1: A Liability

Aurora's POV

I never minded not having a place in the pack because I knew I was going to find my mate one day and leave—or so my mother keeps telling me when she sees me looking far away into nothingness.

I don't know why they hate me in the first place, but I never cared.

Today is my eighteenth birthday, and the Alpha and Luna took it upon themselves to celebrate it in their mansion. I stared at the whole pack as they grinned and sang the happy birthday song, while others took videos and pictures with their phones.  I know most of them tolerate me because I am the Beta's daughter and have a good relationship with the Alpha's family. Also, because the Alpha's only son, Lucas, and his twin sister, Liana, are my best friends. They don't have much of a choice but to befriend me too.

Lucas and Liana told me to ignore what the rest of the pack thought of me. They just have nothing to do with their lives than make my life miserable simply because I am their best friend.

Even though it makes sense, I am not that silly to believe they hated me because I am friends with the Alpha's children. The real reason I know the best it's because I haven't changed to my wolf form yet, though it usually happens when we are sixteen. My mother keeps encouraging me to have patience, that something good is going to come out of it, but I have an inkling that the pack members dislike me for that.

Forget all that, it's my birthday and I hope I can successfully get my wolf and my mate today..

Both of my best friends Lucas and Liana haven't found their mates yet, and a part of me wanted Lucas to be my mate even though I wanted to leave this pack. I would stay for him. He understands me, is always there for me no matter what. He is the only person I want to mate in this entire pack.

  

"Happy birthday, Rora," the Luna came forward and kissed my cheek, then I gave her a piece of cake in her mouth.

"Thank you, Flora," I beamed at her, making her chuckle.

"I have the best present for you after the whole celebration, so don't forget to come get it before you leave, hmm?" She said, kissed my forehead, then left.

She is such a kind-hearted woman, just like her children. She is older than Alpha Caden, as the rumor has it, and she was the daughter of the Alpha of the Brown Wood pack who chose Alpha Caden as her mate when she reached thirty years without finding her mate. He also liked her then, so he accepted, albeit many years younger than she is.

The Alpha came next with his present in a cute purple box. He knows exactly what my favorite color is, and just from the sight of it, I know I was going to love what was inside. I always do each of my birthdays anyway.

"Thank you, Alpha," he kissed my cheek as he gave me the present.

"You have grown so big, Ro," he ruffled my hair like he does Liana, then continued walking away.

The Alpha is such a handsome young man in his late thirties. He got mated to Flora when he was just eighteen, and they gave birth immediately after that to twins. Since then, Flora wasn't able to give birth, and they were fine with their two children.

After that, some of my classmates from school came to give me their own presents, forcing a smile on their faces, and I did the same. The whole thing came to an abrupt halt when I swayed on my feet and my senses sharpened. Something is happening, and I don't know what that is.

"Don't touch her! She is going to change!" I heard the Alpha shout when my father started coming towards me worriedly.

My father backed away towards my mother, who looked equally worried and excited at the same time. A growl was ripped from my throat, and I rushed out of the room to the woods behind the Alpha's mansion. Tears clouded my vision, but I made it behind the trees to hide.

The feeling immediately vanished as soon as I sat down behind a tree, bringing my knees up to my che-st to ease the pain. I haven't changed, but something felt different about me too. My senses sharpened, my vision much clearer than ever, making me acutely aware of someone coming towards me.

"Hello, Aurora," a voice whispered inside my head, but I turned around to try and find out if someone was there with me. Empty.

"I am your wolf, silly. My name is Eva," the feminine voice said again inside of my head.

"Oh," I said to myself then blushing in embarrassment a second later; a laughter bubbled out of my throat in disbelief.

I have a wolf! But why wasn't I in wolf form??

"Yes, you do, and you should probably stop screaming before I turn deaf," she jested then hummed quietly, and if I am guessing correctly, she was watching her surroundings.

“Nice to meet you Eva, but why wasn’t I shifted yet?”

“I will explain this to you later, our mate is somewhere near," she said after a while, and I leaped to my feet unsteadily.

Mate? I checked behind the tree where the mansion is, and sure enough, Lucas, Liana, and the rest of the party were outside, as if waiting for me to show them my wolf form. Alpha Caden guessed wrong. I am not changing. I still appear to be in human form in front everyone.

"MATE!" Eva growled and purred at the same time in my head, making me dizzy again for a second.

The disappointment and mockery were written all over the faces of the people staring back at my human form. They thought I was going to change, but I didn't. The Alpha looked confused, then he smiled as if he knew what was happening; the Luna looked worried, just like my parents.

Lucas took a step forward, then stopped as his eyes glazed over in the dark. He closed them for a second, then he opened them with emotions that tore at my insides. I knew he was my mate; Eva's mental focus is solely on him since she uttered the word mate.

Lucas's eyes spelled so many emotions that made me cringe inwardly because it is as though I was looking at a stranger. Why does he look like he would rather be anywhere than here with me? Why wasn't he saying anything when I'm sure his wolf had told him we were mates?

He is trying to avoid me, and that is confirmed when he turned back into the house without saying anything. Everyone's attention is focused on me, so they didn't notice him slipping away. I don't know why, but my heart broke inside my che-st at that.

What just happened? I thought he was going to be happy finding out I was his mate. He has dreamt of finding his mate since he turned eighteen months ago, but now that he did, is he just going to walk away from me?

I raised the skirts of my gown and ran after him in my heels. No one tried to stop me, thinking I was just embarrassed I didn't change. No, that isn't the reason because I don't care whatsoever. I want to find Lucas. I need answers.

I caught him walking out of the house and straight into the darkened streets. I called out his name as loudly as I could, but he refused to turn, only kept walking like he couldn't stand being near me even for a second.

"Lucas stop!" I yelled then removed my heels and followed after him bare feet.

He didn't, so I ran with my short legs while he walked with those long legs. When I stood in front of him, he tried sidestepping me but I didn't give him the chance to. He cannot avoid me. Not after what we just found out.

"You are my mate, Luke. Why are you running away?" I ask through pants, confusion marrying my voice.

He looked like he wasn't going to answer, then he flexed his jaw and said, "Because, for heaven's sake, I don't want you! I don't want the burden of having you as my mate. There is someone I want as my mate, and that isn't you. You cannot be my mate. Never."

My life crumbled right there in front of me at the sheer determination in his eyes. In the eyes of the boy I grew up with. The only boy I have ever fantasized about mating but is now trying to reject me because he wanted someone. Not me. His best friend.

"You are a liability, Aurora. You haven't changed into your wolf yet and who knows, you might not change ever. I can't have a weakling as my mate when I am going to rule as the alpha in the future. I need someone stronger by my side." His direct words nearly destroyed me.

"Luke…" I trail off with a swallow because I don't know what to say to him. I really don't.

"Don't." He took a step back then added. "I, Lucas Ledger, reject you Aurora Grey as my mate a

nd future luna." Then he sidestepped me and left without a look back.

And I let him.