The afternoon on the day of the Homecoming dance, I’m rudely awakened from my nap by banging on my door. Mia had also been napping. She stirs in her bed before opening her mouth and letting out a retched cry. I sweep her into my arms and stagger over to the door. I wrench it open and see a man in fr
I don’t dare ask who Tiffany is and why we have her barrette. I look back at Athena with big eyes. “Thank you,” I say. “I look amazing.” “Well let’s get you ladies dressed,” Gabriel stands, Mia in his arms. “And complete this transformation.” I shimmy into the dress. Athena helps me zip it thi
Archer drags me behind the stage of the auditorium. His grip is strong and bruising on my bicep. He guides me into a chair next to a bunch of other seated people. “Stay here,” he barks. Despite the alpha way he says it, I roll my eyes. He narrows his own at me before darting off. Mia stirs in my l
Beau smirks. “You’ll see.” Back on the stage, Neil is telling the history of the Hayes Court. He repeats what Armanda repeated earlier. The Court used to be slaves and is now full of advisors to the most powerful family of alphas. He lets the audience applaud more before I steps to the microphone
Archer helps me off the stage. He follows behind me as I walk the line of members waiting for me. Each of them shake my hand. A jolt of energy courses through my body as our tattooed hands touch. I’m almost to the end when I run into an younger man. He has kind, green eyes and hair as black as nig
Anger takes over me. I lunge at Laura and tackle her to the ground. I shove her once then twice then dig my hand into her hair. I pull strong enough that I rip a chunk of the fake blonde out and then go back to trying to pummel her to bits. Laura gets the leg up on me and rolls me onto my back so
Beau finds me quickly after my scuffle with Laura. He claps me on the back and tells me good job for fucking her up. Mia squeals in response. I laugh as I tell Beau to stop swearing around Mia but accept the compliment all the same. He asks if I want to dance and I consider for a second before decli
The car speeds off into the distance. I can almost hear the laughter coming out of it. I look down at the brambles around me. My dress is tattered. The once endless midnight blue now looks like shards of stained glass surrounding my legs. My one heel has completely popped off rendering it unusable.