Chapter 4

Emilia POV

It was finally happening tonight, the Moon Festival.

The celebration mood was everywhere; you could feel it in the air, in the smile etched on almost every face hurrying past, and in the way the pack buzzed with a restless excitement. Sure, everyone had waited long enough for this night.

I stood before the mirror, frowning at the pile of clothes littering my bed. I had checked almost fifty outfits, maybe more, looking for the perfect one to wear to the feast taking place at the pack square, but hell, none of them seemed right.

I tugged at a blouse, sighed, and then tossed it aside. Heck, nothing fit; nothing matched the picture of how tonight should be.

Gawd… why do I have to come from such a poor home? Why can’t I have just one thing that looks like it belongs to me?

"You know," a voice suddenly drifted from behind me, steady yet oddly gentle, "you could have always asked me if you were stranded."

I froze just as I caught her reflection through the mirror.

"Mom?" I turned quickly.

She stood there by the door of my room, holding up a bright red dress. It wasn’t luxurious or expensive, but it was beautifully simple, and for me, it was enough to steal my breath.

"Mom, you got this for me?" I whispered, my voice filled with disbelief. Where in the hell had she gotten money?

She nodded, and I looked at her really looking, and for the first time in a really long time, I noticed how she seems different right now. She didn’t look like the usual drunken mess of a mom I'd been with—the one who screamed, cursed, and threw bottles at me. For some reason, tonight she looked… sober. Clear-eyed.

Wow. Seems I’m not the only one keen on this festival to think she had gone a whole day without drinks.

"Yeah, sweetie. You should try it out," she said softly, stretching the dress out to me, but just as I reached for the dress, her tone shifted.

"But on one condition."

My fingers froze immediately.

"What is it, Mom?"

"You’ll buy me two bottles of bourbon and whiskey when you get your salary this month. Because it was the money I was supposed to use for them that I used in buying you the dress."

My shoulders sagged immediately as I let out a sharp breath.

 Of course. Here we go again.

What was I expecting—that she’d actually do something for me with no strings attached? At this rate, even her drinks seem more important than me.

But the problem wasn’t just her drinking—it was that she didn’t know I’d already lost my job days ago. For the past few days I had been dodging her, keeping the secret and pretending everything was fine.

And the money—my salary Madam Kim had given to me—I had used it to pay for the house rent.

So how was I supposed to get her drinks now?

"So what do you say, Mon Chérie?" she pressed, her voice slipping into that sickly sweet tone she only ever used in times like this.

"Uh… okay. Sure," I said, taking the dress from her, even though my chest burned. Hopefully I’ll be able to figure something out later, but right now I just need to focus on tonight—my big night.

"You should sit while I make your hair," she suggested suddenly, and I almost choked on my saliva.

Wait, what? Does she want to?

She must have seen the shocked and disbelieving look on my face because her tone softened immediately.

"Oh, come on, Mon Chérie. I know I act out of it sometimes," she said, her voice low and almost pleading. "But tonight is like our last night together. After tonight, you’ll get your mate and go live with him, whoever he is. So let me give you motherly affection once more. Don’t you think?"

Her words pierced through me. My last night with her, of course she was right. No matter what she had done, tonight would end this chapter of my life with her, so why was I wasting it worrying over nothing?

Slowly, I nodded and sat before the vanity. She stood behind me, her fingers surprisingly gentle as they combed through my hair. She worked carefully, slowly, braiding, twisting, and painting me into someone else.

And while she did, my mind drifted to him, my expectations tonight—my mate.

 Goddess, let it be him, Jason.

I had already given myself to him, and I couldn’t imagine it being anyone else.

Although since that night, I hadn’t heard from him. He hadn’t called, nor had he shown up. And I didn’t really know why. Even when I went looking at his house, they always told me he was busy, and I wanted to believe it was festival preparations keeping him away.

But deep down, fear still gnawed at me. Had he perhaps found out about what happened that night? But then I had made sure to leave early the next morning and clean every trace of me before he woke up. He had been drunk, and he shouldn't even remember my face.

If he was ever going to find out about it, I wanted to be the one to tell him. I wanted to make it seem like I didn’t take advantage of him.

"All done, sweetie," Mom suddenly announced, her voice snapping me back.

I blinked at once and looked at the mirror. My mouth fell open in awe at the girl that stared right back at me.

"Wow…" I gasped, amazed.

She had styled my hair in a really nice ponytail; my face glowed like the morning sun at the effort she had put into the makeup. Hell, I didn’t know she had it in her.

