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ELENA’S POV

“Now that you're finally twenty, I hope and wish you find your mate soon,” Mom said, pressing a kiss to my forehead and pulling me into an embrace.

Yesss. It was my 20th birthday. And I still didn’t have a mate. Not a damn one. Most people met their mate by eighteen—sometimes even sixteen. And here I was, twenty, still mate-less, still stuck in this… limbo.

“We'll get it soon,” Ria murmured, her voice soft but comforting in my mind. Ria—my wolf. Always my quiet support.

“Now, here’s your birthday gift.” Mom’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“Hmmm…” I whispered, absentmindedly, still lost in my swirling thoughts.

“Elena, are you here?” she asked. I nodded, forcing a weak smile. She reached out and handed me a sleek, heavy key with a tiny logo dangling from the keyring. My heart practically jumped out of my chest.

“Mommmm!” I drawled, wide-eyed.

“Yes, darling. You like it?”

I nodded so hard I could barely speak. My fingers curled around it. This wasn’t just any car key—it was the key to a brand-new metallic midnight-blue BMW Z4 Roadster, the kind that makes people turn their heads when you drive past. Smooth lines, low profile, all leather interior, with heated seats and that tech panel everyone drools over. My hands shook holding it.

“You’re kidding, right?” I breathed.

Mom smiled, proud. “Nope. All yours. Happy birthday, baby.”

My chest tightened. Excited. Nervous. But mostly… overwhelmed.

“Where’s Dad?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

She sighed. “He’s on a business trip, baby. You know how busy your dad gets.”

Busy? That was her polite way of saying he just… didn’t care. He’d missed my birthdays before, including my sixteenth, when he’d actually told me I was too fat to spend a day with him. “You’re too fat, Lena. I can’t spend a day with you looking like a fat pig,” he’d spat.

Mom had yelled at him that night, but nothing changed. Ever since, I’d avoided him whenever he came home.

I’m also a virgin. Boys… just didn’t talk to me.

The last time I tried, it was a disaster. Last year, Elena—my chaos in human form—dragged me to the club for my nineteenth birthday. Some boy… God, I still shudder thinking about it… couldn’t even get inside me and had the audacity to complain about my laps. My laps! He called them big, and said it was covering my pussy. Since then, I avoided intimacy entirely, even though Elena kept trying to convince me otherwise.

My phone buzzed, and the caller ID read Bestie. Call of the devil. I answered immediately. Mom excused herself to the kitchen.

“Happy fucking birthday, bitch! You’re officially an adult!” Her voice boomed through the speaker, making me wince and pull the phone away from my ear.

“Do you really have to scream?”

“Of course, Lena! You just clocked 20! We have to celebrate, baby. I’ll be at your house soon.”

“You know you don’t have to come,” I muttered. “It’s not a party. Just me and Mom.”

“You’re delusional if you think I’d miss your birthday. Your dad?”

“As usual… he’s on a business trip,” I mumbled, voice dropping. Pretending I didn’t care wasn’t working.

“Don’t be sad, baby. I’ll be there soon,” she reassured before hanging up.

I stood up, dragging myself to my room. The moment I caught my reflection in the mirror… damn. I looked fat. Too fat. And I hadn’t even eaten much lately. But the mirror doesn’t lie. I jerked away from it just as the door burst open.

“Happy Birthday, Bitch!!” Elena charged in, arms wide, and hugged me tightly.

Elena. My other half, my chaos, my partner-in-crime. We’d been inseparable since middle school, bonded partly because we shared the same name—but she was the complete opposite of me. Pretty, petite, a goddess. And yes… she also didn’t have a mate, which felt like a curse sometimes.

“Thank you, El,” I whispered, hugging her back.

“You’re welcome. And you are not allowed to be sad on your birthdays. I forbid it.” She drawled each word like a command.

“The people who don’t love you for who you are? They’re missing out,” she added, smacking me lightly on the arm.

How did I get so lucky with a friend like her?

“Now, let’s go to the living room,” she said, dragging me by the hand. The couch was littered with gifts.

