One
1090 Words
“Vanessa, slow down,” Rosie, my best friend, whispered, grabbing my arm and stopping me. Her eyes were wide, her voice shaky. “Lycans don’t like humans in their land. One wrong move and we’re dead meat.”
She wasn’t wrong. But after a month of pain and confusion, I couldn’t stop now. Desmond, the Lycan I loved fiercely, was gone. All I had was a single cold text from his friend saying he was dead. No explanation. No goodbye.
The hurt burned hotter than my fear.
I squeezed Rosie’s trembling hand. “We’ve come this far. I need to see his family. I need to know where they buried him.”
Rosie bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder like she expected a monster to leap out of the dark. She nodded and walked beside me in silence. Even scared, her presence kept me grounded.
The forest thinned, and then the trees opened up. Desmond’s house stood ahead.
But instead of sorrow, I heard music.
Laughter floated through the night air, loud and wild. My steps faltered.
“What the hell?” My voice cracked. “They’re partying?”
Rosie blinked, confused. “Maybe it’s some Lycan thing. You know, a weird way of mourning. Even better, right? We go in, say we’re sorry for their loss, and then get the f**k out.”
We crept closer. My heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the music.
The house was packed. Lycans filled every space, dressed in bright, elegant clothes. They were dancing, laughing, drinking like it was the happiest night of their lives.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw someone eerily familiar.
Desmond.
Alive. Breathing. Smiling.
My heart stopped.
He stood at the altar, dressed in royal blue robes embroidered with gold thread. His hand was clasped lovingly with that of a stunning red-haired she-wolf.
“No.” My voice came out cracked and hollow.
Rosie gripped my arm so tightly it hurt. “What. The. Actual. Fuck.”
“This has to be a mistake,” I whispered, clinging desperately to sanity. “Maybe he has a twin brother or… or a cousin.”
Rosie turned to me with a sharp glare. “Vanessa. Please. That is Desmond. Look at that hideous mustache.”
My gaze fell on the offending facial hair. The same mustache I had kissed, mocked, and once threatened to shave off while he slept.
There was no denying it.
Rosie’s voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “We’ve been lied to. The bastard faked his death. Let’s leave before this turns into a headline like, ‘Two i***t Humans Mauled at Wolf Wedding.’”
She tugged on my arm, but I wrenched free.
“Vanessa, stop! You’ll get us killed!” Rosie hissed.
I barely heard her. A month of sleepless nights and tear-stained pillows roared through my veins like fire. While I had been breaking apart, he had been here—alive, smiling, marrying someone else.
I stormed forward, pushing through the crowd like a lunatic. Lycans turned, snarling and muttering at the audacity of a human in their midst.
I headed straight for the dais. “Desmond! You bastard! What the hell is this?”
His friend, the one who had texted me about his so-called death, moved to block me.
“Whoa there, human. This is not your place.”
I shoved past him, my voice rising. “Desmond! What is going on? You were supposed to be dead!”
Every head turned.
Desmond slowly turned as well. For a heartbeat, his gray eyes widened in shock. Then it vanished, replaced by an icy mask.
“Who are you?” His voice was cold. “Guards, remove this unstable woman.”
I froze. Did he just—?
His bride stepped forward, her fangs flashing like polished knives.
“Leave now, little human, before I shred you into pieces.”
My legs trembled, but I stood my ground. “You lied,” I said to Desmond, my voice breaking. “You faked your death instead of breaking up with me like a normal person. Was it all a joke to you? Was I just a game?”
His face betrayed nothing, but his hands curled into fists at his sides. “Leave,” he said tightly. “Before I stop being merciful.”
Rosie appeared at my side, pale with panic. “Vanessa, please, we need to go now!”
The crowd’s energy shifted, a dangerous hum of snarls and murmurs of, “Who let the humans in?”
Professor Hale, one of the few Lycans who tolerated humans, had warned us that confronting Lycans never ended well.
“Nessa, please, let’s go,” Rosie whimpered.
Before I could answer, the massive double doors slammed open.
Armed guards poured in, forming two lines as three majestic figures entered. Their very presence screamed, We could crush you like a bug, and it would be fun for us.
The music shifted into something tribal and intense as a voice announced, “Presenting the Triad Alpha heirs!”
The crowd immediately bowed, clearing a path.
Desmond’s bride tore away from him and hissed, “Get this human trash out of here!”
Then she rushed forward to the Triad Alphas and dropped into a deep curtsy.
Desmond moved toward me, panic breaking through his icy facade. “Vanessa, please. Go now. I will explain everything later. This isn’t what it looks like.”
I stared at him, every muscle trembling with rage. “Now you remember my name? After faking your death and destroying me?”
He flinched. “You don’t understand.”
Before I could answer, one of the Triad Alphas stepped between us. He was tall and impossibly regal, his presence suffocating the very air around us.
His gaze landed on me, his brow raised at first. Then his eyes widened in shock.
He seized my hand, his grip fierce. “Who are you?” he demanded.
I tried to pull away, but his hold tightened.
“A pathetic human who dared crash my wedding. She will be punished,” the bride spat, her voice sharp with fury.
The Alpha ignored her completely, his eyes locked on mine as if I were something impossible.
My vision blurred. My knees buckled.
“Vanessa!” Rosie’s scream sounded distant, muffled, as I began to fall.
Strong arms caught me, and just before darkness claimed me, I heard a single word that made no sense at all.
“Mate.”
- Writer
