Lycan Lily

****Lily's POV****

"So I have this idea. Let's just go to the ceremony this weekend and see how it goes." Amelia said to me from the vanity while doing her make-up, almost as if she was barely paying attention to the topic. I huffed. "You know I really don't want to Melly. Matt is going to be there, it's his party." I responded, slightly defeated. "Just because it hurts doesn't mean we shouldn't go to support our new Alpha Lily. You're going to see him around even more now. You know how that goes. And you HAVE to get used to the idea of Kayla being your Luna. I know it sucks but you got to suck it up buttercup." Amelia spouted out while finishing her look with some lip gloss. "I gotta go but please think about it." She gave me a half hug and walked out the door. I laid in bed contemplating the idea of even going to the Alpha ceremony. Sure, I needed to support our Alpha as an Omega, it was the right thing to do. But everyone knew what had happened between Matt and I. Even if he was sympathetic towards me and still wanted to be on good terms, I couldn't do it. I thought for sure that when he turned 18 I would be his mate but the Moon Goddess had other plans I guess. I wasn't salty about the situation....well actually I was. I can't lie. "I guess I'll put on a happy face and go. Just act like nothing is wrong and...." And what? Act like the love of my life didn't rip my heart out and stomp on it? Act like I'm not miserable? I laid on the bed for a few minutes more before deciding to get up and go shopping. I needed a new dress. Something to say "Hey! I'm still here and I'm doing great!" Even if I'm not. I had already lost my parents, then I lost Matt. I wasn't going to lose myself too. A flashback of my parents' funeral flashed through my mind. I shook my head to get rid of the painful imagery, then grabbed my keys from the table and went to The Yellow Daisy to find a dress. I drove mindlessly to the store and didn't realize how much time had passed before I pulled into the parking lot. I got out of the car and made my way inside. The girl at the register greeted me with an enthusiastic "Hello! Welcome in! Can I help you find anything in particular?" I shook my head and said No thank you. I think I got it." and walked to the back left of the store where the dresses were. I shuffled through the rack and found a little black dress and a simple red dress. I looked at them both hard before deciding to try them on. I went back to the front of the store to where the girl at the register was and said "Hey, I want to try these on. Do you have to unlock the dressing room or do I just go in?" She said that she had to unlock the door for me and grabbed a key that was hanging on the wall behind her. As she walked me back to the dressing room, I had an argument with myself in my head over if I was actually doing this or not. Once we go to the door she unlocked the knob and said "Just let me know if you have any questions!" I nodded my head again and went into the room. I tried on the black dress first. It looked like I was trying to dress sexy for a funeral. I laughed to myself and said "Well at least at least it's appropriate for how I feel." out loud. I took it off and hung it back on the hanger. Next was the red dress. The color itself was a statement and I think it was a statement I liked. I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked good. It was floor length with a high slit and a cowl neckline. I laughed at myself. It hugged me in all the right places and the red really complimented my blonde, almost white hair and icy green eyes. "I'll have to get this hemmed." I mumbled to myself. 5'2 wasn't tall enough for this dress, even in heels I wouldn't be tall enough. There was no competition between the two dresses. The red dress was the one that was going to show people that I was alive after the break up and doing great. I left the dressing room and browsed around the jewelry for a moment before deciding to go to the register to pay. This was actually turning out to be a pretty decent day. I listened to my favorite song on the way home and that really got my mood elevated. I sang my heart out along with the band and started it over when it finished. Before I knew it, I was home again. While I was getting out of the car, I decided to try on the red dress again. Just to make sure I actually made the right choice. After I got inside, I put my bag down and undressed. I made my way to my bedroom to see how I looked in it again. "Damn I really did make the right choice." I said to myself aloud.

****Matts POV****

"Shit." I thought. My Apha ceremony is this weekend and I haven't seen Lily since the break up. I haven't had a chance to talk to her since I told her she wasn't my mate. And that conversation didn't go well at all. "I need to make sure she's okay before all of this. As I was finishing my thought, Kayla came and hugged me from behind. "You smell extra good today. I love your scent." She moaned into the nape of my neck. She was upset that I hadn't marked her yet, but now wasn't the time. I had business I needed to handle first, business like Lily. I needed to talk to her before the ceremony. "Better late than never I guess." I said to myself accidentally out loud. "What?" Kayla asked, sounding confused. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking out loud about some business I need to tend to." I replied back to her, turning around to face her. She put her arms around my neck and kissed me. In between kisses she asked "Is it pressing business? Or do you have a few minutes first?" I looked into her eyes and saw the longing for me. I couldn't resist her, even if I wanted to. I kissed her gently and said "I guess I have a few minutes before I need to go." I smiled into our kiss then picked her up and laid her on the bed behind us.

After we were done, I got up to get dressed. Kayla was still naked in the bed, barely covered by a sheet and asked me "Can you tell me what the urgent business is or is it a secret?" I smiled and replied with "It's a secret for now but I promise to fill you in when I get back." I finished getting dressed then gave her a kiss on the forehead and went downstairs. As soon as I got outside, I undressed again and shifted. I carried my clothes in my mouth to change into as soon as I got to Lily's house. It would be a little too awkward if I were to show up to her house, unannounced and naked. I let Troy take the led through the woods to the house, he knew the path well. It had been a day or so since I had shifted and let Troy out. He sensed a deer nearby and asked me if it was alright if he hunted. "No buddy. You know that we have business to attend to. We can't show up looking all crazy from hunting." I said to him apologetically. "I understand. It's just been awhile." he responded. Troy was a mature wolf, much more mature than I and I was grateful for it. We finally got to Lily's house and saw her car outside. "Good. She's home." I thought. I didn't even think of the fact that she may or may not be home. I shifted back to my human form and got dressed behind the thick patch of bushes across from her house. I stepped out from the bushes and tied my shoes before making the short walk across the street to her front door.

