Chapter 5

KALEN

Jade had somehow convinced me to go to the party tonight. It was not that I disliked parties, but I knew that being around idiots while they were drinking just made them into even bigger idiots.

She convinced me by saying that me ditching out on the party would make David feel like I worried about retribution. I knew that she just used it since she knew it would get me to agree, but she did have a slight point. Thus, I conceded.

She and Ava took it upon themselves to make certain that I was all decked-out, teasing me I would look like a fucking knockout at all times if I put in half as much effort as I did on shaving time off of my obstacle courses.

I simply told them that I did not care about looking like a knockout. I dressed up for myself when I wanted to. It was not like I would be dating because I had made the decision a couple of years back that I was going to wait for my mate. I wanted him to be the one that I dressed up for and the one that got all of my firsts.

Now, I did not have anything against people who dated or slept around. It was a personal choice and should not be criticized for it. One thing that really fucking irritated me was when people ‘slut-shamed’ others. Okay, so I was irritated with that phrase as well, but the point stood. It was too bad that people did not worry about their own choices rather than criticizing others for theirs.

Jade turned me towards the mirror and grinned widely, proud of her masterpiece.

My hair was styled with messy beach-waves, making it look much thicker than normal. Whatever the used also made it look more vibrant. Makeup was more dramatic than I normally did mine, but it looked good. I had the perfect smokey eye, which was highlighted with black cat’s eye liner. My lips were bronze and made them look fuller than they usually did.

The dress that was chosen for me to wear was a silver bodycon dress that went to mid-thigh. It had a teardrop cutout that showed just enough cleavage to tease. Knowing that this party was going to be outdoors, they opted for gladiator sandals with a modest heel instead of high-heels that would normally be worn with a dress like this.

“Whatcha’ think?” Jade asked me.

“That I should probably higher you as a stylist for any major event.”

I turned to the side and looked at the back. Damn. My ass looked nice in this dress.

‘Nice,’ Nika repeated, snorting. ‘How about fucking great? You know, it’s okay to think that you look good.’

My eyes rolled with her last sentence. She always got frustrated that I did not see myself clearly. She swore that my body was sexy as hell, but I did not share the same sentiment.

“I’ll take the job! You’re going to have all of those males falling all over themselves tonight,” Jade said with a devious little smirk.

‘See? Even she gets it,’ Nika pointed out, but I just ignored her.

“I highly doubt that, but we should get going before everyone that can get us there leaves.”

We made our way down the stairs and immediately spotted my parents who were caught up in their make-out session to have realized that they were not alone. Some kids would gag and make it a point to share their disgust, but I did not hold any disgust because my parents were two of the most in-love couples I had ever met. They were each other’s everything that treated them with the utmost respect in all things.

I really hoped that my mate and I would get to the point that they were at one day. I just had to find him first. Knowing my luck, he would be one of those people opposed to female Alphas.

“Ahem,” I said, clearing my throat. “Just wanted to let you know that we’re leaving.”

Mom blushed deeply when she saw us standing there. Then she hopped off of Dad’s lap and came over, hugging the three of us.

“You three look absolutely gorgeous. I hope you have fun tonight. Remember to reach out if you need anything,” she told us.

Mom was the type that would drop everything and come running if we ever needed her, no questions asked. She was also the one who would remind her children that they could tell her anything, no matter how difficult it was to share. I remembered the time that my older sister, Mira, got shit-faced drunk at a party and went to pick her up to make sure that she was safe. Never once was Mira judged for it.

You might be asking yourself why my older sister was not going to be the Alpha if she was older. Mira was adopted when she was five. Her birth parents were horrible fucking people that sold her to someone who put in a slave auction. Luckily, my parents were there undercover and saved all of the innocents.

Dad would have named Mira his heir if she had wanted it, but she just wanted to be a doctor. She had two years left before she would be finished with school, internship, and residency. Then she would come back here permanently and work at the pack hospital.

“You do look beautiful,” Dad grumbled as he stood up and shoved his hands in his pocket. “Just be careful because I know how guys are. I was one of them before your mother came along.”

That was something I had never heard before. I had just assumed that he had saved himself like Mom did because they always told us about the importance of waiting for our mates, or at the very least, making sure that our partners were not part of our pack because it could unintentionally hurt our mate once we met them. That was what I got for assuming anything.

“I promise that I will be careful. Zion and Matteo will both be there and probably around me, so I doubt that anyone will try anything, but even if they did try something then I would stop it with either a knee to the groin or a fist to the face, depending on what they did.”

A laugh escaped both of my parents. Dad seemed placated and proud of my answer.

Matteo was waiting for us when we got to the group. It was too bad that one of my Vessel abilities was not to teleport. It would simplify things quite a bit.

“Now, I see why Ava threatened that she would kick my ass if I came anywhere near your house tonight. I’d hate to guess how long it took you three to get ready. Looking great though.”

I could definitely imagine Ava threatening Matteo. She was a firecracker and scary enough that she could put the fear of the Goddess in many people.

A giggle escaped me at the image she shared of Matteo’s face when she did it. Goddess, that was a great look on him.

He glared at the both of us and pretended to be pissed off, but we both knew it was fake.

-

The party was already under way when we got there. The back-to-school party was always a big deal. There were too many people to even guesstimate how many there were.

Zion immediately spotted us and jogged on over, greeting everyone. Chaz, another member of his coven, followed as well.

“You guys made it! The party wouldn’t have been all that fun without you,” Zion said.

Chaz looked at him incredulously and placed a hand over his heart.

“I can’t believe that I wasn’t enough.” He wiped a fake tear away.

“I said not all that fun. Plus, you’ll be ditching me the first time someone smiles your way.”

Chaz just shrugged because he knew it was probably true. He was a perpetual flirter and took every opportunity to do so. He was a charmer, so he never had a lack of female company when he wanted it.

“C’mon, sexy Chaz. Why don’t you take me to go get a drink,” Jade offered.

“Sorry, man. Duty calls,” Chaz said, thumping Zion’s back.

Zion just chuckled and reminded him that he would skin him alive if he treated her poorly. Chaz swallowed hard, knowing that Zion’s words were not a threat but a promise.

Jade was not related to Zion, but his father had always been protective of Mom, as such, Zion was very protective of her sister.

Zion threw his arm over my shoulder and steered me towards the keg. It took a lot to get vampires and shifters drunk, but we never got to that point and stopped before it happened. Having a buzz, sure, but getting drunk was something neither of us have done before.

My parents were okay with me occasionally drinking once I turned sixteen because they knew how responsible I was. They respected my choices as long as I was not putting myself in harm’s way.

Zion’s parents had the same views as mine. It was also more common for adolescent vampires to consume alcohol than it was for shifters. His parents never pushed him to consume wine when visiting dignitaries dined with them, but they did allow him to choose once Koa awakened.

He handed me a cup that he had just filled and proceeded to get his own.

There was a bonfire off behind us and a dance floor set up to the right that was already crowded. The music selection was perfect for the party feel. It was not my typical genre, preferring more of a rock variety instead, but I could appreciate it for what it was.

My eyes swept around to see what else there was and landed on someone. He was in nearly a replicated position as this morning but with one difference. He was making out with whichever blonde had his tongue shoved down her throat.

I looked away before he could catch me staring like a creep. Part of me disliked what I saw, but I had no rhyme or reason for that. He was a stranger that I had only seen a few times in my entire life.

Zion was staring intently at Maddox with a peculiar expression on his face. I leaned up so that I could whisper into his ear and ask what was wrong.

‘Nothing. There’s just something different about him. I can’t quite put my finger on what that might mean.’