The worst birthday ever

Aurelia and I practically sprinted away from the lockers, ditching Vesper and Kane who were still completely lost in their morning make-out session.

"I swear, if I don't get out of this building soon, my brain is going to melt," I told Aurelia as we navigated the crowded hallway. "Thank the Goddess we're on the home stretch of senior year."

"Oh, come on, it’s not all bad," Aurelia teased, flashing a wicked grin. "Where else do you get a front-row seat to the local eye candy? Like those Lycans..." She leaned in closer, dropping her voice as we passed the main gathering spot near the gym doors. "...or those boys over there. Too bad they're completely arrogant man-whores."

I glanced over. Bane Alistair, the future Alpha of the Silver Moon pack, currently had the head cheerleader, Pia Brown, pinned against a row of lockers, shoving his tongue down her throat. They were technically 'together,' but everyone in school knew both of them played the field on the side. A few feet away stood Damon Stevens, the future Beta, with his arms tossed casually around two different girls, Elle and Marie.

To be fair, Damon didn't seem nearly as toxic as Bane. He’d talked to me a couple of times in art class and was actually decent—he didn't treat Omegas like dirt like the rest of the popular crowd.

"Do you think he's searching for lost treasure in her esophagus?" I whispered back.

Aurelia burst into a loud snort.

At the exact same second, Damon turned his head toward us. His dark eyes caught mine, and his lips twitched into an amused smirk, his shoulders shaking in a silent laugh.

Fluffy pink earmuffs! He heard me. Werewolf hearing strikes again.

Face burning like a torch, I grabbed Aurelia's arm and practically threw her through the door of our English Literature classroom to escape his gaze.

Not that I’d ever admit it out loud to anyone, but yeah... those guys were undeniably attractive. Bane Alistair in particular. Ten minutes after the bell rang, Bane and Damon sauntered into the classroom without so much as an apology to the teacher. Naturally, she didn't say a word—nobody reprimanded the future Alpha.

Bane slid into the empty desk right in front of mine, and my wolf gave a little flutter in my chest.

I couldn't help staring at the back of his golden head for a second. Bane was 6'2", built like a brick wall, with sharp, sculpted features that looked like they were carved from marble. Bright blue eyes, golden-blond hair, and a smile that could melt glaciers when he actually bothered to use it. I’d had a massive, secret crush on him for two years. Half the she-wolves in the pack did.

The rest of the morning dragged on in a blur of mundane lectures. The only class I genuinely loved was Art. My mom, Lavinia Liveshade, is a renowned painter in our territory. Almost every wolf household in the region owns at least one of her original prints. My absolute dream was to get into a top-tier design academy after graduation and build a career just like hers.

By lunchtime, my nerves were shot. Aurelia, Vesper, Kane, and I took our usual corner table in the cafeteria. I opened my brown-paper lunch bag, but before I could take a bite, a scent hit me.

It was instantaneous. A deep, intoxicating aroma that defied description like warm vanilla, and wild pine, all wrapped into one powerful surge.

Inside me, Nyx went wild. She slammed against my ribs, howling with frantic, desperate joy, clawing to take control.

Noon. My eighteenth birthday had officially hit.

Without my permission, my feet pushed back my chair. I stood up, completely mesmerized, following the invisible thread of scent wafting across the room. I vaguely heard Aurelia calling my name, but the sound was muffled, as if I were underwater.

My feet dragged me straight toward the center table the popular table.

Conversations died down. Whispers rippled through the cafeteria like wildfire as everyone watched the Omega wander over. My eyes locked onto the source of the scent, and my heart slammed against my throat.

Bane Alistair.

My mate was Bane Alistair.

Bane looked up, his striking blue eyes locking onto mine, widening in pure shock. For a fraction of a second, his face softened. Raw, undeniable hunger flashed across his features as his eyes roamed over my face and body. The mate bond was snapping into place, electric and absolute. Nyx was screaming with ecstasy, urging me to throw my arms around his neck and claim him in front of the entire school.

Then, just as quickly, the warmth vanished from his eyes. His expression hardened into pure ice. His breathing went ragged as he looked away, jaw clenching.

"Follow me," he growled gruffly.

He stood up so fast his chair screeched against the tile, walking out the rear exit toward the quiet grounds behind the gymnasium. I followed him like a hypnotized ghost, my pulse hammering in my ears.

