Chapter 1 The Beginning

I’m turning eighteen tomorrow, and I can hardly wrap my head around it. It feels surreal that I’m just a day away from the greatest day of my life. As a wolf from The Black Pack Community, the day I turn eighteen holds special importance for me as it’s the day I’m supposed to get my wolf and find my mate. The thought of finally getting my wolf is exhilarating, but what truly fills me with anticipation is the idea of discovering my mate.

I can’t shake this deep feeling that my mate will be my boyfriend, Zoran. He’s the Beta of our pack, and even though I’m just an omega, I’m putting in the effort to train hard and elevate my rank. But honestly, that doesn’t faze Zoran at all; he loves me just as I am, and I love him with all my heart. We’ve been dating for a year now, and our happiness together is undeniable. He completes me in ways I never thought possible, and I know in my bones that he will be my mate.

Just as I was lost in these thoughts, the door swung open, and my best friend Tasha burst into my room, nudging me aside and causing me to accidentally smudge my lip gloss. "Guess what I found out?" she exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, "Look what you made me do." I reached for a tissue, dabbing at the smudged lip gloss that had somehow managed to migrate to my upper lip, leaving a shiny mess.

"Sorry, I’m just too excited!"

Wiping it off, I turned to her and asked "About what?"

Her face lit up as she leaned in closer, practically bouncing on her toes. "Alpha Axel, he’s coming back to town tonight." she chirped, her voice rising with each word. Tasha has been obsessed with Alpha Axel for ages; I mean, who hasn’t? Every girl in The Black Pack Community is basically obsessed with Alpha Axel and they want nothing more but to be mated to him. But honestly, I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. To me, he’s not even that good-looking, and let’s not forget that he was a total bully back in junior school, tormenting me whenever he got the chance mainly because I’m short and he’s way taller than me.

I forced a smile, trying to play along. "Oh, that’s nice."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes at my lack of enthusiasm. "I know you don’t care, but can you at least show that you care a little bit?"

With a heavy sigh, I put on my best fake cheerfulness. "Oh, that’s so nice. I can’t wait to see him."

Alpha Axel has been gone for seven years, training with the outside pack. Despite his absence, everyone remains incredibly obsessed with him.

Her grin widened, practically lighting up the room. "I can’t wait either. I’m sure he’s hot as fuck now."

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes again, watching her get so lost in her fantasies about him. "Stop crushing; he’s not your mate," I said, trying to bring her back to reality.

"He could be. I heard he’s back in search of his mate, maybe I’m his mate."

"Yeah, sure."

"What do you mean by that? You don’t think I qualify as his mate?"

"Oh no, I don’t mean that. It’s just that he’s not really that great, but you make it sound like he’s a god or something."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "You’re just saying that because you’re blindly in love with Zoran."

"Yeah, Zoran’s is the best." I grinned, feeling a little defensive but also proud.

"Anyways, did you know he came by the mall today and got a ring from my dad’s store?" She said this with a glint in her eye as if she was revealing a huge secret.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, he bought a diamond ring. I think it’s a birthday gift for you or something." Her excitement was palpable, and I could hardly process what she was saying.

One thing about The Black Pack Community is that it’s a small community, and everyone knows everyone’s business. When I say everyone, I really mean everyone knows what’s going on in each other’s lives, down to the smallest detail.

I responded, "No, it’s not. Zoran got me a bracelet and a new phone for my birthday."

"Ohh, then what’s the ring for?" she asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. I shrugged, completely baffled. She quickly typed something on her phone, and with a sudden gasp, she exclaimed, "Oh my god, the ring he bought is an engagement ring." The weight of her words hung in the air, and I felt my heart race at the thought.

"Who told you that?"

"My dad, I just asked him,"

Before I could even think of a response, my phone beeped loudly, cutting through the moment. I quickly grabbed it, my heart racing as I saw a text from Zoran. He wants to meet me immediately to talk about something important. I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper, "Oh my God, Zoran wants to meet me in twenty minutes."

"Wait," she said, her expression shifting to one of knowing excitement. "Do you think he wants to?"

"I don’t know," I admitted, my mind racing. Zoran and I have never really talked about getting proposed to, and now that he has a ring and wants to propose, I’m overwhelmed with emotions. "He did say he was planning something big for my birthday, but I thought it was just going to be about the gifts."

"It’s not the gift; he wants to propose to you!" she exclaimed

"Oh my gosh! I’m not even prepared! What am I going to say? What am I going to do? I mean, I haven’t even claimed him as my mate yet, and he wants to propose!" I said, feeling a rush of confusion and exhilaration flooding through me.

"You’re gonna say yes, and you’re gonna let him put the ring on your finger. And tomorrow, when you sense him as your mate, you are going to claim him and live the rest of your life with the love of your life," she said confidently. I nodded, her words sinking in. Even though it felt like everything was happening so fast, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness and excitement at the thought of being with Zoran forever.

"Yeah, I’m gonna do that."

"That’s my girl. Now go get dressed and meet up with him. Remember, I get to be your maid of honor at the wedding," she said

"Dude, I haven’t even been proposed to yet, and you’re already talking about weddings," I shot back, half-laughing, half-serious. It felt surreal to even think about it.

"Well, a proposal means a wedding is coming up," she replied, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more. The thought of it sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

I had always believed that Zoran loved me, but I just never imagined he loved me so much that he wanted to get married so quickly. I mean, I hadn’t even started thinking about all this yet, and now I was on the brink of a proposal. The idea was thrilling and terrifying all at once, but I couldn’t help but feel a wave of happiness wash over me.

After a few moments of contemplation, I slipped into a stunning red dress that hugged my figure perfectly and stopped just above my knees. Tasha helped me style my hair into a sleek ponytail, securing it with a ribbon that added a touch of elegance. Once I was all dressed and ready, I stood in front of the mirror, admiring my reflection. A smile crept across my lips as I imagined Zoran on one knee, looking up at me with those deep, loving eyes, ready to tell me just how much he loves me.