The fifteen year old girl was excited. After two extra years of waiting, she'd finally shifted. She was out on her morning run when it happened... She shifted into a black wolf that looked just like her twin brother Raiden's wolf except a little smaller. The girl's wolf's name is Raven.

She couldn't wait to tell her twin when she got to school.

Finally, she could join her twin and her dad's evening runs without needing to ride on one of their backs.

She was in human form, walking through the forest towards her highschool. Her long black hair was tucked behind her right ear and resting on her left shoulder. Her black eyes glimmered with a rare excitement.

She was hungry like she usually was in the mornings since she never eats breakfast. Why not eat if she's hungry, you may ask. It's because of the girl's mother, Brianna. The mom doesn't let her daughter eat. She forces her daughter to make the family meals and secretly starves and hits the girl. Why does Brianna do this?

To make sure the girl doesn't tell anyone about the mother's affair.

When the girl was ten, she walked in on Brianna furiously kissing her pack's Alpha, Leon Myers. Of course, neither the Luna, Carrie, or the beta, Zander, who was the girl's dad, knew about the affair. No one did. Brianna and Leon threatened the girl to make sure she kept their secret. Brianna hit the girl occasionally, three or four times a week. Leon also hit the girl, he did everyday, but he never did it in front of Brianna because he knows she wants him all to herself and would say he shouldn't waste his energy on hitting the girl.

And that's not all. Behind her twin's back, the girl was bullied by his three friends, especially the future-Alpha, Asher Myers. The girl was the high school social outcast. Her only friend, Kia, was Asher's half sister and she usually hung around Asher or Raiden so the girl couldn't escape Asher's constant bullying. He threatened her too and made her promise not to say anything to her twin about what Asher was secretly doing to her. Asher knew that Raiden would immediately step in and protect his twin.

The girl never told Raiden or her father that she was being abused and bullied. Brianna and Leon said her father would leave her if she told him. Asher and his friends said Raiden didn't even like her, that the only reason he watched over her was because he felt obligated to as her twin and that he would leave her if she told him anything Asher or his friends were doing to her. Foolishly, the girl believed them and didn't want to be left alone so she kept her mouth shut.

The girls reached the highschool, Oakland High. She could see Raiden, Asher and their friends Scott and Dean gathered in the parking lot. Summoning up the courage to face her twin's friends she takes as long as possible to cross the parking lot without looking odd or mentally unstable. But everyone already thinks she is anyway.

As she got closer to the group, she saw Asher's head shoot up and he looked around. He seemed to be smelling the air. His gaze landed on the girl and he let out a frustrated growl. His friends' gaze turned to the girl as well.

That's when she smelt it. Earth and maple. Her mate. But she wasn't sixteen! Werewolves can only find their mate when they turn sixteen! Unless...

Mentally, the girl facepalmed. She completely forgot it was Asher's sixteenth birthday. That's why she could smell her mate. They were mates.

Go to him, go to him, go to him! Raven chanted excitedly.

No, the girl said, already feeling her heart breaking. He hates me. He'll reject us.

No he won't! The girls wolf cried defiantly. Mate is supposed to love us! He won't hurt us!

Asher walked over and now stood in front of the girl. Raiden, Scott and Dean surrounded them. Raiden was the only one with a calm posture.

Even though he bullied her, the girl had to admit that Asher was beautiful. His dark brown hair gleamed in the sunlight and his blue eyes would dance with childish mischief when he was around his friends. His eyes would harden instantly when he was faced with a threat. He had high cheekbones, naturally tanned skin and his muscles would make any girl or gay man drool.

"Hello, mate," Asher said smoothly. His voice was calm and cool, but the girl could pick out the underlying hints of malice and hate that no one else could dig out. "I certainly didn't have to wait long to find you."

"My sister is your mate?!" Raiden cried. He pointed at his best friend. "You better treat her well or I swear, Alpha or not, you will find yourself falling off a cliff and into a pit of cobras."

Everyone except Raiden and the girl let out a chuckle.

Asher placed one hand on the girl's shoulder and the other on her waist. The girl had to fight the urge to flinch. Asher smashed his lips onto hers, letting his hands roam the sides of her torso. The girl heard Asher's friends pretend to vomit and gag.

The sparks were amazing but the girl was uneasy. She wasn't convinced that Asher would treat her nicely just because he was her mate.

"Okay, I'm leaving now," Raiden said, clearly feeling awkward watching his sister and best friend kissing. "I'll see you in class."

He went off, heading towards the high school doors. Asher's lips remained attached to the girl's for a few seconds longer, then he roughly pushed her away, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He looked at the girl, smirking. The girl knew that smirk. Nothing good was going to happen now.

"Knew that would get him to leave," Asher said. The girl's wolf whimpered at his cold, malicious tone. "Why should I keep you as my mate? You're weak, hardly speak, you're a major pushover and you can't even shift. You're not fit to be Luna of this pack if we're to continue the strong reputation."

Scott and Dean snickered. Asher's eyes glinted with enjoyment. He was enjoying this, hurting mate, his other half.

Mate, Raven whimpered.

I'm sorry, the girl said softly. I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger so he would accept us.

