Second Chance Mates Festival

Chapter 12: Sin and Lacy

Sin’s POV

My pride swelled as I looked over the crowd. It was the first time my pack was hosting the festival and this was definitely the highest number of guests we had ever had on our pack lands at one time. 

Growing up I never would have dreamed about having guests on our lands, especially given how things we run back then and the fact that this was happening on our territory now was proof of the growth and developments that I had brought to the pack in the 13 years I had been the Alpha.

If my father could see this now, I'm sure he wouldn't be too pleased. He absolutely hated having guests on his lands but he was gone so his opinion didn't matter.

When the Alpha Council first suggested that the festival be held on our territory, Michael was a bit sceptical since he didn’t know how the pack members would deal with having so many strangers on our lands as well as how the construction would work while we had guests but after some persuasion, he caved and helped me plan all of it.

It seemed that he had no reason to worry at all because everyone seemed to be having fun. I scanned the crowd but I couldn’t seem to spot Emery no matter how hard I looked. Instead, I spotted someone who I was trying my hardest to avoid. She locked eyes with me and immediately made a move towards me. I was not looking forward to this conversation at all.

“Sin.” She said as soon as she was close enough to me. 

“Lacy,” I replied. 

She still looked the same as when I had seen her 3 years ago at the last festival.

“Just the person I was hoping to talk to tonight,” Lacy said as she folded her arms in front of her.

“I don’t know why that would be so I can't say the same,” I lied. I had an inkling of why she wanted to talk to me. It must be something to do with Emery.

Although Lacy and I were cousins since our fathers were brothers, we weren’t exactly the closest duo. We rarely ever talked much less acknowledged each other in public. If anything I could say that Lacy did not like me especially since I had joined her brothers in teasing her when we were younger. 

OF the little I knew about the adult Lacy, I knew her to be very protective of those she loves so I could only guess that the point of this chat was the friend she had made in Emery.

“Don’t play dumb.” She said to me harshly. My wolf didn’t care too much for her tone, but I figured that if I didn’t interrupt her and let her talk she would do it quickly and I could be on my way to Emery. So I didn't react to the obvious provocation on her part.  “You are gonna leave that girl alone.”

My guess was right.

“She and I have a deal.”

“You are wasting her time.”

“Are you not worried she is wasting mine? You know we are only allowed to come here 3 times. This is her first and this is my third time. Who’s time is really being wasted?” I explained to her calmly. I was trying not to raise my voice so that I didn’t attract any more attention.

Being an alpha, all eyes were already on Lacy and me since people were already curious about the female standing next to the alpha, but I didn’t need anymore so I needed to keep this conversation as civil as possible without raising my voice.

“Emery is young and she doesn’t know any better. You are taking advantage of her.”

“Emery is young so she will get a chance to come back in 3 years just like you did,” I said to her.

This conversation was getting boring. If there was anything that Lacy had in common with our shared family was being able to drown out any of what anyone else was saying during an argument so I knew would not get tired of arguing her point even if she ended up repeating things. 

“Sin, listen to me-”

“No, I think I have listened enough. I’m gonna go find my date, you should do the same.” I replied to her.

I left after saying that to her. Of course, she protested because she is Lacy but I was done listening. 

Now all I had to do was find Emery so that my night could finally begin. 

Emery’s POV

2 bottles.

Only 2 but my head was already feeling heavy.

“What a weakling,” I muttered to myself as I stood up. My head was spinning.

My stomach was thankfully on my side since I didn’t feel queasy as yet. I knew I was a lightweight because I had tried to drown my sorrows in alcohol after being rejected but had stopped because I had got really drunk after my first bottle of beer and couldn’t stop throwing up after. I didn't dare to go near any alcohol after that.

Why I had assumed that things had changed after a year of not coming close to any alcohol was beyond me.

I was all alone because Cameron had disappeared after getting dressed. I had serious doubts that she had even made it to the party. Lacy had told me she was going to the bathroom before I got my first bottle and since she hadn’t come back to me yet, I assumed that she had also chosen a man over friendship.

Traitors. Both of them.

I needed to find somewhere that was not crowded so that I could work on clearing my head. My defences were completely down so if I met up with Rodney like this I don’t know what would end up happening between us. I would either jump him or blurt out everything since my mouth needed my brain to be functioning properly in order for me to have a filter.

The dance floor inside was packed so I for sure would not find any place quiet to sit down in the hall. So I made my way to the door that led outside. 

It was an uphill battle especially with all the people I bumped into but I eventually made it to the door. As my foot landed on the other side of the barrier, and as the rest of my body made a move to follow suit, I crashed into what felt like a very strong man.

Before I could even apologise, as I had done to everyone I had to battle with to make it to the door, I heard a familiar voice say. “Finally, I found you.”

I didn't get to look up to see who the voice belonged to as at that moment my stomach which had been fighting by my side all night decided to become a traitor and join my head in tormenting me.