I'm so excited I can explode. Tomorrow is my big date with the witch. I glance over to the bag of money in Megan's room. I had to keep it here. If my parents smell that money at my house, it will be gone before the bag hits the carpet in my room.
I lay down on her soft pink sheets and smiled when I saw she had added a few more photos of us to the collage on one wall. I still remember the day I met her at the park. We were barely 4 years old, but there was an instant pull between us, like an invisible force that pushed us together.
We played for a while and then her mother came to take her home. The look on her mother's face when I told her I walked to the park by myself was priceless. I can still remember it to this day.
"Please come with me. You are already on the guest list,"
Megan begged me for the hundredth time,
"I don't want to go alone,"
I sighed aloud and rolled my eyes at her,
"I really don't want to go, Megan. I have had enough rejections to last me a lifetime,"
She tapped my leg and I lifted them, letting her scoot under my legs before I laid them on her lap.
"Please, please come with me. I don't want to go alone and to be honest, I don't think I can go without you,"
I press my lips together so that they form a thin line before I huff,
"Fine, I'll go with you,"
Megan jumped up and grabbed me around my neck,
"thank you, thank you, thank you,"
she said as she tried to squeeze the life right out of me. The moment she is off of me, and I feel air returning to my lungs, I say,
"First, I have to get some powder into me. The last thing I need is to find a damn mate there,"
She rolled her eyes at me when I got up.
I know the serum keeps my wolf at bay and her scent is almost undetectable, but I'm not taking any chances tonight. I would much rather be safe than sorry.
I run to my house and sneak in through my bedroom window. I slip the bag from between my mattress and bed frame. I planned to drink some right there, but then I heard my father and decided to drink it at Magen 's house.
I jump out of the window and close it quickly but silently. Then I heard my bedroom door bang open,
"Bella, you did not make food,"
I rolled my eyes. I made food this morning before I went off to training. They just ate it and forgot, or they didn't even see the food in the refrigerator.
I return to Megan's house and grab a glass of water from the kitchen. I throw a pinch of the powder in my water and down it. My stomach flips and turns. I feel my body want to expel the powder out again.
I stand there for a moment, my head hanging as I grip the sink. Please just stay inside, please stay inside. I beg the powder, and luckily, it does.
As soon as I entered Megan's room, my eyes widened,
"I knew you would come with me, so I had dresses made for us a few days ago,"
my heart sank when I saw the beautiful dresses.
Never in my life could I afford anything close to this and this is just too much. The one dress is red with black and silver embroidery from between your breasts down to the side of your right hip. There is also a knee-high slit that has embroidered lace sewn into the opening. There are two over-the-shoulder straps, one black and one laced with the same embroidery with black and silver on it.
"The red one is yours and this black beauty is mine. I know you don't like showing off your skin,"
Megan gives me a small smile and my hands drift to the scars on my legs.
I took a good, long look at her dress and smiled. This dress screamed 'Megan'. The dress looks like it has a collar that is connected to one sleeve that will come to just past your elbow. The other side doesn't have a sleeve, but it has a slip so high I know she will not be wearing any panties with it. All over the dress is silver embroidery that will accentuate her thin waist, large breasts, and broader hips.
Megan comes from a wealthy family and honestly, I don't know why she is friends with me. She is beautiful and rich. She has prospects in this life. I, on the other hand, am poor. I have a drunk for a father and a druggie for a mother. I'm one of 6 kids and the goddess alone knows how I'm still alive with parents like mine.
"We are almost 24 years old, we need mates and I need to settle down. I'm so sick of living in my parent's house,"
I smile at her. Females cannot leave their parent's houses until they find their chosen mate or Goddess-given mate.
I phoned my older brother and told him I would be attending the ball with Megan, so he needed to send food home for our parents. He chuckles and I wish he were here so I can punch him.
"I'm not getting a mate, so stop laughing,"
he is quiet for a moment and then I hear how serious he is when he says,
"You're not going to take that witch up on her offer? Please, tell me you're not?"
I sigh but don't answer him. His bloody mate and her sight.
"I'll make you a deal. If you get rejected one more time, I'll pay for the witch's services,"
I roll my eyes even though Daniel can not see it. I can use the extra money if he pays for me. That means I will be able to buy the car I have been looking at and get out of this place.
"Fine,"
I say, knowing that no mate of mine will come close to me, not with the powder in my system. They can not smell my wolf. I hear the smile in his voice as he says,
"Good, enjoy your mating, not mating ball,"
I stick my tongue out at the phone and end the call.
"Your brother is the best,"
Megan says and I smile because he really is the best.
We get dressed and Megan does my make-up and hair for me. She has to leave my hair down because she misjudged how high my scars go up my back, but the hair covers it, which is good enough for me.
"I'm forgetting something,"
she says while spinning in a circle and then jumping when she remembers. She ran to her dresser and opened the top drawer. I was hoping she was giving me my panties back, but I was deeply disappointed when she pulled out two masks. Mine was red and black and hers was black and silver.
She helped me put mine on and I don't like it. It reminds me too much of the bandages and masks I had to wear in the army after my incident. Just breathe. You are home. Just calm down.
My wolf jerks inside of me and I keep telling myself I'm home. After a few minutes, I calmed myself and my wolf down.
As we walk downstairs, her parents cheer and clap their hands. I blush and I'm happy to see Megan is also red in her face.
"You two look beautiful,"
her mother cooed and her dad agreed. Her mother took 500 photos of us in various poses. Her mother loves to take photos and it's thanks to her that I have pictures of my childhood.
I hear the car horn hooting outside,
"oh, the driver is here,"
her mother announced and my stomach flipped. How fancy is this mating ball? The last one I went to we wore jeans and a blouse.
"The driver will leave the car there for you, honey. So you two can come home anytime you want,"
I wrinkled my nose because I was ready to come home and I had not even left the house.