It's not your fault, Raven replied, her voice growing stronger. It's his fault... It's his fault! He thinks he's above us, ha! We're above him! If he can't accept us for who we are, then we'll find some way to live without him!

Someone slapped the girl, causing her head to snap to the side. It stung from the bruise already there from Alpha Leon that the girl hid using makeup. That's the only reason she ever wore makeup. To cover the bruises, hide them from her protective brother and father.

"Are you even listening to me?" Asher growled. "Let's just get this shit over with." The girl looked up at him, her eyes begging him not to reject her. Asher only smirked at her expression. "I, Asher Myers, future Alpha of Moon blood pack, reject you, Rei Rys, as my mate and future Luna."

Rei fought back tears as she felt the pain of their weak bond being torn until there was only one small string holding it together. And the only way to snap that string and break their bond completely was if she accepts the rejection.

But she won't. Something within her wanted Asher to suffer. Even if he tried to sleep with another girl or break the bond on his own, the bond would still be there, paining him every time he tried to kiss or do anything intimate with another girl. Only Rei could break the bond now.

"Accept it," Asher ordered. Rei shook her head no. "Accept it!"

He went to hit the girl again but as if being controlled, her hand flew up and caught his wrist when his hand was a few inches from her face.

"Don't touch me," Rei hissed lowly, her voice somehow a lot stronger than she felt. "I've been through enough in the past five years without you making it even worse."

With that, she released Asher's wrist and turned to run. Scott and Dean tried to stop her but she pushed past them and ran back into the forest and out of her bullies' sight.

She didn't know how long she ran for before she stopped and broke down crying. Her mate didn't want her and he hit her. Now was one of the times Rei wished she had a mother that truly cared for her. She wanted to be wrapped in someone's arms as they comforted her, telling her that they were there for her and that they would stay beside her. Raiden and Kia were at school, with the girl's bullies, and her Dad, Zander, had work to do as the pack's Beta.

She felt alone.

You're not alone, Raven said softly. Not anymore. I'm so sorry you went through all this without me. I tried to surface and be there for you, I really did, but I couldn't; there was something blocking me out.

I don't blame you, Rei replied. Besides, you're here now and that's all I care about.

She stayed in the forest for the whole day, wandering around and listening to the peaceful sounds of the nature around her. Eventually dusk fell. Zander and Raiden would be out on their daily run and probably looking for her.

She sat down and leaned against a tree, ready and waiting for her dad and twin to find her. Soon she heard paw steps running towards her. Her dad and brother stopped in front of her, both in wolf form, their eyes full of worry. Her dad examined her, looking for any wounds or injuries while her brother sat beside her, licking her cheek before resting his head on her shoulder.

They took her home and took care of her. They didn't know Asher rejected her but they knew she was hurting. They didn't ask, believing Rei would tell them when she was ready. The girl avoided looking at her mother, knowing she would see nothing but cold eyes and a hard expression.

The girl went to sleep only to be caught in nightmares.

➵

The next morning was hardly any different than it usually was.

Rei's dad and brother were still concerned, asking if she needed anything and Raiden offered to come with her on her morning run but she declined it all, grabbed her backpack and left.

She was still hurting. She could almost hear her bond with Asher screaming out as it tried to grow stronger. But it never would.

The girl's wolf was there, making sure Rei didn't forget that she could rely on her wolf.

As the girl walked through the woods, following the path she always took, she heard someone calling her name. When she looked, she saw her only friend Kia running towards her, holding something tightly in her hand.

"Asher wanted me to give you this," Kia said, handing Rei the thing she was holding.

It was a letter. Rei unfolded the paper quickly reading the words on it.

I, Asher Myers, future-alpha of Moonblood pack, banish Rei Rys from the pack. She leaves as soon as she reads this.

Rei stared at the letter, feeling numb. He banished her. Her wolf howled within her, crying with pain and anger. Rei could smell Asher's scent on the paper, so she knew he had written it.

Rei looked up at Kia, her face full of despair as she felt her link to the pack snap and disappear.

"Kia," she whispered.

"Save it Rei," Kia said harshly. "Save it for someone who cares. I never did. I never cared about you. All I wanted was your brother. Though I will be nice and take a note to him for you."

Rei could feel her heart cracking a bit more. She trusted Kia. She thought they were friends. Turns out it was all just a lie.

With an emotionless expression, Rei nodded. Kia handed her a pen and Rei, using a tree to hold the paper against, wrote a note to Raiden on the back of Asher's letter. She handed the pen and paper back to Kia and walked away without a word.

Rei walked towards the edge of her former pack's territory, not hesitating to step over the border and into unclaimed territory. All she had was her bag and the clothes on her back.

She felt more and more lost the longer she walked...

That was the lowest point in my life. I was rejected by my mate and banished from my home. I had virtually nothing and no one to go to. I was sure I would die out on my own, probably like many others who had been in my position.

That thought is what started the fire within me. The thought of so many others out there in the world suffering like I had. No one deserves to suffer just because the people around them are assholes.

I promised that I would help others who suffered. I would save them from their abusers. I vowed that I would make sure no one suffered longer than they had.

That was the beginning of the new me.