Under The Naked Moon

Elena's POV.

The first day of school

Hello everyone, I'm Elena, a petite teenager with long, dark hair and deep brown eyes. I'm just a regular girl who loves her mom fiercely and despises her absent father for leaving us. Little did I know, my first day of college would bring an unexpected twist into my life.

I should say that I had nostalgic feelings about it. I hardly slept last night; my nerves kept waking me up every 30 minutes. I finally woke up around 4 a.m., but the cold couldn't let me take a shower immediately; I had to steam water before I took a bath. The Minnesota cold is something I still can't get used to, and I doubt I'll ever get used to it. It's been three long years since we left sunny Arizona for this chilly place, and honestly, I doubt I'll ever

adapt to it. I kept contracting cold-related illnesses, from flu to sneezing and pneumonia.

I dragged myself out of bed at four in the morning. The first thing on my agenda was a hot shower to combat the cold. Shivering under the water, I couldn't help but reminisce about the warmth of Arizona. Oh, Arizona, that is just a place perfect for me. The sunny weather, the sights of the cliffs and deserts-hmm, how much I missed that place.

Well... By 7 a.m., I was all dressed and ready to go. Mom, in her ever-loving and slightly overprotective way, had packed breakfast for me like some kid. It's quite funny; she still treats me like a kid, even though I'm 18 now and heading off to college. Well, I won't blame her; I'm all she had. Dad left us when I was five. The bastard left without even looking back; we were probably a headache he wanted to cure. Well, I hear he has his business and is doing well for himself, but I don't give a fuck about his cursed ass.

Mom came to me, kissed me on the forehead, then handed me the breakfast she had packed for me, then said her usual "go well" talk: "Take care of yourself, baby; do not look for trouble; and let trouble not come near you; focus on your studies, and not boys." I literally joined her in saying it word for word; it has become an anthem for her, and she will always say that to me whenever I'm leaving home.

I arrived at the college campus feeling like the new kid on the block. Well, I was literally just the new kid on the block. The place was buzzing with students, most of them already forming little groups. I wondered if I'd ever get along; being an introvert means that I hardly make friends. I also wondered how I could find my way around. I knew I had a psychology class this morning in hall 103, but with so many halls around, I had my doubts about locating it. So, I began my search, closely examining the wall numbers. I counted the halls as I walked past them. Halls 99, 100, 101, and 102

And finally, after some wandering, I found Hall 103. I peeked inside before entering, relieved to see that it wasn't too crowded. I'd just faint if I had to walk in with boys looking at me, especially if they were handsome ones. I ventured in, scanning for a vacant seat, hoping to remain unnoticed. You see, I'm a chronic introvert; I literally run from friends. No wonder mom is my only best friend, but trust me, I can be quite the chatterbox once I'm comfortable with people.

I sat on the vacant seat somewhere near the back, trying to blend in like a chameleon, but it might seem as though today was not the day to hide for me, because just when I was blending in, a boy walked in. He walked straight to where I was seated, trying to hide from the eyes of others. He then took the seat behind me. He was undeniably handsome, but he had a certain femininity about him. I do not find men without biceps sexually attractive. This dude was very handsome, but he lacked the essence of sexual attraction. Soon enough, our lecturer arrived, and her quirky humour put me at ease.

She stood with the marker on the board, poised, looking at us, one after the other, as if she were trying to get a head count. "This is the psychology class; I want to believe you are all here for this class. Feel free to leave if you think you are in the wrong class," she said and waited, still looking at us for a while. After seeing that no one got up, she took a purse for a while, then sighed and said,

"Thank God, it's quite embarrassing to be that one person to leave because he or she is clumsy enough to be in the wrong class." We all burst into laughter. I had a feeling I'd enjoy this class.

She went straight to the board and started writing, and we began taking notes, and that's when I realised my pen had run out of ink. I shook my empty pen, trying to magically make the inkless pen write. Frantically, I started searching my bag, searching everywhere as if I had any spare pen saved anywhere. But I was suddenly saved by the guy behind me, who seemed almost like a girl. He quietly placed a pen on my desk, and I turned to thank him with a cheeky wink. The timing was impeccable.

