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1: Dear Diary ASIA'S POV Dear Diary, Today is my eighteenth Moonday. Tonight my wolf will finally be able to sense our mate. Oh Moon Goddess, please let it be Anton. He is the most amazing guy I have ever met. His brown eyes are to die for, and those lips are like the reddest cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. This is all I want most in this world, for Anton to be my mate and kiss me under the full moon. That would make me the happiest she-wolf alive. I closed my diary with a dramatic sigh just as I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I was panicking, so I quickly stuffed the little pink book into my old backpack and tiptoed to the door. I peeked through the crack, exhaling when I realized it was only Beatrice, the head maid. "That was close," I muttered, grabbing the feather duster and pretending I had been working the whole time. I started cleaning Anton's room, resisting the very real, very insane urge to open his drawer and sniff his underwear. I had done that a few times before. Okay... I did it many times before. And I must admit, I didn't think I had nothing to be ashamed of. Once, I nearly got caught by my supervisor, but luckily, she was too busy trying to get everything perfect to notice me clutching a pair of size-medium Fruit of the Looms like it was money. The memory made me grin so hard I was practically blushing. I was so lost in a haze of cotton and cologne that I didn't hear the door open. "Asia!" Beatrice snapped. I jolted upright, dropping the duster. Beatrice was scowling like she always did when she was upset with me. And just so you know I had never seen that woman smile. Like ever. "Yes, ma'am?" I squeaked. "Stop your damn daydreaming and finish your chores!" she barked. "What the hell are you smiling about, anyway?" "Nothing, ma'am," I said, plastering on the fakest serious face I could manage. "Right. Because being a damn servant ain't nothing to smile about. We might be omegas, but we keep the wheels turning around here. Stay on track and don't lose focus." "I won't, ma'am. I promise to finish my chores on time today." "Don't make me regret giving you this promotion." "Of course, ma'am. I won't disappoint you." I sure hoped not. Last month, two other girls and I were promoted to clean for the Beta family, which meant one glorious, beautiful thing... I now had access to Anton Sharptooth's bedroom. I'd been in love with him since the moment I laid eyes on him. I was eight years old when his father, Beta Kendrick found me wandering in the woods. They said I was probably from a nearby pack that had been attacked by the Rogue Faction—a bunch of wild wolves who didn't live by pack rules. The Beta brought me to Alpha Clayton and told him there were no survivors, just me. Since I smelled like an omega, the Alpha told the Beta to make arrangements for me to live in the orphanage so I could be trained to be a servant. That night, I slept in the Beta's house. Anton, who was fifteen then came into the kitchen where I sat, starving and scared. He gave me an apple and told me I should eat it because I looked hungry. That one tiny act of kindness was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. The next morning, I had a meeting with the Alpha. He questioned me about what I saw during the attack, but honestly? Everything before I came to the Grecian Wolf Pack was a total blur. I told him I remembered nothing, which wasn't a lie. I was thrown in Miss Beatrice's protection after that, where I started at the bottom like everyone else, but now, at eighteen, I was almost at the top of the servant chain, cleaning for elite werewolf families. And this was about as good as it got for girls like me. I sighed, grateful for this opportunity to be cleaning Anton's bathroom. The boy was gorgeous, but not exactly tidy. 'It smells like death in here,' my wolf, Lyria, gagged. 