"Are you with me or against me? You have to give me a reply now." He repeated, his face far from smiling, so stern that I knew it would be useless to try convincing him to change his mind.
He was very ready to face whatever would come out of this abominable romance with a werewolf.
My lips were slightly shaking as my brain went blank and my throat dried up. I stared at him without knowing what to say. My entire being was divided into two, one was against him, and the other, which included my heart, badly needed to be by his side. Going against him means I won't be his friend anymore and will have to side with the king and the clan to fight him.
"I don't know why it's hard for you to choose. I won't hurt you for making any choice. Seriously, I would love it if you told me to my face that you could never be part of this sh*t. Say it because I know that's what's on your mind." He hissed and exhaled, licking his lips in a way that was so seductive in my eyes that I felt a great urge to pull him in and kiss him forever.
"I am in love with that wolf girl. Her name is Selene. She is the woman my heart beats for, and I know everyone will be against us." He smirked and laughed a bit.
"I don't give a shit! Even if it means running away with her to a foreign land where we aren't recognized, I will do that gladly. I have to follow my heart, and that's it. Not even my father can stop me! I will go through thick and thin. Through fire and ocean just for her. I will..."
"Fine." I breathed, interrupting him because I was getting jealous and a bit hurt by everything he was saying.
My heart was in a deep mess hearing the man I love confess all these things, and they were not for me...I badly wish he was talking about me.
I would really love to be the one his heart beats for, but the more I sit here with him and hear him out, the more that hope goes bleak and tiny, till it is like a whisp of smoke fading with the wind. I don't really know if I'm gay, but after growing up with only him as my best friend and doing everything together, I just don't want that to end.
I really can't bear seeing him fall in love and push me aside until I become a disturbance in his life. I'm confused.
"Jaden, I'm your friend. Am I not?" I shrugged, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves as emotions bubbled inside me.
"I don't know. We can be friends today and enemies tomorrow. Everyone has to deal with their own shit and find a way out. We owe each other nothing." He replied curtly as he grabbed the last cup of beer and finished it up quickly.
He had never been this sincere to me, and I could see in his eyes how much he loved this girl. It was really deep, and the emotions reeked in his voice and exuded in every word.
I knew I had no chance, but my stupid heart wouldn't let me walk away from him. It was the right time to kill those feelings and stand by the law guiding our kingdom instead of joining him in messing up, but I couldn't. I was going to sacrifice everything for him. That's how much love traps you.
"We won't stop being friends because you fell in love. From the beginning, I told you something. Whether she is a wolf girl or vampire, anyone... anyone... Go for her. I am right behind you to support and help you in whatever way you want, even if it requires laying my life down for you " I smiled.
My eyes were on him, peering at every feature in pure admiration and love. His face beamed with a smile after what I said, and my heart fluttered. Seeing him become happy was like therapy for my soul.
"I trust you enough not to ask for a blood covenant to prevent betrayal...I..."
He couldn't complete whatever he was going to say because before he would go further, I had drew out the little dagger in my pocket and slit my left wrist.
"Huh? I was joking...I..."
"If this is what it takes to believe I would rather die than betray you, then let's do it!"
"No. I believe you. Bro...you are acting really clumsy now." He giggled, peeking at me.
"I know." I shrugged, and he arched his brows.
"This is beyond mere friendship. Are you...."
Whatever he wanted to ask was cut off as a loud bell rang, cutting through the music, and in an instant, every noise died down. Everywhere became so dead silent that even the drop of a pin could be heard. All gazes drifted to the stage, and I knew it was an important moment in the party.
The men that came with me and were sitting a few meters apart glanced at me, and I gave them a sign to focus and act normally. We were here not just to check if Selene was dead or alive but also to study details about the Alpha's children.
They were the new targets. The vampire king's new pawn to destroy this pack.
As everyone focused on the stage, the Alpha's son and daughter made their way majestically to the stage, dressed in golden royal robes and adorned with diamonds that spoke volumes of how much they are taken care of.
