Escape my ruthless past.

Chapter Ten

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We arrive at school, and I feel a wave of self-consciousness wash over me. I’m not used to dressing like this, and I can’t help but feel out of place. But then Rose links her arm through mine and whispers, “you got this,” and I feel a little better. We head to class, and I can feel the eyes of my classmates on me as we walk in. I try to ignore the stares, but it’s difficult.

Jasper, one of the boys in my class, looks at me and lets out a whistle, and I can’t help but punch his arm as I walk past. This is embarrassing. I thought I was prepared to stand out, but I wasn’t expecting this level of attention. I just want to blend in and be normal, but I know that’s not an option today.

The class seems to drag on forever, and I’m relieved when it’s finally over. We head for our lockers, and I’m grateful for the distraction. But as we walk down the hallway, I notice the triplets staring at me. I turn to Rose and ask, “What’s with the triplets?” She looks at me with confusion and asks, “What do you mean?” I open my mouth to respond, but before I can get the words out, I hear a familiar voice.

Poppy and her minions surround the triplets, laughing and stroking their arms. It’s pathetic, really. Rose giggles next to me, and I realize I must have said my thoughts out loud. I rub my hand down my face, embarrassed. We walk past them, heading for our next class. “Oh look, mutton dressed as lamb,” Poppy giggles. “Who does she think she is?” Kele says with venom. “Just eww,” Melissa adds.

I ignore them, even though I would love nothing more than to go over there and punch them straight in their pretty little faces. I can feel my hand clenching into a fist, and I take a deep breath to calm down. Mike and Jasper join us on our way to class. “This party tonight is going to be lit,” Mike says. Jasper turns to me and asks, “You joining us, yeh?” I fidget for a moment before Rose answers for me. “Of course she is, dummy,” she says. I’m grateful for her confidence, even if I’m not feeling it myself.

As we walk into our next class, I can't help but feel like I'm in a fishbowl, with everyone staring at me like I'm some kind of exotic creature. I try to focus on the lesson, but my mind keeps wandering back to the party tonight. I'm not sure if I'm ready to face Poppy and her crew in a social setting, but Rose seems convinced that I'll be fine.

After class, we head to lunch, and I'm relieved to find that the cafeteria is bustling with people, making it harder for Poppy to cause a scene. We grab our food and sit down at our usual table, with Mike and Jasper joining us. The conversation turns to the party, and I find myself getting more and more anxious.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Mike says, noticing my unease. "We'll be there to support you. You'll be fine." I nod, trying to believe him, but my mind is still racing with worst-case scenarios.

Before we headed out for the weekend, we made our way to our lockers to gather our belongings. As I opened up my locker, I found a note that simply said, "DON'T GO TO THE PARTY" with no indication of who it was from. I found it quite strange, but I didn't want it to ruin my mood, so I crumpled it up and tossed it in the bin.

I turned to Rose, who was waiting for me, and asked her if I could stay at her place tonight. Without hesitation, she enthusiastically agreed, "Mauve!!! You don't even have to ask!" I was grateful for her kindness, and I knew that I would have a great time staying with her.

Rose turns to me and says, "Let's get out of here. We need to get you ready for tonight." I nod, feeling a sense of trepidation. What have I gotten myself into?

We head to Rose's car, and she starts blasting music as we drive to her house. I try to relax, but my nerves are still on edge. When we arrive, Rose's mom is waiting with a bunch of clothes and makeup. "Time for a transformation," she says, smiling.

I take a deep breath and let Rose's mom work her magic. As I look in the mirror, I barely recognize myself. I look... cool.

Mother like daughter, I thought to myself.

Rose gives me a thumbs-up and says, "You're going to knock their socks off!" I'm not so sure, but she seems confident, so I try to channel some of her energy. We head out the door, and I feel a rush of excitement mixed with a dash of fear. What's going to happen tonight? Rose leads me to the car, and we're off to who-knows-where. The music is pumping, and I try to let go of my doubts.

* Brett's POV *

I had tried to caution Mauve against coming tonight, as I genuinely hoped she would heed my warning and stay away. The reason for my concern was simple - humans were a liability, and their presence at any event involving our pack could be dangerous. This was something that Rose, despite knowing better, seemed to have overlooked when she invited Mauve.

I slouched on the sofa in my suite, feeling a mix of frustration and annoyance. My brothers Jax and Miles walked in, their usual boisterous selves, and immediately began teasing me about my love life. "So Bro, which one are you bringing home tonight?" Jax asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Poppy?" Miles winked, joining in on the fun.

"She's too needy," I scowled, dismissing their playful banter. I had more important things on my mind.

"Hey, do you know Rose invited Mauve tonight?" I asked them, cutting to the chase.

Their jovial expressions immediately turned serious as they both turned to look at each other and back at me.

"I warned her not to come," I stated plainly, hoping they would understand the gravity of the situation.

"Honestly, the further we stay away from her, the better. I just can't get my head around why we feel drawn to her. She is NOT our mate. We wouldn't mate with something as low as a human," Miles said, echoing my own thoughts.

"Hmm, best we all just keep our distance," Jax agreed, although I could see a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"But she is hot, tho," he laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his antics, but I knew that deep down, we all felt the same way. There was something about Mauve that drew us in, something that made us want to get closer to her. But I knew it was a danger we couldn't afford to take. We needed to stay away from her, for our own safety, and for hers.