The Mate's Curse

Chapter 11

(Cassie's POV)

I stood outside Amelia’s room, willing myself to knock. I was nervous, I was never good at talking to people. I took a deep breath and knocked.

And nothing

Oh! I turned to walk back to my room when I heard an excited squeal “Cassie!” Amelia had just walked round the corner with three other beautiful women. “You came, I wasn’t sure if you would” she ran up and pulled me into a hug. “Girls, this is Cassie” she said excitedly, as she swiped her card and dragged me into her room, I could see the other women exchange looks as they followed us in. Her room was, well pink, like lots of pink, everywhere!

Amelia introduced me to the three women

The petite blonde who looked like she would jump if you spoke too loud was called Wren and was actually the Head warriors daughter.

The one with black hair with purple ends, a fierce look, and more tattoos and piercings than I could count was Bianca

And the beautiful Lydia with her long black and curly hair and stunning brown eyes and warm expression.

“Where’s your things?” Amelia asked and all four of them looked at me, I grimaced under their stares “erm.. about that” I could feel my cheeks flushing from embarrassment “I don’t have anything” I confessed

“Nothing?” Amelia asked

“Nope”

“Dress?” I shook my head

“Make-Up?” I shuffled my feet

“Well” I knew I would have to explain “When we joined the pack, we joined as omega”

“Why did you join as omega?” Bianca questioned 

“Our beta challenged the Alpha and lost, our punishment was to be stripped of rank” Wren gasped and Bianca rolled her eyes at her before continuing to question me “what rank were you?”

“My father was the Gamma” 

“And he’s now an Omega?”

“Yeah”

“And your mother?

“Yeah” I was starting to get annoyed with the questions now

“Your beta too?” 

“Actually no” I snapped, and she looked shocked briefly before a sly grin crossed her face

“I like you, you have teeth” she declared before throwing herself on Amelia's bed

“What happened to your Beta?” Wren stuttered, 

“He rejected the loyalty oath” she gasped again “he went rogue?” her eyes widening, I shrugged.

Lydia looked at me with a curious expression “How did you get to mid family rank on your first day then?” Bianca laughed “yeah who did you sleep with?” 

“BIANCA!” Amelia shouted at her before turning to Lydia “She’s Bran’s new understudy” Lydia and Bianca shared a look that I couldn’t quite decipher “What?” I asked, Lydia smiled, “it’s nothing, just one of our friends was going for that position” she smiled again, “let's get you ready for this party, we don’t have long left  before it starts” I looked at the clock which had just gone 1pm “oh what time does it start “6pm sharp and as the guest of honour you can not be late” Amelia affirmed. “That’s five hours away” I exclaimed “exactly!” she responded “we don’t have time to talk” she said as she was pushing me into her bathroom “start with a shower and then we will figure out your dress” and the door was closed on me. 

Four hours later, and I was standing in front of Amelia’s full length mirror transfixed, I couldn’t believe the girl that looked back. She was stunning, I mean seriously stunning. I had never gotten the whole girly makeover type stuff, I wore make up but nothing major. I now understood why women spent so much time getting ready. 

There had been an initial issue that I refused to wear anything pink which ruled out pretty much all of Amelia's wardrobe. Lydia and Wren didn’t actually live in the pack house, Wren still lived in her family home and Lydia was mated and married so lived with her mate in one of the smaller houses, so their wardrobes were out. It was only after a few minutes of glazed over eyes that indicated that Bianca huff before jumping up and disappearing from the room. She came back a few minutes later with two garment bags. She handed me one and said “You owe me big time” 

The others exchanged looks and giggled. It turned out that Bianca’s mother was the designer to the Luna herself. Bianca had agreed to let her mother choose her dress if she lent me one. She unzipped her garment bag and grimaced and looked at me again “big time” she repeated and disappeared into the bathroom. The others were laughing between them. Nervously I opened the garment bag and gasped. 

And now I was standing in the stunning forest green dress. The top was a plunge neckline and the base green satin material was adorned with hundreds of green gems that shimmered in the light. The skirt flared out at the hips accentuating my hourglass figure in many layers of tulle and graced the floor even though I had on gold strappy heels. The defining part of the dress was that when I moved it exposed a slit in the skirt that opened right up to my thigh. Amelia had curled my hair so it fell softly over my shoulder enhancing the natural golden highlights that normally hid in the strawberry blond core. The green of the dress and the complimenting makeup brought out the green in my eyes. They were framed with a black eyeliner with small flicks and a green and gold eyeshadow. The deep red lipstick completed everything to perfection.

Amelia came up behind me and smiled at her handiwork, I was just doing my best not to cry and ruin it all, why was I so emotional over make up? “You look stunning,” she said. I turned and hugged her, surprising myself, and kinda hoping that I wasn’t turning into a girly girl. But this was the first time in the last week that I felt happy. 

I looked at the other women, all of whom looked amazing too. 

Amelia was wearing a pale pink satin dress that had a loose neck at the front and completely backless, her blond hair was up in a messy but elegant updo and she had pink and iridescent makeup that gave her an ethereal look. 

Wren wore a white modest dress that had a fitted lace overlay that covered her chest and her arms, and it flared at the waist and was longer in the back than the front. Her hair was straightened and flowed like spun gold down her back. She kept her makeup nude with a shimmer of gold. 