As our teacher continued with her lecture, I found myself completely engrossed. But, in a moment of distraction, I noticed that I had the borrowed pen in my mouth, licking and sucking on it like those porn videos where one sexy girl sucks the dick of a super hot man. Mortified, I quickly brought it down, praying the owner hadn't seen me.

When the class finally ended, I gathered my courage and turned to return the pen. However, he didn't say a word to me. Instead, he gave off a strange vibe, almost defensive, when I called out to him to hand it back.

As I handed over the pen, I couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious boy behind me. He was intriguing, and for some reason, I had a feeling that this chance encounter was the beginning of something unexpected in my college journey.

Jayson's POV.

The Scent of a Mate

I couldn't believe Raymond's persistence. My Beta, my best friend, was driving me crazy with his constant worry about his mate, Alex. They were inseparable, those two, but today was different. It was Alex's first day of school, and for the first time since they found each other, they were apart. And this dude just can't let me breathe.

"Where could he be? He is not even answering his phone; he said he would be ending class by 2 p.m. See, it's almost 2:30; are you sure he is okay?" Raymond asked in a panicking state.

"He should be on his way back from school. Come on, stop acting like a child. It's not even that late. It's not like he will just appear here immediately after class; you know how the traffic is these days." I chided Raymond, who was visibly restless. I was growing tired of his behaviour, and I needed a break. Pushing my chair back, I got up, causing it to thud against the wall with a resounding noise that surely reverberated throughout the entire pack. Well, I don't care; I just needed to free myself from Ray's whimpering like a lost puppy. Here he is crying that his mate is not back from school yet. He never cares to ask how I feel knowing that I have yet to meet my mate.

As I headed towards the door, leaving Raymond to continue his puppy-like whining for his mate, the door swung open, and in walked Alex, his school bag slung over his shoulder. Raymond's face instantly lit up with a smile, and he exhaled in relief. Without hesitation, he rushed to Alex, embraced him tightly, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

"What took you so long?" Raymond asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Did I really take that long? Maybe it's the traffic; I left school immediately after class," Alex responded with a reassuring smile. He made that feminine gesture that gets my best friend horny almost every time he sees him.

Raymond and Alex began making out right there in front of me, and I couldn't help but find it a little gross. I mean, sure, they were mates; by mate, I mean soulmates. The moon goddess gets every werewolf a perfect match, bound by soul, and werewolves often find their mates at the tender age of 16, just as Alex and Raymond had. But for me, Jayson, who is already 23, I am yet to find my mate. I wondered when I would ever meet her and finally bid farewell to the meaningless one-night stands that had filled my life.

I spiralled into a sombre mood, plagued by thoughts of why I hadn't seen my mate yet. Had the Moon Goddess forgotten about me? Or maybe something terrible had happened to her. Was she even alive? Would I have to live my entire life without experiencing the perfect completeness that comes with finding a soulmate? I always craved that feeling, but it seemed that feeling was far from me.

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly couldn't stand the sight of Alex and Raymond continuing their passionate display of affection in front of me. "Hey, will you two get a room? Stop suffocating me with all this lovey-dovey stuff," I grumbled, trying to mask my jealousy.

They chuckled and separated, but I couldn't shake off the strange feeling that had enveloped me. I turned my attention to Alex, dragged him to a seat, and began asking him about school, pretending like I wanted to know when, in a real sense, I only wanted to separate them. But as I spoke to him, I discovered a scent-an unusual one-that filled the air. It smelled like paradise, like home; it was the smell of love. My senses as a werewolf heightened instantly. I could feel my wolf stirring within me, struggling to break free.

It was then that I realised the source of the scent-it was coming from Alex's bag. My instincts took over, and I grabbed the bag, emptying its contents onto the ground. Among the items, I found a pen, and it was the pen that emitted that enticing aroma. It was then that I realised that the scent could only be the scent of my mate.

