1. twenty and rejected

**Isabel**

The night is clear with stars twinkling and shining brightly. The full moon is gleaming, making the night look lively. I sit on the bench side with my legs crossed, looking at the bright sky.

My fingers are entwined together, my eyes are glistening with a ray of shimmering hope. Tonight says it all, I'll be turning twenty and the best part of it all is that I'll find out who my true fated mate is.

I am a late bloomer - which has become an unconcerned issue in the werewolf economy and is addressed as a normal phenomenon - just like Theda Moon, the daughter of the alpha of the Moon pack.

We were both born on the same day according to my birth star. We share the same story - being late bloomers - and even share the same features - although lightly.

But I am nothing but an omega and Theda is the shining light of the pack. Her mate is probably an alpha and will find her soon at her birthday party tonight. So it is a big day for both of us indeed.

I have always wondered what my mate will look like. Will he be a gamma, beta, or perhaps a weak omega without a back story like me?

Whenever people ask about my background, it's always a dead-end story - I was picked from the woods when I was a baby and was trained as an omega since I turned three. I don't have parents, they died without anyone knowing anything about them. I adopted my last name from the title of the pack which the alpha's family bears too.

I am Isabel Moon, an omega without a story. My first name was derived from the clothes I was wrapped in when I was small, Isabel was attached at the bottom of it. That is how I got my name.

I have lived my life in a forever debt to the alpha of this pack, Edward Moon - who will be retiring as alpha of the pack in two days and handing over the position to his son, Wilford Moon. Another great moment of my life.

Not that I have any feelings for Wilford, I feel a strong admiration for him - and sometimes attraction too. I serve him personally even though I am in the lowest rank of omegas. Lately, I have noticed his weird attitude towards me. Sometimes he will be cool and nice, sometimes he becomes overbearingly rude and nasty to me. I always try my best to avoid him.

Theda and I have no special connection. We are just mutual with each other, but the rest of the household isn't. One thing I've faced most in my life as an omega is being bullied. Everyone in the high ranks of omegas will always find a way to take advantage of me except Myra, who has become my new best friend.

But these things are far away from my thinking faculty as all I can be sure of are two things. First, I'll be turning a new age, and second of all, I will find my mate. The thought alone is making hope rise in my chest again.

"You should not be out here for too long. The air is getting colder, " Myra's tiny voice rings in my ears.

I turn around to see her holding a thick blanket which she hands over to me with a concerned smile on her face.

"Tonight is your night." She touches her hand softly.

"I can't wait to meet him." I blush.

"This reminds me of the day I met my mate. It was on my sixteenth birthday and it was at this same spot." Myra says dreamily.

I remember her telling me the story back then. Her mate, Zack is a gamma and one of the strongest pack warriors we have. He may stand a chance to become a beta when Wilford becomes alpha and Myra's life will change forever.

" I wish to find someone perfect. If the moon goddess can hear me and answer me, I will appreciate her kindness. "

" The Moon goddess knows the best answers to all questions. You will find your perfect mate."

" The ceremony will begin in a few hours, let me go over to Angelica's place before joining the pack."

Angelica is the pack's seer and the oldest seer alive. In the werewolf economy, there is always a family that inherits the gifts of the seer. A pack has a minimum of one seer per generation. Angelica also has a daughter about my age who will replace her when she retires.

"Alright, be careful about what you hear from the seer. Most revelations can make you or shatter you completely." Myra warns.

I nod and watch her leave. She is always supportive of me regardless of what my decisions are. As I walk towards the darker path that leads me to the seer's house, a warm breeze gushes over me.

I stop in my tracks as a figure walks down the path in the dim lights. When my eyes finally adjust to the partial darkness, I realize that the figure is Wilford Moon. I bow my head in greetings as the law states.

"Good evening, young master Wilford." I greet politely.

"Look at me." His husky voice orders.

I obey. I look him straight in his eyes but his expression is beginning to discomfort me.

"I - is there any p - problem?" I stammer nervously.

Wilford ruffles his hair instead and bites his lips.

"Why does it have to be this way?' He questions no one in particular.

" Is there an issue going on with you? "

"Shut up, bitch." He snaps at me.

I keep quiet and watch him continue to act like a confused werewolf. Then suddenly, he leans closer to me and inhales my scent.

"It's toxic but I can't do this with you." He mutters against my ears.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

He steps back and looks at me weirdly again.

"You will know soon enough. Be prepared for what is to come."

