no reason that I can think of. And without a good education, and my father’s businesses in jeopardy, I had no way to make a living. Nobody would hire me. To top it off, no matter how many times I asked, he never told me why he decided to leave me. To this day, I still don’t know. Just thinking about the darkness I plunged into during those months after the divorce makes something heavy sit on my chest. My wolf took it just as hard, if not harder, and she’s been in a coma ever since. “He’s trash,” Leah says, conclusively. “Total garbage,” Chloe agrees. “You gave him way too much of yourself, and he never deserved it.” “But hey, at least you got a good settlement in the divorce.” Leah twirls a strand of chocolate brown hair around her finger. “Now you have this great life you created all for yourself.” “I am happy,” I say. Chloe reaches over and squeezes my hand. “And you deserve to be.” “I wonder what he’s up to now,” Leah says, pulling out her phone. She quickly searches Karl up and then shows us a photo of him in the capital. It’s of him, looking handsome in a well-cut suit. Apparently, he’s staying in the capital for an upcoming Alpha party. “I don’t even want to know,” I say, waving the phone away. “This interview is something you have to see!” Leah practically screams. “God, he’s ridiculous!” The three of us lean forward to look at the screen. It’s Karl’s business story. The interview is with Karl’s secretary and she’s going on and on about how wonderful Karl is and how cool he is. She’s practically beaming with pride as she talks about the pack’s growth and how many new investments he’s gotten. It’s clear she admires him. “No one who meets Karl could ever forget him,” she says. “I’ve even seen lots of women cry.” The reporter asks her if she thinks Karl attracts a lot of women, and the secretary nods. “I’m well aware of his charms.” She grins. “Women pester him constantly, and it’s my job to help him handle that.” “What about you?” the reporter jokes. She flashes a confidential smile in response. Beside me, Chloe rolls her eyes, leaning away from the screen. Leah looks revolted, and I imagine I have a similar expression on my face. What a narcissist. “Geez,” Leah says, putting her phone away. “We’re going to find you someone a thousand times better than Karl.” I nod. I’ve been meaning to go on a date, but I just haven’t made the time. If I keep this up for too long, though, my estrogen levels are going to plummet. “Here,” she says, “I’m going to send you some contact information. We’re going to find you a hot guy who isn’t a controlling narcissist.” Chloe claps her hands together. “Now, won’t this be fun,” she says. There’s nothing they love more than trying to set me up with someone. They’re determined to find me someone new, so I can officially leave Karl in the past. I pull out my phone, and my eyebrows go up. Leah sent me the information of… 17 hot guys ?! Well, at least I’ll have options.

Abby “I know there’s a lot to choose from,” Leah says innocently. “So, just pick the ones you want to sleep with the most.” I give her a look, but she just plasters on that innocent smile and waits for me to look at my phone. Beside me, Chloe leans in slightly, trying to get a look at the screen. “Fine, this guy,” I say, showing them the one I picked. “There, I have a date,” “Why not meet someone else too, while you’re at it?” Leah says. “Just to save time.” I’m a bit resistant to the idea, but I eventually give in to Leah’s pestering. I message another guy to meet me later in the evening. “You guys need to help me find something to wear,” I say when everything’s been planned. They both agree, and we pay our bill. We walk around the shops until we find one that might have the kind of thing I’m looking for. Chloe and Leah help me pick out a few dresses, and I go in the back to try them on. I decide on a form-fitting black dress. It hugs my curves and cuts down in the front to show a bit of cleavage. It’s flattering on my fuller figure, and I can’t help but admire myself a bit in the mirror. It’s the kind of dress Karl never would have wanted me to wear. Leah grins when I walk out to show them. I do a little twirl, and Chloe claps. “Now that’s a dress!” she exclaims. “You look like a goddess,” Leah adds. I can feel my face warm. “Come on, stop,” I say with a laugh. “Very sexy,” Chloe continues, making me blush even harder. I wave them off and go into the back to change into my regular clothes. I buy the dress and a pair of strappy black heels to match, leaving Chloe and Leah with the promise that I’ll fill them in the minute the dates end. I meet the first guy, Luke, a few hours later. It’s already crowded when I arrive, and it takes me a minute to spot him at the bar. He’s handsome. Even better than his pictures. Usually, the men Leah sets me up with are total duds, but maybe tonight will be different. “You look gorgeous,” he says, leaning down to kiss me on the cheek. I smile. “You look pretty good yourself.” We edge slightly away from the crowd, and he leans in to talk to me. He starts telling me about his career, all the while glancing not so discreetly at my breasts. I can’t help but feel a little bored. I always had so much fun when I went out with Karl. He dragged me out onto the dance floor and was constantly making jokes. I never knew what to expect with Karl, but it was always exciting. Luke’s like every guy I’ve been out with recently–more interested in how impressive he is than in what I might have to say. Partway through the conversation, I have to cut him off. “Excuse me,” I say, stopping him mid-sentence as he drones on about his recent account at work. “I just need to run to the ladies.” “Alright, don’t take too long,” he says with a wink. I have to resist the urge to cringe as I cross the bar. I adjust my hair in the bathroom mirror, then slip into one of the open stalls. A minute later, the door opens, and Luke pushes his way into my stall. He slips his hand around me and slides it down my back, grabbing my butt. My instincts kick in and I