Chapter 4: Our Mate

Alison's Point of view

A splash of icy water struck me like a whip, jolting me from my slumber. My heart hammered in my chest as I gasped for breath, blinking away the cold droplets that clung to my eyelashes. Panic quickly morphed into fury as I realized what had happened. Priya, standing over me with a satisfied smirk, holding an empty bucket in her hands.

“Rise and shine, servant,” she said, a cruel edge to her voice. “Today’s my special day, and I won’t tolerate anyone slacking off. Breakfast. Now.”

Every instinct screamed at me to lash out, to say something. But as much as the words clawed at my throat, I kept them down. Tomorrow, Priya would officially become Luna, and I knew what that meant for someone like me. So instead, I wiped the water off my face, forcing myself to look up at her with the calmest expression I could muster.

“Yes, Priya,” I muttered, barely meeting her gaze. Her sly smile widened, pleased with my compliance.

“Oh, and make it perfect, will you?” She gave a dismissive flick of her hand before turning and gliding out of my room.

The door slammed shut, and I let out the sharp breath I’d been holding. “One day, Priya. Just one quiet day…” I muttered sarcastically, bitterness filling each word. It was no secret she enjoyed making my life miserable, and I couldn’t afford to keep getting on her bad side if I wanted to survive here. But it didn’t mean I didn’t want to scream every time she looked down at me like that.

With a heavy sigh, I dragged myself out of bed, feeling my drenched clothes cling to my skin. My arms trembled with frustration, but I reminded myself of the promise I made to keep my head low, to survive.

Inside the bathroom, I stripped off my wet clothes and stepped into the tub, turning on the faucet. Hot water cascaded down my body, soothing my tense muscles.

As the warmth of the water enveloped me, i let my mind drift away, the anger gradually subsiding into something else, something hopeful. Today wasn’t just any day. Today was the day I had been waiting for, the day everything could change.

"What if the Moon Goddess heard my prayers?"

I closed my eyes, letting the thought sink in, allowing myself that glimmer of hope. I had waited for this moment my entire life, ached for it. Every waking hour had been filled with the desperate need to escape the chains that had been forced upon me.

But then something strange happened. One second I was rinsing my face, and the next, a prickling sensation spread down my spine, freezing me in place. A warm surge seemed to fill my veins, like an awakening I couldn’t control. My vision blurred, and I felt a strange presence within me.

“Hello, Alison,” a voice echoed softly.

I spun around, heart racing, but the room was empty. My chest heaved, panic flaring. “Who’s there?” I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. Silence hung around me, but the feeling only grew stronger, warm and electric.

“I’m Maya,” the voice answered, gentle but clear. “I’m your wolf.”

My knees nearly buckled as her words settled into my mind. My wolf. I wasn’t wolfless anymore. I wasn’t less, I wasn’t incomplete. For so long, I’d watched others shift, heard them talk about their wolves, and wished for a connection like that. And now, finally, I had one.

“Maya?” I whispered, a trembling smile spreading across my lips. “I… I really gave a wolf? I’m not alone anymore?”

I could feel her smiling back, a sensation as warm as sunlight. “No, Alison. You have never been alone, I have always been with you, just waited the right time to surface.”

The relief that washed over me was indescribable. I wanted to cry, scream, run… anything to celebrate this piece of me I’d been waiting my whole life for. Finally, I felt complete.

But just as I began to revel in the joy, Maya’s tone shifted, carrying an undercurrent of urgency. “Alison, there’s something you should .”

“What is it?” I asked, my voice shaking. The fear of having this taken away from me clawed at my thoughts, but Maya’s presence grounded me.

“We already have a mate,” she said, her voice laced with excitement.

A mate? The word left me breathless. I’d dreamed of having a mate who’d see me, who’d accept me as I was. But now, the thought of someone waiting for me sent a shiver down my spine. “A mate? Who is it, Maya?”

There was a pause, a hesitation. Then, her answer came, like a thunderbolt through my mind. “It’s… Alpha Kendrick.”

My heart plummeted. I staggered back, my head spinning, and barely caught myself before I slipped. Alpha Kendrick? The same man who’d barely acknowledged my existence, who was getting engaged tonight and set to marry Priya tomorrow?

“No,” I muttered, refusing to believe it. “No, that can’t be true.”

But Maya’s voice was calm, resolute. “He is our fated mate, Alison. I can feel the pull from his wolf and their scent is so strong.”

A wave of disbelief crashed over me, followed by a rush of emotions I couldn’t untangle. Shock, confusion, excitement, fear… they all jumbled together, leaving me breathless. “Why me? How could the Moon Goddess choose… him?” I whispered, clutching my chest.

But no answer came from Maya this time. The silence only amplified my racing thoughts. Alpha Kendrick was my mate?