Chapter 4 - Freya’s POV

I had been set up again. Vivian had never wanted to make peace with me; this was just another trap. 

“I invited you to the party, gave you a gown, and this is how you repay me?” Vivian said. Her smile showed too many teeth.

Other partygoers started drifting over, attracted by the developing drama.

“I should have known you’d do this. You’re a thief and a liar.” She turned, playing to the crowd. “Just yesterday, she went up to me, in class, and stole my bracelet! After accusing me of stealing it from her! Of course I stood up to her, and she had to come crawling back to me and return it.” 

She walked up and down, making eye contact with her audience. “And you know me, I believe in live and let live, right? I invited her to the biggest party of the season. I gave her a nice dress to wear, so she wouldn’t be looking all poor and pitiful.” She pointed at me. 

Everyone in the room stared at me. I was trying to gather my wits to say something, anything, but I could barely stand. 

“She’s really drunk,” someone in the crowd whispered. There was a tittering laugh.

“It’s terrible,” someone else said. “Why do they let these people in here?”

Vivian wasn’t done. “And now look what she did!” She gestured at her ruined gown. “I loved this dress.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to come out,” said a slim dark-haired girl. 

Others hissed in sympathy.

“She’s just jealous of you, girl,” Sienna chimed in.

“If you hate me so much, why are you even wearing the gown I gave you?” Vivian looked straight at me, eyes amber with rage.

“Your gown?” I snarled. “I didn’t know it was your gown! I thought Drew shennt—sent it. He’shh my boyfriend.” Shit. I was slurring my words. I was a lightweight when it came to alcohol, but one drink shouldn’t be doing this. “Aren’t you guys his friends? Why are you picking on me?” 

Vivian’s smile faded, leaving her expression cold. “He’s not here. Even if he was, he wouldn’t help you.” She snapped her fingers. “Since this dress is ruined, I want that one back.”

Brandon and Sienna grabbed me and started ripping at my dress. Brandon made sure to grope my boobs as he pulled the bodice away. I lashed out and was rewarded with a gratifying howl as his finger dislocated again. No time to enjoy it, though. Sienna giggled as she tore at the skirt. I shoved at her, but stumbled. It was all I could do to stay upright.

I was so angry I was crying. Which only increased my sense of humiliation. Ashe wanted to rip their throats out, but we couldn’t get it together to fight back. This was not normal. 

My surroundings swirled around me and my first drink came up as I vomited all over myself.

“Oh gross!” someone in the crowd said, pulling back.

“I only had one drink,” I tried to explain, but it was hard to talk.  

There was a clicking sound as Vivian pranced around, taking photos. 

“Ew. Ew. Ew.” Sienna ripped at my skirt. “You are so disgusting. Ew.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” I wailed. 

“Because you deserve it,” Sienna explained. “Lykaon Academy is for the best of the best. Every year we let one of your kind in, so you can better yourselves. Your job—” She took a big handful of fabric and pulled hard. “—is to keep your head down, study hard, and be grateful—” She succeeded in tearing off my skirt, as well as my underwear. “—for the opportunity!”

“Whoa, nice ass.” Brandon had popped his finger back into joint, showing more fortitude than I ever expected from him, and ripped off the rest of my top and my bra. 

I was standing naked and exposed in front of the richest kids in school.

The clicking continued as Vivian took more photos.  

Sienna was glaring at Brandon, who muttered, “Well she does.” She smacked him on the arm and he shut up.

“You think just because your families are rich, you can do anything you want!” Tears flowed down my face, but I finally managed to speak clearly. “Your lives have always been so easy that you have nothing better to do than pick on people who can’t fight back.” I wiped the tears off my face and stood up straight. “Well, you chose the wrong person. You’ll regret this. I promise you that.”

Vivian laughed. “If you ever tell anyone about what just happened, these photos will go public. I have video too. Wanna be an internet star?” Still laughing, she gestured at her minions to throw me out. 

They grabbed me and pushed me towards that door.

“Oh…” Vivian held up one finger. “You’ll pay me back for that dress. When you do, I might consider deleting these pictures.”

***

I sat outside Vivian’s mansion, the marble steps cold and hard against my naked butt. Tears burned in my eyes, making it hard to see the headlights at first. A car was coming down the driveway.

Someone was late to the party. 

Shit. 

It’s him. It’s him. It’s him! Ashe howled in my head.

Doing my best to cover myself, I crawled into the bushes. I tried to burrow deeper, but my arms and legs just flopped uselessly. It didn’t help that I was still dizzy, too. The leaves prickled against my skin as I peered out. I tried not to shiver and thought hard about being invisible.

Footsteps crunched on the gravel and a shadow fell across my face. I looked up and froze. 

It was Michael.

“Is this your new hobby? Streaking? Hiding naked in the bushes?” he asked.

Just kill me now, God, I prayed. Don’t leave me to die a slow death from embarrassment. I hid my head, hoping if I was quiet enough he would forget I was there. 

He smells so good. He’s here to help us, just like a good mate should do. Ashe’s tail was wagging.   

“I told you to keep our mate bond a secret,” he said dryly. “But you don’t have to throw away your reputation like this.”

His sarcasm made the sting even worse. Ashe’s tail drooped in response to his tone.

My tears overflowed into deep, convulsive sobs. “Why are you even here? To laugh at me?” I covered my face with my hands. “I didn’t do anything wrong—why are you all treating me like this?”

He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. “Stop crying,” he mumbled.

Like that was going to help. Now Ashe was crying too, wounded by his coldness and indifference. 

With a frustrated sigh, he pulled off his jacket and dropped it over my head.  

“Put it on. People might start talking about how students at Lykaon Academy enjoy running around naked.” His lips twisted into a dark smile. “We have a position to maintain.” 

He was tall, so the jacket was long enough to cover me, if I was careful. It was still warm from his body and I could feel Ashe taking a deep sniff. I clutched it around me, blinking up at him, trying to think of what to say.

Before I could say anything, he turned and walked away.

***

I cried myself to sleep that night. 

In the morning I got a message from Vivian. “Two days. If you don’t pay me back, these photos go public.” 

It was accompanied by a photo of me from last night, which gave the wrong impression completely. Instead of looking traumatized, I looked drunk and dissipated. I couldn’t imagine what my parents would say if they saw it. I might even lose my scholarship.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

What could I do? 

I needed to talk to Drew. He’d help me. Desperately, I dialed his number.

No answer.

I tried again. And again.

Finally, I threw on some clothes and sneaked out of my room, slinking along the walls and keeping my eyes down. His dorm was a good 20-minute walk away, but thankfully I didn’t meet anybody. 

I was almost at his door when I heard voices and laughter coming from inside his room. I stopped and crept up to his window, peering in.

There was Drew. With Vivian. 

And they were kissing.