'I know,' I giggled. I grabbed a bucket of soap-water and bleach and got to work on the tub first, then the toilet. And let me just say—Anton needed to learn how to aim. It took me half an hour to get the piss stains out of that bowl. My eyes were watering, my arms ached, but I had to make this place spick and span. I was down on my hands and knees, drying the last of the tile floor when I heard a loud sound. BAM. The bedroom door flung open. I froze, and my ears perked. I could hear female giggles followed by male grunts. My heart dropped into my butt. I knew those grunts. They belonged to Anton. "Heather, I should be at training right now," he whispered. Of course, it had to be Heather. She was the Alpha's son Conan's girlfriend. Or... was. Conan was sent away for Alpha training a few days after I arrived. It was the way of the pack for the next in line to be sent away for training as soon as they turned eighteen, so that they could be prepared for taking over the pack someday. And Conan Godfrey was the next in line to take over the Grecian Wolf Pack. Growing up, I always heard that Heather would be his Luna one day, but she wasn't waiting patiently for Conan's return. She had been collecting his friends and other high-ranked wolves like Pokémon. The bathroom door was slightly ajar, so I peeked through the crack and saw Anton lying on the edge of the bed with his feet hanging off the side. He was using his elbows to prop himself up. I bit my lip. He was looking sinfully good. I felt heartbroken that he was with another girl, but I had always known that he would never go for someone like me. An orphan omega who looked like a string bean with red, frizzy hair and no boobs. But a girl could still fantasize right? "I've been wanting to taste you since breakfast," Heather purred. I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my past lives. I needed to get out of here and fast. But then she started unbuckling his pants, licking her lips like she was about to devour a triple cheeseburger. She sank to her knees in front of him. "You're such a dirty slut," Anton grunted. "I know, but you love it," she giggled, pulling out his member. Oh. My. Dear Moon Goddess. What a beautiful piece of equipment. I gulped. My eyes went wide as Heather took him into her mouth like it was nothing. Nothing! I started flexing my own jaw, wondering if I could even fit that down my throat if I were in her place. My eyes traveled to Anton's face, and the way his sculpted jaws were flexing and how hard his red lips were trembling woke something sexual inside of me. There was this heat pooling between my legs and my tummy did a little flutter. That's when I noticed both of them pausing and sniffing the air. Oh no. I bet they sensed my arousal. Anton shoved Heather off like a sack of potatoes and stood up, zipping up his pants. "I know you're in there. Come out and show yourself," he barked. Oh. Shit. 2: Deal "Who’s in there?" Anton barked again. I stood up and straightened my skirt. My fingers were trembling. Scratch that.. my everything was trembling. My hand hovered over the doorknob, clammy as hell. I braced myself, then opened the door. My knees wobbled when my eyes landed on Anton. His eyes narrowed. "Who the fuck are you?" he asked, raising one arm above his head. He had his claws out, ready to slice my throat open if I so much as breathed wrong. What did he mean, who was I? I was the girl who catered to him twice now after he came home drunk. The girl he told last full moon that she had beautiful eyes. And the girl he sat and poured his heart out to last night after we watched The Breakfast Club. I opened my mouth to speak, but Heather beat me to the punch. "She's one of the servant girls," the blonde bombshell said casually, flipping her perfect hair over her shoulder. "Look, she left her duster on the... uh... dresser," she said, pointing vaguely toward the bureau. I bit my lip to keep myself from saying too much. The look on my face must have told Anton that I'd seen what they were doing a few seconds ago, and I could tell he smelled how my body reacted to what I had seen. The poor thing was doing everything in his power to avoid eye contact with me. Heather walked up to me and handed me the feather duster with an exaggerated smile. I had to crane my neck just to look up at her. She was tall, statuesque even. And up close, she was even more stunning than ever. No wonder Anton went for her. I glanced at her chest. Those had to be at least D cups. Meanwhile, I had ironing boards strapped to my ribs. Her hips were wide and curvy while I was shaped like a Swizzle juice box. I had no curves whatsoever. "Are you done?" Anton asked, lowering his arm now. He damn well knew I wasn't a threat. I was still standing there like a complete idiot, staring at him. He was just so damn cute, plus after last night I thought he would at least introduce me to his other friends. Why was he so hot? I found myself wondering. And the fact that I'd just seen his appendage was not helping my blush level. "He's asking if you're done cleaning the shithouse," Heather snapped, her voice soaked in sarcasm. "Ye-yes," I stuttered. "It's all done." "Did you get the piss ring out of the bowl?" Heather asked, cocking a brow. "Yes," I