LOGINI climbed into the backseat, my heart pounded in my chest.
“Guys wait for me.” A sharp feminine voice echoed. Celeste’s heels clicked against the floor as she hurried over to the SUV. She wore a mini skirt that barely covered her thighs and a very tight red crop top that hugged her like a second skin and showed a lot of cleavage. Her hair was curled to perfection and the scent of expensive perfume followed her like a trail of smoke. “Seriously?” Thorne scoffed. “What? My car is fixing at the mechanic’s.” She smirked. “Besides we used to go to school everyday together.” Thorne ignored her remark and popped his earbud in his ear while Draven scrolled on his phone and Ronan started the car. Her eyes shifted to me. Damn it! “Had no idea we were picking up strays this morning.” She rolled her eyes. No one said anything. The ride was silent. They arrived at school shortly after. Bridgewood High. I trailed behind Thorne and Draven as Celeste went over to her friends. “Look here you wolf-less piece of omega trash, stay the fuck away from us.” Thorne yelled loudly and everyone looked around. I was hurt by their words, the tears stung in my eyes and I quickly scurried away from them. When I was alone I broke down completely. Their words stung and I wondered if it was going to be like this forever. “Are you okay?” A soft feminine voice asked. Looking up, I came face to face with a girl. Her short silver hair framed her face beautifully. “I’m f-fine.” I stuttered and the girl frowned. “You don’t look fine at all.” “It’s not a big deal.” “I’m Nova.” She offered a small smile. “It is a big deal if someone makes you cry.” “You wouldn’t understand,” I wiped her tears, embarrassed by the entire situation. “Try me.” “I’m an omega without a wolf. I’m nobody.” Nova’s expression softened and she placed a hand on my shoulder. “You shouldn’t have to feel like you don’t belong and whoever is telling you that should be kicked in the balls.” She said and I chuckled. “See, I cheered you up a bit. What pack are you from?” She asked, sitting next to me. “I’m from the Bloodmoon pack, I became a member recently.” “Oh that’s the triple threat’s jerks pack.” She rolled her eyes. “They can be jerks.” I sighed. “What about you, what pack are you from?” “I’m from the Crimson pack. Our packs have an alliance.” She explained. “That’s great.” “So tomorrow the school is having an opening event. What are you wearing?” “I didn’t even think about that.” “Girl that’s is unacceptable. You can’t go to the first official school event looking bland. That would set a tone you wouldn’t like.” I shrugged, “I don’t have much to my name. Just some old jeans and tops.” “That’s unacceptable. We should go shopping this evening after school. You have to look hot and confident and those step brother jerks of yours will choke on their words.” “Nova, I don’t have any money. My mom is out of town and besides she doesn’t spend money on me- “Girl stop. It’s on me.” I was surprised by her words. “But you do not even know me.” “Well those people don’t know you and they don’t like you why can’t you receive kindness from someone who wants to help you?” Nova raised a brow. I swallowed the lump in her throat. This felt weird but nice. “I don’t want to be a burden.” “Hey, you’re not a burden. You’re just a girl trying to survive a shitty situation. I’m not going to let you sink. We are going shopping. End of discussion.” A small smile tugged at my lips. “Thank you so much.” “You’ve got a friend now.” The day went by in a blur and before I knew it. It was time to go shopping with Nova. We met outside the school gates. I also realized her step brothers had already left without me. “Are you ready to be transformed Miss Cinderella?” “Well let’s hope I don’t turn back into a pumpkin at midnight.” I laughed as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Nova had an adorable pink Benz that we got into and made our way to town. The car ride was filled with music and laughter as we sang pop songs on the radio. When we reached town Nova didn’t waste any time. