Introduction
Remember when you were a little girl and all you ever dreamed about was having a loving mate that you will grow old with? And maybe a few kids here and there...
Well, all that will eventually become a reality sooner or later.
For me, it became a reality and a nightmare.
Yup, I definitely got more than I bargained for.
Literally.
∆
"Well, well, well..."
Hannah smiles deviously. "Look who finally decides to show up."
I roll my eyes as a small smile etched onto my face. Hannah is a good childhood friend of mine, as well as Willow's.
The three of us grew up together as our fathers were also childhood friends.
Today, Hannah is turning 20.
To celebrate, Willow and I had agreed to help her host a birthday bash at a hotel.
I had thought she meant a hotel within the pack borders, but instead, it was to a hotel in the human realm.
In other words, a forbidden area where humans dwell and creatures like us folks stay away from.
I was late to the party because well, an overprotective father asks quite a lot of unnecessary and silly questions. I guess you could say he's kind of old schooled since he doesn't really like the idea of going to the human realm so much.
"I'm sorry, Hannah." I apologize, giving her a hug. You know how my dad is. I had to tell him a little white lie to be here."
Hannah gasps dramatically, "You didn't!"
I nod. "The man wouldn't stop talking!"
Hannah rolled her eyes with a smile. "I was being sarcastic, Haze."
I stuck my tongue out at her. "Well, I'm here now so-"
"Woohoo!" We hear Willow's loud voice as she dances her way to us.
She tackles me with a hug, exclaiming, "Haze! I forgot to say something to you."
"Will, you stink of alcohol." I said, peeling her arms off of me.
"Am not! This is called sparkling juice, duh." She wave the bottle of champagne in my face.
I face palmed. "One minute in and you're already like this. Also, that's not even sparkling juice!"
Hannah laughs as she took my hands and move them along to the music.
"Oh come on! Have some fun once in a while, you toot." Willow tease as she, too, breaks into a silly dance.
I took a moment of silence to debate whether or not I should just let loose like a wild goose.
"Oh what the heck!" I rolled my eyes and moved my body to the beat of the music.
We danced and laughed our heads off for about a good 30 minutes until Hannah dragged us both to her room within the hotel.
The time for her birthday song will be starting soon and she had prepared dresses for the three of us.
By this time, Willow was a bit tipsy and would lose her balance here and there.
If Nate could see her like this right now, he would be red like a strawberry.
Nate is Willow's boyfriend and he is currently away on a family vacation for the time being. I assume he probably has no idea that Willow is here having the time of her life.
"Ta-da!" Hannah cheers as she walks out of the closet with three dresses in her hands.
The dresses were quite short and provocative. They were also very glittery and shiny under the lights. I could already feel the itch.
"These are the dresses?" I question, obviously not digging them at all.
Hannah nods in excitement. "Yup! I thought maybe we should be a little daring for my birthday."
"Yes! Daring is my middle name!" Willow screams as she snatches the green one from Hannah's hand.
We watch as she strips down right in front of us without a care in the world. Willow is the wild child out of us three.
Hannah gives me a devious smile, her eyebrows wiggling in mischief.
"Your turn~" She coos in a melodic tone.
"Alright, fine! Just because it's your birthday." I finally gave in and took the red one from her.
Willow struggled putting her dress on and with one aggressive tug, the left strap snapped.
Hannah's eyes widened and I just merely shook my head.
However, Willow didn't seem to notice as she picks up the bottle of champagne she had left on the ground to take a sip from it.
"Come on, ladies! You're both too slow!" She screams at us.
"Why did I ever agreed to Willow's idea of alcohol?" Hannah face palms in regret.
I made a popping sound with my lips as I walked into the bathroom.
Holding up the skimpy red dress with one hand, I couldn't help but cringe a little.
There was a knock on the door and in came Hannah's voice. "Haze, hurry! They're starting in a few seconds."
"Coming!" I quickly stripped out of my jeans and shirt.
Should I take off my bra? Mmm, yes. It would look weird with my bra on since the dress was backless.
After the three of us were dressed, Hannah dragged us back out to the ballroom.
We made it just in time for the MC to announce Hannah's arrival.
"Hey hey hey! Give a round of applause for the birthday girl!" He gestured to her.
The DJ turned down the music and everyone made way as Hannah walked to the stage.
People were clapping and whistling at her.
Willow and I stayed behind and cheered her on.
Hannah grabbed the mic from the MC and said, "Thank you everyone for coming to my birthday bash! It wouldn't have been possible without yalls!"
Everyone clapped once more.
"Now let's dance!" Hannah screamed into the mic as the DJ turned up the music.
The birthday song remix came on and Hannah waved at us to go up on stage with her.
Willow and I held hands as we ran to her, laughing.
The three of us danced wildly, enjoying one another's presence and celebrating Hannah's 20th birthday.
I decided to let loose and just have fun. Who cares if I'm almost 21 and haven't found my mate yet? When Hannah found hers at the age of 18, my mom was on my back for weeks.
Even today, she was nagging at me to get out more often instead of watching Netflix all day. Maybe then I would find my mate and give her little grand babies.
It was just tiring to hear the word "mate" all the time and it even got to the point where I almost regret having such thoughts and dreams about a mate and a family.
