1

SORAYA

I could barely contain myself as I walked briskly and very giddily across the boys’ dormitory lawn. It was all I could do not to squeal with excitement as I hurried into the building and up the flight of stairs. I stopped on the landing of the second flight of stairs to jump up and down and let myself squeal once again like an intoxicated idiot. I couldn't believe this was happening! There were absolutely no words to describe my joy, and the fact that I was headed up to share this news with my mate just made me even more tingly because this was our wish come true! I'd finally been accepted here to Lupine University and we could be together all the time!

I took a deep breath and began trying to calm myself down so I could at least deliver the great news coherently when I got to his room. I swallowed and shook my shoulders as if to shrug off the bulk of the excitement then I continued hopping up the stairs. His room was at the end of the hall and as I excitedly approached the door, I was halted suddenly by a sharp pain in my chest. I gasped at the severity of the pain, almost doubling over and having to hold the wall for support.

I'd been having this chest pain for a while now and I had absolutely no idea why. One of the other girls had said snidely at one point that with the way I'd been overworking myself and stressing so much to get into Lupine, it was a wonder I hadn't collapsed yet. She might be right, but I hadn't felt the pain this intensely before.

I breathed through my mouth for a few moments, wondering if perhaps it was my over enthusiastic trip up the stairs that had triggered it. The pain was gone after a little while and I straightened, a bit peeved at the fact that something had come up to try and dampen my joy. I huffed and marched up to Liam's door, giving it a sharp rap and unconsciously beginning to bounce on the balls of my feet in renewed excitement. I couldn't wait to see the shocked look on his face because we hadn't seen each other in about a year and adding that to the good news, this visit was going to be epic! The barely contained excitement I'd felt at first returned in full force and I was about to start knocking with reckless abandon when the door pulled back.

My eyes lit up immediately and my face was already breaking into the biggest smile but then my brain registered who actually was in front of me. It wasn't Liam. Worse than that, it was…

No, no, no, I thought to myself as my expression immediately fell and I involuntarily took a step backward. Sally Whitebait couldn't possibly be in Liam's room. This girl, the stuff of my nightmares… no. I'd definitely gotten the wrong room.

I was a nanosecond away from turning away from her snarling face and hightailing it out of there and going to search for my mate’s actual room when someone called from inside.

“Babe? Who is at the door?”

Someone. It had to be someone. It couldn't be the person whose voice my brain thought it was.

A pang of pain began spreading from the centre of my chest to the rest of my body as true to my thoughts, Liam came up behind Sally, his eyes widening as he saw me.

The pain…

That was our mate bond straining because he was… he was… my mind couldn't even bear to form the words.

“Liam…” his name barely breezed out of my lips. I felt so lightheaded and… hurt. It hurt physically. The pain in my chest was throbbing now and it didn't seem like it would end anytime soon.

“What are you doing here Soraya?” He demanded, looking for all the world like he was talking to an electrician who'd mixed up the day they were supposed to come.

I blinked, my mouth slightly agape. Was I dreaming?

“Bitch, you should shut your mouth before diseases make their home in there. Oh wait.. they already did. My bad.” Sally spoke up with disgust dripping from her every word. My eyes moved to her and I could only stare, my lips worked but no words came out.

“How come I didn't know you were coming? You can't just show up unannounced you know.” Liam continued, sighing and running his hand over his face in a bored manner.

I was stunned. Excuse me? A switch flipped in my head and my tongue finally loosened.

“Liam what is Sally doing here?” I demanded, my voice so frustratingly shaky I wanted to kick myself. I lifted my hand to point at the remorseless, evil creature standing next to my mate. And that was when I noticed it. My eyes grew wide and the pain in my chest intensified so much that it took everything in me to remain standing.

Sally was wearing the shirt I'd given Liam as one of his parting gifts a year ago.

“Liam why– what– what is she doing wearing that shirt?”

My voice broke and tears filled my eyes and I could do absolutely nothing to stop them. Liam frowned at me, recoiling visibly. Sally put her arm around Liam and cackled mockingly, repeating my words in a demeaning and mocking manner. This was the same girl that had bullied me for years, the girl that Liam had sworn to me was a slut and that was why she had no self esteem and picked on girls like me she was jealous of.

Liam was sleeping with that same girl. Shamelessly. It was obvious he didn't even give two fucks that I'd caught him.

“L– Liam h–h– how could you?” I sputtered, already turning into a mess– tears flowing down my face, snot coming out of my nose and my chest heaving up and down as I sweated profusely.

“L– Liam y– you're my mate!” I couldn't help but scream. “Our b– bond has been suffering this whole time, I've – I've been feeling pain. H– how could you not have f–felt it too? How could you be so callous as to be able to ignore the mate bond and– and–”

“And what?” Sally stepped forward and flicked my head.

I gasped, stumbling backward, the pain in my chest intensifying and my tears flowing even faster.

