Can We Be Friends?

Nara 

I wipe my face before anyone can see the tears. I refuse to let them watch me fall apart. They already think I am weak enough

In the early afternoon, I felt excruciating pain in my chest, as if someone was stabbing me. My wolf told me we felt it because Kian was making out with another woman. 

I finish serving dinner, avoiding looking in Kian's direction. Trisha is sitting on his lap, smiling like a Cheshire Cat but Kian isn't reacting to her.

I'm about to slip out of the room when Doty, one of Kian's closest friends and a top warrior, calls my name. I freeze in my tracks. 

"Nara, have you eaten?" she asks. Doty is tall and lean, with short raven hair and catlike, stormy, sexy eyes. She is truly the epitome of a hot girl. Every male wants her, but she has eyes only for Davon, the pack's gamma. Doty is often nice to me and waves when we cross paths.

"Want to join us for dinner?" she asks when I don't answer her. I dare to glance back at their table, high-ranking members of the pack, newly sworn in, including the Alpha, beta, gamma, and top warriors, and Lang and Trisha, who are rankless but are there.

"No," I say and turn to leave. I can feel Kian's gaze boring through my back. All I can think of is, who was he making out with earlier today? Trisha?

I didn't sleep through the night because my chest was in constant pain. 

The next morning was the same as other mornings. I helped the two cooks make breakfast, but I had to wake up an hour earlier than usual since it was Monday, and I had school. I take a shower, put on one of the three pairs of pants I own and a tank top, then throw a hoodie over it and pull it up over my head. Grabbing my bag, I walk to school. 

My school was in the human town, twenty minutes from the pack, even though it was part of the Lake Moon territory. I chose to go there because most of the students are human and are not mean to me. I was almost making it to the gate when coffee was spilled on my clothes by a car window. The car speeds up, leaving behind the echoes of their laughter. Trisha. It is too late to go back, so I proceed and go straight to the bathroom. 

I try to dry myself, but it doesn't dry fast enough. I'm frustrated and punch the dryer. I keep doing it over and over again. I hate this damn pack, and I hate all these people. Why do they keep me here if they hate me so much?!

" Are you okay?" a voice asks from the toilet. The door opens, and a girl with curly hair and honey eyes appears. She's very gorgeous, like a doll with her makeup, nose piercing, and hoop earrings. Her gaze falls on my hands, and she gasps, coming to me. 

"You're bleeding. You need to go to the nurse's office," she's panicking. I sniff her scent and realize she is human and doesn't know how werewolf healing works. We heal faster than humans. Does she even know about us? Some humans don't and think werewolves are myths. 

"I'll go," I tell her to soothe her panic. She eyes me skeptically, and then something crosses her face, something like pity. 

"I'll take you," she murmurs, and I don't protest. The school nurse cleans and bandages my wound. She's a wolf, so I caught her rolling her eyes, thinking it would heal in an hour or so. She paid attention only because the girl was watching intently, worried. 

When we left the nurses' office, she extended her hand to me. 

"Hi, I'm Mya, twelfth grade and new to the school," she said, smiling, her face bright. 

"Hi, Mya, I'm Nara, twelfth grade too." We shake hands, our gazes lock, and we smile and nod. I can't remember the last time I smiled from the heart. 

Mya is cool and surprisingly popular, and everyone keeps complimenting her and her outfit. She's wearing a black flared mini skirt, knee-length boots, and a white tube top. 

We walk to class together, and we sit next to each other. " How come I've never seen you in class before?" I ask. 

"I was homeschooled until last week," she answers, and I squint my eyes when the school cheer captain beams and waves at her. 

"I kinda have a huge presence online. I have a somewhat popular fashion blog," she murmurs, looking a little embarrassed. The quarterback winks at her as he goes to his seat at the back, "And I play online games," she adds, and I nod. I wouldn't know about her since I don't have a phone or computer. Our young math teacher, Mr. Cain, enters, and everyone quietens. His eyes widen when he sees Mya, but she smirks and waves, prompting the other students to murmur and oo. Mr. Cain clears his throat and gives her a stern look before proceeding to teach. 

Mya throws a note on my desk, and I open it discreetly. 

<Hey, wanna be friends? Tick yes or no>

I'd never had a friend besides Kian, and he broke my heart, but there is something about Mya that makes me not scared about friendship. I tick yes and throw it back to her. 

"Best friends forever!" she whispers. 

"You said friends, not best friends," I remind her. 

She smirks, "Soon you'll beg me to be your best friend, trust me, I'm irresistible," she winks and starts drawing in her notebook, ignoring the teacher. 

For the first time in forty-eight hours, I don't think about Kian and what happened. 

Mya is just a source of sunshine. She has so much energy and doesn't get tired of talking.

However, when I reach the packhouse after school, I wish I hadn't. 

Standing in the driveway is Kian, and a woman holds onto his arm, smiling up at him, while the former Alpha and Luna watch with expressions of love and happiness on their faces. Another couple is standing next to them, and I recognize the man. He is Felix Choi, the Alpha of the Sea Moon pack. There was talk circulating in the kitchen earlier this morning that his daughter might be the next Luna of this pack, Kian's betrothed. 

My eyes move to the woman holding his arm, and my stomach twists painfully. She isn’t just another she-wolf, she is the woman everyone has been whispering about.

The woman who could become Luna.

Kian’s Luna.

And suddenly, I understand, fate is cruel to me. My own mate was never meant to be his.