Chapter 2 CHAPTER TWO | MOTH TO A FLAME

Alaia POV

As we arrived at school, a sense of dread began to wash over me.

I’d never been 100% comfortable in social situations, and it showed. I only had one friend, Jordyn, who’d been with me for as long as I could remember. She knew all my secrets and fears and never judged me. She was my sister, if not through blood, absolutely through bond.

Aaron parked the car, and I spotted his group of friends by the front entrance.

With Aaron being who he was, people flocked to him like moths to a flame. All the “popular” kids hung with him and hung on to his every word.

I knew my brother was awesome, but I sometimes wondered if they really liked him or if they were just hanging around because they knew he was their future alpha. Either way, we both got out and grabbed our bags from the back seat.

As was his habit for as long as I could remember, Aaron looked over and asked me, “You good, sis?”

I gave him a small nod, which he returned with a smile. He then turned toward the entrance and headed for his friends. When he reached the front steps, his best friend and soon-to-be Beta, Alexi, stepped forward to greet him.

Alexi was a god amongst men, if I did say so myself. He was the same height as Aaron at 6’2 with a muscular build, gorgeous tan skin, impossible gray eyes, and dirty blond hair that looked like silk and made me want to run my fingers through it.

But unlike Aaron, Alexi was a man whore.

He changed girls like socks, always with someone new, and he had never once looked in my direction. I wondered if he avoided me out of respect for my brother or if I was just too dull for him. Either way, I wished he were mine.

I don’t know how long I had been standing and staring, but Jordyn walked up to me and snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Stop drooling before you slip in the puddle,” she said while giggling.

“Oh shut it,” I replied before I grabbed her arm and swung her towards the cafeteria.

“Need. Food. Now.” I said dramatically, making her roll her eyes.

As if she already knew, she asked, “Snoozed through breakfast again, huh?”

“You know me all too well, don’t you, my love? Come on, we’ve got to be quick, so I can grab a snack and tell you about my morning.”

At this, her eyebrows shot up.

“It’s not even 8:00; besides you lusting after Alexi, what would have already happened this morning?”

I ignored her comment and told her about my mom’s revelation about my birthday party this Saturday.

“On top of all that, my dad is inviting four alphas from our neighboring packs to the party, too. Aaron is so excited to meet his mate finally, but I don’t know how to feel. What if my mate feels like I’m not good enough? If he’s an alpha, will he want me to be his pack’s Luna? What if he doesn’t want me and rejects me? What if...”

Before I could finish my thought, Jordyn pinched my nose and shut me up.

“Girl, chill out and breathe; all of these ‘what ifs’ are only going to drive both you and me crazy. Just relax. There is no guarantee that you’ll meet your mate on Saturday, but when you do, he will love you and treat you like the goddess you are. If he doesn’t, he’ll have to deal with me, and he won’t want that,” she said with a wink.

As one of the strongest warriors in the Opal Moon pack, Jordyn was a force to be reckoned with, and we all knew it.

“No, he definitely doesn’t want that,” I said with a smile.

A little calmer, I finally made it to the cafeteria and rushed over to the snack machines. I really would have preferred some bacon and eggs, but this pack of mini blueberry muffins and a bottle of orange juice would have to do. Jordyn and I then headed back to the main hallway before parting ways to go to our homeroom classes.

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As I took my seat in Mrs. Mitchell’s class, I tore into my breakfast. I was so consumed by the blueberry goodness that I didn’t even notice Alexi sit next to me until he let out a small laugh.

“Hungry?”

I immediately choked on a piece of muffin and had to chug some juice before I could clear my throat and reply.

“Oh, hey, Alexi. Sorry, my mom and your BFF made me miss breakfast this morning, so I’m a little hungry.”

I felt my face getting red as I looked over and saw the small grin tugging at the corners of his delicious lips. Oh, if only I could have licked those lips. I could have done all kinds of dirty things.

I was pulled out of my dirty girl fantasy when Victoria, Alexi’s flavor of the week, walked by and purposefully bumped into me. Her sickly sweet perfume almost made me gag, and when she opened her mouth, it sounded like the wailing of a dying banshee.

“Babyyy, why are you sitting back here with this nobody instead of at the front with me?”

To make her point, she crossed her arms under her poorly stuffed bra, pushing up her faux cleavage, and gave Alexi her best pout. I rolled my eyes and began to turn back towards the front of the class before I snuck a glance at Alexi. He looked at her, and I saw a look of exasperation flash across his face before he hid it with one of his megawatt smiles.

“I’ll be right there, Valerie; I just needed to talk to Alaia real quick.”

Her face dropped when she realized that Alexi had just called her “Valerie” instead of “Victoria,” but before she could bring it up, Alexi spun her around and gave her a small push towards the front of the class.

I let off a small chuckle before I could catch myself, which Victoria heard. She glared at me over her shoulder and gave me her best sneer. Oh, if looks could kill.

Alexi got my attention again by saying, "I heard about the party the Luna is throwing. Good luck finding your mate. I hope he's everything you deserve."

Then he was up, sliding back towards Victoria without so much as a backward glance.

I stared at the space he'd just left and tried to figure out what had just happened. Good luck finding your mate. Like he was sending me off. Like he was closing a door he'd barely opened. I turned the words over, looking for a seam, some hidden warmth tucked inside the politeness, and came up empty.

He was just being nice. That's all.

I'd watched Alexi Kostov be nice to girls for three years. Nice, for him, was a hand on the small of your back and a smile that made you forget your own name. Nice was easy and automatic and cost him nothing.

That hadn't been nice. That had been something else. Something careful.

I glanced up before I could stop myself. He'd made it back to Victoria, who immediately wound her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth to his like she was staking a claim. He let her. Of course he let her. He was Alexi.

I looked away.

“He was just being nice,” I told myself again. “He chose her. He always chooses someone like her.”

And in four days, I'd be eighteen, and the Moon Goddess would hand me the one person in the world made specifically for me, and I was sitting here in first period, aching over a boy who rarely had more than two words to say to me.

I gathered my things as the bell rang and thought about what Jordyn had said: He will love you and treat you like the goddess you are.

I pressed my lips together and hoped she was right.

Because my track record with hope, so far, was not looking great.