CHAPTER FOUR: BALLS AND MATES

Bella:

The day of the mating ball had arrived, and the school was abuzz with a mix of nerves and excitement. I lay sprawled on my bed, music blasting through my headphones to drown out the rest of the world—particularly Ryder and Fae’s incessant make-out sessions on his bed.

I wasn’t just battling the heartache of my mate being with someone else; I was also swamped with school work, having transferred mid-semester. To top it all off, the entire school despised me, so the ball was the last thing on my mind.

When my aching heart stopped, I knew they had finished, so I took off my earpiece and got to my feet.

I needed to get away to breathe, so I went to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and Fae appeared, smug as ever.

“You might want to start looking for another place,” she sneered. “After tonight, Ryder will officially be mine, and as the future Luna, I cannot have you around.”

Her words stung, but I held back my response. “Thanks for not gracing the ball with your presence,” she added, her taunts relentless.

Before I could respond, a knock interrupted us.

A porter stood at the door, holding a large box. “Delivery for Ms. Bella Runestone,” she announced.

Inside was a dress from Alpha Fredrick, along with a note to meet him. Fae’s eyes narrowed with envy, but I didn’t waste time.

I didn’t waste a moment meeting the alpha.

There in the reception, Alpha Fredrick was waiting with a necklace in hand.

“This will help you blend in tonight,” he said, handing it over to me. “It will suppress your vampire side.” he added, and I forced a smile on my face.

“Thank you,” I muttered, returning to the room to unbox my dress.

The dress was a golden masterpiece, and for the first time, I felt a flicker of excitement about the ball. I texted Hazel, and she told me exactly where to find her, so I hurriedly dressed up and headed to the ballroom.

**

The ballroom was a whirlwind of colors and sounds. I spotted Fae, her dress shimmering obnoxiously.

She floated over, her words dripping with fake sweetness.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” she said. “Your dress is… surprising. Almost better than mine,” she said, and I scoffed with an eye roll.

I ignored her, scanning the room for Hazel, and the moment I saw her, I bolted towards her. But I didn’t go too far when the spotlight hit me, and the room fell silent.

My dress, under the harsh lights, was revealing, and my hello kitty underwear was everywhere with phones flickering in my face. My heart raced as I wondered why Alph Fredrick would want to humiliate me in the presence of the entire school.

Then I looked up to see the triplets, standing with Fae and her minions, holding the missing lining of my dress, their grins wide and malicious.

“I think you dropped this,” she said, tossing it in my face.

Kai blocked Hazel’s concerned face, and I felt the rage building inside me.

My fangs threatened to show. In a swift motion, I clasped the necklace around my neck, and the laughter from the triplets ceased, replaced by a possessive growl.

“Mate!” They echoed, and I paused briefly to see the glow in their eyes.

I didn’t wait for Fae’s reaction. I pushed through the crowd, the necklace’s weight a reminder of who I was and what I had to hide. Outside, I ripped it off, my vampire fighting its way to the surface.

Alpha Fredrick arrived just in time, and I saw my mother get out of his car with him.

I glanced at them with a subtle glow in my eyes.

“Bella,” my mother called out.

But I was already gone, scaling the building with ease, leaving them—and their betrayal far behind

“Where is Bella?” Ryder’s voice was frantic.

“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on here?” Alpha Fredrick asked. “What did you do, Ryder?”

“This isn’t the time to push blame, because Bella is my mate and I need to find her!”

“Our mate!” the twins growled.

As the tension in the air thickened, I stood atop the building. The triplets below were a mix of confusion and concern, their scents mingling with the cool breeze.

My heart raced from the betrayal as my mind replayed the evening’s humiliations, the laughter of her peers, and the sting of the spotlight.

My wolf fought hard to regain control, creating turmoil in my mind. I was lost in thought that I didn’t notice Fae approaching from behind. Before I could tell, she pushed me, but my vampire reflexes were fast, causing me to grab the railing on the roof.

“That won’t save you, Bella. You think you can waltz into this school, and steal what is mine? I see the way Ryder has been over you since you arrived, and now, this.” She shook her head.

"Please, Fae, you do not want to do this. You can have Ryder, and I will reject him if you want, please.”

“Like that will happen under the alphas watch. It ends tonight, and right now,” she said, stepping on my fingers, causing me to slip off the railing.

In the twinkle of an eye, I was falling freely from the tip of the roof. Time seemed to have slowed but in reality, I was falling very fast.

I could save myself. I knew that, but that would be in exchange of everyone finding out my secret. Mother’s words rang in my ears, and as I thought of the fact, I would be staked to death, I bit myself quickly, storing part of my vamp blood in my mouth before switching to my wolf.

The triplet sensed something wrong, and they turned in my direction at once.

“Bella!” They echoed, rushing to my aid, but they were too late.

I allowed myself to fall to the hard, rocky ground in human form. I felt the air being knocked out of my lungs and a hundred bones in my body breaking. I shut my vampire side.

“Ouch!” The triplets exclaimed at once.

Panic surged in as I heard my mom calling for an ambulance while my vision began to blurred, and I slowly lost consciousness.

“Bella, please don’t die. We promise never to mistreat you again,” Ryder said, holding my hands, but my body paled out and I slowly lost consciousness.

Seeing the triplets plead didn’t make me feel better. It increased my drive for revenge, because it took almost dying for them to recognize my worth.

The moment I was wheeled into an ambulance, I swallowed my blood, which healed me while I feigned being passed out, thinking of the best way to make the triplets pay for their sins.

The first thing on my mind was rejection, and now that I had the power to make them suffer, I was determined not to hold back.