I turned to Alex, my alpha instincts surging through me. I gripped him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, holding the pen up to his face. "What is my mate's scent doing on this pen?" I growled, my eyes locked onto him, and the pressure on his throat intensified. He was no longer Alex to me at that moment; he was merely someone standing before me and my mate. I pressed him so hard; if he wasn't a werewolf, he should have gotten a raptured oesophagus.

Raymond, ever protective of his mate, pushed me away and positioned himself between Alex and me. "Wo, wo, wo... What's gotten into you, Jay? Why are you choking my mate?" His words were laced with concern and authority.

Being an alpha meant I was the strongest in our pack, but my strength was rivalled only by my beta, Raymond. And now, with Alex as his mate, he was equally protective. But being the alpha also meant I was even more protective of my pack members, and the idea that someone might have a connection to my mate was driving me mad.

Alex gasped for air, his face reddening as he spoke. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about. But if this pen smells like your mate, then I know who she is. But..." He said he hesitated before speaking. I gave him a look of "yes," and he continued. "She's human, and yes, she's in my class. I gave her the pen to use when her own ran out of ink. If you want, I can arrange for you to meet her."

The revelation hit me like a lightning bolt. My mate was a human, and she had been right under my nose all along. This was a twist I hadn't expected, and as my thoughts raced, I couldn't help but wonder if fate was finally leading me to the one I'd been searching for all these years. I walked to Alex with intensity. Ray mistook it for another attack; he tried to block me, but I made him know that it was not what he was thinking. "Please, I'd like to meet with her".

Elena's POV

Unexpected Best Friend

It's the third day of college school, and my love for coffee hasn't wavered one bit. I'm a bona fide coffee addict, which probably explains why I work part-time at Relax Coffee Shop. Today, like any other day, I couldn't resist the temptation of my usual hot cup of coffee. I mean, who can resist that delicious taste and the inviting aroma that fills the air?

I grabbed my hot coffee, thinking it would be my trusty companion against the raging cold weather of Minnesota. I was sporting a skimpy red gown, trying to emulate the sexy style of the other girls on campus. But as soon as I stepped out of the house, the cold breeze hit me like a tonne of bricks, and the warmth from my coffee vanished instantly. I found myself rubbing my arms to generate some warmth, but I was already outside, so there was no turning back. My beloved hot cup of coffee had bailed out on me. I was betrayed.

As I got to school, I couldn't help but realise that I had made a fashion faux pas. My sexy red gown stood out like a sore thumb amid a sea of students donning sweaters, jackets, and jeans. I felt like the only one who hadn't received the memo about the weather change. I was supposed to look sexy, something I could swear I never was never, but even though I tried to be today, I turned out feeling odd and out of place.

I walked very close to the walls, not only trying to hide from the cold now but also trying to hide from the preying eyes of students who might see me as odd. So, by the time I got to my class, I discovered that it was already packed, a far cry from what I had experienced on Monday. I quietly scanned the room, desperately seeking an empty seat in a place where I would not have to mingle much with people and also not be seen as an antisocial person. To my surprise, I spotted a familiar face waving and smiling at me. It was the cute boy who had kindly given me his pen on Monday. I smiled back at him and approached, and he tapped on a vacant seat beside him, whispering, "I reserved it for you." His smile revealed adorable dimples, and I wondered if he was trying to flirt with me.

I settled into the seat, acknowledging him with a casual "Hey, thanks, pen guy." However, his reaction was unexpected. He clutched his chest and contorted his face as though he'd been shot in the heart, almost making me panic, thinking he was having a heart attack. "So, after saving your ass the other day, all I get is a 'hey'? I was expecting at least some form of monetary appreciation or a cup of coffee," he teased.

I couldn't help but be amused by his sense of humour. I smiled and playfully bumped his shoulder. His reaction was utterly unexpected, as he dramatically fell off his chair, causing everyone around us to stare in disbelief. The entire class turned to see what had caused the commotion, and I hurriedly tried to help him up. He was already causing a scene, and I hated to have the eyes of the crowd around me.

