Chapter 2 The Offer

I stared off at the blank wall in the attic as Bonnie paced the space in the small room.

"That fucking bastard. I always knew it. I told you the other day that I thought I saw them exchanging sneaky glances after her cheerleading showcase in school. I was very suspicious of those two snakes. Turns out I was right. How could he do this at such a crucial time? He didn't even give you chance to look for another person to pair off with and he had to announce it with the pairing list itself!"

"Who?" I asked, my gaze slowly resting on her still pacing form, tears filling my eyes all over again. "Look at me, Bonnie. I am fat, ungraceful, I almost broke my neck on the stairs the other day just from walking. How do you expect me to dance on ice? How do you expect me to ever get into the grand rink?"

"But...."

"Don't lie to me, Bonnie. Do you think I could dance on ice?"

She went quiet. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the way she struggled to come up with yet another sugar coated lie, and it only made the tears in my eyes well up harder.

"I am sorry," she said, coming in front of me. "I am sorry, it's just... this isn’t your fault. None of this is. You are the best person I know, and you are absolutely loveable and..."

"Loveable," I said, letting out a wet, mirthless laugh. "Right. A loveable omega slave. Aren't they all? Do you have any choice than to be loveable when you are practically a slave? The very bottom of the hierarchy?"

"Yvonne.."

Her voice trailed off as a knock came on the door. I turned to it, my brows furrowed.

The only people who ever came here were Jamie and Bonnie. I wasn't expecting Jamie ever again, and Yvonne was right here.

Who...

Bonnie stood up. "Do you think it's Jamie?"

I swallowed hard. "It's too late. Tell him to leave."

She sighed, then turned to the door and opened it. I turned too, the curiosity getting the better of me. Not just curiosity. Blind, stupid hope that someone... that Jamie would regret his decision and come back and choose me even if it was too late.

Bonnie gasped, before she moved away from the door and gave a small, respectful bow. I stood up from the edge of the bed, and that was when I saw him.

Void.

Blue moon's only alpha heir, the most graceful ice skater and... my best friend.

I swallowed hard. Seeing him... it always reminded me of the things I could never have. The things I could never be. At nineteen, Void was the epitome of grace and beauty. His wolf was the colour of the moon at its highest peak, and even his human... his human was almost angelic, with features that could put the moon goddess to shame.

His deep blue eyes met mine, and his lips parted lightly. Without a word, he entered the room and covered the distance to me. I stood there, till his shoes grazed my feet. Till the scent of his cologne and the freshness of his skin hit my nostrils.

"I heard what happened," he said, his voice low in that soft spoken way it always was, like the entire world would stop to lean in just to hear him.

I nodded slowly, then forced a smile. "I guess your best friend is officially an omega mow. Yay you."

"Stop," he said, then leaned in, pulling me into his arms.

Void had never been a particularly warm person. He was quiet, charismatic, and his status in the pack made sure that he was isolated because it demanded that the rest of us respect him no matter what.

We became friends when he lost his way after slipping away from his guards and caretaker ten years ago. He somehow ended up at the omega settlement where I and my mother used to live before she died, and I was brought back to the pack house since I wasn't officially an omega yet.

He almost got bitten by a snake, and I happened to be there, distracting the snake with a stick till it sauntered away, leaving Void unscathed.

Somehow, despite the stark difference between us, we had managed to keep ten years of friendship intact.

I closed my eyes as his hands tightened around me, bringing me closer in.

"This is probably the fifth time you have hugged me in ten years," I whispered, trying to lighten up the mood, and failing drastically.

He brought his hand to the nape of my neck, his fingers treading into the hair there. "I am sorry."

I closed my eyes, and the tears just came. My body shook with the force of my heartbreak, and I wrapped my arms around Void, till it felt like I could claw under his skin and hide in there.

He held me till the sobs turned to small whimpers, till I felt a little less sad and started to accept that not only had I lost Jamie, I was about to lose whatever privileges being a tentative member of this pack had afforded me. Maybe the omega settlement wasn't so bad. I already lived there once.

I leaned away, my hand falling to his waist, my eyes meeting his. His hands cupped the edge of my face, his thumbs wiping thenrest of the tears away.

"He didn't deserve you, Yvonne. He truly didn't. "

I swallowed hard, then stepped away from his hold. "You came all the way here because of that?"

He tilted his head. "I thought that was what best friends do?"

I smiled, nodding slowly. "You are the best best friend. You know that?"

He gave a small smile, then guided me to the edge of the bed. "But that isn’t the only reason I am here, Yvonne."

My eyes met his, my brows furrowing. "What?"

He leaned back, as if ne needed me to see him clearly. His eyes were serious, his lips set in a thin line.

"Do you remember last year, after my grand showcase at the rink ? You remember how you stayed back after everyone left and twirled around in my shoes?"

I nodded. How could I forget? Void, as alpha heir would not need to audition with us, and had already even been established as one of the best figure skaters in the pack. He had started dancing once he was old enough to walk.

I remember watching that showcase because he had brought me there as his friend. I remember how it had felt twirling around that ice, laughing, feeling like I was flying.

"Remember when I twirled in there with you? I told you that you would make a very beautiful figure skater. That the ice called for you. Right?"

I closed my eyes. "But I am not and..."

"You are, Yvonne. You believed it back then. You loved the ice. You loved the figure skates I got you after. Don't tell me somebody as inconsequential as Jamie took that from you."

I looked up to Bonnie who was still by the door, her eyes pleading.

I nodded slowly. "I did. I loved the ice... I would do it alone if I was allowed to but the pack demands I have a partner. Because of mate bonds. You know that, Void."

He gave a small smile. "Then what if... you had someone to dance with? Would you go to the audition?"

My heart skipped a beat, my lips parting. "Void."

"Answer me, Yvonne. Would you?"

I bit down on my lips hard. "Y... yes. But I don't and..."

"You do," he said, then slowly stood up, towering above me, his eyes meeting mine.

"What?"

He took in a deep breath, then gently raised his hand to me. "I am formally asking you, Yvonne Scott, to become my skating partner. Let's pair off for the audition together."

My lips fell open, my eyes wide. I stood up from the edge of the bed so fast that a wave of dizziness washed over me.

"Wh... what?"

"You heard me. I have always wanted to compete. The auditons, the nerves, the sheer adrenaline of having rivals. Now that you are free, pair with me. We can join the audition together."

"But..." I said, my heart hammering. There were so many things that could go wrong. So many things. I am still overweight. Still ungraceful. What if because of me, Void becomes a laughing stock? What if because of me, his effortless charismatic, his prestige...

"Stop thinking so hard," Void said, moving closer. "We have been friends for a decade. I am not letting you be an omega. You saved my life back then. This is my chance. Besides, if anyone knows how to mould your body, it would be me. You know how I am. I do not intend to go there and lose. I am putting everything on the line for you, Yvonne. Put those insecurities on the line for me."

I turned to Bonnie. She was nodding hard, tears standing in her eyes, her chest heaving.

I bit down on my lips and turned to Void's still open palm. He was watching me earnestly, and I searched his face for the prank. For the lie. I saw only sincerity.

Slowly, I gave gave him my hand, and he immediately wrapped his fingers around it, a small smile lifting his lips.

"Let's do this, Yvonne."