knee him hard. He goes down with a groan. Too bad for him, the only class I aced in school was Warrior Training. I leave him like that, crumbled over in the stall with a pained look on his face. I’ve been out with a number of handsome guys in the last three years, and I haven’t gone home with any of them. They’re all the same, desperate to get into bed with me rather than get to know me. And even though I try not to, I always find myself comparing them to Karl, and they always fall short. I go back to the bar. For a moment, I have the intense feeling that I’m being watched. I look around, expecting it to be Luke, but I catch sight of him retreating out the front door. The feeling persists, and I look around at the crowd again. No one stands out to me. Not anyone I can see from this vantage point, anyway. The next guy arrives, and he walks over with a wide smile. “Hey, I’m Adam,” he says, his voice deep and gritty in a way that makes me perk up a little. I force myself to forget the presence I feel. He’s handsome too, and more my type. He has curly brown hair and deep blue eyes. He’s not as tall as the last guy, but still a few inches taller than me. I wait while he buys us both drinks, then we edge over to a table in the corner to talk. “So, what are your hobbies?” he asks, inching closer. I can feel the heavy weight of someone’s eyes on me, but I don’t turn around. “Please don’t laugh,” I say, “but it’s actually cooking.” I wait for his response, biting my lip. “I like to cook and share it with my friends,” I add. I can’t help but think about Karl and how he liked smart women, not women who can cook. Maybe Adam’s the same. The service industry is the lowest of the low in the eyes of many. He looks a little surprised and I squirm a bit. “Can I try your cooking sometime?” he asks, catching me off guard. “I’m an investor in the food business.” “Sure,” I say. “You should come by my restaurant sometime.” I tell him which one it is, and he makes a note of it on his phone. “I can’t wait.” He orders us both more drinks, and I smile. I can be quick to judge, but I’m trying to be better. It’s not fair to compare everyone to my ex, and Adam seems different from the other guys. So far, he hasn’t leered at my breasts, or tried to grope me in the bathroom. I open my mouth to ask him about his hobbies when I feel Adam’s sudden burst of intimidation. A broad figure shoves between us, cutting Adam off from me. I look up at him and take a half-step back. Karl glares down at me, his jaw tense. Clearly, his was the looming presence I felt. I should have known. Behind him, Adam edges away with a nervous look on his face. He doesn’t leave, though, which I’m grateful for. “Excuse me–” I start. “I’ve been here for hours,” he says, cutting me off. “You’ve been dating several men in a row.” His gaze rakes down my body and I grit my teeth. “And wearing such revealing clothes? When exactly did you become like this?” “What?！” I exclaim angrily.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397396”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #Werewolf #Divorce #LoveAfterLoss #regret #DaretoLove

The day of my release has finally come, but it’s not the reason I’ve been waiting for so long. Today is the day my boyfriend Charles will finally propose to me. My cellmate Trina hugged me tightly. “We don’t want you to leave. If you go, who will help us with wounds and illnesses? That idiot who only engages in harassment but goes by the name of a doctor?” I don’t want my release day to be so sad. I hugged Trina and said, “Cheer up. You know how long I’ve been counting down to today. Aren’t you happy for me?” Before going to prison, I had a bright future as a surgeon, and Charles was a rising star in politics. We were a perfect match. When a political opponent planted drugs in his home, I stepped forward to take full responsibility for it. Even though I lost my medical license, I ensured my loved one’s future. He promised me that the day I got out of prison would be the day he proposed to me. Trina shakes back her long braids. “I said, do you really think this Charles dude is going to show up for you, after all these years? He’s never once come to visit you.” I bristle at her doubtful tone. While I entrusted my life to Charles, other prisoners had their doubts, and I won’t judge them. After all, many inmates haven’t found their true love yet. They don’t understand the meaning of childhood sweethearts, family, and commitment. “Of course,” I say. “Charles is a great guy. He sends me a letter every week. He hasn’t visited me because his status is sensitive. I went to jail, Trina, and it was not an honorable thing to do. And my dad wouldn’t lie to me, either. I’m finally going to get my life back, Trina.” I’m sure he will. My father has brought so many messages from Charles over the years. His weekly visits remind me that I did the right thing, taking the fall for Charles. Everything is going to work itself out soon; Charles and I will be married, my life will be back on track, and I can finally put the last three years behind me. “Okay, Nicki,” Trina sighs, turning back to her letter. “Honestly, it kind of sounds like you’re perfect for each other.” ** After a final round of hugs and a few promises to write – which I absolutely intend to keep – I’m ready to go. It’s weird, leaving. I clutch my little bag of personal effects, squeezing my engagement ring in my fist like a lifeline. It feels cold against my skin. I look behind me one final time before taking a deep breath and stepping into the lobby, ready to embrace freedom at last. No one is there. I look around again, even going to the door to peer out into the parking lot. It’s empty. The dingy, plastic seats of the lobby are empty. Everything is empty. Uneasy, I ask the guard on duty if they’d informed my family of my release. The guard frowns, checks a computer, and tells me that they contacted my family twice over the past month. My heart sank, but I believe it’s just a misunderstanding. Charles and my family wouldn’t