Eden arrives to find most of the guests are drunk or semiconscious, welcoming her with a reek of alcohol. Most of the people on the first floor weren't students. Of course, the drunken it’s happening to human students and not others. Every single one of the guests is accompanied by their partner. And, while the others look for a one-night stand partner. It's easy to find when you join an open party.
She searched every single corner of Damien’s house. From the living room to the kitchen to the swimming pool, she hadn't seen Hailey at any one of them. The patio, where most of the drinks were served, yet it’s empty without her sister's sight. The back garden looks beautiful with the lights hanging above—flowers all around, wooden swings, and a fountain. Still, not even Hailey's presence can be seen there.
And some of them were members of the Silver Crescent pack. Eden knew half of Damien's guests. But none of them knew her as she didn’t attend any party celebration after her 3rd birthday. She’s now living outside the BlueWood after finishing her high school year when she was just 14 years old, making her pack member not recognize her at all. Only a few knew who she was, like the Alpha and Luna of her pack—The Silver Crescent pack. Her college principal, Dean Rasmussen, who known the actual relationship between her and Hailey, apart from her actual parents and brother.
Back in the day, she had to take almost ten pills a day so she can seat in the same class as the other pups. Her seat had to be put at the back of her class. Because she can’t breathe the same air as them as she also suffers from severe asthma. Even though they were not in the wolf’s form, Eden still can’t stand near anyone of them. She is one hundred percent allergic to their furs—human or wolf. It doesn’t matter. The allergies made her lose many of her friends.
As she was a human and not she wolf. She often goes in and out of the hospital because of the severe infection. Although it’s not reached a chronic level still is not a nice memory either. Throughout her childhood history, up till her teen years, it was a dark moment that she want to forget forever. It was rumored she was kicked out of the pack when she was small. Luckily, she had no allergies to pollen. Otherwise, she can stay in Alaska forever... well, maybe—if, of course!
After searching every living space and corner on the first floor of Damien’s enormous mansion, Eden went upstairs. The guests made no exception at the staircase also as they were so engrossed in their world. Her eyes widened when she saw the passionate scene anywhere inside the house. She can sense her cheeks burning hot. Fortunately, she wore her hoodie cap so her face was not visible to those who saw her presence there.
The scene displayed in front of her eyes without embarrassment or shame, made Eden swallow her saliva. It may be common for young people nowadays to mix their life with alcohol and s*x. And made such behavior become their major tradition when attending a party. Which is way more different from her as she never mixes and socializes with anyone during her current teen years.
Everything that is displayed in front of her eyes now is a bit of a cultural shock to her. She admits she is a bit of an old—fashioned person. Only know to spend her time reading and doing research for DPO and the laboratory. She is not naïve or good in every single way. But she’s less comfortable seeing such an act done freely and openly, although is no longer important in such a modern world anymore.
Enough with such PDA downstairs, Eden moved straight to the next floor. Once again, she got gobsmacked to see the number of rooms Damien have. ‘Damn, where should I start?’ 10 rooms and 2 living room areas, with one used as a gamer place. The place is immense. She's able to spot all the gear associated with online and offline games, such as joysticks, cables, etc. One mini bar with several brand types of alcohol.
Various paintings that look ecstatic, beautiful, and expensive decorate most of the wall space on the floor. Eden recognizes two of them. The foyer is decorated with Damien’s family picture created using stained glass. Clearly show their social position in public with powerful influence in economic and business fields. ‘No wonder all the girls idolize him like princes! He is indeed rich and living like a king inside this magnificent lair.’
There is no way she’ll knock at every door to find her sister. That would be a bad idea! if downstairs looks like some kind of s*x scene, the bedroom might be far worse than that. Eavesdrops from the door frames, one by one would be the most stupid thing she’ll do. Hell no, she’ll do that. Barge in like a wife tries catching her cheating husband. Also, not a good idea. She knows what ‘privacy’ means. She will not interrupt someone's intimate moments for her sister.
Eden took out her phone and try to call her sister’s number. “common Hail… pick it up!” She kept her eyes on her phone and made sure her ears stayed open in case a phone rang in any of the bedrooms. Hailey is probably faint inside or she is no longer at Damien's and cannot pick up the phone. Still waiting for her call to get connected, suddenly she felt something strange about her body. For the first time, she feels like butterflies flutter inside her stomach. Her nose keeps on sniffing something in the air—she smells a faint scent that seems familiar to her before. She’s human! Not a wolf that is meant to be mated by bonding with someone. But she can feel something strange. something keeps pulling her to get into one of the closed doors.
