Vivian’s POV
“I can’t believe you turn 18 tomorrow. What if you mate with Chris, and I never see you again?” I spun away from my vanity, seeing that Zeke had a severe look on his face, and he wasn’t joking. “There’s no way the Moon Goddess would be that cruel as to mate me with that tool. And if she did, I’d reject him.” I walked over to him, kneeling before him, gripping his hands. I stared into the icy blue eyes I’d come to call home the 14 years I’ve known them. “Best friends forever, Zeke. I won’t mate with someone you hate so much and be swept away from you. Plus, you’ll be alpha soon, and you can banish him.” Zeke rolled his eyes. “It’s not that easy, and you know it. Chris and his family are too integral to the pack. I’m stuck with him.” I sighed, standing up. “I know. I wish he weren’t such a dick.” “He’s only a dick to you because he knows how much you mean to me. And if he claims you, he’ll keep you away from me to hurt me more.” I brushed a stray lock of dark blonde hair behind his ear, the only person who dared to touch him. “It’ll be okay, Z. I won’t let him keep me from you. No one could.” “Promise?” “I promise.” ***** Every female werewolf found their mate at age 18, like clockwork. And tomorrow, I’d find mine. I should be excited to see my forever home since my parents were crappy at best. Someone to love and to hold sounded good on paper, but something about being happy ever after also didn’t sound realistic. They said you fell in love when your mate bond snapped into place. It was more than lust, and you instantly felt a connection with them that was impossible to explain. But that didn’t mean you were compatible. It didn’t mean you were friends. I wouldn’t get my hopes up to find true love with the mate bond. Not when I found true love in my best friend, Zeke. Zeke had been like a brother to me since we were pups. He’d found me crying on the playground when my bully, Chris, had ripped my favorite teddy bear to shreds. But over time, those feelings had changed. For me, at least. Zeke still ruffled my hair and wrestled with me when we started shifting at age 14, all like brother and sister. We were best friends. Everyone made comments that we were indeed meant to be mates. Part of me secretly hoped that to be true. As each new she-wolf turned 18 and they didn’t mate with Zeke, I was hopeful. I watched their birthdays on the pack’s calendar, as each she-wolf had a moonlit celebration at midnight every birthday. I counted down the days to my birthday. I picked out my prettiest dress. It took a month to save up for by mowing lawns and cleaning gutters. It wasn’t the most feminine work, but paid better than serving drinks. It also worked better for me and the school. And now it was time to wear. I looked at the midnight blue dress that would bring out the bright blue of my eyes and the golden hues of my dirty blonde hair. I slipped into it, feeling nothing short of a princess. I had already done my makeup in shades of gold and black and placed a golden foliage tiara atop my head, letting my natural wavy hair cascade down my back. I slipped into strappy sandals and looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t confident, but tonight, I felt beautiful. Tonight, I was confident I’d find my true home in Zeke. ***** The celebration was well underway by the time I got there. When I arrived, a cheer went out of the crowd. I blushed, not used to the positive attention. I was usually ignored or shoved aside. I quickly looked around for Zeke. He stood at the top of the stage I’d stand at as the clock struck midnight. He was in conversation with his parents, the current Alpha and Luna. His eyes caught mine. I smiled and waved. I expected a smile and a wave back but received nothing. A small knot in my stomach formed. That was strange. But he must be preoccupied with his parents. Then I noticed the petite redhead beside him, her arm looping in his. She leaned in to whisper something in his ear. He smiled and whispered something back. The knot tightened. Who was she? She wasn’t part of the pack. I’d never seen her before. And why was she touching Zeke? “Jealous?” I spun around to see Chris, a smirk across his face. “Who is that?” “Samantha. She’s a rogue looking to join the pack. She got in last night. Zeke’s taken a liking to her immediately.” “How old is she?” “Eighteen.” If she joins the pack, she could have a chance to mate with Zeke…rogues can’t mate until they enter a pack. Why is this happening? Why is Zeke acting so strange? What is happening? “Earth to Viv.” Chris was waving his hand in front of my eyes. “What?” “I was trying to mock you, but you’re making it less fun by staring