Odessa
“I can’t believe I’m here,” I sighed, smoothing my red hand-me-down dress.
I held the chocolate cake in my free hand. I made it earlier before I was invited to my Mother’s boyfriend’s house for a party.
I did not want to attend because Barnette’s children weren’t fond of me. They were high-class and sophisticated while I lived in a one-bedroom rat hole for my life. However, I couldn’t disappoint my Mother. She was convinced he was the love of her life.
“Here we go.”
I rang the doorbell at Barnette’s million-dollar mansion. I’d been to Barnette’s house three times, and each time was a different scenario. I just hoped I made it out of there alive. Barnette’s son, Storm, was the running back on the football team and part of a deadly trio of players, best friends with the quarterback and Alpha Heir, Maverick.
The front door finally opened, and I plastered on a smile. Loud music and laughter streamed out of the house. Anxiety clawed at me. I could imagine all the important people at this party.
Sienna scowled at me. “You. What the hell do you want? Charity?”
“Sienna… nice to see you—”
“Save it. No one invited the omega reject. This party is for elites only, not the girl who cleans the stadium grass.”
Her words sliced my heart even though I’d heard them before. Sienna was the captain of the cheerleading team for the Darciana Wildcats and the Pack’s golden girl.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “M-my Mom told me to come over.”
“That slut of a Mother? This isn’t her house.” Sienna screamed in my face.
I balled my hands into fists and pulled the cake to my chest. Sienna would never like me. To her, I was encroaching on her sacred relationship with her Father, even though I tried to avoid her family like the plague.
“Look, I didn’t want to—”
“Who’s at the door, babe?”
A hand appeared on Sienna’s shoulder before a six-foot-one man appeared in the doorframe.
My tongue swelled, and my palms sweated. My pupils dilated, and every hair on my skin stood. It was Gage Ravens, the second member of the Wildcats Fab Three. How did I forget he was dating his best friend Storm’s twin sister? It was all anyone could talk about for a month!
The tabloids thought it would ruin their connection on the field, but it didn’t. Storm and Gage have known each other since they were in diapers, the same as Maverick. Their chemistry on the field was something that had been refined over the years to create the perfect deadly blow.
I looked away. I hoped they wouldn’t notice my laboured breathing. I stepped back as the air thickened with his scent.
“Who’s this?” Gage nodded at me.
I’d only seen him and his teammates at a distance, but up close, he was intimidating and more... However, when our eyes met, I couldn’t deny the fireworks. I was drawn to him like a sailor enchanted by a siren’s death song. I knew he’d lead me to disaster, but I wanted to fall into him anyway.
I had a problem.
“No one,” Sienna snapped. “If you’re waiting for your Mother, you’ll have to wait outside. No one wants the stench of dead rats in the house.”
“Sienna,” Storm scolded. “Let her in.”
“She doesn’t belong here, Storm. We’ve been over this,” Sienna placed a hand on her waist, rolling her eyes at her twin.
“Dad wants her here. Let her in,” Storm said firmly.
Storm leaned against the wall behind the couple. Unlike his twin sister, Storm had vibrant blue eyes that could compete with the enchantment of the sky.
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t important to my Mother.”
Sienna scowled, “Whatever.” She marched off, and her brother didn’t wait to exchange pleasantries either.
Gage towered over me. My fingers ached to reach out and trace the defined muscles under his shirt and his solid arms that were begging for my attention.
I broke eye contact and walked into the living room. A football flew across the room, over the heads of nearly fifty people and landed in the arms of Maverick Campbell.
Could this night get any worse?
Unlike Gage and Storm, I had known Maverick Campbell a long time ago.
He was too busy with a group of women to notice someone from his past. Maverick wasn’t just the captain slash quarterback. He was the Alpha of the Pack. Well, he would become the Alpha when his Uncle steps down soon.
I looked around for a place to sit and possibly disappear. I felt like a fish out of water.
Where was my Mom anyway?
“If you’re going to stay take your ass to the kitchen and make yourself useful. That cake better not make anyone sick either,” Sienna hissed.
Despite my banishment to the kitchen, I was glad to escape.
As I walked to the kitchen, I noticed Sienna wrap her arms around her man, Gage. She rested her head on his chest while he placed his chin on her head and lazily wrapped an arm around her, placing a hand on her hip.
My wolf whimpered, and I pushed her far away before she made me say something that got us both killed!
“How much longer do we have to wait?” Maverick asked.
I paused.
“I don’t know. My old man should be here by now,” Storm replied.
“Who knows what that sluts making him do,” Sienna commented.
I bit my tongue. I wanted to yell at her for talking about my Mom that way, but I kept my cool. Once again, Gage and I locked eyes, and I had to break contact.
Where were they? I was drowning here!
The front door burst open, and the house filled with laughter. The music stopped when the couple arrived. My Mother and her boyfriend, Barnette, stumbled into the room in a loving embrace.
“Great, you’re all here!” Barnette beamed.
Mom rested her head on his chest.
“Just like you asked, old man, what’s this about?” Storm asked calmly.
“Tell them, Kitten,” Barnette said.
Mom beamed almost as bright as the sun. She raised her right hand to showcase a huge rock! “Barnette and I got married!”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
Sienna jumped to her feet. “Are you insane?”
“It’s sudden, but we couldn’t wait to be together. Arline and Odessa are moving in! Isn’t that great, Sienna? You’ve got a new sister.”
