Alone: My Cursed Fate

*Vienna* I wake up to the sound of pounding on my bedroom door. I groan, rolling over and covering my head with the blankets, but the pounding continues. I throw the blankets off and sit up wiping the sleep from my eyes. Light trickles through the blinds of my window. Suddenly I remember what day it is. Jumping out of bed, I race to open the door and find my best friend, Matteo, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He is still in his T-shirt and plaid pajama pants. His jet-black curly hair is a mess having just gotten out of bed himself. Compared to my 5’4”, petite frame, he towers over me at 6 feet and 2 inches of pure lean muscle. He gives me my favorite lopsided smile with dimples. “Happy Birthday, V”. I squeal and jump into his arms for a huge hug. Today is our 16th birthday. That’s right, OUR birthday. We were born on the exact same day just two hours apart, and we have been inseparable ever since. Our parents are best friends too. His parents are Alpha and Luna and mine are the Betas of our pack, the Diamond Willow pack. “Happy Birthday, Matty!” “Thanks, V. I have to go eat breakfast with my parents, but do you want to meet me at the tree house in 1 hour?” “Sure, see you there!”, I say with a giddy smile on my face. I close the door as he turns to walk away and I lean against the closed door. My room is on the second floor of the pack house, the Beta and Gammas floor. My parent's room is next door and the Gamma's quarters are further down the hall. There are a lot of empty rooms on this floor because I am an only child and Gamma Dean never met his fated mate. Matty is on the third floor in the Alpha's suite with his parents, Alpha Mark and Luna Elouise, and his two younger sisters. I jump in the shower and wash my hair, letting the warm water run down my body. When finished, I turn the water off and grab a warm, fluffy towel to dry off. I pull on my favorite pair of jeans and a simple, forest green short sleeve shirt- my favorite color because it matches the deep green color of Matty’s eyes (but I would never admit that to him). Standing in front of the mirror, I begin applying a light coat of makeup. I have never been one to focus too much on appearances. I have always found that my own sense of self-worth comes from my kindness, intelligence, and independence, rather than how I look or what I wear. I am naturally very pretty though- I have always loved my long wavy golden-brown hair, my hazel eyes, and my petite frame. Finally, I grab my shoes and head out the door excited to start the day. I run down the packhouse steps and into the kitchen. I am close friends with two of the omegas that help out in the kitchen on the weekends and after school to make money. At our pack, each member is valued and treated with respect no matter their rank. In the werewolf world, it is not uncommon to hear of packs out there that abuse omegas, take away their rights, and make them slaves. I am so fortunate to have grown up in a pack led by a fair and kind Alpha and Luna. I slide onto a stool at the kitchen island across from my friend, Lydia, who is making a pot of coffee. Lydia is a sweet, shy shewolf with straight blonde hair and soft blue eyes. Cass bursts through the kitchen doors with a tray full of donuts and a huge smile. Cass is a funny, feisty shewolf with shoulder-length fire-red hair and a face full of freckles. The three of us have been friends since we started school together at the age of 5. We start chatting about birthday plans. We are going to celebrate this weekend by going shopping and then Matteo and I are going to host a beach bonfire party Saturday night. Our pack is uniquely located amidst a beautiful forest in what the humans call the North Shore of Minnesota. The eastern border of our pack meets the coastline of Lake Superior. It is now the middle of August, summer here in Minnesota, and we are blessed with gorgeous weather and temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Come this winter, it will turn to frigid temperatures, gusty winds, and feet of snow. As werewolves, we don't really mind the cold weather though. My parents, Betas Patrick and Lena, enter the kitchen and pull me into a hug wishing me a happy birthday. My mom has the same wavy golden-brown hair as me, but I have my father's hazel eyes. They have always been very supportive and loving parents. I chat for a bit longer with them but then realize it has been about an hour and Matteo will be meeting me soon. I give them one last quick hug as I tell them I will see them later for lunch. I walk out of the packhouse doors and take a moment to bask in the beautiful morning sunshine. Today is going to be the perfect day- The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and a light breeze makes my hair dance across my face. I continue my walk to the edge of the forest, saying good morning and waving to pack members that I pass on the way. I quickly navigate the path through the trees that I know like the back of my hand until I finally reach our place. The tree house. Our parents built this tree house for the two of us for our 5th birthday. Since then, we have come here nearly every day. I climb up the ladder and find Matteo sitting on our gigantic bean bag chair. I smile and collapse next to him and we begin planning our birthday bash at the lake this weekend. *Matteo* I have been looking forward to seeing Vienna all day even though it has been only an hour since I saw her this morning and I see her every single day. She has this comforting presence and a calming nature. Her smile lights up any room and she is the kindest, most compassionate person that I have ever met. I may be a little biased since she is my best friend, but I can't help but admire her. She has this certain effect on people that is hard not to notice. I can’t help but smile as she animatedly tells me about how she is going to beg her parents for a puppy later today for her birthday. She has this habit of talking with her hands and waving them about whenever she is passionate about something. “They just don’t understand, Matty. They think that I don’t need a dog because I am literally surrounded by werewolves all day as if that is the same thing as having a pet. They say I shouldn't get a dog because most werewolves don't like dogs and if I meet my mate in two years, he may not like having a dog. I think they are just using that as an excuse because they are worried they will have to take care of it." “I like dogs...” “I know you do, but what if my mate doesn’t?” “What if I am your mate?”, I accidentally say. She pauses and looks at me with wide eyes and a shocked look on her face. “What, V? You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about that as a possibility at all?” She shies away, looking down, trying to hide the blush that crept onto her face. I gently lift her chin so that she is looking me in the eyes. “Well, have you? Thought about us? Because I have thought about it and it really doesn’t seem that crazy to me”. With barely a whisper she responds,”It’s not crazy at all. I just... I just don't want to get my heart set on it in case you are fated to someone else ”. I release the breath I was holding, my anxiety lessening. This is the first time we have broached this topic. I have had feelings for her for as long as I can remember. "V, everyone always says that our mates are supposed to complete us. They are supposed to compliment us in every way possible and be perfect in our eyes. I know there are billions of other people out there; there are other shewolves, humans, witches, fairies, and hundreds of other species living amongst us. But to me, there is only you". She inhales sharply and her eyes briefly glance down at my lips. I am suddenly very aware that our faces are only inches apart. She slowly wets her lips with the tip of her tongue and I take that as my signal as I slowly lean in...