Angel's Fate

The party

Angel

I am very conscious of the stares that I am getting. The dress I wore, itself was a show stopper. Then I showed up late, alone, and wreaking of James' familiar scent. There was not hiding all of the love marks he had left on my flesh a few hours ago. Not that I had any intention of doing so. It was a badge of honor and a mark of his ownership. To cover that up would be an insult to my mate.

Too bad, he wasn't here to cast his cold stares at all of them. They whispered behind their hands, like I could not hear them. I was part wolf fot fucksakes!

"Ang, you won't believe the s**t people are saying!"

I turn fully around at the sound of my only real friends voice.

"I bet I could guess. Hey, Lilah."

My best friend is struck speechless for a few seconds.

"So it is true. After all of the bullshit, Angel. You cant be serious. Did he force you to..."

"Enough!"

She looks even more shocked at my tone. I can't help it. I should not have to explain any of this to anyone. James should be here with me. But here I am...alone.

"I am just trying to look out for you, Ang. You wreak of the beta. Everyone is calling you a whore."

I laugh. The majority of the people here had been f*****g one another since they reached puberty and made no excuses for it.

"I am being serious."

I lift my chin on defiance.

"f**k all of them! and if you believe a word of it, then f**k you too!"

The whole room goes quiet. Everyone is staring at the spectacle I was making. I glance around the room at the spectators. Whispering and laughing.

All of the comments are swimming around me.

"...beta's whore."

"trading favors for favors..."

"..new pack slut..."

"...he is probably too embarrassed to be seen with her."

I couldn't take it anymore. Shoving past the throng of people, I make my way towards the back of the house, slamming the door as I make my exit out the back door.

A sob catches in the back of my throat. I can't be here. So I did the only thing that made sense. I ran.

I am thankful for once that I have faster than average speed. Putting distance between myself and my problems. The adrenaline is incredible. I take a flying leap and faceplant into the ground. I didn't shift! My wolf whimpers in the back of my mind. She is too drained. She has withdrawn to the back of my mind.

The same questioning thoughts keep running through may head. He should have been here.

I hear something in the distance. I am not so far gone that I don't notice that I am being followed.

Taking a deep breath, I move to a small clearing and wait. It wouldn't do any good if I was backed I to a corner when they made their appearance. From mixed scents, it was at least three, maybe more, pack members. They wouldn't be out this far unless they were intentionally following me. The only question is, what the hell did they want? Hadn't they done enough?

Whoever it was, had split up. I was being slowly surrounded. There is a faint sound of dead leaves and foliage being crushed beneath their feet as they close in on me in the darkness.

"It wasn't enough that your w***e of a mother rejected my brother for the alpha. Now you are moving in on my territory, little girl."

"Deborah? What the hell are you talking about?"

She laughs as if I had just said something funny. I guess I wasn't allowed in on the joke.

"I am talking about James, you little slut. He was mine for years before you came along."

James was seriously boning this chick?

"He is my mate. What did you expect?"

"It's just so easy for you isn't it? Prancing around here like your s**t don't stink. Always got the alpha or beta to clean up the mess and make it all better."

"I don't have anyone fight my battles for me."

She emerges from the shadows. A knowing smirk on her aging features.

"We will find out tonight, now won't we. No Alpha to help you, no beta tonight. And not one else cares enough to give a fuck."

I flinch at the sound of the collective laughter coming from all directions around me. How many of them were there? I try to steady my breathing and control my reaction. My heart was pounding. I didn't know how many it would take too whip my ass, but I was pretty confident that they had plenty to get the job done thoroughly.

I watch on in horror as people that I have grown up with, some I even called friend emerge from the shadows. A couple of women that had planned my party. A couple of people I went to school with. And, my heart sank.

No freaking way...

"Lilah?"

Except it wasn't the girl I knew since third grade. The impersonal glare she was casting on my direction letting me know exactly how she really felt.

"Ang, I have been following you around like a puppy for years. I was never good enough, I was always being compared to you."

"Lilah, you're my best friend..."

"I was your shadow. You were never my friend."

My world crashing down around me. I didn't notice when to guys flanked me on either side, grabbing my arms, and holding me firmly in place.

I watch horrified as Lilah moves in on me first. Draws back her arm and lands a solid punch to my nose. I feel like my eyes are going to explode. The impact making a sickening crunch and causing my head to snap backward. She swings on me twice more before stepping to the side. I refocus long enough to realize that they had all lined and politely waiting their turns to take a shot at me.

By the time they were finished, I didn't have the strength to stand. The guys that had been holding me upright, let my body drop unceremoniously to the ground.

Deborah approaches me.

"Now that the trash is taken out, lets go enjoy the party, girls."

She plants a solid kick to my side before walking away. Her crew following closely behind.

"Oh, and boys, have fun with her. You've earned it."