Losing your soulmate to a herd of bloodthirsty chipmunks is never a good way to start your day. Not learning his name before his untimely decapitation? That's even worse.
Wattpad-obsessed Sophie has never been in love. When a handsome new student pr...
When Sophie pictured Nicole's office, she'd imagined something horrifying. A torture chamber, maybe, or some kind of Zach-Xavier-Xane-themed sex dungeon. Maybe there would be little figurines that portrayed Zach-Xavier-Xane and Nicole at prom, their wedding, the birth of their first child. Maybe there would be a Sophie-eating cat or another small, toothy animal sitting on the desk, staring her down with hungry eyes. At the very least, Sophie expected a painfully uncomfortable chair.
Instead, she got a pair of beanbags, a fluffy rug, and a lot of pillows. It was almost like Nicole wasn't an evil mastermind intent on destroying Sophie's life because of her ex.
"Sit," Nicole said. She kicked off her high heels and sunk down onto the bigger, fluffier beanbag. "Tell me why you would make a good werewolf." She waved a hand and a plate piled high with scones and croissants appeared on her lap.
"Oh, right, well—"
"I told you to sit, didn't I?" Nicole shoved a scone into her mouth, wiping crumbs from her lips. "Keep going."
"Right, yes. I'm going. I'm good. I'd make a great werewolf." Sophie nodded enthusiastically. "I'm actually a huge werewolf fan."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. Wattpad is my life. I know a lot about werewolf culture. I've got all the ranks down. You know, Alpha and Luna, Beta, Delta I think, and then maybe Gamma, and somewhere at the bottom is Omega. Or maybe Gamma and then Delta... I'm not totally sure. Okay, maybe that could use some work, but I'm happy to learn! And I'd love to find my mate and—"
"Stop."
Sophie stopped.
"I don't care about your Wattpad obsession."
Sophie flinched.
"I care about you. Who you are as a person. What makes you more interesting than every other girl with unrealistic expectations of what they're going to get out of life?" Nicole ate another scone. "You have to give me something more. What's something tragic that happened to you?"
Sophie frowned. She thought back to her childhood. Both of her parents were alive. Sure, she'd gotten into fights with them before, but it wasn't like they were raging alcoholics or secretly abusive or even divorced. She'd never been bullied. She didn't have a stalker or a dead sibling or a secret, powerful special ability. She was just...normal.
"Crippling self-esteem issues? Most applicants have those." Nicole licked her fingers, then picked up a chocolate croissant.
"I mean—Not more than anyone else, I think." Sophie reached out to take a scone; Nicole slapped her hand away.
"Oh, I've got it. Are you a virgin?"
"That's really none of your business—"
"You have to be a virgin. Preferably one who's never been kissed. Ideally, one who's never talked to anyone who could possibly be interested in you, but I'll let that one slide."
"Yes!" Sophie punched the air. "I've never been kissed. Does this mean I can be a werewolf now?"
Nicole rolled her eyes. "It's not quite that simple. Now tell me about your dedication to your mate."
"My mate?"
"Zach-Xavier-Xane. Would you die for him?"
No. Absolutely not. Sophie suspected she would rather just die painfully, for no particular reason, than die for Zach-Xavier-Xane. "Um... I believe in allowing time for love to blossom," she said.
"Huh?"
"You know. Big slow burn romance fan over here. I'd like to really get to know him and fall in love before—"
"You're not already in love with him?" Nicole raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. Her fingers hovered over the last croissant on the plate.
"Well—" Maybe if being in love meant wanting to punch him all the time. Sophie switched tactics. "Are you in love with him?"
"Goddess no." Nicole pursed her lips. She shivered violently. "Just picturing it—Ugh! He's the worst. I'm actually so sorry you have to put up with him. No, I'd just like to be Luna. I figured he could fall into lava or accidentally shoot his head off or something once I've been crowned Queen."
"Queen?"
"He's the Alpha King. Didn't anyone tell you?"
"No, but that makes a lot of sense." Sophie sighed. Every proper love interest had to be the most powerful and handsome Alpha around; an Alpha King was even better. But despite the added allure of a fancy title, Sophie couldn't find it in herself to be enthusiastic about her upcoming marriage to Zach-Xavier-Xane. "You don't want to work together, do you?"
"What's in it for me?" Nicole bit into the last croissant. She chewed slowly.
"Well... Maybe you could be the new Alpha?"
"After we kill Zach-Xavier-Xane."
"I was thinking more along the lines of incapacitate?"
"Hmm. Killing works better." Nicole swallowed the last of the croissant. "Alright. I suppose I can help you out. You said you wanted to be a werewolf?"
"Absolutely."
Nicole wiped her mouth. She beckoned Sophie closer. Sophie inched forward. "This might hurt a bit," Nicole said.
"Huh?"
Nicole grinned. Her canines lengthened. She sniffed at Sophie's neck and then, so quickly that Sophie barely saw it, she sunk her teeth into the skin right above her collarbone.
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Question of the chapter! If you had the opportunity to becoming a werewolf, would you take it?
