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•Sometimes, we create our own heartbreak through expectations.•
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Leaving was more of an ordeal than I would've thought. As per wolf custom, mates live together once they find each other. As if. Mrs. Pots and I had stood strong against all of the complaints of me leaving. In the end I flipped off Damian after blowing kisses to everyone else. I heard his growl which made me bolt to Mrs. Pots car, and we peeled out.

Now I stand under the burning hot water of Mrs. Pots shower the next morning. I open the glass door and step out after turning it off. Steam is everywhere, almost making it hard to breathe. I place my hand on the slightly wet wall and slide it around looking for the fan switch. After a few fumbling moments, the fan turns on almost immediately clearing out the steam. I take a deep breath and begin to dry myself off, ignoring the goosebumps all up and down my arms.

Satisfied with my damp hair I slip on my tight black cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline. The dress falls mid thigh with a slit on the side giving me more movement. I pull on army green thigh high socks, thigh high black boots, and a cargo green oversized jacket. I roll up the sleeves clipping them into place before putting on gold bracelets on my left wrist, keeping my right wrist for Jude's bracelet. I clip on a gold necklace that falls between the valley of my breasts, contrasting nicely against the black of my dress. I lean closer or the mirror and pull most of my damp/dry hair over to my left side of my head, giving it a breeze swept, slightly messy, but casual look.

I open the door waving goodbye to Mrs. Pots who was watching Greys Anatomy, grab the keys, and head off to school. Once there I park next to Coral and Connor who were with the rest of the pack. I hop out and am greeted with respectful kindness.

I'm talking with Coral when I feel eyes on me, making me turn; they don't feel like Damian. I lift my eyebrow up in question when I see a trio of girls scowling at me. Well... two of them were, the third was actually sucking the face off of one of the basketball players. When they notice that I caught them, they turn their noses up and march into the school. I turn back to see Coral opening her mouth to inform me about them.

"I swear to god if you say those are the 'Queen Bee's' I will actually break down. My life as it is is already a cliche teenage book. I don't need the three bitches added in." I stop to take a deep breath making the pack chuckle at me.

"Sorry, but that's exactly what it is." Coral says grinning from ear to ear. "The gorgeous Hispanic one? That's Rachel Kenny, she's actually super nice to us, only because her and her posse have been trying to get with the pack for years." I actually want to slam my head against a tree at how cliche it is. "The red head snogging Mathew is Heather Smithy, and the perfect one is Ashley Roberts. They're all generally nice, unless you piss them off." Coral smirks. "Which looks as if you have."

"I really don't need this." I go to continue and complain when I feel familiar eyes on me. Before I turn around, his arms wrap around my waist. I blush and roll my eyes turning in his arms. I cock my hip, with a 'really' look plastered on my face.

"Hey Nia." He leans down to place a kiss on me. I scoff and wiggle out of his arms, leaving him pouting. "Baby."

"I'm not your baby." I say laughing as I grab my bag and make my way to the school.

"Nia-" he whines. I shake my head, walking into the school with him following me like a lost puppy. I giggle to myself thinking of the irony, while Coral loops her arm through mine.

"Your mate is adorable." She says grinning.

"He isn't. I am." Connor says pouting at Coral's words.

"Oh hush." She waves her hand in his direction. "Go to class babe."

"See! She calls him babe!" Damian says scowling. I stop outside my class, Coral walking in. I vaguely hear Tommy and Ruan immediately bickering with Coral.

"Well, Mr. Nightcresent. It'd be weird if I, a student, called you, a teacher, babe. Wouldn't it?" Damian seems to straighten up at my words looking around before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Okay okay. Fine." He looks down the hallway before ducking down and kissing me on the cheek, then he was gone. Blushing I walk into class and go sit next to the three idiots making a majority of the noise in the class.

~•~•~

At lunch I slam into a seat at the large table. All the pack members heads jerk up to my sudden movements. Then they look up to Coral, Connor, Tommy, and Ryan in question as I slam my head on the table.

"Ashley, Heather, and Rachel have been on her ass all day." Connor explains sitting down and pulling Coral on his lap.

"It's like they see me talking to you guys and suddenly have a burning passion to try and make me embarrassed." I sit straight up throwing my arms up in exasperation. "Their new life goal is to try and ruin my social life, do they not realize that I. Don't. Care?" I know my eyes are wide and I know I probably look creepy.

"You sure you don't care? You looked like you were gonna cry in second period." Rachel sneers as she walks up to the table.

"Oh yeah, the sound of your nasty ass voice was bringing me to tears." I snap, not looking up from the table. "The only thing I'd like to say to you three is," I lift up my head and finally acknowledge her and her goons existence. "That if we weren't in school I'd beat all your asses." Her brown eyes widen as she stumbles back when I stand. "Now. Why don't you all just back the fuck up and stop trying to make me feel pathetic. Y'all can feel pathetic enough for the four of us." I wave my hands in a shooing motion making them gape at me.

"Well am I arriving just on time to witness and break up my first school fight?" Says a calm and collected voice. I lift my eyebrow, briefly ignoring Damian, to stare down the three.

