CHAPTER 1

Kira's POV

I pushed my legs to walk even faster in excitement as I headed to the mating ceremony. Today was the day, the day I found my mate.

Denver's handsome face flooded my mind almost instantly and I couldn't help but blush. He must be finely dressed in a tuxedo with his dark hair gelled back, his face in his usual dashing smile and female wolves crowding around him like he was some tasty game. I guess I was lucky to have the most handsome guy in the pack as my best friend and in a few minutes, I would be his lucky mate too.

The mating ceremony was a ritual that showed wolves their mates. Other unmated wolves might be unaware beforehand but I wasn't, I don't know how but deep down I can feel it. A euphoric feeling and the purring of my wolf whenever I think about or see Denver, it was why I have the conviction that he was my mate.

He doesn't know it but he will soon and I will be his, forever…

My smile widened even more as I approached the pack hall that was beautifully decorated with flowers and colorful lights. It was absolutely beautiful. Unmated wolves were dressed elegantly and shared in the excitement too, apart from a wolf's first shift, this was the second most important moment of their lives. My eyes searched the hall as soon as I entered and brightened when I saw Denver in the midst of people chatting happily.

“Hey Denver!” I called out to him, unable to stay put as I approached him. The crowd around him immediately dispersed as soon as they saw me but I didn't mind, I was used to it already. Being an Omega in a werewolf pack is like being at the bare bottom of the ranking system, people didn't want to associate with me and treated me lowly. Omega had inner wolves but was too weak to shift which was a terrible thing in the werewolf community. If not for Denver, I wouldn't have been able to bear so much… maybe I would have ran away already.

“Oh hey Kira! You look beautiful tonight” Danver complimented.

“You don't look so bad yourself” I managed to squeeze out despite the raging butterflies in my stomach.

“So, who do you think is going to be your mate among all these people?” He asked and beckoned a waitress who carried a tray containing a few glasses of wine. He took two glasses and gave me one.

My head screamed “You” but I managed to compose myself and smile, “I really don't have anybody in mind, I want to be surprised” I said. People might think I've gone crazy if I tell them that I could have an idea of who my mate would be, it has never happened before in the entire werewolf community.

“Oh, you sound confident, and what if you don't get a mate tonight or your mate…?” Denver asked, he didn't have to complete his sentence for me to know what he meant.

“Or my mate rejected me?” I completed for him with an eye roll, “That's not possible D, why would my mate reject someone as beautiful as me?” I added with a goofy grin and we both laughed. Of course that wasn't it, I was so sure because I knew my mate was going to be Denver. He was my best friend so why would he reject me?

“Alright unmated wolves, please gather round… it's time” The familiar voice of the Alpha of the pack sounded across the room. Alpha Levi was a middle aged man that still looked as dashing as ever, if not that he had a mate, many women would have approached him already.

I followed Denver to the crowd forming around Alpha Levi. My heart wouldn't stop beating fast in anticipation, I sneaked a peak at Denver handsome face and striking blue eyes that I could get lost in. I can still remember how we became friends all those years ago, I was an orphan with no family and was taken in by Denver's mother. His mother was very nice to me and treated me like her daughter and Denver became my only friend. Even though I never felt welcomed by the pack, Denver and his mother welcomed me into their hearts. They were my family.

“The mating ceremony will begin now, you already know the process, drop a pint of your blood in the ritual bowl and appeal to the moon goddess on this full moon to open your eyes to see your mates” Alpha Levi instructed in a clear voice.

A strangely carved bowl and a knife was passed around, everyone did as they were told and slashed a finger to draw out a drop of blood. It soon got to me and Denver's turn and we dropped ours as well. When everybody was done, the bowl was passed back to the Alpha and everyone stood quietly.

“Repeat after me… ” Alpha Levi began reciting some incantations with his eyes closed while the rest of us repeated after him with our closed eyes too.

“You may open your eyes and locate your mates” Alpha Levi said one minute later. An intoxicating scent hit my nose as I opened my eyes, my gaze fell on Denver immediately who was staggering backwards in dread.

“Mate” I said unconsciously with twinkling eyes. I knew it! Denver is mine.

“No, no, this can't be… No” Denver reiterated like a madman, drawing the attention of others who were now with their mates.

I frowned at his weird behavior and called out as I walked towards him, “Denver!!! What is wrong with you?”

“Stay away from me you mutt…” Denver cursed drawing a gasp from me. Mutt was an insultive term for weak omegas, Denver has never called me that before. What was going on?

“Alpha Levi, I don't want her as a mate” He said hastily with disgust clear in his voice.

My knees immediately buckled and gave way, pulling me to the ground. I couldn't believe my ears, my wolf whined in pain too. I was actually being rejected by my mate. The entire hall was dead silent, this was the first rejection of the night.

“D, what are you saying? It's me Kira, your best friend, I…” I started to say in a cracked voice. Maybe he was trying to prank me, he can't really be serious.

“You should have just stayed as a friend, why did you have to be my mate? Why? I don't want a weak omega as a mate, what would happen to our children, they will be as weak as you…” Denver spewed out, he sounded and looked like a totally different person compared to the Denver I knew. I felt dazed, my painfully constricting heart was the only reminder that I wasn't dreaming.

“B…but” I stammered.

“I have only been nice to you because of my mother, she's just too nice taking mutts off the street. You had to go ruin everything by being my mate… Ughh” Denver continued raging, voice dripping with venom.

With every word, I felt the world closing in on me. Rejected mates were called cursed wolves, the pain of rejection was so great for them that they turned rogue. They lose their sanity and sense of self and become rabid animals. No one wanted to turn rogue so no one wanted to be rejected. Would I turn to a rogue now?

“Denver, you are aware of the implication of rejection, are you sure about this?” Alpha Levi asked by the side. He was not allowed to interfere in mates matters but even if he could, I doubted that he would want to help an Omega like me.

I turned to look at Denver with teary eyes, hoping to find that boy that always made me feel like home. But that boy was gone, replacing him was a heartless persona.

“Yes, Alpha. I, Denver Renfield, reject Kira as my mate” He announced in a loud voice, he sliced open his thumb and dropped a pint of blood on the ground to seal his decision.

All life drained from my body as I watched him. He actually did it, he rejected me.

“Oh poor Denver, he is such a handsome boy. How could the moon goddess match him to this useless girl?”

“I know right! It's so unfair”

“It's a good thing he rejected her, good riddance to bad rubbish”

…

These conversations could be heard around me, adding more salt to my bleeding heart. What becomes of me now, wait till I go mad?

The lightheadedness that attacked me was accepted wholeheartedly. Maybe this was all a dream, when I wake up, everything will be fine. Or not.