Mates

Jessica and I were walking across the packlands toward school when we noticed a couple ahead of us. They were holding hands and smiling like they were the only two people in the world.

Jessica nudged me excitedly.

“That’s Matt and Betty. The Moon Goddess just revealed they’re mates,” she said with a dreamy sigh. “I hope we find our mates soon.”

I forced a small smile for my best friend. Jessica deserved happiness. She was kind, loyal, and beautiful — everything people liked in a wolf.

But me?

Would anyone ever be happy to have me as their mate?

Most female wolves in the pack were admired for their beauty, their strength, and their wolves. Me? I was called ugly. Worthless. Wolfless.

Even my own brother believed it.

But they were wrong.

I wasn’t wolfless.

I had a wolf — a very powerful one.

Celeste had told me many times how strong she was. She had been with me since I was eleven years old, whispering encouragement whenever the world tried to break me.

But no one else knew.

Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself.

My name is Zoe. I’m sixteen years old, a junior at Jackson Wolfen School in the Blue Mountain Pack. I’m technically a Beta female, since my parents were the Beta couple of the pack. Were.

They died protecting me during a rogue attack.

Ever since then, the pack has blamed me for their deaths.

Which is why I’m bullied. Ignored. Invisible.

The only family I have left is my older brother James, the current Beta of the pack.

And even he barely acknowledges me.

Jessica and I entered the school building and headed toward the cafeteria. Students filled the halls, laughing and chatting, their voices echoing against the lockers.

Suddenly, I stopped walking.

A scent hit me like a wave.

Pine.

Freshly cut grass.

Warm sunlight after rain.

It was the most intoxicating scent I had ever experienced.

I closed my eyes and breathed it in, my heart racing.

“It’s him!” Celeste cried excitedly inside my mind. “It’s our mate!”

My eyes snapped open.

And that’s when I saw him.

Zack.

The Alpha.

Our eyes met across the cafeteria.

For a moment, his face lit up with joy.

But just as quickly, it changed.

Joy turned to anger.

Then disappointment.

My chest tightened painfully.

I looked away, unable to bear the expression in his eyes.

“Zoe?” Jessica’s voice broke through my thoughts. “What’s wrong? Why did you stop?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly, avoiding her gaze. “I just remembered something.”

I hurried toward the food line.

“Come on, Zoe!” Celeste said happily. “Let’s go to him. He’s our mate!”

“I can’t,” I whispered internally. “Didn’t you see his face when he realised it was us?”

“That can’t be right,” Celeste argued. “Our mate wouldn’t reject us like that.”

But I could feel her power stirring inside me. It was the strongest reaction she had ever had.

Celeste was dominant — incredibly dominant.

Yet despite having her since I was eleven, I still couldn’t shift.

Most wolves shifted for the first time at sixteen.

Today was my sixteenth birthday week.

And still… nothing.

Celeste always told me it simply wasn’t the right time.

But the rest of the pack didn’t understand that.

To them, I was proof of failure.

A wolfless wolf.

I glanced across the cafeteria again.

My heart shattered.

Zack was standing with Laura.

Laura was the most beautiful girl in the pack — long blonde hair, perfect curves, and a reputation for sleeping with half the unmated males.

The males adored her.

And right now, Zack was laughing with her.

Flirting.

“You, see?” I whispered to Celeste. “He doesn’t care about us.”

My wolf suddenly went quiet.

Jessica sat across from me, completely carefree as she stuffed her face with food.

I hesitated.

“Jessica… I smelled my mate today.”

Her head snapped up immediately.

“Really?! Who is it? Wait—why do you look like that?” she asked, studying my face. “Aren’t you happy?”

“I… I don’t know how I feel,” I admitted quietly. “I’ll tell you another time. I just wanted you to know.”

Jessica frowned but nodded.

Celeste suddenly growled in my mind.

“We need to talk to him. He has no right to treat us like this.”

“I don’t think he wants to talk to us,” I replied.

“If he won’t come to us,” Celeste said firmly, “then we will go to him.”

Her determination surprised me.

I had never even seen her physical form before, but her presence inside me was powerful and commanding.

Whenever someone hurt me, she would lend me a fraction of her strength to heal.

She protected me the only way she could.

“Okay,” I finally whispered.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zack leaving the cafeteria.

My heart started pounding.

“Now,” Celeste said.

“Let’s follow him.”

I hurried after him into the hallway lined with lockers.

But as I turned the corner—

I froze.

Zack was there.

With Laura.

And they were kissing.

“Sh*t,” Zack muttered suddenly.

“Why did you stop?” Laura asked, confused, reaching for him again. “Come on, we were just getting started.”

Celeste snarled inside my head.

“So that’s why he disappeared. He was busy with that—”

“Stop,” I cut her off quickly.

“Laura, leave,” Zack said suddenly.

“But why?” she whined, grabbing his shirt and trying to kiss him again.

“I said leave.”

His Alpha command echoed through the hallway.

Laura’s eyes widened in shock. Without another word, she hurried away.

Zack turned his attention to me.

“Let’s talk.”

My legs felt heavy, but I slowly walked toward him.

The moment I got close, he grabbed my arm and slammed me against the lockers.

Pain shot through my back, but I ignored it.

He leaned closer.

His scent wrapped around me again, warm and intoxicating.

When I looked up, his eyes had turned yellow — his wolf was close to the surface.

But within seconds, they shifted back to black.

“Zack,” I whispered. “Why are you hurting me? I’m your mate.”

He laughed bitterly.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said coldly. “I don’t like you.”

My heart cracked.

“I’m ashamed that you’re my mate.”

Each word felt like a knife.

“Why would I want a wolfless wolf as my mate?” he continued cruelly. “How could someone like you ever be Luna of this pack?”

Tears burned behind my eyes.

A part of me had expected rejection.

But hearing it like this…

It still shattered me.

Celeste was furious.

Her power surged through my body.

“Let me speak,” she demanded.

For the first time, I didn’t resist.

I closed my eyes and let her take control.

When they opened again, my vision had sharpened.

Zack stepped back in shock.

My eyes had turned bright blue.

“What did you say?” Celeste asked, her voice cold and commanding.

Zack stared at me, stunned.

I could see the conflict raging inside him as his wolf fought for control.

For a moment, his eyes flashed yellow again.

But then they returned to black.

Zack forced his wolf down.

And chose himself