abandon me. They must have simply gotten the timing wrong. A bus journey later, which swallows up the bulk of my money, I’m wandering along Times Square. Everything feels so big, it’s overwhelming. All these people, going wherever they want. So many people, so many crowds, just so much. They don’t know how lucky they have it, is my first thought. My second thought is that I don’t know how I was ever used to this much open space and this many random people pressing in around me. I’m not sure that I like it anymore; it makes me feel like screaming. I pass a bridal shop and pause to look at all of the gorgeous dresses. I never got to the dress-buying stage. I wonder who I can even ask to go with me, now that the wedding will be back on, besides my stepmom and stepsister. I’m not sure I have any friends left. My reflection catches my eye, and I wince. I look rough. My dark hair is dull and lank from years of split ends and cheap soap. My skin is flaky, and my eyebrows have overgrown like a wild thornbush. Honestly, maybe it’s good that nobody came to pick me up. I should probably have a spa weekend before I see Charles again. I want him to be overcome with longing, not grossed out by my unibrow. A flashing screen from the next shop redirects my attention, and I move to take a closer look. Wow, the Alpha’s daughter is getting married! The Alpha is the leader of the werewolf community, and he has a few children jostling for the position of heir. Werewolf culture has always been fascinating to me; in fact, it’s one reason that I specialized in werewolf anatomy in medical school. The camera pans across the Alpha’s family, toasting the new bride. One catches my eye – the Alpha’s son? Marcus. I’ve seen him before. I treated a whole pack of wolf soldiers when they came back from the front, and he was there. Why was the Alpha’s son at a regular hospital, not some private fancy one? But he was there, with his men, comforting them and bolstering their spirits. Insisting that he be seen last, as he was the least injured, kissing my hand when I prioritized his badly-injured soldiers over others waiting. Marcus looks almost as handsome on TV as he did in person. Black hair, eyes the color of a Caribbean sea. Sun-kissed skin, smooth and marless except for the faded scar across his cheek. He’s surprisingly trim for a werewolf; he wears a pearl-gray suit that accentuates his narrow hips, long legs, firm shoulders. I stitched up that scar myself, and he was so patient and kind while I did. He didn’t flinch at my needle, instead chatting with me quietly, asking questions about how I got into studying werewolf anatomy and complimenting my quick work. I wonder if he – All thoughts of Marcus are abruptly blanked out of my mind as the camera moves to the bride’s beaming soon-to-be husband. My legs wobble, my brain spins. I stumble backward, hardly registering the blare of a car horn behind me as I trip over the curb and into the street. Oh, my god. It’s Charles.

The next bus only gets me within three miles of home. I want to get there faster, but my phone is dead after trying to call Charles multiple times. My calls wouldn’t go through, and I have a sick feeling in my gut that my number has been blocked. The air is chilly, and I hug my inadequate coat closer to my body. Frozen slush sticks to my shoes. By the time I turn the corner and see our big, white house sitting squarely in the middle of the block, I’m freezing. I reluctantly go up the front steps, unsure of what I’ll find when I get inside. Should I knock? It feels foolish to knock at my own front door, but I don’t even have a key anymore. Turns out, I don’t have to worry. The door flings open before I can even reach for the doorbell, and my stepbrother Brodie stands in front of me with a smug grin on his face. “Woohoo!” he shouts. “Mom! Paul! The convict returns to darken our doorstep!” Becki’s blonde head pokes out from another doorway behind him. “Oh, my god,” my stepsister says in disgust. “You look like shit, Nicole. Gross. Prison just drips off of you, not that I’m surprised. We’re going to have to wash anything you touch.” I’m stunned. I’ve never been super close to Becki or Brodie, it’s true, but they’ve never been outright cruel like this. “What’s going on?” I ask. “Why didn’t anyone pick me up at the prison?” Becki snorts. “Don’t blame me. I can’t believe you even have the nerve to show your face here again, after what you did. Our family is in disgrace because of you.” I’m baffled. Everyone here knows I didn’t commit any crimes – they are the ones who convinced me to take the fall for Charles in the first place, after all. I open my mouth to remind Becki of this, but my father appears in the hallway before I can get a word out. I look at him hopefully, waiting for a defense, but he just looks grim. He waves me inside before turning around and walking into the dining room. I follow. Darlene is sitting at the elegantly polished table, sipping tea from my mother’s antique china set. I grit my teeth. “Nicole,” she says calmly, glancing at me. She’s head-to-toe in Armani, impeccable and decked out with six pounds of makeup and more jewelry than would be necessary for a dinner at the White House, never mind just sitting around drinking tea in her own home. “Darlene,” I say. “Welcome back, dear.” Darlene reaches for the teapot, refilling her cup with a spindly, manicured claw. She stirs a spoonful of sugar into her tea and lifts it to her mouth, a red gash in her overly-powdered face. “Welcome?” I say. