Chapter 3 A Fresh Start

SORAYA 

The rain was falling so hard it felt like the sky had finally decided to throw its own tantrum. Wind blew at my soaked clothes, and I stood there on the porch looking homeless. 

My parents had pushed me outside the moment I lunged at Bianca, stating that I wouldn't be let in till morning, when I had calmed down. 

Bianca and Kieron had gone upstairs, together. While I stood outside like a feral stray.

Three days.

Just three days left before we left for the academy. I had pictured those last days so perfectly. That Kieron and I would walk in as a bonded pair.

But no.

Kieron had known exactly what he planned to do. He had known, for days, weeks probably, that the mark would never be on my neck. And I… I had been stupid enough to hope.

“Of course,” I muttered to myself. “Of course this is my life.”

I pressed a hand against my chest, not because the sting hurt but because it felt like something inside had slipped out of alignment. As if I had been built wrong all along.

"You know what, Soraya."  I rolled up my sleeves and tied my hair into a bun. "I should have done this a long time ago."

Enough crying. Enough taking the blame for a bratty self-obsessed sibling. Enough bending over for my parents to see me as the black lamb. Enough feeling weak, and undesirable. 

I might have been rejected by my mate tonight, but I wouldn't let that determine the rest of my night. 

I would burn this pain. In liquor, and in the arms of the first man that slid a drink to me. 

Just for one night, I would let go of my inhibitions.

~

I had one mission for the night, to get disastrously, gloriously wasted. If I was going to crash, then I would crash spectacularly.

The neon sign of the only nightclub in our district glowed and could already imagine the bass vibrating through my bones, the taste of something fruity and irresponsibly strong on my tongue.

Maybe a stranger’s warm breath on my neck, maybe two.

I strutted up to the door, ready to kick start my moral-rebellion, but then I noticed a small stupid handwritten sign taped to the glass.

'CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!'

“You have got to be kidding me.”

The universe hated me completely. 

The street was painfully quiet, and I hadn't even noticed. 

Deflated, I slid down onto the sidewalk, letting the rain plaster my hair to my head again because the bun had fully given up on me. My soaked clothes clung to my skin as I scooped a tiny pebble off the ground.

I threw it into the pond across the street.

I imagined each pebble was a version of my problems.

Bianca’s name on one.

Kieron’s on another.

My parents on a whole handful.

I grabbed a bigger stone.

“If I cannot drink, at least I can throw things,” I muttered.

I hurled it toward the pond.

“You should not do that. You will kill the fish.”

I turned around quickly, heavily startled.

A man stood there, leaning one shoulder against the pole as if he had been watching me all along. 

And he was looking at me like he could see straight through the mess of my night.

"Long day?"

He was an Alpha, I could tell. Bright silver eyes, light olive skin, man-bun at the top of his head. This was one hell of a good looking stranger, and there was something lightly familiar about him. I just couldn't place it. 

"Yeah. Long day."

"Wanna talk about it?"

I would probably just sound even more pathetic, so I decided to close my mouth. 

"Not really, I just want to get really wasted."

He crossed his arms staring down at me. 

"Alcohol is not the answer to problems."

I snarled. "What do you care?"

"I don't."

I scoffed and threw another stone. It landed on the side of the pond and bounced back to me. 

"You're an Alpha. You seem strong, fast, easy-shift. I don't expect you to understand what I'm going through."

His eyes sized me up. 

"Aren't you an Alpha too? Sniffing you... I assume you're a she-alpha, no?"

"Maybe by genes. But the reality is that I might even be weaker than an omega."

He narrowed his eyes. 

"Omega's aren't weak."

"Right," I huffed. "They are 'gifted'."

"I know that was sarcasm," his lips curled into a smirk that made me look at him for a moment too long. "But yes, they are gifted." He fished out something from his pocket. 

"Viagra....?"

He shook his head handing me the mini bottle. 

"Vodka. Don't take too much."

I immediately grabbed the bottle from him, unscrewed the cap and poured its contents into my mouth. It left a tangy burn trail. 

"Thanks." 

His head tilted to the side. 

"So, tell me, are you willing to talk about it now? Or would you just prefer large sips of vodka?"

I don't know what about the drink had given me liquid courage, but I found myself standing, smoothening the dust off my clothes. 

"Um...sir..." 

"My name is—"

I shushed him, placing a finger on his lips. I didn't need to know, I wouldn't be seeing him again after tonight, anyways. 

"I don't need to know that," my hand brushed the collar of his coat. "I don't need to know anything about you." 

"Mm..."

"All I need to know is one thing, and one thing only." 

I slid my wet jacket off my shoulders and bared my cleavage to his eyes. 

"Do you have a car?"

I could tell that he was taken aback by the question. 

Still. 

I pressed. 

"Do you have a car, sir?"

He brought out his car key and pressed on the knob. A black SUV with tinted windows, hummed in response where it was parked. 

Perfect. 

I started tracing circles on my hardened buds, getting a feel of the sensation. I had touched myself a few times, but that was it. Light playing.

But tonight, everything changes. 

“I want us to have sex, sir. In your car."