nodded. She was doing everything in her power to make sure I didn't forget my place. "Good," she grinned. Anton pulled his wallet from his pocket. He flipped it open, took out a paper note, and handed it to me. "Here you go. It's for all your hard work." My cheeks burned as I accepted the Moonmark. A real, shiny, crispy Moonmark. Normally, we got paid in Howlcoins. I got five Howlcoins per week. So it would take me six months of pay to save 100 Howlcoins, which would be equivalent to one Moonmark. "Thank you. You're too kind." I felt a little embarrassed for what I was being tipped for, but I'm a smart girl, smart enough to know not to turn down such money. "Alright, servant girl," Heather interjected with a sugary-sweet smirk. "Grab your little cleaning crap and leave. Anton and I have some unfinished business to take care of. Alone." "Don't be rude, Heather," Anton said, giving her a look. "Whatever," she hissed, throwing her arms around his neck like she was a vine and he was a tree. She started kissing his neck and nibbling on his ear while his hands slid down to clutch her waist. "Heather, easy," he chuckled. "At least wait until she leaves." Her dark eyes found me, showcasing her wolf was at the surface. "What are you still doing here?!" she barked at me. "Do you like watching people fuck? Is that it? Does this type of stuff get you off?" "No! No! Of course not," I gulped. "I'm leaving now," I grumbled, spinning around to grab my cleaning supplies from the bathroom. I was just about to dip out when Anton stopped me. "Wait!" he called out. I turned around, my heart thudding in my ears. "What's your name?" he asked. I hated playing this game, like we hadn't been getting to know each other for the past five weeks, but I went along with it. Heather rolled her eyes while she grumbled profanities under her breath. "It's Asia." "Nice to meet you, Asia." He smiled. "Do you like parties?" "Of course," I said automatically. "But I've... never been to one." "Well, there's one being held in the Lunar Caves tonight. It's in honor of Conan. You've heard of him, right? He's the Alpha's son. It's his Moonday, and he's finally coming home after ten years. A bunch of us are throwing him a welcome-home party. You should come." Even though I didn't know I shared the same birthday as the future Alpha, Anton's invite wasn't a coincidence. He knew it was my Moonday. I had told him during our heart-to-heart last night. I hesitated. "I don't know..." "Please," he said, eyes locking with mine. "I want you to come. Bring a friend or two if you'd like." And when he smiled at me, I just couldn't refuse him. "Okay. I'll see you there," I said, my voice a bit too perky for my liking. The second I stepped into the hallway and the door slammed shut behind me, I could hear them going at it like rabbits. I sighed. 'Why would you torture yourself like that? You should've said no,' Lyria grumbled. 'I hate feeling like his dirty little secret.' 'You're so negative, Lyria. It's our Moonday. We have the night off. Don't you think we deserve a little fun?' 'Fine. But when the moon's out, we'll finally shift and be able to sense our mate. I don't want to waste time with those bunch of morons when our mate's waiting for us out there.' 'Who knows, maybe our mate will be Anton.' 'I doubt that. Omegas like us usually end up with other omegas. The Moon Goddess rarely throws us a bone.' I groaned and took the back staircase down to the servants' quarters, hugging my cleaning tote to my chest like it was a shield. ****** I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to process the weirdest, most humiliating, yet oddly exciting encounter of my life. Anton Sharptooth was finally ready to talk to me in public. He smiled at me in front of Heather, gave me a Moonmark, invited me to a party, then proceeded to get naked with his hookup while I stood on the other side of the wall... with cleaning supplies in my hand. Normal girls would be scarred. But not me. I couldn't wait to write this all down in my journal. Then I remembered I left my bag with my diary in Anton's room. "Shit!" I cried out loud. My hands soaked in dishwater. "Hey, who died?" my best friend Patsy asked while she was drying the clean dishes. "No one. I just remembered I left something important in Anton's room." "What? Your virginity?" she joked. "Patsy. This is serious." "Ok. What did you leave?" She asked. "My diary." "You mean the one you're always writing those sex fantasies about Anton in?" "That exact same one." "Shit! You have to go get it. If it ever falls into the wrong hands, then..." she trailed