Claimed by Two Alphas

My life is perfect. I glance at my reflection in the mirror and smile in satisfaction at what I see. My long blond hair falls in soft, shiny curls, my baby-blue eyes are big and sparkling, and my makeup is perfect. I sigh contently. I turn towards my bed, where the tiny red dress is waiting for me along with sky-high red heels—an outfit carefully picked out by me and my two best friends, Briana and Laura. They both left not ten minutes ago after helping me do my hair and makeup, traces of the hours we spent together visible all over the room in heaps of cosmetic products, clothes, and snacks all over the floor. Oh, well. The maid would take care of that before I returned from my date tonight. I feel a bit bad for leaving this mess for her to deal with, but I quickly push the thought away. Nervousness spreads across my stomach as I shimmy into the dress and slip into the heels, and I force myself to take a few calming breaths. Why am I being so anxious? I am going on a date with my mate, for goodness sake. Like I did dozens of times before. But even as I think that I know it is not exactly true. This time is different. Only three days ago, Darius turned eighteen, had his first shift, and publicly recognized me as his true mate. I am only seventeen, so I can not feel the mate bond yet, but we've been dating for over a year, so this was only natural. And, honestly, everything we had hoped for. Tonight was our first official date as mates. My thoughts take a dreamy turn as I ponder over the perfection that is our relationship. Darius is the next Alpha in line, and I come from a long line of strong and honorable Betas. Together, we will lead the Silverpine pack and have a beautiful family. Our future looks nothing but bright. On my way down the stairs, I gently stroke my fingers across the cool glass of my father's picture. A familiar pang of loss hits me almost immediately, but I quickly force it down. Nothing will spoil tonight for me. *** I wait for Darius in the living room. He is late, as usual, but I won't reprimand him for it. I never do, and he loves me for it. Still, I silently pray for him to hurry up so my mother doesn't catch me here before I get a chance to escape. Of course, my hope falls flat. I don't hear her footsteps—she is a trained warrior, as is every other member of my family, and I don't have my wolf senses yet to warn me. So, I notice her presence only when she enters the room. Shit. "Going out with Darius again?" she asks, although she knows the answer already. I take a calming breath before I answer. I love my mom, and we have a great relationship, but her distrust for my mate is getting on my nerves. "Yeah. He's taking me to a fancy restaurant to celebrate our mate bond." I can't help but smile as I respond. He's such a gentleman. "Isn't it a bit early for that? There's no bond yet, Elara." She makes a face as if the mere idea is stupid. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Darius doesn't like it when I do that. He says it's not very ladylike. And as a future Luna, I do need to mind my manners. So I school my face and plaster a smile on my face. "You have a point. But since Darius's wolf already recognized me as his mate, it's only a matter of time. My eighteenth birthday is only eight months away, and there's no doubt the bond will snap into place as soon as I have had my first shift." "Ellie," my mum opens her mouth to say more but gets interrupted by the doorbell. I sigh in relief. Saved by the bell—a cliche, but I welcome it. I wave at her and hurry to open the door. My heart flutters at the sight of my mate. He is tall and strong, with wide shoulders and big muscles. His sandy blond hair is styled to perfection, and his almond eyes crinkle with hunger as he takes me in. Tonight, he is wearing faded jeans, stylishly ripped, and a white collared shirt. The scent of expensive cologne fills the air around us as I offer him my cheek for a chaste kiss. No PDA is also one of Darius's rules, perhaps the one I hate the most. But I don't pout because I know by now he will more than make up for it once we are alone. So I shily accept the bouquet of red roses and thank him, leaning in to inhale its sweet smell. "Ready to go, baby?" he asks in that sexy tone I like. I nod. "Yeah. Let me just put these in the water, and we can go." I rush to the kitchen and hand the roses over to the maid, who smiles at me encouragingly. Darius and I have been together for over a year now, and all the wolves in our pack know about our relationship. They've all been rooting for us to be true mates in the end. At least, I choose to believe that. So I smile back at her and rush back to the front door to my man and our fairytale ending.