The Kiss Of Fate

5:Backed to a corner

"How about we forget such childish plays, ditch this party, and go for a run," Sosha lured the group with a different dare. "It will be fun to show off our furs, don't you all agree."

Her words drained the life from Jhessail's face. The idea of going for a ran made her blood run cold. It was the worst suggestion she had heard that night.

"I love that idea," Jian and Thea exclaimed in unison.

Like that, the bells chimed alerting Cinderella that it was midnight. Jhessail yanked Aldrin's hand from her lap. She grabbed her bag hastily tipping over the glass of wine Aldrin brought over.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she grabbed some napkins from the table to wipe off the wine splattered on the table.

"It's alright, Jhess," Aldrin picked up a napkin to help her. His hand brushed against hers, and Jhessail cringed. "It's just a spill," Aldrin tried to assure her.

"I have to go," Jhessail excused herself. Catching everyone off with her intentions to leave the party when the night had only just begun.

"You are leaving already?" Yoli questioned. Stunned and confused by Jhessail's behavior. She clasped Jhessail's hand and halted her movements.

"The king ordered for all the young girls of Lavena to attend the party. He didn't say we had to stay until the end of the party," Jhessail explained. Her face grew pale.

"Is it because of the prince? Or because Sosha suggested we go for a run?"

Yoli had noticed a pattern with her friend. Whenever someone mentions a run or suggests to transform into wolves. She always finds one reason or another to avoid it.

Other than the night of the coming-of-age hunt of the Moonridge pack, no one had seen her change into a wolf. At first, she thought her friend was shy around others but Jhessail refused to change even when it's just the two of them.

She had been meaning to bring it up but never found the right moment to do so. Jhessail tensed under her touch. Both those suggestions scared her deeply.

Prince Aldrin's showing interest in her put her in the spotlight. It promised attention from everyone around her, which meant that living a normal average life wasn't going to be possible. And worse, every detail of her life would be put on display for all of Lavena. Which endangered her secret.

The idea of going for a run with everyone shook her to the core. It was the fastest way for her secret to be revealed. She feared all that she would lose if the world discovered the secrets she had buried deep in her heart.

"Let go!" her voice took a dark tone.

"Not until you tell me what you're hiding Jhess. I am your friend and I deserve to know why you get weird every time someone so much as suggests a plan that involves you turning," Yoli insisted.

Jhessail felt cornered.

"You should let her go, Yoli. She seems uncomfortable," Thea spoke defending Jhessail. She didn't think it was right fot Yoli to corner Jhessail into revealing any information. That wasn't what friends do.

"Stay out of this," Yoli warned. Her anger getting the best of her. She was an open book to Jhessail, and with her friend, she wore her heart on her sleeve. It wasn't too much for her to expect Jhessail to do the same for her. "Jhess, I need to know the secret that you are hiding," she declared.

Jhessail became breathless. Revealing her secret would end life as she knew it. 'Help' she screamed internally.

"Friends don't keep secrets from each other, Jhess. You can tell me anything," Yoli looked at her with pleading eyes.

Jhessail fell back to a wall. Everyone stared at her to hear what she was hiding. She panicked.

"Friends don't keep secrets but they don't back their friends to a corner either. So I guess we aren't friends," Jhessail coldly let out.

Yoli stumbled back at her words. Unable to believe that Jhessail would utter such words to her.

Jhessail jerked away Yoli's hand. She took a step forward bridging the gap between them and lowered her voice down a few notches. "I don't like the prince and want nothing to do with him hence I'm putting distance between us. I hate the idea of running with lowborns as it doesn't suit my regal status. If I did that, it would put a stain on my pure white fur. Does that answer your questions?"

Yoli felt a pang in her heart. Tongue-tied by Jhessail's response to her inquiries. She thought if she pushed the matter, Jhessail would have no choice but to tell her the truth. Little did she expect to lose a friend.

Everyone at the table was shocked by Jhessail's words. Though she tried to whisper, it was impossible for them not to hear when they were all gifted with super hearing.

The prince was short for words. He could tell that Jhessail was being mean as a defense mechanism. However, he couldn't think of a reason that would force Jhessail to hurt her friend intentionally.

'You left me no choice,' Jhessail thought. Feeling guilty for taking such a dark tone with her friend and saying hurtful words to her. She had a choice to make, between choosing friendship and revealing her secret and keeping her secret but losing her friends.

She weighed the options in her mind and her secrets won. "Excuse me, Your Highness," Jhessail bowed her head to the Prince without sparing him a glance.

Her heart was heavy with the heartbreaking words she was forced to utter. It broke her heart to know that she would never find out where the magical spark that bloomed between them would lead.

However, she was relieved to know that her secrets would be safe. She twirled around, her feet heavy as she walked towards the door.

Jhessail rushed away from the party. In one night she gained a friend, lost a friend, and had her heart flutter for the first time. Jhessail was lost on how to move forward.