Elena's POV
Today is my eighteenth birthday. I'm not expecting any presents because nobody cares, except maybe Maria, my only friend.
I didn't expect a birthday cake, fancy dress, or a party. There is just nobody who cares about what is happening to me and whether I find a mate or not. Because I have no wolf, I do not think I will get a mate. How will I know he is my mate if I do not have a wolf? I do not know how it works, but I feel I have a wolf somewhere. Perhaps she cannot get to me. I do not understand why. Maybe the Moon Goddess is blocking her.
I do not deserve a wolf because I was responsible for my mother's death. I noticed more to her taste than meets the eye, but I will find out what it was or who was responsible one day. I am partly responsible for her death, but not totally. I feel somebody has planned her death, and I will find out who and why.
I always try to be last at school because I do not want to run into the bullies.
I'm walking through the forest because I do not want to walk in the path where they can get me. As I walk through the bushes, I hear a wolf behind me. He smells like cedar wood. Can it be? Am I smelling my mates? How is it possible? Because I do not have a wolf.
I feel something stir inside me as if something wants to break free but cannot. It feels like someone or somebody is screaming at me to come and help them. It feels like it is far away from me.
I look around to see who is following me. Mard slips a bit as I see it is Stephen Howards. Why is he following me? I tried to hide from him. However, he's smelling in the air.
"Something smells so lovely. Where are you, my mate? Come out so I can see you. I know you are here, and you can not hide from me." Stephen says.
I am shivering because he will never accept me as his mate. I am the one without a wolf, and although I am the Alpha's daughter, I am useless to him as my brother will become Alpha one day. I dare not come out of my hiding place. He is coming closer, and I know he will find me.
"Seriously, Stephen? I thought that I was your mate. He cannot be serious about this mate thing. What if she is but an omega? You will get nowhere in this pack with an omega as your mate." Sophia says.
"Sophia is turning eighteen next week. I'm sure this is a misunderstanding. I am sure that you have to be mates. The two of you have always been close to each other. I cannot see that you will have another mate." Henry says.
I'm also sure there must be a misunderstanding because Stephen hates me. He never liked me. He always picked on me and hated being close to me. I cannot let him find me. I know I will be bullied and made fun of. I try to sneak away, but Stephen turns his head and walks straight in my direction. I know this is not going to end well for me. He's sniffing the air.
"I'm telling all of you. I am smelling cherry blossoms. It is the best smell I've ever smelt. And my wolf is going crazy inside of me. I have to find her." Stephen says, and I try to walk a little faster so he cannot get close to me.
I can see them, but they cannot see me as I hide in bushes as I walk. Still, he is coming closer to me. I want to run, but they will notice me as soon as I start running. And I do not want them to see me. I know my punishment will be severe if I dare to admit that Stephen is my mate.
I disappear behind the bushes, but the next moment, he jumps up in front of me.
"Did you think that you could run away from me, mate? You?! This is impossible. You cannot be my mate. The Moon Goddess is playing a sick joke on me. How can a mere human be my mate? Finding my mate was supposed to be the most beautiful day of my life. But now you show up. How dare you spoil this important day of my life? You have always been a nuisance to this pack. And now you are an embarrassment to me. I will make you pay!" Stephen says as he slaps me. It is a hard slap, and I fall to the ground. I start to reverse away from him, knowing I will be hit again if I get on my feet. It hurts, and I do not have a wolf to heal me.
"Please just reject me and let me go." I beg. I know I cannot fight anybody that has a wolf.
"Hahahahaha, she is your mate! What a pathetic loser you are. Nobody wants her as a mate. She is only a human and does not even have a wolf. I cannot believe she's your mate. Did you think that you could do better than me?" Sophia teases Stephen, making him even angrier at me.
"I, Stephen Howards, torture Beta of the Silver River Pack, reject you, Elena Wilson, human without a bloody wolf!" Stephen shouts at me.
"I accept your rejection." I say, feeling my heart breaking. I do not know how this is possible, as I do not have a wolf. How can I think anything about a mate bond if I do not have a wolf? Why does it feel like a wolf cries with me somewhere far away?
"Get up your coward and fight for your life. I am sick and tired of you, and I am sure everybody around me feels the same." Stephen says.
I know he must be hurting, and his wolf must be angry with him for rejecting his mate. And he wants to take his hurt out on somebody. And I am the only one he can take it all out on.
I am looking for help from my brother, Henry. We used to be close when we were children. He used to protect me when we were playing as young children. We used to share all our toys and steal cookies from the kitchen together. We have not talked since my mother died, but he must still feel something for me, as I am his sister. And we did grow up together.
However, Henry turns around and walks away. I cannot expect any help from him. I am not sure I can fight this pack's future beta.
"It is not my fault that I am your mate. Why are you angry at me? I did nothing wrong. I accepted your rejection." I say in a small voice, trying to get away from him by reversing into the back of a tree.
He grabs me by my hair and pulls me up onto my feet. I know I will have to fight him, but he will not want to lose this fight and will use all his strength against me. She has been humiliated enough today by me being his mate.
I look in the direction where Henry has disappeared. I know I cannot expect any help from him. He is not in school anymore. Henry is about a year older than me, and I used to be his and my father's princess. Now, I am nothing to them, and they blame me for my mother's death.
Even when Henry was in school after my mother's death, and they bullied me, he would look on and never protect me. He will never participate, but he will not protect me. I know I cannot count on him today and will have to fight Stephen alone.
I can feel myself shivering as Stephen gets ready to fight me. Perhaps it's not too late to run away. Maybe if I can get somewhere where I can be safe, he will not fight me.
However, the other wolves stop me when I try to run away. They laugh and shout at me that I am a coward, like when my mother died. It angers me, and I feel helpless because I do not have a wolf. This is an unfair fight, but I will have to try and fight him, even though I know I can never win him.
I pray to the Moon Goddess. I do not know if she hears me because I do not think she cares about me. Why didn't she give me a wolf if she cared about me? I am eighteen today, and this was my last chance to get my wolf, but I would have gotten my wolf at midnight if I were to have one. I know I am not one of her children, and maybe once I was. I think she's angry at me for killing a Luna like my mother, Alyssa.
I remember what my uncle told me and how to fight in human form. I am not as strong as someone with a wolf, and I know this will not end well for me.
Stephen moved first, but I saw his move coming and moved out of his way. It makes him angry that I could avoid his attack. He comes full force at me. The first blow falls on my body. I know I am not strong enough to fight him. I feel myself stumbling back.
He hits me again, this time harder, and I feel my nose is starting to bleed as he hits me full in my face. He is too fast for me, and he starts kicking me as soon as I fall on the ground.
It is a wolfpack, and here, it does not matter if you are male or female. You must be able to protect yourself against anyone.
I start moving backward as I am hurt and know I can not defend myself against his strength. I do not realize how close I have come to the cliff. The cliff is where our border is. And I usually walk by the cliff, so they can't get me until I get to school.
"Stop it! She is going to fall!" Someone shouts. I realize Maria comes running to help me, but it is too late as Stephen kicks me, and I lose my balance.
"No! Elena! What the hell have you done?" I hear Henry shout as I start falling. I know I am going to die. The cliff is very steep. And although it has been snowing, I know I cannot survive this fall because there are a lot of rocks on the way down.
I look up and see Maria and Henry's faces looking at me while I'm falling. At least I know my brother still cares about me before I die.
"Elena, I will come and fetch you!" Henry shouts. I know you cannot come and fetch me. No one can go down the cliff as it is forbidden territory.
"Bye, brother. I always loved you and Daddy. Remember me as the princess you once loved and not the murderer you hated." I shout as I fall.