Chapter 5

Jayda's POV

After a long day, it feels good to drive towards the gates of Moon Valley pack. With the windows down of my teal Jeep Wrangler, I let the heat dry up the Taro Boba tea that I spilled on myself while exiting the freeway. 

I decided to treat myself after checking in at the marketing agency where I have a paid internship. The celebrity client whom I built and strategized their entire social media campaign saw an increase in sales and followers over the last two weeks. The main headquarters for the agency offices is in LA, but Diane, the agency owner, opened up a branch in neutral territory in Riverside between the Moon Crest pack and our pack Moon Valley. 

Whew, I’m glad I left school after lunch today. Damn, all the girls were trippin’. Now that they know my brother and his friends will be home, they’re all fighting over who will end up as their mates. 

Shit, some even think they have the goods to steal the boys from their mates. Okay, you hoes can try to seduce and steal them from their mates if ya want to, but Selene does not play about the mate bond. Playing around with Selene and the mate bond is like asking for yourself to be paired with a mate that looks like a tree monster.

All I could do was roll my eyes at the conversations at lunch. The excitement was getting out of hand and of course, the 3 bimbos I mentioned before were doing too much with parading around, telling everyone that they’d be the ones to snag the boys. I rolled my eyes so hard I’m surprised they didn’t get stuck in my head. My friends and I couldn’t get out of that school fast enough.

Now that I’m headed home, I can think of what to wear to Drake’s party tonight. I want to look good for Noah since we haven’t spent time together. 

I breathe out a deep sigh, thinking about Noah. A part of me feels a little guilty that we haven’t hung out lately. Sure, we see each other at school and text, but we haven’t spent any alone time like he’s been asking. Since he’s a lone wolf and doesn’t live on Moon Valley, I can’t mind link like I’d do other guys in the pack.

My friends are coming over around 7 p.m. to get ready for the party. Our party prep consists of a lot of gossiping, eating, and dancing before we even start getting dressed. I just hope Zuri, Nilah, and Monique don’t bring over a bunch of mess. Every time we party prep here, my room looks like a hurricane ran through it when we’re done.

As the warriors wave me through, I enter the gates and Venus perks up, alerting me. “What’s up, girl, you good?”

“Yes ma’am, everything is fine. I thought I smelled something,” my wolf responds as if she’s searching for something. Looking around, I don’t see anything new or out of place.

Driving through the pack streets, I drive past the pack house where the weekly after-run barbecue is taking place. I wave at some of the pack members as I pass by.

I pull into the driveway and exit out of my Jeep. As I walk through the front door of my house, a shiver runs down my spine. Not one of those eerie types of feelings, but one with excitement and giddiness. I call out for my parents to see if they’re home, but I don’t get a response and their scents are faint, letting me know they haven’t been here for a few hours.

I open the door to the garage from our house and their cars aren’t inside either.

My parents are probably at the pack house for the barbecue. The thought of the ribs and burgers on the grill has my stomach rumbling and my mouth watering. Of course, there’s no food cooked and I don’t want the leftovers that I’m looking at in the fridge. 

Knowing I’m not finna cook anything, I tug on the mind link to get my mom to bring me something home.

“Ma, can you bring me some food back from the barbecue?” I send through the mind link. Waiting a few seconds, I try to push through again, but this time she shuts me out. 

That’s weird. 

That woman never shuts her mind link off to us. She knows good and well if I did that to her, she’d have my ass for that.

Well, time to hit up the person I know who can’t say no to me.

“Daddy, can you bring your starving daughter some food from the barbecue? Puh-lease.” Gotta lay it on a lil thick for my dad. I know he’ll come through.

I wait a minute or two and he doesn’t respond either.

Again, not like them. Maybe they’re in a meeting.

I’ll just ask Nilah or Monique to bring me some food since I know they’re at the barbecue.

Once I get them to agree to bring me food from the barbecue, I head upstairs into my room to prep. Time for my shower and my pre-party nap.

******

7 p.m. rolls around and I grab my iPhone to turn on the new pre-party mix I made on iTunes. The doorbell rings and I head down the stairs to open it for the first friends that have arrived.

I turn up the volume and Mariah Carey’s Fantasy blasts through the speakers.

I’m shocked when I see Imani standing there with Nilah and Monique. Can’t believe she’s one of the first to arrive.

“Damn girl. You gonna let us in or what?” Monique asks as I open the door to let them in.

“Heiffa, I’m shocked that Imani is here already and not the last one to arrive per usual,” I say, laughing.

“Look Bish, I’m only here on time because I had to get ready at the pack house instead of at my parents. My mom told me they’re having a stay-at-home date night, which means a full-on sexcapade and I don’t want to be there for that. I’m not trying to hear or smell that mess.”

My head whips quickly in her direction as I choke on my water at the same time that Monique spits out her strawberry Fanta soda. 

“What?! Girl, I can’t believe you just told your parents’ business like that! The Alpha and Luna getting down ain’t something I’m sure they want you talking about,” Nilah chimes in, shocked as the three of us laugh at Imani.

