Pink Moon

Chapter 2

Despite my late start to the morning we made it to school right on time. Sebastian parked in his usual spot in front of the main entrance where his group of friends was already gathered, waiting for him. As the future Alpha of our pack it made sense as to why all the wolves flocked to him, but he never let the attention go to his head. He treated everyone he met with the same amount of respect, whether they were a fellow Alpha, one of the pack warriors, or an Omega cleaning the kitchen. She-wolves especially tried to vie for his attention, but unlike me, he believed in mates and was waiting for his perfect match. 

“You all good, little sis?” He asked as he c****d his head to the side, a slow grin playing at his lips.

“Cheeky bastard,” I said, rolling my eyes. He opened his door to get out as I reached into the back seat to grab my bag. I was just about to turn back around when I heard a few quick knocks on the window. I raised my eyebrow and smirked at the figure waving erratically outside the passenger door. 

Beaming from ear to ear was my best friend in the world, Kashara Noble. She and I had met when we were five; I had been running down the stairs of the pack house after Sebastian when I heard someone crying. That someone had turned out to be Kashara and one of the older boys in the pack had been tugging on her pigtails. Even at a young age I was fairly confrontational. I grabbed her hand and forced her to take me to the boys who were teasing her. They snickered as they saw us approach, throwing out snarky remarks, so to shut them up I stomped up to the boy that had tugged her pigtails and poked him in the eye. We’ve been inseparable since. 

I motioned for her to move out of the way so I could open the door. “Why are you always so happy in the morning? The morning is the worst time of the day.”

“Oh come on, Rheagan! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, there’s endless possibilities! It’s bright and beautiful when everything comes alive with the sun. I love a good cup of tea first thing in the morning,” she said as she spun on her toes like a ballerina.

“Mhmm, and how many cups of tea have you already had this morning exactly?”

“Only three! Why?” She wasn’t really asking, she knew the answer. Kashara was ridiculously caffeinated at all times of the day, which only partially explained her excessive personality. She was the epitome of a social butterfly. There wasn’t a wolf in school that didn’t at the very least know who she was, and I would have to admit her impeccable beauty had a lot to do with it. Kashara was one of the most beautiful girls I’d ever seen. She was one of the shortest she-wolves in our pack, the top of her head just reaching my nose, with a slender frame, almond skin, shoulder length curly black hair, and gray eyes. 

A smirk found its way to my lips as I watched her frolic about the parking lot, dancing in between cars, attracting the attention of passers-by. She always did love being the center of attention, I thought. I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned my attention to the front steps where Sebastian was being greeted by his group of friends, among them was his soon to be Beta, Cassien. 

Cas and I had a complicated history. He was my brother’s best friend and since Sebastian and I were twins, we did everything together growing up. It didn’t help that I found him impossibly attractive. He was the same height as Sebastian, around 6’1 with a lean muscular build, bronze tanned skin, and long sandy blonde fringe that always hung in his eyes, which were the most impossible shade of blue. I had been considered one of the boys since the day my father allowed me to train with the pack warriors, which meant that Cas had never once looked in my direction unless we were on the dueling ground. Despite his stunning appearance, I told myself I was lucky that I hadn’t fallen under his gaze; unlike my brother he used his popularity to his advantage, and changed lovers like he changed socks. 

He caught my stare and winked. You good over there, Riley? Looks like you’re drooling, Cas’s voice sounded in my head.

Don’t make me come over there Daniels. I wouldn’t want to make you look bad in front of your flavor of the week, I shot back.

I saw him smirk in response and a low growl rumbled from my chest. Kashara appeared  back at my side in that moment and looped her arm through mine.

“So, do we have any other plans this morning besides staring at Cas all day? Not that I’m complaining, he’s gorgeous,” she cooed, batting her eyelashes.

“I wasn’t staring!”

“Sure you weren’t.”

I made a pouty face and she laughed, leading me towards the cafeteria. I had a habit of waking up too late for breakfast, so we made a point of grabbing a snack before we headed to homeroom.

“Do you want to talk about what’s got you grumpier than usual this morning?” Kashara asked, punching in the code for a honeybun from the vending machine. 

I filled her in on what had happened this morning as we made our way to class. My embarrassing moment being called out in front of the pack, my worries regarding my mother’s expectations, and my realization of how close it was to my birthday. 

“So now on top of worrying about toeing the line around my parents, I have to worry about some big party my mom is planning. Sebastian is practically jumping for joy at the possibility of meeting his mate, but I’m getting more anxious by the second. What if he finds me, Kashara? I don’t want a mate! I don’t want to be someone’s property. What if he’s like all those Alpha’s you hear stories about? What if-,” Kashara slapped her hand over my mouth. 

“Rhea, chill. Just breathe, okay?” I nodded and she took her hand off my mouth. “First, there’s no guarantee you’ll meet your mate as soon as you turn 18. These things take time. Plus, if your mate is like any of those Alpha’s from the stories, he’ll have me to worry about.”

Kashara was one of the fiercest warriors in Pearl Moon Pack; a force to be reckoned with on the dueling grounds. I smiled at her protectiveness. 

“I’m sure he wouldn’t want that.”

She sighed and sat in her usual spot in homeroom. “I don’t think there’s much you can do about that part. But what I do know is that you’re the strongest person I know, if you’re being mistreated you’ll do whatever it takes to stop it. And if that means rejecting your mate, so be it. I’ll be here for you every step of the way.” She leaned across the aisle and squeezed my hand. 

I appreciated her support. I knew that it was hard for her to understand my disdain for mates. She had heard the same stories I had, but it hadn’t deterred her from fantasizing about finding her perfect match. Part of me wished I could be like other she-wolves daydreaming about the wolf that would one day sweep them off their feet, adoring every inch of them, loving them heart and soul. I just couldn’t shake the dread that came knowing my fate was to be someone’s possession for the rest of my days; that all I was good for was supporting my Alpha and bearing his pups. 

I had more to offer than what was expected of me. I was more than what I was told I had to be. And I was going to fight with all I had to prove it.