my mate is my cousin brother

They say matches are made in heaven… Our life partner is chosen by God Himself, and no matter how hard we try, only what God wills will happen. Hello, my name is Crystal, and I’m 17 years old. Okay, okay, I’ll soon be turning 18 in a few days. I live in Georgia with my uncle and aunt. That’s because I’m an orphan… since childhood. My uncle, Mr. Edward Grayson, told me that my parents died in a car accident when I was born. Since then, my uncle brought me into his home, and that’s why I respect him a lot. But it’s not like I’m very happy with my life… because I don’t really like my aunt, Katty Grayson. But that’s not the real reason for my unhappiness. The real reason is their good-for-nothing son. I don’t know what terrible sin I committed in my past life to deserve this fate. Maybe a hundred devils had to die for him to be born. I’m the closest to my uncle in this house, and I consider him my idol because he is the Alpha of our entire pack. He’s well-known across Georgia and is one of the most powerful figures here. On the other hand, his son, who I absolutely can’t stand, has made my life hell from childhood until now. Unfortunately, he’s the next Alpha of our pack. Leave it. Morning White House It was a cold winter morning, and snow was falling outside. Inside a small room, a girl lay sleeping under a blanket. Her golden hair covered her face, but as she turned in her sleep, her beautiful face was revealed—her closed eyelids enhancing her natural beauty, which was even greater than that of a celestial nymph. Suddenly, the alarm in her room went off, breaking her sleep. She sat up and glared at the alarm as if she was about to murder it. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do that. I quickly ran to the washroom. A little later, I came downstairs, dressed in my school uniform, where Uncle and Aunt were already having breakfast. When Uncle saw me, he smiled and said, "Good morning, sweetheart." I returned a faint smile and replied, "Good morning, Uncle." Then I sat at the breakfast table. My aunt never really liked me much; she was always full of attitude. I started having breakfast, and just then, the elevator came down, and its doors opened. Out came a tall figure, and I rolled my eyes. Because it was Alaric Grayson—our pack’s next Alpha. At that moment, he was wearing a white T-shirt with blue-black jeans and a blazer. He was about to turn 21 but had the personality of a 28-year-old man. Alaric hugged Aunt and said, "Good morning, Mommy." Aunt patted his back and said, "Good morning, my baby." Then Alaric greeted Uncle with a "Good morning," to which Uncle responded as well. I made a face. How can a 21-year-old boy be called "baby"? I totally ignored Alaric. After finishing my breakfast, I pulled out a form from my school bag and said to Uncle, "Uncle, please sign this." Alaric and Aunt suddenly became alert. I added, "This is the school tour form. I need to go too. Please sign it." Uncle wiped his mouth with a tissue and was about to sign when Alaric, still eating, said, "Dad, before signing, maybe you should take a look at this report card." Hearing this, I immediately looked at Alaric, who had an evil smile on his lips and my report card in his hand. I quickly tried to grab it, but he raised his hand out of my reach. "Come on, sweetheart," he said mockingly. "What’s the rush? It’s your report card. Take your time to see it. Let Dad have a look first." I glared at the jerk, who had a teasing smile on his face. Alaric handed the report card to Uncle. I prayed silently to God, "Please save me." But it seemed even God didn’t have mercy on me today. When Uncle looked at the report card, he raised his head and said, "What is this, Crystal? Why are your grades so low? I’m very disappointed." Hearing this, tears welled up in my eyes, and I bowed my head in shame. Then Uncle returned the form to me and said, "There’s no need for you to go on any school trip. From now on, I’ll hire a tutor for you so you can study well. It’s time for your board exams, and I don’t want your results to be ruined." Uncle said this, wiped his hands, kissed Aunt on the lips, and left. Aunt looked at me and taunted, "I always regret that my husband raised an orphan like you. You should have died with your parents in that car accident. My husband only expects good grades from you, which you can’t even achieve. What can you expect from a girl like you? Now he’ll hire a tutor for you. I hope you do well in your board exams." Aunt always taunted me about being an orphan, as if she had done me a huge favor by raising me. I hated her. Saying this, Aunt left, and my eyes filled with tears. I picked up my school bag, wiped my tears with one hand, and left the house. Yes, I was weak in studies, and honestly, I didn’t like studying at all. I didn’t even want to take the science stream, but my enemy, Alaric Grayson, had forced me to choose it. I stood outside the house, waiting for the bus, when a sleek black car stopped in front of me. Rolling my eyes, I recognized it as Alaric Grayson’s car. The window rolled down, and the devil’s handsome face appeared—yes, Alaric Grayson. He looked at me with an evil smile and said, "Hello, Kitty. Hop in." I didn’t want to argue with Alaric, so I said, "Don’t worry about me. I’ll go myself." Alaric glared at me and said, "I’m not asking; I’m telling you. So get in and sit." I ignored him and started walking ahead of the car. I was walking alone on the road when suddenly two strong arms grabbed my waist and lifted me. Before I could understand what was happening, I was inside the black car. Frustrated, I closed my eyes and said, "Alaric…" Leaning closer to me, Alaric said, "Uff, my Kitty… my name on your lips sounds so beautiful." I glared at him and said, "You i***t!" Alaric pulled my braid hard, started the car, and said, "Thank you." I crossed my arms and looked away. I didn’t want to see his face, but Alaric kept trying to talk to me. I don’t know what was wrong with him today. Looking at me while driving, Alaric said, "Hey, Kitty, you’re about to turn 18 soon." I looked at him and rudely said, "So what?" Alaric smiled and said, "Nothing. I was just saying… you’re about to turn 18, and according to the Mate Bond, you’re going to find your mate soon." I looked at him as if he were crazy and then burst out laughing. "Seriously? You believe in this stuff? It’s just a myth." Alaric stopped the car, glared at me, and said, "This is not a myth. It’s real." I got out of the car and said, "Even if it’s true, it doesn’t matter to me… because I know my fate is written in black ink." Saying this, I walked into the school gate. Meanwhile, Alaric’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.