Blue Moon

C H A P T E R 4

THE BOND THAT DID NOT HOLD

ARRAH

Two weeks ago, I was so excited to celebrate my birthday. My parents gave me a beautiful surprise in the morning I woke. Quite a few hours later, I was able to get out of the house, roughed up by hugs, face red with kisses and ecstatic at the preview of gifts later that night.

The rest of the day, I walked the halls of my school as if I owned the world. Macey and Mason each gave me a good 'ole hug and droned on well wishes. Fried some poor brain cells at science, history, and math class. Dodged a few balls and spared my body some pain. Believe me that was something to be thankful for given my pain threshold.

In the evening, I partied with my family and friends. Shared good food and truckloads of laughter then opened my gifts from uncles and aunts who were all from my mother's side of the family. Mason gave me a new game he promised we would play for a couple of weeks until a new game comes along. Macey gave me my first make up kit. I tried not to cringe for I knew I would never use it. Mom and dad gave the keys to my new car they saved up for plus a white sleeveless knee-length dress. The car would be mine after I had my student's license ready. The dress would be for my mating ceremony. Every moment of it was wonderful.

I was cherished.

I was loved.

Expecting to be able to shift into my wolf form, I hounded my mom and dad to take me to the forest and guide me in what should have been my first shift. Even when I know, I probably wouldn't. We just sat there and enjoyed the rest of the night talking, with them telling me how they met right after turning sixteen. It made me so excited to have my own date with destiny. It was all good.

The morning after that, I got dressed. Determined to look my best, I combed my long hair a couple of times into different styles before deciding to just let it down and free but that was after I raked my closet for something to wear for the third time. In the end, I settled with black tight pants and a grey dress shirt tucked in. I went with the simple and comfortable look, fully confident that my mate would just love me all the same.

A thousand possibilities were running in my head but what had happened next was totally out of my expectations. What I did not count on was that she would run. Good thing she didn't go screaming her lungs out all the way. I would have died of embarrassment before my fever did me in. My gym class uniform wasn't that bad. For the record, I never played long so I wasn't even sweaty and I know I didn't stink.

Why run from their mates as if the devil himself was chasing after them?

However, if you ever saw one running, oh, fret not. That would only be my mate!

Fast forward through the fifteen-minute talk I had with her—damn, the three days I've waited was longer than the talk we had. The time I waited outside was even longer in comparison. To the celebration for the new alpha, my mate's engagement—well, not to me obviously.

I went to the gathering wearing the dress my parents gave me and made myself more presentable in the hopes of having another chance to change Kai's mind. However, the announcement of her engagement was the proverbial nail to the fucking coffin.

It was just my rotten luck.

* * *

The masked man drew the dagger out of my chest and I felt the blood rush out through the hole it left. The pristine white dress that I was supposed to be wearing for my mate was now the dress I would wear to meet my death.

My vision dimmed and my knees buckled from the loss of blood or shock, my mind couldn't tell. I could barely make out the sight of my parents breaking down, my friends struggling against theirs—crying, and my mate, now standing lost.