THE TRIBRID LUNA

"Lila, I don't think this party is a good idea," I said, my voice barely audible over the pounding music. We were standing in the garage of the party house, and I could feel the bass vibrating through the floor.

Lila, my best friend, was rummaging through her bag, pulling out clothes. She looked up at me with a mischievous grin. "Hey, it's okay. It's just a hottie night party, that's all."

I felt her hand on my arm, trying to reassure me, but it didn't help much. My stomach was in knots. "But what if he sees me? What if he sees me half-naked? What will I say?"

Lila chuckled, leaning against our car. "Well, you don't have to be afraid. You don't even know if your father is serious about this whole betrothal thing."

I shook my head, my hands trembling as I changed into the clothes Lila had brought for me. "Lila, he's the Alpha King that everyone fears. He could be anywhere. And seeing his betrothed mate half-naked in a club party can easily piss him off."

"Girl, no more arguing on this," Lila said, her tone final. "We go there, we party, we have s*x, we go home."

My eyes widened. "Have s*x?"

"Yes, unless you don't want to." Lila grinned, doing a little catwalk towards the noisy house. "Time for party, girl!"

I watched her disappear into the crowd, feeling completely out of place. S*x? Well, maybe it could happen. I mean, I might end up meeting my mate or someone I feel something for. Not my betrothed mate who's been hiding his face from me for six years.

As I made my way into the party house, I couldn't help but think about Justin. Did I just call him by his name? He's a notorious Alpha, and everyone fears him. Though I've never met him, I believe the rumors are true.

"Excuse me, excuse me," I kept saying, trying to weave through the crowd. My eyes darted around, searching for Lila.

Suddenly, a deep voice came from behind me. "Looking for someone?"

I spun around, coming face to face with a guy. He was handsome, I'll give him that, but there was something about his smile that made me wonder if we'd met before.

"Yes, I'm looking for my best friend Lila. We came together and seems like we both lost each other," I explained.

He nodded towards a corner of the room. "Looks like your best friend is having her moment with some guy."

I turned to look, and sure enough, there was Lila, already locked in a passionate kiss with a stranger. I sighed. Not even three minutes in, and she was already having a good time.

"Mind if I buy you a drink?" the guy's words brought me back to reality.

"No, I'll pass," I said quickly, moving away from him.

I made my way to the bar, ordering a cocktail. As I sat there, sipping my drink and watching Lila from afar, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. What if Justin really was here? What would he think of me?

"I've never seen a girl having a drink all by herself," the same guy from before said, sliding onto the stool next to me.

I rolled my eyes. "I think I said I passed. I'm not interested."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Easy, lady. I don't bite." He signaled to the bartender. "Get me a glass of whiskey."

As the bartender placed another cocktail in front of me, the guy introduced himself. "I'm Justin, anyway."

The moment I heard the name, I nearly choked on my drink. "Are you the Alpha King?" I asked, my heart racing.

He looked confused. "You mean Justin Fenis? No, I'm not. Do I look like him?"

I relaxed a little. "Nope, though I haven't met him before."

"So why all the drama? Did he hurt you before? Why are you so terrified about him?" Justin asked.

I shook my head. "It's complicated. Can we just not talk about it?"

He nodded, respecting my wish. We sat in silence for a moment, the music filling the air between us.

"Alright," Justin said finally. "As I got you a drink, do you mind if I ask for a favor?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "It depends. We just met, so I don't know if I can help you with your favor."

He smiled. "It's just a dance. Will you dance with me? I'm not good at dancing, and you seem much better. I don't mind if you teach me."

Against my better judgment, I found myself saying, "Yes, of course."

We left our drinks and headed to the dance floor. As we started moving to the music, I couldn't help but notice how Justin kept smiling at me.

"What?" I asked, feeling self-conscious.

"Nothing," he replied. "I'm just lost in your beauty."

I laughed, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. As we continued dancing, I found myself getting lost in the moment. Justin was funny, charming, and so different from what I imagined my betrothed to be like. I assumed he could be like this .

Before I knew what was happening, I leaned in and kissed him. Realizing what I'd done, I pulled back quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

But Justin just smiled. "I didn't complain," he said, before kissing me back.

As we kissed passionately, a small voice in the back of my mind reminded me of my betrothed mate. But at that moment, I didn't care. I was tired of living in fear of a man I'd never met.

We stumbled into an empty room, our hands exploring each other's bodies. As I began to remove Justin's clothes, kissing his chest, I tried to push away the guilt that was creeping in.

"Wait," I said, pulling away slightly. "I... I have to tell you something."

Justin looked at me, concerned in his eyes. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm... I'm betrothed to someone. The Alpha King, Justin Fenis."

Justin's eyes widened. "Oh," he said softly. "I... I didn't know."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "I've never even met him. My father arranged it six years ago. I don't want to be with someone I don't know, someone I've never even seen."

Justin pulled me into a hug. "It's okay," he whispered. "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with."

I looked up at him, feeling a mix of gratitude and attraction. "But that's the thing," I said. "I am comfortable with you. More than I've ever been with anyone."

He smiled softly. "Are you sure about this? What if your betrothed finds out?"

I shook my head. "I don't care. I'm tired of living my life for someone else. Tonight, I want to live for me."

With that, I kissed him again, this time with more passion and certainty. As we fell onto the bed, I pushed all thoughts of my betrothed out of my mind. For once, I was going to do what I wanted, consequences be damned.

But even as Justin's hands roamed my body, a small part of me couldn't help but wonder: What if my betrothed really was here tonight? What if he saw me? Would he be angry? Hurt? Or would he not care at all?

These thoughts swirled in my mind, but I pushed them away. Tonight was about me, about living in the moment. And right now, all I wanted was to be with Justin, to feel alive and free, if only for one night.

As our bodies intertwined, I made a silent promise to myself: After tonight, I would confront my father about this betrothal. I would demand to meet Justin Fenis, to know the man I was supposedly destined to be with. But for now, I would enjoy this moment, this freedom, this connection with a stranger who made me feel more alive than I had in years.

"Oh f*ck," I muttered, my eyes fluttering open. I found myself naked in the VIP room of the club, the place now eerily quiet. Everyone seemed to have left.

Slowly, I sat up, my head pounding. On a short table near the bed, a glint caught my eye. A bracelet. I reached for it, turning it over in my hands. There, on the back, were the initials "JF." Justin. But what did the "F" stand for?

"Maybe that's his last name," I whispered to myself.

As I set the bracelet down, I noticed it wasn't the only thing on the table. A ring sat there, too. But it was no ordinary ring. A crystal adorned the head, making it look more like a daylight ring for a vampire.

Suddenly, a thought hit me like a truck. "Wait," I said aloud, my voice shaking. "Justin wasn't the only one I slept with last night."

I threw myself back onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow. "What have I done?" I screamed, the sound muffled by the fabric.