Once Rejected, Now Wanted.

~LAINEY~ It was time to say our final goodbyes, Josh believed. He had told me over the phone that nothing was promising between us anymore. We were done with college and I was to return home to my father, the following day. Although he hadn't said the words straight to me, I knew he was breaking up with me. His distance from me the days before and his harsh words about how incompatible we were proved so. Maybe, it was the reality of us having to be away from each other for a while that brought about such actions from him. Still, I had hoped he was as daring as I was to hold on to our love. It's been done by others before. Having a relationship over a long distance and making it successful. Moreover, I didn't plan on staying long with my father. It was only going to be a one to two-month visit, then I'll be back to be with Josh. I was a werewolf who had grown accustomed to living with humans and this was a result of my father's decision. He was never interested in me being amongst my kind. Instead, he preferred that I be far from them. Although I understood it had something to do with the passing of my mum and him gaining the title of a rogue after his banishment from his original pack, I couldn't deny the effect that arrangement had on me. I lacked much knowledge of my kind and their way of living. Nonetheless, my eyes filled with tears as I tried to convince Josh over the phone not to end things between us. I loved him and it was difficult for me to accept the breakup he was proposing. "We can make it work out. Please don't do this to me." I begged, but he ended the call. Three years was going down the drain without much thought from him. I couldn't accept it at that moment. I wasn't ready to give up on us so easily. It was raining heavily. Still, I slid on my jacket and grabbed an umbrella. Josh's house was down the street and I was determined to have a physical conversation with him. I rang his doorbell a couple of times over before he finally answered, opening the door just slightly and not enough for me to enter. "Can I come in so that we can talk?" I asked, feeling the intensity of the cold on me, but he didn't move out of the way. I could sense something was off. The scent of another female within close range kept hitting my nose, and that was odd as Josh was the only one staying in his block. My senses as a werewolf were not as developed as they were supposed to be, but I still had them. "We've said all that is needed to say. It's over. Go home, Lainey." He tried to shut the door on me, but I stop it. "Josh wait!" "We've been together for three years, Josh. You want to watch it all end?" I asked, unable to stop myself from weeping in between. He tried to say something, but the voice of another cut him off. "Babe" A female voice drawled, and when I peered through a small space, I saw a brunette walking down to meet him, scantily dressed in underwear. I took note of Josh's appearance then. He was half-naked too. I was no fool. I knew exactly what was going on. Still, I asked. "Who's she?" There came no reply from him. The girl had drawn closer now, wrapping her arms around his waist and the sight seemed to cut me deeper than shards of glass. I took a step backwards in defeat. "You're cheating?" It was obvious, but perhaps I had hoped for him to come up with a different explanation. Someway, somehow. "Things are over between us. I'm free to do what I want." His tone denoted no bit of remorse. "Please tell me it's a joke." "Oh stop this bullshit, Lainey! We had what we had and it was fun while it lasted, but it's over now. You should even be grateful I decided to date your sorry ass. You made it through this school and you got respected because of me." He yelled. His words came as a surprise to me. Josh did have some concerning attitudes down the years, but I took it that no one was perfect. However, hearing him say those words then, with so much distaste was shocking. "Wait, did you really think you were my main girl?" He laughed. "You were just a dare my friends asked of me after how obvious you made your love for me. I did take pity on you though and that was why I let you date me this long. You have a pretty face, but you're not my type." He said the last part while trailing his eyes down my body and I felt sort of shameful. "Don't make this any harder for yourself and leave." "You heard him, looser." The girl added just before they slammed the door on my face. I never really understood the word heartbreak before then, but at that moment, I could feel my heart shattering into a thousand pieces. My chest tightened and I found it difficult to breath. The pain was unbearable. ****************************** You're not my type.' Even the day after, those words kept repeating in my head. My eyes stung with tears. A strong feel to let my frustration out enveloped me. But, I was getting closer to home, where my father awaited my arrival and that meant I needed to keep those emotions bottled in. I couldn't afford to let him see me in a broken state. The scenery of trees finally passed by and the city came into view. Twelve years. That's how long I've been away from it. My father thought it best I got my education outside the Night Bloom City since it wasn't originally our land. We were only able to secure a place to stay there due to the friendship ties my father had with Theodore Keith, alpha of the Night Bloom Pack. Away from that place, everyone thought of me to be a normal girl, a transfer student, but in there where werewolves like me stayed, I was known as the daughter of a rogue. That was because of my father's banishment from his pack after he turned feral when my mum was handled carelessly by