Jacky’s POV
I staggered through the festival, the world around me a blur of noise and color. My vision was blinded by tears. My chest felt tight as if someone had reached inside me and ripped out my heart.
The look in his eyes, even behind the mask, haunted me.
Horror. Disgust. Rejection.
It wasn’t just a fleeting expression; it was visceral, like he couldn’t bear to stand in my presence. He might as well have said the words aloud.
Stay away from me. I reject you.
He had pushed me off like I was some disease, like my touch repulsed him. My stomach churned at the memory, and my heart clenched in despair.
What was it about me that he saw and immediately disliked? Did he find me so unlikable? So repulsive?
I wiped my face with the back of my hand, but the tears kept coming. The laughter and music from the festival seemed cruel now, mocking me with every beat. My feet carried me aimlessly, too weak to run, too shattered to care where I was going.
“Jacky!”
Valerie’s voice broke through the haze. I felt her hand on my arm, steadying me. She must have followed me.
“What happened?” she asked.
I shook my head, unable to look at her. My throat tightened, the words refusing to come out. But Valerie wasn’t one to give up easily. She turned me toward her, gripping my shoulders firmly.
“Talk to me,” she demanded.
I swallowed hard as I forced the words out. “My mask… it came off. He saw me.”
Valerie’s eyes widened slightly. “And? Did you see his face?”
I shook my head again, frustration bubbling to the surface. “No. He ran off before I could. He looked at me like… like I was a ghost or something.” My voice cracked, and I hated how weak I sounded.
Valerie’s expression softened, her grip on my shoulders loosening as she pulled me into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Jacky. Whatever his problem is, it’s on him. Not you.”
I let her hold me, but the pain in my chest didn’t lessen. Her words were meant to comfort, but they couldn’t erase the memory of his reaction.
Valerie pulled back slightly, her hands still on my arms. “You don’t need someone like that. If he’s going to run the second things get real, he doesn’t deserve you. He doesn’t even know what he’s missing.”
I gave a bitter laugh, wiping at my face again. “Maybe he knows exactly what he’s missing, and that’s why he ran.”
Valerie’s face darkened. “Stop that. Don’t do that to yourself.”
Her words didn’t reach me. The knot in my chest was suffocating. I pulled away from her and stumbled toward the nearest stand, grabbing a bottle of alcohol without caring who it belonged to.
“Jacky…” Valerie’s voice was uncertain now, but I ignored her.
I ripped the cap off and brought the bottle to my lips, chugging it down without hesitation. The burn in my throat was almost comforting, a distraction from the pain in my heart.
“Jacky, stop,” Valerie said, trying to take the bottle from me, but I held it tightly.
“For the first time,” I said, my voice slurring slightly, “I want to forget. Just for one night.”
Valerie sighed, watching me with a mix of pity and frustration. “You don’t need this.”
I let out a hollow laugh, shaking my head as I took another swig. “Right now, it’s the only thing I need.”
Valerie didn’t argue again. Instead, she sat down beside me, her arm wrapping around my shoulders. She didn’t say anything, just stayed there, a silent presence in my moment of despair.
The world continued to swirl around us, but I didn’t care anymore. For tonight, I just wanted the pain to fade.
“Jacky, come on,” Valerie muttered, her voice a mix of caution and irritation. “You’ve made your point. Let’s just go back to the dorms before you do something stupid.”
“Stupid?” I scoffed, barely able to keep my balance as I clutched the bat tighter. “You want to know what’s stupid, Val? Believing there’s someone out there meant for me-thinking for one goddamn second that I’m worth something.”
She didn’t respond right away, her silence stoking the fire in my chest. I pointed the bat at her, my voice sharp. “Do you even know what he did? What Roman did to my family?”
Valerie hesitated, then shook her head. “You don’t have to do this, Jacky. Whatever it is, this isn’t the way.”
I laughed bitterly, ignoring her as I pressed forward. “Do you know how my sister died?” I slurred, the words tumbling out as if they’d been waiting years to escape. “Roman used Malia to kill my sister. He saw that she was getting too strong in the trials and he ended her. She didn’t stand a chance.”
Valerie grabbed my arm, trying to slow me down. “Jacky, stop. You’re drunk, and this isn’t going to bring her back.”
I yanked my arm free, nearly losing my balance in the process. “I don’t care. I want one night, Val-just one night to forget. To be reckless.” I turned to face her, the bat dangling from my hand. “And if I wreck his place while I’m at it, then so be it.”
She sighed but didn’t argue, falling into step behind me as I made my way toward the palace grounds. The night air was cool against my flushed skin, and the adrenaline coursing through me only fueled my determination.
We slipped through a break in the fence, the towering structure barely a challenge in our drunken state. The palace was right ahead, the entire compound was silent. Only the distant sound of the music in the festival could be heard.
“See?” I said, gesturing around with a shaky hand. “No one’s here. Everyone’s at the festival.”
Valerie glanced around nervously, her voice hushed. “Jacky, this is a bad idea. Alpha Roman doesn’t go to festivals. He never has.”
I ignored her, my focus narrowing as I pushed open the heavy door to the Alpha’s office. The room was dark, the moonlight streaming through the tall windows.
The bat in my hand felt heavier now, but I tightened my grip and swung it at the first thing I saw-his desk. The crash was deafening, papers and glass scattering in every direction.
“Jacky, stop!” Valerie hissed, her voice urgent as she darted into the room behind me.
But I didn’t stop. The bat connected with his computer, shattering the screen in an instant. Pieces of it clattered to the floor as I grabbed the whiskey bottle from his drawer, taking a long swig before offering it to Valerie.
“Drink?” I asked, smirking as I held it out to her.
Valerie shook her head, her eyes wide with worry. “We shouldn’t be here. Jacky, we need to leave before-”
“Before what?” I interrupted, standing unsteadily as I waved the bat around. “He’s not here, Val. I told you. The great Alpha Roman is too busy being the heartless bastard we all know him to be.”
But then something caught my eye-a glint of metal reflecting the moonlight from the bottom drawer of his desk. My drunken curiosity got the better of me, and I crouched down, pulling the drawer open.
Inside was a mask.
My breath hitched as I reached for it, my fingers trembling as they brushed against the cool surface. The design was unmistakable-it was the same mask worn by the man I’d met that night. Tonight.
Him.
Suddenly, a sound came from behind me.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
The voice sent a shiver down my spine. I turned slowly, the mask still in my hands, and found Alpha Roman standing in the doorway.
He wasn’t dressed in his usual commanding attire. Instead, he wore the same clothes as my mate from tonight, just a few hours ago.
My breath caught in my throat as the realization hit me, suddenly, I was sober.
“It’s you,” I breathed in a gasp.
The truth was undeniable.
Alpha Roman was my mystery one night stand. My mate.