Cynthia Dion:
A Few Days Later:
"Cynthia!" Mara's high-pitched voice echoed through the hallway as she called my name, searching for me. I had been hiding in a bathroom stall since I arrived at school that day.
Hearing her voice gave me enough courage to leave the stall and cautiously peer my head out to call to her.
"Pssst! Mara!" I whispered, snapping my fingers and scanning the area to ensure that the group of rich and powerful brats wasn't nearby.
Mara and I had many things in common, but the main one was that we were both outsiders, targeted by these privileged brats almost every day. We were subjected to bullying as soon as we set foot in these hallways.
She finally spotted me in the bathroom, and with her eyes wide, she hurried into the restroom with me.
"Why are you hiding in here?" she asked, then sighed to herself, "Did they bother you again?" Her slim, slender arms wrapped around me in a comforting hug.
"It's alright. I'm used to it, but today is different," I replied, pulling back and giving her a reassuring smile.
"Ohh! Is it about Alpha Atticus? I saw him searching all over for you," she teased, elbowing me playfully while mentioning Atticus. Atticus was the alpha of a powerful pack called the Eclipse Warriors. His parents had passed away when he was just a child, so his older sister took on the role of his mother and helped him cope with the loss and understand the duties of being an alpha.
I was just a rogue, but I had big dreams when I developed a crush on him. One might think I would have given up after what I witnessed that day, but almost a week had passed, and I realized he was apologetic. Although he didn't say it directly, I overheard him telling someone that it was Rosalie who messaged me. I knew he had been involved with her, but he didn't owe me any loyalty.
Today was the mating call ceremony, held for the two alphas who would find their mates among the newly turned 18-year-olds.
That would be me.
Mara and I entered the hall and positioned ourselves among the backliners, who were mostly rogues and Omegas. We were met with disgust and abhorrence.
The elite she-wolves stood right next to the podium. They usually consisted of alpha's sisters, royal beta and royal gamma daughters. They received the utmost respect and were treated gently.
I could only gaze at them for a few minutes before tears formed in my eyes. I wasn't interested in fancy things or overwhelmed by luxuries. All I wanted was a loving glance and a few kind words to ease my aching heart.
The two alphas of our school approached the podium and faced us. Since our school served as a gathering place for all the packs, the alphas, betas, and omegas from each pack assembled here.
The two alphas, Alpha Enzo and Alpha Atticus, were best friends.
Alpha Atticus was the one I had been staring at the entire time. I had a massive crush on him, and I always prayed that somehow the Moon Goddess would choose us as mates.
"Alpha Enzo from The HellCrest Pack! Step forward and survey the area for your mate," Principal Augustus shifted the attention to Enzo first, who scanned around, briefly glancing at the freshly turned 18-year-olds in search of his mate.
As we stood there, I began to feel uneasy. A surge of excitement and nervousness coursed through my muscles until I heard my wolf's voice.
‘Mate!’
I swear, I even gasped loudly and instinctively covered my mouth. Alpha Enzo was at the top of my hate list, and the sentiment was mutual. He couldn't stand the sight of me.
His blue eyes locked onto my face, a frown creasing his forehead before a smirk played on his lips. His blond, curly hair was styled perfectly that day, seemingly for a specific reason.
The slight disappointment on Rosalie's face indicated to me that she was stunned by not feeling a mate bond with him.
Well, as for me, my hopes had been dashed.
"Before we announce any names, let’s ask Alpha Atticus to find his mate as well," the principal’s assistant, Lady Hila Hughes, interrupted the proceedings and essentially reminded everyone that the Alpha of the largest pack had yet to find his mate.
He didn’t even look around; he stared directly at my face from a distance. I wondered why he would do that until I heard my insolent wolf speaking out within me.
‘Mine!’
I gulped and tightly grasped Mara’s hand to prevent my body from collapsing.
The terror I felt upon discovering I was mated to two alphas was beyond anything I had experienced before. It was like watching myself drown in shark-infested waters.
The two alphas kept their gazes fixed on my face until Lady Hila Hughes clapped her hands excitedly, capturing everyone's attention at once.
