CONFRONTATION AND REGRET

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "Lucas said I could stay if I convince you," she explained, her voice steady.

Arion turned to face me, her eyes narrowing. "You're already on a first-name basis with him?" she asked, a hint of mockery in her voice. "Or have you two started sleeping with each other ?"

Lucas let out a scoff, clearly uncomfortable with Arion's insinuations.

Feeling the need to clarify my situation, I continued, "I can't go back to my pack. They rejected me because of my sister, and I don't have anywhere else to go."

Arion listened to my explanation, her expression remaining cold and indifferent. "You can go back darling," she said dismissively. "Infact..You will go back."

With those final words, Arion turned and walked away, leaving i and Lucas standing in stunned silence.

I felt the weight of rejection and frustration, finally snapped. "Why do you have to be such a bitch?" I yelled at Arion. "Being mean is never the answer!"

Arion heard my outburst and turned back to face me, her expression unreadable. I took a deep breath, my voice shaking with emotion as I continued, "I'm tired of people treating me like shit. My choices may be flawed, but so is everyone else's."

Arion walked towards me, her eyes locked onto mine. "Say that again," she commanded, her voice low and threatening.

Lucas remained silent, watching the exchange unfold.

Summoning courage, I confronted Arion boldly. "I know you're a demon and you can't understand how messed up I am," I said, my voice filled with both defiance and vulnerability. "My parents and best friends are the only people who appreciate my existence," I yelled, my voice echoing in the tense silence. "I'll leave, but you'll have to drag my dead body out of here first," I declared, challenging Arion with her determination.

A few intense moments passed, the air thick with tension. Arion's expression softened, and a small smile crept onto her face. "She can stay," she muttered, stepping away from Sophie.

Lucas, visibly relieved, approached me and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Well done," he whispered, his voice.

*****

__WEREWOLF TERRITORY--

LAURA'S POV

I couldn't shake the feeling of concern for my best friend, Sophie. Thad parted ways with her in the forest earlier, with Sophie needing some time alone to clear her head. Unable to shake her worries, I decided to check on Sophie at her house.

Upon arriving at Sophie's house, I was surprised not to find Sophie sitting outside her favorite spot when ever she feels sad. I approached Sophie's parents, my expression filled with worry. "Has Sophie arrived?" I asked anxiously.

Sophie's parents looked puzzled. "We thought she went to the party with you," her mother replied.

My heart sank as she realized Sophie hadn't returned home after all."what !"

"Imelda where's Sophie" Sophie's mum asked

Taking a deep breath, I began to explain what had transpired at the party. "The alpha chose Sophie as his mate,"

"That's a good news, maybe she's with the alpha" sophie's father put in

" But..."

" But what! Imelda can you tell us what's going on ,I'm getting scared already "

I began, recounting the events of the evening. "But then he rejected her because she couldn't shift and he said she's a weak werewolf , I and Sophie was devastated and we left the party, on our way back home,sophie said she needed some time to clear her head before going back home."

Sophie's mother gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Sophie," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "We need to find her."

Just then, Sophie's father stormed into the room, his face red with anger. "How could you leave her alone, Laura?" he demanded, his voice filled with frustration. "She's your best friend!"

My eyes filled with tears, guilt washing over her. "I know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I made a mistake. I should have stayed with her."

Sophie's father didn't say another word. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the house, determination in his stride.

Sophie's mother hugged me tightly, offering me comfort. "We'll find her," she said softly. "And we'll make sure she knows she's not alone."she said as she followed her husband in large stride

I nodded gratefully, wiping away my tears. "Thank you," she whispered. "I just want her to be safe."