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into the first boutique we saw. “We are going full makeover missy.” I tried on every possible outfit. Skinny jeans, cropped sweaters, mini skirts, even a bold red dress that made my eyes pop. Nova hyped up every look. Gushing over how I looked and that boosted my confidence. “You are gorgeous. You have a banging body and all you need is the confidence.” “I don’t know how to thank you enough.” “By owning the damn place girl.” At the end, I had a large bag of clothes and shoes. “I still think you wasted your money.” “Please, if my dad can waste money on his mistress, you can get some cute clothes.” I burst out laughing. “I feel like we have to unpack that.” “Of course I’ll give you the deets but for now let’s focus on you.” “Now, let’s go get some boba and we will talk about accessories.” Nova added. Nova dropped me off after we spent the evening together. Night had already fallen and I hurried inside. After I placed her clothes in my room, I decided to go downstairs for dinner. I took some leftover pasta and salad and sat at the table eating it. Thorne staggered in reeking of alcohol. “Fucking trash.” He spat as he walked past me. “You don’t have to insult me every-time.” I muttered and he stopped in his tracks “Oh I don’t?” He slammed his hands on the table and I stood up, cowering away. “You’re telling me what I can do now?” He sneered. “Shut the fuck up.” “N-No I didn’t mean- He backed me into a corner and my breath hitched. “Thorne s-stop.” “You think batting those pretty eyes is gonna save you. It won’t work not here.” One of his hands slammed against the wall beside me making me flinch. His face was inches from mine. His lips dangerously close. There was a different look in his eyes as he stared at me. His expression was unreadable. “You don’t belong here. You should leave.” He whispered. “I don’t have anywhere to go.” I muttered. The tears were running down my face and a look of guilt flashed on his face. “What the fuck are you doing?” Ronan’s cold clipped tone snapped Thorne out of his trance. Thorne step back and raked his hand through his hair. “It’s nothing.” Ronan’s glare deepened. “That doesn’t look like nothing to me. Get your ass upstairs now and quit drinking.” His eyes flashed to me. Thorne scoffed and brushed past Ronan but not before saying a snide remark. “Picking up for strays now?” “We said we wanted nothing to do with her and besides father would tear you to shreds if he found out what you were doing. Keep your word.” “Of course you would say that.” Thorne walked out of the room slamming the door. “Don’t take this as me defending you omega. I’m not your friend. Thorne could have gotten in trouble for that. Just looking out for my own.” “G-Got it.” I quickly scurried out of the kitchen and into my room. My appetite had disappeared. I texted Nova the details of what happened. ‘They are literally losers. Please hang in there. Stand your ground. You’ll be okay. They can’t hurt you.’ Nova replied and I sighed. I just had to endure it. The next morning I got up early brushed my hair showered and got dressed. A text from Nova came in. ‘You better dress sexy missy and pack extra clothes for the event tonight.’ I playfully rolled my eyes and smiled at the text. I decided to give it a try after all, I had a ton of new clothes and nothing to lose. I wore a black fitted crop top that hugged my figure and paired it with high waisted jeans and boots. My hair framed my face in soft waves making me feel confident. I added some lip gloss and earrings. I didn’t even recognize myself. Grabbing my bag and the change of clothes I made my way downstairs. Ryder and Draven were talking when I approached. Both of their gazes snapped towards me. “Wow. You look beautiful Amara. Very different. It’s a good difference.” Ryder commented and I blushed. A look flashed in Draven’s eyes but it was too quick to call. “Thank you Ryder.” I smiled. We all walked out to the SUV. Thorne and Ronan were already waiting outside. Thorne’s eyes widened when he saw me and Ronan’s jaw clenched. Ryder had his hand around my shoulder as we walked over. “Huh, I didn’t know we were picking up dates this morning.” Thorne commented, his eyes raked over my body causing a shiver to run down my spine. Why am I feeling this way? My stomach did flips and my skin prickled under his gaze. It was a feeling I couldn’t name. I quickly looked away from him. Ryder leaned forward. “Are you okay?” “Yup… just nerves,” I mumbled. Looking at the mirror I caught sight of Ronan staring at me but he quickly looked