By now, I missed her. The last time I talked to Aria, really talked to her, was at her birthday party. But ever since werewolves were introduced into our lives, she hasn’t been the same.
I found a letter under her pillow when she was gone. It was an invitation to a winter solstice festival at the mysterious werewolf castle. The letter said it would be an “honor” for her to attend and that she could bring me to make her more “comfortable”.
She never even told me about it. And when I asked her about it, she said I’d probably be bored out of my mind because I wouldn’t know anyone there.
Except Ken, I wanted to say but that’d just make her mad.
So, here I am, all alone at this festival. It was mostly outdoors, clusters of people drinking champagne and dancing under the little awning. No one asked who I was but I could hear their silent whispers and feel their stares cutting into the back of my head when I wasn’t looking.
Yet, everyone knew Aria, and, like always, she was the center of attention. She ditched me a long time ago, as soon as we arrived through those gates. She didn’t need me anymore. I wanted to leave but I needed to stay. I wanted to prove Aria wrong and. . . I didn’t really have a ride home.
At one point, the frost became too much so I walked inside. I found myself walking through exhaustingly long hallways, getting myself more and more lost. How was anyone supposed to know where they were going without any signs?
I walked down a dead end and found myself opening the only door in the hall, wondering if it somehow led to a way out.
Instead, I found an open room with windows all around, snow slowly cascading down in delicate flakes. The room had a high ceiling, tall bookcases stretching many feet in the air. It was a library, I could tell with a closer look, full of thousands of old books.
Impressive.
I wondered over to one of the bookcases and read the spines on the books. I came across weird titles like “PHASING”, “MIND LINK” and “HEAT”, which made no sense.
I flinched when I heard a voice behind me. “What are you doing here? You’re not allowed in here, can you get out?” It was Law, the last person I wanted to be left alone with, his eyes narrowed.
“I’m sorry, I got lost.” I apologized.
“I won’t ask again.”
Something in me broke. . . and I snapped.
“What is your problem? What is everyone’s problem around here? Why is everyone treating me like shit while my sister is getting waited on hand and foot? I don’t know who you think I am but I’m not going to stand here and take this!”
I’d been silent for so long that I forgot how good it felt to speak. I almost never swore but I didn’t give a fuck anymore. I couldn’t take this anymore.
Before he could react, I stormed out and found my way outside, a blast of cold hitting my face. I yearned to walk home right now, not caring if I got frostbite.
“Do you want some- oh, Hazel,” I turned my head and saw Ken with a black circular tray in his right hand. I looked at the last glass of champagne on his tray.
“Want the last one?” He asked kindly and I instantly calmed down.
“You should know me by now,” I shook my head at the offer.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” He grinned and downed the glass in one gulp. He made a slight face of disgust. “I usually don’t drink champagne but I really needed something.”
This moment reminded me of Aria’s party where we met Ken for the first time. Both times were at some sort of celebration and both involved me declining a drink.
Except now, Aria and I weren’t talking.
“Are you dancing tonight?” He nodded to the couples doing some sort of waltz.
“Are you kidding? I’d trip on myself and drag everyone down with me.” I wanted to laugh if it weren’t so true.
Before I could protest, Ken put his tray down on the ground and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from my safe spot, “Come on, let’s go,”
“Wait, Ken, no-”
“Afraid?”
I widened my eyes, “No, but-” I am afraid of Aria.
“Then what’s the problem?” I didn’t know how else to argue with him. He was so charming and sweet that I couldn’t reject him.
Ken took my left hand in his, leading the waltz. I gulped.
I stepped on him three times before he chuckled, “Don’t overthink it, just let your body follow mine,” He told me but my anxiety still crept in.
I tried to enjoy the music but I was still stiff. By now, other couples were looking over at us. I obviously didn’t belong. I was like the fish swimming upstream, fighting against the current and losing miserably.
I was brought back to the present when Ken started humming. He looked at my expression and grinned.
“Sorry, I’ve got orchestra music stuck in my head, probably from standing next to them for so long.” He joked.
“It’s nice that you have your own orchestra.” I nodded at the seven people playing the waltz on strings.
“It’s nice when you don’t have to hear them practice every second of every day.”