"You like it?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Mom. I love it." I smiled, and her lips curved into a laugh too. My chest tightened immediately at the sight of it. When was the last time I saw her laugh? Too bad this would be the last night.

"Alright. Let’s get you dressed," she said, holding up the gown.

I giggled excitedly and slipped into the dress, amazed at how perfectly it hugged my curves, and for the first time, I felt radiant.

Geez, I couldn't wait to see the look on Jason's face when he sees me in this and not in my usual Granny clothes.

---

The pack square was filled to the brim with faces both familiar and unfamiliar, filled everywhere. Laughter and music carried through the night air, and on every corner wolves danced and celebrated under the lantern glow.

I walked further into the crowd, eyes searching every corner for his dark curls. At first I didn't see him. I wanted to believe he must have been choked up with responsibilities until I saw him at the far end of the ground.

But he wasn’t alone.

As always, he was pressed against another woman, his arm around her while her face was inching close to his. The sight hit me like claws tearing through my chest, and almost immediately I felt my lungs lock and my chest tighten as my stomach twisted with anger and jealousy.

"Jason?" My voice broke as I hurried toward him.

He looked up at once, and for just one fleeting second, I swore I saw guilt flicker in his eyes.

"Hi, Bess," he called softly as I finally reached him.

"You—what a nice way to treat a best friend," I snapped. "You couldn’t even reach out to me?"

His face softened immediately as he gave me that familiar gentle look he always used on me. "Sorry. I was busy. But you should have come looking for me."

"Of course I did! But I was told you were always busy," I shot back, my throat tight.

"That’s true. I was busy with the festival and stuff, you know…" He said, winking at me, like it was all a joke. "So how are you doing? Enjoying the party?"

I searched his face for any sign that he remembered that night, that he knew, but thankfully there was nothing. Relief, sharp and fleeting, washed over me almost immediately.

"Not really," I admitted. And how could I enjoy anything when he was here, touching someone else, while my chest was burning alive?

"Ouu, that's bad."

"So… who is she?" I asked, unable to stop myself, my gaze locked on the brunette at his side. She was gorgeous. Her beauty was effortless, her curves perfect. Everything I wasn’t.

"Oh, this is Amanda. My girlfriend. I met her when I was in Atlantis. Amanda, meet Emilia—I’ve told you about her."

Amanda, his girlfriend from Atlantis? My nails dug into my palms as I tried to process it.

What about Chicago? The one he had drunk himself to stupor for that night? Just how many does he have?

"Hi," Amanda smiled sweetly, stretching out her hand. "So you’re Emilia. It’s so nice to see you—Jason’s told me a lot about you."

I shook her hand stiffly, forcing a thin smile. Goddess, my chest was on fire, and all I wanted was to scream.

But before I could, a guard appeared. "Jason, your father wants to see you."

"Coming," Jason said, already moving.

"Alright, Bess, see you later," he whistled, hurrying off.

"I’ll go with him too!" Amanda chirped, rushing after him too.

I rolled my eyes at her so hard it hurt. What a delusional bimbo she is. Well, tonight will tell.

---

The rest of the night seemed to drag as I felt very anxious and restless. The music, the laughter, the dancing—none of it touched me as I stayed on the far side of the ground, far from the crowd, sipping desperately from my drink like it was the only thing keeping me standing.

He had ditched me, Jason. I hadn’t seen him again since he left. Neither Amanda nor I needed to be told they must be somewhere together, tangled in each other's arms.

I glanced at my phone again. 11:57. Just three more minutes and all this would be over.

I downed another sip. Then another. Counting each one by the minute. I didn’t care if I got drunk—I needed it to face what was coming.

12:00.

Finally the alarm I'd set in my phone beeped, and just then, the sky erupted in red flame—the Blood Moon rising.

My chest seized immediately, power surging through me as my wolf, who had been sick and was asleep for a long time now, stirred awake. Arizona roared from inside me, stretching, clawing, and alive again after so long.

My senses sharpened instantly, and every scent hit me at once, every voice, every breath—it was all over me.

But then one scent stood out the most.

Strong and familiar and like it smell like strawberries.

"Mate," Arizona growled from within me.

My breath hitched, and my feet moved on their own, drawn by the pull, and before I knew it, we were already at the far end of the gathering, where only a few people were present.

And that's when I saw him.

Jason.

Our eyes locked instantly, and we both spoke at once.

"Mate."

My heart nearly exploded from my chest.