Getting ready for the school isn't as difficult as getting up from the bed. Once you are out of the bed, you can only have to look ahead. There's no turning back. Comfort of the soft mattress won't be able to tempt you anymore. After a pleasant night, it's all over.

I pulled my hair in a messy bun.

It's difficult to tame the brown mess that rests on my head which I call my hair. They are frilly and seem to have a mind of their own. I don't have enough time to straighten them so they stay in a curly mess.

After applying cold cream to my slightly tanned skin, I practically rubbed lip gloss on my lips and pouted. They didn't look like Angelina Jolie's no matter how much I pouted. But I do look like a duck. The color of my lips is so unrecognizable that they manage to blend in with my skin tone if I don't coat them with a different color.

"Come down Sera! We're getting late!" I heard my brother calling.

Dave is my younger brother. There's nothing much to say about him. He simply loves his car which was gifted to him by his best friend and the future alpha, Daniel Osborn. The name sounds too much like a character in Spiderman. His father's name is Harry Osborn. Sometimes I think if Harry hadn't died in Spiderman 3 movie, this might be his future because I really didn't want him to die.

What am Ieven thinking about? Shaking my head from all those unnecessary and redundant thoughts, I headed downstairs to my brother who was tapping his foot on the ground leaning against his black SUV.

"What took you so long, sis?" He asked irritably and I rolled my eyes albeit smiling.

I'm neither the strongest nor the most beautiful werewolf in our pack. I lie somewhere below average. Nobody considers me worth talking except for my little brother, who's a week younger than me, and my best friend, Manny.

Dave is my half brother. My mom died while giving birth to me. She was angry that my dad cheated on her with Dave's mother. Once my mother died, dad brought a heavily impregnated woman. A week later she gave birth to Dave.

She died a year later with my dad in a rogue attack. We were in werewolf orphanage for several years until I turned sixteen and inherited my parents' money. I'm going to be seventeen soon and a week later, Dave.

I ignored my brother and got inside his car leaving our two story small house back.

"Today is Daniel's birthday." Dave informed me. I was surprised to hear that. Daniel is elder than me by one month? If it's his seventeenth birthday he will find his mate. I'm not going to lie but I really want to be his mate.

Daniel is the most handsome man to ever exist on earth. He has beautiful blue eyes and soft dirty blonde hair. Too bad, he has a girlfriend, Shea. Shea is the daughter of Beta. Daniel and Shea have grown together and they are sure for hell to be each other's mate.

A little part of me wants to be his mate because he's everything one can ask for. He is smart and soft spoken but also a strict person. His qualities fulfill the need of a perfect future alpha.

"There's a party tonight. I'm going to attend it. Do you want to come?" Dave asked. Even though I'm not invited, he still asked me to. He's a good brother, after all, but he still thinks about his reputation.

"Nah, I'd rather like to stay at home."

The ride was silent, no conversation between us. Sound of music filling the space inside the car. Once at school, I quickly hoped out and walked towards my locker where I found my best friend.

Dave walked towards Daniel's car. He was surrounded by the crowd who, I assumed, were congratulating him for his big day.

"You know, it's alpha's birthday today!" Manny squeaked jumping up and down. Not really Alpha yet. But very soon, he will be.

"I know." I answered with a smile. She gets excited for strangest things and it rubs off on me.

"And he is going to find his mate."

"I know."

"Can you believe? We can be his mate. I mean either I or you. It'd be amazing if you are his mate and super amazing if I am. What would it feel like to be the future Luna? I'd kick ass of every student who has ever tormented us and then have fun with Daniel." She said in a dreamy tone.

I'm not going to see the end of it today.

"His mate is Shea." I answered as a matter of fact. It's not completely confirmed yet but she can be his mate.

I will find my mate when I turn seventeen. His smell will call for me. I don't know if he is older than me. If he is, he'll detect my scent. But now I've started to think that my mate is going to be younger than me. Then I will know first. He will only come to know about that if he touches me. It'd be amazing. I want to have a happy life with my mate.

"I hope she is not. I haven't seen her yet. I guess she is taking school off today. She has decided to show her face in the party where Daniel will recognize her as his mate and announce it in front of everyone. That's such a lame show off of mate and power. But what do we know about these weird rituals of Alpha and Beta."

Manny for sure speaks a lot sometimes.

"Yeah," I agreed with her though her words hardly registered my brain.

"Are you going to the party tonight?" She asked me. I shook my head in response.

"I also don't want to." She answered. "We will hold a party for our birthday's combined and find our mates. Then we will spend whole night with them and get marked." She told me about her plan.

Manny is a day younger than me. It's always awesome because we spend these days together. We are social outcasts so no one wants to attend the party that's why we don't hold them anymore but we are planning for big this time.

Seventeenth birthday is special for every werewolf. It's the day when you find your mate and shift with their help.

"What are we going to do tonight?" I asked leaning against the locker.

"Why don't you come to my place? We will watch chick flicks for the whole night. What do you think about it?" She suggested and I found myself nodding my head. It's the best idea.

"I'll need to inform Dave first." I muttered to myself.

"See who is coming!" Manny squeaked again and I rolled my eyes following her vision. My eyes landed on Dave. He was walking with Daniel and Trent. Perfect timing. I'll inform about my night's plan now.

My eyes met Daniel's and for a moment I thought my world stopped. My heart started beating fast and something inside me stirred. I shook my head throwing the thoughts away. I might have a little crush on Daniel like every girl here but he is not mine.

They walked past us and I immediately grabbed Dave's arm to tell him about sleepover. A sudden spark of electricity shoot through my body and everything seemed to still at that moment.

I realized that instead of Dave, I had grabbed Daniel's arm. My green eyes locked with his blue eyes once again. The next words just came out of my mouth.

"Mate,"

My eyes widened and I shut my mouth instantly. Inside, my wolf, which I started feeling for first time, was howling with joy on finding our mate. I smiled at him but it faded when I registered his expressions.

Daniel was frowning at me with his lips pursed tight in a thin line.

"That's the seventh one and it's only morning." Someone said and I looked at Trent who was smirking at me and at same time giving me a look of disgust.

"At least previous six were beautiful. She looks like she has just risen from her grave." Another one said which was followed by a roar of laughter from students in the hallway.

"What are you doing Sera?" Dave muttered and I blinked my eyes at him.

"He's my mate." I stated as a matter of fact and looked at Daniel for help. I wanted him to tell everyone that I was right and that he was my mate. Instead of defending me, he pried my fingers off his arm and stepped back from me.

"Listen, just because you are Dave's sister doesn't mean that I'll go with your knavishness. I haven't even touched you before and said nothing because you are his sister. So honor my generosity and don't pull a stunt like this ever again. You don't know what has happened to the previous six girls. I don't think you'd like the same fate. I'm letting you go because you're my best friend's sister. Leave now." He said so calmly so coldly that my heart broke at his words. There was not even a single twitch of hesitation.

"Leave Sera." I heard Dave say and then everyone walked away from me. Trent gave me a once over before leaving and shook his head in distaste.

"Hey future Luna." Someone spat words at me and laughter followed. My eyes were clouded with unshed tears and I ran out of there.

I heard someone calling my name but I wanted to be alone.

*****

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