A/N: In this chapter, I mentioned some things that might be seen as body shaming. It's not. It's all just Chelly Morgan and her desperate attempt to maintain and project a certain personality. It's very much okay to have your body altered if you so desire. Please, no hate to anyone.
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Chelly's POV
"Maya, is it just my contact lens or did your boob get bigger?" I asked, eyeing her carefully.
Maya laughed and wrapped her arms around herself.
"What? No… probably just hormones. My wolf's probably too excited at the thought of finding our mate tonight."
I nodded, unconvinced. But she was one of my best friends, so she wouldn't lie to me. I picked up my coffee and took a sip before resting my gaze back on her.
"Good. For a second there, I thought you might've gotten a boob job. I'd hate to lose my closest friends when they start looking like Zara."
Maya blinked, taken aback, before frowning. "Wait, who's Zara?"
"An omega," I said slowly. "She was desperate to look cool in front of the top girls."
Zara didn't exist, I just felt the need to tell the tale so they never think about doing body enhancement and ruining my well-crafted reputation.
Natalie, my other best friend, scooted closer, eager. "Well, tell us, Chelly… What happened to her?"
"From what I heard, it didn't end well for her wolf. Her wolf started to change, looking hideous. But that's good for her.
Only insecure and lame girls go to enhance their bodies. But we don't do things like that because we are already perfect."
"Yes…" Maya responded with a big smile that did not reach her eyes but before I could think about addressing it, she spoke again. "Enough about dumb girls who do boob jobs and whatnot, tell us about earlier today… Birthday girl. What new car did your father give you?"
I felt my cheeks flame crimson about what I was about to share. I'd talk about my father later but right now this was the most exciting gift I've had. Without hesitation, I let out.
"I found my mate!" I let out in a squeal, and the girls squealed with me.
"Oh my god, that's the best gift the Moon Goddess could have given you on your birthday, Chelly! I'm so proud of you." Natalie said, hugging me from across the table.
"But wait," she said, pulling back. "Who is it?"
I blushed even harder.
"Well, I pulled up at you-know-who's house this morning, just because I've had the biggest crush on him and have been wanting him to be my mate. And the moment he saw me… my wolf screamed mate." I told them, excluding the fact that I've been seeing him and we've been dating, but only been keeping it a secret.
The girls squealed again and I couldn't help but blush harder.
"That's amazing, Chelly. But you are yet to tell us who," Maya cut in.
I turned to look at her, the smile I had vanishing. "Girl, I just said it's someone I've had the biggest crush on. You are my best friend. I literally talk about this one guy any chance I get, and you're asking who?"
"Don't mind Maya… sometimes she forgets things." Natalie said.
I was about to roll my eyes and calm down my agitated nerves when Natalie turned to Maya and said to her,
"It's Rowan, of course. The headmaster's son from high school."
"Oh my god, Natalie?! Not you too." I said to her, stunned.
"What? He's the only guy I remember you talking about. And he was your first in basically everything," she said in defense.
That was true. I had my first sex with Rowan, and I learned most of everything I know or consider fun with him. Even though he was hot and knew how to please a girl, he was old news compared to my crush.
"You both are such shitty friends, but it's not Rowan. It's…" I let out a calm breath, grounding myself as I put my smile back on as butterflies curl in my stomach. "It's Lucien."
I expected my friends to squeal even louder than they did before, but instead they just gave me a shocked and horrific look… and a damn waitress dropped a glass.
I turned to the nearby table where the sound had come from in the restaurant where I decided to relax with Natalie and Maya.
To my surprise, I saw a familiar face from high school: Sansa Riley, the only omega who attended high school with us.
Before I could say anything about her behavior, she quickly bowed, apologized, promised to clean up the mess, and rushed out.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to the girls.
"How is the damn omega's reaction to what I said a better reaction than when I told you guys who my mate is?"
Natalie chuckled nervously, glancing at Maya before turning back to me. "What? No, but that news was a shocker and I felt my heart stop with excitement with how…" she glanced at Maya again. "Huge it was. But girl, congratulations. You are going to be the next Luna."
"Yeah, congratulations," Maya said dryly.
I frowned. What's up with these girls today?
And before the "thank you" fully came out of my mouth, Maya asked,
"Has he claimed you yet?"
I leaned back on the seat when I noticed her tone. Almost hopeful.
Wait. Were they jealous that the Moon Goddess chose me and not them to be mated to the next Alpha?
Who else did they think would qualify for the spot? I am the Beta's only daughter.
But then again, I figured they were just curious. They wanted details just like I would have wanted if they were in my shoes.
Lucien was every girl's dream, aside from the fact that he was the Alpha's heir.
Tall, good body build with dashing jawlines. His striking blonde hair was enough to make a girl wet her panties.
That was one of the things I liked about him because it made us look like twins. And how good he is in bed? Gosh! I am so lucky.
Before coming here, I intended to share my secret relationship with Lucien to them, especially now that we are mates and bound by the moon. But , their gloomy reactions made me reconsider my decision to reveal it.
Their reaction or approval doesn't matter anyways. All that matters is that I am his mate which means I am the next Luna.