off into space.” “Just go away, Chris. Not today.” Chris shrugged. “Whatever. You’re no fun.” I turned back to the stage, staring at Zeke and Samantha, still giggling and whispering to each other. Alpha Zade came on the speaker and asked, “Will Vivian Locke make her way to the stage now? It’s 3 minutes until midnight.” I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. This was not the night I’d imagined so far. I went through the crowd, my face burning with confusion and embarrassment that my friend wasn’t here next to me as we’d planned. I was supposed to be escorted up the stage. I stumbled up the steps to the stage, almost face-planting in front of Zeke. Zeke stepped back, not offering a hand to help me. He just looked at me, nearly disgusted. Alpha Zade reached a handout, a small smile on his lips, “Are you okay, Vivian?” I nodded, standing straight, turning my back to Zeke, and looking at the crowd. Just then, the clock struck midnight. The crowd went silent. Inside, I felt my wolf begin to howl in joy. Another howl joined the howling—my mate’s wolf. Our wolves were howling together. No one else could hear but us. I felt a tug at my heart, pulling me backward. And the smell of honey and cinnamon overpowered me. I turned, and Zeke stared at me. Mate. My best friend. My first love. My true love. My mate. I grinned and stretched out my arms. A look of horror crossed his face, and he stumbled backward, gripping Samantha’s arm. “I, Zeke Worthword of the Greywood Wolf Pack, reject you, Vivian Locke, as my mate.”Vivian’s POV “Zeke?” “Why would I ever mate with a mutt like you?” I felt a sharp twist in my chest, like something trying to snap. Let him go! Ivy, my wolf, snapped at me. Reject him! He is not worthy! “But Zeke…” Zeke stepped forward, out of Samatha’s arms, “I said I reject you, Vivian.” I fell to the ground, the twisting intensifying. Ivy howled in pain. Moments ago, she was howling in happiness but turned on him the second Zeke rejected me. She was always protective of me. “Zeke, what happened to you…” “I finally saw you for the filth that you are.” I fell to the ground. The snapping became unbearable. With the last ounce of my strength, I raised my head. “I, Vivian Locke, of the Greywood Wolf Pack, accept your rejection.” Our wolves howled in unison once more, and a blinding light flashed before my eyes. A pulsing pain shot through my head before everything went black. ***** It’d been two days since my 18th birthday. And one day since I woke up in the hosp
Vivian’s POV The walk home was silent. I initially tried to ask Chris questions, but he grunted. He gave me nothing. I asked him why he was the one to bring me to the hospital, grunt. I asked him why he was there now, grunt. I asked him where my parents were, grunt. So, the rest of the walk was spent in silence. When we finally reached my home, I paused, wondering if I should invite him for a snack or beverage. I’m sure my parents weren’t home; if they were, they wouldn’t care. They never cared about anything I did, not even if it was healing in a hospital from a mate bond rejection. Chris decided for me. “I have training. You should start trying to make yourself useful now and come to training when you’re feeling better.” I glared. “I was thinking about working outside. I’m not sure I’m much of a fighter.” “Do both. You’re weak. It’s probably why Zeke rejected you.” I gasped, the sting of his words hitting me full force. I wanted to slap him, but he’d overpower me insta
Vivian’s POV “Ouch!” “I told you that you were weak.” I glared up at Chris from my position on the ground. He had just swept my feet out from under me, landing me flat on my back. He hadn’t been kidding about 4:30am, and he hadn’t been kidding about me being weak. I was surprised when he reached a hand out to me to help me up. I wasn’t surprised when he quickly took that hand away, and I fell backward. “Gotta keep you guessing, Vivid.” “Stop calling me that.” “Nope.” A howl signaled the end of training. Chris left me there, glaring at his retreating back. I still hated him, but at this point, he was all that I had. I scrambled to my feet and ran to catch up with him. “Where are we going now?” He arched an eyebrow at me. “We?” “Well, what does the pack do after training?” “Breakfast, then patrol. You’re just training, though. So you can play in some dirt or something. You can’t go on patrol yet if it’s something you can earn the right to do.” “Oh.” “What?” “
