Chapter 1

Penelope’s POV

I've never been great at doing my own makeup.

That's why I was sitting cross-legged on Callista's pink bedspread while she lined my eyes like she'd popped out of the womb with a brush in her hand.

"Don't blink," she cautioned, while also clamping my chin down.

"I'm trying," I grumbled looking up at her wide-eyed. "But your eyeliner feels like I am being stabbed in the soul."

She chuckled, that sweet, familiar chuckle that made everything feel like a safe space. "Beauty is pain, babe. You're almost done."

We’d been best friends since we were in high school. Back when she had braces and I had bushy brows and both of us were obsessed with vampire books. Over the years, we’d grown into different people but somehow, we’d stayed close. She knew my secrets. I knew hers. Or at least... I thought I did.

Tonight was Julian’s birthday.

Julian. My boyfriend. My mate. My everything. He’d booked out an entire club for his party, and everyone who was anyone was going to be there.

I was nervous but mostly excited.

“Done,” Callista announced, handing me a mirror.

I blinked at my reflection. “Oh my god. I look hot.”

“You look stunning,” she corrected, flopping back onto the bed. “Julian’s going to faint when he sees you.”

I laughed, brushing my fingers over the tight curls she’d helped me style. My red dress clung to me in all the right places, deep neckline, smooth fabric, and a slit that made me feel bold.

Callista wore black, short, sparkly and completely backless. Her dark brown curls were pinned to one side, and her red lipstick made her smile dangerous.

“Okay, but seriously,” I said, grabbing my heels. “We look like trouble.”

“Exactly the goal.” She winked. “Now come on. We don’t want to be late. 

On the Road

The car ride was full of music and laughter. We sang along to songs we’d played a hundred times before, windows down, wind in our hair.

“You think Julian’s gonna propose or something?” Callista teased, glancing at me while waiting at a red light.

“Shut up,” I giggled. “We’ve only been together for six months.”

“Yeah, and you’re already acting like his wife.”

I smiled out the window, cheeks warm. I didn’t know what the future held, but tonight felt perfect.

Still a small ache tugged at my chest.

“Alpha’s like him go for rich and powerful packs,” I said quietly. “Not my type.”

Callista turned the music down a little, eyes flicking over to me.

“I haven’t even gotten my wolf,” I added, voice softer. “Not sure his parents would like me, don’t you think?”

She didn’t answer right away.

“Till now it’s just me, you, and his friends that know we’re in a relationship. I don’t think his siblings or parents even know. Feels like he’s hiding me.”

“Penelope…”

I shook my head with a sigh. “Wish he would tell them. I want to leave that so-called house. Away from my father and stepmother.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Julian… he’s the only good thing I have.”

“You have me,” Callista said with a small smile.

I smiled back without looking at her. “Yeah. I know.”

We pulled up outside the glowing entrance of Club Ether, where velvet ropes and flashing lights made it look like a movie premiere.

A line of people stretched down the block, but when the bouncer saw Callista’s car, he waved us straight through.

“Must be nice,” I whispered.

She grinned. “Perks of having a scary rich dad.”

I didn’t say anything, but deep down, I sometimes wondered what it felt like having power like that. Influence. A family name people respected.

All I had was a mother who’d passed too early and a father who barely noticed I existed.

But tonight wasn’t about that. It was about dancing, Julian, and making memories.

The bass of the music pulsed through the ground, and everything felt alive.

And then I saw him.

Julian.

He was standing outside the VIP section in an all black outfit, his tall frame leaning casually against the velvet rope. His dark eyes were bright as soon as they hit me. 

“Penelope,” he grinned, arms outstretched. 

I didn’t think, I ran into him, arms wrapped around his body like I hadn’t seen him for years. 

“Happy Birthday,” I said, my voice muffled against his shoulder. 

“You’re already the best gift,” he whispered in my ear before pulling away to look at me. “But I will take a second one later.”

