The Pool And Us

~Soren~

I awake with a cold, wet sticking substance running down my cheeks.

Orange juice.

My mother -- I mean, Georgina -- is standing over me with an empty champagne flute, as if she just performed a public service.

“Get up,” she hisses. “The party ain’t over, and you’re hiding like you’re some feral cat.”

I wipe juice from my eyes. “You just poured —”

“I don’t give a shit. Get. Up.” She takes hold of my arm, pulling me from the couch on which I blacked out in some random sitting room of this colossal manor. I don’t even know how I got here.

Oh right. Mate bond panic attack.

“Now young lady.”

“Mom, I’m tired—”

“It’s Georgina tonight. We’re in public.” She smooths down her ridiculous designer dress — the replacement one after I ruined the first. “And my friends are here. Important people, Soren. Try not to embarrass me more than you’ve already done.”

Owie.

But also, standard Georgina procedure, so honestly I should have seen this coming.

She drags me down the hallways like I’m a misbehaving puppy, and we find ourselves back in the lobby. The party is STILL going. How long was I sleeping? An hour? Three? I couldn’t care less. I just want to sleep.

It’s filled with these wolves in nice clothing and fine liquor probably talking about fine things. I immediately recognize Georgina’s friends- a gaggle of chic older women who have clearly spent a fortune on Botox and got way too many.

“There she is!” One of them—Linda? Lydia?—squeals. “Your daughter! This girl is precious.”

Precious. Right. That’s me. Precious like a sale bin on the bottom of the stacks in the dollar store.

Georgina’s smile is all plastic. “This is Soren. “Say hello, darling.”

Then she pinches my cheeks.

I wave awkwardly. “Hi. ”

"She's shy," Georgina says, like that explains my entire existence.

Before I can get away, she’s pulling me again—this time to the middle of the room where Alpha Donovan is talking to a few pack members.

Oh no.

Oh no no no.

"Donovan!" Georgina’s voice rises three octaves. So fake, So fake. “Come meet Soren properly!”

Alpha Donovan turns, and I get my first real look at my new... stepfather? Is that what we’re calling this?”

He’s tall, graying at the temples, looks like an older version of Felix and has the look of someone who has been around the block a few times and isn’t impressed. His eyes flick to me briefly—assessing, dismissing.

"Soren," he says. Not unkind, just... neutral. Like I’m a staple of the room. "Welcome to Elsbridge Pack."

“Thanks,” I mumble.

"She's studying at the college," Georgina hastily adds, as if that justifies my worth. “Very smart. Silent, but smart.”

Donovan nods. "Good. Felix attends as well. That’s something you should have in common.”

My stomach drops.

Felix .

Right.

Where is—

“Oh, goodness me.” Donovan looks around, then gestures. "Felix. Come here."

And there he is.

coming toward us like he owns the place, which, technically, he kind of does.

His shirt was black and buttoned up, rolled his sleeves to his elbows, hair still perfect, and that same expression that could get on my nerves saying I’m too warm for my own good.

We make eye contact.

The bond flares.

I almost gasp but bite it back.

His jaw tightens.

Yeah. He feels it too.

Donovan announces casually, as if he’s briefing co-workers.

"Your new... step-sister."

Felix’s smile is pure ice. "We've met."

Georgina’s eyes narrow. "You have? Oh sweet moon goddess." She squeals.

"Ran into each other earlier," I say quickly. Too quickly. "Literally. I wasn’t looking where I was going."

"Sounds about right," Felix says smoothly, and I want to punch him.

Donovan chuckles, a genuine chuckle. “Well, good. You two can look after each other at school. Felix, make sure she knows her way around campus.” He eyes his son. “Around campus, please.”

“Sure,” Felix says, his voice flat.

“Wonderful!” Georgina claps her hands as if this is the greatest news ever. "I'm so glad the two of you are getting along so well already."

Getting along.

Sure.

If by "getting along" she means fighting the urge to either kill each other or—

Nope. Not thinking about the or.

Donovan and Georgina begin talking to each other—probably about how perfect their new blended family is—leaving Felix and I standing there in a very awkward silence.

"Siren," he says under his breath.

"It's Soren."

“We need to—”

"FELIX!" A voice booms from across the room.