Lydia wore a pale gold one shoulder piece that sparkled as she moved. It hit the floor and had a modest cut away split in the skirt. Her hair had been tamed into a sleek updo with the bulk of her curls twisted into a series of complex entwined swirls. And her makeup held a dramatic gold eyeshadow with nude lips. 

Bianca wore a black lacy halter neck which cut away at the sides, and the lace continued into the skirt that had a cut away split all the way up her leg to the upper thigh. Her hair was pulled into a series of mini french braids and the ends backcombed into a wild mohawk at the centre. Her make up was shades of purple at the eyes with a deep purple blue lipstick.

“Thank you” I smiled at the four women, I had never really felt like I had friends, but I could see these four becoming friends. As we were getting ready they had kept up the questions, and I had told them about the attack on the Silver Lake Pack 18 years ago and the attempted kidnapping. I told them about my guilt over David and Sarah. I even told them about my shifting after being stabbed, but made out it was my first time, not only time. 

Then they told me about the pack. I found out that there is a whole other area to the territory which not only housed the pack house for unmated low family rank, more single dwelling houses and a full shopping complex, which Amelia promised to take me to tomorrow. They told me about the Alpha’s son who was travelling the world meeting other packs and forming alliances. And how the Alpha was dedicated to building a safe and secure community. It was very obvious that the Alpha was well liked by everyone. I thought back to earlier when he had thrown me across the room, I shrugged, maybe I saw a different side to him.

Lydia passed me a glass of wine while Amelia started hunting for her phone to take a pre party selfie when someone started banging on the door, we all turned and looked “Come on Amelia, let me in, I know you are all getting ready for this party” 

“Who invited that b*tch” Bianca growled, Wren shrunk a little “I-I didn’t know what to say when she cornered me earlier” she said apologetically, Bianca glared at her and she winced. 

“AMELIA” shouting from the door and more banging “Seriously I need to vent” Amelia rolled her eyes and rushed to open the door, then in barged a force, she was in a short red dress, or maybe it was a long top, that led nothing to the imagination, Her white blond hair flying behind her. She didn’t acknowledge anyone as she stormed up to Amelia's dressing table where the remaining wine was “Can you believe, that we have to go to a party especially for some b*tch, what the f**k makes her so special” she raged “AND to top it all off I just found out that Sl*t was given the place with Bran, that was meant to be mine, I didn’t sleep with Jamie for the fun of it, I swear when I meet this b*tch I and going to rip her apart piece by piece” she turned and faced the room, glass in hand finally seeing everyone. Her eyes zeroed in on me and she pointed a long red fingernail at me “who the f**k is this?”

Lydia and Wren were averting their eyes, Bianca was grinning, her eyes held a mischievous glint flickering between us, and Amelia looked horrified. She quickly recovered and smiled and walked to me and placed her hand on my arm 

“Eden meet Cassie, Cassie this is Eden”

Eden narrowed her eyes and glared at me “Who?” she said slowly, I could feel her aggressive essence coming off her in waves , and she was directing them at me, like she was challenging me. I stepped forward slowly not taking my eyes off of her allowing “I’m the sl*t that you are going to rip apart, apparently” I said calmly, but allowed each word to carry my own power with it. She growled and stepped forward again so she was right in front of me, she was a good few inches taller than me, and she glowered down at me, and I swore I could see her wolf behind her icy blue eyes. 

“I want to know what you did to steal my job out from under me” she sneered, I couldn’t help the cunning grin that formed on my lips “well I obviously didn’t sleep with Jamie, because that didn’t get you sh*t now did it” I heard the gasps behind me and a laugh from Bianca. Eden's nostrils flared in anger “Who the f**k do you think you are to talk to me like that? I’ve done my homework on you b*tch” she fumed “you are nothing but some omega trash who got f**king lucky” 

Even though I was no longer Gamma rank, I could still feel the power I was born into, being stripped of it in name doesn’t take away what the goddess gives you at birth. I allowed that power to course through my veins right now. I started deep in her eyes and growled “Do I feel like an omega b*tch” I had a lifetime of emotional guilt turned to rage in the last week and I was all about letting it loose on her if she dared to challenge me. I saw her flinch, and then she stepped back, submitting involuntarily. Then realising what she was doing, her face twisted in rage she turned on Amelia “are you going to let her talk to me like that?” Amelia stood there looking uncomfortable but not saying anything.

Eden looked around the room for support but non seem to come, she huffed and glared back at me “you have just made an enemy of me b*tch” she snarled “I am going to make your life hell* before storming out of the room slamming the door behind her. I closed my eyes allowing myself to calm and my rage to dissipate. I opened my eyes again to all four women looking at me. Wren looking terrified, Lydia and Amelia shocked and something that looked like admiration on Bianca’s face. I grimaced not quite sure what to say. Amelia broke into a warm smile “Well I think it’s time to head to the party” and started pulling her wrap on, and in a flurry of collection of wraps and bags we started heading out the door, first Wren who was still looking at me with caution, then Lydia and Amelia held the door open, I started to follow when Bianca caught my arm, I looked at her in surprise. Her face was back to the fierce look “I’ve decide, that I don’t like you anymore” I was taken aback and not sure what to say when a big grin appeared on her face “I f**king love you” then she released my arm and strutted out the door following the others, I watched with my mouth open at the door for a few seconds and then my eyes connected with Amelia's and we both started giggling before she pulled me into linking arms and closing her door. And we headed to the party.