Zuria
The air felt heavier tonight, thick with something unspoken. Maybe it was just the excitement in the pack, but I doubted it. I was probably just dreading the moment I had to return home.
"Zuria! Are you listening?" Avery, my co-worker, nudged me with her elbow as she wiped down the counter.
I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Something about Arien Calloway's birthday, right?"
She scoffed. "Something? Girl, it's everything right now. The whole pack is losing their minds. Can you imagine what it must be like to be his mate? One minute you're just some ordinary girl, and the next—boom! Luna of the Blue Moon Pack!"
I snorted. "Yeah, or boom—stuck with the biggest asshole in the whole damn pack."
Avery's eyes widened. "Zuria! You can't say that out loud! What if someone hears you?" She glanced around nervously.
I leaned against the counter and shrugged. "What? It's the truth. He goes through girls like he goes through his dirty boxers. Why would anyone want to be mated to him?"
Cole, another server, chuckled from behind us. "Harsh, but fair. You know, Cherry Adams has been bragging for weeks that she's sure she'll be his mate. She even picked out the dress she's going to wear when he 'claims' her."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well, if the Moon Goddess really matches people based on how much they sleep around, then Cherry and Arien are a perfect match."
Avery giggled, but before she could say more, the bell over the diner's entrance jingled. A group of girls strutted inside, their high-pitched giggles slicing through the air like nails on a chalkboard. I sighed.
The B & B Sisters.
Blonde. Blue-eyed. Bimbo. And Bitchy.
Cherry Adams led the pack, as always. Her long blonde hair cascaded over her bare shoulders, doing nothing to hide the fact that her red dress was working overtime to hold her chest in place. The other girls followed, all dressed in variations of the same skimpy outfit. They looked like a cult. A cult of stupidity.
I grabbed my notepad and forced a customer-service smile. "What can I get for you?"
Cherry tilted her head, blinking at me like she was surprised to see me standing there. "Wait a minute… Zuria? Clumsy Zuria?"
The other girls burst into laughter.
I clenched my jaw. I am not clumsy. They just used to trip me in the hallways every chance they got. They gave me that nickname to humiliate me, and they loved every second of it.
I refused to react. "Are you ordering or not?"
Cherry smirked. "Relax, clumsy. No need to get snippy. We were just reminiscing about the good old days." She exchanged a glance with her friends before flipping her hair. "Fine. I'll have a caramel macchiato, extra foam. And make sure it's hot. Last time, your service was a little cold."
I smiled sweetly. "I'll make sure it's steaming."
As I turned to leave, I overheard their conversation.
"You are so going to be Arien's mate," one of the girls gushed.
Cherry giggled. "Obviously. I mean, when he walks up to me, I'm going to act surprised, but we all know it's meant to be. We should finish up here and go get ready."
A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Cherry snapped her head toward me. "Did you just laugh at me?"
I shrugged. "Sorry, I just overheard something really ridiculous."
Cherry narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly is ridiculous about what I said?"
I tilted my head. "Oh, nothing. Just the fact that you actually believe you have a chance. News flash—if Arien had the option to choose his mate, I doubt he'd pick someone who's basically his personal… entertainment center."
The girls gasped. Cherry's face turned bright red.
"You little—" Before I could react, she grabbed her drink and dumped the entire cup of chocolate milk over my head.
I stood there, dripping.
Cherry smirked. "Oops."
She turned on her heel and strutted out, her friends following closely behind.
I sighed and wiped some of the chocolate milk from my cheek. Cole and Avery were staring at me, wide-eyed.
"Zuria…" Cole started cautiously.
I held up a finger. "Don't. Just don't."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Dave, the diner's owner, standing with his arms crossed.
"Zuria, just go home and get cleaned up," he said, shaking his head. "It's almost time for the Alpha's ceremony, anyway."
I gave him a mischievous smile. "I was going to wash my hair tonight anyway. Thanks to Cherry, I don't need to buy shampoo."
Dave sighed. "Go. Before you get into more trouble."
I walked into the locker room and stared at myself in the mirror and sighed.
It's not my fault they can't take a joke.
I brought my fingers up to my lips and licked them.
What a waste.
Without wasting more time, I grabbed my bag and left.
By the time I got home, the chocolate milk had dried into a sticky mess. Luckily, my uncle Justin and his wife Wendy were already at the ceremony, so I had the house to myself.
I took a long shower, scrubbing until the last of the milk smell was gone. After drying off, I rummaged through my small closet. The only decent dress I had was a short, simple black one.
I pulled it on, fixed my hair as best as I could, and stared at myself in the mirror.
I looked… okay.
Not stunning. Not beautiful. Just okay.
I sighed. "It's not like I'm meeting the Moon Goddess or something."
Grabbing my keys, I left the house and walked to the ceremony.
*******
The entrance to the pack square was decorated with golden fairy lights, casting a warm glow over the crowd. Everyone was buzzing with excitement, but the moment I stepped inside, the mood felt… wrong.
People weren't cheering. They were whispering. Faces looked confused. Some were even upset.
I spotted Cherry, crying in her red dress while her friends consoled her.
I smirked. Guess things didn't go as planned, huh?
I turned to the woman next to me. "What's going on?"
She shook her head. "Arien… didn't find his mate."
My stomach dropped. "Wait—what? That's not possible."
Suddenly, the scent of crisp pine and fresh rain hit me like a truck. My wolf, Adelaide, whimpered in my mind, pacing anxiously.
What the hell?
I looked around, trying to figure out where the scent was coming from. The crowd around me parted, and my breath caught in my throat.
Arien Calloway was walking toward me.
His emerald-green eyes locked onto mine, burning with intensity. My pulse skyrocketed.
I took a step back, but my body wouldn't move. My feet were glued to the ground.
Arien stopped in front of me. He inhaled deeply, his gaze darkening.
Then, his lips curled into a smirk.
And in a voice that sent a shiver down my spine, he said—
"Mate."