CHAPTER 17

"Vera? Vera!!!" Damon called out. Vera looked up, startled to find out they had been calling her but she was too engrossed in her book to notice they had been talking to her from afar.

"What?" Vera said, confused and blinking to clear her thoughts.

"We're gonna play some soccer, and we were... I was wondering if you want to join?" Damon asked, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Why bother inviting her anyway? She's typically human and she's gonna get crushed. She's dead weight," Victoria said, twisting the ends of her hair with a wicked smirk. Her mocking tone cut into Vera, the phrase 'dead weight' hanging heavily in the air.

Damon glanced at Victoria, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "Oh, come on. She could be our referee," he suggested, trying to mediate.

"No, it's fine... I'm fine," Vera replied awkwardly, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her. David and Crystal whispered to each other, clearly talking and mocking Vera as they laughed by themselves.

Damon walked up to where Vera was sitting by the tree and squatted down in front of her. "Look, you can sit by the tree all day, or you can come and have a little fun," he said, a suggestive smirk playing on his lips.

Vera smiled reluctantly and got up, feeling a mix of gratitude and nervousness. The group placed themselves, ready for the soccer game. The boys—Damon, David, Christian, and Jordan—were on one team, while the girls—Victoria, Beverly, Francesca, and Crystal—formed the other team. Vera found herself acting as the coach, an observer of this superhuman display.

As the game started, it was a breathtaking spectacle of werewolf powers. They kicked the ball at insanely far distances and ran after it with superhuman speed. Their werewolf eyes glowed as they leaped into the air and kicked the ball down. Vera watched in awe, wishing she had her own abilities to join in their feats.

David took the ball, sprinting toward the girls' goalpost. Beverly and Crystal stood there to defend it. David smiled at Crystal, who smiled back. Suddenly, Crystal pretended to fall on Beverly, giving David the chance to score.

"You bitch, you did that on purpose!" Beverly yelled as she got up and shoved Crystal.

"I did not," Crystal replied, smiling at David.

"You fucking retard," Beverly said, slapping Crystal. Crystal retaliated by punching Beverly. The others rushed in to separate them.

"You gypsy hippy sun freak, looking like you were made in a lab bitch. I'm gonna tear your skin off," Beverly screamed as Jordan carried her away, struggling to go back and fight Crystal.

"She kicked me out so David could score on purpose," Beverly continued to protest, but Jordan tried to calm her. "Baby, calm down. It's just a game. Let it go."

Francesca moved to help calm Beverly, but Victoria just stood there, smirking, clearly enjoying the show. Damon, his frustration growing, let out an animalistic growl. His eyes glowed red as he bellowed, "Enough!"

Everyone fell silent immediately. Damon wasn't speaking as a friend, lover, or brother but as their Alpha.

"I brought everyone here so we could have a good time, but all day there have been backbiting, snarks, and side talks. Now, everyone leave," Damon ordered.

Everyone began to gather their things and leave. As Vera was leaving, she saw Victoria approach Damon and kiss him, telling him, "Goodbye," in a sultry tone. Francesca and Christian exchanged contacts, chatting amicably.

Victoria threw the keys of her car to Francesca with a casual flick of her wrist. "I drove while coming, why do I have to drive again?" Francesca protested, catching the keys mid-air with a frown.

"Because it's my car," Victoria replied, as if that settled everything.

"Why can't Beverly drive?" Francesca asked, her annoyance growing.

Victoria glanced at Beverly, who was still seething from the earlier altercation. "Because with the fits she's throwing, she's gonna crash my car into a tree. And Jordan can't drive because he's busy calming her down," she said dismissively.

Francesca sighed, looking around for another option. "Why can't Vera drive?" she suggested.

Victoria's face twisted with disdain. "Eww, I already allowed her to drive my car once, and I will not let her loser hands on my steering wheel again."

Vera just looked down in shame, her cheeks burning as they talked about her like she wasn't even there. The drive back was filled with Beverly's angry ranting about what had happened. "Oh my god, she is so insufferable and infuriating. I can't stand her and her brother," Beverly fumed.

Victoria laughed at Beverly's tantrum while Francesca tried to mediate. "Oh, they aren't all bad," Francesca said, trying to sound reasonable.

"You are only saying that because Christian is hot and you like him," Beverly shot back.

Beverly then declared loudly, "I hate them."

"You hate everyone, Beverly," Victoria said with a smirk.

"Fuck you, Victoria," Beverly snapped.

"Yeah, I'm sure you would," Victoria responded, smirking at Beverly through the rearview mirror. Beverly glared back at her, her face flushed with anger.

Vera sat quietly, her eyes downcast as she watched the scene unfold. She felt invisible, like an unwanted presence among the group. One by one, they were dropped off until only Victoria and Vera remained in the car. Victoria pulled over abruptly, opening the passenger door.

"Out," she commanded.

Vera hesitated, looking at her sister with wide, hurt eyes. "But it's still a long way home," she protested weakly.

"Walk," Victoria snapped, not even bothering to look at her. "And don't you dare scratch my door."

With a lump in her throat, Vera climbed out of the car. The door slammed shut behind her, and she watched as Victoria drove away without a backward glance. The loneliness hit her hard, and as she walked, she didn't even realize when the tears started to flow.

The sky darkened as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows along the path. Vera walked in a daze, her thoughts swirling in a painful mix of hurt and frustration. Her feet carried her forward, each step heavy with the weight of her emotions.

She thought back to the day's events—the mocking, the fights, the casual cruelty. Damon's words replayed in her mind, a small comfort against the tide of her despair. He had seen her, acknowledged her worth even when the others dismissed her and that was the only sliver lining in the chaos that is her life.