Jacky’s POV
“Can you keep a secret? Can I trust you?”
“Of course.” Valerie answered, folding her legs as she sat on my bed.
“Alpha Roman is my mate.” Saying the words made it all real. It’s been a month since I felt our bond, a month of torture and mixed feelings.
“Yeah right!” Valerie rolled her eyes, laughing. “Don’t let any of those girls hear you say that. They all play friendly but get jealous when it comes to the Alpha. Why do you think they’re all rooting for you to kill Malia?”
“Valerie, look at me.” She was still laughing. Her eyes met mine. I was silent, watching the shift in her face as realization set in.
“No.”
“Yes!”
“No. But that’s impossible.” She exclaimed, jumping from the bed like it caught on fire.
“Please relax before you attract attention.”
“What do you mean, this is big news! We wouldn’t need the mate trials anymore if the Alpha is your mate. Oh my goddess. This is big news. The Alpha is you-”
I moved to cover her mouth, watching her wide eyes dart back and forth. “Keep it down, Valerie. Don’t make me tape you.” She shook her head, and I let her go.
“So what did the Alpha say?” She sat back down on the bed, excited.
“Well, he doesn’t really know.” I answered, avoiding her eyes. “I knew he was my mate the first moment we met. But things are so complicated.”
“What’s complicated about this? You’re fated to the most powerful werewolf in our world. Plus he’s loaded, and…I’ve heard from the rest of the girls that he’s actually attractive.”
I wish I could disagree, but goddess, Roman was attractive. More than attractive. He made me uncomfortable every time he got close to me. It confused me. I hated him. I wanted him dead. But how do I ignore these feelings?
“Have you guys…you know.” She winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. “No. Apart from the time he pinned me against the wall and threatened me.”
There was something seriously wrong with me. Why did that moment make me wet?
“But, Valerie, there’s another man. Someone I’d rather be with than the Alpha.”
“Who’s better than Alpha Roman?”
I drew a deep breath, the memory of that night flashing behind my eyes. “The night before I entered the mate trials… I met someone.”
Her eyes widened, and she practically bounced on the bed. “*What?!*” she squealed, gripping my arm. “Who? When? Where? Spill it now!”
“It was at the festival,” I began, leaning back against the headboard, nervous but knowing I couldn’t stop now. “I wasn’t planning on staying long, but there was this energy in the air. The whole night felt… electric. That’s when I saw him-a masked man standing in the crowd. From the moment our eyes locked, it was like I forgot how to breathe. He had this presence, this voice…” I trailed off, my cheeks heating as I remembered.
“Oh goddess,” Valerie whispered, scooting closer. “And? What did he do? Did he talk to you? Did he kiss you? How did it start?”
“He bought me a drink,” I said, smiling faintly. “We started talking, and it was so easy. Like we’d known each other forever. And then-”
“*Then what?!*” Valerie practically shrieked.
“And then,” I said, lowering my voice, “he leaned in close, whispered something-”
“What’d he say?” she cut in.
I hesitated, cheeks flaming. “It’s… not exactly repeatable.”
“Oh, hell no. You don’t get to leave me hanging like that,” she said, smacking my arm. “Was it dirty? Romantic? Come on, give me *something*.”
I sighed, covering my face for a moment before mumbling, “He said he’d been watching me all night and couldn’t stop imagining what it’d feel like to kiss me.”
Valerie let out a high-pitched squeal. “Okay, okay, keep going!”
“Well… we didn’t just kiss,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Her jaw dropped. “Wait. *What?* You’re telling me you hooked up with a mystery man the night before the mate trials?!”
“It wasn’t just a hookup,” I said quickly, sitting up straighter. “It was… more than that. I can’t explain it. It was fireworks. Like the Moon Goddess herself blessed that night. I’ve never felt anything like it-not before and definitely not since.”
Valerie blinked, then leaned in, eyes practically glittering. “Okay, but like… how was he? Details, girl. I want details. Was he gentle or rough? Was he, you know, *good*?”
My face burned, and I buried it in my hands. “Valerie!”
“Oh, come on, Jacky. Women share everything. If this man rocked your world, I want to hear all about it.” She poked me in the ribs. “Spill!”
I peeked at her through my fingers, torn between mortification and the strange comfort of confiding in someone. “He was… perfect,” I said softly. “Every touch, every kiss… It was like he *knew* me, like he could feel exactly what I needed. He wasn’t just good. He was…” I trailed off, searching for the words.
“Mind-blowing?” Valerie suggested.
“Exactly,” I said, biting my lip. “He took his time, but he also… didn’t hold back. It wasn’t just about the physical stuff. It felt… deeper. Like our souls were connected for those few hours.”
Valerie let out a dreamy sigh. “Okay, mystery man sounds like a literal fantasy. But… what about Roman? Like, if you had to choose between them-”
“I’m not choosing,” I said quickly, shaking my head.
“Oh, come on! You have to! Who’s better? Roman or mystery guy?”
“I can’t compare them,” I insisted.
“Yes, you can,” she said with a smirk, poking me again. “Come on, Jacky. You’ve been near Roman, right? I mean, I *heard* the Alpha has a body that could make you forget your own name.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t deny it. Roman was… built.
“See? You’re thinking about him now, aren’t you?” Valerie teased.
“No!” I said, though my cheeks betrayed me. “This isn’t about Roman. That night was… different.”
“So different it’s better?” she pushed. “Hotter?”
“Valerie!”
“What? It’s a valid question!” she said, grinning like a cat with cream. “Who’s got your heart racing more? Be honest.”
I sighed, closing my eyes. “If I could take all the good parts of my mystery guy-his passion, his tenderness-and merge them with Roman’s strength and… presence, then maybe I’d have the perfect man. But Roman? On his own? I can’t even think about him like that. He’s…”
“A jerk,” Valerie finished. “I get it.”
“Exactly,” I said, relieved. “The bond makes it confusing, but my heart? My heart wants the man from that night. The one who made me feel alive.”
Valerie was silent for a moment before leaning back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. “Well, damn. Now I feel like I need to find myself a masked man at the next festival.”
Despite myself, I laughed, the tension in my chest easing just a bit. Sharing this with Valerie didn’t solve anything, but for the first time, I didn’t feel so alone with the weight of my secrets. I finally found a friend here.