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Paisley

It appears that Marissa has made it her life’s goal to be the bane of my existence.

Almost every time I step outside my cabin, one of her mean girlfriends goes out of their way to taunt or torture me.

Females who had previously been friends of mine are now siding with Marissa.

I say siding with Marissa, but I’m not even competing with her.

She thinks she has won the gold, but in my opinion, it’s fool’s gold, and I want no part of it.

Sure, my heart still aches, and my pride hangs in tatters, but I don’t desire any male in my life right now.

Maybe never. And especially not Miles. I have lost all faith and respect that I had in him. And, I don’t trust anyone.

I gather up my school bag with the homework I graded last night, along with my cell phone and a filled water bottle.

Closing the door behind me, I lock it. I turn to take the short walk to the school and run into a couple of females blocking my path.

These two are members of Marissa’s mean girls club.

“Morning, girls.” I try for the civil approach. “Out for a walk?”

“Marissa wanted us to stop by and check on you.” Valerie sneers at me. “We need to make sure you aren’t encroaching on her territory by sniffing around Miles.”

“I have no interest in Miles, whatsoever.” I truthfully bark as I attempt to go around them.

Hannah steps into my path, her hand whips out, slapping my face. “Liar!”

I stagger back and fall to the ground, throwing my hands out to catch myself. Pressing my palm to my burning cheek to cool the sting, I cast an accusing look at these former friends. “What is with you guys? I have done nothing to either of you or Marissa.” I struggle to stand.

“That’s not what Marissa says!” Hannah snarls in my face. “She told us how you’re throwing yourself at Miles and other mated males in the pack, and you’re sneaking out at night to meet them.We’re not going to let you be a homewrecker, skank!”

“If that’s what she's saying, she’s lying.

” I retort angrily. “If you will recall, Marissa took my fated mate from me, not the other way around! If I were having affairs with mated males, their mates would be having symptoms of Cheating Mate Syndrome. Is Marissa vomiting almost non-stop? Does she have lesions or scars on her stomach?” I yank my shirt up and show them the scars on my torso.

Hannah jumps back and gasps. “Does she?” I scream.

“No! These are the scars from Miles cheating on me with Marissa! So, leave me alone!” I snatch up my dropped items and shoulder check Hannah as I charge by her.

Marissa is a piece of work. She appears to be one of those females who thrives on drama.

I have seen it before in others, always lying and causing contention so she can sit back and enjoy the show.

If you ask me, she needs medication. I know we shifters aren’t supposed to be susceptible to human diseases, but mental health is a real problem, and Marissa is living proof of that.

I almost laugh when I think that Miles gave up his fated mate bond with me to be with her.

I loved him and was a loyal mate who never betrayed him, unlike Marissa.

If all the rumors are true about her past, she cheated on him repeatedly when they were together.

They’ve only been legally mated for a month.

I wonder how long it’ll be before she resumes her cheating ways .

As I enter the schoolhouse, I keep my head down to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

I drop my things at my desk, then walk to the teacher’s lounge to use the private bathroom.

In the mirror, my eyes are red from crying, and an angry handprint stands out on my cheek.

Washing the dirt and blood from my palms, I splash cold water on my face and pat it dry.

Next, I dampen a few paper towels to create a compress for soothing my eyes and burning cheek. Back in the break room, I add some ice and press it gently against my skin.

The principal, Ms. Jenkins, walks in. “Paisley, what is wrong? The other teachers told me you were crying and covered in dirt.”

I remove the compress, looking down, and sure enough, my clothes are filthy.

“Your face, Paisley. Did someone hit you?”

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” I protest.

“No, you’re not.” She grabs my arm, exposing my palm. “Your hands are bleeding. What happened? You need to go to the clinic for treatment.”

“No. No. It’s just scratches. See, they’re already healing.”

“Paisley, Jenna Roberts says she saw Marissa’s friend, Hannah, slap you. You need to make a report. Rumors are that they harass you every day,” Ms. Jenkins says softly. “Please don't let them get away with it.”

“Ms. Jenkins, it doesn’t help,” I cry. “Marissa is manipulative. She made it look like I pushed her down in front of Miles the other day, and he actually believed her. We lived together for a year, and Miles knows me. He should’ve known I would never have done that.

