The THORN LUNA

Emily's POV

Standing by the window pane in my blue dress, I took out my right hand and snaked my fingers through the rays of moonlight that beamed into the room.

For a moment there, my fingers stiffened. My nails got darker and elongated till my claws were fully jutted out.

It wasn't a full moon that night, but I hadn't gained total control over my wolf-self.

Fancied, — as though I hadn't seen my claws a million times — I swung my hand and cleaved at the window, leaving four slash marks on the glass. I had to hold back, so I wouldn't have to start clearing up broken shards of glass, again.

Then I heard a voice, a familiar voice…

“Ugh… Seriously, Emily, you have to stop doing that.”

I retracted my claws and turned my gaze away from the window. Standing at the other side of the bed, with a hand on her tapered waist, was my best friend, Lyla Dune, a beta like me. She was much stronger though.

“You know we just got that window, right? If you break this one, we'll miss the party,” she added.

I grabbed my purse from the bed as I chuckled tersely, “Sorry, I just got carried away.”

“Let me guess, because of Jacob?” She teased, smirking.

I rolled my eyes, then blushed a bit as the image of a smiling Jacob flashed through my head. His deep red eyes were hypnotic, not to talk of his voice that was so deep, it rattled my body with every word he spoke.

He was the kind of man any lady would want, and lucky me, he was my mate. We only got mated a while ago, and I haven't introduced him to anyone yet. That's why Lyla always teases me about him, since she only knows him by name.

“You're blushing? For this mystery man?” Lyla asked with squinted eyes. Then she smacked her lips, “Now I'm 20% certain that he might actually be real.”

“Heh,” I scoffed, walking around the bed. “Let's just go. You're in for a big surprise.”

As I stepped out of the building, I saw the black limo that we rented, waiting by the curb already. The driver was standing behind it, constantly checking his wristwatch.

By the time I got to him, Lyla had exited the building too. We got into the limo and the driver drove us to the party venue.

…

We alighted the limo and watched the driver take it to the car park, where he'd be waiting for us till we were ready to leave the party.

Lyla and I giggled at each other as we stood before the huge mansion. We entered and opened our mouths in awe. The grandeur of the place was magnificent.

And we could easily tell, from the aura around the other guests, that most of them were Alphas of prestigious packs. The host must be a man of big influence…

Oh, how could I forget? The host was none other than Jacob Gallahad, my mate.

I didn't bother to look for him when we walked in, knowing how occupied he must have been at the moment, attending to the VIP guests.

But Lyla wouldn't stop asking about him.

“Where is he? Where is he?” She repeated in an annoying song.

I grunted, resting my hands on the counter by the bar, “Just enjoy the party, Lyla. He should be here soon.”

“Or maybe he's here already,” said a man, his voice so deep it rattled me—I gasped.

I turned immediately to see Jacob, donned in a neat blue tux, his hands sunk into his trousers. His red eyes lit up as he flashed a smile at me.

Nervous, I stood frozen to a spot and waved, “Hi.”

“Hey, thanks for coming,” he took the back of my palm and kissed it. I blushed like a child. But it helped me regain my confidence. He was my mate, after all, not some stranger that I had a crush on. Although we haven't kissed yet.

I tapped Lyla’s shoulder and she grudgingly turned towards me. Just like me, she froze upon seeing Jacob. But I could tell that she wasn't nervous; she was feeling something else.

Then I looked towards Jacob, he was surprised to see her.

Then it clicked in my head and I muttered, “Uh… Have you guys met before?”

Lyla smiled weirdly, “Y-Yeah, we used to date in high school. I knew his name was familiar.”

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, what she said.”

The atmosphere got awkward, so I grabbed Jacob’s hand and pulled him away. I could hear Lyla let out a sigh of relief as we left.

We got in the back of his jeep and he kissed me out of nowhere. I was shocked at first, but then he kissed me again and I just went along with it.

A few minutes passed and the two of us were nude, having sex at the back of a vehicle. It would sound weird to outsiders, but as someone who experienced it firsthand, it was bliss. Or maybe it was because I lost my virginity that day.

I had countless orgasms before falling asleep on his chest. Or did I pass out? I really can't remember. The rest of the night was quite blurry.

I had a wonderful dream that night. In the dream, I saw myself walking down an aisle on an open field, with guests lining my sides. Just up ahead was Jacob, in a classic suit, anxiously waiting for him to reach him.

However, just as I inched closer to him, my best friend, Lyla appeared before him and drew his face towards hers. They… kissed.

My eyes went wide and I woke up.

With a hazy feeling in my head, I found myself in his jeep, in the back seat. I could hear smooching and moaning coming from the front.

I had to rub my eyes a bit to clear my blurry vision. Then I saw Lyla seated atop Jacob in the driver’s seat, kissing him deeply. And it wasn't that she forced herself on him. No. He had his hands on her boobs.

I was dumbstruck. Or maybe I was having another dream like the one before?

I stuttered, “Jacob? L-Lyla?”

They stopped and Lyla rolled her eyes, “Ugh… She's awake.”

“Told you I should have thrown her out,” Jacob rubbed his head.

Huh? Throw me out?! What the hell was going on?!

“W-What’s the meaning of this?” I asked with dilated eyes.

“Emily, look. I know we're mates and all that. But you just don't match my vibe. I mean, last night when we had sex, you just laid there like a log of wood while I did all the work,” Jacob said coldly. “But Lyla and I go way back. She knows me more than anyone. We only broke up because of distance. Thanks for bringing us back by the way. You've served your purpose.”

“What?” I blinked more times than I could count.

“You can go now,” he added.

“You heard him. Leave,” Lyla glared at me.

I didn't even know what to say or do. My own best fri

end just snatched my mate from me. My mate chose my best friend over me.

It must definitely be a dream.