Prologue

PROLOGUE

Listening to the music in the background spikes up my excitement as I try on my ball gown. My nerves are all over the place and I'm almost jumping out of my skin. I'm trying to control myself but it's impossible.

"Try to stay still, miss. I can't zip up your dress if you keep shaking like that." Said the stylist who is helping me get ready. She's old enough to be my mother and also a bit cranky. But I have to admit, I haven't exactly been making her work easy either.

"I'm sorry, Miss Delvin. I'm just too excited." I apologize, and take a deep breath, trying to control my giddiness. 

She zips me up and leads me to the full-length mirror. Just a glance at myself and I'm left in awe. How the hell do I look like a diva?

"Do you like your new look?" She asks, spreading out the tail of my dress. 

"I love it." I gasp in happy tears. It's everything I wished it would be. The hair. The dress. The makeup. The pieces of jewelry. Everything is on fleek. My oval-shaped face has been accentuated into a real work of art. No doubt I'll be one of the prettiest unmated females at the ball tonight.

I've spent years dreaming of today — my 18th birthday and another day for the mating ball, which occurs yearly. Finally, I'll get mated to the guy of my dreams. The only one I'll ever love in this lifetime. Dorian Reyes.

A sudden knock on the door distracts us and I get hyped. It has to be him. Maybe he's here to wish me a happy birthday. We haven't spoken all day. I was beginning to miss him.

"Can I come in?" The female voice asks, dwindling my excitement. 

"Lily." I smile, gesturing at her to come in. She's my best friend and literally the sister I never had. 

"Happy Birthday, bestie." She squeals, hugging me. 

"Thank you, Lily." We pull away and I notice Miss Delvin has left the room. Thank goddess. I really need a little privacy with Lily. 

"Is something wrong? You don't look excited." She says, squinting her eyes at me.

"Dorian hasn't contacted me since today. It's my birthday, but he hasn't even texted me. I feel like he ghosted me and I'm not sure why." 

"Calm down, Emily." Lily puts her hand on my shoulder and she flashes me one of her optimistic smiles. "Maybe he's planning a surprise for you." 

"A surprise?" Repeating the words makes it sound more ridiculous than when she said it.

Dorian doesn't like surprises and in the two years we've been together, he's never planned any surprises for me. So it's hard to believe that he's planning one today.

"Yeah. Maybe that's it. Maybe he's out there, planning something huge for you tonight." Lily tries to convince me. 

"Maybe." I puff, still not convinced. "But I just want to be alone with him before heading down for the party." I say with a forlorn look.

Dorian Reyes has been my boyfriend for almost two years now and I can say he's been the best thing that ever happened to me.

Tonight, I have my fingers crossed, wishing the moon Goddess will see how deeply attached we are to each other and pair us up as mates. It will be the highlight of my evening. 

I don't want to be delusional but I already see it happening — I already see him being my mate in a few hours. 

But it won't be bad to have a little quick fuck with him before heading out, right?

Dorian fucks good and I've been quite an addict since we got together. Being raised as a prim and appropriate girl, you can say Dorian is a bad influence on me. But is it crazy that I love him more for that? For bringing a little spice into my mundane life? 

Before he came around, I was the boring daughter of the Pack's Beta. The good girl. The one who never breaks any rules and always colors within the lines. But Dorian changed all that. He made me realize there's so much more to life than books and locking myself up in my room.

I'm obsessed with him and I've never stayed this long without hearing from him. But it's already been hours. And it's beginning to freak me out.

I tried calling him again with my phone but it didn't connect. Oh, God!

With a pout, I slump on my bed. My night just started on the wrong foot. Now, I'm no longer hyped for the party. I feel sad and I can't help it. Why the heck is he ghosting me today? He's never done that. He's always been the one chasing me every chance he gets. Sneaking up to my room. Stealing me away from crowds and fucking me in empty halls or restrooms. He's always been the clingy one. The touchy one. The overly jealous and protective one. So why is he able to stay hours today without contacting me? How's he able to do that?

"Breathe, bestie. I'm sure he'll contact you soon and make it up to you." Lily says, with a giggle.

"I hope so." I breathe out. "I really do hope so." Suddenly, I feel my throat dry up a bit. But before I say a word, she stretches a glass of juice to me and I smile. Just what I need to chill my nerves. "Thank you, Lily."

I take the drink and gulp down every drop of it. She takes the glass away from me, returning it to my nightstand where she got it from. 