I laughed and tapped his chest. “You’ll get it later tonight.”

Julian leaned down and kissed me, slow and sweet. The kind that made the whole club disappear.

“Ahem.” Callista’s voice snapped me back. She was smirking, raising a brow. “Should I give you two a room?”

I blushed as Julian chuckled.

Callista rolled her eyes. “Alright, lovebirds. Let’s party.”

The party kicked off fast. The music was loud, the lights kept changing colors, and bodies moved everywhere.

I loved partying with Julian. He knew how to dance, how to hold me, how to make me feel like I belonged.

But still… I was the only one in the group who hadn’t gotten my wolf yet. The only one who didn’t come from a rich or powerful pack. People looked at me differently sometimes like I didn’t fit in. Like I didn’t deserve him.

But Julian never made me feel that way.

That’s what I loved most.

Callista was wild on the dance floor. She kept dragging me to the bar and pouring me shot after shot.

“Come on! It’s a party!” she laughed, handing me another glass.

I laughed too. “You’re trying to kill me.”

“No,” she grinned, “I’m trying to make sure you forget that hellhole of a house for one night.”

That part? She was right. For once, I wasn’t Penelope the unwanted stepdaughter. I was just free.

And I had the two people I loved most beside me.

But somewhere between the third and maybe sixth shot, something shifted.

My legs felt heavy. My head started spinning not like tipsy spinning. Not the fun kind. This was different.

The music felt too loud. The lights too bright. My mouth was dry, and my skin was starting to sweat even though I was cold.

I turned toward Callista. She was wrapped around some guy I didn’t know, laughing against his neck.

I tapped her arm.

“Cals,” I said, blinking slowly. “Something’s... wrong.”

She looked at me, brows lifting. “You okay?”

"I'm not sure," I muttered. "I feel dizzy. This is weird."

"Alright," she replied, guiding me off the dancefloor. "Let's get you to the bathroom."

She led me down a hall toward the back of the club. I felt uncoordinated, like the ground was wriggling.

In the bathroom, I grabbed the edge of the sink, struggling for air.

"You're just drunk, Penelope," Callista said with a smile, brushing my hair aside. "You will be fine."

"I don't think I'm drunk," I whispered. "I feel... weird."

"Just wait here," she said. "I'll get you some water."

I nodded slowly, my heart racing for no apparent reason.

She came back with a bottle already opened. “Drink. You just need to cool down.”

I took the bottle from her and gulped it down, but as soon as the liquid hit my tongue, I paused.

“This… doesn’t taste like water.”

Callista shrugged. “It’s just flavored. Don’t worry.”

But something wasn’t right.

My vision blurred. The floor felt like it was tilting beneath me. My knees buckled.

“Callista”

“Shhh,” she said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

And then everything went dark.

********

I woke up with such a terrible headache I could have sworn my head had split open. The light flooding the room was unbearable, and I squinted in pain before instinctively raising my hand to my forehead, attempting to push back the ache. I was in an unfamiliar place. I blinked and looked around a bit more, struggling to make sense of everything.

I was on a bed. I was completely naked except for my underwear. My heart dropped, and I felt panic rise in my throat. Panic that started to subside when I remembered bits and pieces of the previous night. I had been out drinking, laughing, and dancing with Julian's arms around me. Callista was there, as always supporting me and encouraging me to have fun.

I took a deep breath in to calm myself. "Maybe when I was drunk I took off my clothes," I rationalized. It wasn't the first time. I still had my underwear on, nothing felt wrong, there was no pain down below. I was simply... disoriented. 

I pushed myself off the bed. The coolness of the floor under my feet felt good, and I looked around the room. It was a hotel room, plush, and an expensive hotel room at that, with a large window looking out onto the city skyline. I noticed my bag on a chair near the door with my phone resting on it. My phone… my heart sank as I picked it up, the screen lighting up with 50 missed calls.

Julian!.