Sharkbait

I looked at the clock and realized we only had thirty minutes left to get ready. Wiping my tears, I sat up and looked at my best friend. “We should shower and get dressed,” I said. “We have to go.”

Amy let me up, but she was looking at me, wondering if I was going to shatter. “Are you going to be all right?”

“I’m better than him,” I said. “I have to be there, but I need you to back me up because I don’t want to fall apart in front of the North American Packs.”

She nodded. “Come on, let’s get you through a quick shower.” A lifetime of quick showers and changes after swim practice had both of us putting final touches on our hair and makeup fifteen minutes later. I didn’t need makeup to make my cheeks glow, as the rage burning inside me was enough for that. Amy moved behind me as I looked in the mirror. “You look incredible, Vicki. Your mate is an idiot.”

I stepped back and put my silver heels on, which brought me up to nearly six feet in height with the heels. My dress was ocean blue, kind of a shiny pebbled pattern that reminded me of shallow waters. The sleeveless dress showed plenty of firm cleavage and made a bra impossible to wear. The fabric clung to my body as it got to my narrow waist, where a fake diamond belt emphasized my figure. It then flared out over my hips, with a slit in the below-the-knee skirt up to just below my underwear. Thigh-high stockings and a garter belt completed the ensemble.

Amy’s dress was just as striking, and her fuller figure made a statement. I didn’t know what kind of bra could hold up her bust in the strapless mermaid-cut white dress, but it was a miracle of engineering. The white satin had lace at top that flowed down one side, while the cut emphasized the difference in size between her bust, butt, and waist. The dress went just above the white heels, clinging to her legs. “How the hell are you going to sit in that, much less dance,” I said.

“I wasn’t planning to have it on long,” she said. “I’m so sorry, Vicki.”

“Don’t,” I replied. “If your mate is here, you are on your own. I’ll call Leo to bring me home.”

“I’m not going to abandon you,” she replied. “But we need to go.” I adjusted the shark-tooth necklace I had chosen, and we walked out the door. As soon as we got out, the flashes started as the phones took their pictures.

We posed for a few, then Leo came up and kissed my cheek. “May I escort you ladies to the ball,” he asked.

“Of course,” I said. We each took an arm as we walked out to the main road and the two blocks to the main building. “Where are the boys at?”

“They will come over once all of you are ready,” Leo said. “You’ll have a short time to mingle with the other ladies before they come in, and they will be brought in one at a time over maybe half an hour. We don’t want someone going nuts if his mate is talking with a guy farther down the line.” Unky Leo should have been worried about the violence that was going to take place BEFORE the men arrived. I felt like shanking a bitch. I sent a mental message to Amy, asking her to hold me back so I didn’t carve her heart out with a salad fork. “You two look amazing,” he said before he kissed our hands at the door. Enjoy the night and relax,” he said.

“It’s going to be a memorable evening, I can tell that already,” Amy said.

I snorted a little; that was true. “I’ll try to behave,” I said. We left Leo behind and went inside. The dining room was now a party room. A bar and some tables were at the back, a dance floor and band next to it, and the rest was tables and couches for people to sit and talk. Decorations covered the walls, and we looked around until one of the Council Lunas found us. She told us we had a few more minutes to socialize before we had to line up for the first man waiting to come in. We were to offer our hand for a sniff, smile, and let him move on if he wasn’t the one. There would be plenty of time to talk later for those who didn’t find their mate.

I followed my nose, ending up at a woman in a deep-red gown. She had glossy black hair going to her waist, looked to be in her early twenties, and had the dominance level of a Beta. “Hi, I’m Vicki Lawrence, from the Miesville Pack in Minnesota,” I said as I pasted a smile on my face.

“Traci Mercer,” she said. “I’m with the Killington Pack in Vermont,” she said as she shook my hand.

“Cool, that’s a ski area, right?” She nodded. I introduced Amy as the Luna called for us to start lining up. “This is our first time, and we’re kind of nervous,” I said. “Would you mind if we stood by you in line?”

“No problem,” she said, so I moved just in front of her with Amy on my other side. “This is my sixth and last one.”

“Really? You aren’t waiting for your mate,” Amy asked.

She shook her head. “My fiance’ and I don’t think our mates are out there,” she replied. “Timothy’s father is our Alpha, and he knows we are in love. He won’t let us mate until he’s been through the lines seven times, and this is the seventh. He’s going to mark and mate me tonight, and I’ll be Luna by morning. We would have done it years ago if the Alpha didn’t insist.”

The door opened, and the first man came in; we were maybe twenty girls from the end, so we had more time. She was more than happy to talk about Timothy and what a fantastic guy he was. “What if one of your mates is here tonight,” I asked. “Are you going to give up both of your fated for each other?”

“We already swore to each other we would,” she said with a smile. “Our mates might be dead, or they might have mated someone else. Timothy needs a strong woman by his side, and I’m his other half.” I honestly didn’t know whether to congratulate her or sharpen her toes and pound her into the ground. She hadn’t even showered after their post-dinner fuck, so his smell was on her skin, and his seed was probably dripping down her thighs. My wolf had gone past anger to resignation.

“That’s him,” I sent to Amy as the latest male walked in. My heart broke as I saw him; he was tall, handsome, and muscled. Standing maybe six-foot-four and weighing over two hundred pounds, he was every bit an Alpha male. His frosted blond hair cascaded to his shoulders, framing a strong jaw and high cheekbones. His tanned face and bright white teeth had many women looking his way. “By Luna, he’s good looking.”

“He’s a disgrace,” Amy replied.

“Amy, ask Leo to wait outside, tell him I might need him soon,” I said. As he made his way down the line towards us, I made my decision.

He picked up my scent a few women down, freezing for a moment before he started to sweat. He stammered through a greeting, then made his way towards me. I could feel his wolf reaching for mine, but he had his animal on a tight leash. Amy could have flash-frozen him with the look she gave him.

Finally, he was in front of me. “Vicki Lawrence,” I said as I held my hand out to him.

He reached for me, and a shock traveled up my arm as our fingers touched. Both of us knew what it meant, but neither of us acted on it. “Timothy Lords,” he said softly. “You are the mantled one.” I could see the confusion in his face; he didn’t expect to find a mate tonight, much less one of equal power. “At least you had the decency to clean your whore’s slut sauce off your dick before you met your mate,” I said as I started to squeeze his hand.

He looked in panic at Traci, who was staring in shock at him. “She’s….”

“I’ll save you the trouble. Timothy, Traci, you two deserve each other. I will not stand in your way if you want her instead of me.” Timothy was at a crossroads now, and he had to make a decision. Do you choose the one you came with, or the unknown woman currently breaking your fingers in her grip? The sound of the bones in his hand shattering was like popcorn. “Accept me or reject me, but do it NOW.”

He looked over at Traci, who was begging him to stay with her. He made his choice. “I, Timothy Lords, reject Vicki Lawrence as my mate.”

My wolf howled in anguish, and he almost dropped to his knees. “And I, Vicki Lawrence, accept your rejection.” I let him go as the nascent bond broke, only staying upright because Amy grabbed me. “Get me out of here,” I asked her.

"That bitch is totally screwed now," Amy told me. "Her married name will be Traci Lords. You know, like the porn star."

The laugh distracted everyone from the train wreck that my life had become as we walked away. Amy led me to the door where Leo and Adrienne were waiting and sent me out. I was able to let the door close before I lost it, crying out my pain and humiliation into Unky Leo’s broad chest. He picked me up and carried me away.

I didn’t have to tell him what had just happened to me.

My mate had rejected me for another, and there would be no happy ending to this weekend.