Chapter 2
Captain Marcus replied almost instantly.
"Good. Come early to tomorrow's dinner and get your paperwork done."
The next day I covered my swollen eyes with concealer and took a cab to the venue.
Grace had uploaded a flood of new photos to her page.
They'd gone to karaoke, then driven out to the river.
The five of us, together forever!
Wolves piled into the comments.
[I'm so jealous. I want four handsome knights too.]
[Grace actually beat Molly! There's just something about her.]
I smirked and liked every single set of photos.
The six-person group chat, dead for more than half a year, suddenly lit up with messages.
[Grace was just talking nonsense. You didn't come. How is that our fault?]
[Don't be mad. We didn't leave you out on purpose.]
[Grace really wanted company. Don't take it out on her when you see her.]
I pressed my lips together and shut off my phone.
At school, I filled out all the forms quickly.
Captain Marcus clapped me on the shoulder.
"I assumed the only girl in an Alpha family would be spoiled rotten. And you're the only one willing to give up the capital and head north early."
"I didn't expect it either."
Out of the five of us, I was the first to leave.
That night, Adam and the others arrived at the banquet hall.
The she-wolves had gathered together.
For the first time, I realized how popular Grace was.
I moved closer and caught the conversation:
"There's this girl who's such an attention hog. Guess who."
"Molly, obviously. She's always hanging around Adam and that crowd. The whole school says she's going to pick a mate from among her childhood friends."
"No wonder she's always so cold to us. Guess the rest of us aren't good enough for her."
My lips tightened.
I had never looked down on any of them.
Adam and the others used to tell me they were all I needed.
And after I met Grace, every time I tried to make other female friends, she'd get jealous and stop me.
"You've got me. That's enough. Don't bother with them."
I'd always thought that kind of possessiveness just proved how close we were.
"That's just how Molly is. Try to understand her."
Grace smiled gently and stepped in to stop the girls.
"That's ridiculous. Why should we have to understand her?"
"She's so shameless."
The girls scoffed.
"She's monopolized those Alphas since they were kids, acting like some fragile princess. Look at her muscles. What man would want that?"
"Well, she won't get another shot at any of them now."
I lifted my head.
The sofa Adam and Eric were sitting on was right next to those girls.
They had their heads down over their phones, as if they hadn't heard a word.
I took a few breaths and walked straight over.
"Monopolized them? When have I ever done that? Grace? Adam? Nothing to say?"
The girls looked distinctly uncomfortable when they saw me.
Grace hurried over and grabbed my arm.
"Molly, people were just chatting."
"Why do you have to take everything so seriously?"
"Let go of me." I threw her hand off.
"I treated you like my best friend, and you treat me like gossip? My life is your entertainment?"
Grace stumbled back several steps and collided with a stack of wine crates.
My childhood friends rushed over to catch her.
"Molly, you haven't changed at all. Bad temper, no brain to match!"
Adam gave me a look full of disappointment, swept Grace up, and carried her to the sofa.
"If anything happens to her, don't blame us for forgetting everything we used to be and putting hands on you."
That came from Grant. He used to be the brother I trusted most.
Now he was so far in her corner he couldn't even tell when she was faking.
The girls crowded around Grace to check on her.
Grace's cheeks were flushed. She waved them off.
"Don't cry, Molly. They aren't worth your tears," my wolf murmured deep in my mind.I swallowed the tears and turned to go, and the girls came after me and grabbed my hair.
"You shove someone and think you can just walk away?"
"Grace is too soft. We'll teach you the lesson for her."
I fought them, and they forced me down onto the floor.
Adam glanced over from across the room.