“My Mom told me to stay away and not come near the house tonight. I’m assuming that’s what they’re doing.”

Nilah just shakes her head while laughing. “I thought the rooms in your house were soundproof?”

“They are. I just don’t want to walk into something I can’t unsee”.

“Well, at least someone is getting some. Goddess, it’s been a year since I got any and I’m sure there are cobwebs in my cat by now. Whew, chile, I can’t wait for Aaron to get home because it’s about to be on till the break of dawn,” Monique cackles while high-fiving Nilah.

“Sis, that’s what I’m saying. My cookies been begging for that D. When Alonso gets here, ain’t gonna be no talkin'. We don’t need any words. Just strip my clothes off and bend me over, please,” Nilah says, doubling over with laughter. “Y’all ain't gonna see me for a week or two”.

“Lawd, not you too, Nilah,” Imani laughs out. “I knew Monique and Aaron were getting down, but whew, you and Alonso too. Are me and Jayda the only two virgin Marys here?” Imani questions our friends while trying to catch her breath from laughing. 

“Well, I don’t know about Zuri, but you two are saving yourselves for your mates. So that’s why you’re not gettin’ none,” Nilah says, sticking out her tongue playfully.

“Speaking of Zuri, where is she?” Imani chimes in, coming out of the bathroom with her burgundy bodycon jumpsuit and strapping on her YSL heels.

“Wait, a minute. How is ‘always late Lucy’ dressed before us,” I joke, shaking my head.

Imani rolls her eyes at me. “I don’t want anyone waiting on me talkin’ bout how I’m always late. At least I know tonight it won’t be me who ain’t ready.”

Handing me my plate of food, Monique grabs her Fenty foundation so she can head into my ensuite bathroom and do her makeup. “You know I respect y’all’s decision to wait for your mates. For me, something just felt right about Aaron and I taking that step. I don’t regret it one bit”.

“I don’t either,” Nilah says with a dreamy expression on her face. She’s such a hopeless romantic. The girl should write a Hallmark movie or work with Tyler Perry writing one of his scripts but without the messed up wigs and struggle-love storylines. 

“Every time Alonso touches me, it makes me want him more. The feeling spreads over me and then, well…. You know the rest.” Nilah bursts out in a sneaky little laugh, letting us all know what the rest is.

Spraying her face with setting spray, Monique fans her face. “Oh, girl, tell me about it. I can’t describe it, but I always felt connected to Aaron. It was like everywhere he went, I wanted to be there with him. At first, I couldn’t stand him because I thought he was obnoxious with all his damn joking. Then one day after I shifted, it was like I saw him differently,” she explains with this dreamy look in her eyes. “It’s been hell being away from him. Sometimes my wolf, Roxy, would get depressed.

Not gonna lie, I am jealous of the relationships my friends have. Out of the 7 of us, these two are the only ones in relationships. Ebony is too busy with modeling to have a relationship. Zuri’s sneaky ass be doing whatever and Imani doesn’t seem interested in looking for one. I’m the one though that’s in a ‘situationship’ with a wolf while I’m worried about another guy. 

My phone pings at the same time the doorbell rings. Imani heads out of the room to answer the door.

“You heiffas started without us?” Ebony pouts as she walks in with Zuri behind her. Of course, Zuri would be one of the last ones to show up.

Giving Ebony a hug, I turn to Zuri, squinting my eyes. “Of course we did and y’all missed these two horny heiffas talking about how they want to get flipped and dipped once their hotties get home too”.

“Sex talk huh?” Zuri asks with eyes wide and a mischievous smirk on her face.

See, I told y’all. Sneaky-ass Undercover freak.

“Yup, you could’ve joined in if you weren’t stalling,” I tell her while swaying my hips to Ciara’s song Goodies. 

Putting her phone down, she looks up at me with a smile. “I was chatting online with this guy in one of my online app creator groups and I lost track of time”.

We all turn to look at her, shocked. No one questions her, though. We know if sneaky Zuri is offering this information, then it must be something. She only gives what she wants us to know and when she finally tells us, it’s months after the fact.

“Oh girl, turn that up. That’s my song.” Monique says leaning over towards my phone to turn the speakers up to some ungodly level.

If I’m shinin’ everybody gonna shine

I was born like this, don’t even gotta try

I, like chardonnay, get better over time

Heard you say I’m not the baddest bitch, 

You lie

Passing me the hairbrush so I can lay her edges, Nilah sits down in front of my vanity. 

“Anyone think Drake will find his mate tonight?” She asks.

“He’s a nice guy. I hope he finds his mate. Just as long as she ain’t me,” Monique says pointing at herself. 

“For Aaron’s sake, I hope it ain’t you either,” Ebony chimes in.

We spend the next two hours getting ready, doing each other’s hair and makeup, dancing, and gossiping. We head out around 9:30 in my Jeep and Zuri’s Jetta.

Walking out the door to my house and getting into my Jeep, I can’t shake this feeling in my stomach that something life-changing will happen tonight.