"Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?

I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else

Gets me frustrated

Life's like this, you

You fall, and you crawl, and you break

And you take what you get, and you turn it into honesty

Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it

No, no, no."

Remember what I said about not liking parties?

Yeah.

Now add dressing up to the list of things I hate about parties.

I threw my cupboard open and groaned when I saw I had practically nothing to wear. My entire cupboard was filled with either worn out jeans and shirt outfits or summer dresses which were both definitely NOT meant for a party like this.

Even though I doubt any other packs are called, but our own pack is big enough. It has about 600 members with 200 school going young members.

I missed Katherine being here. That girl always had a talent of finding out something wearable in my trashy cupboard.

Finally I settled for a skinny jeans, black crop top and stilettoes kind of outfit. I quickly plugged in my curling wand while doing a bit of makeup.

I dabbed some concealer under my eye and on eyelid as a base before taking my Anastasia Beverly Hills' Modern Renaissance palette and did a quick bronze eyelook. Then I took my black eyeliner from Benefit and did a quick wing. I added some mascara, nude liquid lipstick and called it a day.

I took my heated curling wand and quickly curled the every ends of my hair making them look bouncy and full.

I ruffled my hair and decided against using any hair spray because like, this party wasn't very important.

I took at myself in the mirror, proud of how this came as. I was putting some last minute essentials in my purse- like lipstick, some cash and earphones- when my father called for me and I went downstairs.

"I am coming!" I hollered and quickly slipped into my stilettoes.

"You look beautiful, angel," my dad said, with pride in his eyes when he saw and kissed my forehead.

I smiled and got on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You don't look to bad yourself, daddy-poo."

He mock glared at me and ruffled my hair, making me groan.

"Come on kiddo," he said. "We should get going. I need to talk to the Alpha and then I'll come back while you can enjoy the party. Okay?"

"Okay." I mumbled, nodding my head.

Dad gave Mom a quick kiss before we decided to go and they shared one of those gooey eye looks which made me roll my eyes.

"Bye honey!" Dad hollered, before he and I went inside the car.

I tucked the seatbelt in and sighed, looking out of the window.

When I was a kid, I thought life was all like a beautiful fairytale. Where you are your parent's princess and there is someone in the world who has become a prince just for you. Then, I grew up a little and established the adult's world where people cheated and lied to each other. I learned about the hypocrisy. Where the adults taught of love and truth, but weren't so loving themselves.

Then my parents told me about mates. And I was transfixed. Having a soulmate- someone who's made just for you, didn't sound any less than a fairytale for me.

And I hoped. Again.

My hopes increased everyday as I saw how my parents loved each other and how my friends changed when they found their mates.

I wanted that too. I wanted a mate.

Then, I turned 18. And I got rejected. Not technically, but practically. I mean, he didn't say the words and broke the bond, but he did never accept me either.

I learned another thing about humans that day...

I learned that hopes and expectations are hazardous for you. And no one will ever be happy in your happiness. When the world knows about your weaknesses and hopes, they'd do anything in their power to break them.

To break you.

But you have to be strong.

You have to be strong enough to not get broken by those people- yet at the same time- prevent yourself from becoming cynical.

Because we've come alone in this world.

And we'll exit this world, alone too.

"This is my daughter, Olivia." Dad said, introducing me to the Alpha and he smiled warmly at me.

"Of course I know her. She's such a talented girl. The principal told me about her." He looked at me and grinned. "Have you met my son yet?"

I opened my mouth to say no but Reece Miller- the future Alpha of the pack cut me off.

"Unfortunately not. But we would love to know each other, won't we? Pretty lady?" Reece asked me, grinning. Showing off his perfectly white teeth.

I closed my mouth and nodded, slightly.

How could I say no to the future Alpha?

I should have said no.

Reece has been constantly flirted with me and my trials of escaping this situation have all gone in vain.

"So, apart from looking gorgeous, what are your hobbies?" Reece asked, as he swirled the contents of his drink in his glass.

"Urm." I said, "I... I like to sing..."

That seemed to pick his interest. "Oh? Do you play something instrument too?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I know how to play a guitar."

"Interesting," he whispered, leaning close to me. "Do you know what I am good at?"

He picked a strand of my hair and twirled it between his fingers, his face dangerously close to mine.

"No?" I replied, without stuttering.

Had it been Chance in place of Reece rightnow, I know I would have been paralysed my now.

But since it was Reece and not my mate, I felt no sparks, no thrills, no nothing.

Even though Reece was the sexiest boy of the school and practically every girl I knew had a crush on him, I could help feel wrong talking to him.

On the other hand, I can't help but feel hurt that Chance didn't even tell Reece- his best friend- about us being mates.

Because had he known, he won't have flirted with me, the way he is right now.

Was Chance really that ashamed of me? Did I really mean so little to him...?

I decided to shake my thoughts off when Reece leaned even closer, his nose touching mine.

I held my breathe as he said the next words.

"The thing is, sweetheart, I can't tell you about my hobbies. I can just show them to you."

I gasped when I realized what kind of hobbies he was talking about.

I chose to ignore him and looked away. Where is Ryder anyway? Isn't this supposed to be his party?

Not that I am looking forward to meet him or anything.

"Reece." Someone said in a powerful voice and we both looked to the side to see Chance standing there with his jaw clenched.

His palms were fisted tightly and he looked pissed.

"Chance," Reece said, lazily as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling away. "Looks like you did find a girl this time, huh?"

Reece laughed lightly as if it was a joke but no one laughed. It was only at this sentence that I noticed a girl standing beside Chance.

Standing? I scoffed. More like clinging to his body like a leech.

If you look closely it was the same girl as the detention one and I wondered if these two were dating or something.

"Babe," she slurred, obviously drunk. "Why don't we go somewhere else? Somewhere we can have fun." She whispered in his ear, trailing a finger down his chest, biting his ear.

I fisted my palm too when I felt another pang of hurt in my chest.

Chance was unaffected though. He looked like he was enjoying my state or something.

"Why not babe," he said, loud enough for me and Reece to hear it as he pulled her closer to herself.

My jaw dropped as I saw him leaned down and kiss in her rightnow in front of my eyes.

If you think seeing your mate with someone is hurtful, try watching him kiss someone else in front of your eyes.

Voluntarily too.

One of his eyes were open as he peeked a glance and me and smirked through the kiss.

Burning.

My lungs, my chest, my heart were burning with pain, jealousy and hurt.

So much, that it was painful to breathe.

"E-excuse m-me," I barely stuttered as I detached myself from Reece.

"Hey!" Reece called, but I didn't look behind.

How many times have you cried for someone? How many times have you gotten up and told yourself, not anymore? How many times have you decided that you've had enough of a person and yet given up to them again? How many times have you cried yourself to sleep, only to get up and do the same mistake all over again?

Chance Sommerfield was that mistake of mine. He was a mistake I never committed on the first place.

I clenched the railings of the 1st floor balcony as tears fell down my face.

One tear fell on the floor, followed by another, till I lost count of how many salty droplets I cried.

I sniffed and whimpered as the images of him kissing her swirled my head and it felt like someone was running a silver dagger through my heart, stabbing me again and again.

I wanted to go home. I wanted to-

I was about to pull my phone out when a familiar voice stopped me.

"What is a pretty girl like you, doing here all alone?"

I turned around to see who it was and gasped.

Oh god, why me?

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