I'm such a bad best friend and I'm not sure I would ever forgive myself, I shouldn't have left sophie behind. She wouldn't have done the same to me , she would stay by my side if I was the one rejected . I would not forgive myself if something bad happens to Sophie

I was not thinking straight, everything was happening so fast and I didn't enough time to think. I hear the sound of the door opening and I turned to the figure

"Did you find her"

"Find who" Imelda said as she walked in with Alex Riley closely behind her, they are both holding hands

A wave of sudden anger takes over me as I watch both of them, it made me sick if this a**hole as not rejected my beautiful sophie all these wouldn't be happening

"It's all your fault" I said as I turned to Alex with evident of sadness on my face

"It's all your f*ucking fault " I said as I launched myself towards him immediately

Imelda, sensing the imminent danger of a werewolf shift, quickly stepped between I and Alex, herding me back with her arms outstretched. "Stop!" she commanded, her voice firm. "This isn't the way."

My chest heaving with anger and frustration, knew deep down that I couldn't defeat Alex, especially since he was an Alpha. But at that moment, I don't care. I was consumed by my emotions and the need to tear him apart with my hands

Imelda, trying to maintain a semblance of calm, asked me about her sister. "Where is Sophie?" she demanded, her eyes searching Laura's face for answers.

"She's gone"I replied close to tears

"What! To where" Alex asked looking into my eyes for answers

Guilt and regret welled up inside me " I and Sophie were walking home after the rejection of this blinded ungrateful bat but she said she wanted to be alone, knowing she was devastated i had to give her some space ,so I left her. Now she's nowhere to be found."

Imelda's face paled, her heart sinking at the realization of her sister's vulnerability and the danger she might be in. "Oh, Sophie," she whispered, her voice filled with devastation "where mom and dad" she questioned hoping for reassurance

my expression turned even more somber as i replied, "They've gone looking for her."

"Oh my days... I really hope my sister is fine " she said as she was close to tears

"You're right," Alex admitted, his voice filled with regret. " I was foolish and selfish, but this is because of my father,My actions led to Sophie's dismissal. I should've handled things differently."

" Yes ... You are foolish and selfish, An alpha that doesn't consider the feelings of his pack"

" look, Laura this is no time to put a blame on someone, I'm sorry okay... I promise I would find Sophie" Alex replied feeling sorry and worried at the same time

Imelda, her face pale and eyes filled with guilt, nodded in agreement. "I shouldn't have accepted the proposal," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I never thought it would lead to this."

Alex turned to me, his eyes filled with determination. "I'll do everything in my power to find Sophie and bring her back safely," he promised.

I scoffed, my eyes narrowing as I watched Alex prepare to leave. Just as he was about to walk out the door, Imelda spoke up, her voice pleading. "Can I come with you? I need to help find my sister."

Alex hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Of course," he said, turning to me. "Are you coming?"

My eyes flashed with anger and determination as i responded, "I'm only coming because of Sophie. And if you don't find her, I won't forgive you."

I, Imelda, and Alex set out in Alex's car, the tension palpable as we embarked on their mission to find Sophie. As he drove through the darkened streets, I couldn't shake the worry that It was late, and I know my parents would soon realize I'm outside and my parents would likely set out to find me. But i pushed aside my concerns, reminding myself that i was doing this for my best friend, and I believe that my parents would understand.

Inside the car, the atmosphere was thick with silence until Alex broke the quiet. "Laura, where exactly did you leave Sophie?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with concern.

I hesitated for a moment, my guilt resurfacing as I recalled the spot where i had last seen Sophie. "I left her in the forest," i admitted reluctantly, "close to an oak tree near the clearing where we parted ways."

Alex nodded, his eyes focused on the road as he navigated through the darkened streets. "Thank you for telling me," he said. "That gives us a starting point."

"Yes... a starting point to my find my best friend or someone would regret his actions" I scoffed

" Would you ever forgive me Laura" he asked as his eyes were focused on the road

" You wish" I rolled my eyes in irritation

Imelda, seated in the backseat, clutched her hands together, her face pale with worry. " Can you two please shut up , you are not helping matters,We have to find her," she whispered, her voice filled with desperation.

