1: The Sister he never had.

Kayla's POV

I woke up from a dream but I wasn’t quite sure if I should call it a dream. Aren’t dreams peaceful and calming? The one I just woke up from made me feel extremely afraid. I was sweating and shaking all over and it made me certain that I just had a nightmare. 

However, this wasn’t just any nightmare, every year I would get this dream at least once, and even though I didn’t exactly remember what it was about, there would be a certain feeling that followed it and then I would hear a faint voice in my head – like a woman screaming.

Back when I was younger and I’d have this nightmare, I would cover up myself in the sheets shaking with fear but not knowing what I just dreamt. Tia, Aidan’s mother would come to my rescue, sitting with me until I fall asleep but she hasn’t been doing that anymore because I stopped screaming and learned to deal with it on my own. 

Even though I couldn’t remember what I dreamt of,  I always had a feeling that it was about my parents. My father died trying to protect me while he and his team of Rogue wolves got attacked. He did the last thing any wolf would think of doing to a child, he placed me in a bush full of wolfsbane hopeful that it will save me.

For the first time, a wolf didn’t die by wolfsbane and I was that wolf. However, my father died and his friend Kent took me in and raised me as his own, at that time I was barely four years old. 

I sighed at the thought of my pathetic story then I looked out my window and took in a breath of fresh air before I sat up on my bed. Still, my heart was pounding with fear from the nightmare that I couldn’t remember. I suddenly felt at peace when I looked at a painting on my wall. I had gotten it the previous day while I was at the pack of Aidan’s maternal grandparents for a brief holiday.

It was a sequential painting of a woman with long, red hair and silver eyes dressed for battle with a confident smile as she faced a thousand men. I bought it yesterday since I loved the story the painting told. The woman who sold it said that the events of the painting will happen but she seemed a bit crazy so I didn’t believe her. Why would a woman fight a thousand men all by herself?

Taking one last look at the painting, I felt better. I was no longer afraid or upset. “Maybe it’s a therapeutic painting,” I thought to myself, and then laughed it off as I got up and reluctantly got ready for school. 

After getting ready and looking at myself in the mirror I sighed. I loved the confident look on the woman’s face but I could never look like that – not with a plain face like mine. I ran my brush through my brown, wavy hair one more time before I headed straight to the kitchen to get my lunch pack. 

 Tia, always packed lunch for me but she wasn’t just any woman, she was our pack’s Luna and Kent was our Alpha, Aidan was their son. I knew that she was aware that I was being bullied a lot at school and that there were days that I preferred eating in the staircase alone so she packed lunch for me so I didn't have to eat with those losers in the cafeteria – just in case.

" Good morning, Tia," I said when I got to the kitchen and she smiled, she liked it when I spoke with her informally, though I wasn’t allowed to do so in public.

" Good morning Kayla, did you sleep well last night?" she asked, turning around to hand me my lunch and then suddenly turning quiet when she saw me.

" What? Did I forget to brush my hair properly again?" I asked as I touched my hair in panic. I knew I should’ve straightened it!

" Uh...what happened to you?" she asked instead and I stared at her, not knowing what to say.

" You look so beautiful!" she gushed and then I sighed, realizing why she did this. 

" I’m guessing it’s my birthday already," I said, looking at my sneakers and wondering if I'd experienced any growth at all since that was what Aidan said he noticed about me on my birthday. He told me that I usually experienced a growth spurt on my birthday and that I get taller and...prettier. 

That was hard for me to believe since I still considered myself as plain as always, but it was so strange that day, Aidan looked like he was bewitched by me...like he wanted to kiss me. That was the first and last time I saw that look on his face, now he's just an annoying soon-to-be Alpha but it’s not as annoying as the fact that I've had a crush on him since I was twelve but because we're " almost like siblings" I had to hide it.  

Watching Tia run her hands through her long, blond hair made me sigh at my secret desire to be Aidan’s Luna but I did not have her kind of beauty. I wasn’t just lucky in that aspect. 

When I saw how misty her eyes got as she smiled at me, I realized that she wanted to wish me a happy birthday but was upset that she couldn’t because she knew I wouldn’t want to hear it. 

“ Umm…Aidan’s waiting for you in the car. You should go join him.” She said and I gulped. Ever since he turned seventeen we've been acting quite weird around each other, there's been some kind of tension between us.

Sometimes I felt like he could tell that I have feelings for him and it seemed like it was mutual but when I see him with other girls, I would get so jealous and upset and it only made me realize that his having feelings for me was just my imagination and a delusional thought! 

For a while, we've barely talked to each other, especially since our fight after he started dating April Phurr, a girl who bullies me whenever she likes - and he did it out of the blue! No matter what I say, he never believed she would hurt me and it infuriated me. Because of that I really didn't want to have any reason to talk to him but it is unavoidable right now. The only problem is that whenever he even cared to speak to me I would just malfunction and embarrass myself.

Tia's piercing stare made me realize that I had zoned out, thinking about Aidan. I cleared my throat and faced her. " Sure, see you later,” I said, faking a bright smile before I opened the door and left the house.

Aidan was already standing in front of his black Ford-150, yeah…I’ve memorized the names of all of his cars since last year.

He was dressed in a dark blue long-sleeve t-shirt that hugged his muscular figure, black jeans, and very expensive Nikes that one of his female admirers got for him ahead of his birthday. His golden blond hair was slicked back, and not even a strand escaped. He always had this aura about him that made him so intimidating if he wasn't smiling, this time, however, he seemed to be fighting back a smile and I believe I hated that more than him frowning. 

With a small sigh, I carefully walked down the stairs so that I wouldn’t trip but how could I avoid that when I was still staring at his perfect body while he leaned on his car and operated his phone? My eyes met his blue ones and I almost fell face-first to the ground - but it was subtle he probably didn’t notice. 

