~
I snapped out of my memories, spat out the toothpaste frothing in my mouth, and wiped across my lips and chin with the back of my hand. A giant grin was, again, on my face as I exited the bathroom and started to get ready for school.
"Only two more days until you can hold her Blaze, just two more days." I muttered, out loud, to myself as I grabbed my keys and jogged down the stairs.
Roxy
With a sudden body jolt I found myself awake, sitting upright in my bed covered in a cold sweat. Something that I overheard last night had suddenly made sense in an intense dream I had been having, resulting in the panic-like wake up call. I couldn’t help but slap myself in the forehead for being so damn stupid. How could I have missed that? My birthday is in two days, and I'll be turning eighteen. Of course, that would be when Blaze planned on telling me that we are mates. That only gave me a short amount of time to plan how I was going to reject him. I could have taken the easy way out and run away from my problem, but I didn't want to leave. This is my home and I love it here.
That only really left me one option. I needed to verbally and physically reject him before he did anything to awaken my half of the bond. If my side of the bond was set into motion, I knew I wouldn't be able to reject him without it almost killing me.
I would have to do anything and everything to make him not want me. Starting right now. Instead of wearing my usual skinny jeans, fitted top and low heeled boots, I dressed in my old workout shorts, and an oversize football shirt, and my trainers. Instead of leaving my straight, black hair flowing down my back, I tied it up into a tight bun at the nape of my neck. I left my face make-up free, not even outlining my green eyes in their usual black eyeliner, or mascara. I brushed my teeth, and checked myself out in the mirror. Not a curve to be seen on my usually flaunted, slim, yet womanly shaped body. At least, for now, I could focus on making myself unappealing to the eye, and hope that it started to turn him off wanting me. Nodding at my reflection, I picked up my bag, grabbed my house keys and headed out the door to school. Ordinarily I wouldn’t have to see Blaze at school anymore now that he was nineteen, but as luck would have it our school included a university for the older wolves so they didn’t have to leave the pack territory to further educate themselves.
Anna met me at the school’s entrance, her auburn curls bouncing around her heart-shaped face as she hopped from one foot to the next in obvious excitement. Somehow I managed to hold back the groan begging to be let out, she undoubtedly had something exciting to tell me. Judging from her body that was shaking with the thrill of her untold news, it was something she seemed to be struggling not to blurt out. She peered at me through her slitted brown eyes, mouth dropping open as she furrowed her eyebrows at me before simply raising her left eyebrow questioningly at my attire.
“Don’t even ask,” I sighed out before continuing to walk into the school grounds with her.
"Wasn't gunna." Anna was one of the worst liars I had even met. Every tell-tale sign that you were taught to look for in a liar, she had. Throwing a quick glance at her I couldn’t help but shake my head at her as she nodded her head along to, what I could only imagine was some tune in her head. She started spiralling off into the happenings and gossip tid-bits of the occurrences at the party last night without any warning at all. The way this girl could bounce around from one thing to another astounded me on a regular basis. My brain barely registered what it was that she was talking about; I just nodded my head occasionally whilst we strolled towards our first class. I had been glancing around, discretely I hoped, trying to see if I could spot Blaze around anywhere. The earlier I started trying to break the bond, the better it would be for everyone involved. I was snapped back to my surroundings when my forehead was on the receiving end of a particularly forceful slap.
"Are you even listening to me, Roxanne Lei Sparks?"
Oh shit, full name. She must be angry that I wasn’t paying attention for her to pull out the big guns like that. A nod was my initial response before I plastered a false, enthusiastic smile on my face. An evil glint appeared in her eyes. Seriously, sometimes I worry about that girl she has far too many evil faces for it to be considered normal.
"So you do realise that you just agreed to help out at the car wash the football team is holding tomorrow? And that if you try to be a no-show you gave me full permission to tie you to the flagpole out front and throw paint filled balloons at you." Her evil giggle echoed around me as she moved her hands to her hips and jutted one hip out to the side in such a ‘don’t mess with me manner’ that I again worried about the evilness lurking inside of my best friend..
"I did no such thing. Why is the football team holding a car wash anyway?" My question came out as more of a demand as my hands curled into fists at the side of my body in an attempt control the anger I could feel bubbling up in my veins like hot lava.