"I don't know. Is he?" I ask tilting my head tauntingly.

"Oh whatever. Bitch." She mumbles quietly. She winks at Damian as she, Ashley, and Heather leave to their own table.

"She's actually insane." I mumble as Damian laughs, leaning his hip against the table and placing his hands in his pockets. "You know, amidst a few girls complimenting my outfit-"

"You look gorgeous by the way." Damian interrupts grinning. I sigh and roll my eyes before continuing.

"She walks up saying something about it being 'last year' then waits as if to see me break down in tears." I growl angry that this girl thought she could hurt me so easily. "Insane. Actually insane."

Damian's POV

Seeing her so frustrated makes me chuckle. Sure the Triplet Bitchet, as Nia has come to calling them, are super annoying, it just entertains me to see her get so confusingly angry. Nia quite honestly looked sexy when angry and I want nothing more than to take her away, mark her, then take us into a private-

No. Nope. Not going there. I clear my throat and look at the table where she was begrudgingly eating some tater tots that I bought her. She gets up to throw away the empty boat; my eyes glue to her curves that can only be hinted at underneath the oversized jacket. I cross my right arm over my chest leaving my left hand propped up, thumb running over my bottom lip as I try to restrain myself.

All of us crack up as we see her flip off Rachel's table before spinning on her heel and stomping back here. She comes up to me, which surprises me but I'm not complaining. Her toned pale arms wrap around my neck, pulling herself closer as she buries her head in the crook of my neck. I wrap my arms around her waist pulling her even closer, murmuring in her ear.

"What's wrong?" I ask, hands running up and down her back.

"I'm trying not to rip her head off." She grinds out making my eyes widen. I take a deep breath, smelling her anger. Slowly her shaking body calms down as I trail my hands over her, kissing her head, and just making sure she doesn't go hurt anyone.

"What'd she say?" I ask pulling back, her eyes find my own and I see pure gold, she was holding back.

"Told me that you were good in bed." At her almost heartbroken look, my body goes rigid. Not for the first time, I wish to god I had taken my mother's advice and save myself for my mate. But nope. I had to be a horny dumb ass and sleep with Rachel, who just used that as a jab at my mate.

"Nia," I whisper out. Her golden eyes darken with rage as she sees the truth on my face. She closes her eyes taking a deep breath before they snap open, the golden color coming back full force, rage boiling her blood.

"What the fuck?!" She shoves me back, ripping herself out of my arms. "You slept with her?" Her voice cracks, as she whispers out hoarsely. Only my pack could hear her words when all the humans could see is a student pushing back the new teacher.

"Baby-" I try reaching out for her. She steps back, holding her hands up, looking at me with anger.

"I am not your baby." She hisses, no teasing at all in her voice. She turns on her heel, before running out. I obviously follow her calling out to her.

"Nia, Nia, please." I try as we reach the front of the school. Her whole body was trembling with anger as she turns to look at me.

"Look. It's one thing to sleep with a few girls when in relationships. I won't hold that against you." Her eyes narrow. "It's that fact that you've slept with every single willing girl you could." She spits out, anger rolling off her in waves.

"How did y-"

"How did I find out my supposed mate is a man whore? Player? Heartbreaker?" I wince with every one of her words. "When I realized you slept with Rachel. I took one deep breath, one deep breath focused on the scents of nearby girls." She scoffs, shaking her head humorlessly. "I smelled you. On them. In them." I see her eyes fill, breaking my heart even more. "And you expect me to trust you? With my life? You expect me to be your Luna?"

"Enania, please. I was dumb," her choked laugh filled sob makes me stop.

"You knew you had a mate, yet you still slept with every willing girl." Her shaking hands angrily wipe her tears. "I've been hurt, used, and then thrown away. I- I can't do this to myself again." Her now brown eyes with a golden ring around the edge show me how much of the truth she said was. "I won't be able to do it again. I won't be able to survive another heartbreak." Then she yanks open her car door, climbs in and drives away.

"Nia? Damian?!" Connor says jogging out. His hand lands on my shoulder. "Hey."

"I fucked up Connor. Really bad." I whisper, eyes on the farthest point I could see.

"She was gonna find out sooner or later Damian. You were with a lot of girls." Coral says harshly. "I made Connor sleep on the porch for a month for sleeping with two girls." Her unsympathetic eyes meet my own. "I don't even know what she'll do to you."

"She's gonna leave me." I say emotionlessly.

"You're a dumb ass! Go fucking get her. Make her listen to you, don't let her just leave. You still have a month to prove to her. Now you have a month to prove your loyalty, and her capabilities of being Luna." Coral snaps, standing in front of me angrily. "That girl is the best friend I needed don't you dare take her way from me." Her pale finger points to my black Jeep. "Now go."

I don't even snap at her for telling an alpha wolf what to do, I just book it. She's right. I have a month, Nia gave me a month and I'm gonna use it to win her trust back and make her my Luna.

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•Trust is earned when actions meet words.•
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Vanessa Hudgens as Rachel Kenny

Bruna Dapper as Heather Smithy

Jaylen Baron as Ashley Roberts