A cluster of guys, they were obviously Felix's friends if you judged by the "rich alpha male" energy they were emitting, were gathered near the back doors that opened to the pool area. One of them beckons him over.

Felix’s face changes. Annoyed. "Wait a sec."

He is heading to them and I better stay put.

I really should.

But my idiotic feet are following.

Because you’re PULLING the tether, and ignoring it is like trying to ignore a fire alarm.

I find myself at the pool—a giant, preposterous infinity pool with colorful lights that rotate like a nightclub. Felix’s friends are laughing, pushing each other, clearly drunk or on the verge of it.

"Who's this?" One of them—tall, blonde, way too much confidence— looking at me like I’m a brand new toy.

"Step-sister," says Felix coldly.

"Step-sister?" The grin on the blonde guy’s face gets bigger."Dude you didn’t tell me she was hot."

I freeze.

Felix’s whole body tenses up.

"Back off, Carter," he says, his voice dropping into something that sounds menacing.

Carter doesn’t listen, but he does move forward towards me. "What is your name, ma chérie?"

"Mind your business," I say matter-of-factly.

"Feisty. I like it.” He leans in, and I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

Gross.

"Seriously, back off—" I begin.

And then he tries to kiss me.

Just lurches forward like that’s a normal thing to do.

I push him.

Hard.

He stumbles backward right into Felix, who has moved to intervene and all three of us go crashing into the pool.

Cold.

So cold.

Water rushing everywhere, burns of chlorine on my nostrils, and for a split second I forget how to swim because my mind is too overwhelmed screaming THIS IS THE WORSE NIGHT OF MY LIFE.

­­I break the surface, gasping. Felix surfaces next to me, hair plastered to his face, shirt clinging to every muscle.

Don’t look. Don’t look. Don’t— I look. Damn it.

Carter surfaces to our right, slapping his knee at the hilarity.

"Holy shit." Felix’s friends are doubled over at the edge of the pool, howling. I look around for our parents—surely they heard the splash— No. Nope. Donovan and Georgina have left. I see them through the windows, inside, speaking to other guests and then when I look again they were dancing salsa on the dancefloor.

They don’t even notice. Of course they don’t.

"Are you okay?" Felix’s voice is quiet, just for me.

I move through water, glaring at him.

"Peachy."

"Carter, you’re an idiot," Felix growls at his friend.

"Dude, I didn’t mean—she PUSHED me!"

"You tried to KISS her!"

"I was drunk!"

"That's not an excuse!" I don’t hang around for the rest of their argument. I swim to the edge, pull myself out—my clothes utterly destroyed, my hair dripping all over the place—and start walking.

"Soren—" Felix calls.

"Leave me alone!" I snap without turning. I hear him climb out, water sloshing.

"Siren, wait—"

"I said LEAVE ME ALONE." I walk faster, dripping a trail through the fancy estate, until I find the stairs.

A servant even showed me earlier where the guest wing is—where I will be staying, apparently.

I take the steps two by two.

“You can't just leave!” Felix’s voice rings out from the stairwell.

I get to the landing, see the hallway the servant described, and make a turn—

Felix is right behind me.

Soaking wet, hard breathed, eyes flickering blue and gold.

“What the hell is so hard about ‘leave me alone’?” I hiss.

“The part where my wolf is going crazy because you’re upset.”

“YOUR wolf? YOUR WOLF?” I scoff, bitterly. “I don’t care about your wolf. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for ANY of THIS.”

“You think I did?”

We just stand there, still dripping, our breaths coming fast as the bond between us hums so loud I can barely think.

His gaze drops to my lips.

My heart stopped.

“Felix—”

“Go,” he snaps. “Before I do something that we’ll both regret.”

I don’t need to be told twice.

I pivot on my heel and practically sprint down the hall, reach my room and slam the door behind me.

Lock it.

Slide down to the floor with your back against the door, heart racing. I hear footsteps from the other wall.

Stopping just outside.

Silence.

Then, so quiet that I almost miss the words: "Goodnight, Siren."

And he walks away.

I’m sitting there, drenched, in a house that isn’t mine, with a mate bond I don’t even want and a future that looks like a trainwreck.

This is fine, I keep telling myself.

Everything is fine.

Spoiler: Nothing is fine.