off. "Then my life will be over," I finished for her. "Will you come with me?" Patsy hesitated. "I don't know. I'm already on Miss Beatrice's bad side." "If you come with me, I'll help you with your chores and then you can be my plus one to the party that Anton invited me to later." "What? You got an invite to the Lunar Cave rave?" She asked. "Yes. But it's more of a Moonday celebration for the Alpha's son. Rumor has it he is on his way home," I told her, knowing my best friend loved good gossip. "Alright. What are we waiting for? We have a diary to go find," she beamed. "Thanks." "Don't thank me yet, because if we get caught, you're taking all the blame." "Ok. Deal." 3: Brown-Eyed Baby "It's not here!" I yelled, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. "What if Anton found it? What if he read it? Goddess, my life will be over. Beatrice will get wind of it, then fire me, and since I'm not fully inaugurated into the pack, I'd become a rogue!" Patsy smacked me across the face. "Ouch!" I cried out. "Snap the fuck outta it!" she said, gripping my shoulders. "You can't think like that. We're not giving up just yet. Now look at me, are you sure you left it here?" "I'm positive. I put it in my bag and set it on the floor while I went to clean the bathroom." Just then, the door burst open and Mina, one of the girls recently promoted to clean the Beta's house rushed in. "Beatrice is coming. You girls have to go!" she said with her eyes wide. Then, noticing the panic on my face, she asked, "Did you find your bag?" "No, I didn't," I sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll keep an eye out for you." "Thanks." We slipped out into the corridor just in time to see Miss Beatrice heading into one of the rooms to inspect it. "Now's our chance to leave without being seen," Patsy whispered. "Wait, I just remembered something," Mina said, stopping us. "Heather, that blonde chick who's always hanging around here.. she gave a bag to Miss Beatrice earlier. Could it be yours?" "Shit! It could be!" I bit my lip nervously. "If that's the case, Miss Beatrice probably put it with the rest of the stuff we cleaners sometimes leave behind by mistake," Mina explained. "Okay, we should head to the trinkets closet next," Patsy stated. "Good luck," Mina said as we slipped out the front door. ****** Patsy and I spent about ten minutes rummaging through the trinkets closet before I finally found my bag. I unzipped it in a frenzy and nearly collapsed from relief when I saw my pink diary inside. "Thank Goddess!" I praised, lifting the book to my lips and kissing it. "See? You were worried about nothing," Patsy giggled. "Now let's go finish our chores. We've got a party to get ready for." It took us the whole afternoon to wrap up our duties, and by the time the sun began dipping below the horizon, I was overwhelmed with nerves. "Why do you look like Casper?" Patsy asked. "I feel a little nauseous." "You have nothing to be nervous about. You will look even more beautiful when I'm done with you." I stood in front of the cracked mirror in the back room, trying on every outfit I owned—aka three slightly different black dresses. One was too short. The other too long. The third had bleach stains all over it. I went with the short one. I figured if I was going to a party filled with high-ranked werewolves who barely knew I existed, I might as well show a little leg and hope the Moon Goddess was in a generous mood. "You look great," Mina said, popping in from behind the curtain. She was wearing a skater skirt, combat boots, and a pink hoodie with the words Bite Me bedazzled on the front. Very on-brand. "You think?" I smoothed my hair back. The curls were not curling right. "I think you're about to show Anton Sharptooth what he's been missing out on." "Does everyone know I have a thing for the Beta's son?" I asked with an eye roll. Patsy and Mina looked at each other, then burst into laughter. "Yeah," they said in unison. "Ugh." I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Look," Mina said, "since Conan is coming home, that means Heather will probably run back to him and leave Anton a free agent." "So the Alpha's son is really coming home tonight?" I asked, eyes widening. I'd heard tales about him. Conan Godfrey. The legend. The scandal. Apparently, before he left for his overseas Alpha warrior training, he was the most eligible bachelor in the entire pack. Girls used to faint just walking past him. One time, someone claimed he winked at her and she passed out for four whole minutes. People say he was six-foot-something, had a jawline