Chapter 1 Heartbreak

Arya's POV

I hung my head like a dying flower as hot tears threatened to spill from my eyes. Then I raised my eyes up to the ceiling for a moment and exhaled.

Today is the coming of age and mate-checking ceremony in the East High Pack. It was meant to be beautiful and romantic like Valentine's Day, as humans call it but it wasn't for me. Well, the thing is everyone in my class had a partner to dance with, except me. But do you know what hurts the most? Watching the boy I had been crushing on since sophomore year twirl my best friend across the dance floor.

Her eyes sparkled as she wore a silly grin while he had a cocky smile on his face. Jealousy shot straight through my heart as I wondered if I'd ever be more than just the girl in the background. Then the tears came again. Unable to resist this time, I raced to the bathroom.

"Omg!" a girl glared at me. "Watch where you are going!"

"Sorry sorry" I shuffled through the crowd and dashed away from the scene. My face was covered in humiliation. As soon as I was alone in the bathroom, I bawled my eyes out. After a few minutes of crying, I reached for the toilet paper behind me and dabbed the tears from my eyes. I know I shouldn't be jealous of Fifi, my best friend, but then, the heart wants what it wants. Suddenly the door to the bathroom swung open.

"Get in here loser"

The next thing I knew the bathroom was swarming with people. I rolled my eyes. Bullies.

"What do you think you were doing? Dancing with Eric?" a voice filled with anger said.

"N...nothing.... he asked me to dance with him" the fearful voice replied. My blood went cold. It was Fifi they were bullying.

"Did you see her?" another girl giggled.

"She thinks she's beautiful." She burst into laughter. "That was an eyesore"

"I'd warned Eric to try cheating on me with people with class"

I recognized that voice. It was Olivia, the leader of the cheerleading squad.

"Then to think about the other loser of a best friend she has,"

"That one is ugly too." Then they cackled like witches. Anger bubbled in my chest. I knew I had to do something. I could be everything but I was not a coward. I slammed the door to the stall open.

They gasped but hissed on seeing me.

"Well if it isn't the president of the loser nation," Olivia said and they burst into laughter.

"Leave her alone" I began.

"Or what?' Olivia sneered. My eyes quickly darted around. I needed to do something, anything.

The girls began to laugh. "Shut up Arya you are nobody," one of them said and they laughed again.

I stared at them, breathing through my mouth. I needed a comeback.

"See who is talking? You think I don't know you were the group loser, Olivia made you eat your lunch from the toilet seat" she gasped. These things I know were just rumors but from her reaction, I think it was the truth.

"And you" I turned to the other girl. "Beneath all this makeup is that huge gap between your teeth like a rabbit hole and your acne face, I saw your face last year during the rain, and you are so ugly you could make the perfect scarecrow"

Her eyes widened and she clasped a hand over her mouth. Immediately she bolted out of the bathroom, then followed by the previous girl.

Olivia glared at me. "You Arya! It's not yet over" and she walked out of the bathroom. I hugged my best friend and she sobbed on my neck.

"He asked me to dance with him," she said in between sniffles. I nodded and wiped her tears.

"It's okay, you did nothing wrong," I said cupping her face" Come on let's go out there."

She nodded, smiling, "Thank you."

"My pleasure" I smiled back. Fifi had a call and went to the side to answer it.

"Settle down everyone. I'll begin" I looked up to see the werewolf matchmaker. She was in charge of telling us who was our mate.

The air was filled with anxiety as young werewolves listened with rapt attention. The hall was ghost quiet and there was a fixed look of concentration in their eyes. I stared down at my hands, and back at the crowd. I felt nothing. Looking down at my feet, I held my bag tighter, my feet facing the door. What was the use of hoping? I'll be mated to an omega anyway and life will be pretty miserable.

Suddenly, I felt an intense urge to look up, and when I did, I froze. Everybody was staring at me, some smiling.

Someone leaned into me.

"The matchmaker called your name, your mate is Alpha Jake"

My eyes were the exact size of watermelons. "What!"

".... Arya Lincoln, you are mated to the Alpha, Jake Lucas...." she said again. A deafening applause was heard around me and my lips spread into a slow grin.

Some group of girls ran up to me. "Come on, go tell him!"

"Should I? Can I? "I asked with my eyes wide.

"Yes!" they chorused.

Immediately I sprinted out of the hall as the applause continued. Straight to the palace. I couldn't believe it. Jake and I were old friends. I always visited the palace those times. He was an illegitimate child like me but he was made Alpha when Luna died after not bearing children. I couldn't believe it. I also had a crush on him but I let it go because he was way out of my league.

I sneaked into the palace, making my way to Jake's room. I couldn't believe my dream had finally come true. Maybe my life wasn't going to be shitty after all.

I had felt the pull, Jake's wolf must have sensed it too as Camilla, and my wolf did. I was feeling all giddy as I tiptoed to Jake's room. There wasn't really any reason to sneak around, but it was exciting to do.

When I reached Jake's room, I began to hear certain sounds that caused me to furrow my brows. My heart raced and I had sweat dripped down my palms. There was only one answer to this and I hoped it wasn't it.