Chapter 3

As it turns out, Grandma Lisa is excited to help me get ready for the party at her house. Only ranking pack members truly live at the house and the occasional guest from other packs. It's used more as a central location for meals, gatherings, training grounds, and other pack activities. Grandma Lisa's house is on the outskirts of the pack lands and she has one of the most amazing gardens I have ever seen. The Alphas and Betas are due to arrive any time now, and all the unmated wolves are running around losing their minds. This is supposed to be a birthday bash for the wolves in our pack that has turned eighteen, but really nobody cares about that. Even our own Alpha just wants to see if a mate can be found so a treaty or alliance can be formed.

It's not long before crowds start filing into the ballroom. The balloon arches at every doorway give a pop of color against the white walls of the ballroom. Everything was perfect, right down to the little details. The dessert table has multiple cakes in a variety of buttercream frosting colors and is decorated with simplicity. Ribbons were tied in neat bows on the backs of the chairs. Streamers hung from the ceiling and a big banner was draped across the floor-to-ceiling windows that read 'Birthday Bash Extravaganza!' in bold letters. I find myself practically pressed against the wall trying to become invisible. This is one of the most overwhelming evenings I've had in a very long time.

"Shanna? Are you there?" I reach out to her.

"I'm here. I got your back. You got this." She says with enough confidence for both of us.

"You're the best," I reply back to her.

I get brought out of my thoughts by a little boy in our pack asking me to dance with him. He's no older than five and I've been babysitting him since he was practically born. His parents are nice enough to me, but that's about it. I giggle and let him drag me out onto the dance floor where groups were already dancing. I twirl him around and get on my knees to let him twirl me around. By the end of the song, we are both laughing. His parents wave him over back to them and I turn to look for a drink. That's when I bump directly into someone and almost fall over.

"Whoa there. Where are you off to gorgeous?" The smell of vodka hits me like a freight train causing me internally gag.

"Excuse me. I'm heading to the bathroom really quick." I sidestep him with ease and disappear into the crowd.

"Shanna, maybe this wasn't a good idea," I tell her.

"Nonsense!" She scoffs back at me. I shake my head and let out a sigh. The most delicious smell suddenly surrounds me in a mixture of chocolate, roses, and something exotic that I can't quite place. As soon as I register what I'm smelling, the scent practically vanishes.

"MATE! Lizzie! Mate is here!" Shanna practically shouts inside my mind.

"Easy Shanna. Please don't shout. Is that what I just smelled? Our Mate's scent?" I ask her questioningly.

"Yes!"

"Hey, are you an Omega? You're pretty hot for such a low position." A complete stranger says as he approaches me. I can sense that he's ranked but not an Alpha. He could be a Beta or even a Gamma.

"Thank you?" I reply back with uncertainty.

"Got a mate? I'd love to tap that hot ass of yours." He says while trying to contain his intoxicated laughter.

"Sorry, I have a mate. He'll rip your head off without thinking twice if you don't leave me alone." I lie straight through my teeth as I walk away from him. My scent alone would tell any unmated guy that I don't have a mate. However, alcohol messes with the senses making it easy enough to get away with the lie. As the party got underway there was, in fact, one unmated Gamma that found his mate in our pack, and an older Beta from another pack found his mate here as well after years of searching. I wander the ballroom with my eyes cast down trying to stay invisible all the while searching for that scent. It's like the guy just vanished.

"I hope he didn't leave." I think to myself.

"I would have heard a car drive off. Enhanced wolf hearing remember?" Shanna huffs her frustration.

"Sorry, Shanna. I know you're searching as well. I want to find our mate for the both of us." I tell her.

I find myself a seat at an empty table in a corner to get out of the way for a bit. I slip out of my heels and place them on the table so I don't forget them. I'd much rather just walk around barefoot than continue walking in them, but this is a formal event. Not even three minutes later and I'm being splashed with someone's ice cold drink.

"Ahh!" I gasp and jump up from the shock of the cold.

"My bad! I tol' her I'm clummsssy when I... I drink." The stranger that spilled his drink on me stumbles over his words and his feet once more.

"That's alright. I'm just going to go to the restroom to clean up." I peel myself away from the encounter and make my way across the room toward the restroom.

I push through the door and head towards one of the many porcelain sinks. I take a few paper towels out of the nearby dispenser and use the water from the faucet to dampen them. The whole encounter must have distracted me because I don't notice right away that there were a few other she-wolves lingering in the corner exchanging snickers. Their muffled laughs and giggles catch my attention and I do everything I can to ignore them, keeping my eyes on my skirt as I dab at it with a damp paper towel. The drink was an ugly red color and it was not coming out hardly at all. I feel a tear fall and I quickly brush it away.

I'm so distracted that I don't sense that someone has come up behind me. That someone grabs the back of my arm harshly, yanking me off my feet and onto the ground. Before I can even see who it is, I feel a sharp pain across my cheek. It's so sudden, and the force is so strong, that my head snaps to the side. After a moment of gathering my thoughts and the shock starts to wear off, I look up and see an average-looking she-wolf towering over me.

"What the hell?" is all I can manage.

"You filthy whore! Are you trying to sleep with every guy here?" She shrieks and sends some spit down at my face.

"What are you even talking about?" I ask from the floor. I wipe her spit off my cheek and look up at her.

"You can't be serious. I saw you talking to Craig. He's drunk and you tripped him so he'd pay attention to you. He'd never go for an Omega, especially the pack slave." She yells down at me.

"Are you out of your mind? How much have YOU had to drink?" I spat. "You're an idiot."

"What did you just call me?" She screams.

"I didn't trip him! I don't even know him!" I use the sink to pull myself back up to my feet. "The fact that you think I'd be interested in him or any guy here, makes you even dumber than I originally thought." Her face is priceless. I already know I'm going to end up being beaten and punished for this encounter, but pressing this girl's buttons is becoming really fun. My smirk earns me another slap, and this time, it's from one of the other girls who decided this girl needs backup.

"How dare you talk to us that way!" She growls at me.

"You both are insane! Just leave me alone!" I make an attempt to sidestep them and receive the third slap that knocks me back to the ground.

"Don't you ever!" Kick. "Ever!" Kick. "Ever!" Kick to the chest. "Talk to us that way again!" They both shriek down at me as they take turns kicking me while I'm down.

"Go to hell," I spit back. Yes, I don't know how to stay down and shut up it seems. I see her foot coming at my face again when a massive roar shakes the entire house and stops her dead in her tracks. I have no idea what it is or even who it is, but a part of me is glad it makes her pause. I can feel myself losing consciousness when the scent of chocolate, roses, and that something exotic I can't place floods my senses straight to my soul. Then I hear a very soothing, yet extremely pissed-off voice enter the bathroom.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY MATE!!" He bellows through the bathroom.

"Mate found us." Shanna excitedly shouts.

"That's good," I tell her.

"Mate will take care of us now."

"I hope so," I tell her just as I lose consciousness.