"So, may I ask the respected alphas to announce the names of their beautiful Luna?" She blinked deliberately, looking at their faces as the two exchanged a glance, and then Alpha Enzo decided to speak first.
"I didn’t find my mate," he lied, surprising me. I had been expecting an immediate rejection, but he didn't utter my name at all.
"Oh! Perhaps your mate hasn't turned 18 yet. We will conduct the ceremony again next month." Lady Hila offered him a sympathetic smile before shifting her gaze to Alpha Atticus.
My heart was now pounding in my chest. I was genuinely anxious that he might reject me. The fact that the Moon Goddess had granted my wish and made him my mate was a mystery in itself. Call me naive, but even after observing him with Rosalie, I never ceased dreaming about being mated to him. He was the only one who could rescue me from this cruel world.
I didn’t know what I had done so right for her to bestow him upon me, especially when many others were eager to be mated to him.
The intensity of his stare fixed on my face made me wish for him to accept me then and there. However, he did something exceedingly unexpected as well.
"I didn't find my mate either," he lied with a composed expression. With that single sentence and his disregard, he completely erased my presence.
"It was me," I whispered as others began to gather their belongings to leave. Nobody heard me, and I had no intention of revealing it to anyone.
"What?" Mara asked, nuzzling my arm.
"I am --- their mate," I whispered, maintaining unbroken eye contact with them.
"What?" she gasped in shock, "You mean both of them are mated to you?" I could sense that she probably thought I had lost my mind, but I wasn't lying.
However, their decision to hide the truth had left me deeply concerned. What were their intentions with this mate bond?
Cynthia Dion:It's been two days since I discovered that they are my mates, and so far, they haven't even glanced in my direction. I did hear from sources that Rosalie was quite upset about not being mated to them. I've always seen the three of them together, so I wasn't entirely sure which one she wanted to be with.‘Or maybe she was expecting to be with both of them, like us?’ Thia chimed in, making me grunt in response.‘Don't even bring that up. They don't care,’ I muttered, my attention half on the teacher delivering a monotonous lecture while my mind wandered, engaged in a conversation with my wolf. Thia was unfortunately a very weak wolf. She could only communicate with me. This was also a cause for concern, as I was the youngest to transition into any werewolf pack.My father kept the news from spreading, but he also fretted about my early transition at the age of 9, which was too premature. He then grew desperate and sought various remedies for assistance. One of them, a rogu
Cynthia Dion:I jolted myself out of the daze and instinctively took a few steps backward. Our eye contact grew more intense, and I could sense his anger emanating from his gaze. He turned to utter something to Enzo, who also shifted his attention towards me. Meanwhile, Rosalie hastily retreated to the backseat of the car, apparently fixing her appearance.‘We should get out of here and head home,’ Thia's voice resonated in my mind, and her urgency reminded me of the danger I might be in. I could have stood there, wallowing in the internal turmoil caused by the sight of my mates being intimate with their best friend in a weird threesome scenario.I quickly stepped back a few paces and then spun around, sprinting away from them. The last glimpse I caught was when they emerged from the car. Atticus seemed to be fully dressed, while Enzo was zipping up his pants before he followed after me.I doubted Rosalie had any intention of following me; her focus was likely too consumed by whatever
Cynthia Dion: I returned home after shedding all my tears on the side of the road by the hill. But stepping into my house meant entering another battle that required a different kind of strength."What took you so long?" my dad's voice boomed the moment he laid eyes on me. My eyes were swollen, and my nose was red and puffy, yet those obvious signs of distress didn't capture his attention. His anger was simply a result of his lunch not being on the table as soon as he wanted it."There was a mate-call ceremony today, so the classes started late," I lied, entering the kitchen without bothering to change my clothes or wash my hands."And what about you? Did you inform the principal that you don't want any mates?" He followed me into the kitchen, evidently suspicious that I might be pursuing any potential mates.The house I lived in was a far cry from a nurturing home; solace was only attainable when my 11-year-old sister, Flora, was by my side. Flora held a rightful fear of our father,
