Confused, I slowly blink at her as her words land on my ears, staining it with her pretentious act. "What?" I exclaim, eyes wide in surprise at her choice of words.

Her eyes narrow. "Don't act dumb. You're trying to steal my friend from me right under my nose." She accuses haughty as she stares me down, pointing a manicured finger at me that I wanted to slap out of my face.

"You don't treat your friends like trash," I roll my eyes as I refute her accusations and her sudden concern for her so-called friend Daisy, bristling with still potent anger leftover from Eberlyn's and Riley's betrayal and inconsiderate actions towards me.

“All you do is hurt and manipulate her.” At this close range I start to notice some things about her appearance, her uncosmeticized face, the deep dark dent under her eyelids and the lack of her usual group of ‘friends.’

I almost open my mouth to ask her what was bothering so much that she didn’t have usual armor around her. Had the Alpha and Lunar spoken to her about her behaviour yesterday?

Although it wasn’t in my culture to air out our dirty laundry, or any dirty laundry for that matter, that didn’t mean she obeyed the same rules of a lifestyle just because I did. But still, highly unlikely that she would choose me of all people to confide in.

And if I had learnt anything about Adena in the last three years is that she doesn’t share any personal information with just anyone. Trying to get her to tell you was like trying to get a brick in the wall to talk to you. She hoarded secrets like an addict.

Her eyes wickedly glint as a slow smile maps its way up her unglossed lips.

"You're one to talk." She announces proudly, so sure of herself and of the unknown deed she's accusing me of doing, an unspoken and unspecified threat, her unapologetic eyes sharpening its focus.

I stare at her. Whatever shred of sympathy I held for her, however small it may have been, it was gone now. Anyone who was aware of what they were doing to another person and that it was wrong didn’t deserve any sympathy of mine whatsoever. And she looks smug about it too!

I freeze, heart thudding loudly in my quiet eardrums as those hit me like a boomerang, echoing treacherously in decadence. The replenishing liquid of saliva seems to have evaporated from existence in my mouth as it suddenly becomes the Sahara desert, leaving me no source of air to breathe in, my mouth became too tied up to speak.

W-What does she know? What's she accusing me of?

How could she hold such information?

Not wanting to rise to the bait, whatever reason she may have to bait me like this I don't know, I raise my head up and stare her dead in the eye.

"My relationship with my friends is none of your business. And as for Daisy, im not sure if manipulating your 'friend' into having to apologize to you continuously for something that's not even her fault, is any friend that you deserve. She's a sweetheart and she deserves better than you." I express, feeling deep affection and motherly protectiveness swell up in me at the mention of my acquired friend, folding my arms across my arms as I heavily berate her.

She has shed too many tears for Adena and I'm determined to put a stop to it. Sure as my name is Elizabeth Salver Vernisher.

Her lips fold into a thin line, disapproval and distaste running rampant on her dainty features. "I am the Alpha's and Luna's daughter and you will not disrespect me like that." She snaps out, eyes hardened on mine as she demands to be regarded with respect as her fortunate position commands of her.

I suck in my lips onto themselves, the top folding in unto the lower, trying to prevent the laughter rust was surely bubbling up in my throat at her remark which I suppose she sought to be a threat and a warning to me. My shoulders shame me by shaking in repressed laughter, struggling to keep up with our phony charade.

But alas I can't hold the laughter in and it escapes my throat, leaving me a figure bent over in loud chuckles which turn to deep snorts in between that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon at the sheer stupidity of the sentence that just graced the public with its amusing presence. Adena sure is a funny one.

"Oh, oh you're a funny Adena. You should become a comedian." I say as I recover from my laugh if fit, wiping a tear of mirth from my eyes with a quick flick of my finger.

She bars her teeth at me and growls. "Do not talk down to me, you insolent pup. I thought you would be of better behaviour than this but I guess I was wrong." She cuts, a low blow lower than the lowest, her eyes flashing brightly aflame in self-proclaimed victory. I narrow my eyes at the dig.

Just because I'm the Delta of the pack and the spiritual link between our pack and the moon goddess doesn't mean that I think I'm better than anyone or that I'm now so self-entitled that I don't respect anyone when they earn my respect.

Had she earned my respect? Hell no. Not even half of it.

But I am not going to let another person tell me what I should or should be doing with MY position. Piss off.

Respect or no, don't butt into my life.

My lips posses a slow smile. "Oh? You think I'll obey you when there are other higher-ups I answer to? Please. Oh and, well done on the nice big word in there, by the way, I hope that wasn't too hard for the princess." I bite back at her, folding my arms across my chest, and smile politely as I bite her back.

I notice the small tick of veins in her neck as she clenches her jaw. "I am this close to hitting you across your stupid face. I will do it if you tempt me one more time. Just one more time." She breathes out through clenched teeth as she glared daggers at me, the promise of violence lacing her not so sweet honeyed voice anymore, as her stance screamed for blood.

I pout. "Aw, you think that's a threat to me. How cute." I try not to smile as I feel vindicated by the utter look of enraged wrath that twists her face.

Good. Feel the anger and hurt you made me feel earlier in primary school and the early years of high school.

