Chapter 3

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*Jayden*

I didn't bother looking up. I knew what was above me, it was a tradition. We usually got a witch to do that and then release confetti, sweets or something from it for everyone and usually, I loved it. Usually. It was the only thing I loved about any gathering in the ballroom – or any gathering, period. I wasn't interested this time, though. All I could think about was him.

What had I done wrong?

Was I the only one feeling the mate pull? Was this one-sided?

Why would he hate me so much?

I had never even spoken to him, we had interacted at all. There could not be anything I had done to make him hate me... unless...

I frowned dropping my eyes to my crossed legs and the blank page my notepad was currently opened on before swallowing nervously. Maybe he knew. Maybe he could feel it. Maybe he knew there was something wrong with me. He probably did, mate's knew that sort of thing. He must have known... and it probably disgusted him.

"Hey, Jay, aren't you going to get up and have some fun?" Kaden's voice had me looking back up.

"Uh..." My mind went blank as I tried to find an excuse not to move.

"Jayden, you do this every year. Get off your ass and learn to have a good time!" Our friend Bentley said frowning as he joined Kaden leaning over above me.

They were my best friends and three of my only friends, including Layla, but she was visiting her aunt in Africa for the holidays. Tyler and Alexis did not count because they were friends with everyone.

He was right, another 'usual' thing at our pack gatherings or parties was my being antisocial and sitting in the furthest corner away from everyone. Parties weren't really my thing. It was tiring being around so many people and so much noise.

"Or... we could bring the party to him?" I looked up and chuckled at Izabella's suggestion.

"No, thank you. I'm awesome right where I –" I was saying when Kaden suddenly snatched my phone, "Kade! No!" I shouted as he ran into the crowd.

"Ooo, he's probably going to go plug that in and put you on blast." Bentley just had to make the situation worse.

"Great idea, Ben." I heard Kaden somewhere in the room.

"No, no, no! Fine, I'll join the stupid party. Just – don't do anything." I hissed, anything to make him give my phone back. All of my recordings were on there and I did not want almost the entire pack hearing it.

"Why not? You have an amazing voice." Hayley said making me turn to her.

"How do you –? Kade." I was going to kill him! Who else had he made listen to my stuff?!

"Party?" Kaden gave me a guilty smile as he emerged from behind a group of people.

I sighed defeated as I got up and barely caught my phone when it was thrown at me. I glared at Kaden and he smirked. Asshole.

As Izabella and Hayley forced me to dance, I realised there was another reason I didn't want to attend this particular party when my eyes fell on Corey and Samantha making out. It made me cringe and my wolf whimpered at the sight. How many times could they kiss each other? Didn't it get old after a while? Didn't they need to breathe?

I turned away hoping to ignore them – yeah, right. Luckily, I was too far and the music was too loud for me to hear them. I really didn't want to be there. My room and guitar were screaming for me to join them but I was going to be stuck down there with everyone else for the next week.

"I think Corey has a girlfriend," Alexis spoke. I was quite sure the only people that knew I was mated to Corey were Izabella and Hayley. "And it's Sam, let's go meet her." She said.

"Yeah, let's go!" Before I could object Izabella grabbed my wrist.

"Uh – I-I have things to do –" I tried to say as my heart picked up in panic.

"Hey, Corey." I froze as he looked by Samantha and smiled at Izabella.

"Izzy!" He looked so happy to see her. It was weird seeing an emotion in his eyes that didn't basically scream 'I hate you and I hope you die.' It was safe to assume that that look was reserved for me. "Hay," He pulled Samantha to his side. "Uh, this is Sam," he motioned to Samantha, completely ignoring my presence.

"Hey, oh, Jayden! You're out of your room!" Usually, someone saying that just annoyed me because everyone constantly said it but at the moment it just left me embarrassed so I nodded and looked around avoiding Corey's scorching eyes.

"Hey, Sam. Can you show me to the bathroom, please?" Hayley smiled.

"Sure!" Samantha was a really nice person, it made sense that he would like her.

"You know, I wanna go too, be right back," Wait, what? I froze as Izabella grabbed Hayley and Samantha's arms and pulled them off leaving Corey and me alone.

We were silent for a few seconds but it felt like an eternity. I almost couldn't hear the music because my heart was beating so loudly in my chest. It could have been beating that way for two reasons: I was so nervous my palms were basically sweating or the fact that my mate was just a few inches away from me.

"Don't expect anything." My eyes widened and I looked to see who he had spoken to. Me? He was speaking to me... The look of hate in his eyes was still clearly there.

I cleared my throat not trusting my voice before I asked, "What?"

"Don't get your hopes up just because you've convinced those two to try to get me to accept you." He snorted, "Don't mess with my friends. I'll fucking kill you if you do." His voice was a low warning.

He probably could kill me. I was not very bulky. While he obviously worked out daily, I was quite skinny and he was taller than I was, not to mention that I wasn't the strongest wolf on the planet, not at all.

"I-I didn't convince them to do anything –" I was saying.

"Shut up." He cut me off, "Stay the fuck away from me or I swear to God I'll rip your throat apart, Faggot." He spat before walking away from me shoving me out of his way roughly as he did, it made me stumble but I quickly regained my footing to keep from falling.

I forcefully swallowed the suffocating knot growing in my throat as my eyes burnt and didn't turn around to see where he was headed, it didn't matter.

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