CHAPTER 2

Calista’s POV

"Mate," gasps echoed as soon as that word left his plump red lips.

I still can't believe it. Luciano Wyatt Robinson, the playboy, is my MATE?! My brother's best friend? The neighboring pack ALPHA?!

Oh my dear Lord! I'm going to be only 15 tomorrow. But look at my mate! He is 20! 5 years difference! My mate, Luciano, also known as Luke, looked me up and down.

Others around us were waiting to see what's going to happen. Wilson, Valerie, and Ervin had confused looks. They knew my age.

"My mate is a kid?!" he said in disbelief. "Not to mention she can't shift." I lowered my head, embarrassed.

"She is a disgrace," I heard his Beta, Iris, say. "I can't have a mate like you. I deserve better than you. The Moon Goddess must surely hate me, after all, she mated me to a pathetic excuse for a human," he said, scrunching his nose as he said 'human.'

"Heck, I don't even want a mate, why now?" he looked me in the eye. By now, there was a huge crowd around us. They hollered, clapped, whistled, thoroughly enjoying this. But that's not what hurt me the most. Every word he said felt like arrows laced with silver to my chest. It hurt, it hurt so bad.

"Even if it wasn't me, whoever he is, he wouldn't still reject you. After all, who wants a pathetic, weak human mate?"

"I might be your mate, but I'm your soon-to-be 'EX' Mate, darling. So, say goodbye to the word 'mate,'" he added smugly.

"I, Luciano Wyatt Robinson, Alpha of Red Wood Pack, reject you, Calista Beau, as my mate and my Luna," he said with a smirk.

I felt fire all over me. I closed my eyes as soon as the pain increased. I felt like dying. I fell to the ground clutching my chest. A strangled scream escaped my mouth.

"That's a good one, bro," I heard Wilson say. "Yeah, Luke," Valerie's voice chimed in. "You did better than I did this morning," Ervin said.

I opened my heavy lids. I felt nothing. I felt empty. Numb. I stood up from the ground and walked into the school hall. Everyone was looking at me with smug smiles, teasing smirks, amused grins. Every once in a while, I would get a comment.

"Hey, how does it feel to be rejected?"

"No one loves you. Everyone hates you."

"Your parents, siblings, mate."

"Maybe even your wolf too."

"It's embarrassing for her."

"Disgusted by her."

"That's probably why her wolf refused to make an appearance."

"Poor wolf, it doesn't deserve this pathetic mutt."

I felt humiliated. I held my head down and went to my locker. I took my bag and started walking out, my mind elsewhere. I didn't see the figure in front of me, so I bumped into him. However, I balanced myself before I fell and took two steps back. I looked up as the scent of woods and cinnamon with a hint of spice hit my nose.

He stood there. "Now you are going to bump into me?"

I ignored him and tried to sidestep, but he grabbed my wrist and pushed me back to where I was a few seconds ago. I felt tingles on my wrist. I pulled my hand out of his grip at once, shocked.

"You bumped into me. Now kneel before me, and beg for my forgiveness," he said with a smug look.

I didn't do anything.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Bitch, kneel before me!"

"No," I said softly, my face emotionless.

"What did you say?" he asked in a dangerous tone.

"I said no."

"Kneel. Down. Now!" he growled.

"No. I won't."

"VALERIE! WILSON! ERVIN!" he growled. What? I saw my siblings come. With them stood my ex-best friend, Heather. Heather and Valerie came toward me and gripped my shoulders.

"W-what are y-you do-ing?" I asked, scared.

"Making you kneel," Heather shrugged as if it's nothing. "No, y-you won't."

"But we will, baby sister," Valerie said sickly sweetly.

They started pushing me, but I tried to hold my ground. At last, they started beating me. I fell to the ground, tired. Heather pushed my head down and made me kneel as warm tears escaped my eyes.

The crowd hollered.

"Good doggie," Luciano said, grinning. I pushed my sister and Heather away before running out of the hall, crying. I heard them all laugh.

"Coward!" They called me.

"Go rogue! Bitch!" I heard Heather yell.

"Do us a favor and DIE!" I heard my mate yell.

I ran all the way to the garage. Later that day, I had to clean the guest rooms. Well, that's what I am doing right now. I finished cleaning one room and went to open another.

I opened the door, and the sight in front of me shocked me. My eyes widened. My chest hurts. I felt like thousands of needles were piercing through me. I gasped. Their eyes landed on me. While he looked shocked, she looked smug.

I closed the door at once. I didn't know what to say. Pain engulfed me; I clutched my chest with one hand while hugging the broom close to me with the other. I ran to another guest room and cried my eyes out. I couldn't breathe; my lungs felt like they were on fire. My entire body ached, and my eyes stung. The scene replayed before me, bringing more tears.

My mate. And my... ex-best friend. Luciano and Heather. They were... doing God knows what. But I fought against it all. I stood up and cleaned that room. I went to another and another and another, cleaning the rooms.

I entered the last room. I was cleaning the cupboards when I heard the door open and close. I turned around to see him. The scene played in my mind again, but I pushed it away. I felt nervous seeing him, but I turned around and continued cleaning.

"Calista," I heard him say. His voice sounded so good, my name coming from his mouth felt comforting.