away when I glanced at him. He started the car and we were off. When they arrived at school I quickly ran to meet Nova. “Fucking sexy.” Nova smiled as she pulled me into a hug. “Thanks. It’s because of you.” We went to our classes and I realized that people were staring at me. A lot of boys even cat called me. “What are they doing?” I muttered and Nova laughed. “Girl you look amazing. I told you that you just needed a little makeover to enhance what was already there.” “This attention is too much.” I blushed. “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.” Nova chuckled. “Get over yourself,” Draven said calmly as he walked past me. “If you dress up garbage it will still be garbage.” He laughed and Nova rolled her eyes. “And you’re still a douche.” Nova yelled and he scoffed. “The ugly duckling wants to go the ball? What a joke.” He laughed loudly. I looked around embarrassed. I felt like nothing. Why did I think it would be any different? “Haven’t seen you around before.” A deep smooth voice penetrated my ears cutting off Draven. Looking up, I came face to face with a very sexy blonde. His deep blue eyes stared at me and his lips curled into a smirk. “You must be new here.” “Uh yes I am. First week actually.” “Welcome to Bridgewood. I’m Jace.” He extended a hand. “Amara.” I shook his hand and smiled. “Pretty name.” He stared into my eyes and I looked away. I’m sure my cheeks were flushed. “Are you coming to the event later?” He asked and l nodded. “Yes I am.” “Perfect. I’ll see you around Amara.” He walked off leaving me stunned.“This can’t be true,” Alpha Bruce bellowed. “Besides what proof does she have?” Joseph added. “Proof you say? We were there and we saw what happened. What other proof do you need?” Draven added. “This could just be some baseless accusation to cause trouble. I don’t trust it. My son is perfect and he would never do something like that.” Joseph said. “And as future Alpha, Jace wouldn’t think about drugging someone. If this is a jab at the alliance we have, we can forget even being allies.” Bruce added, his loud voice rang out. “I can’t believe you all won’t admit your children are trash. This is hilarious.” Thorne released a dry chuckle. “If it’s a war you want well- “It’s true,” Jace interrupted and everyone turned to look at him. His eyes found mine and by some measure I held his gaze. “My friends and I drugged Amara. We slipped something into her drink. In fact, I was the one that slipped it into her drink. What we usually do is get girls to have sex with us by doi
“Are you okay?” Ronan’s deep voice penetrated my ears as I sat at the table. “Just fine.” I whispered back and he raised a brow. “You’re lying to me. What’s wrong?” He pressed. “Will you stop? It’s nothing.” I yelled back. My voice raised more than intended and I got a few looks. “Is everything alright Amara ?” Alpha Lucus asked, his attention was focused on me. “Yes, everything is fine. Sorry for the interruption.” “That’s okay. We will begin shortly.” My mother shot me a sharp look. Her eyes were very telling. I could not screw up. Soon enough, the Alpha, his son Jace, the Luna, the Beta, his son Michael, Nova and her dad had arrived. Tension filled the air as we waited for them to begin. Jace’s father, Alpha Bruce, stood up. “I just want to make it very clear that your sons have no right intervening in the mating situation concerning Nova. I don’t know if you’ve heard but some members of your pack began bickering because of it. Fights started brewing
When we got to school we were greeted by Michael. His face was plastered with a stupid grin. Michael smirked as we passed him, his gaze lingering on Nova like she was property. “See you later, sweetheart,” he drawled, but Nova flipped him off without breaking stride. School was a blur of avoidance maneuvers. I stuck to Nova like glue, dodging the usual spots where the boys hung out, the locker bay where Thorne flirted with everyone, the quad bench Draven claimed for “strategic observation.” Ronan didn’t go to school; he was older, already handling pack duties full-time, training recruits and patrolling borders. But his absence didn’t stop the texts from piling up on my phone: Thorne’s cheeky emojis, Ronan’s concerned “You okay?”, Draven’s straightforward “Talk to us.” “Why are you ghosting them?” Nova whispered during history class, passing a note under the desk. We’d claimed seats in the back, away from the pack kids who shot us curious glances. I scribbled back: “Mom’s w