I felt like I was finally getting the hang of this waltz business. I kind of just had to focus on not stepping on Ken’s shiny shoes-
Then Ken froze, completely still, and I almost stepped on his feet.
“What’s wrong?” It was my atrocious dancing, wasn’t it?
He started to dance again after three seconds but he looked caught off guard, “Nothing-” He cut himself off, like he didn’t want to reveal too much. But I was already wary.
“Ken, I know something’s wrong,” I met his eyes and he exhaled.
“I’m not sure but the Beta mind-linked me- wait, do you even know what the mind-link is?” Ken asked and I shook my head, “It’s basically a telepathic network between all wolves in the same pack.”
“I didn’t know that.” That sounded cool.
He spoke quickly, “It comes in handy. Anyway, Beta Abigail, told me that the mate bond- you have to know what that is by now-”
“It’s between mates, right? Stronger than steel?” I said just to stay in the circle.
“Stronger than the Alpha himself,” He scoffed, “Mates can tell what the other is feeling, everything goes through the mate bond. Okay, back to what I was saying, the bond between the Alpha and Luna has been broken. . . somehow.” He paused for dramatic effect.
“Is that a big deal?” I asked cautiously.
“Is that a big deal? That is a huge deal!” Ken was trying his best to keep his voice down, “That’s never happened before, not in this pack, not in any pack, I don’t think,” He seemed more shocked that I didn’t react than hearing of the actual problem.
“What are-”
“You bitch!” I was shoved to the ground. I expected to see Law or someone else, anyone else, but the person towering above me.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Aria?” Ken got down in front of me and helped me up. Aria glared coldly at her crush, or now former crush.
“So you ignore my calls and texts, only to whore it out with my sister? That’s low, even for you two.” I flinched at her words.
“Aria, we were just dancing-”
“Oh, shut up!” Aria pointed menacingly at him, “You never liked me, you just flirted with me to get into my sister’s pants! Well, nice try, but she’s a virgin!” Aria sneered and then rounded on me, “You knew I liked him but that didn’t stop you, did it? Well, I hope you rot in hell.”
Tears stung my eyes, she’d never yelled at me like that.
“Aria, stop! I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone this but I have no choice. The Alpha and Luna’s mate bond has been broken and Even thinks that it’s your emotions that caused it!” Ken announced and everyone, even the orchesta, stopped.
“I broke their mate bond? How?” Aria blinked, somehow completely understanding.
Ken approached her slowly, like she was a wounded animal and he was only trying to get the arrow out.
“Since your powers are tied to your emotions, they must’ve triggered it. You need to calm down.” Ken said over the loud murmurs, moving in and putting a hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly, she didn’t shake his hand off.
Aria continued to glare at us but didn’t say anything for a minute.
“I want you to leave. Now.” She finally growled and for the second time today, I spoke my mind.
“Maybe if you paid attention to anyone but yourself then you’d get it through your thick head.” I snapped.
Ken’s next words stunned me, “Hazel, I think you should leave,” I blinked, not understanding.
But then I saw it, I was drawing unwanted attention to myself.
“Leave, I don’t want you here.” She agreed more calmly as I tried not to let her words sting but they had already cut through my heart. My vision and hearing was getting blurry and I felt like throwing up.
I avoided everyone’s eyes on me and ran away from Aria’s wrath. I ran inside the castle and back outside again. The cold didn’t even bother me anymore, I couldn’t feel anything.
The climbing vines covering the black brick walls looked even more intimidating during the night.
I stopped at the gates, my fingers curling around the cold metal.
Why wasn’t I wanted? Wherever I went, I was sent away again. What was wrong with me that nobody wanted me? All I wanted was to belong.
I thought that if I didn’t speak my mind and went with the flow that I’d finally be accepted. But I was wrong, I was never going to fit in, I was really just always alone.
And until now, I thought Aria and I would be best friends forever; even better, sisters forever. But I was wrong. Again.
“Gotcha!” I was too caught up in my frantic thoughts to react as someone stuffed a piece of cloth in my mouth and tied something around my eyes.
I thrashed around but someone had already tied my hands together with a tight rope and were now picking me up. My heart rate jumped as I realized that no one was going to go looking for me.
I was thrown over someone’s shoulder as I tried to yell for help but just like all the other times, I wasn’t heard.
And no one would notice I was gone.