My breath is hitched.

I am panting, sweating as I watch it happen. I don't like this, in fact, I hate this very much. Why did he have to be so diligent about it?

I didn't think I was the jealous type, but apparently I am. I guess all it took was for me to have something to lose. I mean, someone. A person I actually care about.

It's Friday evening. The day of the Fall Ball here at Ravenwood Academy.

Per the official rules, all the Omegas and Gammas are required to have at least one dance with all the Alphas and Betas.

It's a mandatory mixer, designed to force the students to give a chance to every available werewolf enrolled here, no matter how insignificant they may seem to you.

I understand their strategy, I am not opposed to the concept. Sometimes a dance is all it takes for you to realize you have chemistry with someone.

For somebody like me who has nothing to lose and everything to gain here, it's a good chance to connect with other people who ordinarily would not give me the time of day.

An hour into the party, I have already danced with dozens of Alphas and Betas, starting with Roberto, the foreign exchange student from Brazil.

He is very light on his feet. I could tell he was a good dancer - better than me, to be honest. I would not have pegged him for a dancer, but he surprised me.

He was enchanting with his swagger and charismatic grin. I had a nice time on the dance floor, no complaints.

There is just one problem.

Jayden is dancing with every single Omega and Gamma from the academy. I couldn't help but notice he is a very good dancer and an amazing partner to have on the dance floor.

He is really engaged in showing each of his dance partners tonight a very good time. I do not like this at all. Who knew I was the jealous type?

Not me, that's for sure.

I guess everybody can get jealous when they are scared of losing someone they like or love. Jayden is a catch and anybody here would be lucky to have him as a prospecting partner.

But I don't want anybody else to have him. He is mine! Even if at the moment he is dancing cheek to cheek with my roommate.

That bastard!

I love Seth, but I would love him even more if he wasn't milking this for his dear life. He is having the time of his life dancing with Jayden, the two of them were connected on the floor like they were the only ones dancing here at the ballroom.

Goddamn! They would make a beautiful couple, but he's mine! I thought that was clear by now…

I am required to keep dancing with the eligible men, so soon enough I will be done with my break and resume dancing.

No one wants to spend the weekend cleaning up the castle, so no student is leaving their dance cards blank. Oh yeah, there will be an inspection tomorrow morning.

Because of tonight's occasion, all the students are staying over for the weekend because it doesn't pay off for them to go home on Saturday and return on Sunday.

But I don't really mind staying here, even though I miss my family. My mom should definitely go back to the dating pool now that I am all grown up.

I am sitting down by one of the tables, taking a drink, and hating being forced to watch Jayden and Seth dancing closely. Whatever happened to a waltz?

As I finish my drink, another Alpha comes to take me to dance. He looked bothered to have to do this and he didn't even pretend otherwise. At this point, it's just another dance for me.

Later that night, Seth and I are eating some nice delicacies that are at our disposal. They went out of their way to make this as perfect as possible for the students.

Ravenwood cannot be accused of not pulling its weight or not giving the students their money's worth. Trust me, it's worth it.

“I was just about to bitch slap you away from Jay.” I told my roommate in a joking tone. He gasped in shock.

“It was just a dance, Jake. Not a mating ritual.” He replied in a snarky tone. I laughed at his words.

“Haven't you been dancing with a bunch of Alphas too? It's part of the game!” He argued in a raised tone.

“A bunch of insufferable spoiled brats who wouldn't give me the time of day if it wasn't mandatory. I really lucked out with Jayden.” I breathed out a frustrated sigh.

If anyone is expecting magic tonight, it sure as hell isn't going to happen to me. The only magic I had was when Jayden asked me to the dance floor. That was the highlight of my day. *swoon*

“You did, Jayden is an amazing prospect to have!” He spoke with a sting of jealousy. I felt that in his voice, though I am not so sure why…

The truth is I should be the one envying my roommate, not the other way around. He should be the belle of the ball…

By the way, I am probably jumping the gun here. It should be noted that Seth was very much a coveted dance partner tonight.

Every single Alpha and Beta who was afraid of asking him out because of his brother's reaction took advantage of the opportunity given to them.

In fact, Seth has been busy all night with requests. Of course, we are required to dance with all Alphas and Betas, but he is actually someone people want to dance with.

