{C3:The Weight of the Unmated}

{ Adrain POV}

The drive home felt longer than usual. I stared out the tinted window of the SUV, jaw tight, replaying the cafeteria incident. Whoever that loud-mouthed idiot was, he had the devil’s own luck on his side. One wrong word from him and I would have painted the walls red.

Thank the Goddess I kept my cool today. I couldn’t afford another disaster,not on my first day, and not on my third attempt at college. The last two had ended in blood and expulsion.

“Alpha Adrian,” Max’s calm voice broke the silence, “your quarters or the main mansion?”

“Main mansion,” I muttered. “I need to report to them.”

The SUV rolled smoothly into the compound and stopped before the towering modern structure with its striking cube-like architecture and large windows.

I stepped out, the cool evening air brushing against my skin, and pushed open the heavy front door.

Warm, savoury aromas wrapped around me instantly,roasted meat, spices, and something sweet. My parents were in the dining room. I followed the scent down the wide hallway.

“Look who’s back!” Mum’s face lit up the moment she saw me. She set down the jar of pineapple juice she’d been pouring into Dad’s mug and hurried over, pulling me into a fierce hug that smelled of her favourite lavender perfume.

“So? How was it?” she asked, not letting go right away.

I managed a small smile. “It was… fine.”

“I’m glad,” Dad said from the table. He speared a piece of meat with his fork, examined it for a second, then took a bite. “We told you this place would suit you better.”

“Good evening, Dad,” I greeted, sliding into an empty chair.

“Mum quickly served me a generous plate of boiled potatoes and crispy fried chicken breast. The food looked perfect, but my appetite had already started to fade.

“Where’s Juana?” I asked, noticing my sister’s empty seat.

“She went shopping with a new friend from college,” Mum replied, her tone warm with approval. “

I shook my head slightly. Juana always adapted faster than I did.

Juana never ceased to surprise me. Less than two weeks and she was already making friends she felt comfortable enough to go out with.

Dad leaned back, watching me. “I hope your day went as well as we expected.”

“It did.” I kept my answer short.

“I told you he’d love it,” Dad said to Mum, who smiled graciously.

“I hope you made some friends. I can’t wait for you to bring them home,” Mum said.

I could already sense where this conversation was heading, so I stood up and began walking out of the dining room.

“Adrian!” Dad called after me, but I kept walking.

I felt a pang of irritation. They were doing it again,going against their promise not to bring up the topic of me finding my mate.

Their words followed me like shadows. They’d promised not to push the mate topic again, yet here we were. Five years since I turned eighteen. Fifty-five full moon races. Fifty-five nights of standing under the moon, waiting for that pull and nothing.

It was as if the Moon Goddess had forgotten I existed. As if she had forgotten I even had a mate.

Almost every friend who shifted into manhood with me had found their mate. Paulo and I were the only ones left. And while he carried the weight lightly, I felt it crushing me especially with Dad still refusing to name me Alpha, no matter how ready I was.

“You have everything it takes to be a wise ruler,” he always said. “But first, college. Find your mate.”

I knew the real reason. He wouldn’t hand over power until I was “complete.”

I climbed the stairs to my room, the one place in this massive house that still felt like mine. The moment the door closed behind me, the tension in my shoulders eased. I dropped onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, finally letting the silence settle over me.

Until the doorbell rang.

With a sigh, I dragged myself up and moved towards the window. I adjusted the blinds just enough to see who it was.

“What does she want this time?” I muttered under my breath.