Page 8 of Alpha's Fated Flame

"What happened yesterday?" asked Amber.

Jess explained everything to Amber while I sat silently, looking out the window and staring at the trees and nature.

"Oh my god, why didn't you tell me?" huffed Amber.

"You'd stop me," I said. "Anyway, it's not like it's going to happen again. I give up."

Then, in a softer tone, Amber tried consoling me. "Don't give up, Adrianna. You're a true werewolf."

"I know," I said, after hearing this same thing for the millionth time. It was the exact reason I hated talking about this to everyone. I was hoping Jess wouldn't out me, but it wouldn't be fair to Amber since we were all friends.

"Looks like we're here," said Jess, to my relief, parking on the side of the road behind a long line of cars. The GPS was blank on the dashboard, with no signal, which meant we were right where we needed to be, where the humans couldn’t find us.

As we exited the car, I inhaled the sharp scent of pine trees - the cool breeze hitting my face. It was a beautiful fall day, and it felt good to be away from my cashier's job for a bit and take a break. I worked as a cashier at a gas station.

It was the best I could do for myself. I had dropped out of college last year when I decided it was just too expensive and I couldn't keep taking out student loans.

I took a deep breath before we entered the camp.

The huge bonfire was already roaring as we approached the campgrounds. Two alpha bodyguards stood at the entrance of the curved gates, waiting for us. They sniffed us as we walked by them, and they put out an arm to stop us.

I was freaked out by that since that never happened to me before.

"Hold on a sec," one of them said gruffly.

He looked at me strangely, up and down, at my casual outfit. I had worn a simple pair of jeans and a black crop top that showed off my midsection. Then, he had me write out my name on a little slip of paper that they threw into a hot pink jar.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"It's for the drawing later," he replied, puzzled at my question. Jess and Amber shrugged, looking confused as well. They weren’t asked to put their names in, and I wondered what was so special about me. Oh well, they’ll find out soon enough that I was probably human.

There were about three hundred werewolves lounging around. The females were chatting away, and the males flexing in front of them. Fully shifted werewolves prowled the grounds, keeping watch.

My eyes widened at the sight. It looked like it was a highly organized event. I could see wild dancing, drinking, laughter, and speakers discussing werewolf pride and the evilness of humans.

Now, I wish I had put a little more effort into my outfit especially when I glanced at the high stage in the center of it all.

On the stage, lounged about a dozen or so beautifully dolled-up females on soft, plush cushions and pink fur rugs. They had bowls of fruit and candy strewn about as they giggled amongst themselves. They shyly peeked out from behind handheld, bejeweled fans with kohl-rimmed eyes.

My jaw dropped at the display.

"Are those the stuck up omegas you were talking about?" I whispered to Jess.

"Yup," she replied grimly. "They think they're better than the rest of us, since alphas can only mate with them and not betas."

"Well, theyarevery beautiful," I said, looking curiously at a stunning blonde omega dressed in red silks, who was winking at every alpha male walking by the stage.

She noticed me staring and held my gaze. She dropped her flirty act and gave me a small half-smile tinged with sadness. She looked away and resumed her attention towards the alpha males.

"That's because they get the best resources at the expense of the rest of us. God, I can't stand omega wolves," growled Jess, her nose high in the air as she turned away from the display.

At the moment, she looked more stuck up than they did.

I spotted my family standing in front of the bonfire, my mother talking to my sisters, Sarah and Lacy. My dad was throwing more wood into the fire and smiling at what they were saying.

"Oh shit," I ducked quickly behind Jess, trying to hide myself from their view. Amber was long gone with her new beta boyfriend.

"What is it?" Jess said loudly, trying to turn around to see me.

---