As I stood in her doorway, taking in my surroundings, I was hit with her scent. I missed it in a way but it wasn't the same since I met Kayla. Lily smelled like vanilla beans and oranges, almost like a dreamsicle. I heard her footsteps and prepared myself for what I would say when she opened the door. I heard the lock turn and the hinges squeak as she slowly opened it. I was not in any way prepared to see her in a tight red dress with a slit up to her hip. She looked good. Taken aback, I couldn't say anything. We stood in silence for a moment before she finally said "What do you want Matt?" Hearing her say my name was so familiar, like having a home cooked meal from your grandmother after being away for a while. "I uh- I wanted to stop by before the ceremony and talk." I managed to get out. "Okay well, talk." she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. After looking her over once more I replied with "May I come in?"

****Lily's POV****

"Sure." I said very pointedly. "Come in." He was wearing a black coat and black jeans. His hair was a little shaggy but I'm guessing that was because he was in wolf form before coming here. "Thanks." he said walking through the door, making his way over to the kitchen "Can I get you anything? Water? A snack?" I asked while following him. "No thanks, I'm fine. I won't be here long." He was looking around inspecting my home as he walked and it made me slightly uncomfortable. He sat down at the head of the dining table so I sat at the other end. "Lily, I've been wanting to talk to you for weeks." He said with his hands clasped on the tabletop. "About what?" I asked, barely hiding my emotions. "Well, about everything." He said and continued with "I know this hasn't been easy for you, it wasn't easy for me either. But I wanted you to know that I really do want us to be on good terms. I don't want there to be any animosity between us. You and I both know that we can't control these things." I just sat there and thought for a second. I didn't have a chance to respond before he started again saying "You don't have to come to the ceremony if you don't want to. But just know that I want you there. You've been such a big part of my life for forever and it would mean a lot to me if you were there." I couldn't find anything to say. Finally the words came out of my mouth before I had a chance to even think about them. "You came to talk to me about your ceremony? And give that apology?" I said without making eye contact. Looking back at him I said "I actually bought this dress today for your Alpha Ceremony. Amelia talked me into going." He looked down at the table, cleared his throat and said "Yeah I noticed the dress." I gasped. I had forgotten that I was still wearing it. "Oh shit! Let me go change!" I almost yelled and ran towards my room. I could hear him laughing from down the hallway. I frantically tore the dress off and started searching for something to wear. I threw on some black leggings and a gray v-neck. I ran back towards the front, slowing my pace as I got closer to the kitchen. "Okay, I'm back." I said sitting down slightly out of breath. "What were we talking about?" I asked trying to regain my compsure after sprinting. "My ceremony, Lily. You said you were coming?" he said, looking me over again. "Yeah, I guess I am." We sat in silence for a moment before he opened his mouth to speak but then changed his mind. "How's Kayla doing?" I asked, breaking the silence. "She's doing great. Her Luna ceremony will be in a few months, after mine." I knew she was going to be Luna but hearing him talk about her Luna ceremony hurt. I guess he could see it in my face because he followed that up with "I hope you don't hate me, it'd be different if I could make it any different." I took a deep breath in and said, "I don't hate you, I just hate the situation. Here I was, thinking we were going to be mates after being together for years and then all of a sudden you don't love me any more and there's someone else." This time I could see the hurt in his face. I continued with "I'm happy for you, happy that you're happy. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm hurt." He sighed and leaned back in the chair. "I know it doesn't. Which is why I wanted to talk to you before the ceremony." "Well you aren't doing a whole lot of it Matt. " I huffed. "I just don't know what to say is all." he replied. "Look, I'm sorry for how things happened, how things turned out, and how it all was on you." "It's okay. Things like this just happen I guess." I said, sighing. Suddenly his phone rang. He pulled it out and looked at it then looked at me. "I'm sorry, I have to take this. I'll see you around?" he asked, pausing at the front door before walking out then shut the door behind him. I just sat there. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I texted Amelia and said "You'll never believe what just happened. Matt was here." I put my phone down then got up to make a salad from the fridge. I started cutting up the lettuce and chicken when I heard my front door open. "Girl! You've got to tell me everything!" she said out of breath and with her shirt half on. "Did you just run here from your house?!" I asked, laughing. "Yes! As soon as you texted me I shifted to come here faster." she replied and began fixing her shirt. I finished preparing my salad and sat at the table, motioning for Amelia to sit down too. As I was telling her the story, her face showed every emotion she thought. She was a very animated person and this conversation really brought her facial expressions to life. "And to make it all even better, I was wearing this." And went to my room to grab the red dress. I came back to the kitchen and showed her the dress. "You've got to be joking! That's hilarious!" she exclaimed while laughing. "So.... what are you going to do?" Amelia asked me, changing the tone of the conversation. "I guess I'm going to go. There's nothing else to do at this point. I've got to move on with my life. I'm only 17, I'll figure it out at some point." Amelia agreed with me and told me that she had to go finish what she was doing before I texted her. As we exchanged goodbyes, she gave me one of the biggest hugs I've gotten from her in a long time. After she left, I decided that it was time for a nap and went to bed.