Shadowflame sisters :The last howl

Nyx's POV I stand in front of the large mirror, checking my black strapless dress. I hadn't had time to check it properly at home, or rather, I just didn't feel like it. My long black hair falls over my shoulders; I adjust it away from my face. "Perfect," I say for the tenth time today. I am breathtaking, and I'm not going to compromise my beauty. The room is filled with wolves from all over the realm, different colors and ranks, Alphas from different districts, all here for Alpha Kael's welcome party. I catch a whiff of a warm, smoky scent with a hint of burnt wood. I know that scent. I quickly turn to find Bennett, my mini-sized beta, standing behind me with a lit cigarette between his fingers. The harsh smoke clouds his face, but he doesn't mind at all. "He isn't here yet, right?" Bennett asks as he offers me a cigarette. I reject it politely. "Who's that?" "Alpha Kael, the mysterious son of Alpha Dante." "Oh yeah, he's not here yet." "I heard he came back from the human world ages ago but went into hiding and didn't want to be seen. I wonder what he is hiding from." "Maybe he's running away from Alpha duties," he says, letting another puff of smoke drift from his lips. "If that's why he went into hiding, then he's a pathetic, weak wolf," I say, scanning the room abruptly. A few Alphas are just arriving at the door: Alpha Donwick, Alpha Morales. I look over a bunch of moving heads to see the last person. My brows wrinkle the moment I see her. I clench my fist as I glare at the white-furred wolf that just walked in. She sure does know how to make an entrance, walking into the room as her white heels make clinking sounds as they come into contact with the tiles. Alpha Astra, my greatest nemesis. She smiles at a bunch of wolves with that innocent but deadly smile I hate. I can see through her fake innocence; she is good at pretending, but not to me. "Why do you hate her so much?" Bennett asks, and that is when I realize I have been saying everything out loud. "Ever since she embarrassed me two years ago at the Moon Festival, I vowed to forever despise her." "It's been two years now, can't you forgive her?" I glare daggers at Bennett for saying such stupid words. Forgive? I'd rather mate a rogue than forgive her. I shriek at the thought of both. "She's beautiful, though... I mean, ugly, ugly." "She's... beautiful, though. I mean... ugly, ugly," he stammers, and I can see the panic in his eyes the moment I glare at him. Soon it is time for refreshments, and the parents of the Alpha are already present, greeting guests and taking pictures. I walk over to the punch table, I grab a glass of something mango, and gulp it all down. "Eww," I hear from the person beside me, and I quickly turn to see who it is. It is Astra; of course, it has to be her. "What are you staring at?" she asks me, as if she wasn't the one who just made an annoying exclamation. I just ignore her and face the drink in front of me. Some other alphas gather at the table, and soon we start discussing pack duties and responsibilities. "I saw your new warriors today, Astra; you're doing a really good job." "Of course, it's my responsibility; anything to help and assist my kind," she says with a bright smile, and I instantly feel like puking. "What do you think, Nyx?" one of the alphas throws the question at me. "Well, I don't think training people to become warriors is a form of helping them; it's just a way of keeping the pack safe and adding more numbers to your warriors. Giving out jobs and making sure they have food to eat is a much better way to help or assist your kind," I say, my hands folded neatly in my lap. I lean back slightly, tilting my head, not caring about the awkward silence that surrounds the table after I finish speaking. "I also give out food to the poor and homeless. I didn't say recruiting warriors was the only way to assist my kind." "Well, I wasn't talking to you," I snap back. "Okay, okay, let's not argue about this. Recruiting warriors is also a way of helping the pack," Alpha Morales says from across the table. He is the oldest alpha at the table; the rest are young alphas, including me. "Yeah, but we all know most greedy leaders do it for their own benefit," I say, sipping the remaining mango juice in my glass. "You're talking like you've ever contributed anything to help our kind. If not harmful chemicals and secret weapons, what have you ever done?" Astra says, now facing me so I can see her golden eyes and white fluffy hair. "Stop talking rubbish, you b***h," I say. "Okay, okay, that's enough," Alpha Morales says, noticing the tension at the table. "Look who's calling me a b***h. I heard you f****d the beta of Pinewood to get to where you are now; obviously, you're a slut, so the rumors have to be true," she says. I fold my fists under the table, fuming furiously, my wolf already threatening to come out. "Say that one more time, b***h," I say. "You are a fucking... s l u t... slut." I bang my hands really hard against the table, tipping a bowl of punch over. Its contents drip from the table onto the ground, but I don't care; I am too angry to care. At that moment, a bunch of people were already staring at our table, wondering what was going on. "Nyx, calm down," Bennett says, coming to meet us. "Don't tell me to calm down!" I yell. I know what is going through everyone's mind: the angry wolf is at it again. "What are you going to do? Bite me or something?" Astra asks with a dangerous smirk plastered on her face. My claws slide out, ready to tear through anything in my path when— "What's going on here?" I hear a deep masculine voice from a distance. It isn't familiar; it is powerful, effortlessly commanding, and the sound wraps around me, making every hair on my body stand. And then I turn to the spot the voice comes from, and there he stands: tall, with dark hair that falls perfectly around a face so sharp it steals my breath. His eyes are blue, piercing. He is handsome, yes, but there is something more, something dangerous and magnetic, a beauty that makes the air feel heavier. I just stare endlessly at him, and I realize I'm not the only one staring at him. Heads are turned in his direction, whispers fill the ballroom, but all I can do is stare, caught in the pull of someone who seems impossible to look away from. My heart slams hard in my chest. Wait, what is wrong with me?