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t anyone come pick me up today?” “Nicole, please,” Darlene says. “I don’t have the time for your hysterics.” Confused, I turn to my father, who is standing in the doorway staring at a spot over my head. “Dad,” I say. “I can’t get a hold of Charles. I called like, thirty times, but I think he’s blocked my number. And I saw on TV that he’s marrying the Alpha’s daughter? What’s going on?” Becki shrieks with laughter somewhere behind me. “Oh, my god, Nicole. You really are even stupider than you look. Did you seriously think you could still marry Charles after your little stint in prison? He’s the financial officer of the Alpha’s pack now; he can’t be seen with a freaking ex-con.” Brodie hoots as well. “You are so gullible, Nicole,” he says, wiping tears from his eyes. “Of course Charles blocked your number, you moron. We’d have blocked your number and changed the locks if we didn’t have to worry about doing damage control to clean up your mess.” “My mess?” I ask, bewildered and hurt. “Dad, you know the real reason I was in prison. Is the Robinson family really going to just dump and forget me like this? Don’t you have anything to say?” Darlene cuts in, her voice glittering and sharp as the edge of a diamond. “Nicole, please, I told you to quit the hysterics. No one asked you to do this; it was entirely your choice. You don’t get to play the victim now that the consequences have come home to roost.” “You’ve embarrassed all of us, Nicole,” Becki chimes in, crossing her arms. “You’ve disgraced this entire family. I don’t know what other reaction you’d expect.” I stare at the four of them in disbelief. I think back to that awful day, the day that Charles’s mom called Dad in a panic, sobbing about the unexpected police warrant and the drugs, the words “enough to make a case for criminal intent to distribute” swirling in the heavy air. I think about Dad and Darlene begging me to take the fall, to not let Charles’s career be ruined. I think about Becki, shouting, “My god, Nicole, he’s going to marry you either way. Who cares if you go to prison? Are you going to support him or not?” “You and Charles grew up together,” Dad had said. “You know he’ll stand by you. Now, are you going to do the right thing or not?” Now, I stand in my dining room, feeling frozen to the core. Dad is still staring at the ceiling, silent. Darlene is prim, with a glittering malice in her eyes. Becki smirks. Brodie grins like a predator. They know; they have to know what they’re doing. I don’t understand any of this. “Will someone at least help me get in contact with Charles, so I can have some closure around all this?” I ask. My voice sounds like it belongs to someone else. “I need to at least hear some of this from him. I should–I need to at least return the ring? Maybe I could go to his wedding, just to–” Dad finally speaks up for the first time. “Nicole, if you truly love Charles, you will leave him alone to get on with his life. He’s doing very well. He doesn’t need your – this – mess coming back to haunt him, much less at his own wedding.” Becki says it more bluntly. “He’s not going to talk to you, Nicole. Forget it.” Darlene finishes her tea, ringing a bell for the maid to come clear the dishes. Her voice is suddenly businesslike. “Now, here’s what’s going to happen. Nicole, you are going to find a job, any job, and reintegrate yourself into society to minimize the humiliation you’ve caused this family as much as you can. And I won’t hear any more moaning and mooning about Charles. You’ve made your choices, and now you can live with them.” Numb, I turn and leave the dining room, going down to my little basement room. I shut the door and collapse onto my old bed, the sheets smelling stale and musty, like they haven’t been changed in years. I guess they probably haven’t been. I’ve never felt so alone in my life. That night, watching the news on my phone, I see Marcus again. He talks about charity work and the joy of giving back to one’s community. Heart aching, I shut off my phone. Pretty words, but everybody has pretty words when they’re cheap and easy. How can I ever trust anyone again? I hold the cover letter I wrote and wait for the possible turn of events tomorrow.

“We don’t hire people with a criminal record, miss,” the manager of Graham’s Grocery says coldly, shoving my resume back across his desk as if it’s contaminated. “This is a family business. We hold our employees to a certain standard.” I gather my resume, trying not to cry, but tears overspill and trickle down my cheeks, anyway. The manager looks embarrassed, annoyed at my emotion. He turns his face away and ignores me as I stumble from his office. A nearby security guard clocks my tears as well, and is equally unfeeling about it. He gestures to the fire exit nearby. “This way, please, miss.” I slip out into the alleyway and straight into an ankle-deep puddle, the heavy door slamming behind me with an air of finality. Still no news about or from Charles. No one will tell me anything, and I don’t understand why. What does my family have to gain from lying like this? If they’re so worried about humiliation, why don’t they stand up for me? What are they getting out of still protecting the Robinsons? It doesn’t make any sense. I turn a corner and skid to a halt. Becki is standing in a huddle with a bunch of her friends, smoking cigarettes outside an upscale wine bar. Becki’s always been a loudmouth, and her voice carries over to me. “Yeah, our families have been so close for, like, generations. Like basically back to the Mayflower times. Charles is practically my older brother.” “You really think he’s going to introduce you to Marcus?” one of her friends asks. Muff, I think her name is. Becki’s friends have always had strange names, I remember. “Um, yeah,” Becki blows a stream of smoke over Muff’s head. “He’s already said he would. We’re both going to be at the wedding, after all, and he says Marcus doesn’t even have a date. It’s the perfect opportunity.” I gasp, feeling like someone has punched me in the stomach. Of course – this is why everyone is still protecting Charles. I’ve taken the fall, not just for Charles, but for the whole family. They’re going to throw me under the bus so they can climb up the political ladder on Charles’s coattails. I’ve been such a fool – a naive, trusting fool. I know I should keep my mouth shut and keep moving, that nothing good can come from a confrontation, but I can’t help it. I’m so overwhelmed by everything that’s happened in the past few days, I