CHAPTER 1
Lilah
A sigh worksits way up my throat, and I sag back into the comfort of my blankets. It takes everything not to roll my eyes at the TV screen. Not that the girls and guys fawning over the most recent eligible bachelors would see it.
“No! Erica, can't you see she's not your friend?” I fling my hand out, tossing my Twizzler at the television. “She wants the same alphas you want!”
The licorice bounces off the side of Sarah’s face, currently taking up the whole screen with her fake smile, before falling the rest of the way to the plush carpet of the living room floor. Eyeing it, I debate retrieving it.
Never throw your last snack.
Rules to live by.
My sister,the Ashlyn Robinson—the one with all the luck and fame—pops her head into the room, efficiently stopping me from acting on my thoughts.
“Hey, want to go to the club? Owen said he'd take us.”
I groan, rolling my eyes. Hanging out with my sister sounds fun, adding Owen into the mix notso much. He’s terrible in general, one of those alpha’s that thinks they are big and bad, but come off like they are covering for a small knot. If Jared was a jerk, Ashlyn’s boyfriend’s worse, and I wish she could see that.
“I'd rather continue being a couch potato. Thank you very much.”
She laughs as if I'm joking. I'm not. Being a third wheel isn't something I'm interested in.
“You need to get out of this dark room. Did you put blankets over the windows?” She peers across the room at the darkened windows with dismay.
I sink further into my cocoon of blankets and shrug. “Maybe I'm a vampire.”
She opens her mouth to say more, and I shush her.
“Xavier is going to overhear Sarah being a bitch to his one true love.”
Ashlyn turns to watch the television for a moment. She crosses her arms and shifts on her heels. “It would be more interesting without the scent blockers.”
“A house full of scenting omegas fighting for the same alphas would kill each other,” I say with a snort. I don’t mention they do that once the numbers are lower. She’s never going to watch this show anyway.
“Maybe. It would still be fun to watch.” She stands there for a few minutes in silence as a near-miss plays out on the TV. Xavier strides into the room seconds after Sarah reveals her true colors to the viewers.
“What a bitch!” My fingers curl around the remote, ready to launch it across the room in the same trajectory my snack took.
“Okay, get up. We're done sulking for the day. It's not good for you.” She yanks the comforter off of me, holding it out of my reach.
“I'm not sulking.” I give a half-assed attempt of grabbingthe warm blanket back, but she shifts on her heels further away from me.
She huffs. “It’s like you’ve forgotten you have a life.” She drops the blanket behind her on the ground and moves closer again.
“That's not true.” I slap her hand away before she can take my pillow.
“It is, Lilah. When's the last time you brushed your hair?”
Mentally counting, I wince.
“That's what I thought. He isn’t worth your tears, neither of them are.”
I open my mouth, and she holds up a hand. She’s talking about Tabitha, my ex-best friend, also known as the one that helped my ex-boyfriend show me that happily ever after doesn’t exist.
“You know it's true.”
She crosses the room and pulls the blankets off the windows, allowing the bright summer day to shine into even the darkest corners. It's cheerful, and something pangs inside my chest. She's right. I'm a mess.