Clearing my mind of any stress and worry, I screamed in joy.
"Woo! Let's do this!" I jumped up and down with my hands in the air.
Hannah and Willow shared a look before breaking out into a wild dance alongside me.
∆
Little did we know, there was a meeting happening a few doors down from the ballroom.
And boy, was it full of angry and irritated males. They could literally feel the vibration of the music and it definitely ruined the professionalism of the meeting.
One particular male was the most annoyed, a look of displeasure on his face.
Around the table, the others gave him a look of confusion and worry. It was quite awkward and his Beta felt it too.
He cleared his throat and leaned closer to his Alpha. "Sorry........"
He awkwardly apologized because it was his responsibility to find and book a room for the meeting. Had he known there would be a party next door on the same day, he would've never stepped foot in this room.
The irritated male shot him a glare and the Beta couldn't help but flinched a little and awkwardly leaned away.
The male Alpha sighed heavily and just continued on with the meeting. "As I was saying, today's matter is confidential and must not be known to others at all cost."
His piercing stare made the others shiver in discomfort and fear.
One of the male sitting on the left of the table nodded. "Y-Yes, Alpha Jayden."
Another spoke up as well. "You have our words."
The others nodded in agreement, not wanting to stir up any more tension than there already was.
∆
"Chug, chug, chug!"
Willow and Hannah cheered as they pound their fists on the table.
I, on the other hand, became the wild child this time and was chugging down a can of beer.
I was way out of my mind right now. Hannah had insisted that Willow and I do shots with her for her birthday.
They know damn well that I don't drink alcohol and I most definitely do not have a high alcohol tolerance.
Two shots was enough to make me tipsy and the darn music blasting through my ears made it worse.
"I did it!" I cheered, my words quite a slur, as I threw the half-finished can across the room.
"Ow!" It hit someone on the head.
"Huh?" Willow squinted her eyes, unaware that they were closed instead. "Haze, you didn't even finish-"
"I did it! Woo!" I cheered again, throwing my hands in the air and dancing like a crazy lady.
"Yay, she did it!" Hannah laughed, hiccuping halfway and clapping excitedly.
Willow clapped along, a smile slowly etched on her face as she finally cheered and accept my victory. "Really?! I'm so proud of you, Hazel Greene!"
Her eyes were still closed.
The three of us were completely out of it.
After 15 minutes of head bopping and hair flipping, the dizziness and nausea started kicking in.
"Mrrgh." My eyes widened at the sound that just came out of my mouth.
"Mrrgh!"
I panicked and scrambled around for the bathroom, my hand clamped over my mouth. My mind was spinning and is it just me or is the room spinning too?
Willow noticed my panicked state and stopped grinding on a stranger. "You OK, Haze?"
Hannah grabbed my hands and lead me towards the door, dancing on the way.
She sang, "To the bathroom we go~ Just follow the yellow brick road~"
Out in the hallway, the three of us stumbled our way towards the bathroom.
It was all the way at the end of the hall and to my drunk vision, boy did it look like a long walk.
"Follow it, OK Dorothy?" Hannah pat my head and pulled down the bottom of my dress as it was riding up my thighs about to reveal some flowers and honey.
"Good luck!" She giggled and dragged Willow back inside the ballroom.
I jumped as the door slammed shut. Not in the right state of mind, I began to panic and pound on the door.
"Let me out! Please, let me out! I need to get to Hannah's birthday bash." I screamed.
With no answer from the other side, I turned my head to both ends of the hallway.
Why is this room so big?!
"Mrrgh." I began to gag again.
Panicking, I ran towards the end of the hallway where the bathroom was located. However, my drunken state didn't make it to the end of the hallway.
There was a sign on a door that read "bathroom, please do not disturb" and I very much needed to use it.
To my ignorance, it had actually read "meeting, please do not disturb".
Quickly, I reached for the doorknob with both hands and pushed it open.
All the heads in the room turned towards the open door where me, a female in a short mini dress and back bare, had stumbled inside.
All eyes widened in shock as their confidential meeting was suddenly interrupted by a strange girl.
"What the-" I heard someone voiced out.
Before I could register anything, the room was spinning faster and faster. I squealed, losing my balance and tumbling forward.
I shut my eyes closed, expecting to fall and scrape my back on the hard floor but instead, I landed on something else.
The whole room was dead silent.
Alpha Jayden's Beta quickly squirmed out of his seat, his eyes still lingering on the scene in front of him.
"Holy sh-" He whispered.
I had landed on the lap of his Alpha, whose hands were on my back and shoulders.
Opening my eyes, they came into contact with a pair of dark chocolate orbs.
They belonged to a handsome and tanned face with gorgeous tousled hair. A few tiny beauty marks sprinkled here and there, and eyebrows slightly pressed together.
Suddenly, I felt a foreign feeling creep inside of me. My eyes flashed gold and they weren't the only ones.
The beautiful pair of eyes staring back at me had turned golden.
Then it finally hit me.
Flashing gold eyes. Dramatic slow motion. Weird creepy feeling.
I was sitting in the very arms of my mate.
The smell of forest and mint invaded my nose and before I could recollect myself...
"Mrrgh!"
I threw up all over him.
Way to go, Dorothy.