Spellbound by His Once Rejected Mate

Your strange friends

Unbothered by any more strange or uneasy conversations, the day goes on smoothly. Most of the guests had arrived with a lot of free time to spare while here and most of everyone took our advice of exploring the neighborhood, since our pack was situated right by the coast, with the sea only a half an hour's stroll away and the forest at an arms reach from the pack house.

While everyone was out, enjoying the strangely warm evening, me, Zeke, Mark and Annais were chilling on the porch, enjoying some ginger beer while chatting over the last exams, college and whatnot.

I had planned it all out! I had applied for medical school, and even if there was no good university in our area, I was ready to sacrifice some years just to get my studies done and come back as a great doctor to help the pack.

"I'm not entirely sure if I'll ever make something out of it, but I feel like the time spent there will at least help me decide some other things." Annais spoke proudly of her application to art school.

Zeke seemed extremely silent, while staring off into the distance, clearly searching for someone, while Mark seemed rather into his small talk about universities with Annais. I wasn't entirely sure what he had applied for, but I knew he had a plan. My whole attention was focused on Zeke. He had behaved strangely for the past few weeks. Ever since he turned eighteen... it seemed like he was a whole different person. He was grumpier, harder to talk to, more irritable, and even meaner. And today, he seemed to be extremely easy to piss off.

As if he felt I was thinking about him, his dark brown eyes moved to look at me and when he meets my gaze he seems to stiffen before looking away again.

My lips press together in a thin line, and I puff my cheeks without saying anything. He was clearly bothered and, for some reason, he was really doing his very best at keeping this thing away from me. Something strange, even for him, because he has always shared everything with me ever since we were little kids.

"Hey, Annais." I finally speak out, interrupting her and Mark. "Let's go for a walk." I mutter and put my bottle down, getting up sharply, eyeing her with my usual LETS GET OUT OF HERE face.

with a confused look on her face, she agrees and gets up,

following after me as I walk away from the pack house and towards the small playground that was built for the younger ones.

I sit on one of the swings and Annais takes the one beside me. As I start to swing slowly, a cold shiver rushes down my spine and as I look around, I meet Zeke's eyes again. He seemed worried and angry at the same time and I couldn't help but scoff before looking away.

"What's wrong?" Annais asks, watching me.

"Did you get to talk with Zeke? Did he tell you anything weird?" I whisper under my breath, hoping no one was close enough to hear us.

"What are you talking about?"

"He's been weird ever since his birthday party a few weeks ago, and I thought-" I sigh.

"I did notice he's been acting weird, but no. I know nothing of whatever is happening with him. Maybe it's hormones. Maybe he's fidgety that he didn't find his mate or-" she smirks and turns to me. " Maybe he's been waiting, and his patience is running thin!" she smirks even wider at me.

My cheeks flush pink, and I swallow past the lump in my throat.

Annais might have been the only one aware of my crush on Zeke. I once argued that it was purely logical for me to have a crush on him since we've been friends, but then, why not Mark? Maybe it was the mate attraction I felt.

I sigh and lean my head back, staring at the moonless sky.

"What if I don't shift on my birthday?" I manage to whisper.

"What are you talking about? Even the latest bloomer shifted on their eighteenth birthday! There is no way in the world you're going to take longer than that!" She huffs at me and gets up from her swing. "What's with all this nonsense all of a sudden? Did Zeke tell you anything?!"

She was ready to put up a fight with him if needed right now and right here.

"He didn't!" I immediately counter, straightening myself. "I just keep thinking about it. There have only been a handful of werewolves that turned on their eighteenth birthday. Usually everyone shifts between twelve and fifteen years old, and I can't help but worry I do not bel-" I explain myself.

"Nonsense, Mell!" she immediately interrupts me. "You're one of us! Your father is Alpha, your mother was a great Luna and you'll be the next amazing Luna this pack will adore!"

She grabs my hands and pulls me up into a hug. "I don't know who put this nonsense in your head, but I'll whoop their ass good for it!"

I manage to pull a smile on my lips and wrap my arms around her slowly.

"Best supportive friend..." I whisper as my eyes catch a not so familiar person walking toward the pack house.

My whole body stiffens, and I suddenly have the urge to hide, when Alpha Seth stops and turns to look in our direction. He was alone, his beta nowhere in sight.

Where has he been alone? What was he up to? As I allow my thoughts to drift like that, Zeke's image steals away that of Seth as he hurries towards us.

"Hey!" Zeke calls out to us. "It's late, and you both should get some rest for tomorrow's test!" he hurries us.

I break away from our hug and look behind Zeke, to where Seth was standing earlier. But he wasn't there anymore.

Another cold shiver runs down my spine and prickles my skin in an uncomfortable way.

"Especially you." Zeke mutters towards me, his hand resting on my back as he guides us back to the pack house.

"What?" I narrow my eyes at him. "Since when are you telling me what to do?!" I slap his hand away.

Zekes seems taken aback by my words and he stiffens.

I hiss at him, and before anyone can add anything, I march my way inside the pack house, slamming the door shut.

The pack house was the Alpha's and his guests' house. No idiots allowed!

As I get inside, my angry stomping fades and I make it up the stairs.

My father and I live on the last level of the house, the fourth one, while all our guests have plenty of rooms on the second and third one. As I walk up the stairs, from the corner of my eye, I catch a tall silhouette hesitating to enter their room. I stop and, for a moment, our eyes meet again.

Alpha Seth's icy blue eyes make me feel another wave of anxiety deepen in the pits of my stomach and before he could even blink, I dart up the last flight of stairs like a mad woman.

Who is this dang man? I shut the door of my room behind me with a loud bang. All mysterious, silent, judgy, mean... hot and- hell no! NO! I was not going to go there.

Despite my thoughts, my heart was frantically going there for a few more moments, before Zeke's image popped into my mind again.

Right! I was focused on my mate!

I manage to get ready for bed quite fast and as I lay down, recurrent thoughts come back.

Zeke... what if he isn't my mate? What if he already has a mate and him acting all weird is he trying not to hurt me? What if- thoughts slip away as sleep takes over.

***Today***

"Look!"Annais sighs and leans back into her chair. "I know this! I've been there for most of it and-" she pinches the bridge of her nose, "-I know you're stressed with all this studying-" she picks up a book and closes it. "-but you already passed your entry exam, so what are you studying for?! You need to take a break and relax! Tomorrow is your birthday. You shift at midnight! You'll find true love and-"

"And what if I don't?" I put my pen down and closed my notebook. "What if I don't shift and I don't find my mate tonight?" I ask, narrowing my eyes, and holding back tears.

"I'll still love you!" Annais shouts, the whole library turning their heads at us and hissing towards us to keep silent.

I start gathering my books before the librarian shows up and gives us another warning. "Shut it you, i***t!" I chuckle at Annais and shake my head.

"You'll be alright! And what if Zeke won't be the chosen one?! You'll go to emd school and you'll come back with your prince charming on his amazing white horse in no time!" she smiled widely, helping me pick up my stuff.

"Now, let's go get some coffee and get ready for tonight! How does that sound?!" she smirks at me and I can't help but smile.

My dear friend, isn't she amazing?