Of course, she wants to kill her curiosity. There is no way she will barge into a bedroom! She has manners. Eden tiptoe to the first door, trying to hear anything from inside. Nothing! She passed the second and third doors, but still didn’t bring any luck. But where the hell is her sister, anyway?? She doesn’t even pick up her call. All of Sudden, she caught a sound of a growl inside the third room.
Whatever she heard, something was trying to pull her inside. The feeling was different and weird for her as she’s never felt like this. Maybe it’s a werewolf there. Someone that she knew, someone that relates to her. Perhaps it’s her brother, Jacob, with his mate inside. Or Hailey? Eden put her ears on the door and tries to hear it again.
The growling sounds become clearer to her. The longer she stays there, the more powerful pull she can feel. She tries to shake out the line of nonsense thoughts from her mind. It can’t be happening to her! This would make her parents over the moon if this were true. In their opinion, wolves are better husbands than humans who eventually leave if they have enough of what they want with their partner.
“Grrrll...” the growl becomes stronger. Eden fled away after hearing the vicious sound. Her phone still tries to get connected with her sisters. Even though she got away from Damien’s place, she didn’t go far. She determines to pick her sister up before going home. So she waits in the front yard of Damien’s place—waiting for her sister to pick up the call so they can go home together.
Eden taps her feet on the grass. Her eyes keep going back and forth to the front door. The more she waits, the more uneasy feeling she had. Just about to call her brother’s cell phone number, suddenly the front door of Damien’s house was open. Eden run to the nearest bush and hide there. She’s glad that she wearing the oversize black hoodie that can blend easily in the dark.
Although she can’t be sure if he notices her hiding there or not—but somehow she feels relief when she saw him wandering around the front yard and not the bushes. “What is he doing in Damien’s place? He’s not even in college anymore. And if they invited him, he might not come alone, though. But I don’t see Skylar or Theo inside. Even Jacob is not there either,” said Eden to herself.
So that explained the strange feeling she had while standing in the hallway of Damien’s house. She actually can sense her pack members easily if they are in the same place as her. That is a unique achievement she got herself onto. Perhaps her scent is not so strong if she covered herself with the hoodie cap, unlike earlier when she takes off the cap from her head. Really? Or does her chain now start losing her werewolf's scent? That is why they can’t smell her scent.
If it is the case, she needs to go back home and ask the elder to renew the scent for her. She needed the werewolf’s scents more than anything. The supernatural world and creatures don’t recognize her as a Silver Crescent pack member. Because she doesn’t have a special tattoo and pack emblem mark on her body that can prove she’s one of the she-wolves and Silver Crescent members. The odor is important to her. She needs the scent to keep her safe while doing the outdoor work for DPO. Her job with DPO needs her to travel far from time to time when needed. And she’s been doing the job since she was just 11 years old.
“Good lord in heaven!” Eden exhales when she notices Victoria’s presence behind his back. No wonder he was there. Victoria is a friend of Damien's and Hailey's, too. So it is obvious for them to be in one place like that, as they were a couple. Eden knows about it from the event her college had been doing a few months before when the football team hosts a friendly match with ‘BlueWood Vocational College’, in which Victoria is one of their students.
As the captain of the BWVC cheerleaders, of course, she’ll meet Hailey, captain of the CU cheerleader. After all, Hailey and Victoria also come from the same pack - the Silver Crescent pack, so, naturally, they become friends. Both know each other since they were still in their diapers day and were pretty close in high school too. Eden caught him cursing and Victoria look unpleasant at his behavior. After a few heated arguments, he leaves Damien's place with his car, the Mythos Black Audi RS 5.
Once Victoria is gone, Eden finally goes out of her hiding place. She hates to meet Victoria. Seeing her like that won't make everything better. Eden is glad to see her looking great. But she’ll never go to meet Victoria face to face. Not in the million years. She doesn’t want to remind herself about Victoria’s behavior towards her during their high school year. As the good word says, let bygones be bygones. But still Eden loath her.