All eyes turned on me.
Oh crap.
OdessaI pulled out a fresh tray of cupcakes from the oven at Barnette’s house. Maverick had a strict diet that didn’t allow a ton of sugar, but surely he can make an exception for his girlfriend!I had a real boyfriend, and it was only sinking in now. At the same time, I was on the phone with my best friend.“You and Maverick are going to be our leaders soon. Scratch that, imagine the couple of things you’re going to be doing before games.”“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”I was trying to remain calm, but I was thinking the same things. When he got back from training yesterday, I was still at his house, wandering around in his shirt.He made mind-bending love to me. Leaving him was like trying to split atoms, but we both knew it wasn’t safe. In my heart, I couldn’t wait to be together officially and permanently.“I’ve got to go, Evyn. I need to decorate these cupcakes.”“Cupcakes for your man!”I rolled my eyes playfully and ended the call. I moved around the kitchen looking for w
MaverickI could still feel her pressed against my skin even if I wasn’t holding her anymore. I turned to find Odessa staring into nothingness with her hand covering her soft, plump lips.Just watching her made me hard all over again.“Good morning, Wildcat.”She smiled, and her cheeks turned pink.“Were you watching me sleep?”“Guilty.”I rolled onto my side and stroked her cheek.“Does anything hurt?” I asked.She lifted a shoulder. “I’m a little sore.”We had three rounds last night. My fantasy of being buried deep inside her all night was fulfilled. Yet, I wanted more of her.All that was left was to mark her as my mate. I wanted to announce her to the world.“What time is it?” She asked.I turned my phone off last night because I wasn’t going to the choosing ball. Everyone would have blown up my phone searching for me. I wasn’t keen on turning it on.“You have to face the storm sooner or later,” Odessa said.“Whose side are you on, Wildcat?”“Ours.”I liked the sound of that. The
Odessa“How was your practical lesson?” Evyn asked, appearing beside me.“Great. I can’t wait to graduate.”“So you and Maverick can move in together?” She teased.I laughed. “I don’t know if I can keep up with him. He’s so particular. He doesn’t like moving things around, and he likes everything black and white. His house needs a pop of colour.”“We should surprise him! After the ball.”“That’s a great idea. Do you have my dress?”She bobbed her head. “It’s safe and sound in my house.”“I don’t know. It feels like it’s too much.”“It’s sexy. You’re wearing that dress whether you like it or not.”“I’ve never worn anything like it,” I confessed.The red dress Evyn forced me to buy! Was a petite satin dress with a sweetheart bodice with little lace around the bust area and straps. It was so short that bending over in it would be a risk.The idea wasn’t to shock Maverick; I just wanted to switch up my look. The dress was stored at Evyn’s house because we didn’t want a repeat of the jerse
Sienna POV“That was wonderful, girls. The performance at the derby’s going to be epic,” I said to my team.It was the last cheer practice for the day. We were given two days off to recuperate. Which was perfect because the only thing on anyone’s mind was Maverick’s choosing ball.I couldn’t wait to wear my dress, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. The Autumn Festival’s only two months away. The day my mother coached me for and the day I’ve been hoping for since forever.“It was alright. The routine was basic, though.” I didn’t need to look to know who that was.Rune Justice had a mouth on her. She was always quick to oppose me. Her insults would hurt if I didn’t know she was nothing but a scared little girl inside. She was practically drowning and trying to impress.“Basic, huh? Do the cheerleaders think their captain’s routine was basic?” I asked the girls.Sheer silence. I could hear a pin drop and a fly breathe.That’s how it’s done.I smiled, and Rune scowled.“I’m just saying if
Odessa POVMy mother was indeed freaking out. I didn’t think she’d care that I spent the night in another town. I was an adult. However, as long as I was living under her husband’s roof, I had to do what she said.If she didn’t need me to attend the ridiculous pack meeting on her behalf, her punishment would have been a lot steeper than her warning.I couldn’t even vote at these things; attending was a waste of time. I wish they had a newsletter, so when they decided what they wanted to do, they would let the rest of us know.I got to the local high school hall thirty minutes into the meeting. Alpha Seth stood on the stage while his Luna was a couple of rows back, looking elegant as always.“So we’d like to take a vote. All those in favour of demolishing the outer sector to expand pack housing vote on the right side, and those in favour of using it for the seasonal harvests vote to your left,” Alpha Seth said.The hall was packed to the brim. Everyone rose at once and split into two,
MaverickMy hand rested on Odessa’s thigh as I drove down the smooth, open road back to Daciana. I could still feel her nerves. Last night was a bust.I should have been buried deep inside her last night, relishing the feeling of her body pressed against mine and leaving marks all over her body. I might not have marked her last night, but there would have been evidence of a passionate night.I had to take out my sexual frustrations somehow. Usually, it involved someone getting hurt. The Wildcats had a few days off after the game to recuperate. The Alpha wanted me at the Pack House again.“You seem tense,” Odessa said.“Yeah, I’ve got a lot on my mind.”“Is that why you’re looking out of the window and not at the road?”I turned my head and shifted the stirring wheel, and swerved back into my lane.“Shit.”“Are you trying to kill me? I thought you said you forgave me.”“I don’t remember saying that.”She pouted, and I chuckled. I squeezed her thigh for good measure.“I’m kidding. You’r