Tears welled in my eyes as I listened to her words. She sighed, unlocking the door. “Think about it. And stay away from their room. Lucus won’t tolerate scandals under his roof.” With that, she left, the door clicking shut like a final judgment. I sank onto my bed, knees drawn up, burying my face in my hands. Were they just playing? Or was this real—the way Thorne’s smirk made my heart race, Ronan’s protectiveness grounded me, Draven’s quiet intensity saw through me? I shook off my thoughts and hit the shower. I let the cold water run over my body, erasing all the thoughts that raced through my mind. I brushed my hair and got dressed for school, opting for a cute black romper and sandals. When I went downstairs I met the boys already waiting for me. “Ready to bounce?” Thorne asked and I shook my head. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to actually go with Nova this morning.”Thorne’s smirk faltered for a split second, his amber eyes narrowing as he leaned against the kitchen cou
The boys and I only ended up cuddling. I still wasn’t quite ready although the fire in my body craved their touch. “Good morning beautiful.” Ronan said as he caressed my cheek. “Good morning,” I mumbled as Thorne snaked his hand around my waist. “What is the plan for today?” Draven asked. “The usual plan; school.” I said as I got out bed. A sharp knock was heard on the door and all of froze. Within moments the door opened and there stood my mom. “Amara, I’ve been looking for you. A word please.” She said sharply. “I’ll see you later guys.” I said softly. Mom took me to my room and locked the door behind us. “What is going on young lady?” She questioned. “What do you mean?” “Don’t answer my question with a question Amara. You know what I’m talking about. What were you doing out so late with those boys. Lucus could smell them on you and it’s not the first time. So I’ll ask again, what is going on?” “It’s nothing. We’re just bonding, as much as step siblin
I stepped through the front door of the pack house, the familiar scent of pine polish and roasting meat hitting me like a wave. Alpha Lucus stood in the grand foyer, arms crossed over his broad chest, his silver-streaked hair catching the light from the chandelier. His eyes—sharp, amber like Thorne’s—pinned us the second we crossed the threshold. The air thrummed with his alpha aura, making my wolf instincts prickle with submission.“You’re late,” he growled, voice low but edged with steel. The remnants of dinner lingered in the air—steak, potatoes, and that herby sauce the cook always made for guests. A few pack members milled about in the adjoining dining hall, clearing plates, but they scattered at his tone.Thorne shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets with that infuriating nonchalance. “Traffic. And we had to help a friend.”Lucus’s gaze flicked to me, then Ronan and Draven, assessing. “Nova, I assume? Word travels fast in packs. Her father’s already called, stirring up t
Thorne rolled his eyes and scoffed but not before sending me a cheeky wink. “Listen, the best option here is to just play it cool. Explain everything to your dad and the Beta and I mean everything. Then reject Michael. It’s that simple.” Draven said and I shook my head. “You know it’s not goi
Thorne twisted around fully now, his eyes gleaming with that trademark mischief. “So, what’s the plan? Hide out at the cabin? Or confront the prick head-on? I vote confrontation—nothing like a good showdown to clear the air.” “Everything is a showdown for you,” Draven scoffed. Nova managed a w
Nova’s voice echoed slightly in the confined space of the car, the speakerphone mode accidentally toggled on in her haste. She quickly switched it off, pressing the phone to her ear, but not before we all caught the gruff, authoritative tone on the other end. “Nova? Where the hell are you? I’ve
“You guys came all the way here for me?” Ronan raised a brow. He was closing up the shop he worked in. Their father owned a chain of car dealerships and other businesses. “Yeah,” I said, stepping out of the car with a smile. “Detour turned into a rescue mission.” Nova waved from the back. “H







