Rejected by you

Today is the day! The day my crush finds his mate

I sunk my teeth into my lip, biting back an excited squeal. I know that it's immature of me to think that I would have a chance with him considering the fact that I'm human, socially awkward, an aggressive introvert (if you try to get me to do something out of my comfort zone), and well, me.

The girl who was currently standing in front of the mirror had small pimples littering her forehead, crooked teeth (she loved to smile), and belly fat. I was nothing compared to the perfect werewolves that walked around the small, remote town of Cinder. They had perfect bodies, acne-free skin, and perfect teeth.

I sat on the edge of my bed in my cramped room. It was the size of a public restroom, with gray chipped paint, a cracked floor, a window that couldn't open, and lots of cobwebs.

I was grateful, though. I am grateful that the Luna of the Golden Pack took pity on me. She offered me this room to live in, and in return, I helped her out around the house. That's where I met him. In this house, a smile graced my face as I remembered.

My smile suddenly dropped. I frowned, confused. I couldn't remember how we met. That's odd. 

"Iris, come here one second," Luna called.

I shook off my confusion and hurriedly ran to see what she needed.

Luna stood in her bedroom, carefully placing a series of different outfits on her bed.

"Yes, Luna," I answered attentively, ready to do whatever she asked.

"Come, come," Luna beckoned.

I was immediately at her side. She gave my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"Pick one," she said.

I observed the three dresses laid out on the bed. One was a pink floral sundress, the middle one was a gray off-the-shoulder dress, and the last was a white turtleneck long dress with a slit going up the side.

"I couldn't." I began to protest. Luna shook her head, reaching for the gray dress.

"This would show off your beautiful shoulder, and more so that beauty mark," she encouraged, holding the dress towards me.

"I couldn't," I repeated, shaking my head.

"OK then, I didn't want to have to do this to you, dear, but," she said, grabbing the white dress. She squared her shoulders, straightened her back, and lifted her chin.

"As your luna, I demand that you wear this dress at my son's finding ceremony tonight," she said playfully.

She was happier than usual today. Her blue eyes seemed more alive than ever.

"OK," I answered quietly, smiling at her as her face lit up even more.

She wrapped her hands around me, and I was engulfed in her heavenly scent of roses and lavender. She had a motherly scent that I longed for. The thought of my own mother made my eyes burn with tears threatening to fall.

Luna rubbed her back reassuringly.