sharp enough to slice through iron, and a smirk that could get you pregnant on sight. Some of the older she-wolves swore he was hotter than Anton. Such blasphemy. I mean, sure, he had the whole tall-dark-and-broody thing going for him. I only saw him once, ten years ago. He was leaving through the gates, and he was tall and terrifying. He had a black leather duffle slung over his shoulder like a soldier going to war. Even then, something about him felt different. But no one, and I mean no one could be hotter than my brown-eyed baby. Anton was golden perfection. His hair looked like the sun had kissed every strand. His eyes were pools of caramel mystery and mischief. And his lips? Ugh, don't even get me started. I sighed dramatically. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what Conan really looked like now. Ten years was a long time. What if he came back looking like a wolfish god? I immediately shook the thought from my head like a dog shaking off water. "Yep," Patsy confirmed while she finished putting on her red boots that matched with her red sweater dress. "When I was cleaning the Alpha's room this evening, I overheard him telling Luna Sandra over the Moonbowl to cut her Paris trip short since their son was on his way back to the pack." "I see," I said, using a piece of tissue to wipe some of the eyeliner off. Patsy went a little overboard with the makeup. "I think tonight, you should tell Anton how you feel," Mina said, giving me a nudge. "Look at me, I told Beckford how I felt, and now we're getting married next month." She lifted her hand proudly to show us her engagement bracelet. "Congratulations!" Patsy and I beamed in unison. "But Beck is your mate," I pointed out. "Yeah, he is. But we didn't know that when we started dating. We just took a chance and it turned out perfect." "I guess being mated to the Gamma's son means you won't be working with us anymore," Patsy said sadly. "Beck and I haven't talked about that yet," Mina replied, "but I still want to be involved. I don't like how Beatrice treats some of you girls. Someone needs to stand up for you." "True," Patsy and I muttered together. "Okay, enough about me," Mina said, clapping her hands. "We need to make sure the birthday girl is hot enough to snatch Anton's attention, so when tomorrow comes, he won't be able to get her out of his head." "How? When I'm easily forgettable," I asked, deadpan. "He doesn't even remember giving me that apple ten years ago." "Trust me, he'll want to give you more than apples when he sees you tonight," Patsy said with confidence after looking me over. I snorted. "Highly unlikely. He was fifteen and I was eight. He was probably just being nice to the weird, hungry orphan." Patsy grabbed my hand. "Well, now you're the weird, hot omega with attitude. Let's go show these elite-blooded jerks how we party." 4: The Lunar Caves The Lunar Caves glowed with lanterns and string lights. Weird techno music thumped from the speakers, and the air smelled like pine needles, alcohol, and pheromones. "This is fucking insane!" Patsy squealed as her eyes lit up like fireworks. "It is quite... magical," Mina added, grinning as she immediately started scanning the crowd, looking for her boo. Wolves of every rank were dancing, laughing, and sipping drinks from carved wooden mugs. A few were play-wrestling near the bonfire, while others roasted marshmallows over the flames. My stomach twisted with nerves. I gripped Mina's and Patsy's hands tightly. "I change my mind. Let's leave," I gulped. "Will you stop," Patsy hissed, slipping her hand out of mine. "Just chill," she said, snatching a red cup filled with rum and giving it to me. "Here, have a drink and relax." I took the cup and downed the contents in one go. "That's it, girl. Let's get drunk tonight," Patsy whistled as she handed me another cup. She took one for herself this time. We began rocking to the music when Mina bumped my shoulder. "Look, there he is," she whispered, pointing. My body flushed hot when I saw Anton. He was wearing a tight black shirt, ripped jeans, and the smuggest smirk on this side of the border. He was chatting with a group of guys near the DJ booth, but then his eyes scrolled across the cave and landed on me. My heart stopped, I could have sworn he gulped. He gave me a small nod. His gaze was unreadable, like he was trying not to seem too interested. I smiled shyly and waved. He tilted his head slightly, studying me. Then he waved back. Oh Goddess. I blushed, almost choking on the liquor. "Oh baby, what took you so long?" Beckford came up behind Mina, grabbing her