Whispering a shout at him, she said, "What's wrong with you?" He responded with a mischievous grin, "Oh, and you're violent too? You want to kill me?" he said jokingly. At least I felt he was joking; I never punched him that hard for him to fall that way to the ground. I told him sorry, and he said no to me. He said I owed him a favour. And hearing cute boys like him say anything about a favour from a girl, then it's sex that they need. I look at his innocent-looking cute feminine face, and in my mind I was like, "As innocent as you look, you want to fuck me." Typical of his gender. I looked him in the face and gave him a big, fat no. "NO! I owe you nothing." I said to him, and he smiled with a wicked grin.

Being an introvert, I preferred to avoid attention, but it seemed like he was taking advantage of my discomfort. He seemed about to shout something when I used my hand to cover his mouth. But it was too late; we'd already garnered the attention of the entire class. The teacher paused but decided to continue the lesson. In my desperation to end the awkward situation, I reluctantly agreed to whatever he was about to suggest, even though, in my mind, I was never going to keep to it. "I will, I will do anything. Please just stay quiet already," I said to him. I never intended to do anything for him; I'm not like those thirsty girls who will open my thighs for some cheap guy to crawl in just because he lent me a pen.

He now smiled and gave me a wink. I looked at him, only seeing dirty thoughts in his mind. Well, just when it seemed like all was going well, It felt like a rain of pens. This motherfucker emptied a full bag of pens on my desk; he literally made it rain on my desk. I looked at him, seeing how he grinned at me. He was obviously having the best day of his life; he was indeed enjoying everything. I think this bully just found his new prey. I thought of what to do to him-let him know that I am not the girl to pick on. But anything I do will help him achieve his goal, which was getting the attention of the class, hence embarrassing me more. So, I chose to stay calm, but deep down, I felt like biting his throat off.

After school, I headed home. I had no friends yet and no reason to linger at school. But as I walked, someone suddenly grabbed my hand and began dragging me. Startled, I turned to see that it was the pen guy.

"What are you doing, pen guy?" I asked, trying to free my hand from his grip.

He replied, "What does it look like? You owe me a favour, and I'm taking you to redeem it," she said, still holding onto my hand.

I pulled my hand away and now walked backwards, looking frightened. "I won't do it; I'll never do it with you. I don't even know you," I stammered.

He seemed puzzled by my reaction and said, "Sorry, you won't do what? I just wanted to have a coffee with you." I felt embarrassed; I had completely misjudged him. I had to change this habit of mine of jumping to conclusions-a very bad habit of mine-that thought that all guys wanted was sex. "What were you thinking before? No, you didn't think I was going to... Oh my God, you have a very wild imagination," he said, laughing heartily. "Ok, let me tell you something you're missing: I am gay, I'm so gay, and I am in a very serious relationship."

I felt so embarrassed that I thought to myself, "How could I not have known? This guy is just too handsome and too feminine not to be gay."

He continued, "So, please tell me, what's your name?"

I responded, "I'm Elena; what about you? I can't call you Pen Guy for the rest of this semester.".

He smiled and said, "I'm Alex." He then shared, "You see, my boyfriend is really worried about me; he thinks I might never make a friend on campus, and he wants to bring me to school and back every day since he doesn't attend college. But that would be embarrassing. I told him I already had a friend, so he could stop worrying. So, I want you to join me at the cafe as my friend. He'll also be there with his best pal."

I was amazed by the depth of his relationship, and his boyfriend must be a caring person. "Alright, for today, I'll be your fake friend," I agreed.

Alex gave me a sharp look and exclaimed, "You'll what? You're already my best friend, you bitch! There's no going back now. What if you need a pen tomorrow? Who will be there for you?" We both laughed at the absurdity of it.

He said to me that we would be going to Relax Coffee for a drink, and it was amazing. I work part-time at Relax Coffee. I told him that I worked there, and he was also amazed. I told him about the different coffee recipes served at Relax Coffee. As we approached Relax Coffee Shop, a strange feeling washed over me, like butterflies in my stomach.