"We are raising money for new uniforms and equipment for next year, and you did agree, maybe if you didn't zone out when I was talking, you would have noticed the way I slipped it into the conversation back there.” Her tone was mocking, and to top it off she stomped her foot childishly at me while still holding her hands on her hips.
"Ok, fine, whatever. I'll just be in charge of the cash box. I'm not washing any cars, but I don't have a problem taking all those perverts money." As I said this, I noticed Anna taking a few sneaky, sly steps backwards, putting some distance between us. One of my eyebrows cocked up at her as I wondered what she was up to. When I saw guilt flash through her eyes I knew it was something that I wasn’t going to like. She whispered something and then took off down the hall as fast as her legs could carry her. Okay, now I definitely knew it was something that I wasn’t going to like.
Standing in the hall watching her retreating figure, it took me a few moments to decipher what she had said before realisation dawned, and I took off chasing after her. I found her trying to hide behind Frankie Eames, her mate, as his eyes wildly scanned the area looking for the danger she was seeking protection from. Anna had discovered Frankie was her mate at her eighteenth birthday three months earlier, poor guy had kept it a secret from everyone since his eighteenth birthday, six months before Anna's.
His eyes landed on me and relief flooded his features as his mind worked out that it was I Anna was hiding from. He watched me stalk towards her with anger embedded in every step before I stopped right in front of them and aggressively growling out at her.
"I hope I did not hear you say that you have already volunteered me for the Bikini Brigade."
Anna slowly made her way around Frankie while she wrapped herself up in his muscular arms and pushed herself back into his toned chest, nodding slowly at me. A low, throaty growl of annoyance was all I could manage before launching myself at her, trying to drag her from Frankie's protective grip. She was squirming in his arms while I was attempting to get a strong enough hold to pull her away.
We were beginning to draw a crowd, and I briefly wondered why no-one was interfering when I heard a powerful, manly voice call out across the crowd.
"Need a hand Frankie?"
Great, I’d spent all morning looking for him and now here he shows up. Blaze.
Frankie gave a grateful nod and seconds later I felt two warm hands snake around my waist and pull me away from Anna and my goal of giving her ‘what for’ for volunteering me for the bikini brigade.
Before I could stop my reaction, I was slapping the hands away and spinning around on the spot to land a hard slap across his flawless cheek. The sound echoed all around us as the newly formed crowd fell into silence. Without thinking or hesitating, I bellowed, forcefully, in his face.
"Keep your fucking hands off of me, you nasty arse parasite." A glare I’m sure the devil would be proud of slid its way across my face, my eyes filled with forced hatred as I stared him down. I couldn't truly hate him as he had done nothing to deserve it, but I had to try and make it believable.
Realisation flashed through his soulful, hazel
eyes as he dropped his hands to his sides and stood up straight. A whispered, Roxanne left his light pink lips. That one word filled with adoration and devotion, how had I never noticed any of this before? We weren’t really friends but occasionally our mutual friends bought us into the same circles. I watched on as shock, fear and sorrow then filled his eyes as his mind caught up with what I had just screamed at him. All of this had occurred in a matter of seconds. With one last disgusted look at Blaze I swung my body around and stormed off towards the girl’s bathroom.
Even though I had been planning on being rude to Blaze this was definitely not how I had wanted to start my day.
Blaze
I stood there in shock while everyone around me stared wide-eyed, with their mouths agape. I’m sure they were surprised that anyone had the nerve to speak to me in that manner. What with me being the future Alpha and all.
Even Frankie and his mate Anna were standing there in shock.
Mentally shaking myself from the daze I was in, I yelled at the collection of onlookers with aggression filling my tone, "What are you all looking at? Never seen a cat fight before?" Most of them nodded or shook their head, turning to leave. Frankie walked over to me, and clasped my shoulder when he was within reach.
"You ok man? That was pretty full on.”
Rolling my eyes I leant my head back, facing towards the ceiling, before slowly exhaling and staring at the ceiling cracks.
"She hates me. Did you hear what she said? She thought my touch was disgusting."
I tried to keep the pain from my voice, but some must have still seeped through as I watched Frankie's eyes cloud over with pity before he hesitantly responded.
"I'm sure when, and if you tell her that she is your mate she will change her tune." I noted that he was whispering so Anna couldn't hear our conversation.