can’t seem to stop myself. I approach Becki and her friends, walking quietly and unseen until I’m standing right behind her. “Charles is a complete fraud, Becki,” I say, loud enough for everyone to hear me. “And you know that. Was this really your plan – to throw me under the bus and rely on the same man who betrayed me in the first place? What happened about being so embarrassed by what he’s done to our family?” Becki jumps, but she recovers fast. She stubs out her cigarette and reaches for another with a sneer on her face as she turns to me. “Oh, look who it is, the little family convict come to ruin my day,” she says. “You’re just jealous. Marcus is the most eligible bachelor in NYC, and I’m going to be his date at the biggest society wedding of the decade. I’m going to become the new Luna, and who are you going to be? Nobody.” “I’m not jealous, Becki,” I say, crossing my arms. “In fact, I’m starting to think that you’ve always been jealous of me, and now you think you’re going to get one over on me because you and the rest of the family have decided to ruin my life.” “Jealous of you? Just because you got into med school?” Becki’s voice got even more shrill. Her anger meant I’d poked her where it hurt.”We didn’t ruin anything. You ruined your own life. Now I’m going to move up, and you’re going to be left behind.” Muff joins in with Becki’s laughing, and the others soon join in. “You always did think you were better than the rest of us, Nicole,” one of them says. She tosses her glossy red hair back behind her shoulder, shifting in her Jimmy Choos. “How the mighty have fallen.” I shrug. “Remember the fable of the farmer and the snake, Becki? The farmer tries to save the snake from the cold, but he dies of a snakebite anyway. Charles is a snake. He’s always going to bite.” Becki stares at me blankly, her mouth half open like a gaping fish. “I have no idea what you’re rambling about, Nicole, but I do know that I’m going to this wedding and you aren’t. You don’t stand a chance.” “I know where his wedding will be,” I say, gripping the handle of my purse so tightly that my fingers hurt. I feel suddenly reckless, like I’m spiraling out of control. “I can tell everyone the truth, and then whose lives will be blown up?” Becki throws back her head and laughs full in my face, her friends following suit. “Please. Alpha weddings are the most heavily-guarded events in the world,” she gasps. “They have more security than the president. You’re not getting within 50 feet of any of us. Christ, you’re delusional.” I grip my bag tighter, resisting the urge to throw it in Becki’s face. What is happening to me? I never used to be like this, but now I feel so angry that I could snap. “If I just go to the Alpha family and explain,” I insist. “You’ll never get anywhere near them,” Becki finishes her second cigarette, throwing it on the ground to grind beneath her heel. “Only the rich and powerful get an audience with the Alphas, and who are you? A nobody with a criminal record. No one would even believe you.” She turns and walks back into the wine bar, her gaggle of friends hissing and jeering at me as they follow. I’m left alone on the street again.   An hour later, I finish packing up in my little basement room. I don’t have much – just a few important documents, clothes, my mom’s jewelry that I was able to hide from Darlene when she seized most of it from the safe in my father’s office. Everything I own fits into one small suitcase, which I drag up the steps to the front door, not even bothering to be quiet about it. “What the hell is all this noise?” Darlene asks, coming into the hallway, my father close behind her. She sighs when she sees me. “Oh, Nicole. Are we going to have yet another one of your little scenes?” “It’s not a scene,” I say. “I’m leaving. Never contact me again, either of you.” Then I kick open the front door and leave, not even bothering to shut the door behind me. Yes, I have to leave the house. I can’t stand to spend even one more second with these hypocrites. I might not be able to find a job for a while, but I still had a fortune – a fortune that I had always treated as a secret. That’s why it hasn’t been taken by Darlene or Becki. Perhaps I could use that money to buy a ticket to Charles’ wedding. But first, I must find an auction house.

After dumping my belongings at the cheapest hotel I could find at the last minute, I head over to an auction house I know, to offload the jewelry and designer bags Charles has given me over the years. I don’t want it anymore, and I could definitely use the cash, even if I only get a fraction of what it’s worth. The appraiser looks up at me after sorting through the pile I’d dumped haphazardly onto her desk. The look of pity in her face betrays her next words. “I’m so sorry, honey,” she says gently. “I know you wouldn’t be here if you knew, which means someone has lied to you terribly. These are all fakes. Good fakes, but fakes.” I feel the blood drain from my face. “What?” I whisper. My head is swirling, pounding. This cannot be happening – haven’t I suffered enough? When will the blows stop coming? “I’m so sorry,” she says again, reaching out to pat my hand. “Whoever he is, he’s given you a pile of junk. It’s worthless, hon. I can’t give you anything for it. I’m so sorry.” Tears stream down my face before she even finishes talking. I flee, ignoring the lady calling after me, asking if I want to take my knock-off crap with me. I don’t. I don’t really have a plan, but I do know that I need to get justice for myself. I have to find a way to talk to the Alpha’s family, to maybe cause a scene at that wedding, but I just don’t know how. Becki is right, much as I hate to admit it: the place will be swarming with security. I sit alone at the scarred, wobbly desk in the hotel room that reeks of stale cigarettes, scanning the papers for sublets while drinking glasses of cheap red wine from a plastic cup. Not knowing what else to do, I decide to volunteer somewhere. At least it’ll give me something to put on my resume, and