I WOKE UP AS MY HOCKEY ALPHA'S GIRLFRIEND

Chapter 25

Emily

If Vivian Saint Laurent kept talking at this rate, I was going to develop an ear condition.

The woman hadn't raised her hand against me since the last slap left my face swollen enough to make even makeup surrender, but apparently she had discovered another weapon.

Words.

And she was using them with frightening dedication.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?" she snapped for what felt like the fiftieth time. "The entire pack is laughing at you—at us. The Saint Laurent name is trending because you couldn't complete one simple dance."

I lay flat on the bed, staring at the ridiculous crystal chandelier hanging above me. Maybe if I looked at it long enough, one of those crystals would break loose and knock me unconscious.

And I'd wake up back in my body.

The bedroom door was still open because I had stopped bothering to close it whenever Vivian started one of her lectures. If she wanted an audience, she was getting one, even if that audience was mentally planning its escape.

The past few days had been terrible.

I was exhausted emotionally.

Every morning, I woke up hoping the swap had somehow fixed itself overnight. And every morning, I opened my eyes to Mary's room, Mary's face, and Mary's life.

And every night, I went to bed wondering if this was permanent.

The thought terrified me.

I didn't want this life.

I didn't want to be Mary Saint Laurent.

Then there was Ethan. I didn't even want to think about him, because the moment I did, I thought about the kiss too.

And once I thought about the kiss, I had to admit something I desperately didn't want to admit.

It had been good.

Really effing good.

Which was annoying because none of that changed who Ethan Sparrow really was. He still saw me as an omega. Maybe kissing me had simply been another reminder that he could do whatever he wanted.

He was an Alpha, and I was beneath him.

That was the world he lived in.

Thinking about it only irritated me more, so I pushed myself off the bed. If I stayed in this house another minute, Vivian was going to nag me into an early grave.

I opened Mary's wardrobe. It looked less like a wardrobe and more like a luxury boutique.

Everything glittered like they were in a competition for attention.

Did nobody in this house own normal clothes?

After several minutes of digging through enough designer outfits to dress a royal family, I finally found a faded pair of jeans hiding behind a row of dresses.

"There you are,” I said, smiling.

I pulled them out triumphantly, paired them with a simple crop top, then tied Mary's blonde hair into a ponytail. She'd probably faint if she saw what I'd done to it.

Good.

She could add that to the long list of things she planned to yell at me about.

Downstairs, Vivian's voice suddenly changed direction. Apparently she had grown tired of criticizing me. Now she was criticizing the chef.

"...who overcooks steak this badly?" She was saying as her focus shifted to the kitchen.

That was my chance.

I slipped downstairs as quietly as I could, grabbed the car keys, and disappeared before she remembered she still had a daughter to traumatize.

Would there be consequences?

Absolutely.

Did I care?

Not even a little.

Because some consequences were worth paying for. And I wasn't Mary Saint Laurent.

***

I drove straight toward Omega Town. The roads became narrower, and the houses became smaller. Luxury literally disappeared.

Omega Town wasn't beautiful. Nobody would ever call it beautiful. The buildings were old, the roads needed repairs, children played football with worn-out balls, and laundry hung from balconies because most homes couldn't afford a washing machine.

It wasn't impressive.

But it was home.

The expensive sports car looked painfully out of place. People stopped to stare as I drove past. Pups pointed, and adults frowned. Nobody drove cars like this around here unless they were lost.

Or rich.

Or both.

Maybe an over privileged Omega coming to see her family.

I parked outside Grace's house and stepped out. The moment she opened the door, her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline.

She folded her arms immediately. "What are you doing here, Mary?" She looked behind me. "Did you get lost? What are you doing in Omega Town?"

I couldn't help smiling. "I have something to tell you."

Her suspicion only deepened.

"I'd rather we talk somewhere private,” I continued.

Grace laughed.

"No,” she said. "I am not following you anywhere." She leaned against the doorway. "We've made it very clear at school where both of us belong. Alpha wolves don't belong here.”

Her eyes narrowed.

"I've already seen you hanging around Emily, and just because Emily has replaced me with you doesn't mean you're recruiting me into whatever strange friendship cult you've started."

I laughed. "Please, Grace. It's not what you think. I promise you'll love this conversation."

She glanced suspiciously at the car. "I'm definitely not getting inside that thing."

"Fine." I pointed behind the house. "What about your dad's conservatory?"

Her entire expression changed. "How do you know about the conservatory?"

I smiled. "That's exactly what I'm trying to explain. Can you come?”

She stared at me for several long seconds.

Finally she sighed. "This had better be the greatest explanation in human history."