I nodded in agreement, my heart heavy with guilt and concern. "We will," she said determinedly. "We have to or else someone is going his going to know that not only alpha are the strongest werwolves"

" I already made a promise to you Laura , I promise I would find Sophie"

" You better do " I said as I look up and saw two familiar figures " stop , that's Mr and Mrs Kevin "

" Yes that's my mom and dad" Imelda nodded in agreement as she looked up to see the figures

"Please, Laura I know you hate me now but just do me this favour, please don't tell Sophie's parents that I was the one who rejected her," he begged, his voice filled with desperation.

I looked at him sternly, my guilt still fresh in my mind. "I'll keep your secret," i said, "but only if you do everything in your power to find Sophie. If you fail to do so, I won't hesitate to speak up."

Alex nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of my condition. "I promise," he said, determination in his voice. "I'll do everything I can to find her. Just do this one favor for me"

" Fine"I scoffed and rolled my eyes as I agreed to his plea

With our agreement settled, I, Alex, and Imelda stepped out of the car to meet Sophie's parents. As we approached, i could see the worry etched on their faces, their eyes filled with a mixture of hope and desperation.

"Mom, dad" Imelda called out as she ran towards her parents

"Imelda... Where is Sophie" Mrs Kevin said as she pulled her into warm hug and teary eyes

Sophie's mother rushed forward releasing herself from the hug toward me, her eyes searching my face. "Have you seen Sophie?" she asked, her voice trembling.

My heart ached as she looked into the worried eyes of Sophie's parents. " No...but,We're doing everything we can to find her,"

" Who is this man" Mr Kevin asked as he raises his eyebrow giving Alex a bloodshot stare

" I'm... "

" Erm.. he's a friend, he is going to help us in search of Sophie"i interrupted alex " he has a good werewolf sense, he would help us find her" i continued and i turned to alex to give him you are welcome look,Alex returned the gaze with a grateful nod. "I owe you a lot for this," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity.

Before i could respond, Sophie's father, Mr. Kevin, turned to Alex, his eyes filled with urgency. "What are you still waiting for?" he demanded. "Use your werewolf senses to find her."

Alex nodded, taking a deep breath to center himself. "I'll do my best," he said, focusing his energy to tap into his werewolf senses.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Alex concentrated, trying to pick up any trace of Sophie's scent or aura. After a few moments, his eyes snapped open, a look of determination crossing his face.

"I've got her scent," he announced, his voice filled with relief and determination. "She's this way."

Without wasting another moment, Alex led the group in the direction he sensed Sophie's scent, his werewolf senses guiding him towards her. I, Imelda, and Sophie's parents followed closely behind, our hearts filled with hope and anticipation.

Mrs. Kevin, wiping away her tears, managed to ask Alex, "Are you sure she's this way?"

"Yes," Alex responded firmly through their mental link, his werewolf form exuding an air of determination.

As we continued on our path, we encountered members of our pack. My eyes red are from crying, approached them. "Have any of you seen Sophie?" I asked desperately.

"We haven't," one of them replied, shaking his head. The others echoed the same sentiment, leaving I and the rest of the group feeling even more anxious.

Suddenly, Alex's demeanor changed. He sensed something, something dark and malevolent. His transformation into an intimidating, striking werewolf left everyone gasping in awe and fear. With his heightened werewolf senses, he located another patch of ground stained with Sophie's blood.

"This is Sophie's blood," Alex declared, his voice filled with anger and sorrow.

Despite his werewolf form, everyone understood him clearly through their mental link. Sophie's mother and I rushed to the spot, our faces twisted in anguish and disbelief as we gazed at the bloodstained ground.

Tears began to roll down everyone's faces as the grim reality of Sophie's situation sank in. Alex's fury was palpable as he vowed, "The demons want war, and war they will get"

My heart breaking as I touched the blood stain I shouted, "I will never forgive the alpha for this!"

" My Sophie is gone"