But he chose to believe her over me. I’m not sure what I can do, except give them a wide berth and hope she eventually tires of being jealous of me. ”

"Oh, Paisley." She shakes her head sorrowfully and exits the teacher's lounge, while I go to my classroom to get to work.

Marissa

Miles and I are getting ready for a pack party in the main room. I’m looking forward to having some fun. I think terrorizing Paisley is my favorite pastime right now. I have to keep myself busy with something to spice up my life, as I have had to settle down with just one male. B-o-r-i-n-g!

I slip into a red halter dress and add a pair of kitten heels.

I know I look spicy, as several of the guys in the pack have enjoyed seeing me in this dress before.

I just need to be careful now because Miles and I are actually mates.

I’ve seen firsthand what Cheating Mate Syndrome does to the body, and even though I’m not the one suffering the pain, I don’t want to get caught.

I have a sweet setup here as the Beta’s mate.

“Are you ready to go down to the party?” Miles asks as he wraps his arms around my waist. He’s dressed in a pair of distressed jeans and a white T-shirt that highlights his tall, muscular build.

“I’m ready when you are,” I purr softly to my handsome mate. I do love Miles, and I always have, but I enjoy having fun just a bit more.

Miles takes me by the hand as we head downstairs.

Let the games begin, Paisley. I chuckle to myself, having spent the week planning little surprises for her.

From my spot on the stairs, I immediately check the room to see where everyone is.

Over in the corner, talking to a group of older women, is the lovely Paisley.

Across the room, at the bar, is my girl squad, and they already have their eyes on her.

I giggle as I watch them, heads together, plotting.

I started rumors that now Paisley is single, she’s out to trap one of their guys, and that really got them fired up.

Glancing around the room, I see a few of my paramours eyeing me.

I offer a few sly smiles, but I remind myself I have to be careful.

Perhaps I need to see Rachel, the med tech, about getting a prescription for Amra to slip into Miles’ diet so that I can sneak around.

Amra is the drug they developed to ease symptoms of Cheating Mate Syndrome.

The great room is filled with laughter and babble as the shifters mingle. The breakfast bar and nearby tables are filled with platters of various foods and desserts, as well as a fully-stocked bar.

While the party has just begun, I can’t wait another minute to pull off my mean-girl pranks.

I watch as Valerie approaches Paisley and pulls her toward the drink bar to unfold our plan.

I can hardly keep a straight face as I watch Paisley take a sip of the spiked cocktail Hannah concocted behind the bar. The expression on Paisley's face is priceless. She loves it and drinks it down. It’ll only take a few seconds for the drug to hit her. I laugh as the rest plays out.

At the bar, on a top shelf, is a large container filled with red fruit punch, cleverly placed at the edge so it’ll be easy to tip over. As Paisley staggers from the barstool, grasping her head, Hannah gives the shelf a nudge with her hip. The container tips, and red liquid washes over Paisley .

Paisley

“Paisley, Hannah, and I want to apologize for our behavior on the trail the other day. Come with me to the bar, Hannah has made one of her special mocktails for you.”

I’m not an idiot, I know something is up, I just don’t know what. Marissa is standing on the stairs, watching over the party as if she were the queen. Miles is already on the main floor socializing and left her there. Her stare settles on us, her face set in a smirk.

Hannah gives me a pretty pink drink.

“No alcohol, right?” I ask as I sniff the drink.

“Cross my heart,” Hannah promises with a too-bright smile.

I hesitantly take a sip. “Oh, that tastes great.” Maybe they are being sincere. So, I smile and relax. “Yum. What’s this made from?” I toss the drink back and down it in a couple of swallows.

Hannah looks at Valerie with her eyes bugging out. “Just some juices.” She gestures to the stock behind the bar.

“Ooh.” I begin to feel a bit dizzy and grab the bar. The shelf above the bar starts to wobble, and a container on top pitches over. Red liquid pours down like a waterfall, drenching me as I scream in surprise.

There’s stunned silence all around me, then an eruption of laughter from the guests. I tried to stifle my tears as I look around in horror, wiping the liquid from my face. “You two are unbelievable!” I cry.

Knight approaches me with a handful of napkins, trying to dry me off. The awkward silence breaks with howls coming from the stairs where Marissa and her cronies are doubled over. I glance up at Knight, then burst into tears and race out of the party.