A few minutes later, we were sitting inside the glass conservatory.

I'd missed this place.

Grace's father was one of the best botanists in the pack, and this little sanctuary was his pride and joy. The moment you stepped inside, Omega Town disappeared. Flowers climbed the walls, and rare plants surrounded us.

The air smelled fresh instead of dusty. It felt like someone had trapped spring inside glass.

And yes, my big chemistry project stemmed from this place.

Grace waited patiently.

I took a deep breath. "Something terrible happened,” I started. “It started about two weeks ago.”

Then I finally said it.

"I'm Emily."

It felt so weird hearing me say it, because for the longest time, I've been identifying as Mary Saint Laurent.

And Grace's reaction? Epic.

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I'm Emily,” I repeated.

She stared another second before standing up. "You know what?"

She nodded to herself. "I've heard Alpha wolves can sometimes go rogue." She pointed toward the exit. "I'd really appreciate it if you became insane somewhere outside my father's property."

I jumped to my feet. "Grace."

She paused but didn't turn to look at me.

"How do you think I know about the conservatory?"

She faced me and frowned. “My father works as a botanist.”

"And if that isn't enough…” I smiled. "I can tell you something only you and I know."

“Humor me.”

“When we were twelve years old, you had a crush on your uncle.”

For several seconds she simply looked at me.

Then she whispered, "I actually believe this."

I blinked. "Wait... that's all it took?"

She pointed at me. "Emily has been acting weird all week." She counted on her fingers. "Adding water to acid."

That was a terrible ‘not Emily’ moment.

"Avoiding me…and then driving around with Col instead of taking the school bus." She folded her arms. "So yes." She nodded slowly.

"I believe this crazy story."

I exhaled. "You have no idea how relieved I am,” I said. “I have a lot to tell you.”

"What happened?"

"It was a cheerleading accident."

I told her everything. How it started with the fall, and the next thing, I'm waking up, and finding myself inside Mary's body.

And Mary trapped inside mine.

“And now, Ethan knows,” I added.

She gasped. “This is f*****g crazy, Emily.”

When I finally finished narrating my crazy experience, she sat back in complete silence.

Then she shook her head. "Mary is going to ruin your future. Do you know that?”

That wasn't exactly comforting. But that was typical Grace behavior.

"You need those grades,” she continued. You need that scholarship for Werewolf Academy.”

She sighed in frustration. "No wonder Professor Wilson said your chemistry presentation was a disaster."

She rubbed her forehead. "This is a huge mess, Emily."

"I know."

"Have you thought of any solution?"

I shook my head. "I'm tired. We've tried everything.” I laughed weakly.

"I'm honestly getting sick of pretending to be Mary Saint Laurent."

Grace stared at me. "What's so hard about being an Alpha?" She looked around dramatically. "You have the mansion." "The cars, the respect, and the money."

I smiled.

"If I could trade all of that for my old life, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

She frowned.

"I've always wanted to be an Alpha,” I admitted. “Being an Alpha sounds amazing. But being a Saint Laurent..."

I sighed. "That part isn't worth it."

Grace became quiet. "I've missed you,” she said. “I thought you were angry with me. I kept trying to talk to you. But you ignored me every single time."

She smiled sadly.

"I didn't know it was Mary."

My chest squeezed tightly. "I missed you too. But you know we can't be seen together."

She nodded.

"My life is already complicated enough,” I added. “I spend my days pretending Joye and Sasha are my best friends."

Grace grimaced. “That must be terrible.”

She was quiet for a while before asking softly, "What if the swap never reverses?"

Typical Grace.

Always asking the question I didn't want to hear.

I rolled my eyes. "I cannot spend the rest of my life being Mary." I shuddered. "And kissing Ethan. Yuck."

Grace burst into laughter. "Isn't that exactly what little Emily always wanted?"

I groaned. "Please don't."

"You wanted to become an Alpha."

"I know,” I dragged exhaustingly.

"You wanted to attend high society parties. And..."

She grinned wickedly. "You had the biggest crush on Ethan Sparrow."

I covered my face. "Grace."

"You did!"

"That was elementary school."

She laughed even louder. "You followed him around like a puppy."

"I was eight!”

She wiped tears from her eyes.

"You even wrote 'Mrs. Ethan Sparrow' in your notebook."

"Oh, my God,” I cried.

I buried my face in my hands. "Can we please pretend that version of me never existed?"

She was still laughing and crying.

Okay, confession. I did have a crush on Ethan Sparrow…for a very long time. Even after he started ignoring me

But eventually, I grew up, and the crush died. And somewhere between killing it, and trying to survive school, I started hating him.