Sean also took his chance with the boy that he went out on a few dates with, but the competition was strong for my roommate's attention tonight. That's the truth.

So, he actually is the belle of the ball.

And then there was the Alpha twin.

With his rediscovered popularity among the female population of the academy - after he rejected a prospect for dumping him without the chance to explain himself - Skylar has been the true belle of the ball tonight.

Handsome, attractive, extremely rich and with an impeccable pedigree, it's not exactly strange that he has been the most sought after dance partner of the evening.

So far, Skylar has danced with three dozen girls vying to be his new prospecting partner. All of them could be his next target since the vast majority of the students here are from packs whose alliance would matter for his family.

At this point in the game, money is redundant for them. He doesn't need to marry rich, but one can always use more allies.

Wearing a very expensive tailored suit, the Alpha boy was not only dressed to impress, but he looked very impressive. Not enough to hold a candle to my Jayden, but that is just my personal opinion.

While he amuses himself by having a bunch of girls trying to snatch his attention, the rest of the Alphas focus their attention on pursuing their prospects.

The ballroom was busy with students getting to know one another, expanding their circle of relationships. Time waits for no teen werewolf.

You’d think it's too soon, but the longer you wait the least amount of candidates you will have to connect with. It's basically a bunch of sharks competing for the same bait.

If you take too much time, you'll only find the carcass. The fresh tilapia will be long gone, prospected to another eligible candidate.

It's a competition for sure but not only that, the sooner you lock in a good prospect the better. You don’t want to be that person left with scraps. An intelligent student should have a decent prospecting partner by Thanksgiving week.

“Are you having fun?” Jayden approached me as I sipped a spiked punch around eleven p.m. Werewolves are resistant to alcohol, but if you drink enough of it…

“Not as much as you, dancing cheek to cheek with horny Omegas but I am getting by.” I replied in a snarky tone. He laughed out loud at my remark.

“Are you jealous?” He taunted me with his towering figure close to mine. My Goddess, when I look at him I see everything I could ever want in a partner.

His proximity gets me flustered as his breath fanned my face. He teases me with his lips that are ready for a kiss, but he doesn't actually do it. His head tilted to the side and he leaned in to kiss my neck instead.

I get full body chills from the contact of his mouth on my skin. It's just a peck, but it causes my body to heat up.

“I am not jealous. You can dance with whoever you want!” I defended myself, pretending to be indifferent to him. I am failing miserably, of course.

“Oh really?” He raised an eyebrow suspicious of my attitude. Now he takes that as a challenge and starts to tease me with his nose grazing my neck. My hair bristled from the soft contact.

Then, he used his steel like arms to lift me to his height and lay a wet kiss on me that had my head spinning.

“Are you still jealous?” He teased me, now putting me back on the ground. His infectious smile was giving me all the feels.

“I wasn't. But now other people might be of me.” I said in a snarky tone. He laughed at my remark.

“There is nobody else here but us.” He spoke, romantically. Damn! The Alpha got game… *swoon*

Jayden and I had a nice moment before we returned to our official duties as dance partners to other students.

By midnight, I was exhausted. I was required to dance with a lot of students. Still, nobody holds a candle to the ebony god. Though Roberto was a nice partner. At least, he was engaged in conversation with me.

Unlike many other students who couldn't be bothered. I filled my glass with a spiked punch to give me a buzz while my roommate was finishing off his last dance of the night.

The boy had Seth talking and laughing. It appears to be going well. I am happy for him. I do hope Seth gets a decent prospect out of this event. No shade, Sean. You are a lost cause.

The punch is actually packing a pretty hard, well, punch. I am a little buzzed from the alcohol, sitting down next to Jayden. He is keeping me company while I wait for my roommate.

And by keeping me company, I mean flirting with me blatantly. He is so delightful to be around, I am hoping we can keep this up until April. *fingers crossed*

Seth arrived at our table and Jayden stepped out to go to the bathroom. He looked pleased after a rather successful night of prospecting (dance) partners.

We started walking out of the ballroom when I heard my name being called by a familiar voice. Oh Goddess… *sigh*

“Did you forget you have to sign my dance card?” Skylar asked me in an accusatory tone. As if I was under any obligation here.