There was an uproar of jubilation and excitement when they swaggered out like proud peacocks, with everyone bowing down to their heads. We just had to join in and do the same with silent grunts.
"Rise!." The prince ordered in a voice that exuded nothing but arrogance and pride, and we all stood obediently. A little glance at my side, where Jaden was standing, and I could notice he was burning in rage within himself, even when he tried really hard to hide it.
His eyes were really turning red and almost glowing. Both of his fists were clenched so tight that his knuckles were white as veins ran through both arms aggressively.
"Hey. What is it with the uncontrollable anger? You have to keep calm, bro." I whispered, and he didn't even spare any glance at him as he fixed his cold eyes at the prince, who was on the stage grinning from ears to ears as he spoke to the crowd.
"I don't have much to say. This party is organized by my parents to welcome me and my sister into this pack, and he must have told you all my name and everything, but I think he missed something." He smirked as his eyes scanned through the crowd.
I must have been really engrossed talking with Jaden all this time and didn't have any idea when the alpha king came and said anything about his children. Jaden hissed at that moment and turned over to sit when everyone was still standing and listening attentively to the alpha prince.
"Hey...please blend in. You will be fished out if you do that!" I hushed at him, and he hissed again.
"I'm getting sick of hearing his voice and looking at that face of a rapist. I might end up attacking and killing him right there on the stage!" He growled, gritting his teeth as his eyes glinted.
"Calm down and don't act rashly. You..."
"Cut the crap." He scoffed
"I was unlucky about my mate. The moon goddess gave me a pig—disgusting garbage—as a mate, and I would throw up all night thinking of it if I didn't reject her now in front of you all!" He spoke out loud to everyone, and there were murmurs and hush conversations among themselves as they thought about who it was.
"Bring her in!" He gave an order, and everyone's attention was drawn to the clanking of chains as a girl, badly beaten, limped in with two bodyguards nudging her aggressively. Her hair was scattered all over her face, and almost every part of her body was bleeding. She was whimpering in pain as her head hung low in a helpless manner.
"Here is the pig. Selene, a curse in this land, was made my mate."
There was another uproar as everyone spat and threw curse words at her while she stood still.
"I, Callen Blake, the future Alpha, reject Selene... She doesn't have a surname because she is a bastard with a whore as a mother!!" He scorned her, smacking her so hard in the face that her lips bled.
"Whatever... I am rejecting her. I, Callen Blake, the future Alpha, reject Selene as my mate forever!" He finally said in a cold voice, and there was dead silence next, except for the groans of pain coming from both.
A pill was given to him to ease his pain, while the young girl was left to suffer the deep heartache of betrayal. She was fighting hard not to cry as her tears kept pouring, and she kept groaning and biting her lower lips.
The Alpha and Luna went over to console their son, who was feeling the little pain of severing the tie; meanwhile, the one rejected felt three times the pain, yet no one gave her any pills or at least a single pat on her back to sooth her.
She lifted her head fully to face the prince, who was staring coldly at her.
"I have to accept your rejection because I won't want to have anything to do with you." Her sad voice was surprisingly audible enough for everyone to hear, and what she said caused an angry noise as they began to throw junk food at her in mockery.
Three bodyguards couldn't hold themselves together as they slapped and kicked her simultaneously while she cried bitterly, trying to protect her face with her arms.
"A lowlife like you can't accept my rejection because you are meant to suffer the connection while I torture you myself." The prince snickered with a smug look as the bodyguards angrily went back to where they were standing.
But Selene was bent on accepting the rejection..
"I, Selene, accept..." That was where she could stop as a heavy punch from the prince struck her face, and she crashed to the ground, instantly passing out.
"Oh, God, Jaden, this is horrible! How could they..." My voice hitched as I turned and found out I was the only one standing there.
Jaden had left, and I have no idea where he has gone, but one thing I knew was that there was danger. My eyes darted back to the stage, to the bodyguards positions, and I couldn't find those three bodyguards that had beaten Selene earlier.