Chapter 1

Emilia POV

"Ahh—yes, go harder, Jason!" I moaned, my voice breaking as my best friend slammed into me from behind. My body convulsed with each thrust, my hands gripping the edge of the table so hard my knuckles ached.

"God, yes… that’s it…"

Jason’s chest brushed my back as he leaned down, his hot breath dragging over my ear as he whispered to me, his voice taunting and cruel in the sweetest way.

"This is what you wanted all along, dear best friend, isn’t it? All those times you sat beside me, pretending, playing the good girl, hiding those hungry eyes… this is what you’ve been begging for in silence—my cock buried inside your tight little pussy, just like this. Isn’t it?" He asked.

His words cut me wide open, stripping me bare. Shame and ecstasy rolled off me, and I could only nod helplessly, because he was right. He had always been right. I'd always craved him, and right now it felt like a dream come true for me.

"Y… yes, Jay," I gasped, "please… go deeper…"

PRAHHH!

The crack of something hard against my cheek tore me out of my fantasy.

"Ahhh—!" I cried out, the sting flooding my skin as my head snapped sideways. My eyes flew open at once, dazed, though the dream vanished into thin air.

I blinked across the gaze, and my eyes widened almost immediately as I beheld who was standing before me, with fury etched across her face. It was none other than my madam.

"Ma…dam… Kim?" I stuttered, my voice still sluggish with sleep.

Her anger roared over me like fire. "Fucking Christ, Emilia, sleeping on duty? In my kitchen? My kitchen is burning!" She growled, and I was still wondering what she meant by that when it hit me.

The strong smell of burnt toast. My stomach dropped instantly to the floor, and I looked towards the other end of the kitchen only to see the toast I had been cooking before I got caught in a daydream about my best friend, now smoking.

"Oh my God—no!" I shrieked, the haze clearing off finally, and I quickly fell to my knees before her even though I knew that it would take the grace of the moon goddess to help me today; this wasn't the first time.

 "Please, I—I’m sorry, Madam—"

"Don't you dare beg me!" She growled angrily in a voice sharp enough to rattle my bones.

My chest heaved deeply, Goddess. Why me? Why does this always happen to me?

Hell, no matter how hard I tried to stop it, I just couldn’t stop this habit of thinking and daydreaming about my best friend Jason and also my crush.

He was always in my head, even at work, and whenever he was in, I always lost myself, like right now.

"Please, Madam Kim," I begged, my voice cracking now raw and desperate. "Please, I promise it won’t repeat itself—"

She cut me down with a look. "That’s what you said the last time."

My head sank low because she wasn’t lying. How many times have I been caught like this? I couldn't even count.

"And the time after that," she spat, her eyes burning into me, "you don’t learn, Emilia. You never learn. And I can’t tolerate you anymore. Now pack your things and leave my restaurant. Right now."

My heart seized in panic, my legs suddenly going weak beneath me.

Omg, not this, please...

"Please," I whispered, sobbing now. "Please, Madam, I beg you in the name of God, just please give me one more chance. I promise to do better next time, please." I cried harder not only because of how important this job is to me but also because my mom would kill me if I returned home jobless.

Here in the Black Moore pack, getting a job as an Omega was pretty hard, as we were always considered weak, and it had taken a lot for Madam Kim to accept me, and now this...?

I could already imagine my mom skinning me alive.

"Please, Madam, all I ask is just a chance—"

"Enough!" She cut me off immediately. Her tone was cold and merciless. "Sorry. But I’m done putting up with your trashy behavior." She dipped her hand into her purse and wriggled out some stash of cash, which she threw at me.

"That's your pay for the month; take it and leave," she said and turned to leave.

I sank into myself, more tears pouring out of my cheeks.

Around me, I could hear my fellow coworkers whispering things about me. Some jeered openly, mocking me, while some others just stared at me with pity, some with something I couldn't describe.

I gulped hard and managed to force myself up. My body trembled as I gathered my things, and with head bowed in shame, I walked out of the restaurant.

The streets stretched endlessly before me as I took the route home, my feet dragging beneath me, each step heavier than the last.

I kept my gaze fixed on the ground, swallowing sobs the entire time, until my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket. I retrieved it immediately, and my heart nearly stopped as I saw who was calling...it was him.

Jason.

Even in my misery, even with my world crumbling, my heart still skipped a beat for him. How pathetic was that?

I wiped my tears quickly, my fingers trembling, and then I cleared my throat, desperate to bury the evidence of crying, before finally hitting the green button.

"Hi, Bess," I said softly.

"Hi, pumpkin," he called in that soft, teasing tone. His voice—God, I’d missed it.

The sound alone undid me, and for a moment I forgot I just got sacked from work.

When had I last heard it? A month? Maybe two heck, ever since he’d left the pack for vacation six months ago, he hadn’t called once. Not even a ‘hi.’ Until now.

"Finally remembered you had a friend, huh?" I said, my tone sharp, though my heart thudded against my ribs. "Took you long enough to call."

He chuckled, rolling his eyes audibly. "Don’t be like that, Sunshine. You know things haven’t been easy."

I scoffed. "Oh really? You, out there touring the world, living the Alpha’s-son dream, forgetting all about me—and you call that hard?"

