Chapter 3: Party

-Anastasia-

I came on my own tonight. It had been so long since I had attended a party, but I couldn’t let this opportunity slip through my hands. So I held my head high as I felt the eyes of others on me when I walked in. People whispered and murmured as I passed by, and I knew what they were saying. My scars…

“Is that her?”

“Have you ever seen her before?”

“Do you know what happened to her?”

These were the questions I heard mumbled and exchanged among the crowd as I made my way toward the ballroom. I might find nothing tonight—there were so many people, so many smells. It was hard to distinguish one from another. But that didn’t mean I would give up.

“Champagne?”

An omega held out a tray filled with champagne glasses, and I gratefully took one, sipping as I watched her leave before joining the larger crowd. I kept close to the walls, not wanting to get caught in the middle of wolves and lycans. It was so clear who was who.

The wolves were not only smaller, but the lycans clustered together. They didn’t mingle, and as I paused to observe the different groups, I let out a huff of frustration. It was ridiculous to watch, yet it fueled my anger. This behavior—the way the lycans viewed themselves as superior—had cost me my family. There had to be a reason they were targeted, right?

“Ana!” Someone suddenly called out, and I turned to see my aunt waving and smiling at me. She looked beautiful, and she always reminded me so much of my mom with her light brown hair and blue eyes. I looked more like my father.

I sighed, reluctant to join my aunt and her friends. I downed the rest of my champagne and glanced around. My uncle had clearly already wandered off to chat with some of his friends, also not particularly fond of my aunt’s circle either.

“Oh, finally,” my aunt said, looking me up and down as I arrived at her side.

She was used to my burn scars, but others weren’t, and many looked at me with wide eyes.

“Oh, look at you,” my aunt exclaimed, running a hand through my long hair. “You look amazing.”

She smiled proudly and wrapped an arm around me, turning me to face her friends. “Doesn’t she?”

My aunt meant nothing but kindness. I knew she wasn’t putting me on display to humiliate me.

“Oh… yes,” one of her friends mumbled.

“It’s… lovely.”

“Wonderful…”

The pauses gave them away.

“Maybe you should have brought a shawl. That would have really perfected the look,” one of them suggested.

I just stared at her blankly, making her take a small step back. I had perfected that look—one that clearly communicated someone should mind their own business.

“I’m really happy you came tonight,” my aunt said. “It’ll be a great night and a good chance for you to mingle.”

I didn’t have many friends… I had none, really.

“Yes… I’m… excited,” I said dryly, and my aunt rolled her eyes.

“Really!” she insisted. “Go mingle! Meet people your age. Meet a guy!”

“What if I like women?” I replied, and I heard her friends gasp.

Yes, they were traditional women who couldn’t fathom that someone might be interested in the same sex. I rolled my eyes again. My aunt, however, merely shook her head.

“Well, then go meet a woman,” she said, and her friends looked at her in shock.

She glanced back at them, looking confused. “What?”

“All right. I’ll go fall in love with a woman,” I mumbled, just to escape the scene and annoy her friends a little more.

“Have fun!” my aunt shouted after me. I rolled my eyes again as I squeezed through the crowd, searching for the omegas carrying the booze. I wasn’t going to get drunk tonight, but if I was going to survive more encounters with my aunt’s friends, I needed some extra strength. I couldn’t find any omegas but stumbled upon a bar instead, where I ordered a stronger drink.

I had only taken a sip when I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder, nearly spitting out the drink. I turned to see my cousin there, quickly followed by his friends. I sighed, wishing to be left alone.

“You came!” Jackson exclaimed.

“And in a dress like that,” Gary, one of his friends, added.

I turned my head to see Gary looking me up and down.

“Not her,” Jackson warned his friend.

I turned to Jackson, feeling annoyed.

“Shouldn’t that be up to me?” I inquired.

“Yes, shouldn’t that be up to her?” Gary added hopefully, and the others laughed behind him.

Jackson rolled his eyes and shook his head.

I turned back to Gary, who leaned in closer to me. “Never,” I told him.

That made them all laugh, even Jackson.

“So, enjoying the night?” he inquired.

“Not really.”

“Why not?”

“Because you guys found me,” I replied, glancing at him.

Jackson chuckled, knowing I didn’t really mean it.

“So, what’s your plan? To stay in a corner all night?” he asked.

“Sort of.” I didn’t want to reveal my actual plan, but I had a feeling he already knew.

“Your mom wants me to go mingle and fall in love with a guy,” I said. “As if that’s going to happen.”

Jackson chuckled and shook his head. “What did you tell her?”

“I asked her what if I liked women?”

“Do you?” Gary interjected, almost sounding scared.

I looked at him tiredly as everyone around us laughed.

“What did she say?” Jackson inquired.

I turned back to my cousin and shrugged. “She said to go ahead and fall in love with a woman. I told her I was going to do that, and now here I am. Drinking.”

I held up my glass, and the ice cubes clinked together. It was a pleasant sound, and the alcohol helped calm my nerves. I might seem confident on the outside, but inside… I was scared.