Wolfbound: The Alpha's Chosen Mate

“She’s twenty and still no wolf?” Laughter echoed in the dark as Emilia gasped for air, heart pounding. “Maybe the moon goddess forgot she exists.” “Or maybe she was never worthy of the gift,” another voice sneered. Faces surrounded her, blurry. The shadows moved closer, circling her. Emilia turned and ran. Barefoot, breath hitching, she sprinted through the darkness, thorns and stones cutting her skin. Behind her, the laughter twisted into a low, menacing growl. She turned her head, only to see a pair of glowing grey eyes and blood-soaked claws lunging toward her. She froze. She couldn’t scream. The wolf came at her. But instead of pain, SPLASH! A wave of cold hit her face. Gasping, Emilia jolted upright in bed. Velda stood at the foot of the bed, plastic bowl in hand, her face tight with disdain. Her perfectly lined lips curled into a sneer. “Get up already,” she snapped. “You think you get to sleep like some pampered mutt?” For a moment, Emilia stared at her, chest still heaving. The dream had felt so real. Too real. She glanced at the purple, faded clock her father had given her on her twelfth birthday. 5:30 a.m. “s**t,” she muttered. “Language,” Velda hissed, scanning the room with disgust. “This place smells worse than a rogue den. Clean it. And you have laundry, dishes, the chicken coop, and the elder’s herbs to sort by noon. Move.” Emilia sat there, soaked and silent, letting the cold water drip down her back. Another day in the house that used to be her home. “Y… yes, Madam Velda,” Emilia stammered, her voice barely reaching the doorway. But she knew Velda had heard her. She always did. A reply would be asking for too much. As the sound of Velda’s footsteps faded down the hallway, Emilia let herself fall back onto the bed. Her heart was still pounding from the nightmare that had jolted her awake earlier. The nightmares had started on her eighteenth birthday, the night she didn’t get her wolf. Every full moon since then had brought her nothing but sleepless nights and shame. She’d held on to hope at nineteen. Then twenty. Now, at twenty-one, she was still wolfless. She was the only one in the pack without a wolf. An omega with no power. No status. No friends. She was a ghost in her own home. The full moon ceremony was tonight. Her eyes widened. She shot up from bed, her breath catching in her throat. How could she have forgotten? Tugging a hoodie over her nightdress, she stepped out of the room and walked down the hallway. She paused at a door, her old room. Soft snores leaked through the door. Talia. After her father died in the war four years ago, Talia had suddenly taken a liking to Emilia’s room. Velda hadn't objected. Of course, she hadn’t. The room switch was forced on her, just like everything else. She tore her gaze away and headed to the kitchen. There were dishes to wash and chores to finish before the ceremony. She couldn’t afford to be late. Not tonight. Tonight, she would be mated to Kael, the future Alpha. A shy smile played on her lips, warming her from within. Kael had promised to choose her, wolf or not. He said she was his mate. That she was enough. An omega being chosen was rare. An omega without a wolf? Unheard of. But Kael had seen her. And that had kept her going. Hours later, she folded the last cloth and placed it in Velda’s wardrobe, finally done for the day. Then came the voice, sharp, and smug. “There you are.” She didn’t need to turn to know it was Talia. The girl never woke before sunrise unless it was to torment someone. “You forgot these last night,” Talia said with a mocking smile, tossing a pile of clothes at Emilia’s feet. “Be careful. These are quality.” She began to walk away, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, and I need my morning tea. ASAP.” “Talia!” Emilia snapped, her voice cracking. Blood pounded in her ears. Her patience had been stretched too thin. She bent, grabbed the clothes, and stormed after her. “What if,” she hissed, shoving the pile into Talia’s hands, “you take these clothes to the laundry and wash them yourself?” “Also, don’t you think it’s a little too late for your morning tea?” Emilia’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “What if I tell my mother about this?” Talia tilted her head, feigning innocence. She dropped the folded clothes to the floor again and smirked. “You’d be out on the street. You should be grateful.” With that, she turned and strutted away. Emilia clenched her jaw, then bent down to pick up the clothes again. Since her father's death, she’d had no choice. Everything had somehow ended up in Velda’s name. Her stepmother’s name. She knew the will had been tampered with. One day, she'd prove it. One day… when she became Luna. She straightened and glanced at the mirror. A blue floral dress hugged her curves, stopping just below her knees. She adjusted the necklace Kael had given her last week. Her only treasure. She looked beautiful. But beauty was irrelevant here. In Ashbourne, all they ever saw was her size. Except Kael. He saw her. He always had. They’d grown up together as friends, then lovers. And he never hid it, not even when others mocked him for loving an omega. Grabbing her phone, Emilia dashed out of the house. The cool evening breeze tangled her auburn curls as she ran toward the celebration hall. Music floated out into the night. Her heart pounded from anticipation. Her eyes scanned the room. And there he was, Kael. Her peace in a world that barely tolerated her. But just as she stepped forward, she heard a voice. "Emilia." She froze. She spun around, no one. Just chatter, laughter, and music. Then again, “Emilia...” Softer this time. Not from the crowd. From inside her. Her breath caught in her throat. ‘No... it can’t be.’ Her eyes widened, a chill spreading through her chest. She pressed a hand to her stomach. The air around her thinned. "My wolf," she whispered.