4.
1387 Words
4. Riley
Our kiss lasted for about two seconds. Maybe it was three.
I felt like I’d betrayed Cody because I liked the kiss more than I should.
That evening as I shuffled through a mountain of outfits I managed to distract myself from thinking about the kiss.
I grabbed a blue dress I’d tried before again and held it up to the mirror. My wolf growled silently which I decided to interpret as approval.
“Okay,” I said to my reflection. “This is the one.”
It was simple but showed my figure like nothing else could. My mom knocked and peeked into the room.
“Oh,” she said, smiling. “You look beautiful.”
I felt my face warm. “Thanks.”
My dad called from downstairs. “Martha! Riley! We’re leaving! Let’s go girls.”
I grabbed my coat and hurried downstairs with my mom by my side. Tonight might be the night he finally noticed me. I could feel it.
When we arrived, the Alpha himself approached us at the marble stone steps. He was a beefy man with a powerful aura and a presence of wealth.
“Johnny,” he greeted my father. Then he turned to me. “And this must be Riley.”
My throat suddenly felt dry and sore. “H-hi. I mean Good evening sir.”
He chuckled. “You’ve grown since the last time I saw you.”
“That happens when you eat food,” I said nervously, rubbing my shoulder.
Alpha Damon laughed. “I like her,” he said.
We were led to the dining hall and then my entire nervous system shut down. Cody was sitting beside my seat. I sat down carefully, making sure our bodies didn’t touch.
My heart banged violently in my chest. Cody was right there next to me. We were close enough that I could smell him.
That familiar scent of pine and something sexy. My wolf groaned quietly.
I opened my mouth. “Hi—”
Cody grabbed his drink without looking at me. He didn’t even acknowledge I existed. To make things worse, he started talking to someone on his other side.
My mouth slowly closed. I stared at my plate as I swallowed hard on the bitter feeling at the back of my throat. Maybe I should just dissolve into the chair.
Suddenly another chair scraped across the floor to my left.
“Sorry I’m late.”
I looked up sharply following the familiar voice. Castiel and behind him was Darren. They walked in like they owned the room and sat besides me.
Castiel turned his head slowly and saw me before I could hide. He grinned and I wished the moon goddess would be a darling and make him blip out of the chair. Darren looked at me but didn’t say anything.
“Nice dress,” Castiel said quietly.
My eyes widened. “Stop. Please stop.”
“What?”
“Stop talking.”
“Why?”
“Because people will see.”
“That’s usually how conversations work.”
I kicked his foot under the table but he just smiled wider. Cody still hadn’t looked at me even though I was talking now.
The food arrived and people started eating.
Castiel kept finding excuses to talk to me. “So,” he said casually. “I didn’t see you after detention.”
“I avoided you.”
“Cute.”
“Menace.”
“Adorable.”
“Stop flirting with me at the Alpha’s table!” I kicked his foot again and Darren laughed.
Cody suddenly jerked, shaking the table. The entire room went quiet and everyone turned to face him.
His nose twitched slightly. Everyone at the table noticed.
Cody stood up fast, tipping over the chair. His eyes scanned the room in one quick glance. My wolf suddenly moved within me.
I felt a sudden strange pull inside my chest. Cody inhaled again then his eyes stopped when he saw me.
His expression changed immediately to shock then it switched to disbelief before becoming something darker.
The entire room watched him waiting for him to speak. I swallowed. It was almost like I could feel what was happening. I was being imprinted on by him. By Cody.
“…I’ve picked up my mate’s scent.”
Cody looked directly at me before pointing directly at me. “There...”
All eyes turned to stare at me. I suddenly wished my parents hadn’t left the table along with the Alpha. My heart pounded so loud I thought I might pass out.
This had to be a dream. A ridiculous beautiful dream. I pinched myself just to make sure it was all real.
I stood slowly. “Cody…” my voice trembled so bad.
Suddenly his face hardened and his eyes turned cold. “No. You don’t get to speak my name.”
My smile faded as his words slowly registered in my head.
“I reject this bond.” He said, eyes burning with fury.
The world stopped spinning for me. Everything lost its color and it all became black and white.
“What?” I said inaudibly.
His voice rose. “I will not accept an omega as my mate.”
My chest felt heavy as I tried to breath. “I—I didn’t—”
“You’re weak,” Cody said. “You’re pathetic. You’re useless.”
He emphasized each word giving them power to cut deeper with every syllable. My eyes burned, blurring everything in my sight.
“I deserve a strong Luna,” he continued. “Not… this thing.”
My wolf wailed painfully inside me. Something inside my chest felt like it was tearing apart.
“You’re an embarrassment,” he finished, then walked out of the hall.
That was the moment something inside me broke. The pain reached my core. My knees went weak and there was a persistent ringing in my ears. I couldn’t breathe.
This wasn’t the Cody I had imagined all these years. This wasn’t the kind boy I thought I loved. This was someone else.
I turned and ran away without looking back. I didn’t know where I was going. I just knew I needed to get away.
I ended up in an empty room somewhere down the hall. I collapsed the second the door closed behind me. Tears filled my eyes and streamed down my face.
“Stupid,” I whispered. “Stupid naive little girl.”
The door creaked open. I didn’t look up because I could already smell them.
“Go away, Castiel.” I said. “You too, Darren.”
“Rough night?” Castiel asked, walking closer.
I wiped my face angrily. “Did you come to laugh too?”
“No.” Darren said in a gentle voice that made me look up. “We came to cheer you up.”
Darren rested against the wall while Castiel stayed on the bed.
“For what it’s worth,” Castiel said, “Cody seems like an idiot.”
That almost made me laugh but the memory of Cody’s rejection played in my head on repeat.
“He humiliated me,” I whispered to myself.
“We noticed.” Darren said.
“I’ve had a stupid crush on him for as long as I can remember.” I admitted, whipping at my nose.
“We noticed too.” Castiel added then he said, “Want to hear something embarrassing about Cody?”
“No.”
“I heard he sucked his fingers till he was ten.”
That made me laugh a little.
Castiel smiled. “There it is.”
An idea suddenly dropped into my head. It was diabolical and crazy but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
“Do you guys want to help me get revenge on him?”
“Oh this sounds promising.” Castiel grinned, sharing a look with Darren.
I stood up then slowly walked up to them. My heart pounded hard as I said, “I want both of you to mark me.”
Their smiles vanished. “What?”
“Castiel Knight. Darren Knight” I said looking straight into their eyes. “I want both of you to claim me.”
- Writer