He leaves after his not-so-good cryptic sentence which leaves me baffled. I continue my little journey until I get to the cottage of the seer. The door is slightly open so I let myself in.

It's warm inside with the fireplace blazing warmly. Soon the figure of Angelica appeared in the living room with a smile on her older face.

"Isabel darling, you are here."

"Have you been anticipating me?" I asked surprised.

"Of course, I am the seer after all. It has not been long that future alpha Wilford left here."

I became more astonished. " Wilford was here, why?"

Angelica shakes her head. " Young wolf's fighting demons."

I understand that she does not want to tell me the actual truth, I leave it at that. I am not the type to pressure people for information.

"Then you must know why I'm here."

"To see what your future beholds."

I nod in excitement.

"Sit."

I obey and sit down humbly with her hands placed gently on my lap. Angelica squats in front of me and takes my hand, she closes her eyes and begins her incantations which she always does when she is about to see one's future.

After a few minutes of reverie, Angelica comes back to reality. She looks at me with so much dread in her eyes.

"Angelica, what's the problem?" I ask with concern.

"My child." She calls softly, sitting beside me and holding my hands tight.

"What did you see, Angelica?"

"A lot but I can not tell you right now..."

"Why?" I cut her off. " Is it something bad? "

"Yes, it is very bad. You can not handle it all, Isabel."

"I want to know, please."

She stands up abruptly, walking closer to the fireplace. I follow her instantly, I want to know what she saw. What my future holds for me.

"Be careful, a lot will happen in the future and if you are not careful it might destroy you and leave you shattered."

"But how do I handle it? You have to tell me what I am going to face so I can know how to handle it. "

"I can't tell you because you should discover things yourself and unravel the mysteries that lie ahead of you. Everything will become complicated at a point and hard decisions will be made. "

All of this does not make sense to me at all.

"I don't understand."

"You will understand all of this one day. Now go, my child. The moon goddess be with you."

I leave with unsettled thoughts in my mind. Is there a danger coming ahead? Will I be able to survive it?

The loud and cheerful noise is what brings back my attention, the pack house is filled to the brim with people from the pack. The alpha and his family are greeting people who are in attendance.

I go straight to the kitchen and pick a tray of drinks - since I am already dressed in serving clothes. I go around the hall and drop a drink to whoever cares for it. After a series of merriment, alpha Edward stands up and clears his throat.

"Attention to everyone, please! We are aware of what tonight is, the twentieth birthday of my only daughter. This party is dedicated to her and to everyone who turns twenty today. I have an announcement to make, Theda will be engaged to the alpha of the blood pack, Jared Blood."

There is a loud applause as the alpha of the blood pack, Jared Blood, stands beside alpha Edward and his family. His eyes are blue, depicting coldness and a low dangerous aura. I have an immediate dislike for him, our eyes meet for a moment before I look away.

A cool breeze blows as a familiar scent hits me, my heart picks up its beat at a speedy length as my eyes dart around the room.

"Mate!" I hear my wolf growl madly.

"What?"

I can't believe that my wolf is talking to me! After waiting for four years of being a late bloomer, the time is finally here. The time I have been waiting for, my fated mate.

As I look around, my eyes meet with Jared Blood again. Our stare is intense and I gasp when the realization dawns on me. Could it be that the alpha of the blood pack is my fated mate?

My inner wolf rolls her eyes. " Not him, dummy! The other one standing beside him."

My eyes move to the next person and my face instantly falls. Standing next to Jared Blood is Wilford Moon, the son of alpha Edward and future alpha of the Moon pack.

I scoff. Is this some sort of an expensive joke?

William seems to sense my eyes on him as he shifts his gaze to me. Then he begins to walk towards me in slow but steady steps, my heart is thumping faster as his rich scent becomes stronger around me.

I understand the situation I'm in right now. Turned twenty and found out that my mate was my master, the future alpha of my pack. What will become of my fate?

I don't have any intentions of becoming the Luna of my pack. It will only attract all the hate from the members of the other pack, I might die younger than my age due to the pressure from every person here. There is a weird feeling of becoming the center of attention all of a sudden, the entire room is silent and all eyes are on me.

"So now, you finally know huh?" He says coolly, his hands are in his pockets.

"Did you know? All along, you knew that we were mates?"

He scoffs. " Yes, but it's time to wrap things up."

"What?"

"I, Wilford Moon, future alpha of Moon pack reject you, Isabel Moon as my mate... "