"No, we haven't." I finally let out, and was going to continue, when Natalie's eyes suddenly widened so big it looked like they would pop out.
"Oh. My. God. Who is that?" she asked.
Maya and I followed her gaze and it settled on a familiar black-haired male who had just stepped in. He didn't even take four steps before he got a call… spoke to whoever called, and turned back, exiting the restaurant.
I rolled my eyes before turning back to the girls. "Can't believe that loser is back in Moonshade after all this time."
"Wait… you know him?" Maya asked, inching closer, showing more interest than when I told her who my mate was.
"We all do. That's Koa. Well, I like to call him Cobra, since he's a shitty person and a bully."
"He's so fine," Maya said dreamily, not acknowledging what I said about him being a shitty person and a bully.
Just then I noticed Sansa coming to drop our food we'd requested when we arrived.
I waited for her to place mine down and finish serving my drink, then began serving the girls before I resumed talking.
"Anyways, I'm not supposed to tell you or anyone this yet, but I will because you both are my best friends." I flipped my blonde hair to my back. "Lucien asked that I wait for tonight, during the mating ceremony, so he can claim me in front of everyone and make it extra special and grand…"
Just then Sansa dropped the orange juice she was pouring into Natalie's glass, making it spill on her and on our food.
Maya and Natalie gasped, standing up.
"You stupid bitch!" Natalie snapped before grabbing a chunk of Sansa's hair, her claws already out.
"Let go of her hair, Natalie. You just did your nails." I said dryly, even though I was pissed as fuck that Sansa cut me off with her actions.
"Yes, but she stained my gown. I was going to wear this tonight!"
I glanced down at the grandma-looking outfit. "Well, consider it the Moon Goddess wanting you to rock an even better outfit. Now let go of her damn hair."
Natalie let go reluctantly and Sansa fled immediately.
"I lost my appetite," Maya said, moving away from the table.
"Yeah, me too. And I'm off to get a better fit," Natalie said, following her, while I sat there stunned.
"You guys…" I started, but they stormed out of the restaurant.
Ugh. There goes my good time with my friends.
Just then, the manager of the restaurant came to our table.
"Miss Chelly, we are so sorry. We'll prepare another meal for free as compensation."
I groaned before standing up. "Don't bother. I lost my appetite." I opened my purse and dropped a couple of notes. "For the wasted food and drinks."
"No… no… you don't have to, Miss Chelly. This is our fault."
"People put in the work to make this pathetic meal, didn't they? So take the money and stop talking to me with your bad breath."
I walked out of the restaurant, hoping I could still catch up with Natalie and Maya, but their cars were gone.
I sighed and began to head towards my car before a hand grabbed me by my arm, making me halt in my steps.
I turned and found Sansa standing there. My gaze dropped to her hand on me, then back to her face, then back to her hand again.
She immediately let go, swallowing hard.
"Chelly, thank you for earlier. For not letting her hurt me, and also…"
"Okay, pause," I cut in, lifting a finger. "I need you to stop talking and step back because you reek of sweat."
She stepped back reluctantly, but the moment I turned away to resume walking, she rushed in front of me and blocked my path.
"Chelly I know you have somewhere else to be right now, but I really have to tell you something important."
I stared at her for a moment before letting out a hysterical laugh. "You do something nice and beggars suddenly think they are your friends." I said to no one in particular before my gaze settled back on Sansa.
"Block my path again and I'm going to skin you alive with my claws."
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "And I hope you haven't forgotten high school too quickly. You should know me well enough to know I don't bluff, Sandsa."
I made sure to call her by the nickname I gave her back then to jolt her memory in case she had forgotten.
She stepped out of my way instantly.
I didn't spare her another glance as I walked straight to my car.
I pulled out of the restaurant parking lot and headed toward my house to change for the mating ceremony. I was still on the road when my phone started ringing.
My handbag was in the back seat, so I reached back with one hand, trying not to take my eyes off the road.
Suddenly I felt my phone on my palm and I sighed in relief on getting it.
But then I paused when I realized I didn't reach for the phone in my handbag, the phone was handed to me.
I looked up at the rearview mirror and saw Sansa sitting in the back seat, staring at me.
I screamed in terror and temporarily lost control of the wheel, making the car jerk to the side. I fought the wheel and dragged it back under control with a pounding heart.
I turned to the back seat ready to ask how she had gotten inside my car, just to find her no longer there.
Before I could process her sudden appearance and disappearance, I snapped my gaze forward again and found her now sitting in the passenger seat.
Looking at me.
"I told you I needed to speak with you, Chelly Morgan." she said in an ominous tone.
I screamed again, louder than before.
My hands shook on the wheel in fright. A sudden crack of lightning slammed into the road ahead.
The blast lit everything white causing my car to swerve straight off the road and into a ditch.
The impact knocked the air out of me. I coughed and blood spilled from my mouth. I tried to move, even a finger, but my body wouldn't let me. My body felt locked in place.
My eyelids began to get heavy, but before they closed on their own, I noticed Sansa on the hood through the shattered windshield.
The impact from the crash must have thrown her forward because she wasn't wearing a seatbelt before the Collison.
Sansa's body was the last thing I saw before I slipped into darkness.