CHAPTER ONE
Jordan is my boyfriend, and we have the same birth date. Funny, huh? Tomorrow, we’ll both be meeting our mates, given to us by the moon goddess, and he doesn’t seem thrilled about it.
“Nala, I always knew you were not happy with our relationship.”. He says, visibly angry.
“What is wrong with you, Jordan?,”, I ask. “Of course, I am not happy to leave you, neither am I excited, but who wouldn’t want to meet his or her mate?. You are being unreasonable.”. I hiss and leave him standing there.
I get home that night, sit on my bed and can’t help but wonder what is wrong with Jordan today. I am happy to meet my mate, though. I sleep early, and can’t wait for morning to come.
I wake up the next morning and go about my usual routine. When I am done, I wear a short, flared gown and sandals. I also apply little makeup on my face and let my hair down.
I run down the stairs and my mum shouts, “Nala, come here!”. Gosh! I don’t want her to waste my time, as I really need to go find my mate. I get to where she is standing, and she suddenly pulls me into a tight hug.
“Happy birthday honey, I love you.”, she says, kissing me on the cheek and handing me a parcel. I smile and kiss her on both cheeks.
“I love you too, mum. Thanks.”. I say, simultaneously putting the parcel in my bag and running to school.
I only have my mom because my dad left a few years ago. He was human, and when my mom found him, their relationship was just like a human relationship. They dated and my mom fell pregnant with me. She then told him who she really was, and he said he could not live with a monster. So, he left while she was pregnant with me, and my mom is not one of the lucky wolves that get a second chance at finding a mate.
On getting to school, I search for Jordan, with the aim of settling our dispute. I suddenly hear my wolf move inside me. “Mate.”, she says, and I grin widely. I look around, and my gaze lands on Jordan. “Oh my ! he is my mate. Could this day be any better?”, I think and move towards him, smiling. I am met with a frown of obvious irritation, creasing his forehead.
“Don’t tell me you are still annoyed about yesterday.”, I say.
“I, Jordan Right, reject you, Nala Price, as my mate.”. He says bitterly.
I wasn’t expecting that. I actually thought he was going to be happy.
“What’s wrong with Jordan?”, I can’t stop myself from asking as tears threaten to fall. I feel broken, and cry as I go to my first class.
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During lunch, I sit with my friends, Dash, Willow, Kieran, and Sheldon at our usual table. They all have already found their mates. Yeah, my friends are older than I am. Willow smiles, looking at me, “have you found your mate yet?”, she asks, and I nod.
“Oh my goodness!”, they all exclaim happily.
“But he rejected me.”. I chip in, and their smiles fade slowly.
“Who is he?” Dash asks, and I don’t answer. I turn to see Jordan with Daisy, the bitch of our pack, beside him, and I immediately feel my wolf block me out.
“Jordan.”, Sheldon mutters angrily.
“B-b-ut you guys were dating, so why would he reject you?”, Kieran says, and I stand up. It is too much to take in. I run out of the school, to my home, and race to my room.
My mum peeps through the slightly open door of my room. “What’s wrong, honey?”, she asks, looking really worried.
“Nothing, mom. I just don’t think I want to go to school anymore”.
“Oh…..honey,” she says, entering my room.
“Nala, what exactly is the problem? you know you can tell me anything.”, she says, visibly worried.
“I met my mate today, Mum.”. I say, smiling.
Her face lit with a smile. “Nala, I am so happy. You will be finally happy, unlike me. I………”.
“Mum, he rejected me.”, I said, cutting her short, with tears cascading down my cheeks.
“Oh.”, she says sadly. Then she hugs me in order to comfort me, and I continue to cry on her shoulders.