it’ll get me away from day drinking in a dingy hotel while feeling sorry for myself. I’m going to slip into a worse depression than I’m already in if I don’t do something constructive with my time, and at least this will be helping people in my community, people worse off than I am. Briefly, I think of Marcus on TV, saying much the same thing. I shove the thought of him away and pick up my phone to scan for volunteer opportunities nearby. That’s how I find myself filling out the official volunteer paperwork at St. Mary’s, the soup kitchen downtown. My days fall into a pattern of chopping vegetables, serving food, washing dishes: it’s peaceful. Until one afternoon in March, when the calm is broken by the sound of a kerfuffle outside. There’s a flurry of activity: cameras, journalists swarming around the outside of the building. Whispers run like wildfire through the kitchen. “Can you believe it? The Alpha’s son is volunteering today!” “I thought they always warn us before a celeb comes in?” I peer out the window. Sure enough, there’s Marcus, trailed by flashing cameras. He’s as handsome as ever: black hair combed back, blue eyes sparkling as he shoos away the journalists. “Thanks, but let’s drop it here, folks. Martin, come with me for personal shots, but I need everyone else to clear out, please. This isn’t a zoo; people deserve to eat in peace.” The journalists laugh as they head off into the rain. Marcus turns to flash a smile at us. I find myself examining his teeth – you can hardly tell that his canine teeth are a little longer and sharper than you’d find in a human. “How can I help?” he asks Martha, our manager. “Marcus!” she beams, tossing a dishrag over her shoulder. “You sneaky boy, you didn’t tell me you were coming. You know we ask our celebrity volunteers to call ahead; if you were anyone else, I’d have you out on your ear.” “Sorry, Marty,” he says with an apologetic grin. “Last-minute media stunt. Father is trying to amp them up before the wedding. I tried to fight it but was overruled.” “Well,” Martha snaps her dishrag at him. “I’ll let it slide this once. Get over there and dish out the rest of lunch, and then get your princely ass into the kitchen and scrub dishes.” “Yes, ma’am!” Marcus salutes. He winks at me as he goes to wash his hands. I focus on the stew, portioning it out with more precision than necessary. I don’t want to talk to Marcus – he’s going to be my ex-boyfriend’s brother-in-law, for god’s sake. It’s embarrassing. Marcus slides in next to me behind the counter. “What can I do?” he asks. “Unpack the dinner rolls,” I mumble, keeping my head down. I can feel him next to me, radiating heat. He smells like cedar and smoke, a clean, masculine scent that makes my head spin. Focus, I tell myself. If Marcus finds my behavior strange, he doesn’t show it. He unwraps the rolls and adds them to plates before I pass them across the counter. “Sorry for the interruption,” he says. “I hate this kind of thing, making a big fuss. It feels selfish and disruptive, but my father insists. And–” “And you have to play along,” I say. “I get it.” An awkward silence falls between us. I know I’m being unfriendly, but I can’t bring myself to look at him. He’s royalty, for god’s sake, and I’m – well, I’m nobody. After a few uncomfortable moments, Marcus turns to me and takes a breath. Before he can say anything, there’s a crash at the end of the line. People scatter around a little girl who has passed out on the floor. Her dark hair spills across the tiled floor in stark contrast to her pale and clammy face. Her mother shouts anxiously in Spanish and gently shakes her shoulder. Marcus vaults over the counter and grabs his coat, sliding it under the little girl to protect her from the cold floor. His phone is already in his hand. “Tom? It’s Marcus. Yes, I need you at St. Mary’s soup kitchen immediately. No, I’m fine, it’s a little girl. Hurry. Yes, I’ll call an ambulance next, but I want you to get over here as soon as you can; I want the best, and you’re the best.” I’ve whipped off my gloves and am already kneeling by the girl, checking her pulse and lifting her eyelids to see her pupils. “When’s the last time she ate?” I ask her mother in Spanish. The lady hesitates. “Ma’am, you’re not in trouble,” Marcus says. “We just want to help.” “Yesterday morning,” the lady says, crying. “I’m so sorry.” “Marcus, get the mom some water,” I command. “And call that ambulance.” I look up at Martha, who is hovering nearby. “I need something to elevate her feet. Quickly, please.” Martha nods and grabs a box from behind the counter, tossing it to me. I elevate the little girl’s feet and unbutton the collar of her shirt, to relax the restriction around her throat. I unbutton the front of her jeans for the same reason, and then I pull out my phone and flick on the flashlight setting to check her pupils. I check her pulse. “I think it’s probably just hunger and dehydration, but I’ll be happier if we can get her to the ER,” I finally announce to Marcus. “Her vitals are good and stable, and she’s coming around now.” I place a gentle hand on the little girl’s shoulder, holding her still. “Gentle, niña. You had a bad fall, and you need to take it slow.” The little girl nods in confusion, and I slip an arm around her back to slowly help her sit up, cradling her against me. I glance hesitatingly at her mom, biting my lower lip, and then back at the little girl. I wonder if I can get away with skipping the ambulance, maybe get someone here to drive the pair to the hospital. These people can’t afford an ambulance. “Cost won’t be an issue,” Marcus says, noticing my expression and reading it correctly. “Ma’am, we’re going to get your little girl to a hospital, and I’m going to cover the costs. When your daughter is feeling better, we’re going to get you some support. Don’t worry, it’s going to be okay.” “Professional as ever, Dr. Nicole,” he murmurs to me. I stare at him in disbelief. He gives me a small smile before calling 911. He even remembered my name? A nobody like me?

