The Unwanted Mate

The Preparations

"Yay! You'll be our Luna today!" Rain shouted excitedly, bouncing around the room.

"Stop bouncing on the bed, Rain! You'll feel dizzy," Evelyn sighed as she warned the hyper boy. She regretted letting him eat too much sugar today.

Rain stopped and took out his fifth lollipop. He carefully unwrapped it and put it in his mouth before continuing to bounce on the bed.

Evelyn shook her head as she folded all the new clothes Amelia had bought her. It was not that much, as she was only given a few more pairs of jeans and sweatshirts to wear.

"Hey, who gave you all these lollipops?" Evelyn questioned the boy who was humming a song and dancing on the bed.

Rain stopped in his tracks and took the lollipop out of his mouth before responding, "Amelia bought this for me, and they're all mango-flavored! Do you want one? I also got cupcakes and chocolate bars, but I left them in my room."

Evelyn figured Rain had consumed too many sweets based on the excitement in his tone.

"No, I don't want one. Also, this is the last candy you're eating today. No more sugary things for you!" Evelyn scolded the boy, whose smile instantly disappeared.

"But why?" Rain complained, with his full pink lips jutting out in disappointment.

"Because you already ate so much sugar! It'll make you sick. You're on a sugar high, so you're all hyped now. But it won't last for long. You'll feel drained soon," Evelyn explained as she ruffled the boy's hair.

"But I'm always like this. Even though I'm not that strong, I have a lot of energy. And it's not because I'm on sugar high–"

"No. You're not getting any more candy, understood?" Evelyn imposed on the boy, who huffed in reply.

"You're being mean!" Rain countered and pouted his lips childishly.

Evelyn rolled her eyes and told him, "It's for your own good, idiot." After speaking, she ruffled the boy's soft hair again. Their attention was caught by loud knocks on the door.

"Coming!" Evelyn exclaimed as she sprinted towards the door. She opened it and was greeted by a smiling Amelia. The woman had two paper bags, which she held up for Evelyn to see.

"Tadaaa!" The doctor excitedly mumbled as she strode past Evelyn to her room. She was followed by a tired Josh, who was carrying a handful of bigger bags. Evelyn stared at them both with eyes wide in shock.

"I went shopping today!" Amelia announced. Evelyn gasped in response.

Rain watched the girls with his head tilted in confusion while Josh sat on a chair and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Again? But you just went shopping yesterday!" Evelyn bellowed in disbelief.

"Well, this one's for you, and these are for me. Actually, these are for the two of us. Uh, don't judge me, okay? I really love shopping!" The doctor revealed as she took three paper bags and gave them to Evelyn.

"I bought a dress, shoes, and some jewelry pieces for the ceremony today!" Amelia squealed. Evelyn frowned in response.

"You shouldn't have spent your money on me! There won't be a lot of people anyway," Evelyn muttered sullenly.

"I believe Keiran would invite the whole pack. That's how the ritual is supposed to happen," Amelia sighed and added, "Moreover, this is your special day, so you deserve to look beautiful! Now, stop sulking and try the dress I bought you!"

Evelyn peeked at the paper bags in her hand. She sighed and opened one, revealing a white, chic dress. She took it out and stared at it, awestruck. Evelyn had never worn anything fancy, so a simple dress was enough to make her fascinated.

Although the dress looked elegant, it was not that fancy. It was made of lightweight flowy material, making it comfortable to wear. Amelia opted for a simple dress because she knew Evelyn was not used to wearing fancy things.

"It's beautiful!" Evelyn exclaimed, captivated by the dress' appearance.

"And you're going to look stunning today! I'm sure the alpha will be blown away!" Rain chimed in after seeing the dress.

Evelyn blushed and looked away to conceal her red cheeks. She rummaged through the next bag and pulled out a pair of shoes.

It was a pair of flat shoes with white transparent lace, embroidered with flowers and had sewn beadworks on them. The shoes looked simple yet exquisite.

"Wow!" Evelyn exclaimed and smiled. Excitement filled her face as she put the shoes on the floor. She quickly removed her slippers and slid her feet into the shoes.

"It fits perfectly!" Evelyn commented with another bright smile. She walked a few steps to test if it was comfortable.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Amelia sighed in relief. "I was afraid it wouldn't suit you because I didn't know your size. I just picked everything based on my intuition."

Amelia sat on the bed and added, "Now, go and try that dress on. I wanna see if it fits perfectly, too." And with that said, Amelia pushed Evelyn towards the bathroom.

Evelyn bobbed her head and took the dress before walking towards the bathroom to fit the dress. She stripped herself naked the moment she got inside. Putting on the dress was easy because it was made of lightweight fabric.