I stand to adjust my dress again, wiping off the frown from my face. Lily walks back to where I'm standing but she doesn't say a word. 

But then, out of the blue…

Smack!

My face is slammed by her hand, and then firm fingers grab my hair roughly, yanking off every pin in it and ruining the perfect bun it was arranged in.

"Lily. Stop it. What's going on with you?!" I try to get her away from me, but I'm suddenly feeling weak and nauseous.

Still, I manage to push her away, but my eyes are beginning to twirl and giving me a dizzy effect. What's going on?

"You bitch!" She spats, smacking my face again. And again. Until I slump on the bed, wincing from the pain on my face and the slow but excruciating twisting in my stomach.

What's happening?

"Lily…" I mumble weakly, as I drag myself off the bed. Her eyes are red in fury and her guards are up. She looks very different. She looks…lethal. Unlike the calm and sweet Lily who is my best friend. 

Scared by her abrupt, rash behavior, I still try to grab her hand with a smile.

"Why are you hitting my face so hard? What kind of prank is this?"

"Prank?" She scoffs, jerking her hand away from my grip. "This is not a prank, Emily. You are a slut and that's the way to treat sluts."

"What — what do you mean?" 

God, why do I feel so dizzy?

"Emily James, listen carefully. You're a brat and I've tried to tolerate you so far. But I will never tolerate you, throwing yourself at my man again. Do you understand?" 

"No." I shake my head vigorously as tears fill in my eyes. I don't understand anything right now. Not her words. Not how painful the knot in my stomach is getting. Not the venomous look in her once, sweet and bright doe eyes. Nothing makes sense right now.

"Fine." She backs away from me, to the door and pulls the doorknob. "Maybe this will help you understand."

To my surprise, Dorian walks in, and I'm elated to see him. Maybe he'll help me figure out what's wrong with Lily. But strangely, he lingers around her, and then he grabs her waist, pulling her close and kissing her lips.

The sight hurts my eyes, but more than that, it makes my mind run wild. What's going on? 

"Dorian…" My voice trembles and my heart sinks as his cold gaze finds me. Cold and aloof. Nothing like his usual self. Why is he holding her like that? Why did his eyes light with so much admiration when he held her a second ago?

We've been together for years but he's never looked at me like that. Like I was the only thing that mattered.

"He's my mate, bestie," Lily says with a mock chuckle. "So you understand why I smacked your face? I'm sick and tired of watching you throw yourself at my mate."

"Your mate? What are you talking about?!" Anger and shock take over my slightly trembling body at the absurdity of the situation. "He's my boyfriend…"

"I might have fucked your pussy a couple of times, but that doesn't mean shit. I never loved you. I could never love you." Dorian says the words with an innate venom I never knew he had.

"You're the side-chick. Emily. You've always been. And I've been the main girl." Lily taunts, running her hand over Dorian's chest. "Dorian and I have been together for three years. Right before he met you. And tonight, he became my mate."

No. No. That doesn't make sense. It couldn't be true. Ouch! Why does my stomach hurt so much?

"Please — please get — me a doctor. I think I feel—sick…" I stutter weakly, clutching my chest with my trembling hands.

"No, honey. What you're feeling is pain. From…the…poison in the juice you just drank. You'll be dead in a few seconds, Emily." Lily says with a smirk.

"Wh—what?!" I retch noisily, vomiting an ample amount of blood. That's when reality finally sinks in.

Dorian betrayed me. Lily betrayed me. And now, I'm dying. Without a chance to even understand why they did this to me.

"Goodbye, friend. It's been hectic staying close to you all these years. Have a nice trip to hell." Lily chuckles, waving at me.

"Why…?" It's all I can say as I slump to the ground, lying in the pool of my blood.

"Because I hate you, Emily James. Because you don't deserve all the good stuff you have. Now, you'll see how miserable it feels to not have anything. Even your own life."

"Please…please…save me…"

"Not in this lifetime, bitch. So shut the fuck up and die silently." Dorian growls.

My eyes are slowly shutting and I'm wincing in pain. But they don't care. Not even a tiny bit. I watch them leave the room, locking me in.

Death slowly creeps in and in the last second, I make a quick prayer to the Moon Goddess…

Just one more chance. One more chance to make them pay. I don't deserve to die like this. So please, give me another chance…

"One more chance." The words linger on my lips as I take my last breath, giving in to the darkness.