Once Rejected, Twice Desired

Alaia POV

“Alaia, get out of bed now! Don’t make me come up there!” yelled my mom from the bottom of the stairs.

I had hit the snooze button one too many times, and now I was going to be late for the last week of my senior year. I shot out of bed and into my bathroom in an attempt to wake myself up and make myself look like a human and not a walking zombie. As soon as I turned on the shower, I jumped in and cursed aloud when the icy water hit my body.

“Well, step one, ‘waking up’ was complete,” I sarcastically thought as I adjusted the temperature and sped through my morning routine.

Hopping out of the shower, I wrapped myself in my favorite fluffy bath towel and took a look in the mirror. Everyone always said how much I looked like my mom, and I saw it more and more every day. I had her large, golden, honey-colored eyes and smooth caramel skin.

My long, chocolate brown hair almost reached my waist, again just like mom, but mine was curly while hers would have been considered wavy. I had plump, pouty lips and a small button nose, which I loved, but I would say that my favorite feature would have been my curves.

Mom blessed me with a fantastic hourglass figure.

At 5’2, I would say that I would have been considered attractive by many, but I’d never dated or even had a boyfriend. I liked to keep to myself and avoid the drama, so even with my physical appearance, not too many people took the time to approach and get to know me.

I pulled myself out of my haze of thoughts and pulled my hair into a giant messy bun before rushing into my closet and throwing on my favorite yellow maxi dress and brown gladiator sandals. Because of my short stature, I had to tie a knot in the front of the dress to keep from tripping over it, but I still loved it.

 

I stopped in front of my vanity and applied a bit of mascara and some lip gloss before I grabbed my things and headed downstairs of the packhouse. On the way down, I took a look at my phone and saw that I had enough time for a quick breakfast before I had to leave. I did an air “fist bump” before I rounded the corner into the kitchen.

I loved food and was not ashamed to say it.

I said my good mornings as I passed a few members of the pack already having their breakfast at the large island, and looked over to see more in the dining room. I gave them a wave before I opened the fridge, stuck my head in, and started unconsciously doing my happy food dance.

“Oh, what deliciousness do you hold dear, fridge?” I said while scanning the shelves.

My brother Aaron came in, saw me, and being the brat he was, slowly walked up behind me and shrieked so loud that I let out an ear-piercing yelp, banged my head on the inside of the fridge, and almost choked on my heart that had leaped into my throat.

I tried to regain a bit of my composure, which was hard to do with about twenty pack members trying to hide their amused faces. While Aaron was doubled over laughing, I spun around and landed a right hook on his rib cage, quickly putting a stop to his laughter.

“Alaia, what the fuck?!” he yelled after registering the blow.

“Oh, don’t play innocent with me, you ass. My eyes are still crossed from the impact of my head, hitting the top of the fridge!”

“Aww, I’m sorry, little sis,” he replied while giggling and petting the top of my head like I was a puppy.

I slapped his hand away.

“You’re a whole sixteen minutes older than me, big deal. And stop petting me unless you want a bruise on your other side too.”

As twins, Aaron and I could fight like cats and dogs one minute, then be the best of friends the next. I loved my brother more than anything, and I knew he felt the same about me.

He rubbed his sore side for a few seconds.

“That right hook has gotten better. I see you’ve been paying attention in combat training, finally.”

I used to hate combat training. It always seemed more like a punishment than anything else. As the daughter of the Alpha of the Opal Moon pack, it was ingrained in me early on that Aaron would take over the position from our dad one day, and once I found my mate, I would bear his babies and just be a “good wife.”

My mom, Opal Moon’s Luna, found this notion to be insane and insisted that I start training immediately. What if my mate were an alpha from another pack? No one wanted a Luna who only knew proper place settings and floral arrangements.

Dad was hesitant at first, but because it was almost impossible to deny your mate, even if you were the alpha, he gave in, and I’d been in training for the last six months. Since I had alpha blood, I was much fiercer than other wolves, and I’d caught on in training rather quickly. I could keep up with pack warriors who’d been training since they were babies.

My strength had brought me great pride, and it was incredible knowing that I could defend myself and my pack if the time ever came. I looked up at Aaron and smiled. Even though we were twins, we couldn’t have looked more different.

He had dad's fairer skin, green eyes, and wavy brown hair. He also had a fantastic, friendly personality and a smile that could make anyone’s day. At 6’2, he towered over most kids at our school, and the girls couldn’t seem to get enough of him. With his good looks and soon-to-be alpha status, one would think that he would be a man whore sleeping through the entire female population, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

Aaron believed in the importance of mates and wanted to wait for his. She would share everything from his first kiss to his first time having sex. To Aaron, there was nothing more special than sharing all your firsts with the one the Moon Goddess herself made especially for you. I also believed in mates, but I didn’t think I was as excited about finding mine as Aaron was. He knew his place in the pack and the world, but my future was still up in the air.

I think that scared me a bit.

While off in my own world, my mom walked into the kitchen with a big smile on her face.

The way she was almost bouncing on her toes told me that she was up to something, and she couldn’t have been more excited about it.

“Are you ready, my babies?”

Aaron and I looked at each other, then back at our mother.

“Huh?” we both said at the same time.

She rolled her eyes but quickly regained her excitement.

“This Saturday? It’s all set. I’ve got the whole pack preparing, and your dad has invited four alphas and a few chosen guests from neighboring packs. It’s going to be so much fun!”

Aaron and I were still completely lost, and our faces must have clearly shown it because Mom threw up her hands and yelled.

“Your birthday? Don’t tell me you forgot that you turn eighteen this Saturday and can finally find your mates! Oh, I can’t wait to be a grandma, I’ll have the cutest grand babies ever.”

With that, realization struck, and my eyes went wide as saucers.

My eighteenth birthday? How could I have forgotten my birthday and my eighteenth at that?

“Holy shit!” I squeaked before I could catch myself.

Mom shot daggers at me and said, “Excuse me?” so dangerously low; it gave me chills.

“Sorry,” I whispered, which seemed to do the trick because almost immediately, she was back to chattering about the party, mates, and everything else.

I tuned her out and quickly opened my mindlink to Aaron. Most wolves couldn’t mindlink until their wolf had fully awakened, but because we were twins, we could link each other and no one else.

Did you know about this party? And how did I forget our birthday?

I had no idea. Dad’s invited four other packs? Do you know how much that increases our chances of finding our mates, Alaia? As much as we hate parties and being the center of attention, this is a good thing.

Good for who? What if my mate is from another pack or an abusive asshole with a foot fetish, or worse, what if he doesn’t like cheese?

Really, Alaia, disliking cheese is worse than being an abusive ass? Get your shit together, sis.

Whatever...

I cut the mind link just as I heard Mom speak again.

“Okay, babies, off you go. You don’t want to be late. It is your last week, after all.”

It was then that I realized that I didn’t even get a chance to grab breakfast. She started pushing us towards the door, and my stomach rumbled in protest. With her wolf senses, she heard the sound and smirked.

“That will teach you to hit the snooze button so many times.”

With that, Aaron and I were out the door and headed for his car.

This day sucked already.