The ambulance arrives quickly, probably thanks to the fact that it’s the Alpha’s son who calls for one. Elena, the little girl, is carefully lifted onto a stretcher. Her mom flutters anxiously beside her, and they’re both gently led to the waiting ambulance. Marcus catches sight of Martin, his photographer, hovering over his shoulder with the film running. “That’s enough footage,” he says. “We don’t want to overdo it, Marty. We need to strike a good balance between ‘heroic Alpha’s son assists glamorous doctor during medical emergency’ and ‘exploiting an impoverished kid and invading her privacy for political clout.’” Martin nods. “I’ll try to minimize how much of her face gets shown, too,” he says. “You’re right – this is a great opportunity to show people how involved you are in your community, but we don’t want to overdo it and piss people off. We can settle it in tomorrow’s meeting.” Marcus agrees. “Take off for the rest of the afternoon, put something together for me to review, and we’ll talk at the meeting tomorrow.” He waves a hand as Martin leaves. “Thanks, Marty.” Then, Marcus turns to smile at me and give me another wink, before extending his hand to help me off the floor.   After the ambulance leaves and things calm down, Marcus and I find ourselves in the kitchen, washing dishes. The awkwardness between us has vanished in the crisis, and we pass the plates back and forth companionably. We work well together, I catch myself thinking. “How are you recovering from that war injury?” I ask. He gives me a sidelong glance, and I smile. “Don’t pretend to be surprised. I know you recognized me.” “I did,” he smiles back. “The fighting on the border has subsided, I’m proud to say. I haven’t been back since you patched me up so admirably.” He bows, and I laugh. But I can see from the way he’s washing the dishes that his shoulder must be bothering him, and I say so. “There are some stretches I can recommend that will help with the stiffness,” I offer. Then I flush, realizing how suggestive that sounded. Pull it together, Nicole, I tell myself. He is not going to be interested in someone like you. “It’s fine, really,” he says, but his expression turns mischievous. “Of course, if you wanted to give your professional opinion, I wouldn’t mind. Here, feel my arm as I wash the dishes.” I take a deep breath, trying to ignore how hard my heart is thudding in my chest. I hope my face isn’t as red as it feels. He’s wearing a white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, gleaming against his dark skin. I definitely want to get my hands on him. It’s hard to remember to keep it professional. Drying my hands, I step behind him, reaching up to squeeze and test his range of movement as he scrubs. My god, this man is ripped. His biceps feel like liquid steel under my probing fingers. His shoulders are broad and smooth, coiling and flexing beneath the silk of his shirt. I shake my head silently and try to pay attention to what I’m supposed to be doing. Focus, Nicole! He’s your patient. Well, sort of. “Your left shoulder is stiff,” I say. “I can feel the limitations in how you move. I can’t believe your fancy Dr. Tom hasn’t caught this; you should’ve been doing physio this entire time, and something tells me you haven’t.” I move around him to give him a stern glare, using my best disappointed doctor voice. Marcus ducks his head sheepishly. “You caught me, Dr. Nicole,” he says. He puts down the dish he’s washing and wipes his hands. “But don’t blame ‘Fancy Dr. Tom,’ because I haven’t told anyone about the shoulder pain. There’s just been too much else going on.” I shake my head and reach for his arm again, gently moving it through a few simple motions. I’m standing so close to him that his scent is almost overwhelming, the heat of his body soaking into my hands and warming me to my core. Marcus groans in relief. “My god, Dr. Nicole, that feels amazing. Can you come to my apartment and do this every day?” I blush and bite my lower lip. “I’d love to, but it’s not really necessary. I can easily teach you how to–” my words fade as Marcus leans a little closer to me, slipping a hand over mine on his shoulder. I freeze. As if sensing he’s maybe taken a step too far, Marcus drops his hand and goes back to the dishes. “How’s work at the hospital these days?” he asks. “I’ve been lucky enough not to have to go back, so I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you before now.” I hesitate, fumbling over my words. “Oh, I’m not at the hospital anymore. I’m, um, working independently now.” “Oh?” Marcus sounds surprised. “Well, in that case, I know that Tom has far more patients than he can realistically keep up with. I could introduce you to several potential clients, if you’d like?” Oh god, I wish the floor could just open up and swallow me whole. My face feels like it’s on fire as I focus too hard on drying the next dish Marcus hands me. “Actually, I–I don’t practice medicine anymore,” I say. “I–it’s a long story, and I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s okay.” Marcus pauses, turns to peer into my face. “Of course it’s okay, Nicole. Is there anything I can do to help you? I mean that very sincerely, I’ll add. You’re a fantastic doctor; I’d really like to help you if I can.” He looks so earnest, so kind, that I feel my throat closing up. All I want right now is to get Charles to pay for what he’s done to me. Charles, Darlene, my father, Becki, the Robinsons – all of them. I want them to pay. I want them to go to hell. “I–” This is going to sound insane, but it’s probably my best shot. “Could I get an invitation to your sister’s wedding?” Now Marcus looks really surprised. I hasten to add an explanation that won’t sound unhinged. “It’s just–I’ve always wanted to see a fairytale wedding,” I explain. “I used to be engaged to my ex-boyfriend, you see, and it didn’t, um, work out. I thought mine would be the fairytale wedding, but since it won’t be, I’d love to see someone else’s. Probably my best chance, a real Alpha family wedding and all.” Marcus hands me another plate, his hand brushing against mine. I jump – his touch against my bare skin feels like an electric shock. In a good way. I try to shake it off – focus, Nicole. When I glance up, Marcus is staring at me intently, like he’s puzzled by something that he just can’t quite put his finger on. I blush and start to retract my request; it’s too crazy, he’s going to guess why I want to go, this will never work– “Of course you can come to the wedding,” Marcus says casually, turning back to the soapy water in front of him. “But on one condition: you have to be my date.”