“And what, you lowlife? Tell me! And make the decision to associate himself with those of his status? Your betters? And be sensible enough to throw away dead weight like you? Which is it? Tell me!”

She flicked my head again and shoved me. I stumbled backward onto the ground and broke down in wracking sobs. My vision was completely covered by tears and I could barely lift up my head but I could sense that Sally had moved back into Liam's arms.

“Gosh, baby, this is horrible! How could a wolf of your caliber, an Alpha, be mated to such a weak and sorry thing? An omega.” She said the last word like it was some slimy, dirty thing found in toilet pipes and I couldn't help but sob harder.

How could this have happened?

I heard Liam sigh and in a second he was squatting beside me.

“Look at me ‘Raya.” He spoke, his voice gentle and fluid like I remembered it. My heart immediately fluttered and my head was up in an instant, my hands struggling to dry my tears so I could see his beautiful face better.

It twisted something inside of me as I realised in that moment that if he'd told me he was going to dump Sally and he'd just been using her to pass the time, I would have forgiven him immediately and run back into his arms.

“You obviously know the truth now.” His caramel voice brought me back to the presence as his golden eyes bored into mine. “I'd wanted to keep this a secret as long as possible but looking at it now I'll say your coming here worked out, ‘cause there's no point hiding anything anymore.”

He leaned closer, his eyes beginning to look like they were boring into my soul,

“You were never going to be my Luna.” He whispered with such deathly precision, enunciating each word such that they were well equipped to deliver the worst blows in all the right places.

My hand moved up to clutch my chest and my lips moved, struggling, but no sound came out.

“I'd planned all along to keep you as my mistress but–”  he leaned back and gave me a once over with the most disgusted look I'd ever seen on his face, “– you're so not worth it.”

Sally laughed out loud like she'd inhaled laughing gas but all I could do was stare. My ears were ringing and it was like I was watching the whole scene play out from outside my body. I was numb all over and then cold washed over me, followed immediately by searing hot pain, I screamed, wrapping my arms around myself as the shocking pain washed over me and then I realised what Liam was doing,

“– hereby reject you, Soraya Follen.”

The pain was unbearable. My wolf thrashed and howled within me, I felt my body spasm and it felt like I was crying blood.

The pain probably lasted about five minutes but it felt like eternity to me.

Liam had risen to his feet and gone to stand beside his–

I scrambled to my knees as Sally guided Liam back into the room and made to close the door, not before spitting at me.

I managed to grab onto the door handle and push back even though my body was shaking uncontrollably and my chest felt like it was on fire.

“Liam, Liam please!” I begged, “Don’t do this! You don't know how much –”

“Stop this immediately ‘Raya!” He ordered, “I did it already! Now leave before you embarass me any further than you already have! You have no right to cause a scene here!”

He pushed me roughly back into the hallway and slammed the door in my face. The last thing I saw was Sally's mocking smile as the man who had my whole heart was snatched away from me forever.

I curled up into a ball and sobbed and sobbed. The throbbing in my chest felt like it would never go away. I felt like dying.

I don't know how long I stayed there crying, the next thing I remembered was walking on the street morosely like someone who had no soul and no aim.

Was this what the story of my life would be called? Rejection?

I'd done everything that was in any way possible to ensure I got admitted to Lupine so I could be with Liam, but this was what I got instead? A shattered heart and a torn soul…

My body kept spasming so I decided I needed to get something edible into my system. I walked into the first establishment my legs could access and it turned out to be a bar.

I slipped my debit card out of my pocket and slid it over to the bartender.

“Keep the shots coming.” I stated, looking at him but not really seeing him.

The expression on my face must have said ‘No questions asked.’ because the guy just nodded and in five seconds I had six shots in front of me.

I took the first one. I barely felt it cascade down my throat. The pain in my chest was way more than the burn of any alcohol.

I then decided that was my mission. To continue to drink until I couldn't feel the pain anymore.

I kept at it and I didn't know how long I'd been there or how many I'd drunk but suddenly two wide shimmering hands stopped the trip of my latest shot from the table to my lips.

I blinked, then I realised it was just one hand. I was already so drunk I was seeing double.

An intoxicated smile formed on my lips as I followed the trail of the hand to look at the body it was connected to.

“What? You don't know how to have a little fun?” I slurred, leaning into him teasingly.

I could barely make out his features but his scent hit my nose and I had to blink severally to stabilise myself and keep from toppling breast first into him.

“You've had enough of these.” His voice was smooth, authoritative, yet… caring?

Who was this man?

“You… you have… no idea what–”

I couldn't take it anymore, with my senses and inhibitions filled by the alcohol, I found myself pressing myself up to this stranger, my lips seeking his and claiming them as mine.

Mine…

There was something that just oddly felt… right, about that.

I pulled away from him and stared into the most piercing blue eyes I'd ever seen.

He was perfect.

“You'll do for tonight.” I whispered.