Anna had started to cautiously tip-toe up to us. She folded her arms around Frankie's waist, and rested her frame against his back.
"I'm going to go check on Rox. That was really out of character for her, and I'm sure she has calmed down enough to talk to." Quietly mumbling into Frankie's shirt, Anna continued. "Can you cover for me in class please babe?"
"Sure. No worries sugar. Be careful, love you." He answered her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.
"Love you too," and with that Anna leisurely walked in the direction that we had last seen Roxanne heading.
Frankie turned his attention back to me.
"You touched her," he suddenly blurted out in surprise. "Did you know it was her?" He grilled.
I rubbed my hands down my face, and groaned before I shook my head slightly in response. "I had no idea it was her. You could have warned me before I got involved. Why was she attacking Anna, I thought they were friends. And what the fuck was she wearing?" I started getting fired up with all the unanswered questions flying around my head about my girl and her sudden personality changes. She was my mate and I should know everything about her and why she seemed to be acting so differently.
"I didn’t really have time to warn you, I was kinda preoccupied in case you failed to notice. I’ve got no idea what’s up with Roxy today, but I'm sure Anna will find out and tell me about it later. I can text you when I know."
I nodded at Frankie, hoping that everything was alright with her. She might hate me, but nothing will ever stop me from caring about her.
Roxy
Footsteps were nearing the bathroom I was currently using as my hideout. I stopped my pacing and turned to glare at whoever had the nerve to interrupt my anger fuelled pity party. The door creaked open slightly, and I watched as Anna's head popped through the crack, her eyes scanning the room. The glare fell from my face, and tears immediately welled up in my eyes at how nervous she looked.
"I'm so unbelievably sorry Anna." My voice was barely a whisper, all my energy and drive leaving me at the same time as I collapsed to the floor, letting my tears trickle down my face. The door slammed shut and the click of the lock bounced off the baby pink tiled walls. Anna’s light footsteps were making a hasty dash towards me as I lost control over my emotions. Before I could register what was happening, Anna had wrapped my five foot seven frame into a soothing hug, rocking back and forth telling me to let it all out. So I did.
After fifteen minutes of heavy crying, I pulled away from her embrace, wiping my eyes on the hem of my shirt.
"What happened to you Rox, why are you like this? I knew you wouldn't like being on the bikini brigade, but I didn't think it was really all that bad."
A laugh mixed in with the dying sobs of my mini panic followed her statement before I was able to speak.
"Oh Anna, it really isn't that bad. I just have a lot on my mind this morning, and my frustrations finally got the better of me. I'm so sorry that my wrath came out on you. Can you forgive me?" I was now worried I had pushed the limits of our friendship too far by attempting to attack her.
"We are best friends till the end. Anna Rae Charles and Roxanne Lei Sparks - for better or worse we stick together. Tell me what is bothering you today and I will try to help you figure it out." Sincerity laced her voice and I silently thanked the higher powers for giving me such an understanding best friend.
I let out a sigh before peeking at her from the corner of my eye. The concern and worry clearly evident on her face broke my resolve to keep all of this a secret. Without warning, I was suffering from the worst case of word vomit I had ever encountered. I spilled to her about what I had overheard, how I agreed with what the boys had discussed and about my decision to reject Blaze.
When I was all out of words, I gulped in a huge amount of oxygen and released it slowly, waiting for her reaction. She wrapped me up in another sisterly hug, making it seem so natural before speaking her piece.
"Sweetie, that's a lot to take on all by yourself. Why didn't you call me straight away?"
"You were at the party, and I was online completing my night class lesson, we were both busy."
"We are never too busy for each other. Having a mate is a truly glorious thing, Rox, are you sure this is what you want to do?"
"I have to. I can't put the pack in danger. If anything happened, I would never be able to forgive myself."
"You have put a lot of thought into this. As your best friend, I will be there for you through it all, so don't try to shy away from me if things get tough. Promise me that you will let me help you," Anna pleaded, ending the conversation.
We both nodded in turn at each other before hugging again. Anna helped me tidy up my hair that had come loose from my hair ties as I attempted to wash the dried tear streaks and redness from my face. She offered me a sad yet supportive smile, before we headed to the door, preparing to face the rest of the day as though it were any other regular school day.