Prologue

I can tell you the exact moment when everything in my life began to crash and burn. The time when everything came tumbling down and I no longer knew what I stood for. The familiar became the foreign and I was left with nowhere to go and no one to run to.

It all happened when my best friend and boyfriend chose his mate… by himself, tossing me to the curb like I was nothing more than a piece of crap to him from the very beginning.

Michael and I had been a thing for most of my life. We started off as friends in kindergarten, and when we became early teenagers, we turned into best friends.

When I turned fifteen, the feeling of friendship quickly blossomed into romance. He asked me to be his girlfriend and I accepted, and ever since then, we became inseparable.

Everyone who knew us knew that we were a thing, and in this small pack of ours, it was impossible for anyone not to know us. I clung to him like a vice, almost suffocating him with love but did he ever complain?

Hell no!

Michael happened to be the Alpha’s son and so with his influence, he was able to get me to always train with him as I never had friends to train with in the first place. His friends were my friends and I was cool with that!

I was so gullible back then, hanging onto every word that he sputtered out of his stupid mouth like a hormonal teenager; but then, you wouldn’t blame me though, because I was indeed hormonal… And was also a teenager!

Deep down in my heart, I was so sure we would be mates. I mean, who would think otherwise? We were like two perfect fits to a puzzle, and damn, we were destined after all!

I had this same delirious mindset up until his twentieth birthday party, the event where everything crashed and burned.

-

That day, Michael picked me up from my house at exactly 9:00 pm. He pulled up in front of my house in his shiny black Mustang and tapped on the car before jumping off it carefully.

There were times when I joked that he loved his car more than me, and even though he would sometimes laugh it off, I knew deep down that it was true.

My family was never in support of me dating Michael. They knew the risks of getting myself, a lowly girl, involved with someone of Michael’s caliber but like a child, I ignored them.

I never really understood why my mother always told me that he wasn’t good for me though; but for my Stepfather and his child, I pinned it on jealousy, telling myself that the only reason they were against my relationship with Michael was because he was a Royal.

I hopped into Michael’s car, not thinking for one second that he hadn’t opened the door for me, and as soon as I got in, I was met with an eye roll.

“What is it?” I asked in confusion.

“Why didn’t you wear something a little more… revealing? What’s with these ugly drabs you always wear all the time?!” He barked, never for once taking his eyes off the road.

I sighed dejectedly and frowned, looking down at the beige-colored dress I was wearing. It was old, but at the same time, there was nothing wrong with it.

“I told you, my stepfather will not allow me to buy new clothes, especially not for a birthday party that isn’t mine!” I explained, wondering exactly what must’ve gotten him in such a bad mood.

“Whatever,” he mused under his breath, increasing his car speed, “…just know that I hate them sometimes and it gets on my nerves that you do not see that!”

I rolled my eyes at his childish tantrums, knowing fully well that he would cheer up once he had a few drinks in him.

Michael was a complainer, he complained about everything, especially my raven hair. A lot of times in the past, he had tried to convince me to paint them Blonde but I never grew the balls to.

At one point, I had gone to a salon and picked the shade of blonde that I wanted but as soon as the hair stylist combed out my hair to start the process, I picked up my stuff and ran… and I never went back.

I sat in silence as I listened to Michael rant on and on about something. He always seemed to have a problem with everybody. We continued that way until we arrived at his mansion and as soon as we got out of his car, he pulled me in to plant a kiss on my neck.

“Are you finally going to give in tonight?” He whispered into my ear, whilst playing with a tendril of my hair that had escaped the high chignon I styled it into.

I found myself smiling back, ready to give him the answer that he had been waiting for for months now.

It was only a matter of hours before I was declared Michael’s mate. He had been nagging me for months now to sleep with him, to allow him to take my virginity. Each time, I had turned him down, asking him to wait for this night because somewhere at the back of my mind, I had doubts.

When it was late at night and everyone had slept, I always asked myself what would happen if Michael and I didn’t turn out to be mates, and this thought, as negative as it sounded, was the only reason I couldn’t give myself freely to him.

“Yes, I will.” I smiled up at him, looking into his deep green eyes.

His smile deepened as he pulled me in for another kiss, and with a playful dance, he mumbled; “it’s about damn time!”

-

We went into the house and met up with his friends. With my arm linked through Ariana’s, we talked over the blaring music, making fun and laughing.

Ariana was one of those people who were easy to hate but fun to be with; and as I grew older, I realized later on in life that I was just like her; shallow, bitchy, mean even but fun at parties.

We chatted away for a while and after a few hours, when the party was already coming to an end, and the effects of the alcohol had already begun to seep in, Michael quickly rose to his feet with so much force that it almost sent me, who had been sitting beside him, flying.

“The hell babe, what’s wrong with—?” I started to say but stopped when I saw the crazed look on his face.

“Do you smell that?” I heard him mumble under his breath while I watched my entire life begin to crumble.

He ran around our small circle like a maniac, sniffing on everybody’s dresses, and when he got to me, he stopped, inhaled deeply, let out a moan from the back of his throat, and gasped; “Mate!”

My heart did a little happy dance as soon as I realized what that meant, but before I could fully celebrate this win, I stopped when I saw the deep frown etched on Michael’s face.

“Babe, what’s it?” I asked, rising to my feet. I tried to touch him but as soon as I stretched out my hands, he recoiled in disgust.

“No!” He yelled angrily, “no, it can’t be!” He continued, eyeing me up and down in disgust.

“Is there something wrong? I don’t get it babe!” I exclaimed, watching him. Embarrassment made my face go red and for a while, I couldn’t help but notice how everyone turned to stare at both of us in confusion.

“I wouldn’t continue with this madness! I refuse it!” He growled, storming away from me but then before running away from the party, he grabbed Ariana by the arm and stormed out.

I stood rooted to the spot in confusion. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy that I was his mate or be worried at the turn of events.

I wasn’t a full-blown werewolf yet but then, I was sure that I had smelled anger from him, and disgust. I could feel my entire body trembling as my brain fought to process what had just happened.

Michael had found his mate, who was me but it was w quite obvious now that he didn’t want it to be me. I couldn’t hear anyone now, couldn’t focus on anything.

For a moment, I could swear that I had seen one of his friends laughing hysterically. Then like a completely rational teenage girl, I turned… and ran!