Chapter 6: The Girl Knox Threw Away

The freshman party was held the following evening at Moonveil Hall.

Hollowcrest Lycan University clearly didn't believe in modest orientation events.

Crystal chandeliers hung above an enormous ballroom, silver banners displaying the university crest draped from marble pillars, and students from powerful Packs filled every corner.

Tessa nearly screamed when she saw me.

"Nessa!"

She grabbed both my shoulders.

"Why do you look like you're about to destroy someone's entire bloodline?"

I looked down at myself.

The black dress Rowan had helped me choose was simple but fitted perfectly.

"Too much?"

"Too much? You look insane."

"Good insane?"

"Knox-is-going-to-need-medical-attention insane."

I laughed.

Tessa suddenly looked behind me.

Her mouth fell open.

"Who is that?"

Rowan approached us.

He wore a black suit with no tie, the top button of his shirt undone.

Several girls nearby had already started whispering.

He ignored every one of them.

His eyes landed only on me.

"You disappeared."

"I walked ten feet away."

"Still disappeared."

Tessa slowly turned toward me.

"Nessa."

"Tessa, Rowan. Rowan, Tessa."

Rowan offered his hand.

"The mailbox destroyer."

Tessa's smile vanished.

She looked at me.

"What have you been telling him?"

"Nothing."

"You told him about the mailbox!"

"It came up naturally."

"Twice?" Rowan asked.

"That mailbox had a personal vendetta against me."

For the first time all day, I felt completely relaxed.

Then the ballroom entrance suddenly erupted with excitement.

"Knox is here!"

My smile faded.

Knox entered with Elodie on his arm.

He was handsome.

There was no denying that.

Tall, dark blond hair, expensive suit, confident posture-the polished image of Stormridge Pack's Alpha heir.

Elodie wore silver.

Together they looked exactly like the perfect couple everyone online had described.

Students immediately surrounded them.

Elodie smiled gracefully while Knox accepted congratulations.

Then his gaze wandered across the ballroom.

And landed on me.

He froze.

At first, there was no recognition.

Only attraction.

His eyes traveled over my face, my dress, my figure.

Then he looked again.

Something changed.

Recognition slowly entered his expression.

His face drained of color.

I almost laughed.

Tessa whispered beside me, "Oh, this is better than television."

Knox released Elodie's hand.

He walked toward us.

One step.

Two.

Three.

His eyes never left my face.

"Nessa?"

The surrounding conversations faded.

People began turning toward us.

I smiled politely.

"Knox."

His mouth opened.

Closed.

Opened again.

"You're Nessa Arden?"

"That's usually what people mean when they call me Nessa."

Someone nearby gasped.

Whispers exploded immediately.

"That's her?"

"The online girlfriend?"

"No way."

"Knox said she was nearly two hundred pounds!"

"She's gorgeous."

Elodie finally reached us.

Her smile was noticeably stiffer.

"Nessa?"

"Hi, Elodie."

"You look ... different from what I heard."

"People talk a lot when they think the person they're insulting isn't listening."

Her expression flickered.

Knox continued staring.

"You lost weight?"

"Obviously."

"When?"

"Over the last year."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The question was so ridiculous that I laughed.

"Why would I?"

"Because we were dating!"

Silence.

Even Elodie looked at him.

I tilted my head.

"Were we?"

Knox stiffened.

"What does that mean?"

"According to your gaming group, you broke up with me months ago."

His face changed.

"You saw that?"

"I saw everything."

The whispers around us grew louder.

Elodie frowned.

"Knox, what's she talking about?"

I looked at her.

"He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"That instead of actually breaking up with me, he transferred me to another man."

Someone nearby choked on their drink.

Knox stepped forward.

"Nessa, let's talk privately."

"Why? You weren't private when you called me a fat pig."

His face turned white.

Tessa folded her arms with obvious satisfaction.

"Go on, Nessa."

Knox lowered his voice.

"I didn't know you'd changed."

I stared at him.

There it was.

Not an apology.

Not regret for humiliating me.

Regret because I was beautiful now.

"So if I were still two hundred pounds, everything you did would be okay?"

"That's not what I meant."

"It's exactly what you meant."

He reached toward my wrist.

Before his fingers touched me, another hand caught his.

Rowan.

The warmth had vanished from his face.

"Don't touch her."

Knox looked up.

For the first time that evening, his attention left me.

His eyes landed on Rowan.

Then widened.

"You?"

The single word changed the atmosphere.

Rowan released Knox's wrist.

"Me."

Knox looked between us.

Understanding struck him.

"You're the one who took the account."

"You gave it away."

"I didn't tell you to actually date her!"

Rowan's expression hardened.

"You don't get to decide what happens after throwing someone away."

Knox clenched his jaw.

"Nessa, he lied to you too."

"I know."

"Then why is he here?"

I glanced at Rowan.

The mate bond hummed between us.

"Because unlike you, he actually came to tell me the truth."

Knox stared at me.

Then at Rowan.

Something ugly appeared in his eyes.

Jealousy.

Elodie touched his arm.

"Knox, let's go."

He ignored her.

"Nessa, we need to talk."

"No, we don't."

"You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly."

I stepped closer.

"You thought I was ugly, so you discarded me."

"Now that you like what you see, suddenly we need to talk."

His lips tightened.

"I made a mistake."

"Yes."

I smiled.

"And now you get to live with it."

I turned away.

His voice followed me.

"Nessa!"

I didn't stop.

Rowan walked beside me.

Behind us, whispers swept across the ballroom.

The fat girl Knox had mocked.

The girlfriend he had transferred.

The woman everyone expected to humiliate herself.

She had arrived.

And for the first time, Knox Arden's perfect confidence cracked.

Except Knox wasn't finished.

As Rowan and I reached the terrace doors, Knox called out sharply:

"Do you even know who he is?"

My steps stopped.

Rowan went completely still.

Knox laughed bitterly.

"Of course you don't."

He looked directly at me.

"Ask your precious new boyfriend why everyone here is afraid to even say his full name."