4

I go straight to the bar, handing the man behind it my card and opening a tab. He winks, handing me a bottle of tequila and three glasses. As we take a seat, I hear a squeak from behind me. I look over and grin when I see Max racing toward us. I stand up just in time for him to bear-hug me, then he does the same to Maymay.

“Happy birthday, girlies! You both look amazing!!”

“Why thank you, kind sir!” May replies, handing him a glass and the bottle. “Have a drink, then we are dancing!”

I glance behind him, frowning when I notice that Lenny and Ava aren’t with him. Ava, our doctor’s daughter, was adopted from the same area Caden came from. She’s usually nice, but she has a bitchy side that often rubs me the wrong way.

“Where is everyone else?” May asks before I have the chance to. She’s way more social than I am and closer to them both than I’ve ever been. Max, on the other hand, is a hoot. It’s hard not to love and adore him—he always sees the best in people and never lets anything get him down.

“That hoe is on my last nerve. She’s still bitching about the fact that you’re allowed to date Ryan now that you’re seventeen. And rightly so—you guys have waited long enough!”

I roll my eyes. It has nothing to do with anyone but May, Ryan, and our parents. After that, opinions don’t matter—nor should they.

“Anyway, girls, let’s have some fun and forget about the haters. It is your birthdays, after all!” he squeaks, grabbing our hands and pulling us toward the dance floor.

“Come on, Ryan!” he calls. Ryan smirks, getting up to join us. He has a love/hate relationship with Max, but ultimately, they both care about May’s well-being, so they’ve learned to get over themselves. Especially since Max came out as gay—after that, the tension mostly settled, unless Max was involved in something May wore.

I stick to what Ryan said and don’t drink for a while. Instead, we dance until our feet are so sore we have no choice but to take a break. Taking a seat, I down some tequila just as May’s other friends arrive. I mostly ignore them, checking my watch. It’s been well over an hour since I arrived, and Caden is nowhere to be seen.

It’s pissing me off.

So every time he enters my head, I take a shot—trying to kill the lingering pain from his earlier rejection, hoping that when I finally do see him again, I won’t scream at him.

As I down another shot, Ryan cocks an eyebrow. The place is filling up fast, and the crowd is getting louder and rowdier by the minute.

“Take it easy. There’s a lot of creeps here tonight,” he warns.

I shrug and take another shot. “They’d be crazy to try anything with the future Luna while the future Beta is watching over me.”

I’m feeling giddy now—the drink is finally hitting me.

I rejoin May and Max on the dance floor, letting myself get lost in the music. I don’t often go out and get drunk. Normally, I just have a drink here and there, but I never truly let go like this. It feels amazing to forget everything—to do something that isn’t pack or work-related.

I sway side to side, closing my eyes and letting my hips move with the beat. As I dance, Asher joins me, placing his hands lightly on my shoulders and swinging with me.

I don’t really know him. He’s just one of May’s many school friends. I’ve spent so long ignoring most of them. They weren’t exactly welcoming when I first arrived, and I quickly realized friends are best made at home—with family.

But as Asher touches me, Ailm growls in my head.

I take a step back so he can’t reach me, though I keep dancing. The floor is packed, so it’s hard not to brush against people, but I won’t willingly touch anyone if I can avoid it.

When Asher dances up against May, Ryan is on the floor in an instant. He casually slips between them, using his body to shield her. I smile. I miss Caden. The thought of my mate not being with me stings more than I want to admit. Both Ailm and I feel the ache.

Before I know it, the drink catches up with me, and my eyes start to water.

I turn back to the table, grab the tequila, and down a few gulps, letting the sting drown my racing heart.

Asher comes over and grabs the bottle, taking a long drink. I frown at him, annoyed that I now need a new one. He tries to hand it back, but I shake my head and push it toward him again.

“No thanks. I like my drink without drool, please,” I snap, salty at his lack of bottle etiquette.

He chuckles and shakes his head, setting it down. Then he grabs my hand, trying to pull me back to the dance floor.

I yank my hand away, already pissed off—I don’t need him making things worse.

“Please stop touching me,” I say sharply.

His eyebrows shoot up and he steps back with his hands raised. “Damn, someone’s had a little too much to drink.”

I roll my eyes. He’s the one stumbling around like a mess. At least I’m able to stand.

I march toward the door in a foul mood, but just as I make it there, I freeze.

Caden’s scent hits me like a truck.

My eyes scan the crowd until they find his. My mouth goes dry as I spot him leaning against the doorframe. He’s wearing a white shirt, jeans, and black boots. He looks amazing—especially with his dark, curly hair messily falling over his face.

He’s drop-dead gorgeous.

And before I can say a single word, my legs move before my mind can catch up with me.