CONTRACT MATE

I stepped out of the bathtub after a long bath from the hard morning training I went for when Kaida immediately barged into my room. My coronation as the Alpha Female of the Midnight Pack was just three days away, and ever since Father announced it, Kaida had been restlessly planning how I would look on that day. But the face that was usually filled with excitement whenever she brought up the topic was sour. “Is everything alright? Are you having problems finding the perfect shoes?” I cackled and sat on my bed, moisturizing my body. Kaida sat down and gazed at me. “I have terrible, terrible news…”.She finally spoke. I adjusted and stared at her. “Kaida, however bad this news is, you know it needs to wait. We’ve discussed this already, and I’m meeting Castro now. I don’t want to keep him…” I grabbed my brush and swept it through my hair “The news is about Castro.” She cut in. My face dropped and I gently kept the brush. I became interested and quietly studied her expression in the heavy silence. Slowly, realization slipped in. “No…he wouldn't..”. I shook my head “Yes, yes, Velora…”. Kaida nodded and held my shoulder “No, Kaida, it can’t be. The coronation is in three days. I have to present my mate to the council tomorrow.” I argued, but Kaida shook her head. “You know I never see wrong.” She added. I swallowed hard. “Who’s…who's the b***h?” I asked, and she shook her head again, throwing her face away. I grabbed her face and clenched my teeth together. “Tell. Me.” She took one deep breath and spat it out. “Monah.” A smile crept onto my face. “No… no, it can’t be Monah. She knows I’m dating Castro…” “f**k, Velora! I saw them doing it yesterday at the Afterlight. And I saw him bite her.” I chuckled and barged out of the room with Kaida calling after me, telling me to wait. I walked furiously into Monah’s room. Azila stood there combing down her hair, but I brushed her aside, grabbed Monah’s neck, and bent it… And there it was. A bite mark on her neck. Monah pushed me away. “What is wrong with you?” She growled, and Azila walked up to me. “This is how you celebrate the fact that your sister now has a mate?” She grinned. “A mate? You mean my boyfriend…” “Oh please, Velora,” Azila cut in while Monah stood behind her smirking. “Love works in mysterious ways.” I swallowed hard and walked out of the room. I couldn’t hold it anymore. Tears streamed down my face as I slumped onto my bed, crying nonstop. Kaida held my shoulder. “That explains why I’ve been trying to reach him and he hasn’t responded…” I muttered between sobs. “So you still wanted to meet him regardless of his sudden silence?” Kaida asked, looking at me like I was some stupid lover. I was. I sat up immediately and wiped my face. “The coronation can’t work if I don’t have a mate.” I told Kaida, and she frowned. “This is a big problem, Velora. Should we talk to Castro?” I shook my head. “No. If he felt sorry and wanted to explain himself, he would be here by now.” I stood up and picked up my bow, but Kaida took it from me. “What are you doing?” She asked. “I’m going to train off this rising depression. I’m too strong to allow this s**t hurt me. And I know Father would rather move the coronation than have Monah take my place. This coronation is his honor to my mother.” I explained. “So if they think I’ve lost my chances of becoming Alpha, then they’re wrong.” I added, but Kaida held me still. “Come with me to the Afterlight…” “No way.” I snapped. “Kaida, I can’t be seen in those places. What will the other packs say? That would be…” “…bad for your image.” She helped me finish and sat down. “Look at you, Velora. You haven’t spoken this much in years. That’s heartbreak and depression rising. Don’t let it drown you.” Kaida stated. She was right. I was heavy with quietness. It helped me keep my focus, and this was driving me crazy. Maybe just once. The Afterlight for the first time, and that’s all. … That night, I drove to the Afterlight with Kaida. Immediately we got in, Kaida whispered, “Don’t drink too much.” Before slipping away with a man. But I planned on drinking too much. That was why I came… to drown these weird emotions in alcohol. I grabbed a bottle lying on a nearby table and emptied it into my mouth. Five more shots from the bar and everything became blurry. Loud but distant. The emotions disappeared, like I was in a world of my own, exploring it while these wild creatures brushed past me. Then I saw a silhouette approaching me. Masculine and tall. Really broad. I chuckled. I was blacking out slowly, and as the silhouette towered over me, my body rose with excitement. But that was before I finally blacked out. ** I opened my eyes slowly. My whole body was stiff. My head ached like crazy, and my neck felt painfully stuck. I took one deep breath and pushed myself up to sit on my bed. I rubbed my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Kaida. Trembling again. “What is it again, Kaida? Ugh… get me water please. I’m so hungover… fuck.” She grabbed me a bottle of water, and I gulped it down in seconds. “Did Father see me like this?” I asked all of a sudden, but Kaida just kept staring at me. No response. Nothing. “What the f**k are you even looking at? Help me tell Irene to get me food. Prepare my bath. I need to head down to the council house. It’s a full moon, and we have young wolves.” Kaida grunted and dragged me in front of the mirror. “Who the f**k bit you?” She finally spoke. I inhaled deeply, turned slowly, and looked into the mirror. Deep fang marks lay there with tiny clotted blood, and dried blood swept across it like whoever did it had licked the damn wound. I felt disgusted. My heartbeat started racing. “Do you remember anything, Velora?” Kaida asked. I shook my head. “I blacked out… I can’t recall anything. What should I do? I can’t go out like this.” I panicked and immediately grabbed a knife. “What the f**k are you doing?!” Kaida gripped my wrist tightly. “I want to cut it out, Kaida…it's better to have a sore than a bite from an unknown wolf, this is a w***e behavior” I told her strongly, trying to free my wrist. “Cut yourself? Alright go ahead, Velora, convince your father that you’ve relapsed into self-harming, and his five years of leadership training will be a waste.” “Shut up.” I glared at her Kaida took the knife and sat me down. “We need to think carefully.” She said calmly. “And I know a witch…we've been friends for a while now” She added, and I looked at her with hope.