After zipping up the dress, Evelyn stared at her reflection in the small bathroom mirror to scrutinize her appearance. The dress fitted her perfectly, and she looked beautiful in it. Evelyn would never call herself gorgeous, but she knew she was not ugly. The dress accentuated her blonde hair, and her bright green eyes stood out. It helped highlight all her features, making her a little more confident in herself. She took a deep breath before adjusting her hair and stepping out of the bathroom.

"Oh, my Moon Goddess! Evelyn, you look gorgeous! I bet my son would lose his mind once he sees you!" Scarlett's squealing voice surprised Evelyn, and she flinched back on instinct.

Evelyn sighed in relief when she recognized it was Scarlett. "M-Mrs. Winter? You surprised me," Evelyn admitted, making Scarlett laugh.

"I'm sorry about that, dear. I should have come here earlier, but I went shopping with Amelia to buy you a dress. After that, I had to meet my husband to tell him something important," Scarlett apologized. "Also, I told you not to call me 'Mrs. Winter.' Call me Scarlett or mom," she scolded Evelyn, who blushed at her last word.

"M-Mom? I can call you mom?" Scarlett smiled at Evelyn's question.

"Yes, you can, dear. I would love to hear you call me that!" The former luna affirmed with a smile on her face.

"Mom," Evelyn uttered with a shy smile and teary eyes. She felt emotional, calling someone her mother. Scarlett smiled warmly at Evelyn, and she walked over to the omega to pull her into a tight hug.

For the first time in her life, Evelyn felt the motherly warmth she never knew she was craving all her life.

Scarlett softly caressed Evelyn's back as the omega cried onto her shoulder.

Everyone in the room witnessed the scene with smiles on their faces. They all knew Evelyn grew up without a mother. The girl did not even know who her mother was, so Scarlett acting motherly was like a blessing pouring on her.

"Well, I've captured the moment," Rain announced as he showed his phone to everyone.

Scarlett and Evelyn smiled at the boy as they separated from their embrace.

"You look amazing," Amelia praised, adjusting Evelyn's hair. "I bet Keiran's jaw will drop to the floor," she joked.

"Hey, guys. Look at Josh," Rain murmured, urging everyone to look at the guy who had snuggled up on a chair in the corner. "He's sleeping like a kid," Rain giggled as he took pictures of the beta.

"What happened to him?" Evelyn asked, confused on why the boy was sleeping in such an uncomfortable position.

"He didn't sleep yesterday because he was training, and that i***t didn't tell me about it when I asked him to help us with shopping. He thought it would end in an hour or two, but you know women," Amelia winked and had a sheepish expression on her face as she spoke.

The beta sneezed, and the three women turned to look in his direction. They caught Rain returning a daisy from the flower vase while Josh rubbed his nose repeatedly. Josh squinted his eyes and looked around the room. "Where am I?" He asked confusedly.

"You're in my room. You fell asleep on the chair," Evelyn replied to the confused beta.

"And who woke me up?" He inquired and c****d an eyebrow, rubbing his nose again.

Rain smiled and acted as if he did not do anything wrong, but the beta stared at him skeptically. Josh stood from the chair and craned his neck. He caught sight of the daisy in Rain's hand.

Rain's eyes widened as he leaped from the seat to run away, but the beta was faster. Josh caught Rain, who squealed and thrashed around in his arms.

Scarlett, Evelyn, and Amelia watched the scene with amused expressions on their faces.

"Let go of me, i***t! What are you doing?" Rain shrieked as Josh put him on his shoulder.

"Why did you put the flower near my face? Now, my nose is irritated because of you! I'm gonna get my revenge!"

"What? What revenge?"

"I will make you smell that weird plant in Amelia's garden!" Josh threatened. Amelia gasped at his words.

"But that's datura!" The doctor shouted, but she got ignored by the two bickering boys.

"Oh, no! I hate it! Let me go!" Rain struggled and slapped the beta's back as he walked to the door. "Luna, save me! This giant is kidnapping me!" Rain whimpered, to which Evelyn giggled.

"No one's gonna save you, i***t! Now, stop whining and prepare your nose for the treat!" Josh taunted and laughed evilly as he walked out of the room, carrying a screaming omega on his shoulder.

"Ah, these two," Scarlett mumbled and shook her head with a smile.

"I hope they become mates," Evelyn commented.

"Oh, no! If that happens, one of them will lose their mind," Amelia chuckled and commented.

Evelyn smiled. "Is Rain always this childish? He's too carefree. I didn't mean it in a bad way. He's really cute."

Scarlett gave her a tight lipped smile. "That's how he copes with things. None of the kids his age wanted to hang out with him. He was severely bullied so he couldn't go to school either. He was homeschooled. Only a few omegas like him. And they all babied him all the time. He uses his adorable tactics to get away with things." She chuckled.

"I see," Evelyn nodded in response. What a poor boy…