What a mess!

Vienna's POV:

“I'm not over him? Really!!”

I scoffed, taking a pause and looking dead in her eyes before continuing.

“So, my dear bitch… I mean, my only dear step sister! If you're forgetting it, then let me refresh your memory. I'm the one who kissed someone just this morning, with the whole college watching. While you're the one who was sneaking kisses from my boyfriend in some hidden, shady alley… I guess you know better about who's not over whom!”

I bet Gemini was not expecting me to answer her back, and this much was evident in her expressions. After all, I had always kept up the dignified act of us being sisters, even though she had never acted like one to me. 

But today, she had crossed all her limits; hence giving me a pass for the same.

Guessing by the way she snarled at me, lunging towards my neck with her teeth bared, I didn't think she agreed with my principle of tit-for-tat. 

Sidestepping her at the last moment, I avoided her sharp nails which passed a hair's breadth from my face. In trying to surpass her, I had climbed on the upper step, while she was standing in my old spot. 

“Vienna! Vi! Are you over here?" 

Before Gemini could try to attack me one more time, my best friend, Lola's voice echoed in the congested staircase. Making Gemini aware of another person being in our vicinity; even she wouldn't be crazy enough to attempt a murder with a witness nearby…

Within moments, Lola's figure appeared on top of the staircase, and she seemed to sense the tension between us with just one glance. 

“Girl, I've been looking for you all over the mansion! And you were hiding in the wine cellar all this time? Come on…”

Lola dragged me out of there by grabbing my wrist, leaving Gemini standing there, seething in anger. 

Lola let go of my hand as soon as she led me out of the staircase and into the hallway. The moment we were free of the constricted space, she spun around to face me, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree. 

"First of all, happy birthday, my cutie!" 

She squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. She pulled back just enough to look me up and down, while our arms were still entangled. 

"You look so pretty in this dress!" 

“Thank you!" I beamed, my heart filling up with joy as I followed her gaze, glancing down at my emerald green bodycon dress. 

"And you look gorgeous too…"

I meant it with all my heart. She was dressed in simple fitted black jeans and a cold shoulder burgundy top, but she looked effortlessly stunning– like an off-duty model. 

Lola always had that kind of aura.

But before I could take a breath, Lola’s expression shifted, and she whisper-shouted. 

"Now that the time for pleasantries is over… bitch, what the fuck!!"

I blinked, taken aback by her abrupt change in tone. 

"I miss one day of college, and you start pulling stunts like this?" 

My smile faltered, and embarrassment crept in, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

“Oh, that… I have to tell you a lot of things, Lola.”

"Damn right you do!" 

She shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "But first, we need to fix this mess you've made."

My eyes went wide as I scanned her face, my stomach dropping. 

"Mess? Wha… what mess? Lola, it's not a mess! Asher was cheating on me and–" 

I began, thinking she must be talking about my messy breakup with Asher, which had become the hottest headline for the day. 

"Forget that scumbag for now!" 

Lola cut me off with a wave of her hand. 

"Did you knowingly invite someone from the pack that's your dad's biggest enemy?! The Azuremist pack!"

My breath caught in my throat. 

"What?! No!!" 

I stared at her in shock. She was the only guest whom I had invited to the party, rest everyone was here because of my parents. Then who the hell… 

"And worse," Lola continued, completely unaware of the chaos which had already started in my mind. "They are the future alphas of the Azuremist pack!”

It clicked in my mind like a puzzle piece snapping into place: Kai and Fynn.

Oh, crap! 

I had invited the Maddox brothers to my father's gala, without even inquiring about their status or which pack they were from… and they must be the future alphas she was talking about! 

Oh, Moon Goddess, I'm done for.

Panic soared within me. This was the one day of the year when my dad made any effort to be civil toward me, at least enough to show the world he was still my father. 

If I risked infuriating him today, it could blow up in my face.

I shook my head, trying to think clearly. “No, no, I have to stop them! But how… Lola, I invited them as a way to make up for–”

“Girl, you need to get your head in the game!” Lola said, interrupting my nervous confession,“If they show up, your dad won’t let that slide.”

“I know! But how do I get them not to come? I can’t exactly call them and say, ‘Hey, please don’t attend my party– which I myself invited you to– because it might anger my dad’!?”

Lola rolled her eyes. 

“Then let’s figure out a plan! We can’t just stand here and hope they don’t show up.”

Saying this, she took my hand again and we both hurried down the hallway, trying to get to my room upstairs before someone overhead us and tattled to everyone else. 

But it was my mistake to assume that anything would go as planned, even after everything that had already happened today. 

Because before we could even cross the hallway, my legs froze mid-motion the moment that I spotted two figures stepping into my line of sight. 

Two identical figures. 

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at them. Kai and Fynn Maddox. 

Kai was wearing a navy-blue blazer, which contrasted sharply with his bronzed skin. His hair, styled in slightly messy waves, only added to his relaxed vibe. 

On the other hand, Fynn looked sharp in his charcoal black suit. His dark hair was slicked back, highlighting the sharp angle of his jaw. 

Both of them were towering over most of the guests, their presence absolutely magnetic. 

They looked… God, there was no other way to put it… they looked really hot, and even that was an understatement. 

My mind went blank for a few moments, like I had forgotten how to think… or how to breathe. My heart was hammering in my chest like it was trying to escape its prison of ribs to run wild and free for once. 

And then, something strange happened.

A voice, clear as a bell inside my head. 

It sent shivers down my spine and I froze, blinking rapidly as if trying to shake off the sensation… but it was impossible to ignore. The voice was unfamiliar to my ears, yet unmistakable to my soul. 

“Mate!”

It was the first time I had ever heard my wolf speak to me– and that one word was enough to make everything inside me tilt, shift, and rearrange itself.

Holy. Shit.