Chapter 7 The Masquerade Ball

Ava Taylor's POV:

I heard a man's voice and immediately felt a chill run down my spine. Without thinking, I ducked behind a tree to hide.

A tall guy suddenly jumped down from the tree in front of me.

"Sorry, I just needed to change my clothes 'cause they got wet. If I'm bothering you, I can leave," I apologized, looking slightly embarrassed.

From where I was, I could see his long eyelashes and high nose. His light purple eyes were mesmerizing. I had to admit, he was the most handsome guy I'd ever seen.

"I don't care about that. Since you're here for the Luna Trial, instead of wasting time putting on a strip show, you should practice your abilities. You can't even do basic healing, yet you come to the Luna Trial? Idiot." He sneered and walked away.

I had no idea who he was. But it was clear he thought I was trying to seduce him, though it was just a random encounter. Some of his words didn't make sense to me, but since he had already left, I didn't dwell on it.

I put on my lace dress and slowly walked back, still uneasy about the many unhealed scars on my body

"Ava, you look beautiful in that dress." Olivia circled around me, then pulled me towards the gathering place.

She told me that at the masquerade ball, many werewolves would come. Even if the girls didn't become Noah's mate, they would still have other opportunities.

A grill was set up in the clearing, and every girl had on exquisite makeup and beautiful clothes.

I felt out of place. Since I had no friends besides Olivia, no one came to talk to me. I found a quiet corner and sat down, which was what I often did. I was used to being invisible. Olivia went to find her other friends, and I closed my eyes, ready to rest.

But then, someone tapped my shoulder. It was Anthea. She handed me a skewered fish. "Ava, everyone is grilling fish. You can try it too. I have too many fish to grill. Can you help me?"

I knew Anthea was trying to help me out, so I agreed. But when I joined the other girls, they immediately scattered, isolating me.

Anthea didn't seem to notice, but I didn't blame her because her kindness really warmed my heart.

Under the disdainful gazes of others, I grilled my fish until it was crispy, then took it to find Olivia, hoping to share it with her.

But when I found Olivia, she was stomping her feet in anger. I walked up to ask her why.

"Anthea did it on purpose to make everyone target you! It's so annoying, Ava. Do you know how much it hurt me to hear you were being excluded?" she exclaimed, his voice filled with frustration.

Really? Anthea?

I didn't even get to eat the grilled fish. Olivia was fuming, cursing Anthea up and down. I had to use the masks for the masquerade ball to distract her. "Calm down, Olivia. The masquerade ball has already started. Let's head over there, okay?"

Olivia finally stopped cursing Anthea, took a deep breath, and grabbed my hand as we headed to the market. But with so many people around, we got separated pretty quickly.

I ended up wandering the streets alone. Couples were everywhere, holding hands, laughing, and picking out masks. They all looked so happy, while I was always alone.

I was used to it. From childhood to now, I was always alone. At least in the Silver Pine Pack, people didn't look at me like I was a freak.

There were tons of stalls selling masks, snacks, and jewelry. I touched the necklace around my neck, thinking of Olivia. She had given it to me, and I hadn't gotten her anything yet.

My eyes landed on a jewelry stall with all kinds of pretty pieces. I really liked a pair of emerald earrings, but just as I reached for them, someone else grabbed them first.

"How much for these?" It was a guy wearing a wooden mask, his face mostly covered except for a pair of green eyes and red lips.

How weird! How could a guy be more beautiful than a girl?

I stared at him, feeling like I had seen him somewhere before.

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Ethan, you protect our great Alpha. I shouldn't charge you. Take them."

I had heard that name from Olivia. He was Noah's personal guard, one of the knights who came to take us to the Silver Pine Pack.

Looking at Ethan's green eyes, I suddenly got curious. Could he be the one who helped me that day?

But it was just a guess. I didn't remember the face of the man from that day, only that being in his arms felt really safe.

"Miss, are you interested in these earrings too?" Ethan turned his gaze to me. It felt like he recognized me and was teasing me.

"Yeah, I want to give them to my friend." I tried to stay cool, but my stomach growled at the worst possible moment. I wished I could just disappear; I'd never been so embarrassed, especially in front of a guy.

I wanted to start fresh here, not become a laughingstock again. Shame washed over me, and my cheeks burned.

A light laugh reached my ears, and Ethan took off his mask.