Chapter 1 - Anya

Tomorrow is a very big day for me because it is the day when my life will change. It’s my 18th birthday. The day that I had been waiting for since I was a child. The day when I would finally shift and find my mate. 

My name is Anya, Anya McAllister, the daughter of the power couple of Purple Hill, Alpha Drake, and Luna Athena.

I always hear the story of how my father almost lost my mom and me. This is why he always wanted to thank those people who stood by Purple Hill, and they decided to take my birthday celebration as the chance, with guests all around invited.

I stood beside my father who pulled me close to him, as we waited for our guests.  

“Are you nervous about Mikey coming back tomorrow?” My father asks. 

Mikey is my boyfriend and my soon-to-be mate. I love him very much, but we hadn’t seen each other for a while ever since he left the pack with his father, Uncle Nori, five years ago. 

It’s not easy for a long-distance relationship, and we have been having some hard times and always end up fighting at the end of our phone calls lately. But every time we fight, we still call each other because of how much we love each other.

I know that all of you are curious as to why I’m so sure that Mikey is my mate. It’s just simple, we were destined to be and I know for sure that once I shift it will prove how right I am. 

“There is nothing to worry about, Dad. It’s Mikey we’re talking about,” I said with a smile as I snuggled closer to him. “What really concerns me is my wolf. I wonder what she looks like? And is she as strong as yours and Mom’s wolf? I just hope that everything goes according to plan because I really wanted to make both you and Mom proud.”

My father was about to say something when a light beamed not far from where we are. 

“They’re here,” Uncle Leon said as he and Uncle Calvin stood up straight. 

There were 2 black cars and 2 pickup trucks that arrived and parked on our lot. As each of the passengers approached us I could see the broad smile on their faces as they greeted my father, mother, Aunt, and Uncles. 

But when my father was about to introduce them to me when we heard a loud roar of a muffler and a flash of headlights before seeing a red sports car parked on a blank spot in our parking lot. 

“Apologies,” one of my father’s visitors said, “That’s my son Dean.”

I look behind him to see a tall, almost the same height as Mikey, dark blonde-haired guy walking towards us. 

“Seriously, Dean?!” His father called out to the dark blonde-haired guy who just showed his dimpled smile to us. 

“Is this your son?” My father asked in disbelief, “The last time that I saw him was when he was this tall,” my father added as he showed with his hand the height that he had in his memory of the Dean guy who by the way won’t stop staring at me.

“Yup,” Dean’s father replied with a chuckle, and then turned to look at me as he said, “Do you still remember him, Anya? You used to be playmates.”

I looked at the man in front of me. He was a bit shorter than Mikey but still on the tall side. He had wavy dark blonde hair with striking ocean-blue eyes. 

“Sorry,” I apologized, “I can’t seem to remember him.”

“DK,” the young man said as he extend his hand in front of me.

“Do you really think that calling yourself that makes you look cool?” One of Dad’s friends said.

“Uncle Justine, don’t tell me that you’re still single?” DK asks. Trying to act innocent. 

My father cleared his throat backing up DK’s claim. 

“I give up!” Uncle Justine said as he raised his arms in surrender, “Where’s the booze?” He asked as he started walking towards the pack house. 

“Little wolf,” my father called me making me turn in his direction. “I want you to meet our friends. The one who just stormed out is your Uncle Justine, this is Uncle Lance, and this is your Uncle Keith and that young man is Uncle Keith’s son, Dean Keith but he preferred to be called DK for short.”

I nodded at them. 

“As you all know, this is our daughter, Anya,” my father announced proudly. 

“Good thing that you got your looks from your mom,” Uncle Lance said laughing. 

My mom laugh and replied, “But she has Drake’s hazel eyes and almost the same shade of his hair.” 

“Nevertheless, you look lovely my dear,” Uncle Keith said as he gave me a smile. 

“Let’s all go inside,” My Mom said, “You might all be hungry because of the long trip.”

We all gathered at the long table where Uncle Justine was already seated and took our seats. While DK took the seat right in front of me. 

The dinner was filled with happy conversations that I pretty much can’t relate to. But seeing my family laughing and smiling was enough to put a smile on my face. What makes the dinner a bit awkward for me was DK. Every time that I look in his direction, I always catch him looking at me. 

“Want to get some fresh air?” DK asks as he whispers in my ear, as he takes the seat beside me, surprising me. I look at him for a few seconds unable to say anything. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” DK said as he flashes his dimpled smile.

As I stood up my father looked at us. 

“Why don’t you give DK a tour of our land, baby,” My father suggested as I looked at him with big eyes trying to tell him to stop but he didn’t, “Show him around, baby,” he added with pleading eyes that he knows I can’t resist. 

“Be back after an hour,” My Mom said, “Desserts will be ready by then.”

DK lead the way toward the door of the packhouse and opened it for me. As we stood outside a cold breeze of fresh air hits my face I start to relax.

“Wow,” DK exclaimed as he look around the parking lot and the pack house before turning to look at me. 

“Don’t you remember me?” He asks as he arrogantly smiles at me.

“No,” I replied irritably. 

“You love to play with me and care for me when we were young,” He said as he walks backward as he face me, “I even use to call you cupcakes because you love eating that. We even hold hands. I never held any other girl’s hand since then.”

“If you had been here before, then you can see that nothing much has changed,” I said as I try to change the topic. 

“But things do change,” he replied as he stopped walking I almost bumped into him.

“Okay,” I said as I start walking to avoid looking at him who still wouldn’t stop staring at me, “So what do you want to see?” 

“You,” he said, “I wanted to see you.”

His answer stopped me in my tracks, making me turn to look at him who just gave me his dimpled smile. 

“I think you should know that I have a mate and whatever it is that you are trying to do here won’t be going anywhere,” I told him seriously. One thing I hated is being led on, and that’s something that I don’t want to do to somebody else. It is better to hurt them with the truth than make them happy with lies. What I said must have been offending but the smile on his face didn’t even waver. Instead, he cock his head to the side with that dimpled smile still plastered on his face. 

“One thing I learned about life Anya is that it’s unpredictable,” He said, irritating me with his smile, “You’ll never know what the future hold. What would you do if you shift tomorrow and you find out that you were Fated to me?” 

“I will reject the bond,” I replied without hesitation, “And I will choose Mikey as my Chosen Mate.”

“Tomorrow, a lot of packs will be here. What will you do if he found his Fated Mate and it turns out it wasn’t you?”

“He will reject her,” I replied. 

“How can you be so sure that he will reject her and choose you?” he asked smiling. 

“Mikey and I have been together for what seems like forever. No matter what life brings us we face it head-on, together. I trust him with my life, and nothing, even Fated Mate, can break us apart.”

Upon hearing my answer, the irritating smile on his face disappeared briefly, too briefly for my liking. 

“I see,” was the only reply he gave me his irritating smile once again, “You can go back to the packhouse, Anya. I will just check my car.”

He didn’t thank me nor did he wait for my answer. Instead, he walked straight to his sportscar. But as I was walking back inside the pack house, all the fights that Mikey and I had these past few days starts to bother me as DK’s question repeat in my head. 

“How can you be so sure that he will reject her and choose you?” 

Just then my phone rang and the moment that I saw Mikey’s name I can’t help but smile.

“What time are you arriving?” I asked happily the moment I answered his call. 

“I am not coming,” he said, I was about to ask him what he just said because I was not sure if I heard him correctly. But he repeated what he just said and this time each word was so clear that it hurts hearing them. “I’m not coming, Anya.”