Lying in bed with the empty wooden box in my arms, a wave of hatred consumed me.
"Claire, you will succeed one day," a voice broke through my daze.
Startled, I nervously asked, "Who's there?"
"I'm Eva, your wolf. Happy eighteenth birthday!" the voice, now named Eva, responded.
"Eva, I can finally sense you!" I cried, overwhelmed with relief.
It was only now that I realized the time. It was past midnight, officially marking my eighteenth birthday, and my wolf had finally appeared.
"From today on, I will always be with you," Eva assured me.
"Thank you, Eva. I won't be alone anymore," I smiled at the thought.
"You are never alone. And soon, you will meet your mate," Eva revealed.
"You're right! I'm an adult now. As soon as I retrieve the necklace my mother left me, I'll leave this place to search for my mate," I declared, filled with anticipation.
Finding my mate had always been a dream of mine. I longed for a love like my parents had, and I had a feeling that my mate would be just as kind to me.
Pain pulsed through the wound on my hand, and my quilt was damp from Brenda's action. In my pathetic state, I curled up in bed. Despite being cold and hungry, I fell asleep with hopeful thoughts.
The next morning, I seized the opportunity to clean Brenda's house under the pretense of helping her. The pearl necklace she had taken from me held immense sentimental value, and I was determined to retrieve it at all costs.
Inside Brenda's house, I made a beeline for her bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, but no one seemed to be inside. Taking advantage of the situation, I hurriedly searched through her dressing table, hoping to find my precious necklace.
Unfortunately, the pearl necklace eluded me. Instead, I stumbled upon Brenda's own necklace, the one she always wore. It was clear to me now that she had framed me and accused me falsely, all the while keeping her own necklace safe and sound in her jewelry box. The bitch had caused unnecessary trouble.
Frustrated, I scoured every inch of her room, desperate to find my necklace. But to no avail, it was nowhere to be found. Sighing in frustration, I exited her bedroom, determined to search elsewhere.
As I ventured further into the house, I decided to try my luck in her closet. Suddenly, the strong scent of lilies filled the air, growing even stronger as I moved forward. It felt strangely familiar, almost instinctive. Could this be the scent of my mate? But who was my mate?
My thoughts were interrupted by a series of lewd moans coming from the bathroom. The explicit sounds, accompanied by the rush of water and the rhythmic clashing of bodies, made my heart race and my stomach churn.
Following the scent, I found myself standing in front of the bathroom door, my eyes widening in shock. There, I saw two werewolves entwined in the bathtub, completely engrossed in their intimate moment. The sight made me sick to my stomach.
Brenda, the vicious woman who had tormented me, and Marcus, the shameless womanizer who would become the future Alpha, were the two figures in the bathroom. Marcus had a reputation for sleeping around and occasionally harassing me.
I despised him with every fiber of my being. I never could have predicted that he and Brenda would end up together, but somehow, they were a perfect match.
Oh, my God! Was this insufferable jerk supposed to be my mate? A wave of nausea washed over me as I stood frozen, watching the two of them.
Marcus's P O V
I was in the midst of a heated encounter with Brenda in her bathroom when a sweet floral scent suddenly filled the air. I knew my mate had arrived.
Sure enough, when I glanced towards the door, there stood Claire. "Claire, you're here," I greeted, continuing my actions with Brenda. The sight of Claire only heightened my desire, and I couldn't bring myself to stop.
"Yes," Claire forced out, her voice laced with pain.
"Bitch, who gave you permission to show up at my place this early in the morning? Get out!" Brenda cursed. Claire began to turn away, ready to leave.
"Wait, don't go," I commanded sternly, pulling away from Brenda.
Claire hesitated, slowly making her way towards me.
"Marcus, I still want to continue. Don't let this woman distract you. Tell her to leave," Brenda whined, pressing her breasts against me seductively. She was acting as vulgar as a prostitute.
"Brenda, you need to go. I have something to discuss with Claire," I managed to hide my disgust as I pushed her away.
Brenda was taken aback for a moment, but reluctantly got up and exited the bathroom. Before she left, Brenda raised her hand and slapped Claire across the face.
"Bitch, you better watch your behavior. Marcus is mine. If you try to seduce him, I'll kill you!"
"Miss Brenda, only you would mistake trash for treasure," Claire spat, glaring at Brenda while holding her cheek.