“Be your date?” I’m so shocked that I nearly drop the bowl in my hand. “You’ve got to be kidding me – the wedding is this weekend. How does the Alpha’s son not have a date for his sister’s wedding by now?” Marcus laughs aloud. It’s a gorgeous sound, thick and syrupy, like rich honey. I could drink that laugh; I could pour it into my bedtime tea and let it warm me from the inside out. His laugh is as comforting as his smile, and I wish I could catch it in my hands and keep it. He shakes his head as he dries his hands on a dish towel, the dishes finally done. “My standards are far too high,” he jokes, winking at me yet again. My god, I never thought that a man’s wink could leave my knees feeling like jelly. In fact, if you’d asked me yesterday, I’d say that winking was cheesy as hell. From Marcus, though, it comes across as the sexiest form of subtle flirting. Still, I don’t answer right away. Marcus has money and status, and that’s enough to drive any woman crazy. However, I don’t care about any of that. All I care about is revenge – I think. Something in Marcus’s smile makes me briefly reconsider what it is that I actually want. Maybe I could seduce him? That would be the best revenge, perhaps. Becki would be furious, if nothing else. But no. The old Nicole would’ve done that, used some guy for his status and hidden behind him, letting his mere presence in her life be the revenge that got under everyone else’s skin. Not anymore. The new Nicole wants to stand on her own two feet, for one thing. For another, I don’t want to hurt anybody. Certainly not somebody as kind, as funny and warm, as Marcus. “Okay,” I say. “I’ll be your date for the wedding.” Marcus’s grin could light up the whole room. “It’s a deal,” he says, reaching out to shake my hand.   Marcus picks me up in a limo on the day of the wedding. He’s dressed in a cream white suit that sets off his dark skin to perfection, with a waistcoat and pocket square that match the blue of his eyes. He looks good enough to eat. I’m wearing the one nice dress I’ve ever owned, a Prada evening gown that Darlene was forced to buy for me several years ago for an event that she couldn’t get out of leaving me at home for. I’m lucky that it still fits, and that Darlene had apparently forgotten that it exists, because it had still been in the back of my closet when I got out of prison. If Darlene remembered it was down there, it would’ve been long gone, probably the day after the prison bars slammed behind me for good. It’s a truly gorgeous gown, though: deep, velvety green that offsets my pale skin and dark hair. It’s off the shoulder, with a full waist that drapes elegantly to the floor. I paired it with my mother’s pearls, a short strand of silky gems around my throat and dangling from my ears. I feel like a princess. Marcus seems to like my outfit, too, because his smile widens as I’m helped into the car. “You look divine,” he murmurs into my ear. I blush, and he hands me a glass of champagne. “To fairytales,” he says. I clink my glass against his. “To fairytales.”   When we arrive at The Plaza, the most exclusive and expensive wedding venue in New York City, Marcus escorts me inside and finds me another glass of champagne before whispering an apology and loping off to greet a bunch of businessmen in suits. Well, that’s to be expected, I reason. This isn’t just a wedding; it’s a networking affair. I sip my champagne and gaze at the setting around me, completely in awe. Everything is draped in gold, pearl, and lace. It’s like being inside Cinderella’s palace. It’s the wedding of my dreams, but I’m no longer the bride. No, this isn’t a dream, not for me. It’s a graveyard, the death of all my hopes and ambitions. Feeling a bit queasy, I sip on my champagne to try to settle my stomach. “What. The. Fuck are you doing here?” a voice hisses behind me in fury. I whirl around to find Darlene glaring at me, her hand clenching my upper arm hard enough to hurt. “How the hell did you get in here?” Becki walks up behind her mother, looking equally enraged. Shit. I should have remembered that my family was going to be here. At first, I’m scared. Darlene never swears, not like this, and certainly not in public. She always prides herself on being the gracious lady of society, not a feather out of place. To have her claws digging red gouges in my arm, dragging me close enough that I can smell the sour reek of her breath, is terrifying. I feel like I’m eight years old again, small and powerless. Wait, no. Darlene and Becki aren’t my family, not anymore. I have just as much right to be here as they do. More, in fact. And I’m not a little girl anymore – they can’t hurt me. I stand up straighter, but before I can respond, Becki is screaming for security. I can see the panic in her eyes – she’s worried I’m going to ruin everything for her. Well, she’s right. And she deserves it. A security officer approaches us, looking annoyed. “Miss, can you please lower your voice? People are staring. What on earth is the problem?” “This woman has sneaked in,” Becki declares dramatically, jabbing a pointy fingernail into my chest. “She’s not on the invitation list. She’s an ex-girlfriend of the groom; she’s here to ruin the wedding.” “That’s impossible, miss,” the security guard says, shooting me an apologetic look. “We have incredibly strict protocols; everyone is vetted at the door. I’m going to need to ask you to calm down; you’re causing a scene.” Marcus suddenly appears next to me, looking irritated. Darlene abruptly lets go of my arm, and I rub the spot she was holding, coaxing feeling back into it. “What’s going on here?” he asks, glancing between us all. “Is there a problem?” Becki immediately turns coy and sweet, actually twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. “Oh, Marcus,” she simpers. “We haven’t been introduced yet, but I’m Charles’s sister. This is his ex-girlfriend; she’s sneaked in here to try to ruin the wedding.” Marcus looks incredulous. “I’ve met Charles several times,” he says. “He’s never mentioned a sister. I’m sorry, who are you? Jim–” he turns to the security officer “Do we know who these people are, or why they’re throwing a very loud fit in this very expensive lobby?” Rage flashes across Becki’s face, but she quickly gets her expression back under control. “I’m sorry, Marcus,” she says. “I’m not trying to attract attention. I’m just so concerned about this gate-crasher, you see. This idiot–” she waves at Jim–”didn’t do his job properly and let her in. He should be fired.” Marcus looks angry and starts to speak, but Becki barrels on. “God knows what she said to him. She’s completely unstable. We’ve had to talk about getting a restraining order. But I’m sure you’ll protect me, now that you’re here and I’ve helped you divert national embarrassment.” She smiles sweetly at Marcus, batting her eyes. Darlene pats her arm, lifting her head proudly as she shoots me a triumphant little sneer. My stomach twists in anxiety – what if Marcus buys their story? But Marcus shakes his head in disbelief, then moves to put a warm, strong arm around my waist. He tucks me protectively into his side and stares frostily at Becki and Darlene. “I’m sorry, but are you talking about my date?”

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