CHAPTER TWO It is the middle of the night. I feel a sharp pain in my stomach which makes me scream. I almost immediately feel a warm hand on mine, and I know it’s my mom. I really did not want to wake her. “Mum…..mum…..”. I try telling her what’s wrong with me in between sobs, but it is excruciating. The pain reduces for a moment and then I feel it again, this time more intense.”.I scream as I hold on tightly to my mom’s hand. I finally find my voice. “Please do something, it hurts.” “I am sorry baby, I can’t.”, she says with a forlorn look in her eyes as she runs her hands through my hair- she does that to calm me down. “What is happening, mom?”. I ask, sniffing. “Your supposed mate is having sex.”, she clarifies. “What can I do? This pain is unbearable.”, I say as more tears escape my eyes. “You have to accept his rejection, honey.” I cry harder this time, not b
CHAPTER THREE “All students should gather,” Our principal announces. My friends and I get to the hall quite early. A few minutes later, students fill the hall, and the principal stands in front of us, on an elevated platform. “Good morning students,” He says. “Morning.” Only a few students reply, but he doesn’t seem to mind. “Don Richardo will be coming to our school tomorrow, so you all should behave yourselves,” he states. “Yes sir!”, we all chant, understanding how serious this is. From what I hear, Don Richard is very rich, powerful, and cruel. It is rumored that he hasn’t found his Erasthai. “You may all leave now.”, the principal says, and we all stand up and leave the hall. Immediately, voices fill the air.“I heard he is hot,” Sheldon whispers, and her mate gives her a look, and we all laugh.“I love you more, baby,” she says as she kisses him, and earns herself a smi
CHAPTER FOUR I wake up feeling less sorry for myself. I do not know why I am smiling. My stomach rumbles rather loudly. I put on one of my tight black high-waist jeans, a yellow crop top, and I decide to let my hair down. I smile at my reflection in the mirror, and I run downstairs to meet my mum. “I am so hungry,” I whine as I approach the dining table. “Good morning to you too”, my mom teases, smiling. “Someone is happy today”. “Yes”, I say, and she dishes my breakfast. I thank her and don’t waste time digging into my food. I finish up, kiss her, and leave for school. When I get to school, I see Jordan and try as much as possible to ignore him. I haven’t accepted his rejection yet, but my mom says I have got to. “Students, move to the hall”, I hear the principal’s voice, and all students walk briskly into the hall. Nobody wants to disobey someone li
CHAPTER FIVE The ride to wherever he is taking me is long, or maybe the fact that I am scared makes it look like hours. I do not even move, because I do not want to make him get mad at me. The car suddenly pulls to a stop, and I remain still, unsure of what to do. I know he is my mate, but since he has not said anything yet, I don’t want to push it. If he doesn’t want me, he would have by now, rejected me. “Get down,” he says, and I clumsily alight from the vehicle, and I follow him. As we walk into the mansion, everyone bows as a sign of respect. I am not surprised, as he is Don Richardo after all, feared by all for his power. “Claire,” he calls, and a young girl, most likely my age, comes running and bows her head. “Yes, Master” He points at me. “Make her look presentable as my mate”, he says, and leaves, without giving me as much as a passing glance. I don’t mind,
CHAPTER SIX I strip off my clothes and wrap a towel around myself. I go to the bathroom to shower. If I am just an object to my mate, the least I can do is look and smell nice, and not embarrass him. When I am done cleaning up, I realize I do not have clothes to wear. After contemplating for a moment, I decide to check Don’s closet. I pick one of his shirts, black and mid-thigh length, and put it on. I let my hair down, and I sit on the bed, waiting patiently for his next instructions. After hours of waiting, I hear a knock on the door. “Excuse me, Luna,” the person says. “Come in” I reply, and a maid walks in. “The Alpha requests your presence at the dining table” she informs me and disappears as quickly as she appeared. She, however, leaves a blue dress on the bed. I wear the long dress and attempt to style my hair. I apply some lipstick from a container I see on the dresser. I really don’t know how it gets there, and I am n
CHAPTER SEVEN “I am sorry, Nala” he whispers, and I am shocked that he is apologizing. I smile, as I am happy he is doing this. I suddenly feel like I can finally be happy. Don leans forward to kiss me. His soft lips meet mine, and I smile against him. He moves his hand to my shoulder, deepening the kiss. His hands find their way to my back as he caresses me gently, never breaking the kiss. A moan escapes my mouth as he trails kisses down my neck.
CHAPTER EIGHT I wake up and get dressed as quickly as possible. Dread fills me as I think about meeting Don. I am still terrified of him. Being his mate, I am supposed to keep his anger at bay, but I guess I have the opposite effect. I put on a jumpsuit, and plait my hair into a ponytail. I check my bag for the locket, it is still there. I slide my bag over my shoulder and walk downstairs. “Morning” I announce. No one replies. I am wondering why they aren’t chattering away as usual. “Morning,” I hear Don’s deep voice, and I shiver. How did I miss him? “Morning” I repeat, and I sit down at the table. “Breakfast?” Claire asks me, and I reply with a tight smile and an affirmative nod. Claire walks away, her usual smile not visible on her face. Don sure knows how to make everybody around him miserable. Claire returns with steamy, buttered pancakes. “Thank you, Claire. I love pancakes” I start to pile the food in my mouth.
CHAPTER NINE I dress in a baggy top and jeans. I decide to wear my hair down today. Fortunately for me, Don does not make an appearance; so to say I am happy is an understatement. I am elated. I eat breakfast conveniently and put on my locket before I head off to school. Surprisingly, I meet Jordan on my way to class. “Morning, Nala,” he greets, and I grin from ear to ear. “Morning, Jordan” “I see you love the locket” I nod in affirmation and glaze my fingertips across the necklace. He seems pleased with my answer. “How about we skip school, and talk?” Jordan grins mischievously, and I giggle. “Okay,” I say. Who needs school anyway? We quickly exit the school building, settling down at our secret spot. When we were still dating, we always came here anytime we wanted to skip classes. I throw my arms around him as soon as we sit. “I know something is wrong, Nala” he whispers, returning the