Chapter 1

"Marissa, what exactly are you doing?" My friend Amanda demanded as I laid flipping through my phone.

"What do you mean?" Come on, what else could I possibly be doing at a time like this?

She had shown up here unannounced almost three hours ago going on and on about some party that we just absolutely had to go to.

Amanda was well aware that large gatherings weren't something I was fond of, yet here she was forcing me to go along with her.

"I've been asking you which lipstick looks better and you've just been ignoring me." Amanda pouted as she turned to face me. "Can you for once at least act like you care?"

Act like I care? How could I possibly act like I cared when I was being forced to do something against my own will?

"Does the color truly matter?" I mean, in all honesty did it truly matter? By the end of the evening chances are it wasn't going to be on her lips anymore anyway. "Why don't you go for whichever won't leave your next victim embarrassed when he is caught in the act?"

Amanda's eyes widened, "What do you mean caught in the act?"

"You know damn well what I mean." Her innocent act wasn't fooling anyone.

Amanda was pretty well known for being promiscuous amongst our friends’ group. She had the habit of switching up men like she switched up underwear.

Knowing that I was right, Amanda didn't bother trying to argue with me anymore and instead went back to entertaining herself by studying her reflection in the mirror.

This was how it went with her. I wouldn't say that we were besties, but we tolerated one another to a certain extent. Given the fact our parents were best friends while growing up, they decided that they would keep us lumped together as best as possible. Especially when we got older and joined our pack.

As werewolves of course we were expected to join the pack that our parents were members of, it was like a rite of passage in this town. Amanda had already joined while I was still debating the matter.

Sure, the thought of being part of a pack was all fine and dandy, but did that mean I had to rush to be a part of all that? After all I had the freedom to choose in the end, right? What if I wanted to join a different pack? What if I didn't want to be part of a pack at all?

Either way, I still had another month to decide since we joined when we turned twenty-one.

"Perfect!" Amanda squealed from her place in front of the mirror nearly scaring me to death.

It seemed that she was able to finally decide on a lipstick shade, about time!

However, I didn't know how I felt about the look she was currently giving me. She was staring at me like I was some type of toy that she couldn't quite wait to play with.

"The hell do you want to do?" If she thought that she was going to attack me with those torture devices called makeup she had another thing coming.

"Come on, just this once." She begged gripping her hands in front of her trying to look all innocent.

"Negative, no way, no how." I was not about to be her makeup dummy, there was no way. "Plus, why do I have to get all dolled up for this ridiculous party that you're forcing me to attend?"

"Can't you just try to act like a normal twenty-year-old for once?" Amanda whined placing her hands on her hips.

Act like a normal twenty-year-old? What exactly was it that a normal twenty-year-old did? Did they go around prettying themselves up to go to mixers so that they could hunt down their mates?

Were they supposed to berate themselves and become submissive for some man that was literally just going to use them for continuing their bloodline?

Hell no, there was no way that I was going to be that girl.

"I'm fine just the way I am."

I mean, what exactly was wrong with my current appearance? My usually messy brown hair was up neat and tidy and my face wasn't the worst looking. I had after all, taken after my mother who was considered the pack beauty. With bright blue eyes, a button nose, light freckles, and pink lips with the perfect cupids bow I would absolutely say that I was a looker.

"Sure you're pretty enough, but imagine how drop dead gorgeous you would be if you just allowed me to fix you up."

Amanda was clearly not going to give up on this matter.

"Nope, no." To accentuate my point, I even crossed my arms in front of myself. "If you want me to even consider going to this ridiculous get together you better stop harassing me."

Amanda's gaze that had been fixed on me narrowed as she began debating my words. Good, let her consider which thing she wanted me to do the most. If she wanted to make me up then I wouldn't go to the party, if I went to the party then she wouldn't make me up, it was a perfect plan if I did say so myself.

"Fine." In the end I knew she wouldn't want to go all alone. "Just go looking like your normal self."

"I will. What time is this thing supposed to start anyway?" Thinking on it I wasn't so sure that Amanda had ever gave a time when she mentioned this party.

She looked out the window and up at the sky. "When the moon is directly above. It is a full moon party." She seemed so excited by the ridiculous notion of the full moon making things more interesting.

"So basically, it is going to start super late and end super late, fantastic." If she had told me this beforehand, I would have kicked her ass immediately, now I had no choice but to go along with her crazy plans.

"You know, Melanie wouldn't complain this much." Amanda pointed out puckering at herself in the mirror.

"Why would you even mention Melanie?" What did my older sister have to do with any of this? Sure ,Amanda and Melanie were much closer than Amanda and I were, but did she really have to hit below the gut by suddenly comparing us?

"Just cause." It seemed that Amanda was once again lost in admiring herself in the mirror and I was finally allowed to go back to reading the latest news as I had been trying to do before Amanda decided she wanted to bother me.

If Amanda's behavior right now was any indication towards how she was going to be at the party later, then I knew that I might as well accept that I was going to be spending the evening leaning up against some wall with a drink, watching the ridiculous couples bumping and grinding.

The thought of it alone gave me the heebie jeebies. I just didn't get how people found things like that interesting.

What was wrong with being alone? What was wrong with being independent? Nothing, that's what.

"It's time!" Amanda called jumping up from her chair. "Let's go."

"If we must." At least the sooner we got this ridiculous party started the sooner it would end.

Grabbing a coat and saying bye to my parents I quickly followed Amanda out to her car and jumped in. Hell, it was time to party after all.