Chapter 0001

Bella’s POV

In a few minutes, it would be midnight and my heart stopped beating.

The noise of the crowd around me was nothing compared to the chaos in my head. I was going to turn twenty-one and it meant I could finally be my own wolf. I could finally stop being a shadow of my sister, Talia.

“Can you feel the air change, Bella?”

Like a curse, I snapped out of my trance and I heard her high-pitched voice right in front of me –Talia McKenzie, my twin sister. She had her arms spread out and her eyes locked on mine as she dared me to give her a reply.

I smiled and took in a deep breath. “Tonight is the night…” I trailed as I looked up at the proud moon smiling down at us.

“Don’t get too excited Bella, I don’t think anyone will get mated to you,” she spat out hatefully before turning away.

My heart squeezed painfully as I glared at her long dark curls which cascaded beautifully down the small of her back.

I wanted to give her a befitting reply but words failed me. A large lump sat in my throat instead as her words repeated in my head.

What if I didn’t find a mate tonight? What would become of me?

I was tired of being the forgotten stone. I was tired of losing friends because they thought she was prettier. Tears drew closer to my eyelids but I sniffled them back.

“Not tonight,” I mumbled to myself. “Tonight I’ll stay strong.”

I wasn’t going to let Talia ruin it for me. I would remainhopeful and not even Talia could take that away from me.This wasn’t preschool or high school, we were adults now.

I had the right to have friends who adored me for who I was. I had a right to fall in love and be happy. Most importantly, I had a right to find my mate too.

The noise around me suddenly died down. My heart skipped a beat and I knew exactly who had joined the gathering without even checking.

It was Liam, my best friend. In true terms, he was the only friend I had that Talia couldn’t snatch away from me.

Butterflies came alive in the pit of my stomach as I watched him pass. He reached the center of the gathering and cleared his throat to gain everyone’s attention.

“I welcome you all to this year’s moon festival…” he began and the crowd roared in reply.

Their response escaped my hearing as every nerve in my body was focused on Liam. My wolf was on edge and it felt like if I stopped listening to his voice for even one second, my heart would stop.

This was strange. It had never happened before…

Liam was not only my best friend, but he was also the alpha of our pack. He gave speeches all the time and I had listened to a good number of them.

Yet, tonight, it felt different. His voice did things to me that I couldn’t even describe.

“As our custom demands,” Liam went on, “…every wolf must find a mate and tonight I pray the goddess shines her light on each of us… Let the festival begin!” He announced.

The guards started the fireworks but it was nothing compared to the fire that had started in my body.

Liam’s announcement had awakened something in my wolf. I could feel my toes tingle as my wolf searched the air for the reason behind the imbalance in my body.

Talia was right… there was a change in the air.

The strong scent of mint leaves hit my nostrils and I raised my eyes in that direction. The butterflies in the pit of my stomach flipped over as my eyes saw whom my wolf had chosen as our mate.

It was none other than the alpha of our pack, Liam.

Liam found my eyes as well and I froze. I saw the glint in his eyes and I knew that he had felt it too. My smile could only be compared to the moon as I stood there lost in my excitement.

It was one thing to find a mate, it was another for the mate in question to recognize you.

My legs developed a mind of their own and I found myself closing up the distance between us. Once again, the crowd around me had become none existent.

My entire world comprised of just me and Liam. He flashed me a smirk and opened his mouth. I saw his lips move and as I registered what he had said, my feet stopped moving right at the centerof the gathering.

I got thrown back into reality as my brain struggled to ejectwhat my eyes had read his lips say. But the silence that followed from the crowd was another proof, yet I refused to believe that either.

I pushed myself further.

“Liam, I–” I started to say in a small voice.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time?” He blurted as his gentle facial features turned into a frown. “I recognize you as my mate but I can’t be with someone like you… I am truly sorry.”

I felt my heart crack at the surface like glass but I held myself together. There had to be a perfect explanation.

“What are you saying?” I tried to keep my bright smile alive but failed terribly.

Liam, the one whom I thought would never hurt me. The one who, I thought would stick by me forever.

The one whom my wolf had chosen as my mate… stretched out his hands to the side and I looked down at them as hope revived deep within me but the hands weren’t for me –They were for Talia.

She took his hands and he pulled her closer. I turned my eyes to people around me for help but no one was saying anything.

They were all just watching… even my parents.

This wasn’t fair. Liam couldn’t take Talia when he had me as a mate.

“What about me?” I in a small voice.

“I am sorry Bella, but my wolf wants Talia and not you. I, Liam Wilbert, hereby reject you, Bella McKenzie as my mate and take Talia McKenzie as my mate.”