Moonlit Betrayal

Chapter 3

Today marks six months since the party at school.

In that time, I've managed to stay on top of both my grades and training, though balancing the two hasn't been easy.  

Neville and I huffed our way through our daily run, he turned to me with a teasing grin.

"What are you eating nowadays?" he asked, slightly out of breath. "You're killing me out here."

"Just admit it, you're getting fat and slow," I shot back, sticking my tongue out playfully.

"Oh, is that so? Race you back, and we'll see who's slow!" He didn't wait for my response before taking off towards home. I followed him, pushing myself harder.

I knew I was getting better. Neville was strong—no doubt about that—but I was faster. My lean body gave me an edge in dodging attacks, helping me gain the upper hand in our sparring sessions. Though I still hadn't beaten Neville, I was starting to make him sweat more than ever before.

Once we reached the house, breathless but laughing, we collapsed onto the couch.

"How's school treating you so far?" Neville asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Whoever said school was fun was clearly lying," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. 

I've managed to steer clear of Flint since that day. Luckily for me, he had to leave for some Alpha training, so I haven't had to deal with him.

Neville smirked. "Are you ready for that math test tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. I stayed up all night revising," I replied with a confident nod.

"Let's see if I can beat your grades this time," he teased, sticking his tongue out.

As we headed out the door, Lyla's voice rang out, reminding me of our post-school plans. "Ava, don't forget we're going shopping after school for the party tonight!"

I cringed internally at the thought of shopping, but Lyla's excitement was hard to ignore.

"She's super excited for this party," Neville noted, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Just like she was for mine. She can't wait for you to find your mate," I replied, running a hand through my hair absentmindedly.

"Any idea how long that might take?" I asked, curious.

"I thought it would be soon," he said wistfully.

"Maybe it will be," I nudged him lightly, offering a smile.

We split up as I walked into school, unaware that this would be the last time I'd see Neville that day. When lunchtime rolled around and he still hadn't shown up, we all assumed he was stuck doing extra work with a teacher.

After school, I spotted Lyla's car waiting for me in front of the building. She waved me over, and I hopped in.

"Seatbelt," she ordered, and I quickly obliged.

"Which mall are we heading to?" I asked as I connected my phone to the car's Bluetooth.

"The human one on the outskirts. We need something unique, something no one else will wear," she said with determination, driving off.

As a familiar song started playing through the speakers, Lyla grinned and turned up the volume. "I love this song!"

"This is why we get along so well," I winked at her, and she laughed. We spent the rest of the drive singing along.

An hour later, we pulled into the basement parking of the mall. Lyla was clearly on a mission, taking out her iPad and showing me the outfits she had already selected.