waist and kissing her like the world was ending. He was getting handsy. Very handsy, as he filled his palms with her breasts. Patsy cleared her throat. The lovebirds finally came up for air. "Beck, you remember my friends, don't you?" Mina asked, catching her breath. "Of course," he smiled warmly. He was handsome with his ebony skin and chocolate color eyes. "How are you, Patsy? Still baking up a storm?" Patsy's face lit up. "Yes. I am the best baker in the pack." "I believe you," he chuckled. "My parents' anniversary is coming up, and I want to throw them a brunch party. I'd love to hire you to cater the desserts. What do you say?" Patsy stood there, dumbfounded. "She'd be delighted," Mina answered for her. "Yes! I'd be honored to be your caterer," Patsy finally said. "Perfect. I'll get your info from Mina. Is that okay?" "Sure." He then turned to me. "Asia, how are you?" He asked. "I'm good," I smiled. "You look great by the way, plus my friends over there can't seem to keep their eyes off you," he pointed behind him. I looked over where a bunch of bulky guys were standings and a few of them were winking at me. I bit my lip and looked away shyly. "So, are you still writing those poems of yours?" Beckford asked. "Yes. I find writing... therapeutic," I answered, my eyes now on Anton who seemed irritated as his eyes raked my body. "That's good. I'm glad you're stepping out of your shell. It's nice that you came out to the party tonight." "Plus, tonight's her Moonday," Mina said brightly. "Really? So is the future Alpha's," Beckford declared. "Where is he, by the way?" Patsy asked. "Wasn't he supposed to be here by now?" "He sent word that he's running late," Beck replied. "Too bad," Patsy mumbled. "Hey, I've got an idea," Beckford said. He kissed Mina on the cheek, then made a beeline toward Anton. They spoke in hushed tones, then Anton's eyes flicked over to me. "What's your man up to?" I asked nervously. "I have no idea," Mina grinned. Beck came bounding back. "Come on, Asia." He tugged on my arm. "Since the birthday boy doesn't look like he's gonna make it, then we'll just have to settle for the birthday girl." "I—I don't know about this," I protested. "Go," Patsy pried the cup from my hand. "This is your moment." I let Beck lead me toward Anton's group. Heather was there now, clinging to his side like a second skin. She gave me a look that could freeze hell over. Beckford grabbed the mic and told the DJ to cut the music. "Can I have everyone's attention?" he shouted. "Tonight is my friend's eighteenth Moonday! Let's make her feel welcome!" People clapped and cheered, while some shouted, "Happy Moonday!" I blushed. This felt good, but then Beckford handed the mic to Anton. "Come on, Anton. Say something!" I swore Heather turned red. Anton cleared his throat. "This is... a little awkward," he began. 'Why would he say that?' Lyria asked. "Asia, I know we don't know each other that well, but I want to wish you a great Moonday and..." He smiled slightly. "I hope we get to know each other better," he paused, and I grinned, "but as friends. Just friends." Right. Heather snatched the mic from him. "But wouldn't you prefer to get to know Anton on a more... primal level?" she purred. "Isn't your wish to have him as your mate so you can kiss under the full moon?" My breath caught. Those were the exact same words I had written in my diary earlier today. "I—" "Don't even try to deny it." She reached into a nearby bag and pulled out a stack of papers. She held them up dramatically in front of her face. "Let's see what Asia wrote, shall we?" My heart stopped. "Dear Diary," Heather began, smirking, "I saw Anton's butt today. I was scrubbing his toilet and he came in from a run to grab his clothes. He didn't even notice me. I wish I could shift so we could go on runs together and our wolves could cuddle in the dirt afterwards. But who am I kidding? I'm just the servant girl who cleans his toilet and can't even shift as yet," she giggled. "Aww! How sad." Laughter erupted from the crowd. My eyes immediately landed on Anton. I could feel it in my bones. She had shown these pages to him earlier. Anton's head dropped. It was clear he was embarrassed. "You copied my diary?" I gasped, my eyes filling with tears. "How could you? That's private!" I lunged for the papers, but Heather held them above my head out of my reach. I jumped, thinking I could reach them, but I only looked more stupid. "Pathetic," Heather sneered. "You think someone with Beta blood would ever want a worthless omega like you? You're what? Eighteen today and you can't even