"I, Kraig Gewählt, future Alpha of the Hamza Dum Pack, reject you, Delina, as my mate and future Luna!"
Those words made Delina's heart retract in pain. The happiness she felt moments ago when she found out her mate was around and she could finally have a chance in this life was now crumbled to small pieces.
"Please, don't..." the tears were already flooding her vision and the words were stucking in her throat.
"Now, accept it!" Kraig hold her shoulders and started to shake her with more vehemence, when she shook her head with an inaudible 'no' in her mouth. "I am not having you as my mate and Luna of this pack. You are weak, human! If you have any respect for this pack, just accept it!"
He was spitting the words on her face. She couldn't say anything. He let her go with brutality and her hack hit the wall behind her. Without strength on her legs due to her suffering, she couldn't hold herself and fell to the ground.
Kraig pointed his finger at her and said nothing, but the promise in his eyes was clear: you do it or you will regret it, for I'll make sure of this! He left without a second glance at her.
Delina didn't know for how long she stayed there. It was her birthday and since the moment she understood she was a human and would never have a wolf, like the other kids in the pack, finding her mate became her dream. A mate is to protect you, to care for you and to bring you joy. Being an orphan who didn't know her roots and spending her childhood and teenage life as a scum, she held onto the 'mate' thing as if her life depended on it. Her hopes was that one of the werewolf would find her as his mate. She saw how this bond worked and she craved for it.
"Oh, my Goodness, Delina!" Nora came running to her best friend, who was still crying on the floor. "I've been looking for you since you left the classroom! What happened?" She knelt beside Delina and held her.
"He... he rejected me." Delina said, between sobs. Nora held her tighter.
"He is an idiot, that is what he is. You are the greatest person I have ever met in my life and any werewolf that was destined to you by the Moon Goddess should be thankful for that." She loosed her hug on Delina to look at the girl. "Come on, let's get out of here." Delina only nodded and got up with Nora's assistance.
They went to Nora's car and headed to their favorite spot: the willow tree near the river. They used to go there when they wanted to be only the two of them, without anybody to mock or say mean things. It was their sacred peace place. Before they went there, Nora made a stop by her house to grab the cake she prepared for Delina and other delicious food she knew were her bestie's favorites.
Kraig was watching them from a distance at the parking lot, but his attention was diverted by a melodious voice near him. Keira. She was pestering him for a while, now. Since they were fifteen she couldn't let go the idea of becoming his Luna.
He had been avoiding her because he wanted to officially date only his mate. Of course, as a health, young male, he went out with many girls in the pack, but never Keira. She was the Beta's daughter and the day he fucked her, would be the day he would have to marry her, because his father cared a lot for her and if she said she wanted marriage, even though she was no virgin, his father would make him marry the slut.
"Not today, Keira. See you later." He didn't pay attention to what she was saying, but only cut her off, entered his car and left.
Keira got pissed off. She was the most beautiful girl in the pack and every boy wanted to date her. Her blonde hair and green eyes were charming, but her big boobs made all the difference, along with her long legs. She stomped her foot and went to her own car.
"Hey, what's up, Keira?" She ignored Kendric and passed by him, furious. He said no more, because he knew very well how was her temper. Probably dumped again by Kraig. He smiled. She didn't deserve his best friend.
Delina was on the blanket Nora had stretched out on the ground. She was not crying now, but her heart was still in pain. When she arrived at the pack she was a newborn, left in a baby's blanket, with a ring inside her clothes. Isla Gewählt took care of her for the first few months, since she herself was breastfeeding her own soon. She kept the ring for Delina until her 12th birthday, when she believed the girl was mature enough to take care of the only clue about her own past.
When she was almost one year old, Isla left Delina at the orphanage, because this was the rule applied for every orphan kid without a known family member. But she always visited, because she loved Delina. Although the other kids didn't treat her well, because it was clear her smell was different, of a common human, none dared to lay a finger on her, for the Luna protected her and would never permit it.
The funny things is that Kraig was always with his father, learning how to be an Alpha, so Delina and him were never that close. When Isla died, two years ago during a rogue attack, they hardly spoke and the protection Delina was under, ceased.
Elinor Saito was the headmistress of the orphanage and a good woman who tried to protect all her kids, especially the weak ones, like Delina. She arrived at the pack with her daughter inside her belly, Nora, after the pass of her own husband. They both met at an educational conference and married, for they were fated mates. But during a rogue attack at his pack, he was deceased and she decided to return to her own pack. After two years of her return, she became the headmistress of that orphanage.
Nora and Delina became friends, since they lived practically together and they felt a sisterly affection toward one another. No matter how much other kids bullied Delina, Nora was always there for her, even when Keira Dowllery, the Beta's daughter, was the bully. And boy, most of the time, she was.
"Happy Birthday!" Nora came from the car, holding a cake and a basket, probably full of nice stuff.
"Oh, Nora..." Delina was on the verge of crying again.
"No, no crying! It is your day and we had a problem by morning, which we will talk about later, but right now, we will celebrate your eighteenth birthday. Now, you are an adult and will be able to have more freedom to come and go, as you please."
"I'll be kicked out of the orphanage, that's what's going to happen. So, yeah, freedom." Delina said.
"Of course not! Only you could talk such nonsense. You know you'll stay with us until you get a job, have your own home. Until the day you don't want to stay with us anymore... I'll always support you, and so will mother."
"I know. Both of you were light in my life, along with Luna Isla." Talking about the Luna reminded Delina of Kraig and, for sure, the rejection.
"Take a napkin and dry those tears. It's cake time!" She ditty. "Only you and me. Later mother will prepare dinner for you, but I wanted to have this time with my best, who is more than a friend to me. More than a best friend: a sister."
With this, Nora lighted the candle and Delina made a wish before she blew it. Not for Kraig to love her or regret his decision, but to be able to find her place in this world.
They ate the cake and the other sweets and drank soda. Delina was relieved to have such a friend as Nora. If she were by herself, she knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself up, after Kraig's refusal to accept her as his mate.