Stalked by the Gods, Blessed by the Moon

BOOK ONE: Stalked by the God of War, Cursed by the Wolf  AYLA’S POV It’s my birthday. Well, it’s not actually my birthday. It’s technically the night before my birthday. But I had a tradition of celebrating my birthday at midnight with my best friend, Jackie, and whoever we were dating at the time. For me, that would be Jordan, and she had been for the past two years. Jackie, however, seemed to be happy playing the field most of the time. She was two years older than me and had yet to settle down in a serious relationship for as long as we’d been friends, going on seven years. But she was happy, and I was happy for her. I looked down at the cake I had made at the supermarket on my way home. It was vanilla with white frosting and rainbow lettering saying ‘Happy Birthday, Ayla!’ accompanied by rainbow sprinkles. It was my least favorite kind of cake, but it was Jordan and Jackie’s favorite. At least two out of the three of us would be happy. Yeah, I know, it’s my birthday, but I was a people-pleaser and just happy to be spending my birthday with friends. At Jordan’s door, I balanced the cake on my hip and rummaged in my bag for his key. We had been dating for a while, but we still hadn’t had the “move-in” talk even though I was at his house practically every night. It seemed to be less and less lately, but I chopped that up to his new job promotion and his long hours. And I still had a key to his place, so I didn’t think we were going backward. As I told Jackie earlier this week, I actually thought Jordan was about to ask me to move in with him finally. He has been silent and moody for weeks now, which usually means he is thinking. And what else could it be? We were perfect for each other, and I had no reason to believe he wanted to break up. As the door swung open, I opened my mouth to call out into the apartment but paused when I saw the pile of clothes right in front of the door. I set the cake on Jordan's small table near the front door and leaned down to examine the pile. It was Jordan’s clothing. Boxers included. Was he trying to give me a dirty surprise for my birthday? I thought with a smirk. I grabbed his clothes, quietly closed the door behind me, and walked further into the apartment, grinning. When I entered the kitchen and dining area, I saw that dinner had been by candlelight. But it seemed to have already been eaten on two plates, the candles burning low in their holders. I stood there, staring at the plates, trying to make sense of the two wine glasses, one with lipstick remnants on the rim. Then I heard it—the moans. The moans would probably echo in my head for years to come. And they weren’t just moans from Jordan, no. There were moans from a female. I dropped his clothes and strolled towards his bedroom, where the sounds came from. As I reached the door, I sucked in a deep breath before slowly opening the door. Immediately, I saw the tangled limbs and naked flesh on the bed. They were completely bare and mid-act as I gasped, clutching the door for support. Jordan sprung to life from his position beneath the brunette he was inside. “Ayla!” Before I could respond, the brunette spun around, clasping her breasts, and I saw Jackie’s shocked face. She hurriedly scrambled off my boyfriend, still holding her breasts. “Oh, my God, Ayla…” I just stood there in stunned silence, watching as Jackie wrapped a sheet around her naked body and Jordan scrambled to his feet, not having the decency to cover up. I noted that at least he was wearing a condom as he f****d my best friend. “I…” I started but couldn’t find the words to continue. Jackie rushed over to me, grabbing my hand. “I’m so sorry, babe. I didn’t mean for you to find out like this…” Jordan was pulling on jogging pants from his dresser, not daring to look me in the eye. I looked back at Jackie. “Find out what? That you’re f*****g my boyfriend on my birthday?” Jackie flinched. “Well, it’s not technically your birthday yet…” I jerked my hand away from her as Jordan strode over to join us, wrapping an arm around Jackie’s shoulder. Oh. So he wasn’t even sorry, it seemed. “Jackie and I are in love.” I laughed. “Jackie’s never been in love with anyone other than herself.” Jackie looked hurt, but she couldn’t be as hurt as I was. And I wanted to hurt her. I wanted her to feel as horrible as I did. Jordan’s grip tightened on Jackie’s shoulders. “She’s your best friend. Don’t you want what’s best for her?” “And you think that’s you?” I asked, unable to contain my eye roll. Jordan was not happy. I could tell by the straight line his mouth was now forming. But it was Jackie’s turn to speak. “We’re in love, Ayla. I thought you’d be happy for me. I finally found my soulmate. You know I’ve always just wanted true love.” “Why would I be happy that you’re f*****g my boyfriend?” I exclaimed, not quite understanding what was even happening right now. She thought I’d be happy that my boyfriend of two years, who up until this moment I thought was going to ask me to move in with him, was f*****g my best friend? I knew the girl was damaged in the head, but I didn’t realize she was this damaged. But she continued. “Jordan and I could have gone about this much better. I wanted to tell you weeks ago, but…” I cut her off. “Weeks? How long has this been going on?” Their eyes cut to each other before looking back at me. “A couple months…” Jordan muttered. Right when he had first started acting weird. Of course. He wasn’t thinking about asking me to move in with him. He was thinking about when he could cheat on me next. That’s why he invited me over less and less. He was too busy inviting Jackie over. I shook my head. “You two are a real piece of work. And you know what? I am happy. You two absolutely deserve each other.” They both at least had the sense to look a little guilty at that. I spun around. I needed a drink. I might not be old enough to drink legally, but I knew a bar that didn’t card me anytime I came in, so that’s where I’d be spending my night before calling rideshare to get me. As I strode through Jordan's apartment, I made these plans in my head, ignoring all the things I had added to make his place feel more like a home. I hoped Jackie liked the plants, the coasters, and the rug I had picked out. Oh, and the bidet. A f*****g bidet. I had installed it myself for that asshole’s ass. I should go and break it, but I was in too much of a hurry to leave. As I reached the door, I looked down at the disgusting cake I had bothered to make to their tastes for my birthday. I grabbed it and spun around to see that Jackie and Jordan had followed me. Before I could second guess myself, I launched the cake at Jordan, the plastic tearing away mid-throw and a vast mass of cake hitting his chest and flopping. He looked down at himself and then at the cake. “Really mature, Ayla.” I laughed. Hysterically. I couldn’t say another word. I grabbed my keys, hurrying to find the key to his place and then slamming it down on the table. “When you two inevitably don’t work out, don’t come crying to me. Either of you.” With that, I left, not allowing myself to cry until I left the apartment building entirely. Once safe from their eyes, I broke down.