shift." "That's enough!" Beckford snapped. "Asia, I'm sorry. I didn't know she'd do this." "Asia, let's go," Patsy came to my side. "This party blows." "Oh look, she's got a fat pig as a friend too," Heather added with a cruel laugh. "The only thing that blows around here is you, Miss Piggy." Patsy narrowed her eyes but said nothing. "You little bitch," Mina snapped, stepping forward, but Beckford held her back. "And what are you gonna do? You're an omega too. You have no power or rank over me." "She will soon be the wife of the future Gamma," Beckford growled. "You better watch how you speak to her." Heather blinked. That had caught her off guard. "Come on, Asia. Let's get outta here," Patsy whispered, tugging at my hand. "I'm not leaving until she gives me what she stole from me." "What, this?" Heather flashed the papers in front of me. Patsy snarled, her wolf surfacing. "Give her the damn papers!" She squared up to Heather, who shoved her hard. Patsy yelped as she fell, twisting her ankle. "Patsy!" I dropped to the ground beside her. "I'm okay. But I think it's twisted," she winced as her fingers grazed her ankle. "Heather, just give her back the damn papers!" Anton roared. "Fine," Heather huffed. "But if she wants them, she'll have to go fetch them herself." She rolled the thick bundle of photocopied diary pages together and hurled it as far as she could into the woods. "No!!!" I cried out. "Asia, just leave it," Mina begged. "I can't," I whispered. "Just stay with Patsy. I'll be fine." The music started up again. The crowd returned to their games and drinks and fake smiles. I looked over my shoulder one last time at Anton. He felt me watching him and turned to look at me. But instead of giving me a smile, he growled at me, his eyes getting dark, showing me that his wolf was pissed. Tears pooled in my eyes when I saw him pulling Heather to his chest. I could barely catch my breath when I saw him kiss her. 'Don't cry, Asia. He's not worth our tears,' Lyria tried to comfort me. I turned away and ran into the woods, chasing after the pieces of myself Heather had scattered in the wind. 5: Selene’s Lagoon I had gathered most of the scattered pages, but the wind wasn't kind tonight. It had been toying with two runaway sheets for the last half hour, like it enjoyed watching me chase them. 'I'm tired,' I told my wolf. 'It's close to eleven. Shouldn't I be feeling your strength by now?' Most high-ranked werewolves shift as early as thirteen, and fifteen at the latest. For omegas, it's usually between fifteen and seventeen. Last year, when I didn't shift, I wasn't too worried. I'd always been able to hear my wolf in my head, even before others could, so I told myself I was just a late bloomer. But I'm eighteen tonight and still haven't felt the pain of the shift. And that was starting to scare me. 'To be honest, Asia... I don't know what's going on,' Lyria admitted quietly. 'We should have shifted as soon as the moon came out.' I didn't respond. I couldn't. This was turning into the worst Moonday ever. The wind chased the loose pages farther down toward Selene's Lagoon. No one was allowed down there except the Alpha and his family. It was said to have healing properties, and the Alpha didn't want it contaminated with teenage pollution. I understood that now, because this was my first time seeing it, and it was breathtaking. The crystal-blue water shimmered under the moonlight like liquid diamonds. There was this tall, misty waterfall pouring down from the jagged rocks above, crashing into the lagoon with a soothing rumble. The wind whispered softly through the tall pine trees, and everything smelled so fresh like mint, river stone, and rain. I finally caught the two runaway pages. With a small sigh of relief, I pulled the rubber band off my wrist and rolled the pages tightly together, securing them. I rested them on top of the rock and placed a small stone on top of them, just in case. I stood with my hands on my hips, wondering how it would feel if I took a dip. It was like the water was calling me. 