Chapter 5

Anastasia's POV

I froze, shocked.

I looked up and found a girl standing a few feet away.

She had soft features and a pair of striking eyes that somehow made it difficult for me to be annoyed at her.

I wiped my cheeks.

“Sure.”

She sat beside me. “Hi. I'm Uriel. You're new, right?”

I nodded. “Anastasia.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah. You too.”

She studied me for a moment before smiling. “I'm guessing you're currently experiencing phase one of the newbie adventure.”

I frowned. “What?”

“Maisie.”

I stared at her.

She shrugged. “Everyone gets introduced to her eventually.”

Despite myself, I let out a small laugh.

“Is that actually a thing?”

“Absolutely.” She leaned closer. “She's mean, everyone knows she's mean, and yet somehow nobody has managed to get her expelled.”

I wiped another tear from my cheek.

“That isn't why I'm crying.”

Uriel's expression softened. “I figured.”

I hesitated before giving her a small smile. “I'm Anastasia, by the way.”

“You already told me.”

“Oh.”

She laughed. “It's okay. You're allowed to be distracted.”

And somehow, that simple sentence made me relax.

We started talking.

At first, it was small things—school, teachers and the pack.

But eventually, the conversation became more personal.

I learned that Uriel had lost her sister to cancer, and instead of receiving sympathy, she'd spent months being mocked for it.

She understood grief just like me.

By the time the bell rang, I felt like I had finally taken my first full breath since arriving here.

We stood up.

“Guess we bonded over trauma,” Uriel said with a small grin.

I laughed. “Apparently.”

She started walking backward toward the door.

“I'll see you around, Anastasia.”

“Yeah. See you.”

For the first time that day, I smiled without forcing it.

Unfortunately, the smile disappeared the moment I stepped into the hallway.

“Lowlife.”

I froze.

Someone whispered it as I passed.

My smile vanished.

I had never hated Maisie more.

The final bell eventually rang.

I packed my things and headed outside.

I spotted Jed almost immediately.

My stomach twisted.

I didn't want to speak to him. I really didn't.

But I also wasn't going to walk home if I didn't have to.

I took a deep breath and approached him.

“Jed.”

He looked at me. I swallowed my pride.

“I would appreciate it if you could drop me home.”

He stared at me for a moment. Then his lips curved into a cruel smile.

“Well, look who it is.” His voice grew louder. “Guys, the lowlife wants a ride.”

What...the fuck.

Several people turned and laughter erupted.

My face burned.

Then I heard another laugh.

Maisie.

I hadn't even noticed her standing nearby.

She walked toward us, looking entirely too pleased.

“Awwwn. Poor baby wants a ride home.”

I glared at her.

She slipped her arm around Jed's.

“Unfortunately, he's not available for charity.”

Jed said nothing.

Instead, he leaned down and kissed her.

My stomach dropped.

For a second, everything around me seemed to disappear.

My mate... He was kissing someone else. Not just anyone, but the one person in this entire school I hated most.

I forced myself to look away.

I refused to cry.

Not here.

Not in front of them.

I turned around and walked away.

But I didn't go in the direction of the house. I couldn't go home.

If I went there looking like this, Mom would notice.

She would ask questions.

I would have to lie.

And I was too exhausted to do any of that.

So I made the stupidest decision possible.

I went back to the bar.

The familiar sign greeted me as I approached.

I had only been there once. Yet somehow, it already felt strangely familiar.

I walked inside and headed straight for the counter.

“The usual, please.”

The bartender recognized me. He nodded and reached for a glass.

I sat down, staring blankly at the counter. Memories of the previous night flooded my mind.

I closed my eyes.

Maybe the Moon Goddess had made a mistake.

Maybe there was a way to find another mate.

I knew that wasn't how it worked. Still, I couldn't stop myself from wishing.

“Here you go.”

I looked up. The bartender slid a drink toward me.

I frowned. “This isn't what I ordered.”

“It's on the house.”

“Why?”

He pointed toward the other side of the room. “That gentleman paid for it.”

My eyes followed his finger, and my heart stopped.

Jed.

He was sitting on one of the couches, looking completely relaxed.

His legs were crossed, his cap pulled low over his eyes.

Then he looked directly at me.

He tilted the brim of his cap.

My wolf practically screamed inside my head.

'Mate!'

But I ignored her.

Jed stood.

He started walking toward me.

Shit.

I grabbed the glass and downed the drink before standing. I wasn't playing this game.

Not anymore.

As he approached, I walked straight past him. Our shoulders brushed.

“Hey—”

I didn't stop.

“Quit playing games with me,” I muttered and turned to him. He looked confused.

And that pissed me off more. Asshole.

I pushed through the door and walked outside.

The walk home felt longer than usual.

Eventually, I stopped trying to hold everything in.

I cried. I cried for Dad. For the life I'd lost.

For the friends I'd left behind.

For the humiliation.

And most of all, for the fact that the one person I'd thought could finally make everything better seemed determined to make everything worse.

I wiped my face as the house came into view.

I needed to get myself together before Mom saw me.

Then headlights flashed beside me.

A car sped past. It was far too close that I had to jump back.

“Watch where you're going, lowlife!”

It was Jed.

My blood boiled. “Watch where you're going, dumbass!”

The car stopped a short distance ahead.

Jed stepped out and leaned against the side of it, waiting for me.

I approached him, already irritated.

“What now?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Are you going to taunt me again? Laugh at me? Pretend you don't know me?”

His expression changed. “Pretend?”

“Yes, pretend!” I stepped closer. “Why do you keep acting like nothing happened between us?”

For a moment, he simply stared at me.

Then he laughed. Not the playful laugh from the bar. Something colder.

“Because nothing happened between us.”

My stomach twisted.

“You cannot be serious.”

“I am.”

“Jed, I might've been drunk but I remembered what happened.”

“You don't know anything.”

“You called me your mate!”

His expression remained unreadable.

I stared at him, desperately searching his face for some sign.

Anything.

“You held me. You kissed me. You—”

“Stop.” His voice was quiet. But there was something threatening beneath it. For a second he seemed pissed, but it vanished.

I swallowed.

“You're telling me you don't remember me?”

“I don't remember you.”

I laughed bitterly.

“Wow.” I shook my head. “So that's what we're doing?”

He said nothing.

I folded my arms. “Fine. Pretend all you want. We both know what happened.”

His jaw tightened. “You really think I would willingly put myself through that?”

My smile disappeared. “What?”

He pushed away from the car.

“Not only are you a lowlife, Anastasia. You're delusional.”

The words hit harder than I expected.

He opened his car door.

“You should get yourself checked.”

Then he got inside. The engine roared to life.

I stood there, staring after him as he drove away.

I couldn't move.

What the hell was happening?

Was this some kind of game?

Was he deliberately trying to hurt me?

Then why had he paid for my drink?

Why had he come after me?

Why could I still feel that strange pull every time he came near me?

And why did my wolf keep screaming his name?

I pressed a hand against my chest.

I wanted answers.

But more than that, I wanted to stop feeling like a fool.

My eyes burned. But I refused to cry.

Not again.

If Jed wanted to humiliate me, fine. But I wasn't going to let him see me break.

If he wanted a game, then I'd play.

An eye for an eye.

But this time, I wasn't planning on losing.