Ryder

So, I just invited Ivy to Sirius's birthday party. I'm not entirely sure why I did it, but it's done now, and I can't take it back. Maybe it was because I had fun hanging out with her earlier today. She's funny and easy to talk to, and I feel like I can be my true self in front of her.

And also kind of cute.

I shake my head. No, I'm being stupid. She is more annoying than cute.

But I can't stop thinking about her now. Her soft, rounded face with full lips and a cute nose with tiny freckles sprinkled on it, her wild curly hair and big green eyes...

Dang it, why do I find her so attractive?

"Why do you look like you swallowed a whole lemon?" Sirius pushes me to get my attention.

I jump, startled, and quickly compose myself. "Uh, what? No reason. I'm fine."

Sirius is the Beta wolf of our pack and my childhood best friend. We are supposed to be celebrating his birthday tomorrow night.

Sirius raises an eyebrow. "You sure?" You nearly ran into me just now, not even watching where you're going.

I brush it off. "Yeah, just thinking about stuff."

He shrugs. "Okay, well, we need to start planning for the party. Are you bringing Mindy as your date?"

I shake my head. "No."

Sirius chuckle. "Does she know that?"

"Mindy isn't my girlfriend or my mate, so it's not like I need her permission to invite someone else," I say irritably.

Sirius smirks. "Someone else, huh? Who is this someone else?"

I feel my face flush. "I invited Ivy from the Hidden Valley Pack."

Sirius's eyes widen. "Ivy? Really? That's unexpected. Do you like her or something?"

"Fuck no!" I bark.

Sirius looks taken aback by my outburst. "Easy there, buddy. I just thought it was unusual for you to invite someone from another pack to our party." I take a deep breath, trying to calm down. "It's a long story. She is blackmailing me, so now I have to pretend to be her mate."

Sirius's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Blackmailing you? That takes balls. What does she have on you?"

I let out a sigh. "It's a stupid mistake I made at the party last week. I got sloppy drunk and did something stupid. I don't want to get into that now. She recorded everything and now using it to her advantage. She wants me to pretend to be her mate for a while to impress her pack Alpha, and in return, she'll keep my secret safe."

Ryder whistles. "Damn, that's rough. So, you're going along with it?"

I nod reluctantly. "Yeah, for now. Don't worry, I'll get her back for this." I grin. 

Sirius chuckles. "I'm sure you will. But in the meantime, we'll do our best to make her feel welcome at the party. We can't have any drama ruining my party."

I nod in agreement. "Yeah, you're right."

"So...uh...what does this girl look like?" Sirius asks. 

I hesitate for a moment before answering. "She's...cute. Wild curly hair, big green eyes, and a cute little nose with tiny freckles on it."

Ryder smirks. "Sounds like someone has a crush."

I scowl at him. "I do not have a crush on her. She's annoying."

Sirius raises an eyebrow. "If she's annoying, why did you invite her to the party?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe I just felt bad for her. And she's not that bad, I guess. We had a good time hanging out earlier."

Ryder grins. "Uh-huh. And you think she's cute."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever, man. Can we just focus on the party?"

Sirius nods, still looking amused. "Sure thing. We've got a lot to plan, so let's get to it."

As we dive into the party planning, I try my best to push thoughts of Ivy out of my mind. But no matter how hard I try, I can't stop.

Maybe it's the way she laughs at my jokes or how she listens intently when I talk. Or maybe it's the way she looks at me with those big green eyes like she knows something I don't. Whatever it is, I can't deny that I'm drawn to her in some way. But I can't let myself get distracted. 

I hang out with Sirius for a little while before heading back home. I haven't had much sleep the last few days, so I'm looking forward to a nice hot shower and going right to sleep.

As I enter my house, I'm surprised to see Mindy sitting on my couch, flipping through a magazine. She looks up as I walk in and smiles.

"Hey, you're back!" she says cheerfully.

I nod, feeling a little annoyed that she's here without telling me first. "Yeah. What are you doing here?"

Mindy shrugs. "I thought I'd surprise you. And maybe we could hang out or something."

I shake my head. "Sorry, I'm really tired right now. I just need to take a shower and go to bed."

Mindy's smile fades a little. "I haven't seen you all day. Where were you?"

I hesitate for a moment, not sure if I want to tell her the truth about Ivy. But then I remember that Mindy isn't really my girlfriend, and I don't owe her any explanations. "I was out with some friends," I say vaguely.

Mindy's expression turns suspicious. "Which friends?"

"I didn't know I had to report to you about it," I reply sarcastically, trying to brush it off.

Mindy narrows her eyes. "I'm just wondering. We are part of the same pack, so don't I have the right to know who you hang out with? " 

I sigh, feeling a bit frustrated. "Look, Mindy, we're not dating or anything. You don't have to know everything about my life. And honestly, it's not like I'm doing anything wrong or dangerous."

Mindy's face falls, and I can tell I've hurt her feelings.

"I know we're not dating," she says softly. "But I still care about you. We are still friends."

I feel a pang of guilt. Mindy has always been a good friend to me, and I don't want to hurt her. "I know, Mindy. And I appreciate that. But right now, I just need to rest. Can we talk about this another time?" Mindy nods, still looking a bit hurt.

"Sure."

She gets up from the couch and heads towards the door. As she passes by me, she leans in to give me a kiss, but I turn my head, so she ends up kissing my cheek instead. I can feel her disappointment, but I don't really care.

After Mindy leaves, I head to the shower and let the hot water wash away the stress of the day. But even as I try to relax, my mind keeps going back to Ivy. I can't help but wonder what she's doing right now and if she's thinking about me too. It's stupid, I know, and I don't know what the hell is wrong with me.

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I can't let myself get distracted by Ivy or anyone else. I have responsibilities to my pack and to myself. I need to focus on being the best Alpha I can be and not get sidetracked by silly crushes. Being the Alpha requires me to find my real mate, not mess around with some wolfless girl.

Maybe tomorrow, after I spend more time with her, my head will clear and I'll know that there's nothing I should like about her.