Chapter 68

"Alright, don't take this the wrong way," Victoria began, her tone curiously measured, "but I'm a little surprised that you've been friends with James and Lucas since childhood."

Emily chimed in, a knowing smile curving her lips. "Yeah, with most of my childhood friends—well—besides Victoria, of course, I've lost touch with all of them."

I chuckled, shifting my gaze between the two of them.

"Well, it's actually a funny story," I said, reminiscing about the crazy twists and turns that had brought Lucas and me back together.

We'd been chatting for a while now, and I realized that time had slipped away.

The boys had been playing with the ball, lost in their world of competitiveness, while we were deep into a more comfortable web of conversation.

It was interesting—

what they had said earlier about the difference in talking with a group of girls versus boys was proving to be quite true.

It was so much more fun with girls.

No offense to James and Lucas, of course.

There are only so many times you can hear the same joke about sports or stupid things… like going to the bathroom.

I loved my best friends, but talking with Emily and Victoria was the complete opposite.

And to my surprise, both Emily and Victoria had been incredibly inclusive and kind toward me.

It was a refreshing change of pace, considering my past experiences with friends of the same sex.

Girls being nice to me… it was an unfamiliar, but pleasant sensation.

Emily's teasing smile brought me back to the present. "So, are you going to tell us the story, or do we have to resort to interrogation tactics?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "No need for that. I didn't actually reunite with Lucas and James until this school year. Can you believe I had no idea they went to the same school as me until it was sort of revealed in our school group chats?"

The incredulous expressions on their faces were priceless. "Revealed? What do you mean?" Victoria asked, leaning in with curiosity.

I hesitated, recalling the incident involving Jessica. "Well, there was this girl who…" I trailed off, shaking my head to rid myself of the lingering negative thoughts.

"She wasn't exactly my biggest fan. She managed to steal my diary and found a picture of Lucas and me as kids. She thought it would be a great idea to share it in the school group chats."

Emily's eyes widened. "Seriously? That's quite the unexpected reunion story.”

Victoria's chin rested thoughtfully on her palm as she gazed out at the ocean. "It sounds like something straight out of a drama movie or TV show."

"It was definitely shocking," I admitted. "Honestly, I never thought I'd cross paths with Lucas again after all those years…”

Victoria's vulnerability surprised me. "Having Emily here is a blessing," she said, her voice softer. "She's the only one I've let into my life completely. Mainly because she gets it, you know?"

“She gets the lifestyle?” I asked, referring to how they were both from Alpha families.

Emily nodded in agreement, her expression warm. "Growing up, my friendships sort of dwindled. People change, circumstances change. But I understand why."

“You know how our society is,” Victoria reasoned. “You’re shamed if you’re not good enough, but if you are, you’re told what to do all the time. How to behave. How to act.”

“It’s true,” Emily said, nodding along to Victoria’s words.

“My parents never wanted me to have any friends that weren’t of high importance. All my friends had to belong to an Alpha family,” Victoria continued.

Hearing Victoria be so vulnerable and open shocked me. I didn’t think she’d ever feel comfortable enough to do that with me.

“Really?” I asked. “That sounds a little…”

Victoria smirked. "Toxic, right?"

When she saw the look on my face, she continued, “I know it is. My parents have an old-fashioned way of thinking about society.”

"That's why I convinced Victoria to let you and James come on this trip," Emily said, her eyes bright. She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "We have friends, but most of them are just—"

"Stuck up?" Victoria finished with a grin.

"Or snobby," Emily added with a laugh.

The two of them shared a knowing giggle, and I felt a twinge of warmth at their laughter.

Their lives seemed so different from mine, like we were from separate worlds.

I mean, technically we were.

I was a wolfless girl, branded a loner, and they were high class Alphas.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that it’s good to branch out and make new friends.” Emily gave me a wink. “Friends who aren’t all about money or power or constantly trying to impress you.”

“Ugh,” Victoria groaned, covering her face with her hands. “If one more person brags about their tenth vacation home, I might just lose it."

“Or their brand-new designer bad…” Emily tagged on.

"Or their new million-dollar car that they'll never drive," Victoria finished. “I think my head will explode.

I couldn't help but agree with Victoria's sentiment. "Well, you don’t have to worry about that from me. I won't be bragging about my non-existent vacation homes or designer bags."

Emily and Victoria stared at me in silence for a brief moment before bursting out into laughter.

It was infectious, and their genuine joy filled me with the same feeling.

I realized how nice it was to share laughter and stories without the constant pressure to impress or show off—

Without someone calling me out on my status or lack of.

Their laughter echoed across the beach, and it was an unexpected sound.

For a moment, I was overcome with a strange feeling—was it happiness?

“Oh my God, Shana!” Emily said while wiping tears from her eyes.

“I guess you can be funny when you want to,” Victoria laughed.

Was this what it felt like to have friends, especially girl friends?

I savored the feeling, grateful for the unexpected connections this beach trip was already starting to provide.

Suddenly, the ball that Lucas and James were throwing almost hits Victoria in the face.

We all squealed, jumping out of the way to avoid getting hit by the ball.

"What the hell, James!" I shouted at him as he ran over to retrieve the ball.

"You almost knocked me out!" Victoria growled.

"I'm sorry, geez!" James picked up the ball, tossing it back and forth between his hands. "It was an accident."

"I'll show you an accident..." Victoria started to stand, making her way to James before Lucas jogged over.

"Hey! Do you guys want to join us?"

All of us decided to start playing catch, and Victoria looked a little too excited when she aimed the ball right at James's head.

Fortunately for him, he caught the ball effortlessly.

"Someone's going out for blood," James teased, throwing the ball at me.

I caught it, and Lucas went long.

I threw the ball as hard as I could and watched as it launched into the sky.

"Wow, Shana!" Victoria looked at me with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were so strong, I thought wolfless were—"

"Weak?" Lucas shouted after catching the ball. "Not Shana!"

I smiled at his words, feeling warmth in my chest.

"Uh, guys? I hate to kill the vibe, but I think the ball popped." Lucas lifted the ball up in the air, and sure enough, it was broken.

"That's fine!" Emily said, dusting sand off her hands. "The girls and I will go get us some drinks from the store. What do you guys say?"