Cynthia Dion:"This mansion is huge," Mara commented as we stood outside like idiots.The ongoing party was making me anxious. I know Enzo doesn’t respect me, so walking into his home and talking to him when there are so many people present could land me in trouble."Let's go," I said as I held her hand and walked through the gate, fear in my heart.I wasn’t here for myself. They have dragged my sister into this mess, and I needed to fight for her.I took Mara down a corridor, expecting to find Enzo there for some reason.It was probably because it wasn’t as crowded in there as it was all over the mansion."Why are we in this corridor? I doubt we'll find him here," Mara grumbled, gradually freeing her arm from my grip and refusing to take another step."I just need a moment to catch my breath," I lied, trying to conceal the fact that my wolf had detected the scent of my mate here--my other mate!"Seriously? Why don’t you just--," she paused as we heard some noises coming from the room
Cynthia Dion:"What is she saying?" Rosalie disregarded the murmuring crowd and directed her inquiry toward her friends with benefits."Is she your mate?" she turned to Atticus, tears already streaming down her face. Her intensity had escalated to a whole new level. She seemed oblivious to the many students recording her emotional outburst for two alphas who weren't even her designated mates."Why are you even giving her the time of day?" Enzo attempted to be sly, but I was certain she saw through his act. They must have turned 18 and found their mates by now."I'm not lying. They are both my mates. We felt the mate bond---," I halted mid-sentence as Enzo advanced toward me aggressively, causing fear to course through me."She's telling the truth!" Rosalie asserted, deducing from his reaction. "You two hid this from me," she cried out, her tears flowing freely."That's enough drama for tonight," Atticus finally intervened after a period of silence, signaling to the crowd outside to di
Cynthia Dion:"Drink this; it will help keep your body warm." After driving for a while, Mr. Holt had stepped out of the car and returned with a cup of tea for me.His consideration touched me deeply. I managed a smile as I accepted the cup from him, my energy levels low. The rejection had taken a toll on me; for several minutes afterward, I found it impossible to form words, until I was a safe distance away from Atticus and seated in the car with Mr. Holt."How did you know I like tea?" I inquired softly, my voice hushed due to my depleted energy. The aftermath of the rejection had left me drained."I didn't," he replied, raising the cup to his lips and taking a sip before explaining, "I happen to enjoy tea."As I looked at him, a thought surfaced--why couldn't boys my age be more like him? A true gentleman."I'm not anticipating you to tell me everything, but it could be beneficial if I could be of assistance with whatever is troubling you. This is the second time I've come across y
Cynthia Dion:Mr. Holt dropped me off at home late that night. Thankfully, my father wasn't present, sparing me from another round of his abuse. However, it had been a few days since I turned 18, and I was biding my time, trying to save enough money to buy myself a cake and celebrate my birthday with my persistent sister, who had been pestering me for a cake.Flora had always regarded me as her role model, and that terrified me because I felt far from worthy of such admiration.Standing in the bathroom, I heaved a sigh as I regarded my reflection in the shattered mirror, offering a silent birthday wish to myself. Sadly, the funds I had managed to gather fell short of what I needed for the cake, forcing me to abandon the idea of celebrating my birthday altogether."All I wished for was to be accepted by my mate on my birthday," I whispered to the reflection in the mirror. Whenever I thought of him, a shiver would run through my body as I recalled the loathing in his gaze. He used to be
Cynthia Dion:He turned around and fixed a stern gaze upon my face."Do you want them to attack you?" he hissed, his sharp jaw clenched as he restrained himself."What makes you think I am safer with you?" I retorted, resisting the urge to cry or whisper, unlike every other time."Cynthia, follow me to my car," he instructed, his eyes closing briefly as he repeated the request."I can go home by myself," I muttered, attempting to walk past him. However, he positioned himself in my way, blocking my path."I can see that. They will still be waiting, hiding behind walls to catch you somehow. So, don’t make a scene, and follow me," he grunted, a noticeable air of annoyance around him. With his words framed that way, I found myself with no option but to trail him to his Bugatti.No matter how angry I felt towards him, I remained a miserable omega who had to do whatever it took to stay safe. If not for myself, then for my sister.He left the passenger side door open for me and settled into