Elise dragged her feet through the front door of her aunt's modest house, her body aching and her chest tight from the earlier confrontation. The cozy house smelled faintly of lavender, but even the calming scent couldn't ease the tension that coiled in her stomach.
"You're late," Thea's sharp voice sliced through the silence like a knife.
Elise froze mid-step. This woman was always so annoying, but today, she was somehow the least of her problems.
Her aunt was seated in her usual spot on the worn-out couch, her lips pursed in disapproval.
"I told you to come straight home after school. What took you so long?" Thea demanded, her narrowed eyes studying Elise like a hawk zeroing in on prey.
"I—" Elise's voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. "I got held up."
There would have been no point narrating the earlier incident to Thea. Not like she would care.
"Held up?" Thea scoffed, standing and crossing the room to tower over Elise. "Don't tell me you were off embarrassing yourself again. Or worse, embarrassing me."
Elise bit her lip, willing herself not to cry. She had long grown accustomed to her aunt's scorn, but today had already been too much.
"You're lucky I even let you stay here," Thea continued, her tone icy. "A useless Omega like you is nothing but a burden. Do you have any idea how many times I've had to defend myself when people ask why I'm stuck with a wolfless niece?"
Elise lowered her head, staring at the frayed carpet beneath her feet. She didn't trust herself to speak without breaking.
Thea let out a heavy sigh and turned away. "I don't know why I bother. You're not going to amount to anything, Elise. You're just a reminder of everything wrong in this world."
Elise hated the way this woman made her feel. Of course, she would've stood up for herself long ago, but an Omega like her was no match for Thea, who was a Beta of one of the smaller packs in her day.
"Anyway," Thea added, as though her tirade hadn't been enough, "I got this earlier today." She reached over to the cluttered side table and picked up an envelope, thrusting it into Elise's hands.
"What is it?" Elise asked softly, her fingers fumbling to open it.
"An invitation to the White Moon Ball," Thea said with a hint of disdain. "The annual meeting of the packs. I don't know why they still bother sending one to me every year. I'm too tired to think about going to that circus."
Elise's eyes scanned the elegant lettering on the card, her heart sinking. She'd heard of the White Moon Ball before. It was an extravagant event where the clans gathered to flaunt their power and socialize under the guise of democracy. Omegas like her didn't belong anywhere near it.
"Don't get any ideas," Thea snapped, misreading the look on Elise's face. "As if you'd fit in with people like them."
"I wasn't—" Elise began, but Thea cut her off.
"Actually," Thea interrupted, tapping a finger against her chin, "on second thought, why not? You can't possibly embarrass me more than you already do."
Elise blinked, stunned. "You're… letting me go?"
Thea laughed humorlessly. "Letting you? I'm telling you. You're going. Consider it your punishment for being such a disappointment."
Elise wanted to argue, but she knew it would be pointless. Instead, she nodded and turned to leave.
"And don't come crying to me when you're treated like dirt," Thea called after her. "That's all you'll ever be to them."
The door clicked shut behind Elise, and she leaned against it, exhaling shakily. The invitation felt heavy in her hands, a reminder of how out of place she was in this world.
The night of the White Moon Ball arrived faster than Elise expected. She'd spent the day debating whether to go at all, but Thea's pointed glares every time she crossed the living room had left her with little choice.
She stood outside the grand event hall, her breath hitching as she took in the sight before her. The building was a masterpiece of architecture, with tall glass windows that reflected the moonlight and an intricate design of silver and gold detailing the entrance.
Elise clutched her invitation tightly and stepped inside. The grandeur of the hall took her breath away. Chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting a warm glow over the polished floors and elegantly dressed guests. The air buzzed with energy, a mix of laughter, conversation, and the faintest hint of tension that always accompanied gatherings of this nature.
She immediately felt out of place. Her simple dress, a hand-me-down from Thea, looked drab compared to the gowns and suits that adorned the other guests. She kept her head down, avoiding the curious and judgmental gazes that seemed to follow her.
Elsie fuddled with her crescent necklace, her nerves getting the best of her. Just as she was about to muster the courage to move in, she heard a voice.
"Elise?"
The familiar voice made her stomach drop. She turned to see Becky standing a few feet away, her lips curling into a cruel smile.
"Didn't think I'd see you here," Becky sneered, her eyes scanning Elise from head to toe. "Who let you in? Did you sneak past the guards?"
Elise opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Becky's brother Luka appeared by her side.
"That's enough, Becky," Luka said firmly, his expression unreadable.
Becky huffed, crossing her arms. "I wasn't doing anything."
"Let's go," Luka said, grabbing her arm and steering her away before she could cause more trouble.
Elise watched them go, her shoulders sagging with relief. But her reprieve was short-lived.
"Well, well, if it isn't little Elise Danvers," a smooth voice drawled behind her.
She turned to see Tyler Nightbloom, the heir to the Nightbloom clan, leaning casually against a nearby column. His dark hair and sharp features gave him an air of effortless confidence, but the glint in his eyes was anything but kind.
"Tyler," Elise said cautiously, taking a small step back.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone mocking. "Don't tell me you're actually trying to fit in with the rest of us."
"I'm just here," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze.
Tyler chuckled, his friends gathering around him like moths to a flame. "Here for what? To remind us all what a failure looks like?"
Elise's cheeks burned, but she stayed silent, her hands balling into fists at her sides.
"Come on, Tyler, leave her alone," one of his friends said halfheartedly, though the smirk on his face betrayed his amusement.
Tyler ignored him, stepping closer to Elise. "You know, I've always wondered… do Omegas even have a purpose? Or are you just here to take up space?"
Elise's heart pounded in her chest, and she took another step back, only to bump into the wall behind her.
Tyler leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Tell me, Elise, do you ever wish you were someone else? Someone who mattered?"
Tyler's arm roamed to her hips, gently caressing her curves. His other hand sliding up to her bosom.
"I can always have you as my little prostitute.", Tyler whispered in her ears. Elise's breath hitched in her throat.
Just then, a low growl rumbled through the air, freezing everyone in place.
Tyler straightened, his confident demeanor faltering as he glanced around, his eyes wide with confusion. "Who's there?" he demanded, his voice shaking slightly.
The growl came again, deeper this time, sending a shiver down Elise's spine. Tyler and his friends exchanged uneasy glances, their bravado quickly fading.
It wa like the very air was charged with a stifling aura.
"Let's get out of here," one of them muttered, and the group hurried away, leaving Elise alone.
She pressed herself against the wall, her breath coming in short gasps as she scanned the shadows.
"Who…" she whispered, but no one answered.
The hall seemed to grow colder, the air heavy with an unspoken tension. Elise clutched her arms, her eyes darting around the room. She felt it—someone was watching her.
But when she turned to look, there was nothing there.
Nothing but the faintest trace of glowing amber eyes disappearing into the darkness.
Elise couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. It clung to her like a damp cloak, heavy and suffocating. The grand hall was still alive with murmurs and laughter, but the faint buzz of excitement had dulled in her ears. Her eyes darted around the room, scanning for a familiar figure, but all she saw were the faces of strangers, most of them filled with disdain for her presence.
She decided to leave. It wasn't as if anyone would notice her absence. And if they did, it would probably be a relief to them.
Elise turned on her heel, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere. But as she took a step, her shoulder brushed against someone's chest. The collision was so abrupt that the glass of orange juice in her hand spilled forward, splattering across the pristine white suit of the man in front of her.
The hall fell silent.
Every gaze in the room turned to them, eyes wide in shock. Elise froze, her heart hammering against her ribcage as her gaze lifted to meet the man she had just ruined.
It was Kai.
The Lycan Alpha.