'We shouldn't,' Lyria warned. But it was too late. I was already stripping off my clothes, tossing them onto the rocks. And before she could say another word, I dove in. The cool water wrapped around me instantly. It was just the right temperature for such a hot, miserable night. I swam farther out, letting the coolness numb the sting of the night. The sting of humiliation. I floated on my back, staring up at the moon through the trees, breathing in the peace this place seemed to offer. Then, needing to release everything I'd been holding in, I took a deep breath and dove under. I cried, letting my tears mix with the water, and when I was done, I came back up for air, but something felt different. My skin was tingling, like I had just taken a bath in a pool of Listerine. My heart was speeding, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood at full attention. "It was a sunny day when Anton and I said 'I do,'" a magnetic, masculine... almost godly voice echoed around me. I whipped around in the water, and there was a guy standing on the bank like he was modeling for a forbidden forest calendar. He had one foot planted firmly in the dirt, while the other one was propped up casually on the same rock where I had laid the papers. The moonlight silhouetted his ridiculously toned body, and his face was hidden behind the photocopied pages of my diary. He held them in front of him like he was delivering Shakespeare. "When Anton kissed me on our honeymoon night, I felt so much pleasure," he read aloud in a deep, mock-dramatic tone. "I love you, Asia, he said, and I replied, I love you too, Anton. I'm so glad you're mine." Then he burst into laughter, making my stomach sink. My face went hot from embarrassment. "What are you, twelve?" he teased, still chuckling. "No! But I was around that age when I wrote that, jackass!" I snapped, cutting through the water like a shark with a grudge. He didn't move. He kept his eyes on the pages, silently reading and openly laughing at me. "You had no right reading that!" I barked as soon as I reached the banking. I was seething and breathless. I closed my eyes as I wiped water from my face, and when I opened them again, I jerked back when I realized our faces were now inches apart. He was crouching now, right by the edge. His face was finally visible and of course, he had to be gorgeous. Holy Great Moon Goddess! ~What a beautiful man-beast.~ I was like a man trying to hold in his orgasm as I clenched my vaginal muscles. Those orbs of cobalt blue struck me like lightning. And whoever said lightning didn't strike the same place twice was a fucking delusional liar. Because being there, drowning in those oceans of blue, I was zapped over and over again. My eyes were rolling over his features with disbelief. Nobody was this beautiful. His face looked like it belonged to an archangel, and his hair was darker than Lucifer's soul. The glistening, unruly strands curled below his jawline, flirting with the top of his collar. I sucked in a deep breath as I clutched the edge of the banking for support. I felt light-headed, like I was about to pass out. 'Breathe, Asia. Breathe!' my wolf insisted. Right. I let out the breath I was holding, and then I ate up another massive one, but this time I sucked up too much air because I could see my reflection in his sparkly eyes, and I resembled an inflated blowfish. I deflated my face, blowing the air into his face, stirring the glossy ringlets on top of his head. His eyes sparkled with mystery and adventure. They made him seem like he would be up for anything. Oh, Goddess. I wanted to be his anything. What the hell am I thinking? He shifted his arm and reached it out to me. "Are you getting out of the water?" I gulped, remembering I was naked. "No." He stood up, and it was then I realized what he was wearing. Everything he had on was black. His silky black shirt was the perfect contrast to his black, washed-out jeans. His black combat boots were a healthy size 11. So much black that when my eyes landed on his face again, the impact of his piercing blue eyes felt like a punch in the gut. "You know you're not supposed to be down here," he said. "So? What is it to you?" He gave me a crooked grin. Man, he has some white teeth. "Who are you, anyway? You don't smell like a rogue." "You don't know who I am?" he asked, genuinely looking curious. "No. Am I supposed to?" I asked, and he let out a sigh of relief and my vagina needed release. At least, that was what I thought the tingling sensation between my legs meant. I brought my thighs together, making the water ripple around me, and his eyes darted to my movements. He smirked, and then he lifted his hand to his mouth and brushed his thumb against his lips and nose. "Ahhhhh." I held my mouth as soon as the sound left my lips. That must have been the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. Why did you do that, Asia? Get a grip, girl, I coaxed myself. I tried reaching my wolf, but Lyria was now in a trance. She was just staring at him through my eyes, unmoving and drooling. This man was looking at me like he was hungry, but hungry for what, exactly?
