WILLA
"Elyse! Elyse! Elyse!" Voices chanted.
My head felt too light, like it wasn't sitting right on my shoulders. It throbbed, heavy.
My throat and chest burned from the smoke I'd inhaled. My eyes stung, tears already gathering at the corners.
Ugh. I shouldn't have taken more than one.
I looked up, blinking against the haze clouding my vision as I searched the room for Verah. She had been right beside me.
But I saw nothing.
Not even her blurred figure. Just people I didn't recognize.
And the strangest part was, there were two of each of them.
Or maybe my vision was playing tricks on me.
I pushed away from the couch and forced myself to stand, but the moment I got to my feet, the room lurched violently. My balance slipped, and I dropped right back into the chair.
Great. Just great.
How the hell was I supposed to get out of this?
"One more, Elyse!"
"You're such a motivation!"
Their voices rose again, overlapping, pressing into my skull until it felt like it might split.
I clenched my jaw and shot them a glare, the urge to tell them all to shut up burning at the back of my throat.
But I didn't say a word.
Someone stepped forward from the crowd.
My nose wrinkled immediately as they leaned in, the heavy mix of garlic and ginger hitting me so hard it turned my stomach.
His hand came down on my shoulder, fingers digging in.
"What's up, pretty?" he drawled, his voice low and heavy. "Up for the night?"
Revulsion twisted through me. I knocked his hand off without hesitation.
"Fuck off," I muttered.
"Come on," he said with a laugh. "Don't be like that."
I swallowed hard and pushed myself up again, but before I could get far, his arm circled my waist and dragged me right back down.
His legs trapped mine, locking me in place.
My pulse spiked.
His hand came up, cupping my face like he had any right.
"Let me go," I snapped, struggling against him, but his grip only tightened.
"You want money?" he murmured, his voice dropping into something worse, something that made my skin crawl. His breath brushed my cheek as he leaned closer. "I've got plenty. My father's about to become werewolf president."
Werewolf president, governor, minister… whatever those titles meant, I didn't care.
Not one bit.
His hand dropped onto my lap. Cold. Rough.
Then his fingers began to slide upward, inching beneath my skirt.
My body reacted before my mind could catch up. I shoved my hand against his chest with everything I had left. He staggered back slightly, his nails dragging across my thigh as he lost his grip.
I barely felt the pain. I thrust myself up immediately.
This time, I stayed on my feet.
Planting them firmly against the tiled floor to steady myself, I faced him head-on.
I blinked once. Then again.
My vision cleared just enough to make him out properly.
Dark hair. A squared face. A jawline so unnaturally defined it looked like it had been sculpted by a surgeon rather than grown.
Not ugly. Not appealing either.
Just… someone I had no interest in being anywhere near.
His lips curled into what he probably thought was a charming smile.
"Were you even listening?" he continued. "I'm Edward Virex. My father is running for president. I'm sure your father could benefit from that instead of being the council's errand boy."
I didn't have a father. But Elyse did.
Steven. From the little I had seen, he was decent. Hearing this bastard talk about him like that made something inside me snap.
"And your mother can finally learn how to be a proper Luna from mine instead of making a fool of herself each time in Luna meetings."
My hands clenched before I even realized it. And then, I swung.
My fist connected with his jaw in one clean motion.
The crack cut through the music, sharp enough to turn heads despite the noise.
A dull shock ran up my arm, but I barely felt it. His head snapped to the side as if I had struck him with more than just my hand.
For a second, everything slowed.
My heart pounded hard against my ribs, my vision narrowing as I became aware of the crowd staring at us.
Shit!
What the hell did you just do, Willa?
"Well deserved."
The voice echoed in my head. Nyra.
"That piece of trash," she snarled. "I should've done worse."
Before I could even process her sudden return, Edward grabbed my arm and yanked me toward him.
"What the hell was that?!" he shouted.
I wrinkled my nose at the sight of blood slipping from his nostril. I pulled my arm free.