As I stare at her face, going back and forth with the irises in my eyes, the more I realize I truly and haven't gotten my own back at her for that, for the hellish years of primary school she put me through.

Why I still don't know till this day.

But that's not on my priority list right now.

"I hope you like surprises." I say allowing a small mysterious smile to wrap around my lips, the crazed furious look quickly falling off of her face soon being replaced by an open curiosity splayed across her features.

Feeling smug, I turn my head and let my lips grow into a wider smile of victory.

Now choosing to ignore her presence, I properly return my attention to my locker, my eyes zeroing in on the metal as my fingers cling back onto it, I begin to hum a happy tune in the back of my throat softly as I continue nimbly picking out the books I need for the day.

Although the books were going to cause a heavy strain in my arm because of their weight put together, I didn't fancy having to go up and down back to my locker to get each separate book out of my locker after every 45 minutes. These feet were not meant for strenuous walking. And I refuse to abuse them like that.

But other than the fact that I am just a lazy sack of atoms that stubbornly refuses to move around multiple times daily, I genuinely do not want to waste any of my energy that I could use for something important and worth my time. That just doesn't sound appealing.

"What? What surprise?" She demands growl ripping through her throat, urging a response out from me but I pay her no mind as I continue to distractedly whistle, my hand pushing my locker closed. The quiet bang echoes in the loud silence between us save for my quiet humming as I turn the dial on my locker.

This action seems to annoy the fuck out of her, more than it should naturally might I add, as she lets out a guttural sound between an infuriated growl and a frustrated groan. I reach into my locker to get some books I need.

A flurry of movement and suddenly she stands in front of me, eyes blazing in red and slams my locker door that I had just pulled open. Quickly, I pull my hand out from it before it slams shut.

I whip my head back, taken aback by her actions.

"You will tell me what you meant by that statement." She demands, placing her manicured nails on her hips, slightly dipping as she glares at me from under her lashes. Her nostrils flare.

"I don't have to tell you shit." I retort, holding my arms across my chest as I level my eyes with hers in an I'm-tired-of-your-bullshit tone.

"You'll live to regret this. I swear it." She threatens, pointing a finger at me which was dangerously close to my face. I eye it up and down with a barely concealed annoyed expression on my face.

I bite my lip to keep myself from laughing, even though a splinter of fear has lodged itself within the walls of my throat. I try to sort out the chaos but it prices to be futile as it only ends up more tangled. My throat constricts in midst of my efforts, though I still try to remain in possession of a calm exterior.

Narrowing her dark eyes at me, she turns back around to leave, hope rises in my tightened chest, bringing me immense relief as her back gets further and further away as she saunters off in a hissy fit. I let out a sigh of relief abd feel my shoulders relax for the umpteen time today, which probably won't be the last.

My lips purse, a downturn in slight partition, and draw my books closer to myself which are leaning on my arm precariously, threatening to fall over the edge if care isn't taken, crushing the books to my chest.

The door bursts open, slamming into the lime green wall for the fifth time this month, leaving behind another miniature dent in its wake, that shrieked for my immediate attention as my eyes were drawn to the noise.

Soon the once quiet hallway is filled to the bream with students of many colours and backgrounds, both familial and religious, initiating the once quiet room with loosely boisterous footsteps.

Chatter quickly fills the room and floated up and above the walls of the building, each student talking above the other(sometimes I wonder how they hear each other talk.)

Every student glues themselves to their respective chosen friends side, clinging onto them like a scared young duckling to its overprotective mother who then took to shielding their young from the treacherous dangers of the world, in groups of twos, sometimes in threes.

I frown, slowly becoming aware of how socially bereft my sides were, positions which were mostly occupied by the two people whom I was currently not in speaking terms with.

Sighing, I walk onwards, departing farther and farther away from the one place in this wretched building that provided me with solace, and set my shoulders firmly against my body, readying myself for the onslaught that the day had to bring on this fine, horrid day.

Or maybe it was the company of the people I talked to at my locker that bring me solace?

I don't get to walk too far when im clung to by another human being, as I feel their soft skin against mine, entertaining their elbows with mine in perfect harmony.

"So, shall we go to class?" A voice suddenly exclaims cheerfully, almost deliriously happily at this point, almost to the point where I was felt annoyed, but instead, I let my tensed up shoulders lower themselves back into their normal position.

I turn to her, my mood suddenly brightened up a hundred times over. "Not really but with you by my side, I could face anything," I say and smile at her warmly, tightening my grip on our conjoined elbows.

Daisy's smile brightens and together we begin to walk towards our class when I suddenly catch sight of Eberlyn and Riley walking together elbow in elbow, lowly talking and whispering to each other which suddenly ceases when they see me looking their way. Riley's face darkens when she looks down and notices our joined elbows.

My eyebrows knit together as I try to decipher what that the expression means as I know that one face change can mean a million things when it comes to Riley which makes it much more difficult and tricky to know if she's angry or not. I squint at her, searching for any other clue but she turns away and they march on ahead of us to class.

My heart pinches in my chest as I stare at her, at them as they bundle off and slip inside class unnoticed by the unconscious public eye.

I'm happy that I just gained a new friend but did I just lose the other two? And for good?