"You know what else would go well with this outfit?" she said happily.

~~~ 

5 hours later, I was standing on the staircase, staring nervously at the visiting wolves entering the pack house. They all passed by me as if I weren't there, which was fine with me. I was OK with being invisible and standing in the shadows. Though my white dress did not blend in well, The red corset that Luna gave me to settle my insecurities was a blessing. She always knew what I needed.

Suddenly, someone hooted from behind. I flinched and turned to glare at the person as a hand hit my ass.

"Someone's all dressed up; is it for me?" Victor said, getting into my personal bubble, his breath reeking of beer.

I pushed him away with all my strength, ignoring the snickers of the wolves trailing behind him.

"Victor," the voice of Luna yelled sharply. Victor squared his shoulders and stood at attention. His hands twitched as if he wanted to salute, and he bit his lips, holding back a smile.

"Where is my son?" she asked, folding her arms and tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

"Ugh, he..." stammered Victor, glancing back at all the wolves.

"He spilled toothpaste on his shirt," he finally said, proud of himself.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

Luna sighed, seeing through the lie.

Iris, dear, can you go and help him out? Give him that blue shirt that I bought for him last week," Luna instructed. I nodded. And I immediately turned and began walking up the stairs when Victor suddenly grabbed my hand.

"I'm serious, you look beautiful," he whispered, taking a step closer to me.

"I'd love to see what's underneath, though," he flirted.

"Victor!" Luna yelled.

I pushed at his chest, mortified, and watched as he stumbled down the stairs. Luna gripped him by the ear and pulled him away.

I shook off my humiliation and continued up towards Erik's room. I took deep breaths with each step. This was beyond unnerving. I have had a crush on him since forever, and despite living in the same house as him, I had never been in his room before.

I stood slightly scared in front of his door. I should knock, yeah. It's good manners to knock. I slowly reached forward, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking. What if he didn't hear? Well, of course he'd hear he was a werewolf.

I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. It's just a door that leads to the inside of a room that my crush lives in.

I exhaled and opened my eyes. The door suddenly opened, and I stood petrified at the sight before me.

Erik Demetrio was the captain of the soccer team. He had golden skin, bright blue eyes, and jet black hair. Not to mention an outstanding 6-pack abs with broad shoulders and a well-sculpted face. Oh, and he was currently standing in front of me with just a towel wrapped around his waist and water dripping down his body.

I glanced away and gulped.

"Can I help you with something?" he said, bemused. I glanced at him and glanced away.

"Actually, I'm the one that's supposed to help you. Luna sent me," I explained, feeling awkward as hell.

"Come in then," he said.

I glanced at him and realized that he had opened the door wider. I awkwardly slipped past him, trying my best not to touch his body. I went straight for his closet and raised a brow at the mess that it was.

How am I supposed to find a needle in a haystack?

"Sorry about the mess. I started to panic when I stained my shirt," he said from directly behind my ear. My body became rigid, and I lost my voice.

"Victor said that you stained your shirt," I stammered, refusing to turn around.

"Ah," he chuckled, sending shivers down my back.

"Yeah, I kind of stained everything," he said, scratching his head nervously.

"OK," I said absentmindedly, stepping over the mess and going straight for the back of his walk-in closet.

Luna was a smart woman and therefore always had a backup plan. I searched for the blue shirt and found it. I pushed it aside and found Erik's backup.

"You're in luck," I said, taking it to him. He smiled, and I averted my glance.

"Thanks," he said. I nodded my head and stepped out of the closet.

Suddenly, his room door pushed open, and a 5-foot, 8-inch model stepped into the room.

"Babe, seriously. You're drinking on our day." His girlfriend walked in, and I slipped out.

Yep, I had a crush on a guy who had a girlfriend. I sighed. For the rest of the evening, I made myself scarce, sticking to the shadows and wishing that I was wearing black.

On the 5th full moon of every year, there was a choosing ceremony where every wolf in their 17th year would wait for their mark to appear. A mark that would be identical to their mates. It was a way for wolves who were mated to other magical creatures or humans whose senses weren't as keen as wolves to find their mates. It was a really nice and considerate gesture from the moon.

"Today, we gather here for our annual choosing ceremony," the Alpha started.

I naturally zoned out the rest. I wrapped my hands around myself and stared at the moon. Wolves were weird creatures. Then again, they could break every bone in their body and sprout fur. I chuckled at myself and scratched my forearm as it began to itch.

Something suddenly moved, and my head snapped towards it. It must have been one of the guard wolves watching. Hundreds of pack members stood under the moonlight in the heart of the woods, in a clearing. At the front stood all the old-age wolves, standing on a platform of sorts, watching and waiting for their mark to appear.

The itch intensified and slowly began to burn. I cried out as a sharp pain ran through my arm. My eyes burned with tears. My arm felt like it was on fire.

"Iris," Luna called immediately at my side. She gasped as she stared at the red outline of a howling wolf. I glanced at her and followed her gaze towards the Alpha and then towards her son.

Erik jumped from the platform. The crowd parted as he slowly walked toward me. He extended his arm, revealing the mark of a howling wolf.

"No." The faint voice of Victor met my ears.

"What!? That is impossible; he's an alpha; he can't be mated to a human," Erik's girlfriend, Willow, said with disgust.

"Silence child, the moon has spoken," the Alpha boomed.

Willow glared at me and mouthed something that I couldn't quite understand. My vision was blurred with pain.

It eased a fraction when a soft hand suddenly touched my face. Soft fingers guided my chin up to stare into the soft eyes of Erik. He smiled reassuringly and opened his mouth.

"I..." he paused, and his eyes suddenly hardened. His touch became aggressive, and a scowl distorted his face.

I, Erik Demetrio, Future Alpha of the Golden Pack..." he paused, building tension with a smirk on his face as he glanced around at the anticipating glance of the pack.

"Reject you as my mate," he said loudly, earning a shocked gasp from everyone.

"Erik, you don't mean that," Luna said.

"Yes, I do," he said.

"And you will accept it," he said, gripping my face rather than roughly pulling me closer to him.

Tears pulled down my face as pain traveled from my arm and spread throughout it. My chest tightened and began to ache. I couldn't breathe.

"Accept it," he yelled aloud.

"No! Guards!"  Luna yelled.

The guards immediately ran from behind the treeline, but it was already too late.

"I do," I whispered softly, needing the pain to stop. He released my jaw, and I fell towards the ground. The guards restrained Erik. His father and mother yelled at him to not resist and stop, but he just got more and more aggressive.

Mortified and broken, I ran for the cover of the forest. Running blindly into trees and twigs. After a few minutes, I managed to break the treeline. I walked onto the main road, my tears falling like the rain. I absentmindedly stopped at the center of my quiet place, the bridge.

I climbed slowly and carefully onto the railings and sat. I sobbed softly. Dreams weren't supposed to turn into nightmares. They were supposed to be fun and leave you wanting more.

I sat void of thoughts, staring at the clear moonlit water beneath me. I wiped my tears and leaned down to get a better look at my reflection. It seemed larger than the other times; it was almost as if there was someone behind me.

Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat, and I screamed as my body went airborne and hit the water surface. I couldn't swim.