"Maybe if you had learned something from your parents," I said coolly, "you wouldn't have earned that."
"Who do you think you are?!" he thundered.
"Elyse Maddox," I replied simply.
I turned away from him, taking a couple of steps toward the crowd. They shifted back immediately, giving me space.
I paused, turned back to him, fixing him with an unflinching stare.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood," I said, my voice steady. "Otherwise, you'd be dealing with a nose you couldn't fix."
"You—" he snarled.
I didn't wait to hear the rest. I walked through the path the crowd had opened, their eyes still fixed on me as they stepped aside.
"Elyse!" Edward barked after me.
The restroom door slammed shut behind me, cutting him off.
I moved straight to the sink and turned the tap, letting the water run for a moment before placing my hands beneath it.
I flinched. It was freezing.
Still, I stayed there, letting it run over my skin, grounding myself.
Even with Nyra stirring in my head, I needed something real to anchor me.
"God, I'm never touching that shit again," I muttered, splashing water onto my face.
The cold hit harder this time, clearing the fog just enough. When I was done, I stepped out.
The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt it. A prickle at the back of my neck.
I rubbed at it, trying to brush the sensation away as I moved forward, scanning the area for Verah.
But it didn't fade. It only grew sharper.
I slowed, taking in my surroundings.
I wasn't inside anymore. The space had opened into what looked like a backyard.
Strings of fairy lights stretched unevenly from the gutter to a crooked post, casting a dim golden glow over everything.
The air was thick with the scent of beer, smoke, and something sweet charring on a cheap grill nearby.
To my right, a small bar had been set up, crowded with half-empty bottles and careless hands reaching for more.
People filled the space in loose clusters, drinks in hand, their voices overlapping into a constant, dull hum.
And still…that feeling at the back of my neck refused to go away.
It wasn't the music. It wasn't the heat rising from the bodies packed too close together.
It was something else.
Like someone's eyes were burning straight through me.
The monster?
I scanned the room, my pulse climbing higher and higher. But I found nothing.
Maybe I was imagining things.
"No," Nyra said sharply in my mind, excitement coursing through my veins. "He's here."
"Who?" I whispered.
"Our mate." She purred.
My breath caught.
Mate.
The word barely had time to settle before Nyra surged forward inside me.
"Find him."
My feet started moving before I even understood what I was doing.
A hand closed around my wrist. I gasped as I was pulled into a chest.
Strong arms wrapped around me, holding me still.
"It's you," a low voice breathed near my ear. Warmth rushed through me like wildfire.
"You're my mate."
My heart slammed against my ribs. I barely had time to process the words before the moment shattered.
"What the hell are you doing with my mate?!"
The arms around me disappeared as someone yanked me backward. My back collided with another chest.
Hands locked around my waist.
"Mate?" I choked, staring up at Eric Callahan, the academy fuckboy, leader of Cassian House.
His grip tightened as he stared down at me, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
"You're my mate," he said again, slower this time, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"You have two mates!" Nyra burst out.
My head spun.
"That's impossible," someone in the crowd muttered.
People had started gathering around us.
Watching. Whispering.
Eric leaned down, his alcohol-laced breath warm against my cheek.
"Yes, baby," he murmured. "Looks like fate has a sense of humor."
Before I could react, his lips crashed against mine. A thousand jolts shot through me.
My… first kiss.
The world stopped moving. My brain refused to function.
It only lasted for a few seconds as the air in the room shifted.
Suddenly, everyone in the bar went silent. A ripple of unease passed through the crowd.
"Oh no," Nyra whispered.
I already knew who it was before I turned.
Kol Archer of House Aurelian. Alpha heir. Prince of the academy.
His burning green eyes locked onto mine first, emotionless and so beautiful my knees nearly buckled beneath the intensity.
Then they slid slowly to Eric.
His voice when he spoke was quiet. Deadly quiet.
"That," he said, each word razor sharp, "is my mate you're kissing."