I tried to control myself as I got closer to him but his blue eyes lingered on me longer than usual. 

“ Just greet him and enter the car as you always do,” I said to myself as I got close to him but he stared at me and then bit his lip to hold back a smile, throwing me off guard. Gosh, I hate it when he does that! 

" What's so funny now?" I asked angrily, throwing aside every hint of shyness I had about talking to him. 

" Nothing, you got taller though," he said with a teasing smirk before he got in his car, looking at me with THAT look again - the one that made me think he likes me but I knew better, he must've just been gloating inwardly since I was the first to speak to him.

" That's n-not nothing!" I stuttered before I looked away because I was certain that my delusional thinking had caused me to blush.

" What isn't?" he asked, looking effortlessly irresistible as he sprawled on his seat and watched me with a smirk on his face.

" That smirk! there's no way that is nothing." I said and he rolled his eyes while a sly smile still played on his lips...lips I'd once imagined I kissed, ugh! What's wrong with me?

" Kayla, I'm just excited to see your mate today, you know?... Since you turn eighteen today." He said while he tapped his steering wheel playfully, his smirk never leaving his face. 

When he saw the horror in my eyes he laughed and threw his head back but I couldn't think straight. I was horrified at the possibility of meeting my mate today, I never looked forward to it because I'm not the pretty type. I've always thought that whoever my mate turns out to be, he would not be satisfied with me. It was a painful truth so I never bothered to look forward to something so horrible. 

While I was having a mild panic attack, I couldn't help but stare at Aidan's body. Why did he even wear something so tight? and why does he suddenly smell...so good?

" Umm... He definitely won't be someone I know at school, that would be a nightmare!” I said, trying to act nonchalant about it.

" Whatever, do you need a ride?" He asked with a slight frown on his face before he masked it with a blank expression. 

" Nope. I'll walk to school" I said but he held me back and pulled me to him and said in a rough tone, " Get in the car, Kayla." 

The way my body responded to his touch alarmed me, my heart was beating like I'd just run several miles and I knew that if I don't do something, he would hear it and misunderstand so I quickly broke free and sat in the back. He scoffed, got in the car, and drove us to school. 

Throughout the ride, I was having the most confusing feeling of my life. I would stare at Aidan and would breathe in traces of a scent that I never even knew he had. I've never cared for Aidan's scent before so what was this? surely, there's no way that Aidan's my mate right? No, he's like a brother to me. We literally grew up together so that's a big NO. Maybe he is using a new cologne.

" So what? Now, you're gonna go back to not talking to me?" he asked sounding slightly annoyed. He sometimes got like this - he would get mad at someone for no reason at all, and then he would seem so calm and bright as if he wasn’t just raving mad at you a few minutes ago. 

Well, I wasn't in the mood to analyze his mood so I just sighed and said, " I don't know what to say Aidan...nice cologne...I guess." 

He stared at me through his rear mirror as though what I said was unbelievable. 

" What? You smell nice. That’s a compliment!” I said in defense.

" Nice insult Kayla, just cause I don't use Cologne doesn't mean I smell. All the girls AND BOYS at school love me, if I smelled I'm pretty sure they wouldn't!" 

" Oh my God, just drive, will you! I never said you smell bad, what's even wrong with you?!" I yelled back at him and he froze.

" Shit...umm... sorry Kayla. I don't even know why I just get pissed for no reason," he said with a nervous chuckle.

" Maybe it’s because you and your annoying girlfriend's birthday is in a couple of days and your hormones are just all over the freaking place! I bet she’ll be waiting to slobber you with her kisses when we get to school" I muttered and then regretted it instantly, realizing how jealous I sounded.

" It's funny how you're so quiet and have no remarks for those who bully you at school," he said calmly after we sat awhile in silence because of traffic.

" It's pointless talking to them anyway,” I said in a low whisper, knowing he would hear me.

" Well, if you'd just let me deal with them I'd -"

"- no, it's my fight." 

" and you're just choosing to lose anyway?" he asked and started driving when the traffic light showed green. We didn't say a word to each other until we got to school. 

Immediately he stopped the car, I got down and was about to leave but SHE showed up - April. 

" Hey babe!" she said, smiling widely as she walked past me as if she didn't see me at all.

" Hey..." Aidan said, sounding exasperated from an argument we barely even had. 

I don't know why I stood there and watched them kiss, I usually walk away but today I just felt so angry when she kissed him.

" Stay away from him! He's mine!" I heard someone say in an unfathomably possessive growl and I wondered who would make such a great show of possessiveness over Aidan. 

I was so glad in my heart because it automatically means that April isn't Aidan's mate, so, all I wanted to know was who this lucky girl is, Aidan would treat her like a queen!

When I saw Aidan and April's surprised look, as well as everyone else who was outside and witnessed that show of possessiveness, I was confused at first because they were all staring at me. I found my hand on April's wrist, grabbing her fiercely. Then, I realized that it was I was the possessive freak!

"How? When did I even do this?" I asked myself, closing my eyes in regret because my wolf had just taken total control of my actions and this was the worst time for her to do that!

" Did you just call my boyfriend yours?" she asked, shoving my hand away from her wrist while I stuttered in an effort to respond to her. 

I looked at Aidan and he looked just as surprised as everyone else. I couldn’t believe it, Aidan IS my mate but he doesn’t know it – he is not yet eighteen. I shouldn't overwhelm him with something like this, besides everyone knows he would reject me the second he turns eighteen.

I felt crushed but I had to accept that Aidan and I would never work out because even if I wanted us to, he only sees me as the sister he never had.