CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE - A NIGHT OF CHOICES

MONA’S POV

I looked at Aster’s face, with shock evident on my face.

“What— what are you saying Aster?” I asked as he brought out a bouquet of flowers from behind him, handing it over to me.

“You heard me Mona,” he said, smiling slightly, his blue eyes hovering over my face. “I want us to go to prom together.”

“We can’t do that Aster,” I said, handing him back the flowers.

Aster looked down at me in confusion, refusing to accept the flowers from me, “what do you mean? Why not?” 

“Because I am going with Luka,” I blurted out, hating myself as I said it.

Aster’s smile fell in disappointment immediately, “are you serious right now? Why are you going with him, after everything we have been through these past weeks?”

“He asked me first, and with everything we have put him through, it won’t be fair to do that to him again,” I replied fiercely, looking up at him.

“Oh.. so you are going to prom with him because you pity him, is that it?” 

“What? That isn’t what I meant at all.”

“Yeah so what is the reason then?” he asked, stepping even closer to me, backing me into the door.

“Why do you seem to always consider Luka’s feelings and not mine?” Aster asked, his blue eyes wide with annoyance as he stared down at me.

I hated this. I hated having to make a decision like this, no matter what I did, someone was still going to get hurt somehow.

“Aster… I—” 

“You know what? Just forget I even asked,” Aster said, leaving me stunned.

“Enjoy your prom with him,” he said spitefully, before walking out of the classroom, leaving me standing alone, with the rose bouquet still in my hand.

By Friday evening, I stood in my bedroom with Vera, twirling in front of the human sized mirror, checking out one of the many dresses that she had picked out for prom.

“Today is going to be amazing,” Vera said excitedly, as she picked out another dress.

“For someone who doesn’t even have a prom date, you seem very excited for tonight,”I teased, walking over to the bed, and shifting away the many dresses and items to sit down properly.

“And for someone with a prom date, you should be more excited,” Vera remarked, turning to face me. “Aren’t you happy that you are going with Luka?”

I bit my lip in consideration, “I am. I mean after all the fake dating with Aster, I owe it to him to choose him tonight, but still…”

“You can’t help but think about Aster, can you?” she asked, as she walked over to stand in front of me.

“If you really liked Luka, then you would not be thinking of Aster right now, and worse of all, you wouldn’t feel guilty for thinking about him,” Vera said bluntly, giving me a matter of factly look.

“I really do like Luka, but I just can’t stop—” 

“Shush!” Vera said, grabbing my hands to pull me up. “Don’t think about that right now.”

“The only thing you should be thinking about is how much fun you are going to have tonight,” she said, smiling warmly at me and slowly, a smile spread across my face.

“Now, let’s find you a perfect dress.”

The next hour felt like a movie montage as I kept trying on all kinds of dresses in front of Vera, who disapproved, every single time.

“What about this one?” I asked her, showing her a pink gown. 

“Too preppy, next!!”

I rolled my eyes as I went into the bathroom to put on a new dress.

I returned back in a long red dress, with a long slit stopping at my thigh, as soon as I saw my reflection, I just knew— that this was the one

“Girl, you are stunning,” Vera exclaimed, standing up to look at me.

“Thank you, isn’t this a bit much?”

“No, it is just perfect,” she said, smiling warmly. Vera was dressed in a floral green gown that enhanced her eyes. Her make up was soft looking, definitely hiding the fierceness inside of her.

While my green eyes were painted with smoky eye shadow, and my lips nude, showing a confidence I wasn’t sure I felt.

“Come on Cinderella,” Vera said, looping her hand with mine as we walked out of my room. “Let’s go to the ball.”

Luka arrived right on time, looking ridiculously good in a tailored black suit

“Damn, Mona,” Luka said, eyes sweeping over my body. “If I knew you were gonna look this good, I would’ve asked sooner.”

I smirked at him, feeling proud, “too late for regrets now.”

“Not even a compliment, Everstorm?” Vera asked him with a pout.

Luka gave her a glance, with a small smile, “You also look beautiful Vera.”

“There now that wasn’t so hard was it?” she teased him as we got outside.

My father was barely around these days, because of his pack duties. But somehow I wished he was here today to see me attend my first prom ever.

The driver approached us as we got outside the house, “Miss Mona, your father sends his regrets that he cannot be with you tonight, but he has asked that I drive you with the Limousine today.”

“Woah… Alpha treatment!” Vera shouted in my ear, excitedly while my stomach sank in disappointment.

Somehow I had become one of those kids whose parents used material things to solve the problem of their absence. And with how bad my life was before, I should have been grateful.

But I didn’t feel that way.

Luka turned to me, giving me a reassuring smile as we stepped inside the Limo, and it made me feel better.

Maybe I had made the right choice.

Maybe tonight would be perfect.

***

The school gym had been completely transformed. With glittering chandeliers, a shimmering dance floor, and a DJ blasting music so loud that I could feel the bass in my chest.

I could feel all eyes on me as I stepped into the dance floor with Luka by my side. A few students gave me confused looks, wondering why I was here with Luka again and not Aster, but I did not want to care about them right now.

I was going to have fun tonight, just like Vera said.

I grabbed a drink from one of the trays and turned to Luka, 

“Let’s dance,” I said after downing the glass.

“Are you sure? We just arrived and—”

“And what? We came here to have fun and forget all about the craziness of the past week, so let’s do that,” I said and he shrugged in agreement, pulling me into his arms.

I laughed as he spun me around, feeling the music pulsing between them.

For the first time in a long time, I felt free.

No overthinking. No guilt. I was just in the moment.

And then everything stopped.

The music. The dancing. The laughter.

I could feel it before I even turned around.

A presence.

A weight.

Him.

Aster stood at the entrance, dressed in a crisp white suit, his thick brown hair tousled just enough to look effortlessly perfect.

His eyes found mine immediately, his blue eyes expressing a look I knew all too well— anger.

Before he walked towards me, I knew deep down that he was going to do something.

Aster took slow methodical steps towards us, stopping just as the music resumed again. Beside me, Luka tensed as we both stared at him.

“What do you want?” Luka asked, stepping in front of me.

Aster’s eyes were locked on mine as he spoke, “Let’s dance, Mona.”