Chapter 1 One

Laura's pov

I gasped as she upturned the entire punch bowl, sending the red liquid down my hair, soaking my dress before it pooled at my feet.

Choking, I stumbled backwards, just as she slammed the empty bowl back on the table. The gasps around me turned into cruel laughter. I couldn't even raise my head, feeling the tears sting my eyes as I watched my shoe in ruins.

It was the one thing I had gotten myself for my birthday. The only thing I got on my birthday. And it was ruined.

“I asked for blueberry lemon flavor, not red cherry. Are you kidding me?” My sister snapped at me, her voice loud enough to make the crowd hush.

Each time I opened my mouth to speak, I would quickly shut it, trembling as I forced myself not to break down in front of them- not again. Not here.

“I'm sorry- I just… I just thought since you picked out the cake and decorations, and the guest list. I just wanted to do something for myself too. You know red cherry’s always been my favorite,” my eyes met hers, and under the dining disco lights, her malicious gaze churned my heart. “It's my birthday too.”

“Does it matter who picked out the cake, you're going to eat it anyway- it's all you do, Laura,” she scornfully said, a gleam to her eyes like she enjoyed the state I was in. “And the reason you didn't get to decide on the guest list is pretty clear. You have no friends. The least you can do is admit your fault and stop accusing me for something I have no control over.”

“Oh goddess, look at her,” Vanessa, my sister, Lacey Brown’s best friend walked into the scene, lips blood red with full lipstick. “Now she really looks like a pig at a trough. All's missing is an apple in her mouth.”

The crowd went wild again. Tears blurred my vision as I looked up to see everyone had circled us, much more interested now in another scene of my demise than the party they were enjoying moments ago.

“Seriously, Lacey, I find it really hard you two are twins. You're a literal goddess- “

“She looks like she swallowed the Moon goddess!” One yelled in the crowd.

As everyone roared, my cheeks burned, my body consumed with a chilling cold, much colder than the punch dropping from my hair. I wanted to scream, to throw something back, but the weight of every mocking eyes in the room crushed my heart into a million pieces.

And like the other times, I ran.

Upstairs, behind my locked bedroom door, I ripped away my soaking clothes with my claws, kicked off my shoes before I collapsed heavily onto my bed, sobbing.

Eighteen. I was finally Eighteen. Just like every she wolf, I could have fulfilled my fairytale of uniting with my mate and leaving this forsaken family, this house for good. But just like every other year, every moment of my life, Lacey had stolen the spotlight.

Stifling another heartbreaking cry, I hugged myself, trying to block out the memory of the scornful laughter downstairs. It wasn't just the party. It wasn't just our own classmates always taking her side and body shaming me. It was always our parents choosing Lacey first, the pack always comparing us, me being invisible while she shone like gold.

In the comfort of her bed, the pillows soaked with her tears, I badly wished to retire for the knight, but then I sat up, quickly throwing myself to my wardrobe.

Lacey was wrong.

I may not have had a long list of guests, but I had invited someone. One person.

Henry. He was the Alpha's son and my friend. We've been friends for quite a long while as I could remember, and he was possibly the only person who ever made me feel seen, made me feel, normal.

As I wiped my face and changed into something clean, my fingers trembled. He would come, I was sure. I felt so lucky to have him- and a part of me silently prayed to the moongodddes, that maybe, just maybe he could be my fated.

I stood before the mirror as I drew the dress over my curves. For a moment, my expression turned crestfallen as I absentmindedly grabbed hold of my stomach, bulging from the dress. Lacey looked absolutely gorgeous and slender in hers.

But Henry never ever minded how I looked. Infact he was the one person who was probably not under the charm spell Lacey seemed to put on everyone that came across her. That was one of the many reasons I was in love with him.

Forcing a smile, I rushed downstairs in earnest, pulse racing. Barely a few steps down the living room where the party was held, I froze once I spotted him.

Broad shoulders, a jaw line sharp enough to cut steel, his raven black hair tied into his signature bun at the nape of his neck and blue green eyes that always made her feel safe when they looked into hers- Henry Sander.

But he wasn't alone. I forgot to breath, my fingers curling tight around the railing of the stairs, nostrils flared.

Lacey, looking aggravatingly dashing as always was draped over his arm, laughing like she'd known him forever. Shaking, my heart beating even faster, eyes burning from despair and rage, I traced her hand which lingered on his chest, fingers tracing the muscles there before she smirked.

He wasn't pulling away. He was smiling back- clearly entertaining what she was doing. No. She could have everything else- she could even get to humiliate me at my own birthday, but I drew the line at my best friend.

But as I moved, I felt my heart sink to my stomach.

And then it hit me.

The scent.

Adrenaline surged into me as my wolf thrashed in the constraints of my mind, so brutal I was almost knocked off my feet.

A pulse of heat shot through my veins, burning and bonding. I staggered, gripping the banister for balance as my wolf howled inside me.

Mate.

And In that same instance, I watched him raise his head, his eyes quick to find mine.

He froze.

I stood there, knowing with all my being he knew- he had sensed it.

For a second, I felt like an idiot just standing there as Lacey tugged at his sleeves, barely even noticing the interaction as she whispered something in his ear

He laughed, his gaze breaking from mine as he resumed talking to her.

I felt the bond strain against my chest, tugging and tearing painfully as my wolf sensed its mate's withdrawal.

A part of me wanted to run back up, but another, seemingly a bigger influence managed to push me, and I found myself shaking as I sauntered forward, past the blinding Disco lights, the ear drum piercing music and headed straight for them.