Mates

Lizette’s P.O.V.

“Shifting and combat? Are you sure?”

The receptionist at the main office raised her brow, her mocking tone dismissed my request.

“There’s no seat for you in shifting and combat class!”

Returning to her keyboard, she started clicking, ignoring me completely.

Her plain refusal disappointed me, I sighed while thinking of some way to get in. It was my last semester and multiple rejections had already wasted my time. I couldn’t let this chance slide.

“But I can do better, ma’am. Please give me a chance to prove myself.

I’ll ...”

Ma’am Jess threw a dirty glare at me, cutting me off sharply.

“The students who can shift are eligible to enter this class, Lizette. Our academy isn’t responsible for your loss of limb and eye in physical practice.”

My inability to shift once again put me to shame, my eyes burned with tears as I literally begged her,

“Ma’am, I deserve to be in the class. Please ...”

Ma’am Jess disregarded my pleas and turned to receive a file from her coworker.

“It’s a notice from Alpha for unmated students. Our Silver Claw Pack is hosting the annual mating ball this year.”

Annual Mating Ball?

Oh, no!

My heart dropped to my stomach as my crush, Brandon’s face flashed across my mind. I turned eighteen yesterday and hadn’t smelled my soulmate yet. It was my heartfelt wish to be paired with my childhood sweetheart, turning our friendship into lifelong companionship.

Ma’am Jess entered the details from the notice quickly and raised her head, her fury skyrocketed to see me.

“What are you still doing here? Go and continue your forestry lessons!”

The way she shooed me away crushed my self-respect, although I had tried my best to fit in for the past two years. Rubbing my eyes mercilessly, I walked out of the office, this humiliation was just a start of the regular day at my academy.

All thanks to my luck, our pack’s beauty Queen, Stella spotted me outside the office. She rolled her eyes at me.

“Attention everyone, this omega is again trying to get into combat class.”

The group of her minions giggled as if it was the joke of the decade, adding to her statement.

“This wolf-less omega is daring to compete with her superiors, Stella.”

My grip around my books tightened as my wolf, Onyx, couldn’t digest this insult. She snarled at Stella,

“Watch your tongue!”

“Or what, mutt?”

Stella stepped forwards, baring her claws for a fight.

“Will you hurt me with your imaginary claws, mutt?

Oh, I am so scared!”

As this bullying would get severe if I tried to react, I lowered my head as usual to ignore her hurtful words. However, Stella crossed every limit today as she scoffed defiantly.

“Nobody cares for you, freak. Even your father has disowned you!”

“Stella!”

Her gaslighting pinched my aching nerve, shaming me with the biggest loss of my life. My dad, Gamma of the pack, had disowned me after the fateful night of my sixteenth birthday. The night when I couldn’t shift despite meeting my wolf.

Unable to suppress my flaring anger, I thrashed my books in Stella’s face, retaliating for the first time. But my feeble attempt was a grave mistake!

Stella’s furious growl resonated in the surroundings as she pounced on me, her iron fist punched me in the gut with full force.

“How dare you raise your voice in front of me, freak?”

After pushing me to the ground, she started kicking me mercilessly. Several students circled us as she yelled hysterically.

“You are a mutt, born to serve your superiors. Now lick my shoes to apologize for your crime!”

The amused audience laughed and chanted this demand, trying their best to support our Pack’s Goddess.

“Lick her shoes!

Lick her shoes!”

The tears rolled down my cheeks like rivers of despair, I was helpless in front of that enraged crowd. As Gamma’s only daughter, my life was normal until my dad refused to acknowledge an abomination’s presence in his life, turning me into an outcast overnight.

I winced in pain as my body ached due to Stella’s relentless assault, praying to my Goddess to send my friends for my safety. Brandon was the next Alpha of our Silver Claw Pack; he had saved me countless times from our pack member’s cruelty. Only he could save me now.

Perhaps, the Moon Goddess was in instant response mode that she sent Brandon as my savior. His familiar cedar wood perfume was a gust of fresh air in this suffocated environment. He growled loudly,

“Stop it!”

His Alpha command shook the ground below us, freezing Stella to her spot. That evil tormentor acted like a victim as Brandon ordered,

“Go back to your classes!”

However, I couldn’t hear Stella’s lies as the cedar wood perfume invaded my nostrils, stirring something deep in my heart. My wolf, who was moving heaven and earth to heal me, shuddered, howling at the top of her lungs.

“Mate!”

Oh, my Goddess!

Brandon?

Every speck of my existence danced in glee to finally smell my crush as my mate, it was like a dream come true for me. To compensate for my inability to shift, the Moon Goddess had paired me with the love of my life. I was unable to express my gratitude in words.

The power of heavenly mate-bond connected us instantly and Brandon helped me up, his soft voice was laced with concern.

“I’ll take you to the infirmary, Liz. Doctor Rose will take care of your injuries.”

I couldn’t even bear to say that his care was an effective tonic for me, healing the deep lacerations of my soul. We walked in the corridor towards the infirmary to see Doctor Rose. But suddenly, Brandon took a wrong turn and took me to an under-construction wing, pulling me inside a room. He spoke coldly,

“So, you are my mate, Liz!”

Although I was hastily arranging my years of affection to confess my feelings, the iciness of his tone caught my attention. A look of great bitterness swept across his face, as he swore,

“The Moon Goddess must be kidding me.

Fuck this mate-bond!”

His hateful tone clenched my heart, the visible disgust on his face poured a bucket of cold water over my excitement. Mustering up some courage, I spoke meekly

“We are best friends and now soulmates. What’s wrong with it?”

Brandon’s face grew ashen, he spat out, “Look at yourself and then repeat these words, Liz.”

I looked at my torn shirt, bloodied lips, and messed up hair, they made me look like an alien before my handsome Alpha mate. But what did it have to do with the mate-bond?

Brandon paced back and forth, muttering under his breath.

“I am the Alpha; my mate will be the Luna of my pack. How can a girl like Liz be worthy of this status?

No, I won’t allow it!”

He blocked my wolf, disregarding her mating call. I was still processing his startling behavior as he snarled at me.

“This pairing is a mistake, and I will correct it ASAP!”