Chapter 1
1349 Words
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Cassidy Pov
Music thundered through the Silvermoon Pack's Alpha Manor, shaking the walls hard enough to make the crystal glasses tremble on every table.
The annual house party was already in full swing.
Pack warriors crowded around the pool with bottles in their hands, college students from Silvermoon University yelled over one another while someone blasted music loud enough to wake the dead. The scent of expensive liquor, perfume, and grilled food mixed together in the warm summer air.
I never liked these parties.
I only came because Genesis begged me to.
"Cass, please. You spend every damn day studying medicine. If you don't come out at least once, you're going to become a walking anatomy textbook."
I should've listened to my first instinct.
My cup rested comfortably in my hand as I wandered toward the back patio, hoping for a little peace.
Instead...
I froze.
There he was.
Lysander Greys.
My mate.
The future Alpha of Silvermoon Pack.
His hand rested possessively on another woman's waist.
Before my brain could even process what I was seeing...
He leaned down.
Their lips met.
Slowly.
Comfortably.
Like they'd done it a thousand times before.
My heartbeat stopped.
No...
No f*****g way.
Jossie Frenwood giggled into the kiss before wrapping her arms around his neck.
The sight made my stomach twist.
Out of every she-wolf in the damn pack...
Her?
Seriously?
Jossie wasn't famous because she was kind.
She wasn't admired because she worked hard.
She was infamous because she'd slept with half the damn pack.
Varsity athletes.
Future warriors.
Heirs from neighboring packs.
Even wolves old enough to know better chased after her like desperate idiots.
People whispered about her every week, yet somehow the whispers never stopped the men from lining up.
She was Silvermoon's favorite disaster.
The pack's toy b***h.
And somehow...
My mate was kissing her like she was the Moon Goddess herself.
I stared at them for several long seconds before raising my drink.
I took one slow sip.
The alcohol burned all the way down my throat.
It still didn't erase the disgusting sight in front of me.
"I cannot believe this shit..."
Lysander laughed at something Jossie whispered before kissing her forehead.
The surrounding guys hollered and cheered.
"That's our future Alpha!"
"They look good together!"
"They've got way more chemistry than Cassidy and Lysander ever did!"
I almost laughed.
Chemistry?
Funny.
The Moon Goddess literally mated him to me.
Yet somehow everyone acted like I was the outsider.
Maybe they were all blind.
Or maybe this pack had simply gone insane.
"Cass."
Genesis appeared beside me carrying two cups.
The moment she followed my gaze, her smile disappeared.
"Oh... shit."
Neither of us spoke for a few moments.
Genesis sighed.
"I was hoping they weren't actually doing this tonight."
"They're not hiding it anymore," I replied quietly.
"They haven't been hiding it for months."
She rubbed the back of her neck.
"I know..."
I looked back toward the crowd.
Lysander hadn't noticed me.
Not once.
His entire attention remained fixed on Jossie as though she were the only woman in existence.
It wasn't heartbreak anymore.
That feeling had come and gone.
What remained was something colder.
Disgust.
Embarrassment.
Exhaustion.
Genesis gently nudged my shoulder.
"You wanna stay a little longer?"
I stared into my drink before shaking my head.
"No."
"No?"
"No."
I pulled my phone from my purse.
"I'm calling an Uber."
Genesis frowned.
"You sure?"
"I've seen enough."
My thumb tapped the app.
Driver requested.
Estimated arrival...
Five minutes.
Genesis watched me quietly.
"You okay?"
I let out a dry laugh.
"No."
Another laugh escaped me.
"But I'll survive."
I slipped my phone back into my purse.
"I'm not about to waste my entire night watching my own mate make out with someone else."
Genesis snorted despite herself.
"When you put it like that..."
"It sounds even more pathetic."
"For him," she corrected.
I smiled faintly.
"The bar's pretty low for him these days."
Across the yard, another burst of laughter erupted around Lysander and Jossie.
I didn't bother looking again.
If he wanted to spend his life chasing after chaos...
He was welcome to it.
I wasn't going to stand around pretending this was normal.
Five minutes.
Then I'd be gone.
And maybe, just maybe...
I'd finally get one peaceful night away from Silvermoon Pack.
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The bass from the party grew quieter with every step I took away from the Alpha Manor.
Cool night air brushed against my skin, carrying the scent of pine trees and distant rain. It was peaceful out here.
Far more peaceful than whatever circus was happening inside that house.
My phone vibrated.
Your Uber has arrived.
A silver sedan pulled up beside the curb.
The driver rolled the passenger window down.
"Cassidy?"
"Yeah, that's me."
He smiled politely and unlocked the doors.
I climbed into the back seat, shutting the door behind me.
"Good evening."
"Evening," he replied as he glanced at the GPS mounted to his dashboard. "Heading home?"
I buckled my seat belt.
"Please."
The driver nodded.
"You got it."
The car eased away from the mansion, leaving behind the loud music, drunken shouting, and flashing lights.
I rested my head against the cool window.
For the first time all night...
I could breathe.
Buzz.
My phone vibrated again.
I frowned.
Seriously?
I pulled it from my purse.
Lysander
A text message.
Lysander: Where are you?
I stared at those three words for several seconds.
Then...
A cold laugh escaped me.
"...Now you notice?"
It wasn't a laugh filled with sadness.
It was disbelief.
Hours.
He'd spent hours wrapped around another woman.
Kissing her.
Holding her.
Making a complete fool out of me in front of half the damn pack.
Yet somehow...
Now he wanted to know where I was.
The audacity was almost impressive.
I unlocked my phone and typed a reply.
Cassidy: You'll see me at school tomorrow.
That was it.
No explanation.
No argument.
No accusation.
No "goodnight."
Just one sentence.
I hit send.
Almost immediately, three little dots appeared.
Lysander was typing.
I didn't care enough to read whatever excuse he was about to come up with.
I held the power button.
Power Off?
Yes.
The screen faded to black.
Finally.
Silence.
I slipped the phone back into my purse before looking out the window.
Streetlights drifted past like tiny stars.
The farther we drove from the Alpha Manor, the lighter my chest felt.
Silvermoon Pack looked beautiful at night.
Too bad appearances lied.
The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
"Long night?"
"You could say that."
"You heading home from a party?"
"Mhm."
He chuckled.
"I stopped going to those years ago. Too much drama."
A small smile tugged at my lips.
"You have no idea."
He laughed.
"I probably don't."
The rest of the ride passed quietly.
No awkward questions.
No pointless conversation.
Just the hum of the engine and the sound of tires rolling across empty roads.
About twenty minutes later...
The sedan slowed before stopping in front of a quiet two-story house surrounded by oak trees.
"We're here."
I blinked, realizing I'd nearly fallen asleep.
"Oh."
I reached for my purse.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
I paid the fare, adding a generous tip.
The driver smiled warmly.
"I appreciate it. Hope tomorrow's a better day."
I nodded.
"...Me too."
Stepping out of the car, I shut the door gently behind me.
The Uber pulled away, disappearing down the quiet neighborhood street.
For a long moment...
I simply stood there.
The porch light glowed softly against the darkness.
Home.
At least here...
There weren't any fake smiles.
No cheering crowds.
No drunken wolves pretending betrayal was normal.
Just silence.
And right now...
Silence was exactly what I needed.
- Writer