"Calista," he said again. I turned around. "Yes, Alpha Robinson?" I asked. "Can I help you?" I added. "Yes, you can," he said. I was confused. Didn't he hate me? That was until I saw the look on his face – lust.

I gasped. He walked toward me like a predator stalking his prey. I took a step back, scared. He growled slowly. I tried to run, but he was in front of me in a second, moving with werewolf speed. The next thing I knew, he slammed me against the wall, pinning me. He looked at me with pure lust.

"Luciano, stop," I said meekly. He growled. "You don't want this. You're not in the right state of mind," I said, struggling. "You don't know what I want," he growled out.

"Please stop," I cried out. "Don't tell me what to do!" he growled again, tightening his grip on my wrists painfully. "Please, sto-" I was cut short as he crushed his lips onto mine.

I stood there, shocked at first. But then he pressed his lips even more firmly against mine. I felt my eyes close, moving my lips with his. Fireworks exploded everywhere as he bit my lower lip gently, slipping his tongue into my mouth. Our tongues danced together, our lips moving in sync. A low moan escaped my lips, making him growl in approval.

I felt his hands wrap around my waist, pushing me more into the wall. I wrapped my hands around his neck; my hands moved to his golden blonde hair. A groan escaped his lips as I tugged it lightly.

His hands roamed over my body, and then suddenly, his hands went inside my t-shirt, making me see stars. It was all bliss.

Until.

Until I heard it like a thunderstorm. It brought me back to my senses from the haze – the sound of his zipper.

I pushed him away at once. "Luciano," I gasped in disbelief. No, this can't be happening. I won't let it happen.

Luciano gripped my waist and threw me onto the bed. Fear crippled through me; I felt tears fall down my cheeks like a waterfall. I tried to get up, but he was on me in no second. He pinned my hands above me with one hand. I struggled, I cried, I begged him to stop.

He forced his lips on me again. This time it wasn't soft. It wasn't gentle. It was rough. It was painful. He bit my lower lip painfully roughly, and I hissed in pain – the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

His other hand went to my jeans, unzipping them as I thrashed underneath him. I cried out for help, very well knowing that no one would help me.

And so, I did the first thing that came to my mind. I kicked him where the sun didn't shine. As soon as he rolled off me, clutching his groin, I stood up and ran to the door.

I opened it and ran all the way out of the pack house and into my garage. I locked the garage door and started crying. Why? Why is my life like this? What did I do that's so wrong? Why is the moon punishing me?

I sat on the roof of the pack house, where I had been sitting since 10:45 pm, watching the full moon. It was bright and beautiful, feeling like it was calling me.

I looked at the wristwatch. It read 11:59 PM. Just one minute left. What if it didn't happen? My heart ached at the thought. It had been 5 years, and on every birthday, I sat there, watching the moon, waiting for my shift that never occurred 5 years ago.

Today was another day like that, my 15th birthday. My only wish was to be able to shift, my only wish. I knew no one would celebrate this day with me; there would be no more surprise birthday parties like the ones I got 5 years ago. Everything had changed. I was the daughter of the Alpha, a disgrace to the pack, making us look weak.

Not anymore. Maybe.

I checked the time again. Only 10 seconds left. I closed my eyes, scared, nervous, afraid, counting the seconds slowly. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5... My heartbeats picked up, and my breathing became shallow. 4, 3, 2... I waited for my bones to break, but nothing happened. No bone-breaking, nothing. That's when I realized there was no hope. I truly was a disgrace. The pack wouldn't stop hating me.

And so, I decided to bring an end to it all, for myself. I would set myself free; no one could rule me. I wouldn't let anyone play me.

I jumped off the roof, determined. I went to the garage, packed my clothes, took the box Grandma gave me, and wore both the onyx and moonstone ones. The onyx one was shorter. I tore a paper from my notebook, took my pen, and wrote on it: 'Goodbye. 16.' I didn't write anything else. There was nothing more to say; I doubted the pack would be sad if I left. My parents and siblings would probably throw a party, marking today as their 'Independence Day: the Disgrace finally left.'

I stood up, threw the duffle bag over my shoulder, and ran toward the woods, all the way to the pack border. I knew where the guards and warriors were stationed; I had known since I was three years old.

I ran into the clearing, looking back at what used to be my home, White Ray Pack. Too bad, it hadn't been my home since my 10th birthday. This was where my parents lived, where my siblings were, where my mate trained to become a better Alpha. This was where my childhood lay. And this would be where I buried my past, where I would leave my pathetic excuse of a life.

I turned to the border. Once I crossed it, I wouldn't be her, the pathetic excuse of a life. I would become someone else. I might not have a wolf, but who cares? I had hope; I still had myself. I had made it this far, which meant I could go further.

I walked closer to the border, just one step, one step to freedom, a new life, one step to bury the girl I was. One step away from my parents, siblings, my mate, my grandma. Should I really do this? Could I leave the only person who cared about me, loved me?

'You can. You have to,' I heard someone say. I looked around; there was no one. 'You have to, Calista. This is for the better, for your future,' it said again. Whose voice was it? My future? Did I have a future?

Yes, yes, I did. I would build my own future. So, I faced the border once again, sighed, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. Without opening my eyes, I took the step.

I took the step that changed my life.

Forever.