the pack doctor, leading to her death. Since then, the Night Bloom pack became our second home. Mostly for my father though as I wasn't familiar with them. My father was the one who always did the visiting. When it finally got to my turn after graduation, I came with a heavy and broken heart. My driver drove through a gateway and pulled the car to a stop in front of a building. I could see my father outside and he stepped down the stairs and closer to the car to open the door for me. "My daughter." He said, pulling me into a hug. "Papa." I called, with a smile. I had missed him a lot and despite my heartbreak, I was glad to be back home. He stared at me for a moment after the hug and I hoped within me that he didn't notice my sad demeanour which I tried to conceal behind a smile. "Come. I'm sure you're tired. I made preparations for your return." He finally led me with him inside the house and I took a sigh of relief. I saw a girl by the dining table, arranging different dishes and the moment she noticed us, she smiled warmly and headed towards where we were. "This is Iris." My father introduced her. "You might not remember, but you both played together before you left for school. I invited her over to help me with the preparations for your coming." He said again. "I think I do remember her." I replied. It was a hard period for me after I and my father were banished from his pack and there was only one person who wanted to play with me. The girl with curly blonde hair. Looking at Iris, I saw that she had the same hair. The very curls I once admired. "That's very thoughtful of you, Iris. Thank you for assisting my father to make my return special." I said, extending my hand out to her for a shake. Soon after, we were all seated and feasting on the meals Iris prepared. "So, how's your whole experience of schooling outside?" Iris asked and I paused for a moment. "I'll call it a rollercoaster." I answered. There were fun moments and others that really took me by surprise and broke me down. Just like the one I had with Josh the day before. I could feel the tears again, threatening to fall as I recalled all that transpired between us. "I'm glad it's all over now and I'm more glad to be back here." I said, brushing off the tears. "Yeah, I think you should come with me to the party happening tonight." Iris suggested. "Party?" "Yes, we usually hold one once in a while and since you're back, I think it's best you get familiar with your neighbours." "Oh, Iris. I'm sure Lainey's exhausted. You both can go tomorrow to where ever you want." My dad interrupted. "No Papa, it's fine. I want to go." A party seemed like what I needed at that point to help me forget my sorrows. "Are you sure?" He asked again, concern etched in his voice. "Yes." I replied. Besides, he knew Theodore. They were friends, so I couldn't get into any trouble. ************************* After struggling for a while to find the perfect outfit, I gave up and settled for a pair of black jeans and a pink t-shirt. It was probably an odd choice for a party but, my comfort mattered. Iris facial expression when she came told me she had a lot of questions concerning my outfit choice, but I was glad she didn't let any of them out. The place where my father lived was a bit secluded and away from where the rest of the Night Bloom pack mainly lived. In between were different organizations and market places. I had never been to the Night Bloom pack's enclosure before, but I did guess that it was beautiful. Everyone in the country knew Theodore Keith to be a powerful man, both in the werewolf and human world. Heavily endowed with wealth and power. However, being there for the first time blew me beyond my expectations. There was nothing in sight that denoted poverty. I could hear the blaring sound of music as we drew closer to a specific building and I knew it was there the party was happening. "Listen, Lainey." Iris pulled me to a stop when we reached the front of the building and had already stepped out of the car, her both hands on each of my shoulders. "I've noticed that you're not happy. Like there is something bothering you. I didn't want to bring it up in front of your father because I figured out that you didn't want him to know either. But, now that we're here, I want you to let all your worries out and party. Have fun, girl." She tells me and I force out a smile. I planned on doing that too. Drinking my pains away. A strong scent hit me immediately I stepped into the room. A rush of adrenaline setting in next and a tingling sensation up my spine. I couldn't remember the last time the other part of my being showed out so clearly, but at that point, I could feel my senses getting sharper. Something was off, I could immediately tell. My eyes search the room, not knowing exactly what I was searching for and all that met me was a room full of chaotic people, dancing and drinking profusely. "Come on." Iris gave my shoulder a nudge, kicking me out of my thoughts. I could feel the eyes of many on me as we made our way to the bar section. They could sense I wasn't one of them and that obviously piqued their interest. "Two drinks, Mario." I heard Iris told the person in charge while my focus was on the part of the room which was a bit secluded. Three men sat there with guards around to keep others from entering their space. However, the man in the middle caught my attention the most. A glass of drink in his hand, legs spread apart in a relaxed position as he sat, his other hand resting on the chair and his eyes on mine. He was looking back at me. That alone seemed to stir a reaction in me and a certainty registered in my head that he was what I was searching for since I entered the room.