He stopped under the shade of a massive, ancient oak tree, keeping his back turned toward me. The afternoon sun glinted off his golden hair, casting long shadows over his sharp jawline.

"What's your name?" he asked coldly, refusing to look at me.

"Livana..." My voice trembled slightly. "Livana Liveshade."

"Liveshade?" He finally turned, his eyes icy and devoid of emotion. "You're an Omega."

I swallowed hard, unable to speak.

"I can't have an Omega as my mate," he said, every word dripping with cold precision. "My pack needs a Luna who commands respect, not someone weak from the bottom tier. Besides... I love someone else. Mia is built to be a Luna. You never could be."

The words hit my chest like physical blows, driving the air right out of my lungs. Inside my mind, Nyx let out a sharp, agonizing whimper.

No. Please, Goddess, no...

"I, Bane Alistair, future Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you, Livana Liveshade, as my mate and future Luna," he stated flatly, his voice flat, devoid of a single drop of remorse.

The bond snapped.

An agonizing, tearing sensation shredded through my chest, like a hot blade plunging into my ribs and twisting repeatedly. Nyx let out a blood-curdling howl of agony inside my head, curling into a tight, shivering ball of pain before falling completely silent.

"Hey, babe, what's taking so long?"

Pia walked up from around the corner, throwing her arms around Bane's waist.

"Nothing to worry about, sweetheart," Bane replied smoothly, his tone instantly shifting back to normal as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Pia glanced at me, her eyes filled with cruel satisfaction. She pulled Bane down by the collar, pressing her lips to his in a deep, arrogant kiss right in front of my face. Bane didn't pull away. He kissed her back, stroked her waist, and then turned his back on me, chuckling at something she whispered in his ear as they walked back toward the cafeteria.

I fell to my knees in the dirt, clutching my chest as choked sobs tore from my throat.

The pain was overwhelming a physical, suffocating agony that felt like my organs were being crushed to dust. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Nyx had gone entirely dark, leaving me completely hollowed out.

Everything after that was a blur. I remember vague flashes, Aurelia's screaming voice, Vesper kneeling in the grass next to me, Kane picking me up in his arms and carrying me to his car while the whole school watched.

Then, total darkness.

When I woke up, I was in my own bed. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting orange and purple shadows across my ceiling.

"Talk to me, sweetie. Please, tell me what happened," Mom whispered gently, sitting on the edge of my mattress, her warm hand smoothing the hair away from my sweaty forehead.

"He rejected me, Mom," I choked out, the tears spilling over my lashes all over again. "My mate... he didn't want me."

Horror, disbelief, and heartbreak shattered across my mother's face.

The phantom agony of the broken bond surged back instantly. I curled into a tight fetal position, clutching my ribs as violent sobs wracked my entire body. Mom wrapped her arms around me, pulling me tight against her chest, but even her warm, fierce embrace couldn't touch the gaping wound inside my soul.

"It hurts so bad... Mom, please make it stop," I wept into her shoulder, my fingernails digging into my jacket. "Make it go away... please..."

"Oh, my baby girl... my sweet girl," Mom sobbed with me, rocking me back and forth, pressing kisses into my hair as her own tears soaked my collar.

I cried until I didn't have any tears left until my chest was just heaving with dry, empty gasps.

Night fell over the house. I lay stared at the dark wall, completely drained. My chest felt like an empty, hollow cavern. Nyx hadn't made a sound in hours, but I could feel her heavy, crushing depression weighing down my soul.

Since I was a little girl, I’d dreamed of the day I would meet my mate. Mom used to tell me stories about the bond like it was the most beautiful magic in the world a soulmate who would cherish you, protect you, and love you unconditionally.

We only get one mate. One chance at a destiny like that.

What was I supposed to do now? Would I ever know what it felt like to be loved? Would Nyx ever wake back up, or would she fade away entirely?

A werewolf without their wolf is just a broken shell. So many rejected wolves eventually lost their minds or withered away from the phantom pain. I didn't know if Nyx was strong enough to survive this. I didn't know if I was strong enough.

Why would the Moon Goddess do this to me? What had I done to deserve such cruel punishment? I had never asked for an Alpha. I would have been overjoyed with an Omega, a Beta, a pack guard anyone who would have just looked at me and wanted me.

How could a day that started with pancakes and birthday wishes turn into the absolute worst day of my life?