I Was Dumped by Four Mate Candidates Chapter 02

I Was Dumped by Four Mate Candidates Chapter 02

Six in the evening. I changed into a black slip dress and headed to The Howling Terrace.

That place used to be our favorite hideout. Flynn renovated it when he turned eighteen. Glass wine cabinets in the center. My white piano still tucked in the corner.

He’d told everyone, “As long as Sloane’s happy, The Howling Terrace stays open.”

Lydia was already waiting when I got there.

She looked me over. Head to toe. Then she let out a heavy “Wow.”

“You’ve changed a lot.”

I glanced down at myself. Sun-kissed skin. Toned muscle. Dark brown waves. Silver eyes.

“I look exactly the same.”

She made a dramatic face. “It’s your energy. You walk in now and you look like a queen.”

I tossed her my bag. “Get to the point.”

She walked with me, voice dropping. “Ruby’s on the terrace.”

“Okay.”

“That’s all you’ve got?”

“What do you want?” I glanced at her. “Should I storm in and scream, ‘Who dares touch my future mate’?”

She cracked up, then sighed. “You’ll see when you walk in there. I gave up trying to figure them out two years ago.”

“At first everyone just thought Ruby was some Omega who kinda looked like you. Then they got all protective. Now the whole pack’s saying it doesn’t even matter that you’re back with that Silvermoon bloodline. You still might not win this thing—and yeah, I mean romantically.”

I didn’t slow down. “Who told them I was competing against Ruby?”

Before I reached the hideout, I caught Flynn’s voice.

“Don’t be nervous. Sloane’s not that petty.”

A female voice answered. “But… I’m still a little scared.”

Someone else replied, “Scared of what? You’ve got people protecting you now.”

The terrace was quiet.

I stood in the doorway. Spotted Ruby immediately.

She sat near the host’s seat in a cream-white dress. Hair soft over her shoulders. Her features did share something with mine. Two or three parts.

But she looked thinner than I’d imagined. Quieter. Like a breeze could scatter her.

My four mate candidates sat scattered around her.

Kael was closest. Warm water in hand. Dark chocolate-brown hair. Amber eyes. He was always the devoted knight.

Silas leaned against the sofa, a thick book in his hand. Raven-black hair. Deep grey eyes. He was the keeper of the forest library.

Soren lifted his gaze to me. His eyes were deep chestnut with flecks of russet. Hazel-brown hair. I’d heard he’d made it into the Wolf Council. That suited him. He’d always been righteous.

Flynn was the most direct. He stood, grinning, and took a couple of steps toward me. Flame-red hair. Forest-green eyes. Head of the hunting team.

“Well, well. Our princess finally decided to come home.”

If I hadn’t overheard those two sentences outside, this moment would’ve looked almost the same as the old days.

Then I saw the drink.

It was The Howling Terrace’s special. Moonweep.

My creation. I’d named it Moonweep because it eased my symptoms on full-moon nights. Back when I couldn’t control the Silvermoon bloodline, my pheromones would riot when the moon was full.

The ingredients were rare. Fermented from moonlight dew collected on full-moon nights. You could only brew a single small glass a month.

Now it sat beside Ruby’s hand. A faint lipstick stain on the rim.

My eyes lingered there. Two seconds.

Flynn followed my gaze. His grin tightened. Uncomfortable.

“Ruby’s never had one. So I had someone mix her up a glass. You could, uh… get yours next month? Yeah?”

“Great.” I pulled out a chair. “I don’t get pheromone riots anymore anyway.”

Ruby stood. Her voice was so soft. “Miss Silvermoon. Hello. I’m Ruby.”