“You didn’t have to get me gifts,” I murmured.

“Stop annoying me, bitch. I’ll get you every damn gift in this house. I can’t wait for tonight,” she said, eyes sparkling with excitement. I groaned.

“Don’t give me that look,” she scolded, grinning. Our tradition was always clubbing on our birthday nights. School tomorrow? Details.

“Do we really have to gooooo?” I whined.

“Yes, Lena. We have to. It’s your birthday. We need to celebrate a queen,” she said firmly.

“But—”

“No buts. Now let’s get your cake to the table and eat the birthday meal Mom cooked,” she said, striding to the dining room.

I huffed, carrying the cake. Mom had set the table beautifully: my favorite pasta, garlic bread, and a chocolate cake decorated with silver frosting swirls and tiny edible stars. We cut the cake and ate, savoring the moment.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Later, at the club. Music blasted so loud it made my chest thrum. People everywhere, bodies moving, strippers dancing on stage. Elena grabbed my hand and dragged me to the floor.

“Gosh, this is lit!” she yelled over the music. Hours of dancing and drinks had passed in a blur.

“I wanna go homeee,” I pouted. She rolled her eyes.

“Wait, I need the restroom,” she yelled, ducking into the crowd. I swallowed hard, feeling exposed in the chaos. I tried to dance along to the beat, to the Justin Bieber track pounding through the speakers… until someone bumped into me.

“Hey! Get your fat self out of the way!” a man barked.

I froze. I hated this. I hated being stared at, judged.

He was older, late twenties maybe, reeking of alcohol, with a friend snickering beside him.

“You’re taking up all the space in the club. Go home, fatty,” his friend sneered. I glared, daggers in my eyes.

“And you shouldn’t even be here… I’m sure your mama’s looking for you already, children,” I snapped.

The first one grabbed my hair, making me wince, ready to slap me—but someone grabbed his wrist, twisting it painfully. He yelped and let go.

“What are you trying to do? slap her?” a deep voice asked.

The rescuer stepped into view. Hades Deville Of Bennet Blades. Hockey captain of our school rival. The guy everyone whispered about.

“What the hell, man?” one of the older men spat, red-faced.

“She’s just some fat chick,” his friend jeered.

“You don’t talk to women like that. Show some respect,” Hades barked. “Apologize.”

“Uh… I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” the man stammered. His eyes met mine briefly—too briefly—and my heart skipped.

I waved a shaky “thanks” as Hades turned to leave.

“I’m Elena Darius!” I yelled after him. He smirked, glanced back, then disappeared into the crowd.

Fazed, I sank onto a nearby stool. Why did I tell him my name? Elena smacked my ass. “I’m backkk!”

“Can we go home now?” I asked. She nodded, and we booked a car, heading back to the quiet of home.

☆ ☆ ☆

“You didn’t tell me that yesterday!” Elena complained as soon as we were inside.

“Because I knew you’d try to hunt the guy's down,” I muttered.

“Hell, I would’ve!”

“Exactly why I didn’t want to. Besides… Hades saved me,” I said, trying to downplay it.

“I can’t believe Hades—the fine specimen man saved you. You’re lucky, girl.”

“Yeah, but he’s still an enemy,” I countered.

“Not my enemy. Who could hate that sweet, sexy man?” she fanned herself dramatically.

“He’ll break your heart into pieces. Then you’ll spend weeks or even years trying to fix it,” I teased, and she smacked my arm playfully.

“I even told him my name yesterday. Why?” I muttered, shaking my head.

“Desperate bitch,” she said with a smirk.

The car stopped no we stepped out.I inhaled sharply, dreading the crowd.

“Arg. I hate school. Let’s just go home,” Elena whined, shaking my arm.

“Wake up,” I muttered. Students suddenly started shouting and running past us.

“What’s wrong with these ants?” Elena asked.

“Jaso!!.” They yelled

Jason Almond. My crush since forever. The school flower boy. Hockey captain.

My heart pounded. My wolf growled, claws itching to tear through… something. The scent, the pull, it was insane.

“MATE!!” Ria growled, sharp and loud.