"You're just a servant, doing housework. Why are you so arrogant? If you dare to glare at me again, I'll gouge out your eyes!" Brenda threatened with a snort.
"That's all you're capable of," Claire taunted fearlessly, locking eyes with her. Their bickering was giving me a headache.
"Brenda, leave," I interrupted. After exchanging one final glare with Claire, Brenda stormed off.
Finally, I was alone with Claire. I motioned for her to come closer.
"Claire, approach," I commanded.
"What do you need?" Claire asked, walking towards me slowly with her head down.
I stepped out of the bathtub and closed the door. My wolf was screaming in my mind, urging me to claim her. Ever since I turned eighteen, I knew Claire was my mate.
However, I never once considered accepting her due to her low social status. A woman like her could never be my Luna.
But I couldn't deny that she was undeniably stunning, with an alluring figure that drove me wild. Even if I couldn't make her my Luna, I could still have her as a sexual partner. I had desired Claire for a long time, but she always resisted my advances, so I never succeeded.
However, if my memory serves me right, today was her birthday, so she probably knew about our mate bond. In that case, there was a chance that her attitude towards me would change.
After all, no she-wolf would pass up the opportunity to be the mate of the Alpha's heir.
"Look at me," I commanded, gripping Claire's chin and forcing her to meet my gaze. Her icy demeanor only fueled my desire. But the repulsion in her eyes was something I couldn't ignore.
"Who did you just call trash?" I growled.
"Not you," Claire responded coldly.
"Do you know what? You may appear pure and innocent, but it only makes me want to ravish you," I said, releasing her chin and caressing her cheek.
"Claire, you're incredibly alluring."
"What are you doing?" Claire snapped, pushing me away and avoiding my touch.
"What? Isn't Brenda enough to satisfy you?"
"She's not as attractive as you are," I confessed boldly, my desires taking over. "Every time I make love to her, I can't help but imagine you in her place."
The mere thought of being with Claire in such an intimate way heightened my arousal, and I found myself subconsciously licking my lips.
"Come on, be with me," I urged, my voice filled with conviction. "I can provide for you, and you won't have to be a slave anymore."
As I spoke those words, I firmly grasped her shoulder and forcibly ripped her short skirt. Claire fought against me, struggling desperately to break free.
"Don't pretend to be innocent," I scoffed, my tone dripping with cynicism. "In the Blue Moon Pack, every she-wolf desires to be with me." With my left hand entangled in Claire's hair, I allowed my right hand to trail across her trembling thigh.
"I said, don't touch me!"
"You would be wise to consider what's best for you," I warned, my grip tightening on her hair. "You must have sensed it, haven't you? We're mates. Sleeping together is a trivial matter for us. If you continue to resist, I will reject you!"
Those were my final words, confident that she would yield to my ultimatum. And just as I had predicted, Claire hesitated for a moment. But just as I believed her fear would overpower her, she surprised me by raising her hand and delivering a sharp slap across my face. Stunned, I involuntarily released my hold on her hair, giving her the opportunity to escape my grasp and retreat to the bathroom door.
"How dare you strike me?!"
As I touched the stinging imprint on my cheek, anger surged within me, my rage threatening to consume all reason. What a shameless woman! I had intended to exploit her sexually and then cast her aside, but her feigned innocence was thwarting my plans. Well, she would soon regret challenging me.
"I, Marcus Brook, the future Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, solemnly reject you, Claire Smith, as my mate," I declared, my voice cold and unforgiving.
I anticipated that she would immediately crumble at my feet, pleading for me to revoke my rejection. However, to my astonishment, a sense of relief washed over her face instead.
"That's fantastic," she responded, her smile betraying her satisfaction. "I was waiting for you to reject me. I was actually wondering why the Moon Goddess would pair me with a despicable creature like you. Thank you for setting me free."
What was she talking about? Shouldn't she be devastated upon being rejected by me, the future Alpha? How could she smile as if she were enjoying the best moment of her life? A sense of foreboding settled within me, but before I could utter a word, Claire continued with an undeniable glee. Her voice oozed with triumph, as if she had just achieved a remarkable victory instead of enduring rejection.
"I, Claire Johnson, daughter of the late Alpha Ryan Johnson of the Rainbow Pack, hereby embrace and accept your rejection."