Vivian's POV The following day, Chris was there at 4:30am sharp. I almost wanted to grunt at him in greeting, to rekindle our inside joke, but I didn't want to run it into the ground and look desperate. I was already getting too attached, and it'd only been a couple of days. And this was Chris. I hated Chris, and Chris hated me. "What did you get for groceries?" "Chicken, rice, and broccoli." "Good for you!" "Just kidding. I thought that's what you wanted to hear. I got a lot of junk food." Chris glared at me. "Seriously?" "Kidding! I got the boring stuff! I'm taking this seriously." He rolled his eyes and started walking down the street. "Come on, you're gonna make us late. I don't have time for your games." His strides were long, but I was light on my feet, so it was easy to keep up with him. For the first time, Ivy finally spoke up. 'He's fun.' I almost stumbled at her comment. 'No, he's not. We don't like him. He's a jerk. Remember who
Vivian’s POV I kept running when I was out of the pack house. I kept running down the street. I kept running out of town and into the woods. I just kept running. I didn’t have a place in mind. I just kept running. I burst into a clearing, finding a little pond, and finally stopped. I looked around. No one was chasing me. I hadn’t shifted. Running would’ve been easier if I had, but I needed the long-winded running to exhaust me. To exhaust my brain. I stood there panting. Everything was quiet. Where was I? I’d never ventured this far into the forest. The pond had a small waterfall, and it looked mystical. This entire place looked otherworldly. Surely I wasn’t the only person who’d found this place. I narrowed my eyes when I heard a twig snap behind me. When no more sounds followed, I continued my examination of the pond. I could go for a quick swim. But there might be something gross in the water. Better to examine it and test that theory for a later date. I needed to
Chris’s POV I helped Vivid pack her belongings the same day we struck our deal. Her goodbye to her parents was lackluster at best. They patted her on the back and wished her well. They didn’t even question our sudden relationship. Her father didn’t even give a fake “if you hurt my daughter” speech. Did anyone care about this girl? ‘We do.’ Rock reminded me. I smiled to myself. We always have. Since we saw her gorgeous blue eyes on the playground, we’ve always cared. To cherish and protect. She might not have seen it the same way, but I was always there. Too bad she let that snake into her garden. The first time I realized what a pile of shit he was, it was in the locker room after gym class. He was bragging that he had seen her shirtless after they’d gone swimming and going into detail about what he’d seen. I’d found an excuse to start a fight and he’d ended up with a black eye. Of course he’d told Vivid I’d attack him for no reason and she’d chastised me the next time she saw
Vivian’s POV Zeke wasn’t kidding about making my life a living hell. And be really put that to the test the second breakfast was over with Chris. He had me cleaning every bathroom in the pack house. With a toothbrush. Then after that, I had to clean the kitchen and every single dish. Even the clean dishes. The kitchen is built to feed a pack. And the dishes are enough to feed…a pack. By the end of the day, I just wanted to crawl into bed and cry myself to sleep. I didn’t think I’d get it all finished by 7pm but Ivy came forth and helped me speed things up. She was a champ. As I wiped sweat off my brow and let the cool night air hit my face, I saw Chris leaning against a pillar, like he was waiting for me. “Hey, Vivid.” “What are you doing here?” “Came to walk my mate home, of course.” “That’s so sweet.” “Are you okay?” I smiled at him weakly. “Just another long day.” “Zeke give it to you that badly?” I dragged my feet slowly. “You have no idea. I’m starting to wo
Chris’s POV “Good morning, sunshine!” Opening one eye, I saw Vivian sitting cross legged on the bed, looking way too chipper for 4am. In her hand, she held two cups of coffee though, which perked me up slightly. I leaned up on my arms but froze. My boxers were stiff. Did I cum in my boxers while I slept? Vivian sat there grinning. “Everything okay?” Shifting and keeping the covers covering my lower half, I sat up. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t they be?” “No reason. You just seemed a little weird for a second. Time to get dressed now, sleepy head.” I sipped my coffee. “You gonna sit there and watch me? Pervert.” “I already slept next to you like that. Doesn’t bother me.” “I’ll need fresh boxers, so unless you wanna see me in all my glory, I’d suggest turning away, Vivid.” Her eyes widened. “You just showered last night. You’re just saying that.” I reached down, pulling down my boxers and bunching them up and then throwing them across the room. Now