I furrowed my eyebrows in an aggravated scowl.

“I didn't forget anything. I signed all my dance partners’ cards.” I replied to him in a snarky tone, fuming. This spoiled, entitled overgrown brat is getting on my nerves.

“I didn't ask you because I figured you wouldn't be caught dead by my side after the heat debacle.” He justified himself, which is understandable if it weren't for one small thing…

“I don't make the rules, Alpha. I am here on a scholarship being courted by the Headmaster's grandson who doesn't want me to be prospected by Jayden. If I sneeze the wrong way, he'll find a reason to expel me!” I raised my voice, irritated.

Like I said time after time, I am under no illusion here. I like Jayden for who he is and not for what he can bring to my life, but I see the way Lockwood stares at me sometimes. I am not naive, but I will never give up. Single parents’ kids are nothing if not resourceful.

Skylar scoffed.

“I highly doubt he would expel you for signing my dance card.” He said in a humorous tone.

“You're missing the point, rich boy. I can not afford to misrepresent myself. If you wanted my signature, you should have asked me to dance like you did with all the other Omegas. It's already terrible that you think I am not good enough for you, now I am supposed to bend the rules for your pleasure?” I reprimanded him, pissed off.

Seth hears my words and glares at his brother reprehensibly. Skylar gulped awkwardly and extended his hand, inviting me to dance with him.

“I am going to my dorm now.” I refused, pissed off.

“You are not making me spend the weekend cleaning toilets because of one signature. Either dance with me or sign my card. I am good either way, but you are not leaving here until you do either or.” He threatened me with a surprisingly charming smile for someone who was threatening me.

I grunted in annoyance.

“He said he doesn’t want to dance. He shouldn’t have to. You missed your chance and now you’re threatening an Omega? I’d like to see you threaten me if you dare.” Jayden came to my defense with an angry stance against Skylar.

The two Alphas stared each other down, neither willing to give in, until I broke their staring competition.

“It’s fine, Jay. I can dance with the spoiled brat.” I didn’t want them to fight each other again after what happened when he caught us both in bed during the heat episode. Especially considering the fallout could be traced back to me. I don’t need Headmaster Lockwood thinking I am a bad influence on the heir of his pack on top of everything else.

Skylar and I took to the dance floor where we shared a dance begrudgingly. It was a slow dance but he kept a respectable distance from me, as expected. Seth and Jayden waited for us to finish by the door, not far from us.

“I never said you were not good enough for me. There is just no advantage for me to prospect someone like you.” He explained while we were dancing as if that was supposed to make me feel any better. I grunted in annoyance.

“Thank you for that patronizing explanation that just proved my point. You are one of the reasons I thank Goddess every day I found Jayden. I don’t know how you can be so cold, so despicable.” I snarled at him, trying not to miss my step as I was led by the Alpha.

Skylar frowned at me, being hurt by my comment.

“You are living a dream, a fairy tale. But the expiration date will come soon and all of this will turn into a pumpkin when you realize there is no way Lockwood will ever let his grandson claim you. I am sorry to burst your bubble.” He spat at me, not exactly telling me something new. But it hurts to hear it nonetheless.

“You certainly look very sorry.” I grunted in annoyance.

“You are probably right. I am living a fairy tale. But I should be entitled to live in a world where your character prevails more than your last name. I should be entitled to live in a world where my honesty and strength count more than my bank account.” I declared, annoyed at him.

“You might not believe me, but I hope you do. Honestly. I hope you do prove me wrong. I look forward to hearing your name being spoken at the claiming ceremony. I am just not counting on it.” He spoke with rare vulnerability.

Well, at least you are being honest. I hope so too, Skylar. It is what I am clinging on… I am dreaming Jayden can somehow pull off some kind of miracle at the claiming ceremony next year. What I do know is that nobody gets to speak for him. He is the Alpha. I am simply the Omega hoping we could be together forever.

A|N: Okay, then. Let’s see what fate has in store for the star crossed lovers.

I am holding back on revealing a major plot point of this novel.

There is a twist so big that will shift the perception of the whole book.

Maybe I can reveal it next time. Who knows?

Next is "Falling in Love".

Love,

Léo.