The Moon's Shadow

☾ Chapter Fourteen

Two days went by since I slapped Jett, I had been enjoying myself at Athena's, not so worried about what he was doing.

At this point, I wasn't sure if I even cared.

Athena and Ryker were great, on the first night, Jett had come knocking on their door, asking if I was there.

Athena told him to get lost; I laughed harder than I had since I've been here when I saw the look on his face. He left in a huff and hasn't come by since. 

She told me about growing up in the pack, that she and Jett were childhood friends, she considered him family which is why they were so casual with each other. I knew it took a lot for Athena to stick her neck out like that for me regardless, but knowing how close she and Jett are he wouldn't punish her.

I grew envious sometimes seeing Ryker and Athena together, how much they loved each other, how they looked at each other, but I always swallowed my feelings, knowing that wasn't the future I had in store for me, not at this rate, not right now.

Unfortunately, the gala was fast approaching, I had to decide if I should even go or if I was still invited, but Athena was insistent that I should go.

I did agree to an extent, I wanted to show Jett I wasn't going to be easily walked over, he had made me a promise, one I took seriously, and he broke it. I wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily, even though I wasn't sure really what I could do besides ignore him, which I was pulling off.

___

"Can we watch a scary movie?" Octavia asked with an evil grin.

"I don't know if I want to watch one..." I trailed. After a minute of searching, she triumphantly held up her pick. I squinted on the title, trying to read it.

"What.. what movie is that?"

She turned and grinned at me, and shrugged. I frowned with her lack of communication. Knowing her, she probably picked the scariest movie she could find. After putting the disc in, she crawling back over to the couch, cuddling in close to me, already bracing herself.

Great. It's going to scare the shit out of me.

Not even thirty minutes in and I had watched most of the movie through the cracks of my hands. I hated scary movies, especially ones that had cheap jump scares, which this one was filled with.

Octavia was gripping my one free hand so hard I thought she was going to break it at some points.

After another hour of enduring the movie, it finally ended, she released my hand from her iron grip, looking down at it and could see the imprint of her hand still. I laughed and silently shook my hand trying to regain circulation. Why did we watch a scary movie if neither of us could even stand it?

I yawned and checked my phone; it was almost midnight.

"I'm going to head out and go to bed. Thank you for the movie! We should do this more often" I smiled at her while I got up from the couch giving her a small wave.

"Goodnight Rhea!" she called after me.

I stepped out of the pack house and took a deep breath; I loved the smell of summer nights. There was something that was just so fresh about them.

I smiled, even though I missed my family and pack, I had been enjoying my time here a lot more lately, I felt like I was making progress with some of the pack. Spending every day in Millicent's shop exposed me to a lot of the pack members. They had begun to trust me with their medical needs, allowing me to treat them alongside Millicent.

"Rhea," a voice brought me back from reality. I looked up, instantly rolling my eyes at the figure before me.

"Were you just waiting for me like a stalker?" I answered, not trying to hide the annoyance in my voice.

Jett scowled, I wasn't sure if anyone actually ever talked back to him except people he was close with. Since we were not close, it probably drove him insane at my lack of respect. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair impatiently.

"How long are you going to be staying at Athena's?"

"As long as I feel like it" I glared at him.

"What are you? Five?"

"No, but if you're going to treat me like I don't even exist, I don't have to answer to you!" I defended.

He let out another impatient sigh, "It's not what you think, between Lexi and I. What you saw a few days ago."

I scoffed, letting out a fake laugh, "That's literally the oldest line in the book; try harder."

I went to walk around him, purposefully bumping into his side as I walked past but he easily caught my slender frame, gripping my waist.

"You're still coming to the gala tomorrow, right?"

I glared at his hand that was preventing me from escaping.

"No, I don't want to go with you," I lied. I did want to go with him, but my stubbornness wouldn't let this go.

"You're not to go because I hurt your feelings? Grow up, Rhea." He let go of my waist, walking away.

I stood in the same spot dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events, how was any of this my fault? Was he seriously mad at ME?

I flipped him off as he walked away, stomping my way back to Athena's.

What an asshole.

I let out a frustrated growl.

Men.