Page 48 of Moon Kissed

I stomped off the bleachers to where Nia waited—my forced follower.

Stepping off the final step, solid ground gave way. My foot came down in a grotty puddle of mud, and went flying. I splashed face-first into my sudden mud bath.

“Nyx!”

Roaring laughs bounced off the night air—shutterclicks going off hot and furious.

“Game on, baby,” Nyx tossed over his shoulder as he walked away with two women under his arm. “But fair warning, you can’t play on this level.

“And you fuck sure won’t win.”

I STOMPED THROUGH THEhall, leading a hissing Nia after me.

“Daciana, please! Please, listen to me!” She shot in front of me.

I feigned right, spun, and ran around her—laughing when she squawked and rapid footfalls ended up chasing after me again.

“Will you stop!” she cried. “You’re not allowed out of your room after curfew. You’ve already got three demerits. Two more and you’re out.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. They can’t get me on murder. You really think a broken curfew is going to take me down? Those demerits are a joke.”

“They might be to you, but they’re not to me!” Her voice climbed higher and higher over the thumping bass. “Dagem said if I don’t keep you in line, my ass is out too!”

“Nottoo. Only,” I corrected. “So that’s a you problem, not a me problem.”

Nia let out such a string of vile, filthy insults at my back that I laughed so hard I choked.

“I like you.” I tossed her a wink over my shoulder. “You come off so calm and collected, but there’s a fierce wolftress in you after all.”

She snarled—golden eyes taking over and bleeding even more malice. “Ihateyou.”

“Oh, come on, Nia. Cheer up”—I busted Ava’s door in—“it’s a party.”

Music poured out of the hole in the wall. Taking up every available surface was either alcohol, amorous couples, bodies gyrating to the soca music, or discarded clothing. Strip poker in one corner. The beginnings of an orgy on the king-sized bed. Lines of shots across her bare desk that two people were banging out as fast as possible, trying to be the first one to down the last and win the coveted prize of alcohol poisoning.

Blowing inside, my second thought was this party was insane. Ava would be a legend before the sun rose. My first thought was too bad she wasn’t going to live to sunrise to enjoy it.

Ava chose a theme for her back-to-school party, and it was me.

Or to be more accurate, my complete and utter humiliation.

Blown-up photos of me were plastered everywhere. Me screeching my head off when Edric stomped my feet on the field. Me taking an impromptu flight through the air. Me lying crumpled and bleeding. Me pulling the most unfortunate grimace while flopping around in the mud. Ava even had me as a slideshow on the big-screen TV.

And under that television, she held court with my fates, the six of them laughing and yucking it up while Ava sat proudly on Badr’s lap. Seemed his wolf wasn’t so pissed off anymore.

If I expected everyone to get angry and lose their minds at the sight of me, I was disappointed.

“Oh, Daciana, there you are,” Ava purred, pressing her cleavage further up Badr’s chin. “What took you so long? I had a feeling you’d crash, so I decorated the party just for you. Do you like it?”

Drunken laughter assaulted my sensitive ears. I smiled wide. “I love it, Ava,” I gushed. “Aww, you’re so sweet throwing a party just for me. Now I feel bad for that Hineyness thing.”

Her grin melted away. “Get lost, bitch. And take the jellyfish with you.”

I didn’t have to ask who the jellyfish was. That was another name assholes had for omega wolves, because jellyfish were brainless, pointless animals that float around doing a whole bunch of nothing.

“Me and my plus-one aren’t going anywhere.” I threw out my hand, wiggling in my tight, little black stolen dress. “The guest of honor has arrived, everyone!”

“Mason, stop.”

---