William stopped a moment before I reached his side and turned him to face me.“I want to go with you to the lake,” I said. “Truly I do.” My voice and body were trembling with emotion. “I promise I will go with you unless there is a disaster happening with the company.”I had to make things right with my friends. I knew I had changed, and was still changing, and it must be hard for everyone around me.My closest friends, Amy, William, and Victor, saw I wasn’t the same person I used to be. It had to be hard for them when I didn’t react or think exactly like I used to.They needed to know that just because I was becoming successful and had ambitions, it didn’t mean I didn’t care about them. I still needed them in my life. I had to show them how much they still meant to me.Without my three best friends, my life would be lonely beyond bearing. I realized I must make time for them and make them feel as important as they are to me.“I’m sorry if I seem different to you,” I said in a shaky v
Victor shut the driver's door and walked around to the front of the car.“Daisy, I’m sorry if I seemed angry,” he said. “But you should go inside. It's getting late, and you need your rest.”Frustrated, I put my hands on my hips. “How am I supposed to rest when my friends keep getting mad at me?”I kept going, releasing my anger. “If it’s not Amy making me feel guilty, it’s you or William. I’m doing my best to make everybody happy and keep up with my obligations at the same time.”I was shaking, and I turned away, not wanting Victor to see the tears starting to well in my eyes. But I had enough of feeling guilty.Victor turned me around to face him. “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. And I’m sorry if I was too bossy earlier. I really was trying to help you.”“Two of the men you were speaking with tonight have horrible reputations as scam artists,” Victor said. “I wanted to spare you the hassle of making a mistake by dealing with them. And getting into a car alone with them could
It was great to see Amy so cheerful the next morning. She greeted me on the bench outside the school with a big smile.“Hey, did you get any sleep last night?” I asked as I slid into the bench next to her.“After we hung up, I slept like a baby,” she replied. “I can’t wait to see your office. It's the first thing I've had to look forward to in weeks.”“Your dad is okay with you going with me?”“Yeah,” she replied. “He’s hoping it snaps me out of my funk over Justin. He said I can hang out with you whenever I want.”“That’s great,” I said. “You’re welcome to spend time at my office with me whenever you feel like it.”It was a relief to see Amy in a more cheerful mood, and I was looking forward to the afternoon with her.Time seemed to slow down after I reported to my homeroom and my school day began. I couldn’t wait for it to be time to leave for my office.The highlight of my school day was seeing William in werewolf history, where we spoke briefly, and although we couldn’t talk in cl
But it was too late.“Debbie is great,” Amy sang as she appeared at my door.Her joyous expression faded when she saw the three Alpha girls standing around my desk.When the trio saw Amy, I could tell they had correctly guessed she was a Beta.They took one look at the second-hand store denim skirt and pink top Amy wore that was devoid of designer labels and instantly decided she wasn’t worth their time.Amy saw it on their faces, and anger and humiliation burned in her soft brown eyes. I used to feel the same way when confronted by Alphas.Sometimes, deep inside, I still did.I knew she was deciding if she should leave. I didn’t blame her. It’s what I would have done.I couldn’t let that happen after I invited her here to spend time with me. It wouldn’t be fair to Amy or me.Plus, she was feeling fragile since her relationship with Justin seemed to be falling apart. She needed me a lot more than the Alpha girls did.Maybe I should let Megan and the others know Amy was dear to me. Tha
“I mean it, Daisy,” Amy said. “Why don’t you like Justin? You’ve never even met him!”“Yes. I don’t know him, Amy, but ….” I began.I had to explain how I discovered he was an Alpha and how Victor and I went to his apartment and demanded he tell Amy the truth.She also needed to know that the result of that meeting was him leaving for the other coast.She would be furious with us both, but I think more so with me. I should have told her the truth from the beginning.“If you don’t know him, how can you not like him?” Amy fumed.“Amy, I'm sorry,” I began again. “It’s not that I don’t like Justin. I don’t know him well enough to say that. But I’m afraid he’s going to hurt you …he has been hurting you, and ….”A loud knock at my door made us both jump.“Come in,” I called, glad for a reprieve. I needed time to think of gentle words to break the news to her and not just blurt out whatever came to my mind.William popped his head into the room, followed by the rest of his fine self.“Hello,
Victor didn’t see me approach the table until I stood right beside him.I seethed when I saw the woman sitting next to him was even more beautiful up close. She had long, gorgeous, copper-colored hair, deep blue eyes, and huge breasts that she showed off in a severely low-cut and clingy royal blue dress.She was older than Victor, in her early thirties, and diamonds glittered in her ears and at her throat. She was the type of Alpha I disliked the most.Anger flashed through me again when she laid a well-manicured hand on Victor’s bicep once more while laughing at something he said.“That must have been some meeting,” I said, doing my best to control my temper.I took several deep breaths and forced myself to think about something pleasant. I didn’t want to make a scene, but I had to tell Victor I caught him being his old playboy self again.But then Victor looked up at me and smiled! My hands balled into fists at my sides, and my heart raced. Did he have no shame!“Everyone, I would l
I was ready and waiting at six forty-five on Sunday morning. After canceling my plans with Victor the previous evening, I went to bed after a long run and slept until five a.m.I grabbed a piece of toast and a banana from the kitchen before telling Alex goodbye. He was still in bed, but he gave me a wave and a sleepy smile as I backed out of his bedroom.Dressed in Capris, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, I waited outside for William and his family to pick me up.I was determined not to think about Victor all day as I enjoyed the lake and William’s company. I’m sure he didn’t spend his time thinking about me.All he said when I told him I wasn’t going to the party was, “Okay. Get some rest.”“Don’t let him ruin your day,” Diana said. “You need a break from everything, including him. All will be well again in time, Daisy.”“You’re right.” I shook my head and forced him from my mind. The incident at Gray’s told me I needed to distance myself from Victor for a while. We had become much too close
The chauffeur had to drive slowly after he turned onto the dirt drive that led to the cabin. The van couldn’t handle the ruts and rocks of the driveway like Victor’s pickup truck did.Despite his caution, we bounced along for several minutes until the van stopped.When we saw water from a small side window, I unhooked my seatbelt. William and I hurried out of the van and down to the dock as soon as the van stopped in front of the cabin.I put my hands in the air and cheered. I was back, and the lake was as beautiful as the last time I was here.We sat on the dock together, took off our shoes, and soaked our feet while we watched the water. A large trout jumped nearby, and I giggled with delight.We didn’t realize how much time had passed until Lily sent the chauffeur to tell us lunch was ready.“Did the chauffeur make our picnic lunch, or did your mother?” I asked on our way to the table that was set up on the cabin’s front porch.“Neither. Our cook was sitting up front next to the ch