The Time I Tripped into a Curse and got two Mates

What would you do if you thought that you could never shift or find your mate? What if never finding your mate meant that you would have to leave your family and home forever, doomed to live in exile with the humans? What would you do if you did find your mate, but there were two? Around the areas of my pack, there is a yearly ball. The ball is where every unmated wolf who is over the age of 18 attends with the hope that they will meet their mate. This will be my third ball that I have attended. This should be an exciting time for a young, single she-wolf like myself. However, for me, the ball just marks another day closer to my exile. “Are you excited for the ball this year, Evelette?” My mother asked me hesitantly as I walked into the sitting room. I knew she was trying to be positive this year, but I could feel the tension between us as she gestured for me to sit down on the sofa next to her. As I got closer to her, I saw that her eyes were puffy. She must have been crying, I thought to myself. When I sat down, she pulled me into a firm hug and I felt her shake as she let loose silent tears. “No, Mom, don’t cry. See, look, I’m smiling,” I said to her as I gestured towards my face. “I’m excited and confident, really.” This year’s ball is being hosted by my pack, the Blue Pearl Pack. My mother, myself, and Luna Mora were in charge of creating a ball that would be unforgettable. We would decorate the ball in the pack colors of blue and silver and the attendees would wear the colors that represented their own packs. My mother chose my dress for the ball this year because I didn’t have the motivation to do so on my own. She still hadn’t let me see the dress yet, but I could tell that she was excited about it. I was just about to ask her when I could see this mystery dress when the sound of a sickly sweet voice rang through the sitting room. “Well, good morning ladies! Are we ready for the ball yet?” She asked with a fake smile plastered on her perfect face. This was Rina. She was the self-entitled princess of the pack, the Alpha and Luna's daughter. She was tall, blonde, and slender. She was also blessed by the Moon Goddess to have disproportionately large breasts, though part of me felt that it was actually not a blessing from the Moon Goddess, but a blessing from the local boudoir store. My father was the gamma of the pack, so my family and the Alpha’s family would socialize with each other during events and holidays. Rina and I grew up together, and we were once best friends. We were inseparable then, but our friendship ended when I turned 17. When werewolves turn 17, we meet our wolves for the first time and then we shift into wolves during the following full moon. Except, my wolf never came to me. I was standing in the forest with all the other women and men who met their wolves the previous month and waited for the shift to start. As all the others shifted into their wolves, I stood there and hoped that my wolf was just a little late. But I had no such luck. The other wolves left to take their first traditional run in the moonlight, and left me behind. I stood in the forest circle the entire night, waiting…hoping…and praying that my wolf would come to me. She never did. Because I didn’t meet my wolf, I was practically shunned by my pack. I lost my friends and the respect of the adults. I was lucky, though. My parents had a high rank within the pack so the Alpha and Luna didn’t exile me to the human settlement right away. The worst part about not meeting my wolf was the nickname that was given to me: Spiritless. They called me this because I didn’t have my wolf, I didn’t have my spirit. My parents were forever supportive of me. They told me not to worry because they felt that I must just be a late bloomer. Fortunately for me, they were right. When I turned 18, I met my wolf. When I woke up on my 18th birthday, I was startled, yet very happy to finally meet her. My relief didn’t last long because she told me we were unable to shift because I was still too weak, but I felt strong and healthy, so I was unsure why my wolf would think that we were weak. But a shift never came. So I started training my body to become even stronger. I had asked my father to train me in the warrior's way, and he did so very willingly. Over the next year, I trained with him everyday and became a better fighter than he was, so he suggested that I train with the pack warriors. Everyday I drilled my body and pushed myself to its limit. Everyday I got stronger and better at fighting. After almost another year, I was evaluated for being a pack warrior and I scored higher than most others. I continued to prove that I was stronger and more agile than your average wolf. Because of my success, the alpha gave me the respect of a warrior but would not even consider a promotion in any means. My body had become a well oiled machine and I had defined muscles all throughout my body, yet I was still lean enough to be agile. I was stronger than most of the men, in their human forms, and I was immensely stronger than any woman. I felt stronger than ever before, though I still did not know why my wolf thought we were too weak to shift. I shook myself to focus on the present and I found that my mother and Rina were still talking. My mother looked at me with sadness in her eyes, said something soft to Rina, and walked out of the room. “Do you know where my mother is going?” I asked Rina? Rina looked me up and down, her fake smile no longer visible on her perfect face. “She went to check on the ice sculptures.” Just as quickly as her smile disappeared, the “perfect” smile was back on her face. “So, do you think you will meet your mate tomorrow night? The Moon Goddess creates a mate for everyone, so I suppose they must be around somewhere.” Her voice climbed higher as she pretended to remember something. “But, oh no, that’s right! Do you think you would even recognize your mate if they were right in front of you? Considering you are soulless and all.” She dropped the sweet facade and started laughing at her words. I was incredibly angry about the warm flush of rage and pain that fled through my body. I hated that her words could hurt me the way that they did. I tried my best to make sure she didn’t notice how her words affected me while my wolf growled at her within my mind. “It’s possible.” I said with a shrug of my shoulders. “You haven’t found your mate either, have you? Perhaps this ball will be lucky for both of us.” Rina plastered her smile back on and gasped, her tone of voice taking on that of a concerned friend. “But who would want a soulless mate? Especially with a mate that is more muscular than your average woman? Don’t you think a strong mate would feel emasculated?” Rina shrugged her own shoulders and grinned. I smiled and raised one of my eyebrows. “If I didn’t know you better, Rina, I would think that you were afraid of me…or perhaps jealous? As you said, I am stronger than most in the pack.” With these words, I squared my position to her and slightly flexed my arms. I saw her pause and heard the slightest intake of breath. Before she could reply, my mother returned to the sitting room with Luna Mora, Rina’s mother. My mother was carrying a pile of tablecloths so I rushed over to help and she smiled gratefully at me. “Evelette!” My mother said my name in a sing-song voice, “I have some exciting news!” Luna Mora smiled widely at Rina and winked at her and Rina smiled even wider. “Mom, don’t tell me!” Rina squealed, “Are more high-ranking men coming? Maybe some single alphas from nearby packs? Gah, I can’t wait. With all those higher ranks, I am bound to meet my mate.” I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Here we go.