chapter 1

“I've had it with you, Jessica!” my mother tried not to scream as I walked out on her and made for the door.

“Are you even listening to me? You have to bring home a man, not tomorrow, not next. Today, Jessica. Today” again I continued to ignore her as I made for the door that led to freedom and peace from my overbearing mother.

“Come back with a man or we will give you one,”His voiced boomed and my feet halted at the door with my hands inches away from the knob. My fathers authoritative voice was powerful enough to still water.

“Have we made ourselves clear, child?” he asked and came behind my mother, his deep voice going with his large figure that seemed to protect my mother as he stood firmly behind her with a hand on her shoulder that she clasped immediately for support.

My throat became dry as I knew that his threats were deadly once spoken.

“Don’t worry dad, I have a plan,” I reassured.

“You better,” he said and with a gesture, led my worried mother away from me towards the lavish living room we had.

I went out of the door towards the booming solstice party with no said plan in mind.

* * *

The solstice party was livelier than I expected, the lights and the decorations that lit up the sky but my main focus was Lucas.

My eyes tore through the crowd and found lacking. A waiter passed me a drink and I secretly caught a group of girls eating me alive with their eyes and I became puzzled.

I took the glass to my lips but it was quickly whisked away in a minute and I prepared my vocal cords to cause trouble till I met the startling blue eyes of my best friend and newly crowned Alpha prince. Lucas Carson.

“The party isn't this way silly,” he whispered and then winked at all those other girls who were now smiling at him.

Typical Lucas.

I snorted and before I could protest further, he dragged me out of the venue and through a narrow path that I began to hear blasting music.

“What took you so long?” he distractedly asked and I rolled my eyes. He was scolding me but checking out those same girls from before. I ignored him and took yet another drink from a passing waitress dressed in a crop top that nearly poured out her breasts.

Leave it to Lucas to find his calling as an event planner. I took the drink to my lips and had it snatched up yet again.

“What is wrong with you?” I fired but he ignored me as he downed my drink.

“You just got here, Jess, live a little” he said and again winked at another girl that began to walk towards him.

He left where he had been with me and wandered into the arms of the waiting lady and something in me gagged.

I had come here per his request and the moment, I get here, what do I get? Get left behind for some bimbo.

I took another drink and decided to relax where some other girls sat but the moment they saw me, one of them scoffed so loud and looked at me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.

I decided to ignore her obvious burst of bitchery and continue downing my drink and watching them set the bonfire.

I took yet another drink from a passing waitress when I felt someone sit with me.

“Finished dipping your hands in every pie?” I asked chuckling and assuming that Lucas finally decided to join me but when I heard a girlish snicker from beside me, I turned to look at her and found not one but three ladies had surrounded me like prey.

“What does he see in you?” one of the girls asked with so much disdain that I didn’t think she meant to hide it.

I was used to these girls, the ones who were envious of Lucas’ relationship with me. They were always his playthings but I was something more, I was his best friend even though it hurt to know that if Lucas ever found out that I was secretly in love with him, he would surely break my heart.

“You mean, what doesn’t he see?” another girl that seemed like the leader said and I looked at her puzzled.

“What does that even mean?” Somehow, the statement had gotten Aneesa, my wolf to get riled up and agitated.

The girl laughed and looked at me with so much pity, Aneesa growled in annoyance.

“I mean, isn't it obvious?” she asked and I sat up, my hand suddenly been thrust another drink by someone I wasn’t paying any mind to.

“No, it isn't. Wanna enlighten me?” I asked and my blood began to boil.

“You may be his makeshift best friend but we all know what it means to be properly loved by him. and don’t get your hopes up, you will never find your mate,” she said and it stung.

“We know what his hands feel like as he cups our breasts and sucks on our nipples. We know what it feels like when he only wants to pleasure us, you can keep him busy with the emotional stuff since you are obviously a garbage truck but this---” she gestured to herself

“-- will always be worth more to him in a split second than your dandling pity advice…”

“Hey ladies!!” Lucas appeared out of the blue and plopped on the chair we were sharing.

Immediately, I stood up noticing that all of their hands went around him in a minute.

“Where are you going?” he asked and I tried not to allow a tear slip from my eyes as I turned my back on him already on the move.

I gave a short pained laugh.

“Going to live a little,” I said as my shoulders were so close to shaking with repressed tears.

I had never been confronted like that in my entire life and truth be told, this was the perfect reason to get wasted.

I kept pouring more and more drinks down my throat while suddenly acquiring some form of confidence to flirt with as many guys as possible.

How dare a D-cup for brains tell me the heart wrenching truth?

I had graduated top of my class from healing school and yet, I never once stopped pining for Lucas. I wanted him to acknowledge my feelings that I was madly in love with him but I also knew that if I did that then I would destroy the very fabric of our relationship.