He burst into laughter. "Fine, fine, cupcake. You caught me."

My heart clenched at the sound, and as usual, the familiar wet heat pooled between my thighs, my body betraying me as always.

Goddess, I loved it when he called me by those names. Sunshine. Cupcake. Pumpkin. Each word wrapped around me like chains I didn’t want to break.

"So," he continued, his voice gentle now, "how are you and everyone in the pack doing?"

"The same," I murmur. "The same way you left me and everyone else here," I say, though hiding the fact that I just lost my job because of him. Knowing Jason, he would definitely want to probe, and I wasn't up for that.

"Uh...um...that's nice." He hummed, unbothered.

 "And what about you?" I decided to ask.

"I’m cool, bae," he answered, and yet again my cheeks heated up at the "bae" he called me.

"Good." I tried to breathe evenly. "So… when are you coming back? You do know the Moon Festival is coming up in a few days, right? You’re not missing it, are you?" I asked even though I knew there was no way he could miss it.

He couldn’t. None of us could. The Moon Festival wasn’t just a gathering where every pack member, regardless of where they are, must attend.

It was also a sacred ceremony celebrated once every five years, and it's also where the Moon Goddess would reveal to us our fated mates.

Actually this was going to be my first festival here since my mother and I joined the Black Moore pack five years ago. It was going to be my first chance. My only chance.

And deep down, I prayed it would be him. Jason. Hell, the goddess had better give him to me as my mate with how deep I'm into him; if not, I was ready to reject anyone else just to be with him. Heck, I couldn’t imagine anyone other than him.

"That’s why I’m calling." His voice suddenly came again, pulling me back to earth, and I blinked back to reality.

"Really?"

"Actually, I’m coming back today."

"What?"

I gasped, nearly leaping to my feet. "Really? Oh my God, yes!" I squealed, not minding how embarrassingly high my voice sounded right now, excitement literally spilling out of me.

"What?"

 I heard him laugh shortly from the other end. "Why are you acting like I just told you I bought a car?"

"You don’t get it, Jason," I said breathlessly. "I’ve missed you. So, so much."

"Yeah, yeah, I’ve missed you too," he teased. "I'll be back by six. You know where to meet me right?"

Of course I did. "The cottage. Behind the pack house."

"That’s my girl. Haven’t forgotten, huh?"

"How could I forget?" I whispered, a blush creeping into my cheeks. I knew everything about him. Five years as his best friend had taught me more about Jason than I even knew about myself.

We both chuckled softly, the sound warm and intimate, and for a moment, it almost felt like enough.

"Em, Jason—" I began, heart pounding, but then—

"Babe?"

A voice smooth and sultry, obviously a woman's voice, suddenly slithered into the background.

My smile faltered instantly.

Jason stiffened. "Uh—Bess, I've got to go. See you later." The line cut before I could answer.

Silence crushed me immediately as my chest tightened in pain. Of course. Of fucking course. The fucking womanizer that he is. Always changing women like shirts. And I've been here playing the best friend, waiting for when he would finally look at me.

But then I tried to console myself.

The Blood Moon Festival was coming, and that would be my chance, and even if things don't work out the way I plan, I'm ready to take desperate measures.

I shoved the phone into my bag and then forced myself to breathe before continuing my walk.

---

The house was silent when I arrived, and I couldn't have been more grateful. If my mother had been there, it would have been hell on earth.

But honestly I didn't even care, as all I could think about was Jason and the festival, which would decide our fate.

By the time the clock crawled toward six, I was already dressed. Already anticipating seeing him, I called him a few times to know if he had come, but he didn’t answer. No matter. There was only one way to know.

The night air wrapped cool fingers around me as I stepped out of my house and hurried to the cottage. The door stood open. My pulse quickened.

He was back finally!

"Jason?" I whispered as I stepped inside.

However, the moment I got in sight, I saw something that literally stole the air out of my lungs.

He was sitting on the floor, shirtless, surrounded by many bottles of alcohol.

His eyes were red, his face drawn and hollow; right now he didn't look like the lively Jason from earlier. Not the boy I knew. This was someone broken.

"Oh my God—Jason!" I rushed to him, snatching a bottle from his hand. "What happened? Why do you look like this?" I asked my heart aching at his pitiable state.

He lifted his head slowly, and his bloodshot red eyes met mine. gaze weary and unfocused.

He was drunk. Devastatingly drunk.

Omg, what the hell had happened to him?

"Jason—" I tried to inquire, but that was when he said it. A word that cut through me like a blade.

"…Chicago?"

I froze. My brows knitting together in a frown

Chicago?

Who the hell was Chicago?

Then it hit me. The girl—I’d heard her voice earlier on the phone.

"Jason," I whispered, forcing out a smile amidst the ache in my chest.

"Look at me very well. It’s me. Emilia. Not—"

Before I could finish, his arms unexpectedly reached out and pulled me against himself, his lips claiming mine in a rough and desperate kiss before I knew it.

My eyes flew wide at once, my heart racing so fast in my chest, every nerve in me screaming in shock and longing. Still, I tried to push him back and let the words

mumble out from my mouth. "J-Jason, what are you doing?!"

But his voice broke against my lips. "Thank you… for coming back, Chicago…"

And then his mouth devoured mine again, leaving me no chance to break free.