"ALYSSA JACKSON, WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU WOMAN?" Hal's voice erupted through my phone as I rushed down the steps of my house.

"I'm almost there Hal, just finding a parking spot." I lied, rushing out the front door, trying to balance out my purse and Hal's flowers, my heels and dress tangling into each other.

"Oh really? Is that why I can hear you practically running out your front door?" she replied, obviously catching my lie.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" I faked, successfully making it into the car and getting myself on the road.

"Al, you know you can't lie to me. Now will you please get your ass to my rehearsal dinner?"

"Yes, I'll be there in 5" I hung up, speeding my car down the isolated roads of the dark night.

In no more than 7 minutes to be precise, I found myself pulling into the parking lot of the fancy restaurant in town, the sound of formal chatter could already be heard, and unfortunately the mate pull too. The bond was getting stronger by the day, and I wanted nothing but to break it, but the fates had other plans. I snapped out of my thought, making my way slowly into the crowded area. Instantly my nose was filled the aroma of perfume and candles. Most of the guests were seated on the tables whilst others stood chatting with the future bride and groom to be. Striding towards my best friend, I noticed the best man, and my ex-mate, standing next to Adam. Ignoring his presence, I approached Hal, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry I'm late. You look gorgeous Hal" I complemented, parting and handing her the bouquet of roses she was supposed to have had at the beginning of the dinner. She had a smile spread across her face as she looked back at me.

"Thank you Al. I'm so glad you're here." I smiled back, focusing my attention on Adam.

"I hope you understand that if you hurt her I'll kill you, beta or not" he smirked, lifting his hands in surrender before pulling Hal closer by the waist.

"She's in the right hands" He commented, placing a soft kiss on her cheek, making her blush. I smiled at the scene, my heart clenching and my insides pulling me, making my eyes roam to the figure standing beside Adam. His gaze fixed on mine intensely making my wolf go nuts. She whimpered on the inside at the absence of her mate beside her, but I couldn't allow that to happen. The pain of being rejected once was enough, and I was not going to go through it again. At the mere recap of the event, she remained silent, burying herself in the deepest parts of me. I hadn't noticed that I had been staring at him until Hal's voice shook me back to reality.

"Anyways, we should probably sit down to eat" I nodded, disconnecting my gaze from his and following Hal to my assigned seat, which just so happened to be right beside him. Great.

I could suddenly feel his breath right next to my ears, causing my heart rate to increase massively and a blush rose to my cheeks involuntarily.

"You look beautiful" his voice whispered in my ear making my wolf purr of satisfaction. I shook myself out of my vivid thoughts and lifted my façade back up.

"You shouldn't be saying that to me Alpha, I'm sure your future Luna would love to hear that, however. Where is she anyways? I don't see her around." I commented, looking around to notice that she was in fact not present. As much as Hal refused to invite her, she was the future Luna which gave her a direct pass towards the party. The thought pierced through my heart, but I pushed it aside, not wanting to surface my real feelings.

"She's sitting right beside me." He replied, chuckling slightly. I looked around to the other side of him, only to see that no one was sitting on the other side of him, which brought me back to his words. Of course, he's referring to me. I looked back into his eyes, watching as he smiled right back at me, there was a spark in his eyes that I hadn't noticed before. It was a spark of determination, a spark of hope. My heart clenched at the thought, but there was no way I was going to allow myself to fall into his traps only to have my heart being broken again. The familiar feeling of pain invaded my mind once again at the reminder of his rejection, but I pushed it aside, bringing myself back to reality.

"Let me remind you Alpha that it was you who stripped me of that position months ago, and I refuse to claim it back now." A feeling of anger rushed through me and I suddenly felt a wave of claustrophobia strike me. The world around me commenced spinning and I wanted nothing more than to take a taste of fresh air to calm myself down. I opened my mind link to Hal for a brief moment informing her of my actions.

'Hal, I need to get some fresh air, I'll be right back' her head snapped to mine and noticed my discomfort before she returned a brief nod with a sympathetic smile.

I elevated from my seat, walking past a very surprised ex-mate, out of the restaurant. The cool breeze immediately struck my face, relieving me of all my problems. I walked down the road, arriving the ledge that separated the restaurant from the sandy waters ahead. I gripped firmly onto the metal ledge, letting myself breathe the cool air. It wasn't long before I felt the familiar tingles of the mate pull. I didn't bother turning around, keeping my eyes focused on the view ahead of me. Soon, I felt his presence next to me, his hands gripping the ledge, his yes focusing ahead of him.

"Why are you avoiding it? Why don't you just give in? We both know you'll eventually give in-"

"So what Chace? So you can break me again? So you can cheat on me and break me again? You didn't even know me, and you rejected me! You had this look of disgust in your eyes when you did it. Without even considering it. You fucking broke me Chace! Tell me. Tell me why I should be with you. Why should I leave my current boyfriend, who despite not being my mate can make me happy for a mate who rejected me to be popular and have a hot girlfriend?" My eyes now pierced through his, my emotions building up as I looked up at him. Silence covered us for the longest time before I disconnected our gaze, walking away slowly. I didn't reach far before a hand grasped mine, pulling me back to my previous position. His eyes had somehow swollen up, a slight pool of water was ready to fall out of them.

"I will never give up on you Alyssa, that's a promise."

"Don't keep promises you can't keep" With that, I walked away, not giving him the chance to reply. I walked back through the doors of the restaurant, joining the dinner, stretching a smile on my face to please my best friend. It was her wedding, and I had no intention of ruining it. Chace walked back in soon after, his eyes never meeting mine.

And that's how it remained for the rest of the night...

-Neha