"Go away from here." Maria shouted as the person kept knocking on her door.
"Maria, it’s me, Jada. You’ve locked yourself since the marriage ceremony. Please open the door." Jada said softly from outside the room.
Jada was more than a training instructor. She was like an elder sister to Maria. But now she didn’t need anyone’s sympathy.
Maria ignored her until she didn’t hear her knocks. She stood up from the floor and sat on the bed. She was still dressed in the ceremonial outfit. Her face was pale from crying and her room was a mess. She had knocked over all the drawers and tables in anger that her wolf had to beg her to calm down so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
"I’m sure we’ll find our mate. Brian was just an arranged suitor, but our mate would love us." Her wolf comforted her.
The sun had begun to draw its curtain and everywhere was becoming dark. A knock sounded on the door again, louder and more repetitive this time.
"Jada please go away." Maria shouted from where she sat.
"It’s us." A familiar set of voices replied. Those were voices that she hadn’t heard in a long time. They had only been communicating through letters.
She moved towards the door and shifted the bolt. Her two childhood friends were in front of her. They drew closer and hugged her. Maria knew they wouldn’t miss her marriage ceremony. But there wasn’t a marriage to celebrate anymore.
The lantern by the corners illuminated the room in the dark evening.
"You guys came," She said as they sat down on the bed.
"We saw everything that happened. I’m sorry we couldn’t intervene." Diana said as she placed a hand on Maria’s back.
"I can’t believe that Sasha got rewarded for being a whore." Maria said bitterly. Everything that happened played out in her mind. She resumed another phase of crying. Her friends pulled her into their arms, allowing her to cry on their shoulders.
"You can’t keep crying. I understand how you feel." Lacy comforted her and Diana also chipped in. "Infact, you should go out. We know the best place for you."
Maria raised her tear soaked face and looked at them. "Where?"
Two guards followed the group of friends out of the packhouse. Diana and Lacy were from another pack. Her parents still disapproved of her going out without security because of the sudden disappearance of females.
"We’ll be fine from here. You can leave." Lacy told the guards who were with us.
"I’m sorry my lady, but we’re following orders."
"Take this. Give us ladies some time alone." Lacy stretched out a pouch which contained money.
The guards exchanged glances before collecting it from her hand.
"It’s a transaction. Don’t tell anyone about it." Lacy whispered to them before they left.
She felt relieved as the men left. It was a bit annoying to be followed everywhere especially when everyone thought she was weak for not having any special abilities.
"This way." Diana said, pausing in front of a wooden door. We entered the room and met a place bustling with life. Women were moving drinks on trays while the men were drinking. She also saw some couples in the corner, all over themselves.
"You should have a few drinks." Lacy said, as she signaling the man at the bar. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novel-fire.ɴet
The liquid trickled from the bottle into the container. The first sip burned her throat and she coughed, turning towards her friends.
"Is this alcohol?" Maria asked while looking into the cup.
"You should drink more. It’ll help you forget the pain." Lacy responded and filled Maria’s cup with more liquor. Maria couldn’t deny that despite the burning sting, it still tasted good. It made her feel lightheaded and in a few minutes she filled her cup up to ten times.
Maria dropped the cup on the table.
"I think I’ll use the toilet." She mumbled sluggishly.
The effect of the alcohol was still on her and she stood up from the stool while leaning on her friends.
"I can go by myself." Maria told them and headed in the direction of the toilet.
She pulled open a door and stepped inside. Her eyes were barely seeing clearly. But one thing she saw was a bed. In her intoxicated state, she hadn’t known that she had entered a room instead.
A man came closer to her, stumbling as he walked. It was clear that he was also drunk. What did she expect? Afterall, this was a place people came to drink and forget their sorrows.
"Are you lost?" He mumbled as he stood few inches away from her.
Maria moved closer to him and pressed her body against his chest. Her arms wrapped around him for support.
She giggled and pushed him on the bed, collapsing on top of his body. She tried to kiss him, but his lips were blocked by the veil over her face.
Maria felt her clothes go over her knees and rough hands kneading against her bare thighs. She leaned her body against his, enjoying every bit of the act. She was still unaware of her surroundings when she felt something break into her body, between her thighs. She opened her rum stained mouth in a gasp, leaning closer to him and allowing her body to slide against his.
Everything happened in a haze, but she was only sure of one thing. Maria’s hand touched her face carelessly and she felt a covering over it. No matter how hard she tried to push the veil off, it still remained there. They said nothing to themselves. Only their giggles and deep breaths filled the room.
She felt something go between her thighs once again. She allowed the blurry feeling to sink in, unsure of what it was. Her eyes began fluttering shut, and the next thing she felt—nothing.