A SOUR EXPERIENCE

Mia felt jittery as she waited in her room for the full moon to come out. Today was the D day, the day she would finally mate the love of her life, Justin. 

She hadn't believed her ears when Justin confessed his love for her a week ago and proposed that they mate. It was everything she had dreamt of after she saw Justin up close for the first time. 

He was the son of the Alpha of Moonglow pack, a neighbor to Shadow pack, the pack Mia and her father belonged to. Her father was the Beta of the pack and leader of the Alpha's war troupe. 

Justin had come for a pack visit when he caught Mia’s eye, and she caught his as well, which led to their love story. And today, under the full moon, she would officially become his mate in the eyes of the moon goddess and the werewolf council. 

"Mia, it's almost time. Are you ready?" Her friend Clara asked as she opened the door to her room. 

Mia ran a nervous hand down the silver shimmery shift-like gown she was wearing, took a deep breath, and gave Clara a small nod. 

Yes, she was ready. This was her heart's desire. 

Mia walked out of her room with Clara and they headed to the meeting center, at the center of the pack land. Every mating ceremony happened at the meeting center with the full moon with selected werewolf council members present to bear witness. 

She got to the center, expecting to find Justin there, but he wasn't, which was strange. 

The groom was supposed to be at the center first, waiting expectantly for the bride to come and join him. So, why was Justin not there waiting for her yet? Or was she too early? Mia gave her friend a confused look. 

Everyone was already looking at her strangely as she stood silently in the meeting center waiting for Justin, so the elders could start their joining. Her friend, Clara had gone to join the other members of their pack that were present for the ceremony. 

A few moments later, Justin hurried into the meeting center, his hair tousled roughly like he had run his hand through it several times. 

He wasn't dressed in the traditional attire of white trousers and bare chest, still wearing the Jean and flannel shirt she had seen him in when they saw each other this afternoon and stole a few kisses and touches.

"I'm sorry I'm late" He apologized profusely as he stood next to her, his expression tense. 

Frowning a little, Mia leaned towards him. 

"What's wrong, Justin? You don't look so good" 

"Eh, nothing- nothing is wrong Mia, just ceremony jitters, you know" he rasped, laughing roughly a bit, then cleared his throat. 

An elder from Mia’s pack stood up and walked up to them to start the ceremony. 

All the observers from their packs quieted down as the old man started chanting softly, beginning the mating ceremony, while Justin kept fidgeting as he stood next to Mia, causing her to cast occasional concerned looks at him. 

"Stop! Stop please, I- I can't do this" Justin suddenly shouted, raising a hand above his head. 

"What are you doing Justin?!" Mia snapped, her voice low, as people began to murmur softly about the abrupt stop of the ceremony. 

"I'm sorry Mia, but I can't mate with you, I just can't" 

"Why? Why can't you? You didn't have any issues before, so why now?" 

Putting a hand on his forehead, she asked, "Are you not feeling good? Are you nervous? If that's why, it's completely natural, that's what I was told. I'm nervous too, but I love you, and that's why I'm doing this" 

"It's not nervousness, and I'm perfectly okay. I just can't mate with you again, I can't. I thought I could do it before, but now? Now I just can't. I was prepared to overlook the fact that you can not shift, but I can't overlook this" 

"You can't overlook what?" Mia asked as a sudden cold went through her. 

"The fact that you are cursed! You are cursed, Mia!" He shouted in answer, as everyone went quiet. The people present listened intently. They had come to observe and celebrate her joy and happiness, but it looked like they would bear witness to her shame and embarrassment instead. 

"You are eighteen now, and you haven't shifted to your wolf form yet. Although it never happened before, I was willing to look past it, that maybe you needed time. But now I found out it's a curse?" 

"Justin, please listen to me-" Mia started. 

"Listen to what? I am to be the Alpha of my pack! I can't afford to marry someone who is cursed. Mating you with how weak you are without your wolf would be embarrassment enough, but coupled with this? It would be humiliating! Goddess knows if you won't give me cursed pups too" He snapped, causing Mia to draw in a sharp breath. 

She couldn't believe what was pouring out of Justin's mouth. 

It was true some people believed she was cursed because she didn't change into her wolf form when other werewolves did at age sixteen. And aside that, some believed her birth had killed her mother, because of the manner in which her mother had died. 

Her mother had been found frozen and black all over, like someone struck by lightning, with a premature-born Mia next to her in the woods, behind her father's house. 

If it wasn't for some kind pack healers who had picked her up from where she lay on the ground, Mia would have joined her mother too in the great beyond. 

"This mating can't happen, I'm sorry." Turning to the members representing the werewolf council, Justin bowed halfway in apologies and stormed off, members of his pack who had followed him to bear witness to the ceremony following closely behind him. 

Mia stood at the center of the pack meeting point, still reeling in shock, her mind trying to catch up with what just happened. 

The werewolf council representatives silently stood up, shaking their heads softly, and giving her side glances as they left. 

Other members of her pack, started taking their leave too, in twos and threes, throwing her glances of pity and some glee, as they murmured amongst themselves. 

"Mia? Mia?" Mia felt someone shake her softly. 

She raised her head to see her friend, Clara looking at her with pity. Something she almost recognized flashed in her gaze, before it settled on pity again. 

"Come, let's go. It's becoming cold and you've been standing here alone for the past few minutes. Let's get you inside" She prodded, taking Mia's arm to lead her back to her room in her father's house. 

Mia sat on her bed, staring at the wall blankly, as tears trickled down her cheeks. 

She felt like wailing and shouting, but just couldn't open her mouth, still shocked by how the night had ended. 

Clara put her arm around her in comfort, but Mia hardly noticed it, her mind still reeling. 

"I know you are shocked Mia, but I would say good riddance to that idiot, he never did deserve you. You can always get another mate, it's not like he is your true mate, and you know how rare those are." 

Clara stated consolingly. 

"You are beautiful Mia, you can easily get another mate who will love you for who you are, curse or no curse, so it's okay. You don't need to cry so much" She added at Mia’s silence, pulling a napkin from her pocket to dab at her wet eyes. 

Mia didn't give her an answer as the tears kept pouring. 

Tilting her head out of sight, Clara gave a small vicious sm

ile of victory, which she wiped clean, replacing it with pity as she continued to console Mia.